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Backstory: Mariah Carey is a seemingly Teflon-coated personality who has weathered huge failures (most notably a silly little film called “Glitter”) along with staggering successes. Her new album is a sequel of sorts to 2005’s “The Emancipation of Mimi,” a return to form that’s been certified platinum six times over and won three Grammys.

Why you should care: Carey is now a true urban diva who has left her bubblegum pop past behind in favor of smarter and more rhythmically complex tunes that draw from the hip-hop and R&B vernacular. Her new songs are no less infectious than her classics, but the catchiness never becomes annoying, as it often did on early hits like “Vision of Love,” “Dreamlover” or “Emotions.”

Verdict: As on “Emancipation,” this is solid evidence of the strength of Carey’s partnership with So So Def impresario (and Mr. Janet Jackson) Jermaine Dupri. The two steer a course that’s refreshingly free of sickly ballads and heavy with potential hits beyond the chart-topping first single “Touch My Body,” like the stupendous roller skating jam that is “I’m That Chick.” Even a slow and relatively bittersweet tune like “Bye Bye” has a bit of nightclub boogie in it, and the piano-led “I Wish You Well” is delicately gorgeous and commands attention. Even when Carey pretends she’s Jamaican for the reggae-flavored “Cruise Control” with Damian Marley, it’s not quite as corny as it could have been.

X-Factor: Since MTV barely plays any music videos, Carey has followed the latest trend for visibility on the channel, which is to star in a series of short commercials for “E=MC2.” The most hilarious finds her pushing out impossibly high notes from her famous vocal range in order to impress a dog, voiced by Snoop.

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