Mariah Carey - Caution (Japan Edition) (2018)

On her 15th studio album, and first in four years, Mariah Carey’s graceful R&B is punctuated by crisp hip-hop production, this time via Timbaland, DJ Mustard, and Drake’s frequent producer Nineteen85. Along with them are some of the most memorable hip-hop features in R&B: Ty Dolla $ign for the chant-led “The Distance” and Gunna on the upbeat, trap-influenced “Stay Long Love You.” When she’s on her own, she uses her spotlight to give a little female-empowerment sass on “GTFO” and “A No No.” But the real standout of the set may be the slinky, six-minute “Giving Me Life,” featuring Slick Rick and Blood Orange’s Dev Hynes. Mariah Carey largely set the template for the current era of hybrid hip-hop/R&B-pop, and Caution proves she’s still pushing the musical conversation forward.