[Single Review] Mariah Carey – Triumphant (Get ‘Em)

Mariah Carey is a lot of things, but she’s not predictable. The diva of all divas has made it “Through the Rain”, got the party started on “It’s Like That”, flaunted her funny side on “Touch My Body”, and even came for Eminem’s wig on the oddball “Obsessed”. Now that she’s preparing to reinvent herself as a TV personality by replacing Jennifer Lopez on American Idol, we’ve all been waiting with anticipation to see what Queen Mimi would cook up for her new single “Triumphant (Get ‘Em)“.

The answer is, not much.

“Triumphant” is a low budget slice of feature-heavy hip-hop with syrupy inspirational lyrics that sound like they were purposely penned just to get the song played in some Olympics’ commercials. The beat, courtesy of the outdated duo of Jermaine Dupri and B-Cox, wouldn’t even make it onto a Ciara album, sounding more like something you’d find on a a washed-up rapper’s mixtape.

The entire thing feels about years out-of-date, but even back then, “Triumphant” would still have trouble making it as an album cut on Charmbracelet or The Emancipation of Mimi.

But the biggest crime in this song is that Mariah is barely even on it. It’s supposed to be her own single, yet she’s relegated to the status of a hook singer while Meek Mill and Rick Ross do the heavy lifting.

It’s shocking to see that an artist of Carey’s caliber has released something with so little hit potential at such a pivotal point in her career. But then again, Mariah hasn’t exactly been ahead of the times recently. The entire booklet of her last album was filled with photos of the airbrush addict recreating famous photoshoots from her glory days. Now she’s trying to bring back the singer-meets-rapper hip-pop that she pioneered over a decade ago, and it’s made her look just as clueless and out-of-touch as Madonna’s recent attempt at relevance, MDNA.

Give “Triumphant” a week and it’ll be officially demoted to a buzz track, and Mariah will be in the studio with Noah “40″ Shebib frantically trying to cook up a single that sounds like it was recorded in 2012.

Don’t call this a comeback, because it isn’t one.

Score: 1/5

This entry was posted on Thursday, August 2nd, 2012 at 8:38 pm and is filed under Reviews. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

  • ButYaMamaAHo

    Coming for Kween JoJo is not cute Proph… But, Preach truths!

  • http://twitter.com/SuzySooyoung Suzy Sooyoung

    Im really mad and embarrassed for this song tbh. I was expecting for new MC so eagerly since Im such a fan. But this is pure irrelevance! LMFAO I agree with ur score 100%. Its just ridiculous how she just sings the chorus LOL and the features are not even enjoyable in it. And EVEN if I liked the features and the song overall, a close look to the lyrics make me cringe all over and just delete the track from my pc! Seriously, its THAT bad.

    With that said, she betta make this just a promo single or she’ll get so much hate ! LOOL

  • Danny Le Guen

    Why are you even reviewing this song on a K-Pop blog?

  • Patrick

    It’s a pop blog in general

  • xtincta

    What JoJo “Kween” of? The Food stamp line? I mean hell it doesn’t really take much to get a title these days……

  • theprophetblog

    LMAO @ this pressed lamb trying to throw shade.

    #Pathetic

  • http://twitter.com/SuzySooyoung Suzy Sooyoung

    He’s reviewing it cause Mariah’s song is so bad he felt the need to do so. Oh, and cause he can! :)

  • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_LB3LDHWZXK7GXIW6DYVOYSVPHE SJ

    Mariah Carey not predictable? Actually, I think she’s very predictable–she consistently puts out lite R&B tripe!

  • http://twitter.com/RTMcNeely Ryan Thomas McNeely

    Biggest lamb in the world here, but where were her label and handlers on this? Given what’s on the radio now, you can tell even from this wreck she still has enough voice to carry a mainstream hit. But this is just… shocking? Honestly thought I was listening to a low quality radio rip and it was the official HQ stream. Hit the nail on the head — first thought I had 30 seconds in was “buzz track backtrack coming soon.”

  • Niraj

    yeah it sucks LOL probably the worst MC single :(

  • http://twitter.com/RTMcNeely Ryan Thomas McNeely

    Biggest lamb in the world here, but where were her label and handlers on this? Given what’s on the radio now, you can tell even from this wreck she still has enough voice to carry a mainstream hit. But this is just… shocking? Honestly thought I was listening to a low quality radio rip and it was the official HQ stream. Hit the nail on the head — first thought I had 30 seconds in was “buzz track backtrack coming soon.”

  • Fiasco

    I. Just. Can’t. Everything about this song screams epic triumphailure. I too, agree with it’s rating. I especially had high hopes simply based of the fact that it was being prod by Jermaine dupri since I called “memoirs” a flop the moment I read that The Dream + Tricky Stewart did the most production for it (look at Basic Instinct =flop, Burlesque soundtrack = *albeit a soundtrack, which I kinda love*, Bionic tracks = Average, hell even Beyonce’s Single Ladies was idiotic *though redeemed with the cellulite shaking video*). I hope the remixes are better and 2nd single is heaps better.

  • theprophetblog

    So true, it sounds like a demo!

  • iAmAwesome

    yeah… I quit before it ended.

  • http://twitter.com/britneysunicorn nicky

    LMFAO I love when we completely agree. This is one of the biggest disappointments in a long time. I’ve been a Mariah fan since I was a child, and I was really looking forward to this. *listens to the Butterfly album and cries*

  • http://twitter.com/ICONI3 ICONI3

    I like the song but I don’t see the song doing too much damage on the charts. Maybe she should pull an adele/classic Mariah and go back to pop ballads. She did label this song an “advance single”, I’m guessing that’s lamb talk for buzz single.

  • itstwitmebetch

    All of that damn over-singing Mariah #gotstago I cant even hear the words on her part cause they keep overlapping her harmonies over the lyrics!!!

  • http://twitter.com/JairFuentes1991 Jair Fuentes

    Ouch. I actually like it :) Love the vibe of it & her vocals are nice. I mean, lets face it, MC isn’t the vocalist she used to be & the REAL fans know this is her favorite type of music, so I’m not surprised she did this. She’s filthy rich, she’s Billboard’s queen. Bitch can do what she pleases. I highly doubt she cares anymore. She just wants to make the music she enjoys. I accept that & I accept this song. Its not THAT bad. I’d say 2.5/5

  • http://www.facebook.com/adammc85 Adam Currier

    I thought the same thing! I was thinking how it was going to fail and all of the sudden it was going to turn into a buzz track and her “official” first single would be released later.

  • Heric

    Umm Next… i want E=mc Mariah, this is her featured on someone elses mixtape

    bye

  • http://www.facebook.com/JamesFluker James Alexander Fluker

    This is fucking dreadful.

  • Synchorotical

    OMG. Please tell me this is not the OFFICIAL LEAD/COMEBACK SINGLE and just a buzz track OMG it’s not even that good to be a buzz track either… If this song is going somewhere, maybe on the b-side on her 4th or last single from this upcoming project.

    I was rooting for her! Because she usually brings the epic songs as singles (except for Migrate from E=MC2 which was criminally underrated and sounds better than this THRILLION TIMES!). I am deeply dissapointed…

    I can actually accept the fact that her voice is deteriorating (Hello, 2 decades of shouting and screaming? xD) But the overall vibe of the song is not that good… it’s bad.

    *listens to the defining and wig snatching Migrate to cleanse my soul*

  • Alex

    After she released the song’s hideous single cover, I knew it was going to go downhill from that moment on… Although secretly I was hoping things would turn around given that it’s MC. But no, this whole thing’s a wreck! I think I’ll expect the same for the video too.

  • AOI

    Wow, my thought exactly, word by word. Where were her handlers? Well… Maybe this is what you get when you accept Randy Jackson to manage your career. Mimi, he already got you the American Idol job. Now it’s time to ditch him.

  • Sean

    Get em’! lol.

  • http://twitter.com/IsmanKamarul Kamarul Isman

    I turn off after the ten seconds, i’m hoping We Belong Together or It’s like That 2.0. But Mariah give us this?? This song sucks so bad…

  • http://davidsask.wordpress.com/ DavidSask

    Well said! Worst track ever put out by almost billionaire!

  • Greg M

    1. I’m a huge Mariah fan
    2. Emancipation is still constantly on rotate in my iPod
    3. This song is straight up WACKSAUCE

    She’s done lost her damn mind releasing this as a first single…Even Obsession (the version with dumbass Gucci Mane) shits all over this a million times over D E A D

  • http://twitter.com/fareth Mofe Farid Madiya

    Thats quite harsh! Maybe you can go back listening to Nicki’s Pound The Alarm.

  • mimifan

    hey i love it so much. go mc! yay! lol!

  • justemry

    Say it isn’t so. I seriously can not believe this awful tragedy of a single. I wish I could see some sort of light, but all I have around me is darkness. Someone please take me to a better place. One where Mimi slays my life like SHE USED TO. Fuckin’ hell.

  • lordmir

    obsessed lol

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1332592294 Kire Veljanovski

    She should be slapped in the face and get her ass back to the studio to actually SING! She is over I guess.This r&b shit is old and boring!

  • Blah

    EW EW EW EW. i’m gonna cleanse my soul from this…

  • http://www.facebook.com/dimitrius.paiva Dimitrius Gabriel de Paiva

    The vintage throwback remix is way better than the original!

    http://soundcloud.com/mickj23q/triumphant-dance-remix-world

  • http://twitter.com/curdey Michael Curd

    Oh god..! Mariah mariah mariah..No words. :|

  • TLo

    If she keep going with this as lead single, the album could be much worse than MDNA..

  • Diogo Bliss

    wow this is bad

  • Pingback: Mariah Carey’s “Triumphant (Get ‘Em)”: Review Revue | Music News, Reviews, and Gossip on Idolator.com

  • anon

    i loved memoirs, heck i even loved e=mc2 but im not even gonna download this. i want the ‘its a wrap/candy bling/ribbon/its like that/HATEU’ mariah carey not …. this demotion

  • anon

    dont think she got much funding for this

  • Popblock

    This sound is never coming back to the mainstream.. at least in this form. I know she is smarter than this…

  • http://twitter.com/themusicprophet The Music Prophet

    Hate to say it but I agree… This is just disappointing … A major Mis-step

  • Ahxinmc

    Pls listen to the remix versions! it’s sound even better n no rap!

  • http://twitter.com/MadonnaFixation BeautifulBoyKiller ®

    I thought Obsessed was bad…this is even worse!!!!!

  • u have no taste

    Ithink u ppl lost ur minds! it’s a great song! not everyone feels the same. she just has too. much rapping. the rhythm is good and the lyrics. if u ask mee it’s one of her best! i wouldn’t be surprised if it kicks ass! i think ppl r too much into depressing adele ballads. that shit gets boring, srry. this song is #1 for me. she’s starting to get credit from some sources anyway. srry but ur really underestimating it.