Mariah Carey has officially been free for two decades — and to celebrate, she’s dropping an expansive collection of music packaged in a five-disc The Emancipation of Mimi (20th Anniversary Edition).
As announced on Instagram Friday (April 11) — one day shy of the exact 20-year anniversary of the vocalist’s enduring 2005 record — Carey has personally compiled a suite of songs from the Emancipation era into one sleek five-LP vinyl box set arriving May 30 via Def Jam Records/UMe. Featuring the original tracklist of hits including “It’s Like That,” “We Belong Together,” “Shake It Off,” “Say Somethin,’” “Fly Like a Bird” and “Get Your Number,” the special edition will also house dozens of bonus tracks, past remixes and collaborations with other artists, instrumentals, a capella takes, live recordings and more.
The Emancipation of Mimi (20th Anniversary Edition) will also include tracks from the previously released Ultra Platinum Edition — including “Don’t Forget About Us,” “Makin’ It Last All Night (What It Do),” “Secret Love” and “Sprung” — as well as brand new remixes and collaborations. One of those remixes, Kaytranada’s version of “Don’t Forget About Us,” dropped Friday as part of the anniversary project’s announcement.
“I’m really happy to celebrate ‘Mimi’s Emancipation’ with this special anniversary re-release,” Carey said in a statement. “While working on this edition, I got to relive all the memories from this pivotal moment in my personal and professional life.”
Released April 12, 2005, The Emancipation of Mimi marked Carey’s 10th studio album, and a pivotal comeback moment in her career. Spending two weeks atop the Billboard 200, the project won three Grammys and spawned one of the longest-running Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 hits of all time, the 14-week leader “We Belong Together.”
The new anniversary edition will further celebrate that era of the vocalist’s career with a 28-page booklet of photos of Mimi, along with a personal letter she penned to her Lambs. A deluxe 2-LP vinyl set will also be available. An extended digital deluxe version of the suite will also be available on May 30 featuring additional tracks exclusive to streaming services.
“This album has some of my biggest hits to date, as well as some personal favorites that are very special to me,” Carey added. “Forgotten gems, unreleased bonus tracks and different remixes with incredible collaborators — all of these and more are now available in one place for the first time ever!”
See the star’s announcement and listen to the Kaytranada remix of “Don’t Forget About Us” below.
