Mariah Carey's "E=MC2" offers genre-crossing equation

When somebody was helping me type up the lyrics, and they wrote "Out of Control" in parenthesis (by the song title), I was like, "Get rid of that. It's 'O.O.C.'! Let them figure it out! It's not that tough! I say it in the next line!"

Q: The "Touch My Body" video is hilarious.

Carey: Thank you. That was a (director) Brett Ratner-and-me collabo. (laughs) I love Brett because he is like me. If I'm eternally 12 -- because he's a little bit more naughty than I am -- he's eternally 15. He has a great sense of humor, obviously, and he knows that I have a sense of humor and he feels that people don't recognize that about me. And I'll do stuff that I'm totally joking and they're like (uses mean girl voice), "Why is she doing that? Why is she doing the treadmill with her high heels on?" I'm like, "It's a freakin' joke! It's 'Cribs'! Hello! It's a freakin' joke!"

Q: Have you thought about touring for this album?

Carey: It's come up, and I'm probably going to do it, but I don't know exactly how we're going to do it or when. I'm thinking probably September. But I think it's important to tour with this album, because there are so many songs that I really want to sing live, that I really enjoy. Fun songs, like "I'm That Chick" or "O.O.C.," and then the ballads, of course. I really want to do "I Wish You Well" and "I Stay in Love" and "Bye Bye."

Q: And now that you're in promotional mode, does it ever get daunting?

Carey: I'm totally ready for a nap. I'd love a nap ... It's a little tiring to have this kind of schedule. As long as I'm straight up in promo mode, it's cool, but I'm still doing little things on the record -- we're mastering ... (But) I'm collaborative about it. I like to hear what other people have to say. I wouldn't feel like an artist if I didn't. I wouldn't feel like I was truly the architect of the record. And why do it, then?

Reuters/Billboard