The Mariah Carey blitz is on

When Mariah Carey's "E=MC2" leaked online about a week ago, one thing was certain. There would be no sudden rush-release of the album, a la Eminem's "Encore," or, to use a more recent example, Gnarls Barkley's "The Odd Couple."

New albums from the likes of Carey, and later this month Madonna, are as close as the music business is going to get these days to an "Indiana Jones"-type blockbuster. As the rest of the industry is getting used to plotting shorter, more frugal marketing campaigns, to an artist on the level of a Carey, first week is still paramount.

"E=MC2" will live or die by its singles, and a multi-month marketing campaign is coming to a head at just the right moment. Two weeks ago, Carey hit No. 1 with her slight slow-jam "Touch My Body," and passed Elvis as the solo artist with the most chart-topping singles with 18. On Monday, Carey guests on television's greatest gift to retail sales, "Oprah," and then it's Carey's time to shine on "American Idol."

And make no mistake, love Carey or hate her, she will indeed shine on "Idol," as it's hard to imagine "American Idol" even existing in a world without Carey's vocal gymnastics. This is all meant to set the tone for what is hoped to be a four-to-five singles deep collection -- a feat that's becoming nearly impossible in the face of drastically declining CD sales.

"E=MC2" will undoubtedly rack up one of the biggest first-weeks of 2008 after it's released on April 15. The Mariah Carey brand is strong enough to ensure that, but here are the important questions surrounding "E=MC2":

Is it good? If you were a fan of "The Emancipation of Mimi," you will be a fan of "E=MC2," as long as you're not turned off by Carey's failure to do anything drastically different, either lyrically or musically. She once again treads the line between flirting with lightly smooth adult contemporary and rappers for some street-cred; T-Pain lends his auto-tuned vocals to album opener "Migrate" (this album's version of "It's Like That").

While "The Emancipation of Mimi" was a much-needed knock-out success for Carey, time will tell if she adhered too closely to that album's road map. Replace some hand claps for finger-snaps, and the feel of "Touch My Body" isn't all that different from, say, "We Belong Together." And the piano tinkling of "Mimi's" "Don't Forget About Us" closely matches the piano melody of "E=MC2's" second single, "Bye Bye."

Perhaps Carey has become confident in knowing what her fans want. She certainly sounds as comfortable as she ever has on "E=MC2," which puts the emphasis on tone and delivery over range. And judging by the early success of "Touch My Body," her fans don't seem to have tired of the formula.

Read a detailed review of "E=MC2" here.

Does Carey act her age? A distressing trend in the post-Britney era is that our pop singers are continually trying to out-sex one another. The answer to the question should have been apparent when the video for "Touch My Body" was released, when Carey was fooling around with "30 Rock's" Jack McBrayer. That song alone features the cringe-worthy line, "Let me rub my thighs around your waist." But the answer is no, as Carey opens the album by driving around in Lamborghinis, sipping Grigio and -- shocker -- trying to find some pants that show off her hips.

And when Carey tries to open up a bit more, her sentiments are the equivalent of a Hallmark Precious Moments figurine. In a ballad of loss in "Bye Bye," Carey isn't taking any chances, designing the lyrics for mass appeal by dedicating them to anyone who ever lost somebody, be it "your best friend, your baby, your man or your lady." But Carey gracefully pulls off the universality of the lyrics, and the tune will in all likelihood be a massive hit, especially if she sings it on "Oprah" next week.

Will she best the Beatles? When Carey surpassed Elvis this month as the solo artist with the most No. 1 singles on the Billboard charts in the modern pop era, there was only one band ahead of her: The Beatles. The Fab Four have had 20 No. 1 singles on Billboard's charts.

Expect Carey to tie or best the the act by the time this album cycle is through. There's no reason "Bye Bye" shouldn't hit No. 1 -- it's simple message and smooth groove will likely be everywhere this summer. And there's a handful of other single-ready cuts on "E=MC2," chief among them "I'll be Lovin' U Long Time," a slinky little dance number in which Carey deftly spins around the groove.

And by holding back the digital release of the singles until long after the release of a music video, thereby maximizing anticipation for the iTunes release of the song, digital sales alone should be enough to give Carey the singles title in the next year or two.

But does it matter when Carey tops the Beatles? No, not really. Aside from a fun story and conversation point, it's not going to change the course of pop music. Really, when was the last time you thought about a Beatles record on the Billboard charts?

Grammy possibilities: "The Emancipation of Mimi" scored a whopping 8 Grammy nominations. Don't expect "E=MC2" to nab as many, as it so closely follows the "Mimi" template.

The biggest surprise, perhaps, was that "Mimi" nabbed an album of the year nod. If "E=MC2" turns out to be as big a hit, or close, Carey could easily repeat, as Recording Academy wouldn't want to turn down one of the biggest pop albums of the year.

But after the inoffensive, multi-genre approach the Grammys took in 2008, resulting in widespread criticism that Recording Academy voters were out of touch, expect a more targeted field in 2009, one that taps more relevant, critically-acclaimed albums (wishful thinking, perhaps). But there's already some tough competition shaping up for 2009's album of the year nod, chief among them releases from Sheryl Crow, Robert Plant & Alison Krauss, and Radiohead. And it's only April.

But when it comes to the world of divas, Carey's "E=MC2" is competing against superior albums from Alicia Keys and Mary J. Blige. And there's still a Madonna album on the horizon.

One thing is certain: The songs from "E=MC2" will be all over the single fields.

Photo courtesy Associated Press