Mariah Carey Plans Unconventional Album Release Similar to Beyonce's

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Mariah Carey performs at the BET Awards in June 2013 at the Nokia Theatre in Los Angeles.

Image: Frank Micelotta/Associated Press

By Brian Anthony Hernandez2014-04-25 17:29:06 UTC

Vocal powerhouse Mariah Carey is gearing up to release her 14th studio album, her first in nearly half a decade, exclusively online through digital services.

Carey also plans to skip some traditional promotional marketing tactics — opting to unleash the album, cover art, track listing and title in one fell swoop instead of in individual doses typically employed to build buzz — she told to Billboard .

That release strategy, along with with delivering the album via digital partners one week before it becomes available in physical retail stores, is reminiscent of Beyonce's December surprise when she unexpectedly dropped an album and a video for each song solely on iTunes without any advance marketing. It sold one million copies in just days.

"I have to be the one that announces this, especially the title, [which derives from a] personal possession of mine that's part of an entity that I've had almost all my life," she said, telling Billboard she collaborated with Rodney Jerkins, Jermaine Dupri, Hit-Boy, Mike Will Made It, Wale, Nas and Trey Songz on the album.

Carey hasn't revealed with which digital services she will partner. But she is no stranger to sharing music in unconventional ways, having premiered "The Art of Letting Go" last year on Facebook to her 14 million fans.

"I wanted to make sure everybody was able to hear the song at the same time," Carey told Mashable in 2013, explaining her digital-first strategy. "To interact with the fans while they're listening to the song for the first time, it makes me happy."

Carey's non-traditional release strategy follows a string of elaborate album unveilings.

Earlier this year, Beck streamed his album at no cost to airplane passengers using Gogo Inflight Internet. Meanwhile, CBS.com debuted Bruce Springsteen's High Hopes album before its wide release, as part of a promotion for the CBS show The Good Wife. And Skrillex in March offered fans his Recess album through an app.

Last year, Jay Z gave away one million copies of his album to Samsung Galaxy owners through an app, a move that influenced the Recording Industry Association of America's decision to modernize its 55-year-old certification process.

In an even rarer move, the Wu-Tang Clan plans to sell only one copy of a forthcoming album that the rap group has been secretly recording. Before going on sale, the album will reportedly be available for people to hear during a listening tour at museums, galleries and music festivals. Then, the rap group hopes the album fetches for millions of dollars.

BONUS: Surprise! 12 Musicians Who Ignore Traditional Publicity