LA Reid and Doug Morris aren’t the only power players leaving the Universal Music Group for Sony Music. In what is possibly one of the most shocking moves in music since Janet Jackson parted ways with Island Def Jam, Mariah Carey will also be leaving UMG to return to Sony.

Carey, who became the best-selling act on Columbia Records in less than 8 years, left Sony in 2000 following her tumultuous divorce from the company’s then head Tommy Mottola and signed a record-setting yet short-lived $80 million deal with Virgin Records. She then joined UMG in 2002 after the failure of her ‘Glitter’ movie and soundtrack which led Virgin to buy out her contract for over $28 million.

The diva has only 1 album left to deliver for UMG and will reportedly release the project by the end of this year. Other records Carey put forward while signed to the company include the 6x platinum ‘The Emancipation of Mimi’ which was co-executive produced by Reid.

See Reid’s official statement about his resignation below:

To my Island Def Jam family:

After much consideration, I have decided to leave my position as Chairman of the Island Def Jam Music Group. I have always thrived on growth and the next great challenge, and I look forward with much enthusiasm to what the future holds.

I am extremely proud of our beautiful roster and all we have accomplished in my seven years with IDJ. We continue to have incredible success together with today’s most phenomenal superstars – Rihanna, Justin Bieber, Mariah Carey, Kanye West, Bon Jovi, Jennifer Lopez, Ne-Yo, Rick Ross, The Killers, The-Dream, Chrisette Michele, Jeezy and Ludacris to name a few.

I want to thank all of you for your amazing contributions.

With Warm Regards -
LA {Source}

This results of this decision could be incredibly good or catastrophically bad for Carey. The real question is which label under the Sony umbrella is best suited for her?

J Records is the home of her longtime chart rival Whitney Houston and most of the female R&B acts signed have not enjoyed the platinum success or heavy radio airplay that Carey hungers. With Ciara currently experiencing public difficulty with Jive (where Reid is most likely to lead), Beyonce dominating Columbia and Christina Aguilera on RCA, this will be a tricky decision indeed.

Which label under Sony should Carey join?

HAPPYPERSON said:

LA Reid and Doug Morris aren’t the only power players leaving the Universal Music Group for Sony Music. In what is possibly one of the most shocking moves in music since Janet Jackson parted ways with Island Def Jam, Mariah Carey will also be leaving UMG to return to Sony.

Carey, who became the best-selling act on Columbia Records in less than 8 years, left Sony in 2000 following her tumultuous divorce from the company’s then head Tommy Mottola and signed a record-setting yet short-lived $80 million deal with Virgin Records. She then joined UMG in 2002 after the failure of her ‘Glitter’ movie and soundtrack which led Virgin to buy out her contract for over $28 million.

The diva has only 1 album left to deliver for UMG and will reportedly release the project by the end of this year. Other records Carey put forward while signed to the company include the 6x platinum ‘The Emancipation of Mimi’ which was co-executive produced by Reid.

See Reid’s official statement about his resignation below:

To my Island Def Jam family:

After much consideration, I have decided to leave my position as Chairman of the Island Def Jam Music Group. I have always thrived on growth and the next great challenge, and I look forward with much enthusiasm to what the future holds.

I am extremely proud of our beautiful roster and all we have accomplished in my seven years with IDJ. We continue to have incredible success together with today’s most phenomenal superstars – Rihanna, Justin Bieber, Mariah Carey, Kanye West, Bon Jovi, Jennifer Lopez, Ne-Yo, Rick Ross, The Killers, The-Dream, Chrisette Michele, Jeezy and Ludacris to name a few.

I want to thank all of you for your amazing contributions.

With Warm Regards -
LA {Source}

This results of this decision could be incredibly good or catastrophically bad for Carey. The real question is which label under the Sony umbrella is best suited for her?

J Records is the home of her longtime chart rival Whitney Houston and most of the female R&B acts signed have not enjoyed the platinum success or heavy radio airplay that Carey hungers. With Ciara currently experiencing public difficulty with Jive (where Reid is most likely to lead), Beyonce dominating Columbia and Christina Aguilera on RCA, this will be a tricky decision indeed.

Which label under Sony should Carey join?

The thing is that she has come to that part in her career where its where is she going, she had the blockbuster days then some down times, then a big album then went back again, her time with Def Jam is up anyway, as far as i remembered the deal just called for 3 more albums and she did them, sales were dropping, but not just here, but worldwide her last two albums did very poorly, mainly because the singles have been pure boredom, she needs to reach back to her ballad days and crossover appeal if she wants the numbers back in some form. And im sure if Sony is taking her back they arent taking back a 42 year old who acts like they are 10

"And im sure if Sony is taking her back they arent taking back a 42 year old who acts like they are 10"

Hilarious But true. This is very interesting.

I guess having a 20-years old career and being mentioned in the same sentence as Justin Bieber and Jennifer Lopez is either a big honour or a big offence.

Wherever she ends up, I hope they guide her in the right direction and let her know that a 40 year old woman should not be making music geared towards teenagers and 20-something year olds. It's time for her to dump that hip-hop shit and recylced beats and get back to the Pop/Soul that made her a superstar to begin with.

Wish Mimi luck with it

I wish her Hello Kitty ass would just retire already.

Run for the hills!

New album this year?

HAPPYPERSON said:

Which label under Sony should Carey join?

ANSWER: None of them (especially Columbia & J Records). Mariah needs her own record label.

But then again, why is Mariah even going back to Sony Music at all? Why not created an real independent record label AND be an independent artist for a little while? Even better, Mariah can leave the USA and set up shop in the UK.

I would just like to see her get at least 1 more #1 hit I agree with the posts saying she needs to stop the same old hiphop slant she moved towards with her last several albums.

TonyVanDam said:

HAPPYPERSON said:

Which label under Sony should Carey join?

ANSWER: None of them (especially Columbia & J Records). Mariah needs her own record label.

But then again, why is Mariah even going back to Sony Music at all? Why not created an real independent record label AND be an independent artist for a little while? Even better, Mariah can leave the USA and set up shop in the UK.

i concur, ONE BILLION PERCENT.

I don't want to see her getting anywhere near #1 for the rest of her career. Even if she records a great song, I don't care... she had so many #1s which didn't deserve to be chart-toppers so no more #1s Mimi

Nice to see that she overcame some bad times to get back on top. But it's too bad that Mariah keeps passing up chances to go independent. If anybody could make it without a label, it's Mariah Carey.

Mariah isn't near sincere enough as an artist to go the independent route. The independent route is more about creative freedom over commerce, and Mariah is all about commerce. She's all about wanting to be played on the radio and having her songs top charts, and she'll go to wherever she thinks that can happen at. If Sony promised to make her top priority, that's where she'll go. If Island convinced her that they would grease more hands to get her shit airplay, she'll stay put.

[Edited 3/18/11 4:37am]

chamber said:

Mariah isn't near sincere enough as an artist to go the independent route. The independent route is more about creative freedom over commerce, and Mariah is all about commerce. She's all about wanting to be played on the radio and having her songs top charts, and she'll go to wherever she thinks that can happen at. If Sony promised to make her top priority, that's where she'll go. If Island convinced her that they would grease more hands to get her shit airplay, she'll stay put.

[Edited 3/18/11 4:37am]

Somehow, this is the same thing I was thinking. I concur.

Only Sony managed to bring out the best in Mariah. Yeah I know she had problems with Mottola- but they made her career really.

chamber said:

Mariah isn't near sincere enough as an artist to go the independent route. The independent route is more about creative freedom over commerce, and Mariah is all about commerce. She's all about wanting to be played on the radio and having her songs top charts, and she'll go to wherever she thinks that can happen at. If Sony promised to make her top priority, that's where she'll go. If Island convinced her that they would grease more hands to get her shit airplay, she'll stay put.

[Edited 3/18/11 4:37am]

I disagree with the lack of sincerity part, but I agree with everything else in your post. I think Mariah got comfortable and used to the "billboard smash" persona. Hell, she started out that way and went through a whole decade living up to that persona, I don't assume it will be easy to be otherwise, but I do wish less flash and more substance from her in the next album.

Surely she has the capital for the launch her own vanity label. I feel that signing with a major at this stage of her career is very non-climaxical and a step backwards.

It's gonna be very interesting to see what direction she goes in. Who she writes with (if anyone else at all). I'm especially curious to see who she produces with. I think she's already worked with Jermaine Dupri again for this new one coming later this year on Def Jam.

What producers do you guys feel would be a good fit for her in this stage of her career?