Phantom Planet

There’s no stopping Mariah Carey. Her single, “Touch My Body,” off her 11th studio album E=MC2, and its video have so many cringe-worthy moments—no one above the age of 18 should sing about youTube—that it's remarkable anyone can take this song seriously, let alone have it break the tie between her and Elvis for most chart-topping hits. (This is number 18 for Ms. Carey.) But Ms. Carey appears to have learned a couple of things during her meteoric rise to the top (she is only 38, by the way). Despite the song’s lurid come-on, Ms. Carey makes the smart choice of not taking herself too seriously—she has always been the most playful of the Madonna, Janet, Whitney, Celine set. Jack McBrayer (30 Rock) does the heavy comedic lifting on the video. For her part, Ms. Carey appears in various phases of undress, shaking her assets (which would be the envy of any Equinox spinning class) and enjoying a laugh at the expense of Mr. McBrayer—and quite plausibly, her critics, too.  read more »