For her latest attempt at a comeback single, Mariah Carey ditches the guest stars for a back-to-basics approach that finds the pop icon in familiar form. Riding a dreamy, midtempo beat from Rodney Jerkins, Carey pines for a lost love with lyrics that build to the inevitable five-octave melisma, echoing 2005 megahit “We Belong Together” and other past triumphs. Though Jerkins puts a romantic spin on the “ratchet” sound currently ruling the clubs (underlying calls of “Hey! Hey!” are a nice touch), “You’re Mine (Eternal)” sounds like a slight, three-and-a-half-minute breeze through the singer’s catalog. It hits all the expected notes, with few surprises — enough to ensure steady airplay at Carey’s most tried-and-true formats, but not enough to reach the same heights as last summer’s sleeper hit, “#Beautiful” (featuring Miguel). “You’re Mine” is Carey at her most palatable, at a time when she could afford to take more stylistic risks.
