Interview byJasmine Dotiwala

Va-va-Mariah! As we go to press, the blogosphere is abuzz with Mariah's confirmation of her "secret" Bahamas wedding to the dreamy Nick Cannon -- matching tattoos and all. Her latest smoking-hot album E=MC2 remains at the top of the charts, and she's never looked better (have you seen MC in a bikini lately?!) Yes, lambs, it's looking pretty fabulous to be Miss (Mrs.?) Mariah Carey these days.

Our own Editor-at-Large Jasmine Dotiwala caught up with her best friend -- our cover girl -- before the latest media storm, to bring you inside the marvelous world of Mariah Carey. Read on...

Tell us about E=MC²
This album, it's so much about fun and freedom and just the continuation of me feeling emancipated. It's sort of like emancipation equals Mariah Carey times two. This is me, 100 percent... having fun, just being real. People ask me all the time: "How do you stay relevant, how do you stay current, how do you make music that people continue to respond to?" You just keep being real, keep being you. Stay true to who you are from the beginning.

How was working on this project different from your last album?
It's really interesting because I didn't know what was going to happen with The Emancipation of Mimi. I was, of course, hoping for success, but the fact that it was such a massive worldwide phenomenon - I was so grateful and thankful to God for that gift and that blessing, that getting back in the studio was really, you know I really prayed to have something that I could be proud of and that I could be really inspired to go in there every day and sing or write a new song.

If Mimi was dinner, this is dessert?
Me and my friends have a joke about "treat it as dessert" -- that's kind of its own little thing that we say. It's a long story, it's an inside joke I can't really say but, yes, if Mimi was dinner, treat this as dessert. Meaning it's the best part coming up.

Did you try anything new this time around?
It's hard to be really specific about it because music is, it's in the air, it's divine inspiration but I think what I did is just try to express myself from my soul. I tried to express myself from, like, having a sense of humour... and just really being myself. I think that's the most important thing that for a long time I wasn't able to do.

When you can listen to your own music and put inside jokes in there, and put things that have been a part of my behind-the-scenes life in to a song... fans are getting a glimpse of me the person as well as the artist. So I think it's something very new for me.

Would you describe it as more Hip Hop or R&B?
It's so funny because ever since I did my first remix with ODB people have been saying "wow, you're doing this new hip-hop thing." And I'm like: it's not new, its what I've always loved, I'm just allowed to do it now.

And a lot of people didn't know some of those hip-hop collaborations because they didn't listen to hip-hop radio or buy remixes -- I just put the remix record out a few years ago, so some people never got to hear that 'till then. So now yes there's a lot of hip hop flavour but there are definitely very powerfully sung, emotionally rich ballads.

Some of these records are so powerful in terms of where they're coming from lyrically, the way that I just sang them: one time and that was it.

Reminiscent of some times a long time ago when I would sing a song one time and just leave it and that was it because the emotion was there. And I think that's what's different about this record to maybe the past few albums.

Where did you record the album?
I recorded in a lot of places... Let's say I'm working with a big producer, I'm working on a track, I'll go to where they are usually, where they are inspired, and then I'll take the track and go sing someplace like Capri or maybe Florida. I spent a lot of time in St. Martin, all different places this time on this record.

Why did you create the Emancipation of Mimi Live DVD?
I just wanted to share something different with the fans this time. I wanted to allow the cameras backstage; I wanted people to be able to see the dressing rooms and what that's like. I wanted everybody to be able to feel like they were with us on tour.

Not just seeing the show but, you know, behind the scenes, feel like they're part of the show, feel like... we're all like one big family. My fans are part of my family.

And the karaoke feature on the DVD?
It's been really amazing for me to watch how karaoke has become so popular around the world... It's fun and... it's cute -- it's something fun to do.

Did you take a break after your last tour?
I actually did take a break and worked on an independent film called Tennessee (2008). I was very, very grateful to be offered that role of Krystal.

The producer Lee Daniels [has] worked on so many incredible movies - obviously his biggest success being Monster's Ball, such a wonderful performance by Halle Berry which she won an Oscar for.

I was just very fortunate to even meet Lee and to be able to work with him and everybody on Tennessee... guess I worked on that movie for a couple of months and after the movie I went straight into -- it was really important for me to get right back in the studio.

I felt like I'd taken a break from being Mariah Carey, I'd taken a break from being on tour because, even though I was still working on a movie, it's not the same as being in the studio. I love creating songs, and working in the studio, and putting that music out there for my fans.

Tell us about your new fragrance, M by Mariah Carey.
I was so excited to work on a fragrance because I've never even worn a fragrance before. I've never liked perfume until I started talking to the people at Elizabeth Arden about working together on a fragrance. It's called M and it's my favourite, favourite scent of all time.

How did you create a fragrance while working on new album?
I was very busy in the studio so it was really tough for me to take on a big project but... we had a really great time and it was just something I wanted to share with my fans.

What was the inspiration behind the fragrance?
I guess it's inspired by a lot of different parts of my life: childhood, different vacations and places where I've been in my life. I don't know if they do this all over the world but in America we have different things like campfires and fun things like that when we're little kids and so it reminded me of toasting marshmallows over the campfire -- that's just a little fun thing that kids do at camp and so that was one memory.

And then of course the beautiful fragrance of the Tiare flower, as well as the low note in the fragrance -- the more sultry, sexy, sensual part of the fragrance which is like a Moroccan incense.

So it's all different types of feelings that are combined to make you, when you smell the fragrance it just evokes different feelings. You know, it's very sensual it also brings you back to different memories and the floral Tiera note is just wonderfully beautiful.

Is it more fun to be you now than in the past?
Yes it's definitely a lot more fun being "Mariah Carey" [now] than it was when I first started out... I was very young and people were kind of bossing me around and telling me what to do and it was more difficult to be myself.

But, now, being able to make the music that I love... whether it's singing a big ballad or doing an uptempo record that makes me happy -- it's up to me to do what I want, and so it's fun.

Mariah Dishes on Tracks from E=MC²
Migrate - This is just a fun, festive song. It's about keeping it moving and having a good time. Every time I go into the studio, if I'm inspired by the track I'm working on and if I've put so much of myself into the record, at the end of the day I want it to be the most fun explosion of music that I can make.

Touch My Body - This is so amazing to feel how fast 'Touch My Body's' exploding all around the world -- I'm just so thankful because it's a song that I love so much, a song that really does express my personality, and I feel like you hear that song, you watch the video, you get a little bit of a glimpse of who I am as a person.

Last Kiss - When I hear that song... I feel like an eight-year-old kid -- I'm like, OK this is me as a little girl singing. I was playing it at a party for a friend of mine who happened to have Quicy Jones as one of her guests there... and Quincy asked me to rewind that song and play it over. And I said, "Well, he is Quincy Jones! Thriller and Off The Wall, and if he's asking me to play a song over I should pretty much take that as a humongous compliment!" And I did, and it makes me really happy 'cos that's my favourite song.

Bye Bye - Sometimes when I'm writing a song like Bye Bye it does come from such a raw place that I'm, like, I'm actually crying while writing it, or thinking about it. But sometimes I will hear it and feel like this is gonna touch a lot of people. That's why it's important that no matter what's ever happened to me over my career that I stay the course, and continue to write and try and reach people. Because I know that I'm one of those people, and when someone does that and they write something that touches me I'm indebted to them forever.

For The Record - One of my favourite songs on this album. It's one of those songs that the people who really are fans of mine, who really know my music really well, tend to gravitate towards because it's -- not only is it kind of a real life story but I've used a lot of my own songs in the bridge to tell the story. Towards the actor I say "for the record you'll always be a part of me, you'll always be my baby." And I kind of go through "can't nobody say I didn't give my all to you." The real fans who listen and then hear "I told you underneath the stars" they'll know that's for them. I'm really happy that people are feeling this song.

Love Story - I love Jermaine Dupri as a person and I love him as a fan, I'm a fan of his work. One of the funny things about Jermaine is when I say something to him, he just runs with it. I said on the beginning of Love Story I really want this beat to be hard, make this for the jeeps, do not make this too soft. I wanna stay true to what I love most which is urban music and R&B music, and I feel that's the same thing that JD loves.

Thanks For Nothing - It was the first ballad I wrote for this album. This song is gonna resonate with people who are really going through a bleak moment in their relationship where it's like 'yeah, it's fantastic, thanks for nothing.' You know what that is, I mean I'm being very sarcastic; it's a sarcastic moment in the land of Mariah Carey songs.

I Wish You Well - This is in the tradition of songs like, I would say, Outside, I am Free - visual album cuts from different albums that all those people who aren't really fans won't know. Basically it's about coming to a place within yourself where you, no matter what somebody does to you, you can forgive them. And even if you're a little bit bitter about it you say your piece and you let it go.

Jasmine Dotiwala's Ocean Cocktail, Special Edition
Hey readers! Long time! I know Chrismas was a while ago but in honour of the cover star of this month's OCEAN STYLE MAG I thought I'd spread some off-season Christmas cheer. While you were basking on sandy beaches I was living a real Christmas card with my ''Christmas cousin" Mariah!

I began my adventure at Mariah's NY home where seven Escalades picked us and our ginormous luggage up and sped us to a private air field. Two private jets (G5's) awaited us, completely ready for the holiday season already covered in Christmas decorations, and eggnog with champers was served to get us into the spirit.

We arrived in Aspen to deep powdery snow and the biggest house I've ever seen. Right outside my bedroom were huge Xmas fir trees draped with twinkling Xmas lights and on a few mornings I watched real reindeer just chillin outside my bedroom window. It was spectacular!

Highlights of our countdown to Christmas:
• Xmas music all holiday- it's an MC tradition!
• Eating all the good things that our chef whipped up - all in front of MC who wasn't allowed to indulge at all as she was shooting a video New Years week for her new album, which is totally off the hook! I spent all holiday listening to it as MC sang parts to me, explained slick verses and choruses with double entendres and really it was like the best kinda listening party u could ever wish for!!
• The day MC threw all the diva rumours out in the snow (and we all know that she can surely diva it up!), sat me back in her makeup chair and gave me a facial - yes really!
• The annual "Denver Children's Charity" evening where 100 under privileged kids are treated to snowboarding, skiing, dinner, games and fun before MC arrives with Santa and his sleigh of reindeer and gives gifts and takes photos with them - many of them have heartbreaking stories and energy and this always makes us count our blessings and put our own lives in perspective.
• Xmas eve - MC's pastor, bishop Clarence Keaton, and his wife Eartha flew in from NYC to give us some Brooklyn flavour, bring us the realness, pray with us and host a midnight service at the local church (although by the time we arrived it was around 1am! Oops! He forgave us though!)
• Xmas day - we slept in until noon then hit the hot tub for some festive Xmas morning champers as it snowed on us with our bikinis, shades and Santa hats.
• Our traditional sleigh ride with hot cocoa, elks watching us, stars shining down on us and moon watching -- bliss!
• Opening all MC's cards and gifts from her fans, which were as creative and as thoughtful as ever. (Quick thought whilst I remember... please don't write "Merry Xmas" to MC instead of "Merry Christmas" as she doesn't like to take the "Christ" out of "Christmas" as this season is already over commercialised.)

Then we packed our bags and got ready for Vegas where MC was hosting our New Year's Eve party!

Straight off jet to our rooms at the Venetian with enough time to pee, un-pack and party! We hit Jay-Z's party at the 40 40 club in the Palazzo Hotel. It was great timing as we arrived alongside Jay and Beyonce.

Next night it was MC's New Year's Eve party in club Tao at The Venetian Hotel where in all our pre celebration hysterical antics in her suite we only just hit the club seconds before she had to countdown to midnight!

We all danced until 5am with Suge on one side of me and MC and Brat on another - it was a legendary hip-hop dream! We staggered back to MC's suite and I mean staggered as my feet were done. Can you believe MC's security didn't want to carry me? Something about being here to look after MC not my feet! Outrageous! After Maine Lobster breakfast at 8am, bed for 3 hours before we all jumped on a flight to the Bahamas on New Year's Day.

It was the third and final part of our adventure. Except it wasn't. After landing at the wrong airport, we finally arrived at MC's home that only be described as Paradise. The beach is all covered in... are you even ready for this... pink sand! Very appropriate for our Princess right? But alas - all isn't always peace in heaven and moments later the rain came and it was actually cold. Yes. Cold. In the Bahamas.

Now - for you and I and most folks - we would make the most of our wet vacation. Mariah isn't "most people". "I know,'’ she declared. ''Let's go to Jack's favourite spot - Puerto Rico!" So we repack, jump back on her jet and whiz off to San Juan, pretty much in the same way I'd catch a 207 bus from Southall to Shepherds Bush.

Four hours later we touched down in Puerto Rico and sailed out to one of MC's most favourite places in the world -- the island where she filmed the video for her classic worldwide smash hit "Honey". We always refer to the deserted island as the "Honey Island". It was tiny, tranquil, and the turquoise sea around it reminded me of one of my favourite places in the world - Trinidad! MC's personal trainer (Patricia from St. Barts) had me, MC and Da Brat in the water doing hours of water exercises until the moon came up. We love doing this so much, even when it rains we stay in the sea and mermaid onwards.

When my 3 weeks of VIP-dom were up I practically had to be pried off MC's jet as I gripped onto the plush, padded leather seats. But after much soothing and coaxing from her that we would see each other again soon, I reluctantly wafted down the jet steps back to my normal real life.

Blissfully steering my luggage cart through customs at JFK airport I knew all my senses must have been tranquilly tweaked because as the New York airwaves breathed life into my cell phone and gadgets I noted 3.000 unread e-mails on my Blackberry and didn't flinch.

Back in London now my neck smells of Mariah, my wrists smell of P Diddy and my feet smell of Usher - not because I've been having a rambunctious orgy with hip-hop superstars but because I'm trying out all their fragrances, body lotions and foot creams - call it a bizarre need to use up all my goodie bags at once - I've turned into Willamina Slater from Ugly Betty - I want it all and I want it now! What a fabulous way to begin the year - by losing my mind!!