single-phile: Mariah Carey, Lupe Fiasco, Fefe Dobson and Anjulie!

Mariah Carey: "Obsessed"
Of course, we have to start with Mimi, don't we? It's never wise to piss off a diva -- something Mariah makes very clear on "Obsessed," the first single off her upcoming twelfth (!) album. The track is allegedly a (very thinly veiled) Eminem dis, and, really, Mariah hits the nail on the head here: Shady can't seem to stop talking about her, whether it's because he really is obsessed with her or because he's kind of run out of material and is relying on the same targets he's always taken potshots at (what, is Triumph next?). And boy, does Mimi make revenge sound sweet. The track's lilting, taunting bounciness sets the perfect tone for a diva dis: it's flirty and sassy, a kiss-off that makes you want to kiss her (but makes it clear you'll never get to). We're gonna go ahead and declare Mariah the winner here (bonus points for the fact that she is even apparently doing Eminem drag for the video! Though it doesn't look much like him). Sorry, Shady.

Lupe Fiasco: "Shining Down"
Lupe Fiasco makes drama sound so good, huh? The eloquent Chicago emcee's best tracks are always his most theatrical ones (personally, I still haven't recovered from the pathos of "Kick, Push") -- and his latest single, off third (and possibly final! Why, Lupe, why?!) album Lasers (due in December), is no different. "Shining Down" is expansively, almost cinematically dramatic, a rippling soundscape of determined beats, plaintively wailing guitar and swelling vocals by Matthew Santos (Fiasco's "Superstar" collaborator, and a great match for him). Fiasco himself almost gets lost in the shuffle, seeming at first to sit back and let Santos soar above him. But upon further listening, he seems to be more invested in folding his poignant, self-reflective rhymes about the state of his career and the industry and his gasping, gripping flow into the song's dense texture, rather than showboating.

Fefe Dobson: "I Want You"
Fefe Dobson is one of those artists who has just never quite blown up like she seemed poised to -- and for no apparent reason. The Canadian rocker makes candy-coated punk-pop; sings in the kind of endearingly snotty voice that would make Avril Lavigne proud; and is, by the way, freaking adorable. Yet her debut treaded water, and its follow-up was never released. Now working independently, Dobson's working on an album of new material (due this fall), beginning with "I Want You," a briskly bratty little ditty with an old-school punk vibe. As always, Dobson is engaging, talented and adorable -- an all-around pop star. The question is, will she finally become one?

Anjulie: "The Heat"
Things are clearly heating up in general in Canada these days. "The Heat" isn't a proper single, but rather one track from our exclusive sneak peek of Toronto singer Anjulie's debut album (out in August) we just got in. Her official first single, "Boom," which dropped last fall, is a slinky, sexy thing that's equal parts vintage girl group sound (specifically, the darker, grittier "Leader of the Pack"-style girl group), B-movie camp (thanks to its deliciously noir-ish beat) and a novel take on the neo-retro soul sound. Lest you think Anjulie is a one-trick pony trotting along in Amy Winehouse's footsteps, however, she goes in three entirely different directions on the Ones to Watch EP. "The Heat," in particular, still seems to lean in the direction of neo-soul, but this may have quite a lot to do with the young singer's flat, sweet, teen angel voice and the three-part backup harmonies, because the song itself is more like a slower, sleepier version of contemporary soul-pop (think Estelle's "American Boy" coated in sonic molasses).