In most card games, a King trumps a Queen, but this week Madonna and Mariah Carey proved that two queens is pretty hard to beat.
Both divas managed to set records previously held by Elvis Presley. Carey’s new single, “Touch My Body,” is currently number one on the Billboard charts, making it Carey’s 18th single that has taken the charts’ top spot. Carey is currently holds second place for most number one singles, surpassed only by the Beatles. The single is off of Carey’s new album, E=MC2, which will be released April 15. E=MC2 follows 2005’s The Emancipation of Mimi, an album which included popular hits, “We Belong Together” and “Don’t Forget About Us,” both of which went to number one.
The only other female artist who can contest Carey for the Queen of Pop title wasn’t having such a bad week either. Madonna, teamed up with Justin Timberlake, for her newly released single, “4 Minutes,” which debuted at number 68 on the Billboard Hot 100 spot and soared to third place. “4 Minutes” is Madonna’s 37th single to reach the top ten, breaking Elvis’s record of 36 top 10 singles. Madonna last broke the top ten with “Hung Up” in 2005.
These two singles prove that these pop divas, after a combined 40-plus years in the music business, they are still as relevant as ever. However, it is important to realize that they did not do so without support of their younger predecessors. Madonna not only enlisted Justin Timberlake, but also called on hit-maker Timbaland, who has drawn hits out of from Missy Elliot, Ludacris and most recently former earthy flower child Nelly Furtado.
While Carey did not integrate the younger generation directly into the making of her song, she did ensure the single’s success by playing an integral role in The Hills premiere, a show whose devoted fan base of teenage girls is also Carey’s largest demographic.
Aside from their recent successes on the charts, both of these artists have had a major role in creating the music scene they are currently apart of today. They both have an insider’s take on the industry, which will guarantee them popularity years from now, while their wannabe replacements are easily forgotten.
