Mariah Carey rides a wave

At 38, she’s making news, playing loose and enjoying herself

It’s been a good month for Mariah Carey.

When her current single, “Touch My Body,“ hit No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 the first week of April, it became her 18th hit to top the charts — passing Elvis Presley (who had 17) and putting her second only to The Beatles (who had 20).

Madonna bested a Presley record the same week — bypassing him for the most Top 10 hits with her 37th, “4 Minutes.“ But this isn’t about her.

Carey also made an appearance on “Oprah” on Monday to beam about how she now makes sure to take a lunch break and sleep six hours a day to maintain her sanity.

That little promotional stop — coupled with this week’s guest stint on “American Idol” — should ensure that her 10th album, “E=MC2,“ which bowed Tuesday, will debut at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 album chart next week.

And you know what? Good for her.

Carey’s career has been plagued with so much unevenness.

From her octave-defying early ‘90s pop hits, to the punch line now known as “Glitter,“ to her public meltdown a few years ago, to her triumphant, Grammy-winning return with 2005’s “The Emancipation of Mimi,“ she could easily be swatted away with an apathetic shrug while upstarts such as Leona Lewis (more on her in a moment) try to bump her out of the frame.

But instead of nose-diving after all of the good will established by “Mimi’s” success, Carey has returned with an album that reaffirms that, at 38, she has a lot of life left in her.

Though she still relies on guest stars — particularly rappers — too much, Carey has figured out how to play loose and enjoy herself in a way that Janet Jackson still can’t seem to figure out.

“I’m That Chick” is a soul-disco thumper that will play equally well in the skating rink or a downtown club, while “I’ll Be Lovin’ U Long Time” borrows the chord progression from the “Hill Street Blues” theme and builds it into a rhythmic bounce.

She also wisely downshifts the tempo for some classic Carey: “I Stay in Love” floats on the strength of a pretty piano melody that even a sterile, computerized drumbeat can’t mask.

The album’s closing two tracks, while a little high on the sap-o-meter and a little heavy on the street slang, are effective solely because of Carey’s convincing delivery.

On the loss-filled “Bye Bye,“ when she sings “You never got a chance to see how good I’ve done/And you never got to see me back at number one,“ you actually feel a pang of sadness.

And longtime Carey followers will appreciate “I Wish You Well,“ a gospel-flavored piano ballad filled with Bible verses and hurt-filled lyrics that might be directed at ex-husband Tommy Mottola (“Maybe when you’re cursing me /You don’t feel so incomplete/But we’ve all made mistakes/Felt the guilt and self-hate”).

The song is also the most you’ll hear her patented octave-scaling.

Nipping at Carey’s legacy is Leona Lewis, the 23-year-old British singer who won England’s “The X Factor” in late 2006 and received more fawning from Simon Cowell (who also judges that show and is executive producer) than Carrie Underwood and Kelly Clarkson combined.

Lewis’ leadoff single, “Bleeding Love,“ sits at No. 2 this week on the Billboard Hot 100, right behind . . . Mariah Carey.

Her debut album, “Spirit,“ arrived last week in the U.S. with a slightly tweaked track listing from the European version released in December. For instance, there’s no bonus track of Clarkson’s signature song, “A Moment Like This,“ which was Lewis’ first hit overseas.

Her album bowed at No. 1 this week, selling almost 205,000 copies — a feat no doubt aided by her own TV blitz (hi, Oprah!) and a marketing campaign that only the deep pockets of music impresario Clive Davis can buy. Lewis also made history by becoming the first female British artist to debut at No. 1 on the Billboard album chart.

To be fair, Lewis is an extremely talented vocalist — those Carey comparisons aren’t fallacious — not to mention the kind of beauty who should have no problem landing a few perfume and makeup commercials.

And “Spirit,“ though sometimes falling into the trap of rote R&B/pop, showcases a singer who could very easily become the princess of adult contemporary radio — a format Carey no longer seems to covet, anyway.

Smooth midtempo chuggers such as “Better in Time” and the string-drenched I’m-so-sorry-baby “I Will Be” are slickly produced emotional hijackers that might be contrived, but are undeniably a well-crafted product.

Lewis should, in fact, focus on a career that positions her as the heir to Celine Dion and Whitney Houston rather than compete with the Rihannas of Top 40.

“Spirit’s” weakest tracks, “Take a Bow” and “Misses Glass,“ are both dull club-thumpers that do nothing to illuminate Lewis’ strengths, of which she has plenty.

Calling all parents who want to share their love of rock ‘n’ roll with their kids.

Are you bringing your spawn to see Bruce Springsteen or Lou Reed or Tom Petty because you want to pass the generational torch and expose them to music that is so meaningful to you?

Or maybe you’re accompanying your teenager to his or her first rock concert? If so, please drop me a line with the details for use in a future story.

Contact Melissa Ruggieri

at (804) 649-6120 or .