RING IN THE NEW YEAR WITH MARIAH IN ATLANTIC CITY!

Heaven knows Mariah Carey hasn't had a perfectly angelic life, especially during the page one breakup of her marriage to record mogul Tommy Mottola in the '90s. But the lady is nothing if not a survivor.
Just listen to the 13 tracks of her new album, "Memoirs of an Imperfect Angel," an open-hearted look at relationships. You may not have been a Carey fan before - for many, she's an acquired taste - but in this CD, the richness of her talent can't be questioned.

And she's starting off 2010 with a bang. On Jan. 2, Carey will perform in the Event Center at the Borgata in Atlantic City at 8 p.m. However, the diva doesn't come cheaply. Tickets are $165-$235.

Each song on the CD "is like an intimate conversation or entry in a private diary," Carey says. "A lot of the songs reflect specific, different times in my life. Others were inspired by movies, events that happened to me or the stories of friends who told me about experiences they'd gone through."

With just a few exceptions, Carey wrote and produced the entire album in collaboration with the Dream and Tricky Stewart. "In my opinion, Tricky is one of the most underrated major producers out there," she says.

"Memoirs" concludes with a gospel rendition of Foreigner's "I Want to Know What Love Is." We don't know as of this writing if Carey's show will include a version of the stirring gospel choir that accompanies her on the recording, but even if she doesn't, just hearing Carey's solo should send thrills up the spine. Not a bad way to start a new decade.