 Carey expressed how she considered Mimi the " main course " , and felt that the new album would be treated as " dessert " . In an interview with NME , the singer described her choice on the album 's title : " Basically , I 'm freer on this album than I 've ever been . Some of the songs on the last album were cool but maybe not quite as neat as this album . " When questioned if the title represented Carey 's interest in physics , she jokingly added " Einstein 's theory ? Physics ? Me ? Hello ! I even failed remedial math . I could not pass seventh grade math even in the lowest class with the worst kids . " The album 's similarity to its predecessor is not only found in the title and music , but also in its artwork . In the album 's cover art , she holds almost the exact pose as from her last album , only with different lighting and wardrobe . It features a black backdrop , with Carey completely naked , except for a large feathered shawl covering her body . Only her first name appears in large pink letters on the cover , with ' E = MC ² ' appearing in small white letters on the top . In describing the cover , Macpherson wrote " Carey is naked but for the world 's largest feather boa , an accessory for which flocks of birds have surely given their lives . " 
