Today In Shifting Release Dates: Make Sure To Use A Pencil

It’s time for another look at upcoming albums that have had their release dates pushed back, a condition that’s growing ever more chronic as the bottom seemingly falls out of the music industry. Today, we look at albums by Mariah Carey, Mario, and Ashlee Simpson that are allegedly coming soon, although not as soon as originally thought.

Mariah Carey, Untitled Old date: Dec. 4. New date: February 2008. Official reason: None given, although Roger Friedman sounds a bit too excited by the phrase “diva logjam.” (Madonna and Janet Jackson’s forthcoming albums are being released around the same time.) Real reason: How do you top “We Belong Together”? Here’s hoping that whatever Mariah and Jermaine Dupri come up with, it doesn’t involve her using the “Genius Of Love” sample for the 8,485th time.

Mario, Go Old date: Oct. 30. New date: Nov. 27. Official reason: Dude’s label is really trying hard to set a record for longest pre-release-date delay. Real reason: Re-re-re-retooling thanks to it leaking a week ago. Here’s hoping one of Mario’s “people” has T-Pain’s number!

Ashlee Simpson, Untitled Old date: November 2007. New date: Q1 of 2008. Rumored reason: She’s scared of … Blake Lewis? Seriously? Wasn’t his album pushed back from November anyway? Does anyone fact-check anything anymore? Real reason: She just figured out that the line “OJ is my favorite Simpson” may not be the best thing to put on a record right now. (Also, the song said line is in is kind of unspeakably awful. Just saying.)

[Photo: Getty]