 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."
