Mariah Carey has always been in command. Whether it’s her fans, her immaculate voice or the Billboard Hot 100 chart, she has masterful control over her subjects, using her power as an artist to reap optimal results. The “A No No” music video, released March 8th in support of the second single from her 15^th album, “Caution”, is another example of her snake-charming, diva magic at its best.

Opening with a shot through the caboose window of a standard subway car, blue lights glare into Carey’s album-inspired territory. The train is a wormhole leading into Caution’s cover: Carey’s photo saturating the walls’ ad space and the star of the show, front and center, backlit by dueling pinks and blues. Wearing a tight dress covered in iridescent large-hole sequins, Mimi struts through an empty cart and takes her seat at the front – prime seating for the show about to ensue. Shifting through larger party scenes and playful small group choreography, a set of dancers show off the fun one can have in a ghosted subway car. They shimmy in their seats, spin on the handrails and show off their stuff for the one-and-only at the helm of their vehicle. Mariah takes part in the amusement too, with a few moments spent alone with her beau, Brian Tanaka. Despite some spotty lip syncing and static body movement, Mariah Carey knows how to capture attention, and in her case, it doesn’t take much.

Mariah proves, yet again, that any space she occupies becomes another piece of her royal domain. With the presence of a stage-legend and the allure of a seductive siren, the only thing we can’t believe in this Mariah Carey extravaganza is this queen actually taking the subway.

Watch the video below.