"E=MC²" was generally well received by music critics, with many complimenting the record's broad genre influences, and musical and production styles. Some critics, however, felt that the album was too similar to "The Emancipation of Mimi", and didn't offer anything new from the formula. The album debuted at number one on the US "Billboard" 200 with opening week sales of 463,000 copies; the highest first-week sales of Carey's career. It also debuted at number one in Canada and opened inside the top-five in Australia, Switzerland and the United Kingdom. Worldwide, the album has sold over 2.5 million copies.