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Setting a new standard for parting gifts, the record company EMI is paying MARIAH CAREY $28 million to prematurely walk away from her contract. Last year Carey signed an $80 million, four-album deal with EMI's Virgin label. She got $21 million for the first album, a sound track to the movie Glitter, in which she starred. Both the film and the album flopped. Now, despite the fact that Carey is credited with more No. 1 songs than anyone else except the Beatles and Elvis Presley, EMI has decided that buying her out of the contract is more cost effective than producing and promoting the remaining albums. Carey, who had a much publicized breakdown last August, will not be out of public view, however. She has a new film that debuted at Sundance, and is set to sing the national anthem at the Super Bowl, where she can still afford to buy nachos for every fan in the stadium.