A talented songstress famous for her five-octave vocal range; ranked as one of the best-selling female artists of all time; record holder for having a single (a collaboration with Boyz II Men) that sat at the top of the Billboard charts for an unprecedented 16 weeks; a delusional diva long past her prime.
Whatever your personal opinion, "why you so obsessed with me?", is what Mariah Carey wants to know. Dubbed as the prima donna to top all self-loving stars (and that's saying a lot, considering the company in which she finds herself!), Miss MC jetted onto our shores this week for the African leg of her Sweet Sweet Fantasy worldwide tour.
By all accounts, her first concert at Cape Town's arena on Tuesday (she's set to perform at Durban's Moses Mabhida stadium tonight and in Joburg on Sunday and Monday), delivered in terms of singing skill, despite the fact that - as one Twitterati put it: "It was not the best production."
But as is always the case where Mimi is concerned, what was going on behind the scenes garnered more headline space than her actual performance. And it all began before she had even hit the stage!
From supposedly demanding Table Mountain be bathed in purple light in honour of the recently deceased Prince (a contrived "exclusive report" as it turns out, given it has since emerged it was a Cape Town radio DJ who suggested as much and for reasons which no fact-checking journo can yet fathom, it was brazenly attributed to Mariah), to keeping the crowd waiting for a full 90 minutes before gracing them with her presence, them sensationalism hounds were itching for any excuse to pounce!
And that's not even to speak of her, by now notorious, Rider requirements which are known to include custom toilet paper, $200 bottles of cabernet sauvignon, an attendant just to hand her her face towels and even a so-called staircase assistant to ensure all stairs are safe for her to walk on!
That Mariah has certainly left her mark on the music industry is indisputable - as have many before her, and as will many still to come. But just when did ridiculous stipulations and obnoxious behaviour become a measure of your level of fame?
If The Beatles and Elvis (the greatest-selling band and best-selling individual artist of all time, respectively) could make do with a variety of soft drinks and a portable TV on their list of "demands", why do the likes of Madonna insist on new toilet seats - which must be destroyed after use - at every hotel or concert venue, or custom-fitted speedboats and diamond encrusted headphones to "drown out the noise" a la Jennifer Lopez? (Apparently, Jenny has long since left the block behind...)
Adding to the ire surrounding Mimi's antics is the fact that, well, the lady is past her prime - and has been since her infamous 2001 breakdown, really... A glaring reality proven by the decidedly indifferent attitude of fellow travellers at Cape Town International as she swooshed her way through the arrivals terminal with her entourage, and the distinct lack of Lambs (aka her fan club) crowding the hall.
Not to mention the glaringly only-half-full arena on the night of her concert (which could explain the delay in her taking to the stage - maybe she was hoping more followers would filter through) and the fact tickets are still available for her remaining performances.
All of which is in stark contrast to fellow American Idol judge and arch nemesis, Nicki Minaj's recent stint in the country, which witnessed sold-out concerts and throngs of devotees desperate to catch a glimpse of their Harajuka Barbie. Awkward.
And if reports are to be believed, Mimi didn't fare much better during the European stretch of her stint. As such, perhaps it's time MC acknowledge the days of her sweet, sweet fantasy existence are done and she exit the stage with her head (kinda) held high. While she still can...
(Independent Online)
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Robin Elkins from United States wrote:
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How rude can someone be really jerk.
(Saturday 30 April 2016; 0:16)
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Billy from Greece wrote:
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"Nicki Minaj's recent stint in the country, which witnessed sold-out concerts and throngs of devotees desperate to catch a glimpse of their Harajuka Barbie." I'm really curious whether Miss Minaj will be able to have a sold-out concert on the 26th year of her career (or a concert, or even a career). So should the writer of this thing called article.
(Saturday 30 April 2016; 6:13)
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Kajal from UK- Birmingham wrote:
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Why are they always writing fake stories to bring this woman down? Get a life. They love talentless half naked women and big them up but a woman who still has it and has inspired everybody even [censored] and still has so much to offer they criticise her like they have nothing better to talk about.
(Tuesday 3 May 2016; 11:24)
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Martyn from England, UK wrote:
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The lady who wrote this article is a poor journalist. It comes across quite obviously that she has a personal dislike towards Mariah. I have no problem with people/journalists criticising Mariah, I do it often enough myself, but this article is badly researched and the general tone is quite condescending. I politely challenged the journalist on Twitter regarding her "past her prime since 2001" comment and reminded her that one of Mariah's most successful eras came in 2005/6. She responded by misquoting her own article and changing her words. I sent her a screenshot of her original words and unsurprisingly she didn't reply. I've left it at that because I'm not interested in picking a fight, but poor journalism is one of my pet hates. Pretty bad considering she's supposedly an "entertainment editor". 
(Wednesday 4 May 2016; 14:45)
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Seth M from South Africa wrote:
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I agree with everthing you said. Do you perhaps have the name and email address of this journalist? I too would like to send her an email and give her a piece of mind. It is sad when journalists don't do their research and write not so nice things about Mariah just because they don't like her. We as the fans need to defend Mariah from such unecssary attacks.
(Thursday 5 May 2016; 0:18)
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