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About Alex from England: Mariah lamb since 1997. French but been living in London since 2009. Singer/songwriter

The atmosphere on the board (54,510) by Alex from England Dahlings, what has this board become? A good portion of the posts are about calling someone out. One of the reasons I only post here once in a blue moon anymore. Listen, I, as a lamb, have no issue with whatever opinion is expressed. I believe in freedom of speech and I believe that we all have different tastes. One taste that we have in common though is Mariah. But then again, Mariah is a multi-faceted artist and some will prefer 90's Mariah, others post-Sony Mariah. In conclusion, "it's not that deep", as Mariah herself would say. Now the only thing I expect from people is to remain polite. There are enough words to choose from without falling into the trap of cursing or insulting. Last but not least, Mariah is Mariah, no matter how much we'd like for her to "change", "evolve", "do something else", whatever, she will be Mariah and at the end of the day we may only agree or disagree with her, like or dislike her music, enjoy or hate her performances, etc. In my opinion, Mariah has done a great job of maintaining a high-profile status 25 years into her career. Yes, she lipsynchs, no she doesn't release resung remixes as much as she used to, yes her weight fluctuates a lot, etc etc. But Mariah is still a person, someone that has encouraged or inspired us with her music or attitude. Can we all try and remember that for a minute? Once again, all opinions should be welcome from all and by all as long as we remain courteous with each other. (Thursday 11 June 2015; 3:58)

LA's comments (53,561) by Alex from England I 100% agree with him, he's absolutely right, we should feel lucky to love a 45 year old's artist's music still being played on the radio. That doesn't happen a lot, even more so when it's a woman. LA Reid was very clear in his words, he didn't leave anything to be miinterpreted. He didn't take away any of Mariah's accomplishments but he was being truthful: Mariah getting a #1 record anymore is highly unlikely. It doesn't mean it cannot happen but it's a long stretch. How many times have we heard fans say "it's her new #1" in the last 7 years? Yes, with every single released or so. Radio caters to younger audiences than it used to. Who buys singles off iTunes? Who has the time to stream videos and music all day long? Young teens. Us adults actually work and have other things to do in our lives other than being just a fan. Let us rejoice in Mariah still being invited to perform on TV, that she still graces magazines' covers so far into her career. And most importantly, she still releases great music more frequently than her contemporaries. Now I would rather for everyone to finally respect her longevity and artistry than her to get another #1 single. Seeing Mariah back on TV really makes me happy, it's like she's one of the only things that's been constant over the last 17 years that I've been a lamb. (Wednesday 20 May 2015; 1:00)

Abraham (52,450) by Alex from England My message didn't require for you to tell me to shut up. I have always been polite and respectful of others on this messageboard and I may not post as much as some of you but I'm still entitled to having an opinion as long as it is expressed in a polite way. Next time, don't bother replying with that kind of comment, I am not here for this. On another note, I like the song, I am not in love with it but it definitely is a grower. And as a lamb for the past 17 years, I'll support Mariah as long as she continues to release music that's close to her heart. Fingers crossed that the general public will like it, I really want to see Mimi back on top where she should be. (Tuesday 28 April 2015; 4:38)

Infinity (52,284) by Alex from England Guys, let's not jump onto the "it'll be her 19th number 1 hit" jumpwagon. Every single time Mariah has been on the verge of releasing the lead single to a new album, everyone starts saying this before even hearing the song. Yes, I would love for her to achieve this feat as it would mean she'd have #1's in 3 different decades but let's be honest, it is a stretch. I'm not saying it is not possible as Mariah has shown us many times there is nothing impossible. That being said, I know how this works: Mariah is about to release a single, no one has heard it, everyone is saying it'll be her next #1, then it doesn't happen, then everyone is disappointed, then negativity ensues, then people turn on her. I've watched this happen since 2009. Let's be happy we're about to hear a new song, then we can make up our minds how we feel about it and maybe assess if indeed it is a contender for a #1 spot on the chart. Oh how I wish. Good luck Mariah. (Monday 27 April 2015; 2:15)

Nostalgia (51,467) by Alex from England The first album I ever bought was Butterfly (on tape) in '98 and I fell in love with it. Everything from the music, the booklet, the pictures to the color palette was perfect to me. I was way more into the ballads than the hiphop-y stuff and I remember hating The Roof back then when it has become my favorite song off that album overtime. The most vivid memory I have (I still often think about it) is listening to Close My Eyes on repeat at 3am with my window open looking at the moon. I did that every single night for weeks. I spent days looking up the words in my French/English dictionary to make out the meaning of the song. When I did, I just felt it was the story of my life, everything in that song was exactly how I had been feeling. It was like I had been hit like a truck realizing someone had felt the same and ended up on top. My mom was an alcoholic at the time, the rest of my family was horrible, I had never met my father and I was coming to terms with my sexuality so it was a lot to deal with (it's not a woe is me moment, dahlings ) and that song just opened up a part of me: strength and acceptance. Mariah's music saved my life and that very song means so much to me up to this day, I very often open my window at night and listen to it on repeat when I feel discouraged or sad to remind myself that there was a time I thought I would not survive and it makes me feel better and like I can overcome anything. Long story but I couldn't make it shorter, sorry. (Wednesday 8 April 2015; 3:36)

Old news (47,153) by Alex from England Her voice not being the same as it used to is old news. Did she give her best performance last night? Nope. The worst? Everyone's entitled to their opinion. But I am tired of people pretending it comes as a complete shock. Mariah's voice is touch and go, the woman can still sing and yet sometimes she just can't control her voice at all. We all know that. The thing that I can't stand is how terribly mean some fans are. Mariah is a real person, with emotions and a brain. And she probably was the first to know that her voice started deteriorating. Don't you think that she knows she sounds different to years ago? Sure, I miss the impeccable live vocals, I really do. And yet, I can only feel for her, she actually goes out and sings in front of the world to judge and slam her. I've always wondered how it affects her emotionally. She's a perfectionist and her not being able to hit certain notes on a whim must be mentally hard to accept. I'll just finish by saying that Mariah is a human being, and as a supporter, I respect her. If you don't want to go see her show, that's perfectly fine but please, next time she has a hit or she gives a great performance, don't come back saying "I knew she could do it, Mariah is back, blah blah blah." I consider Mariah more than just a singer, she has affected my life in many ways and I am grateful for the way she touched me. Therefore, I'll always have tremendous respect for her, however good or bad her vocals are. (Sunday 5 October 2014; 23:09)

Mariah and her private life (47,002) by Alex from England All I'll say is once again I was right. Mariah not promoting the album the way we are used to seeing her promoting had to mean something about her personal life. And yet some "fans" doubted her. I'm not glad I was right as it means the likely failure of her 6-year marriage but I can proudly say that I "know" how Mariah functions. This is why I didn't want to blame her for the commercial failure that is her album, I just knew something more important was boiling up behind the scenes. When you know someone and how they usually respond to things, it shouldn't come as a surprise that the promotion of the album was as sporadicas it was when it was released. Mariah has always been a hard-working woman and the same people who were throwing her under the bus are the same who are wishing her well today. Just because an album or song doesn't go to #1 shoud allow anyone to turn their back and spew hatred their supposed favorite artist's way. Mariah will pull throuh as she always does, she is too strong-willed to let anything bring her right down. (Monday 29 September 2014; 0:40)

Divorce? (46,211) by Alex from England I remember writing a few months ago in reply to all the people who were blaming Mariah for the lack of promo and everything, that Mariah is a very secretive person and she will always smile in times of hardships even if she is broken-hearted. If these rumors of divorce are actually true, I can only imagine what she's been going through emotionally for the whole year and it will once again prove that Mariah is not one of those celebrities that like to deal with their problems publicly. I hope that some people can once and for all remember that she is first and foremost a human being and that she has her reasons for whatever is going on (or not, promo for example) and we are not her close friends who have insight into whatever is happening in her life. This just frustrates me when people just gossip about other people, famous or not, just assuming they know them personally when they don't have a clue. Hopefully, this will teach a thing or two about respect as a whole to a couple people. I hope Mariah will be OK and find strength in her children and her friends. I am sad for her as she is probably scared of putting her kids through the same thing she did when she was a child (parents divorcing) but I am confident that, as the real and intelligent person that she is, she will find a way to make it as bearable for them as she can. (Friday 22 August 2014; 3:19)

Me. I am... listening to the music (46,168) by Alex from England I'm glad to see I'm not the only one feeling this way. Enjoy the music guys, here's to hoping Mariah comes to a venue near all of us. (Thursday 21 August 2014; 2:04)

Me. I am... listening to the music (46,148) by Alex from England I have been listening to the album non-stop since May and I am still so much in love with it to the point that I just do not care anymore for sales and stuff like that. Mariah is and will always be Mariah, no matter how short the dresses, big the boobs, diva-ish her attitude, she will always make the music she wants and actually will always do however she pleases, even if some people do not like it. I honestly miss the 90's when people were just happy to have new music. While the internet is a great place for so many reasons it is a shame that so many people would spend their time putting out so much negativity about everything (just go on YouTube, you can't read the comment section under a video without wanting to punch someone for writing horrible things). And that goes for Mariah and everything else in this world. In short, I miss feeling the love for our Mariah, that woman who has touched our hearts in so many different ways over the course of our lives. God forbid, the day she passes on, everyone will just sing her praises just like people did for Whitney or Michael when they were very happy to tear them down when they were alive. Maybe it's time to appreciate the body of work of one of the greatest singers who has ever lived and be thankful we can still enjoy her music. (Wednesday 20 August 2014; 2:41)

I'm here for the music (45,300) by Alex from England I am a bit thrown when I read that some people love the album but haven't listened to it in over a month because they are disappointed in the fact that the artist who made the album doesn't care, in their opinion. If you know Mariah a little, you'll know that she cares about the album. She has spoken many times of how she wants people to enjoy it from beginning to end as she feels it represents a journey and is one of her best albums. Can people understand that we don't know everything that happens behind the scenes? Yes, I want her to be successful again like everyone else but I'm fine if she is not as long as she releases music for years to come. Yes, YDKWT has hit written all over it and yet, I will still listen to the album if the era officially stopped now. Are we in for the music? For the #1's? Seriously sometimes I'm just baffled. As much as I want resung vocals, great videos, amazing performances, Mariah on TV everywhere all the time, massive album sales, another #1 single on the Hot 100, at the end of the day, Mariah has created one masterpiece and sales "don't mean a thing to me" if I feel Mariah's emotion in her work. She has done her part: make great music. It used to be that this was all fans asked of their favorite artists: make great music. Period. I don't mean to offend anyone but at some point, some of you need to reconsider what you feel for Mariah and her music. The woman should be praised for not compromising her artistic integrity. End of rant. (Friday 11 July 2014; 1:49)

Heavenly G#7 (45,139) by Alex from England I don't know if you guys have already heard or discussed it but there's a "hidden" G#7 in Heavenly in unison with a G#6. I always thought that whistle had a different texture until I happened on this video that explains it. Piece of advice: listen with headphones but don't wear them if that makes any sense and the note will be heard easily. We all know her voice has suffered in the last decade and a half and it's almost time we laid that conversation to rest as all has been said and done (except that we don't know the exact reasons and can only guess) BUT I just thought I'd take a minute to express my intact admiration and amazement at the prowess her voice is still capable of. Seriously, a G#7. (Saturday 28 June 2014; 5:05)

Here we go again (44,637) by Alex from England Remember when some of you had completely lost faith in Mariah's new album and thought it would be a train wreck and then when it was released you were like "she still got it, it's her best album since TEOM" etc etc? Well, I had never lost faith and was one of those people who assumed they didn't know everything that was happening behind the scenes. Fast forward to today. Does any of you really think that Mariah doesn't care about an album that she'd been working on for like 4 years? Do you actually think she doesn't care about it slipping dramatically down the Hot 100? 1. It seems like a video was or is being/will be filmed for YDKWTD, which can only mean the promo is not over yet or could potentially start soon. 2. Mariah has had no control over the singles she's wanted to release for years and she still doesn't like most artists who are tied to a label and a record company. 3. Being a mom, she's probably never gonna do as much promo as she used to. Not saying that I'm glad with how little promo we've gotten so far as we all agree there should more. 4. The album is one of her best, at least a lot of critics and most importantly fans seem to think so. So while everyone is complaining about this, that, the other, I'm gonna keep playing that album on repeat and just revel in the incredible music she's given us once again. Last but not least, I just don't get fans who say she'd better quit if she's not gonna promote her albums. Are we fans of the music or the charts? (Wednesday 11 June 2014; 3:13)

Nothing good since 1997? (44,202) by Alex from England I just can't sit this one out when I read that some people haven't heard anything good vocally since 1997 except for Lead The Way. I mean, sure, everyone is entitled to their opinion but I have one question then. Why still wait for Mariah to astound you for the past 17 years when she clearly no longer can. I mean, I do understand that her voice is not the same, that cannot be argued but saying that she hasn't put out anything good/amazing vocally in the past 17 years is just... I guess I just don't understand some people and what they actually expect. On another note, I've had the album on repeat for a week and now my mind is definitely made up. Favorites: YDKWTD, Heavenly, Faded, MILG and Meteorite. The ballads are definitely so 90's Mariah, I hope people asking her to give them a couple more ballads like the old days are happy, if not, you never will be. I like all the songs but I'll skip a couple of them in the long run but I can say she's given us a great body of work. I'm glad I never doubted her even though the leadup to the album was more than confusing. Welcome back Mariah, you're still the best. (Wednesday 28 May 2014; 15:17)

iTunes Radio from another country (43,919) by Alex from England I live in the UK and I managed to stream the album just by changing my location to USA in iTunes' settings. I'm surprised they actually let you do that but hey, it made my day. It is good to see all the people who had already written Mariah off come back with praise galore. I am in love with the album and am quite satisfied the way she gave everyone something to enjoy. The ballads are as 90's Mariah as we'll ever get, the midtempo songs like Dedicated and Make It Look Good are great feel good records. I love the fact that she actually kind of strayed from the Mariah formula and took chances. I hope she will remember this for the future, she can be a trend-setter if she wants to just by following her heart, the same way she did all those years ago with Butterfly. Her voice may be different from what it used to be but listening to the album I kept telling myself "Damn, only Mariah can create a song like Camouflage with all those vocals, left, right and center." She is the only artist that still gives me the exact same euphoric feeling when I listen to her songs for the first time as when I fell in love with her music 16 years ago. I hope that people can now finally let her be a bit more and cut her some slack now that she's finally released the album and hasn't disappointed IMO. Enjoy. (Wednesday 21 May 2014; 1:31)

YDKWTD feat Wale (43,681) by Alex from England Damn, this is the song I've been waiting for, a summer smash, an instant catchy song. It is so reminiscent of her work from the 90's, finally a pop uptempo. I am elated and over the moon, I don't know how I'm possibly gonna go to work after all the emotion. This needs to be a single now, right now seriously. I hope I won't have to go through the same disappointment after Stay The Night and That Chick were never properly released. (Friday 16 May 2014; 15:15)

You're Mine Edit? (43,646) by Alex from England Mariah had told us lambs that there would be a longer version of the song on the album and I just realized that the tracklisting has the song clocking in at 3:42 just like the single version. I was excited to hear an album version with a couple of brand new lines. Oh well, honestly I am just happy about having a new album in less than 2 weeks but I guess I miss the excitement of having different versions of songs like we used to years ago. It is wat it is. (Thursday 15 May 2014; 17:21)

#Beautiful dance mix (43,643) by Alex from England Slant premiered a new #Beautiful dance mix, which I must say is my favorite of all the single's dance mixes. They say they did try to get the resung remix but that "it remains sadly under lock in the vaults". Seriously, why would Def Jam refuse to release that remix? They know we all crave for resung mixes. A petition? Inundate Mariah's twitter about the remix? (Thursday 15 May 2014; 16:50)

Mariah's weight (43,451) by Alex from England Mariah has been known to be quite secretive about the serious things going on in her life even if she may be dropping hints here and there. Like when she was exhausted from 1999 and ended up working herself into the groud. Like when she kind of stopped the promotion for E=MC2 and gained some weight when she was actualy going through a miscarriage. Like when she really gained some weight end of 2009 because of the injections to help her get pregnant. If Mariah has put on this much weight in just a few months it is probably because something is happening. One year ago she looked amazing for a the 43 year old woman, had gradually shed some weight over the course of the AI "moment" and I do believe her recent weight gain is because of injections she may have because of her injury last summer. If not, probably something else. I find it disgusting to read that people attack her for her weight like she owes it to you to be looking skinny at all times. I, for one, doesn't care that much about it as long as she is healthy and knowing how insecure she is, she probably is the first one to be annoyed with it. So act like adults and just respect her as a human being if that's not too much to ask. It is one thing to talk about her weight, it is another when you criticize it like she's disappointed you. Would you do the same with a member of your family or a close friend? I hope not. (Sunday 11 May 2014; 2:44)

Album cover (43,192) by Alex from England It's "funny" to see they've used the same picture for the deluxe edition as the one that was shown on a pre-order last summer. I am in love with the standard edition picture. I can't help but think of "Close My Eyes" (orange clouds roll by, sail away on an ocean) and "Underneath The Stars" looking at it. It is a superb fantasy-like picture (photoshopped to the max obviously) but I love it. I regret though that her nose on the deluxe pic looks like anyone else's nose but hers. Freaking excited anyway. Only Mariah gives me this feeling when they announce a new album. (Friday 2 May 2014; 4:40)

Rappers collabo (43,061) by Alex from England It is funny to me reading that "every song has to have a rapper on it" when all 17 songs off MOAIA had no rappers on them and when only 1 out of 5 songs released since 2012 included raps. What I do know for sure is people will never be satisfied, you just can't please everyone at the same time and that's normal. Also I think I should remind some people about who Mariah is: - A woman who has liked acting sexy since 1997 and it is NOT gonna change. - A woman whose voice has lost some of its early shine and will lipsynch sometimes but can still sing. - A woman who doesn't have to communicate with fans and yet does. Maybe not every day like some of you would like though. - A woman who is an artist, therefore will write/sing songs she likes hopefully some people will connect. Some of you should stop thinking Mariah will cater to your special needs just because you feel she should listen to you as you have bought all her previous albums. At the end of the day, Mariah will be Mariah and those who complain about any and everything about her should face themselves in the mirror and maybe learn the "art of letting go". Peace. (Wednesday 30 April 2014; 15:37)

Mariah's work ethic / respect towards fans (42,438) by Alex from England Hopefully people will now remember that there's a lot going on behind the scenes that may delay an album forever. Don't you all think Mariah has been dying to release the music she recorded like 3 years ago? As time goes by, we all change and I'm sure the the different overhauls of the album corresponds to her evolving and not feeling connected anymore to certain songs. 3 years is a long time in a songwriter's life and people complaining about Mariah's work ethic should wonder: didn't Mariah just have to go through the pushbacks of the album? Didn't she take the unfortunate opportunity to keep going back to the studio and work on the album again and again? In my book, Mariah would have been lazy if she had just finished the album 2 years ago and had just sat on the side drinking champagne waiting until it was eventually released. Also, reading that Mariah supposedly lost respect for us is a bit too much. Just because she hasn't posted anything about what's going on behind the scenes? Let me remind everyone that Mariah has a contract, and the bigger part of it we don't know. In general, there's limitation to what you can/can't say about your employer. Mariah seems to be constantly bashed for no reason like no matter what she does or doesn't, it's wrong. For disrespectful public figures, just check Rihanna or Bieber for example. Mariah has always valued her fans and since as early as she could has kept posting, recording messages for us. Oh well, just my 2 cents. (Wednesday 2 April 2014; 15:20)

Album possibly pushed back again (42,244) by Alex from England I'll be disappointed as hell as I was the first couple of times it happened. But I feel sorry for Mariah the most because she is the one who has to come out and make up excuses for the general public when IDJ are the ones who decide when/if to release the album. Us lambs know that there is something wrong and I think we should be a bit more supportive of Mariah and show her that we are still here and know that this is not her fault. Yes, her voice has changed, yes she lipsynchs way too much, yes I'd like a bit more creativity when it comes to videos; that being said, I just wish her the best and I know she must be the first to be aware of the state of her vocals and how it probably affects her overall confidence as a live singer. Anyway, if IDJ pushes back that album again, I swear I'll lose it lol. (Thursday 20 March 2014; 3:25)

Bill from UK (41,942) by Alex from England Damn, I had never thought of it regarding the Da Brat part in Loverboy. And now that you mention it, it actually sounds totally right. I'd never heard that info before. (Monday 3 March 2014; 0:54)

Freedoone (41,916) by Alex from England Hey, I'm a fellow French lamb and a Mariah CD collector, so I'm interested in your list. If you wanna send it to me: ryancooperinlondon@gmail.com Thank you. (Sunday 2 March 2014; 3:44)

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