Tuned to Carey
She has broken our hearts before. The "she" in that sentence is Mariah Carey, and the "our" refers to music critics in general. The year was 1996. Virtually all of us felt that Carey would be the big winner at that year's Grammy Awards show, and we said so in our preview articles. She had had a big hit with the kind of sentimental ballad that usually appeals to Grammy voters ("One Sweet Day"), and seemed overdue for a big Grammy night. She had been one of the music industry's leading commercial forces for years, after all, but had won only twice before (best new artist and female pop vocal, both in 1991).
Then, disaster struck. She lost every award she was up for. She sat in her chair, looking shell-shocked, as other artists gave their speeches. We watched, feeling like idiots. Now, 10 years later, she still has just those two Grammys on her mantelpiece, but is once again a leading nominee. Her eight nods tie her with Kanye West and John Legend for the lead going into Wednesday's ceremony, at the Staples Center in Los Angeles. But, having been burned once before, we're being cautious, and saying that while she'll be a winner, she won't dominate. (The Star-Ledger)
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