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The evolution of Mariah Carey (110,196) by Stacey from USA
Agree BFF. Music transcends race. Should we tell Darius Rucker he can't sing country because he is black? Or Eminem can't rap because he's white? Of course not. After all the nonsense last night, right before I went to sleep, I played Sugar Sweet. Like Edward, I really hope this song does well. It's got one of her better catchy hooks in a long time.
(Tuesday 29 July 2025; 16:57)
this is a reply to message 110,191
Random thoughts (110,195) by Bobby A from United States
The music industry is a beast anyway. We all can agree on that. We no longer have labels like Motown Records developing artists. What we have today are a bunch of artists who sign a contract and the record label connects them with a popular producer to make them into a pop or R&B hit machine. Sometimes it works on both sides and sometimes it doesn't work. One example, when an artist from 2023-2025 became a hit machine because of a popular and successful producer is Tate McCrae. Tate McCrae had moderate success with her debut studio album, but her whole trajectory changed when Ryan Tedder co-produced and co-wrote multiple songs on her 2023 and 2024 releases. Also, he was her co-executive producer on both albums. Ryan Tedder promotes the heck out of Tate McCrae on his X and Instagram pages. Whenever Tate had a successful milestone for her singles and albums, he posted about it. She is successful today because of one hit producer promotes her every chance he gets to celebrate her successes on the pop charts.
(Tuesday 29 July 2025; 16:42)
this is a reply to message 110,192
The evolution of Mariah Carey (110,194) by Lighty from China
I totally agree. As an Asian I always wonder why some people have to make everything about race, when sometimes it clearly is not the case.
(Tuesday 29 July 2025; 15:54)
this is a reply to message 110,191
The evolution of Mariah Carey (110,193) by Zachariah from Croatia
And I just responded to a message where she was being slammed for not staying the same.

I just realized; am I the OG that everyone is being mad at?
(Tuesday 29 July 2025; 15:39)
this is a reply to message 110,178
Random thoughts (110,192) by Dove from United States
I just feel like the well is polluted in a lot of today's music in general. I say I don't like overly sexualized celebrities but I enjoy watching Tate McRae and Britney Spears performances and they're "sexy". So am I being a hypocrite? I think the reason they don't come across as vulgar to me is because they're dancers and their bodies are more athletic. It doesn't come across as "porno". (Not that I would know that, but I can imagine.) The body and dance routine is part of the art.

Maybe there are really good dancers/entertainers in the urban market but I wouldn't know that because every time I take a peek over there I'm appalled. Like that WAP song I mentioned in one of my previous posts. It's not just "urban" music either - it's my people too. Sometimes I look to see what's new and I see people like Karol G with their big fake booties gyrating on the stage. I don't enjoy Madonna and her antics either. So I don't think it's about race.

When I was younger I really enjoyed Brandy, Monica, SWV, TLC. Maybe they were pushed to do mainstream music, and that's why I liked it, but honestly sometimes I can't really tell the difference. If it sounds good to me it sounds good to me. In grade school I really liked Boyz II Men and MC Hammer.

All of Mariah's music sounds good to me. I have really been enjoying Caution, MOAIA, and MIAMTEC lately and those are supposed to be really urban.

I'm sorry my posts are so long but I've been having a lot of thoughts lately and I feel like this is the appropriate place to leave my "permanent digital glitter trail".
(Tuesday 29 July 2025; 15:27)
The evolution of Mariah Carey (110,191) by BFF from United States
Do black artists not sing pop music? Are black and white the only types of people in the world? Last time I checked Mariah has devoted fans across many continents and of many different backgrounds other than "white" and "black". I'm not an OG fan. I became a fan in the 1997-2000 period and my first Mariah album was "Rainbow", so I thoroughly enjoyed and appreciated the way Mariah integrated hip-hop into her music. I think it worked best on songs like "The Roof" and "Crybaby" and the remixes for "My All" and "Thank God I Found You". And I also love the stuff from 1990-1996 - the ballads ("Can't Let Go"), the gospel-inflected tunes ("Any Time You Need a Friend"), the house and disco influenced uptempo songs ("Emotions", "Now that I Know", etc).

Last time I checked, Diana Ross, Michael Jackson, Janet Jackson, Luther Vandross, Donna Summer, and many, many other African-American/black artists have put out music that most people would categorize as "pop". Pop isn't a genre - it is shorthand for "popular" and encompasses a wide range of styles and idioms. And "pop" music isn't synonymous with "white". Country songs go to #1 on the "pop" charts. R&B and Hip-Hop songs have gone to #1 on the "pop" charts. House tracks have gone to #1 on the "pop" charts. Alternative rock songs go to #1 on the "pop" charts.

In 2003, Liz Phair caught a lot of flack for "going pop" on her self-titled album, but she brilliantly pointed out that it's dishonest for recording artists (and critics) to pretend that they aren't in business when they are. Having a career as a recording artist means that you're often (out of necessity) trying to appeal to the widest possible audience - it has nothing to do with "race" and everything to do with capitalism. Sometimes you need a "pop" hit to pay your bills, get out of debt, to build your clout, etc. There's no shame in it.

I actually think the main reason that Mariah began to feel the need to pander a bit was due to music critic Nelson George labelling her "a white girl trying to sing black", which is itself a racist statement because it conflates skin color with singing ability. This was a misnomer because she was already singing gospel, R&B, and house-influenced songs on the debut album in 1990 and the "Emotions" album in 1991. Last time I checked Adele is a more impressive vocalist than Janet Jackson, but this reductive thinking would have us believe that somehow "race" automatically correlates with singing ability. It doesn't.

Mariah being called a "white girl trying to sing black" by music critics became such an issue that she had a press conference/sit down with many of them early on to tell them to cut it out. The reality is that Mariah never denied being mixed race, and I don't agree with the argument that Tommy tried to hide that aspect of her. Critics like Nelson George were ones who created this issue because their color struck, racialist thinking disallowed the idea that someone who looked like Mariah could sing and write so brilliantly.

Sorry for getting on my soapbox, but it makes me angry that Mariah has felt pressured into pandering to this nonsense. Maybe we should stop trying to label music with such simplistic "racial" categories and just enjoy the music?
(Tuesday 29 July 2025; 15:21)
this is a reply to message 110,159
The evolution of Mariah Carey (110,190) by Dove from United States
I agree with your entire post. Thank you for putting into words exactly how I think about it, better than I ever could.
(Tuesday 29 July 2025; 14:38)
this is a reply to message 110,186
The evolution of Mariah Carey (110,189) by Bobby A from United States
It wasn't just Tommy making his star singer sing more pop songs. Clive did it to Whitney as well. Whitney actually said to Clive that she wanted her 3rd album to be an R&B album. She heard the rumblings from the African-American community that she was catering too much to the pop audience and that bothered Whitney a lot. So, that is the reason why I'm Your Baby Tonight was a R&B album and subsequent albums after too. In both Clive's and Tommy's mind back then, if Whitney and Mariah sang pop songs both would reach a broader audience and maximize their album and single sales. It doesn't happen like that in today's music industry because great singers like Whitney and Mariah are non-existent today. You can sing anything, sing badly and still get a recording contract today.
(Tuesday 29 July 2025; 14:12)
this is a reply to message 110,159
Sugar Sweet lyrics: "Cause I will absolutely get the ring"? (110,188) by Shezz from Pk
That's exactly what I thought as well. "I will absolutely get the ring" is another way of saying "I know that you'll be back boy." He'll call her and want to see her again. I don't think she means "I know he's going to marry me eventually." How ridiculous would that be. We need her to clear that up for us.

I love the Harper's Bazaar cover and shoot.
(Tuesday 29 July 2025; 14:08)
this is a reply to message 110,146
The evolution of Mariah Carey (110,187) by Bill from the UK
This might very well be the most racist, ignorant, and offensive message ever posted on this forum.
(Tuesday 29 July 2025; 13:36)
this is a reply to message 110,159
The evolution of Mariah Carey (110,186) by Jamie from UK
We all like different styles of music, whether it be pop, hip hop, RnB, Soul. Mariah has covered those genres throughout her career even 1990-1995. She worked with C&C Music Factory to give her a street vibe, I loved it and the general audience loved it. The Butterfly album is a masterpiece I agree but I think the reason it didn't sell as much was purely the fact that she deviated far too quickly from what worked for her and her audience. She lost a big chunk of her core base. It didn't sell as much not because of its genre, it was purely down to what the public liked about Mariah and her style at the this time. As I said previously, I love urban Mariah otherwise I wouldn't continue to be a fan, I loved her and grew with her change in direction. Those that chose not to move with her was for their own personal music tastes and they're entitled to that. All I'm trying to get across is whilst we core fans might have stayed with her, the reason for her decline in sales is just down to the fact that more people preferred those early mixed genre days, and the sales spike for themselves. My love for Mariah and what I see as a current cognitive decline isn't me hating on her, I'm just coming from a concerned place. I appreciate your input and your views and I hope you have a nice day.
(Tuesday 29 July 2025; 13:34)
this is a reply to message 110,178
Article: The making of Mariah Carey (110,185) by Edward from USA
Epic and stunning look.
(Tuesday 29 July 2025; 13:33)
Article: The making of Mariah Carey (110,184) by Lara from Middle East
Effortlessly sexy. That's what we want.
(Tuesday 29 July 2025; 13:04)
The evolution of Mariah Carey (110,183) by Lambi from USA
"I would never lip sync" sends me right back to Howard Stern's correct assessment of Mariah Carey lip syncing at the '98 Blockbuster Awards. She was so insulted, she gaslit him and sang a line on the spot: "Baby, can you feel me, imagining I'm looking in your eyes, can you see that? Yeah, don't accuse me of not singing again. Ever."

This will forever send me because the clip consistently goes viral and everyone thinks Mariah delivered a smackdown response when in reality, she was gaslighting him the whole time. She was, in fact, lip syncing. LMAO.
(Tuesday 29 July 2025; 12:46)
this is a reply to message 110,139
Article: The making of Mariah Carey (110,182) by Dove from United States
I love this article and these looks. I love the oversized coat jacket look but only for a photoshoot, let's please not go from one extreme to another.

I wanted to clarify my "sometimes vulgar" comment in my last post. I wasn't saying most of her ensembles are vulgar, there are a lot of looks I love, too. I love the gold dress for the BET performance, the black ensemble at Capital's Summertime Ball, the Jimmy Kimmel animal print look I would have rated 100 if the top part had just covered a little bit more of her chest. The pink sparkly dress when she's mixing the cake mix was really pretty, again I would have loved it more if she would have covered just a bit more of her chest.

I don't wish for her to walk around wearing a burka all day, she's a very beautiful woman. I don't love overly sexual looks on anyone. But that's just my opinion. I'm going to support her no matter what she chooses to wear. I'll always have an opinion about it, though.
(Tuesday 29 July 2025; 12:32)
The evolution of Mariah Carey (110,181) by Dove from United States
Just to be clear, I don't have a problem with any of her music, I pretty much love all of it. What I don't love is the sometimes vulgar ensemble choices. And I miss when she was more open and had funny stories to share about her life in interviews. Now it's always the same questions and short responses.
(Tuesday 29 July 2025; 12:14)
this is a reply to message 110,159
Article: The making of Mariah Carey (110,180) by Mimi L. from Empower Your Highlighter
I love the cover. She looks like an absolute boss.
(Tuesday 29 July 2025; 11:58)
this is a reply to message 110,173
The evolution of Mariah Carey (110,179) by TJ from Norway
I have never had a problem with Mariah doing black music. Never. I never knew it was about colour.
(Tuesday 29 July 2025; 11:48)
this is a reply to message 110,159
The evolution of Mariah Carey (110,178) by Terna from Nigeria
Getting uncomfortable I see. Lol. I wasn't the one who insinuated or brought it up, I just responded to his message and acknowledged he got that part, he's black too as he stated and gets it. "Butterfly" never did the numbers "Music Box" and "Daydream" did for that one fact. It is an R&B/HipHop album. Facts. But look at how highly rated that album is in contemporary music today. It is also her "Magnum Opus", she achieved her best work, being her authentic true self. I haven't "crowned" myself poison or anything negative here, as you put it, I'm not the one spitting vitriol out at Mariah here masked as "OG Love", from the OG Coven.
(Tuesday 29 July 2025; 11:47)
this is a reply to message 110,170
Article: The making of Mariah Carey (110,177) by Randy from USA
Absolutely stunning photos... and yall know by now, I don't like anything.
(Tuesday 29 July 2025; 11:32)
The evolution of Mariah Carey (110,176) by Lambi from USA
Yes I'm just such a fan I couldn't wait for your response. I'm truly riveted for you. This validation means everything. Stacey the goated OG lamb.
(Tuesday 29 July 2025; 11:29)
this is a reply to message 110,174
The evolution of Mariah Carey (110,175) by Stacey from USA
Thanks Jaime.

Oh my gosh, I messed up your name. Thanks Jamie. Good thing school starts up in a few days.
(Tuesday 29 July 2025; 11:25)
this is a reply to message 110,171
The evolution of Mariah Carey (110,174) by Stacey from USA
Ironically you are here too responding to my posts, lol. Imagine that. Thank you for calling me the goated lamb. My self worth is now full.
(Tuesday 29 July 2025; 11:23)
this is a reply to message 110,172
Article: The making of Mariah Carey (110,173) by TJ from Norway
The first picture. Wow.
(Tuesday 29 July 2025; 11:18)
The evolution of Mariah Carey (110,172) by Lambi from USA
I mean makes perfect sense. You're the goated lamb and you're here all day.
(Tuesday 29 July 2025; 11:10)
this is a reply to message 110,169

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