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About Norman from USA: I've been a fan of Mariah's since I first heard Love Takes Time (I don't know how I initially missed Vision of Love), and I haven't looked back since. Her music has been there for me in my darkest hours to help lift out of the depths of whatever I was going through at the time. She's my all time favorite female singer, even though I love many others. It's funny to think of her music as a "friend", but it's always been there for me. I love her talent. " As we drifted to another place and time And the feeling was so heady and sublime As I lost my heart to you There in the dark Underneath the stars"

Re: First time JD worked with Mariah (57,115) (57,116) by Norman from USA Hey, Bill. I happen to love the original Never Forget You just as it was produced by Babyface. Granted, it's all subjective. Besides, I'm not sure if you were talking about his production style as a whole, or only on this song. Either way I would disagree. I actually wish they'd worked together a couple more times, especially when you consider how great they sound together. Is his production style dramatic and tend to lean heavily on the romantic/sexual undertones? For damn sure. But there's a line, and the man doesn't* even straddle it, IMO, of course. (* Unless it's Unbreak My Heart on repeat for the millionth time. That's [caps] when things get real. Lol.) Just saying, though. Hope all is well. (Monday 5 October 2015; 13:07)

Re: The silent lambs are rhapsodizing (57,049) (57,054) by Norman from USA Glad to see you posting again, Edward. And very timely posts, I might add. (Friday 2 October 2015; 11:31)

Re: Sam Smith (56,911) (56,917) by Norman from USA Seriously, Sam. You know you're not the only one. (Sunday 27 September 2015; 7:07)

Re: Shade (56,812) (56,826) by Norman from USA I totally agree, Bill. I think this_is_qhm wrote a pretty spot on post about it. The subject matter as a whole is irksome and lacks any sense creativity or purpose with respect to Mariah or how their fellow posters. (Tuesday 22 September 2015; 5:10)

Say Somethin' (56,387) by Norman from USA I just had to. I have to ask if it's really that difficult to skip someone's post you know who's opinions you regularly dislike? Because If you're constantly commenting on them, it seems a little less their problem than yours if you can't leave it alone. I've stayed away from commenting on here because I find that the board too often devolves from actual Mariah themed topics to full on personal attacks over the most trivial of perceived slights. It then turns into a non-ending snark competition over who can be the worst mean girl reenactor. It's craziness. I don't know how Eric keeps his sanity. Travon, this whole pro America (and Mariah) and thinly veiled anti UK/Europe passive aggressive thing really took the cake, IMO. Dislike Andrew and his posts all you want. There's no need for flag waving in front of fellow lambs. Mariah 24/7/365. Am I reaching for the stars? (Sunday 30 August 2015; 13:03)

Stacey challenge (54,724) by Norman from USA Hey there Stacey, you made it a little difficult by keeping the holiday songs off limits for this challenge, because it's like she was born to sing that holiday staple. And I don't mean the one she wrote, which is, of course, amazing. OK. Top 5 lyrics: 1. Underneath The Stars 2. The Roof 3. Looking In 4. Side Effects 5. Betcha Gon' Know Top 5 vocals: 1. Anytime You Need a Friend (C&C remix) - I mean, this is just epic in every single way. She freestyle scats on this thing (exclamation point) Seriously. 2. Never Forget You - One of two Babyface collaborations. 3. So Blessed - She has such a rich tone in this. 4. I Am Free - An elegant piano driven gospel inspired song with light pop flourishes. She soars and takes you with her - goosebumps and all. 5. Butterfly (SNL) - I was really tempted to leave this in the songwriting category, but I think it's just as equally powerful with the vocals, especially in this live performance. It's pretty much all falsetto, you know? Talk about level of difficultly. These are all in random order, btw. This list would deffo change if the #1's and the holiday songs could be included, but I guess this makes it more fun. Cheers. (Friday 19 June 2015; 8:04)

Pure Imagination (53,176) by Norman from USA I had one of my crazy Mariah dreams this morning. It had to do with her BBMA performance. It was a video playing on giant monitors and she got in a limo. You could only see her when the street lights shined through the window as the limo drove on, but it was her through the years changing hair/clothing styles. She started off by singing really low (like in a man's register) and I didn't hear what she was singing because it didn't sound like Emotions. Then I realized it was Side Effects without YJ. It was all her very mellow and sorta torch song, then it turned. She was suddenly on stage and live. The song turned into this uptempo gut-wrenching pop song. And she was on stage solo, almost just a silhouette in a black, sleeveless, sequined dress, her hair in an uncharacteristically curly up-do. The screen around the stage projecting the one side of her face that was lit as she sang. She shinned, soared, and left it all on the stage. I didn't know what to make of this version of the song because I love the original so much, but I was in a trance. Her appearance confused me, but everything else had me in awe. I woke up right then practically clapping and with tears in my eyes. I still get emotional thinking about it. Here's hoping Mariah had an amazing Mother's day. And Happy Mother's Day to all of you it applies to. (Monday 11 May 2015; 7:30)

Andrew (52,721) by Norman from USA Unless you decide to step away of your own accord or the webmaster blocks you from the site, it's not up anyone else to vote up or down on whether you should keep posting. It's not that deep. If Mariah can survive 2001-2002, we can certainly make it through this message board. So go on then, off your arse we go like a good lad. The sooner you get to it, the sooner everyone can tell you to sod off, even if they don't always understand you're oftentimes just taking the piss. But at least we'll have some kind of balance. Sound good? Cheers. (Saturday 2 May 2015; 13:16)

Nostalgia era on MCA (52,483) by Norman from USA Remember that? Seems like only a few days ago. Our voice just isn't the same anymore. I miss that era. (Tuesday 28 April 2015; 18:22)

Edward re: Tattoo Club (52,202) by Norman from USA If you'd be so kind, I'd love a copy of that. It's always been one of my favorites. My email is justsayinb@gmail.com. There's no "g" missing there, btw. justsayinb. Thank you in advance. I've been wondering when you were going to show up. (Saturday 25 April 2015; 11:20)

Lee re: Dance rehearsal (52,174) by Norman from USA Thanks for posting that link. It's interesting to see nappytabs doing the choreography. They're about the right pace and style. Looking good. (Friday 24 April 2015; 11:04)

Happy birthday Todd (52,172) by Norman from USA Enjoy your day, hopefully celebrate with friends and family, and enjoy the nostalgia (exclamation). I know that Anytime You Need a Friend, and Never Too Far Away always get me as well. Best wishes. Cheers (exclamation). (Friday 24 April 2015; 10:54)

Jake / disc 1 and 2 (51,960) by Norman from USA Jake you beat me to it. I think you hit the nail on the head. As much as I'd love for there to be more songs than the ones than have already been mentioned in the press release, I believe that they're simply splitting the songs into two discs like they did for the remixes album. I'd love to be wrong. Maybe we'll have some other sort of surprise. Stranger things have happened. Cheers. (Friday 17 April 2015; 11:52)

Tevin (51,951) by Norman from USA You certainly don't owe me an apology for your statement. I was posing a rhetorical question with an opinion of my own. You weren't the only person sharing a similar view, which is why I didn't address the comment to you personally. It was not a personal attack towards you (nor an attack at all) in any way, shape, or form. I apologize for it coming across that way. Thank you for your message. (Friday 17 April 2015; 9:59)

Paul Walker (51,935) by Norman from USA How about a simple R.I.P. because the man died? Otherwise it's quite tacky and crass to celebrate it. (Friday 17 April 2015; 0:19)

And you don't remember (51,827) by Norman from USA Nervermind. I learned how to read just now. D'oh (exclamation). My apologies. That's what I get for staying up until all hours of the night. "Well, it's 5am and I still can't sleep." (Tuesday 14 April 2015; 14:26)

Mimi L / Billboard (51,826) by Norman from USA Where did you find it? Would you mind sharing the link, please? Thank you. (Tuesday 14 April 2015; 14:14)

If I could recapture (51,818) by Norman from USA Has no one else seen the two new pics Mariah's tweeted? Particularly the one of herself in a wetsuit of sorts and looking gorgeous? I think trying to update the iconic #1's album cover was a mistake. Not to say she looks bad, because she doesn't, but because the comparisons were inevitable. It's bad enough the media and society love bashing women about their weight, no matter what that may be. Also, the artwork seems rushed. The harsh shading and contouring make her seem even thinner than your average PS job. As for disappointment, that's because of the headlines. The headlines that always read something about how "fans" are complaining or calling her out. We're always fanning the flames of their shite. The single hasn't dropped. She hasn't promoted yet. She hasn't opened in Vegas yet. The album has been released. The woman is anything but stupid. I'm not betting against her. (Tuesday 14 April 2015; 11:48)

Andrew, Carey on (51,373) by Norman from USA I don't often agree with you per se, but I do find humor in a lot of your commentary. I believe you'd be quite hysterical in person discussing Mariah, even if we adamantly disagreed. On the juxtaposition, however, I think you're spot on. (Saturday 4 April 2015; 13:17)

I Wish You Well (51,278) by Norman from USA I was beyond happy to know Mariah wasn't around the launch of Tidal. PR wise it came off as a big stunt for out of touch music stars demanding more money. It may not be the truth, but perception is everything here. Mariah doesn't need that right now. How long do you all think this board can go without going negative/bashing Mariah? No sooner is there some sort of good news or sign of progress, when there's always something that isn't quite perfect fast enough to pick apart. Is it really that difficult to enjoy the good and see what happens next? It's not like we can personally change anything for her. (Wednesday 1 April 2015; 5:40)

Happy anniversary (51,156) by Norman from USA To the ever enchanting Ms. Mariah Carey. (Friday 27 March 2015; 11:11)

Jon / Lullaby (51,135) by Norman from USA I love that song. I've always considered it The Roof part 2. (Thursday 26 March 2015; 5:46)

Joy Ride (50,856) by Norman from USA One of the things I find so remarkable about Mariah's chart toppers is that the majority of them were all her as a stand alone artist without any help by a featured artist to "assist" or aid her because she was so desperate for a hit. Her biggest hit and "comeback" (WBT) was a wholly solo effort, and so was DFAU and TMB. The songs she's had featured artists on have always been more for complimentary reasons than because they made they song - at least the noteworthy ones. All do respect, IMO, Triumphant was a disaster (a couple remixes notwithstanding). My point? That's more about her self-confidence and her tapping back into the love of it all, her ingenuity, her writing, her musicality, it's all about her more so than any featured artists. I don't believe the Beyonce collabo would be a good idea at this time, maybe as a bonus track on a re-release after she's back on top. MC shines brightest on her own. She just needs to believe again and find her groove like she did on The Roof instead of trying to be Without You MC. I'm not saying no collaborations at all, because everyone loves collabos. I'd love to see her collaborate with Jessie J, Ed Sheeran, Florence Welch (of Florence And The Machine), D'angelo, Frank Ocean, Andre 3000. Most of which wouldn't automatically be associated with an MC record, but could really bring a complimentary sound/energy and could all serve as co-writers and producers, not just featured vocalists. Kendrick Lamar is a pipe dream, but would be amazing, IMO. (Friday 13 March 2015; 21:54)

Last Kiss (50,552) by Norman from USA I just wanted to thank the webmaster for posting my super long rant and piecing it together for me after I tried posting it in 5 different segments. Oy. Billy from Greece: Thank you much. I'm always up for a good Mimi discussion, especially without the drama. RJJ12: You're absolutely right. She doesn't need an entirely commercial album to be successful. Her entire career pretty much proves that. I'm glad you liked the post, too. Thank you. Here's hoping everyone else is having a great weekend. (Sunday 1 March 2015; 13:23)

Can't Take That Away (50,523) by Norman from USA So this is probably going to be super annoying. I apologize in advance, but I have to post this in sections because it's a rant. I always seem to have time to check in here but hardly ever have time to actually write a post, which might actually be a blessing in disguise, otherwise I'd go out of my feeble mind and pull the few remaining hairs out of my head. I believe the one thing we can all agree on is that Mariah's current career trajectory isn't exactly winning all of us over. I know I wasn't thrilled to learn she was going to head to Vegas for a residency, and especially not for a #1's re-release. In my mind it seemed like she's been stuck having to sing most of these songs for the better part of her career. True enough, they've made her career and she's achieved them over the course of it, but how many can we hear "Hero" sung in a lower key? I've been waiting for some out-of-the-box thinking from her camp for quite some time. I thought we were getting it with the whole album when we first heard #Beautiful. It was a new sound for her and definitely Mariah doing what she does best, paving her own way. (Sadly, the release of the video just stalled it and didn't let it climb higher. Also, even though it's a great song, I'm not sure how well it was thought out about this being performed live when Miguel is singing solo for a good minute and a half before she starts.) Back in the 90's when everyone was into Grunge and the ever-present dance music, she stuck to her guns (sure enough, in no small part with the help of future hubby T. Mottola and Sony's deep pockets, but that doesn't equate longevity) and forged ahead with her own brand of Pop/R&B, and she dominated. As we all know too well, she helped revolutionize modern day pop (pop-hop) with the Fantasy remix ft. Ol' Dirty B. Something she kept doing better than most any other of her peers for quite some time, at least until the formula was copied to perfection and then improved upon. And that seems to be the last time we saw the innovative side of Mariah's sound evolution. There have been signs of life, at least IMO, of course, here and there. (Side Effects is insanely good at both a newer edgier/grittier sound while also giving us some real insight into her growing pains as an artist and as an individual. She wasn't messing around with that song.) And, yes, I did like MIAMTEC a lot. I don't believe it wasn't commercial enough, however. It was definitely was more commercial than MOEA, but it wasn't going to get her to the top of the charts again. We can argue over what song should've been a single first or how it should've been promoted, but aside from garnering really great reviews from critics, she needs to sell the entire album because she's Mariah Carey. Everyone else can sell 2 million of a single and just 2 copies of an album and be called a star, but not Mimi. It sucks so much, but it's the honest truth. A big part of it is her legacy, that whole "biggest selling female artist of all time", talking point that's been hammered to death. I don't like talking in absolutes about someone I don't know, but if there's one thing I would seriously stress to her team if I could, is to please, absolutely cut that out. It's only hurting her at this point. It's such a double-edged sword. And it's such a sharp sword, too, because she is indeed Mariah Carey. She and Madonna are the two most influential pop artists of the last 30 years. They've reshaped the face of pop music as it is today. Most female performers are a version of one or both of them to some degree. At the end of the day I keep coming back because she is Mariah Carey. Because her voice, her lyrics, her music has been with me one way or another since I was 15 years old and I heard Love Takes Time for the first time. In some of my darkest times, when I didn't want to hear from anyone else and I didn't think anyone cared enough about me, it was only her voice and music that I heard. That got me through it. So yeah, I could go on with a bunch of other personal quips I wish would be taken into account and somehow implemented so that my favorite singer of all time wouldn't be shredded on social media, the press, her fans, late night hosts, and sometimes even by my friends. The fact of the matter is that as much as I may feel connected to her, and as much as I care for her for whatever reason, I don't know Mariah Carey the person. Through CD's, concerts, videos, movies, pictures, I know Mariah Carey the singer/ songwriter/ producer/ actress/ mother who really seems to be going through something right now, maybe even for some time now, that I haven't the foggiest of, and all I can do is speculate and vent on a fan message board. Which all fine, but I know I sometimes have to remind myself she's not actually my best friend when one of my actual friends starts trying to talk smack because it's on. Hehe. If I may make a suggestion at the close of this long rant of mine, it would be this (and it's been said before): that when we offer up criticism of whatever our issue is with Mariah's camp or her decisions, that we first remember what it is we love about her first. What I know about Mariah Carey's talent is that it's not a flash in the pants. She's not a one trick pony, and she may take her time, but she does find a way. I trust most of you will be around when she does. In the mean time, I'll be going to Vegas "and a hero comes along". P.S. I know some of you are going to take issue with my statement about her sound evolution, and I did want to expand on that, but I figured I'd rambled on enough for one post, so I left it at that for now. (Saturday 28 February 2015; 8:03)

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