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A hit is a hit is a hit (111,730) by T from USA

The bottom line, unless you are the flavor of the month is that the only way to have better than expected album sales is to have a world wide recognized hit. The songs on HFIA are all great, some even say amazing. But there is no world wide recognized hit that made an impact. Mariah's always had hits, the times she didn't were Glitter, Charmbracelet, and Caution. Those are also her lowest sales. So she sold this new album on her name alone, like Taylor Swift.
(Monday 6 October 2025; 01:37)

How can I get a message to Mariah? (111,729) by Mimi from UK

Anderson .Paak. He is a serial cheater and he cheated on his ex wife. One of his sidechicks confirmed Mariah and him were together before they made it official and said he has cheated on Mariah several times.

Poor Mariah. This man is a total ho and even admits in his music he's a cheater. I wish could give Mariah a heads up, because he's using her.
(Sunday 5 October 2025; 23:29)


this is a reply to message		111,725

Numbers (111,728) by Zachariah from Croatia

I think she is not bothered with numbers but I think she made this album as a pure art to get nominated for a Grammy again. She want that recognition and I think she would be happy with that. I wasn't expecting huge numbers and this is just fine. Is someone betraying her? I don't think so. But if it is, I think she would handle it pretty good now.

Grunge album would be a great surprise to release and I bet that it could have give Mariah another number one record. I am sure of it.
(Sunday 5 October 2025; 23:12)

Here For It All deluxe / duets (111,727) by Nicky from Jasmine's Sofa

It's been a hot minute since I've posted here. I have so much to say about Here For It All, but I will make separate posts for my review, etc. I would love to see her do an Angel's Advocates inspired concept for the deluxe. Bring in other artists to reimagine these true gems on this amazing project. Here's what it could look like:

Mi - ft. Ariana Grande
As we've seen from their last collaboration, they have much common space and relatability between them. I think this could sonically take the song to another planet. I picture the two of them cruising down the coast in a convertible blasting E=MC2 on the way back to the studio between sessions.

Play This Song- ft. Faith Evans, Eric Benet, and Anderson.Paak
I absolutely love this song as it is, as I do the entire album. But since this song is very specifically about the 2 characters, the only way to keep it on theme is to add the perspective of another couple in a similar emotional dilemma. I would love to hear these voices together. Faith sings from the same emotional tone that this song is set at. Eric Benet would compliment Mariah so well here. 2 new verses and 4 way harmonies.

Type Dangerous - Dealers choice
We have a whole maxi single of collabs for this one already. And I enjoy them all. Maybe Touch The Soul of the People Remix?

Sugar Sweet - ft. Janet Jackson
There was always a question of what type of song would suit the sound of these 2? This is that song. There is space sonically for both of their current sounds in this song. It could potentially be the summer song of the decade if done right.

In Your Feelings - ft. Toni Braxton
Another long awaited duet. This song fits them both so well. Between the lyrical whimsy, the attitude, and the classic aspects it could take this song to astronomical levels honestly.

Nothing Is Impossible - ft. Barbra Streisand
This just makes sense. Barbra would take this already chilling song and bring in even more timeless flow and expansion into it. I could hear it. Diana Ross was another idea for this one.

Confetti & Champagne - ft. Brandy
Sonically, this would just make so much sense. And for those who don't quite get this song, I feel like Brandy would add something to bring it all the way home. This could be a whole 5 minute vibe, especially if Solange was also somehow involved.

I Won't Allow It- ft. Durand Bernarr
As amazing as this song already is, adding Durand would again bring it to a whole new plane and would definitely entice Mariah to lay some fresh vocals on top. Tangents upon tangents. The back and forth alone would be just beyond.

My Love - ft. Maxwell
Another long awaited duet. The 70s vibe is a great fit for both of them vocally. I could see her doing a version of this with Lenny Kravitz. Wait. We also need a whole album of just Lenny and Mariah.

Jesus I Do - ft. The Clark Sisters extended with Kirk Franklin
Just give us the 9 minute version. Go all the way in. This song is so explosive, it could have 3 parts. I want another verse from Mariah and more of the sisters as well, maybe a couple solos.

Here For It All - ft. MaryAnn, Trey, and Teka
Ok this song is a masterpiece. I would leave the first part as is. I would add 3 minutes to the end of the song. MY favorite part of the song is the second half. I would give each of the features their own solo and have Mariah come in between solos to blend and bridge. There is so much emotion to tell here and I think it's the perfect showcase for their vocals. I would love to hear the 4 of them jamming and riffing and vibing together for a drawn out outro until it fades.

(Sunday 5 October 2025; 22:51)

The numbers are not matching up (111,726) by Edward from USA

Guess how many copies Barbra Streisand sold in the first week of her latest album? Less than 20K. This is a woman who's had number-one albums in six consecutive decades, with a loyal and dedicated fanbase and highly respected by the general public. Even when she wasn't charting with singles, her albums still debuted at number one. Back in 2014, she moved nearly 200K in her first week, so yes, times have changed and everything fades away.

It happens to every artist eventually. Rihanna isn't as popular as she once was, Ariana's fame is already starting to fade, and she's only about 11 years in the game. Taylor's time will come too. That's just the natural cycle of the music industry.

And that's not counting Mariah out either. Thanks to "AIWFCIY" and her enduring influence on music, she remains remarkably relevant for someone who's been releasing records for 35 years. The fact that "HFIA" had roughly the same first week sales as "Caution", an album released seven years earlier, is no small feat. That deserves to be celebrated.

(Sunday 5 October 2025; 17:52)


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How can I get a message to Mariah? (111,725) by MusicfanJ from Germany

Who do you think is betraying?
(Sunday 5 October 2025; 17:26)


this is a reply to message		111,720

HFIA sales etc (111,724) by Jamie from UK

Exactly this.

(Sunday 5 October 2025; 14:51)


this is a reply to message		111,722

The numbers are not matching up (111,723) by Bobby A from United States

Lambi, I had high hopes for 150k-200k. I guess I need to realize that those type of album sales numbers what happen for MC as a legacy artist.

(Sunday 5 October 2025; 13:43)


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HFIA sales etc (111,722) by TheWind from England

HFIA is Mariah's best album in years. I never expected her to chart like she did in the 90s, and I think people should lay off the blame game. Mariah has locked in and worked her ass off. She produced a cohesive album, a mature and excellently produced album. Blame Mariah, blame gamma, blame the industry. Do whatever you want, but I'm gonna stay over here and enjoy the best music she has produced in years. I'm proud of Mariah and whether she charts at 1, 4 or 7, that won't change. We know she has done something special, and should basque in that.
(Sunday 5 October 2025; 10:55)

HFIA (111,721) by Dove from United States

I love this song but the part where she sings "a kiss where the sun never shines" caught me off guard because I thought that meant, like, kiss my butt. Or something. It didn't match with the rest of the song. So I'm choosing to see it as "even the parts you hide from the world are beautiful to me".

This song is kind of how I feel about the people I love. Including MC.

(Sunday 5 October 2025; 10:02)

How can I get a message to Mariah? (111,720) by Mimi from UK

I want to warn Mariah about someone in her life that I'm pretty certain is betraying her, but I don't want to break her heart. Should I stay out of it or warn Mariah, before she's in too deep?
(Sunday 5 October 2025; 09:23)

The numbers are not matching up (111,719) by Lambi from USA

Is this the post Edward is talking about? "Seems like a powerful entity has its hand in keeping HFIA's true numbers hidden and distorted."

Bobby A. What was your estimate on the HFIA debut number?
(Sunday 5 October 2025; 03:56)


this is a reply to message		111,692

Ya'll are not to bash Mariah or Gamma (111,718) by Lambi from USA

I agree, it's really not that deep at this point. She launched it with It's Like That as the introduction, so I'm assuming she wanted to have another Emancipation moment. I love how she also promoted it organically: radio shows, late-night shows, award shows, podcasts, festivals. Mariah absolutely delivered on that front. She's quite literally everywhere.

I'd say the numbers (if not manipulated) are indeed disappointing, but I'm also not shocked. There was no big song on this record. They're all just really good album cuts. NTI is a great movie song though, it could be a good launchpad for her to skyrocket. But it probably won't translate into sales. Like you said, no one buys music anymore. People inevitably prefer free shit, especially in this economy.

HFIA would be radio-friendly if cut in half. Brazil and Asia will eat it up. This will probably happen. She could literally do anything now, maximize the moment, and just enjoy it. Mariah did really well being on an independent label. I know she wants to prove she's worth being banked on because money was definitely put behind this. I'm predicting they'll change gears for the next release and rethink the promotional strategy. Trial and error.

Nonetheless, it's good music, and I don't think they regret investing on MC. With this album kind of flopping (hopefully it picks up), it'll just push her to produce stronger songs on the next project.
(Sunday 5 October 2025; 03:34)


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Tommy again? (111,717) by Lambi from USA

Literally where? Over here? Or on X? Lambs on this board have been the opposite and have been rather understanding and accepting on where she will land number-wise. No one is pressed about charts. Bobby A. seems to be the most obsessed with numbers here, but even I can't find a post of his (at least recently) where he's insinuated MC is being sabotaged.
(Sunday 5 October 2025; 02:42)


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Ya'll are not to bash Mariah or Gamma (111,716) by Randy from USA

This is what we're not going to do. Mariah has been on every show and every podcast promoting this for the last month. She put out a quality project. These numbers are because she is in the same career decline that Diana Ross and Aretha were in during the 90s. Taylor Swift will experience this someday too. And besides, this album was free the day it came out on YouTube. No one's buying music anymore. Streaming is a joke. And what do numbers matter anyway? Geesh, I don't know what yall want from MC. What's more important, the music or the bragging rights behind the numbers? Y'all wanna pressure her into dependency? Because until the day he died Michael was determined to make another Thriller. And Whitney kept telling Clive "ima get my high notes back". Stop this right now.
(Sunday 5 October 2025; 01:43)

Tommy again? (111,715) by Edward from USA

Are you serious? That kind of stuff gets thrown around all the time. It's always "the industry is against her", "radio is blocking her", "they didn't want her to pass The Beatles", like, come on. At some point it just sounds ridiculous.

Mariah is a legend. She's broken records most artists could only dream of, and she's about to break and set an unmost impossible record to break. But not every setback or chart miss is some big conspiracy, it's not always the label not doing their work. Trends change, the industry evolves, and artists have ups and downs, it's normal. Nobody stays at the top for ever, it is ridiculous to assume she would be as successful as she was in her prime. Making excuses every time just takes away from her legacy. She doesn't need a victim narrative to prove how iconic she is.
(Sunday 5 October 2025; 01:39)


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Streaming (111,714) by jaker20 from US

Yeah, Mariah fans don't stream in general. But Mariah will still be number one in Billboard Album Sales chart for this week, and I'm happy with that.

It really goes to show how much the industry has changed. It's not about the music. It's all about TikTok hooks, meme potential, autoplay, algo playlists, etc. And then forgotten next year.

Look at Cardi back to beefing with Nikki, all these gets picked up in engagement and pushed into their catalog. Same with Taylor now fake-beefing with Charli XCX. It's all intentional. I don't want Mariah to be doing that.

(Sunday 5 October 2025; 01:30)


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Tommy again? (111,713) by Lambi from USA

Has anyone here actually insinuated that Mariah is being sabotaged?
(Sunday 5 October 2025; 00:09)


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Mariah needs to be part of a major label #7 51,000 (111,712) by Bobby A from United States

Well, I was hoping for some huge numbers. AIWFCIY and Merry Christmas may break some streaming records this holiday season. People are looking forward to some joy that the holiday season gives to families across the world. Anyway, I am looking foward to playing holiday music this year. I found Loretta Lynn's very first Christmas album on vinyl today in very good condition. It was released in 1966.

(Saturday 4 October 2025; 23:38)


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Tommy again? (111,711) by Stacey from USA

Seriously, such an old argument. I just read the article by Ratings Game Music. Read it. I am grateful for such a beautiful album. 11 new songs to digest. That's enough for me.

(Saturday 4 October 2025; 20:42)


this is a reply to message		111,706

Mariah needs to be part of a major label #7 51,000 (111,710) by Edward from USA

It's perfectly fine that Mariah's not selling like she used to. That's just the reality of a long career in today's music industry. Labels are only part of the picture, and we can't be delusional in thinking Mariah is suddenly going to start selling millions again. That's not being negative, it's just being realistic.

I'm pretty sure Mariah had to put some of her own coins into making "HFIA". And based on the numbers so far, Gamma will likely just break even on what they invested. And that's okay too. This album feels more like a passion project than a commercial play.

At the end of the day, Mariah and Gamma delivered a solid album. Now it's really up to the fans and listeners. No label, no matter how big and powerful, can force people to connect with an album or an artist. It has to happen organically.
(Saturday 4 October 2025; 20:13)


this is a reply to message		111,709

Mariah needs to be part of a major label #7 51,000 (111,709) by Tevin from USA

She needs to release Rarities 2 and Daydream 30 first, then she can go to another company.
(Saturday 4 October 2025; 18:03)


this is a reply to message		111,703

HFIA review after a week (111,708) by Lighty from China

After a full week of non-stop listening to the new album, I finally get to sit down and write something about my feelings towards this album. To me, Caution is the superior one because it's more current and the songs are just a whole lot catchier, and of course Mariah's voice was a tad better at the time, but HFIA is just more heartfelt. If Caution is Mariah catering to a younger audience, then HFIA is she going back to where her roots are. Every song on HFIA is somewhat reminiscent of some existing songs in her catalog, which to me is a good thing.

1. Mi - Triumphant
"I don't care about much if it ain't about me, get 'em get 'em get 'em", they just flow flawlessly together. Mi is a great mood-setter / album-opener, while Triumphant could have been MIAM's It's Like That if it wasn't for the unnecessarily excessive rap parts.

2. Play This Song - I'll Be Lovin' U Long Time
The first three notes are just identical. I wasn't sure about Play This Song at first but after several listens, especially after she performed it live on Kimmel, the song began to grew on me and now I like it a lot. While I'll Be Lovin' U is a full on "I'm so in love" cheerful one, Play This Song sounds more like mature love.

3. Type Dangerous - It's Like That
Similar hard beats, announcing "The diva's back".

4. Sugar Sweet - Touch My Body
Little fun song, light, cute and sweet. Sugar Sweet should've done better on the charts if given a proper music video and higher profile feature artists (no offense to Shenseea and Kehlani).

5. In Your Feelings - Circles / I Wish You Knew
The Mariah talking straight to your face mid-tempo ballad that we all love.

6. Nothing Is Impossible - Hero
Melodically not really similar but both are inspiring ballads where Mariah belts her heart out higher and higher.

7. Confetti & Champagne - 8th Grade
Same vibe. Confetti & Champagne and that cigarette?

8. I Won't Allow It - You Don't Know What To Do
Repetitive but annoying chorus. YDKWTD + Levitating (Dua Lipa) and the 70s vibe is so on point.

9. My Love - Out Here On My Own
Among all of Mariah's cover songs, these two might be the simplest in the arrangement and production. Mariah's vocal is where it shines. Years go by, Mariah's voice gets deeper and more soulful album by album, and her current voice suits this song really well. Before HFIA came out I checked out Paul's original version of My Love and it didn't resonate with me. But when Mariah's version came out, I almost cried the first time I heard it. Such a beautifully written (thanks Paul & Linda), beautifully sung and beautifully produced classic.

10. Jesus I Do - Meteorite
Both soulful uptempo numbers. Didn't expect the Clark Sisters collab turned out to be something like Jesus I Do. What a nice surprise.

11. Here For It All - Portrait / The Art of Letting Go
Definitely the best vocal performance on HFIA. Starts out calmly like Portrait, then burst into something chaotic like The Art of Letting Go, and the last reprise part is such a treasure. Took me back to the Butterfly days when I sometimes play Butterfly and Fly Away (Butterfly Reprise) back to back to feel the different but somewhat similar thrill and excitement from the two songs. If Mariah still had her Butterfly/#1's voice, she might've pulled another Testimony from Divas Live 1998 on this reprise. No wonder she put this song on the last and named the album after this, it's her best ballad in years.

HFIA is what MIAMTEC should have been like. Concise, not too many features, not overproduced. It just lack the hits like #Beautiful and the beltings. But as Mariah always does, she did the best with what she got, and that's more than enough.

(Saturday 4 October 2025; 17:30)

Streaming (111,707) by Lara from Middle East

Mariah's fans fall in the non streaming category. Which is why she won't be able to score high nowadays. Unless physical sales count more than streams, or she manages to break through the younger population (without looking desperate) which she has failed so far. Taylor's new album got 140m + stream in 12 hours, but she has been building the anticipation since her last album. Somehow I feel Mariah would like to have a successful moment but same time she's not able to put on the effort needed mentally and physically. How do you explain someone who in her 5 years of career managed to make 5 albums needs now 7 years to make a new one? She's 56, medicated and probably suffering a chronic injury, thank God she's still putting good music for us. She's doing "the best that I can with what I have". Appreciate her input while it lasts. The charts don't matter anymore.
(Saturday 4 October 2025; 17:01)

Tommy again? (111,706) by Edward from USA

"HFIA" is a great album and we should all be happy about that. Some people need to realize that Mariah's longevity itself is something to celebrate, 35 years in the business and still this relevant is no small feat. At this point, the conspiracy theories are just exhausting, there's not a one-eye man with crooked teeth and twisted fingers trying to sabotage her. Back in the 90s and 2000s, adults bought CDs and singles, which boosted sales. Today, everything revolves around streaming, and teens are mostly the ones driving that now, it's a completely different game. You don't even have to buy "HFIA", it's available on every streaming platform. But to match a single album purchase, you'd have to stream it over 1,500 times, which is nearly impossible for the average fan. Other than the holidays, when she reigns supreme on all streaming platforms, unfortunately, she doesn't benefit as much from the streaming-heavy system.

So, as I stated here before the album even dropped: don't stress over "HFIA" on the charts. Don't let numbers distract you from the fact that Mariah has given us something precious with this album.

(Saturday 4 October 2025; 14:56)

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