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About darrian liu from taiwan:

GTFO (83,770) by darrian liu from taiwan For me, it's a step towards the right direction. I looove the chill R&B vibes and how muted everything is, yet still retains that signature MC sound. It's def not her best, not an instant classic, but a huge step forward after I Don't. She managed to making cussing so pure and angelic. I hope that With You would be in the same vein, but with more dynamics and with more lush melodies. 8/10 for me. (Friday 14 September 2018; 11:32)

Re: Ariana Grande - Sweetener (83,405) (83,463) by darrian liu from taiwan Really late post, but I agree. Sweetener was really uneven, but there are still gems in it. God is a Woman, hands down, is the best top 40 single ever released this year. Loved the vocals, the visuals, the beat, everything. No Tears Left to Cry was a really good pop song with pretty boring lyrics. R.E.M is actually a Beyoncé track called Wake Up for her self-titled album, but was eventually scrapped for the album. Ari heard the song, kept the hook and revamped a lot of the verses. Bey's version is superior, but Ari's version is still a song I really really enjoy. I actually didn't really enjoy Pharrell's contribution in it, aside from Blazed and The Light is Coming, but I feel like they could eventually grow on me. Goodnight n Go and Better Off were good, Get Well Soon is basically Honeymoon Avenue's stripped down sister, and if her team doesn't release Breathin as her next single, I would throw a fit. I found myself enjoying Dangerous Woman more, but I think I get why you compared Sweetener to Daydream. Daydream was the album in which Mariah started to introduce new sounds into her songs. Sweetener is also a "transition" album where Ari experiments with new styles and sounds, although while Mariah smoothly incorporates those sounds in Daydream to create a masterpiece, Sweetener is more rough around the edges, with a more hit-or-miss result, more uneven. It is, however, a sign of artistic growth for Ari, and I couldn't be more proud of her. (Friday 24 August 2018; 15:59)

Mariah's image (83,462) by darrian liu from taiwan Currently, Mariah's image is taking baby steps towards the better. However, there's still a long way to go. The majority of the GP categorizes her as a legend who used to be great. She still needs to reintroduce herself to the younger crowd and as often as we say that she has nothing left to prove, in reality, she still has a lot to prove. Maybe the phrase "nothing let to prove" was applicable back in 2005, but it's 2018 now. Whether we like it or not, the incidents in 2014 and 2016 still affected her reputation to the younger crowd who did not witness her in her prime. What she needs to do is to prove that yeah, her voice has changed, but it's still a force to be reckoned with. The Butterfly Returns sadly is not a widespread event (which is a shame, because it featured some of her best in recent years). She needs a televised performance, maybe just like what Ariana just did with God is a Woman on GMA. I really want to see her on top again. (Friday 24 August 2018; 15:43)

Re: Obsessed (80,899) (80,919) by darrian liu from taiwan I share the same sentiment. I love Mariah's music dearly, but after TEOM, she tends to be more formulaic in her approach to music. Not to say that she hasn't released gems after TEOM, but sometimes her songs are just plain uninspired (i.e, half of MOAIA, the latter half of MIAM, I Don't). Which is why I've been saying for years that she has to change up her sound. When I listen to more indie-leaning/alternative artists, I'm so impressed by their willingness to experiment with sounds. Even more mainstream artists, such as Lorde and SZA (although I'd say that they aren't exactly mainstream artists - they have a more alternative-leaning sound) have proven to be quite creative in their music. I wish Mariah would try to test out the boundaries of what she has formulated as the signature Mariah sound - hip-pop fusion with R&B and soul-inspired vocals. (Wednesday 14 February 2018; 14:21)

Re: New Mariah (80,325) (80,334) by darrian liu from taiwan I agree so so much. Now is such a good time to be a lamb with all the positive press surrounding Mariah. She looks absolutely stunning in the Golden Globes, very classic Mariah. I'm also so happy she has started to use her platform for things that truly matter like she used to, this Time's Up campaign is amazing. (Tuesday 9 January 2018; 07:56)

Article: 20th Anniversary (80,181) by darrian liu from taiwan Congrats on the 20 years. I know I haven't been here for very long, but your website is already one of my favorites. Thank you for the hard word and dedication you put into this despite all the drama and all that good stuff. (Monday 1 January 2018; 06:57)

Re: Mariah's in trouble (80,148) (80,180) by darrian liu from taiwan Lmao. Child, put your tin foil hat down and go watch some National Geographic instead of that conspiracy channel you've been staring at for the past 7 hours on YouTube. On a side note, Mariah did pretty good. Vocals could've been smoother and more fluid, but considering the frigid weather, I think she did a pretty damn good job. She's a champ. (Monday 1 January 2018; 06:54)

Re: Weather (80,100) (80,106) by darrian liu from taiwan The most important thing Mariah could do is to warm up her voice. Go to rehearsals, make sure to hydrate more, drink warmer beverages to help loosen up her voice, do all those silly vocal exercises like lip trills and tongue trills to help warm up and do soundchecks. That way, although she's faced with cold weather, her voice will still be flexible and reliable. (Thursday 28 December 2017; 05:54)

Merry, Merry Careymas (80,074) by darrian liu from taiwan Merry Christmas to all who are celebrating, and happy holidays for all. One little question, which of the two Mariah's Christmas album are y'all playing? I'm currently listening to Merry Christmas II You (Monday 25 December 2017; 06:15)

Taking on NYE again (80,008) by darrian liu from taiwan I'm so proud of Mariah of doing this. She could've treated this like Rockefeller and never go back there anymore. She just got back up and looks so determined to prove all the detractors (including us) wrong. Come on, Mariah, show us that we're wrong. Show us that this time, after Stella is out, you have gathered yourself together. (Saturday 23 December 2017; 00:55)

Mariah’s 28th top 10 (79,963) by darrian liu from taiwan Lambs, this is not a drill. I repeat, this is not a drill. Our Mimi has scored another top 10 and I'm so happy for her. Now onto our next goal: a top 5 placement. One step at a time towards our ultimate destination: 19th no. 1. However, I'm not sure if AIWFCIY can do that in 2018, as there will be a Billboard rule change that weighs paid streams more than free streams. Just keep on going, lambs, we can do this. (Tuesday 19 December 2017; 03:08)

Re: All I Want For Christmas Is You #11 (79,798) (79,800) by darrian liu from taiwan Back when it first peaked at no. 11, it was already in the chart for the first week of January. We all know how AIWFCIY falls off after New Year. However, this time, it is only the second week of December. A top 10 position is a guarantee this year. Some people even think it might hit the top 5 this year. (Monday 11 December 2017; 23:52)

Re: In defence of Andrew (79,741) (79,757) by darrian liu from taiwan Being blatantly racist and making racially insensitive comments out of not understanding enough about others is pretty much the same. Of course, if you haven't experienced receiving racially insensitive comments, you wouldn't know. Don't tell other people how to respond to racially charged comments when you don't understand the impact of it. (Sunday 10 December 2017; 05:02)

Lil Snowman video (79,724) by darrian liu from taiwan It's a cute video, fun, short and sweet. Although it's a cute song, since its release I've never really been able to get into the song, mainly because of the vocals. Imo it's pretty much the worst vocal performance in studio that Mariah has ever released. Her voice was just so tense and tight and sounds slightly nasal all throughout. It was obvious that she wasn't in a good condition vocally when she recorded it. Luckily now her voice is in a much better place. (Friday 8 December 2017; 09:10)

Re: Lipped "Star" performance? (79,640) (79,658) by darrian liu from taiwan The performance isn't fully live. Most of it were live, but there is still lip sync. This, however, doesn't have anything to do with her not being able to hit the notes (side-eyes Andrew). The proof is that Mariah could sing phrases with higher notes compared to the lipped lines in the performance itself. Her problem is more with confidence and breath control. The chorus isn't demanding range-wise for Mariah, but the line's pretty much continuous. It's more of a breath control problem, really. Either way, she sounds absolutely delightful, especially in the very end of the performance. Very smooth, buttery tone, and beautiful vibrato all throughout as well (Tuesday 5 December 2017; 14:07)

AIWFCIY re-enters (79,650) by darrian liu from taiwan It's back in the Hot 100 at #21, it's highest debut to date. There is a real chance of it actually cracking the top 10, as her streaming numbers this year are phenomenal. It's currently #5 in the Spotify USA chart, #11 in the iTunes USA chart and #9 in YouTube insights for USA. For overall sales in the US, AIWFCIY is at #20, which is pretty good. With it gaining on all metrics consistently throughout December, by Christmas we will have a top 10 peak this year. I can't wait to see that happen. (Tuesday 5 December 2017; 00:10)

Recent shows (79,614) by darrian liu from taiwan Mariah's everything has been on point recently. Her voice and performances are great. Her voice, especially. It currently sounds so buttery and smooth, so bright and healthy and effortless. She sounds even better than SSFT's European leg. Glad that she's been taking care of her voice. Now how about we get another big televised show to prove that Mariah still is a force to be reckoned with? (Please for the love of lambs, Mariah, if you do get a slot in such shows, rehearse and rehearse, dahling. And do multiple sound checks just to be sure. And I can't stress this enough - please, please warm up your voice. Wouldn't want anther NYE or Rockefeller moment.) (Sunday 3 December 2017; 06:36)

Mariah’s handprints and footprints (79,159) by darrian liu from taiwan That was hilarious. Mariah was being such an extra diva lol I just can't take this. Also, she looked absolutely gorgeous and classy. She's been looking like a literal goddess, especially with that golden-nude dress she had for The Star performance. Simply stunning, and I'm so excited for AIWFCIY's inevitable return to the Hot 100. (Friday 3 November 2017; 12:39)

Mariah at Foxwoods (78,825) by darrian liu from taiwan As we near Christmas time, Mariah seems to gain in power. She sounded really good, tone is really bright and healthy. Her voice also sounds a tad bit more agile than the past few months, and she looks like an absolute angel. Excited for The Star (song sounds really really promising) and her upcoming tour. (Sunday 15 October 2017; 15:25)

Puerto Rico, Houston, Vegas and all around (78,617) by darrian liu from taiwan It has been such a disastrous year. There are so many people dying, so many hurting and my heart goes to those who are affected. Hoping that help would be there soon, hoping that those people will get better and wishing that a certain someone would actually take his position seriously and do something useful instead of swinging a golf club. *side-eyes a certain orange cheeto* (Monday 2 October 2017; 14:02)

GMB interview (78,616) by darrian liu from taiwan This isn't Mariah's fault. The interview was planned to be about her upcoming tour to celebrate Butterfly (or perhaps for the Christmas shows?), hence her lying across a chaise lounge by a Christmas tree. It was obvious that the Vegas shooting news were very new to her, and her condolences were sincere. (Monday 2 October 2017; 13:58)

VH1 Hip Hop Honors (78,479) by darrian liu from taiwan If this was any other artists, I would say that it wasn't too bad of a performance. But this is Mariah we're talking about. She lost her touch already. Vocals were decent, but she could do better. Pretty much there's nothing really standing out in that performance. She just has no motivation to perform anymore. Let's just wait for her next album and pray that it's not gonna be half-assed. (Thursday 21 September 2017; 07:43)

Unforgettable remix (78,080) by darrian liu from taiwan Yas Mimi. This is already the smartest move career move she has done in years. The song is already a certified top 10 hit, and it could topple Despacito off, remembering how its numbers are quite strong. Crossing fingers to it being Mariah's 19th no. 1. (Thursday 24 August 2017; 11:48)

Just curious (77,856) by darrian liu from taiwan I noticed how Mariah's Instagram account is weird. She has nearly 6 million followers, but her posts normally only get 40-60k likes each. Meanwhile, other accounts with a similar follower count, such as Jensen Ackles (an actor from one of my favorite TV series), gains 700-800k likes per post, and he has around 5 million followers. Did Mishka buy followers for Mariah's account? Because I do remember Mariah's IG acc increasing in number of followers after Stella and her leeches went into Team MC. No shade, just curious. (Friday 11 August 2017; 09:49)

Despacito (77,283) by darrian liu from taiwan I've grown so tired of this song. I'm also a tiny bit worried for OSD's record, but then so many other songs have been dubbed to be the one to break its record (Uptown Funk, Blurred Lines, I Gotta Feeling, Closer, etc etc) but no one has passed the 14-week mark so far. I'm actually rooting for Wild Thoughts, because well, I like Rihanna. Not her catalogue, but the songs from her latest album, Anti, has been pretty enjoyable (especially Love On the Brain, such a soulful, old-school, classy song). Praying that someone would release a mega-hit to dethrone Despacito (was rooting for Bruno to rebound to no. 1 either with TWIL or Versace on the Floor, but it's pretty unrealistic). Or maybe, Stella could use whatever voodoo she used on Mariah to be able to leech off her, to get I Don't to no. 1. (Wednesday 19 July 2017; 10:54)

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