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Re: Social media presence (61,842) (61,850) by this_is_qhm from the Philippines Amen. I'm feeling very frank today and I have to agree with Andrew on this one. Okay, kudos to her as she didn't go the Whitney route, but compared to her contemporaries (Mary, Celine, Shania), now she's taken less seriously as a person - that's right - a person, which is way worse than her not being taken seriously as an artist. Sure she's entitled to enjoy the fruits of her labor for the past 26 years and part of that is doing whatever the heck she wants, but I'm afraid that she has done irreversible damage to her image especially over the past 5 years. I miss those times when music got the best of her. Nowadays the celebrity of it all overpowers her image. What used to be effortless, classy sexy has now become borderline desperate attempts to prove to the world that she's still got it (she does, but now it's just getting embarrassing). The usually cute and funny diva antics have progressed to a point where they have taken a life of their own and have merged to create this whole new unrecognizable person. I wonder what 90s Mariah would think about 2010s Mimi. I remember Da Brat saying in an old interview that the more liberated Mariah we saw then was the "real" Mariah suppressed by Tommy. And for a long while I believed that until I realized just how OOC post-Idol Mimi can be and thought, "nah, that can't still be applicable today". These days, it seems like the only redeeming factors to her image are the pics that clearly show just how much she cares about the kids (her improved recent live performances have, as usual, gone unnoticed). She isn't Madonna who can take whatever controversy she's thrown and use it to her advantage; who can release an album that's guaranteed to sell at least 1-2 million units worldwide by the end of its accompanying top-grossing tour. She isn't even J.Lo who, despite being mediocre in pretty much everything she does, is still inexplicably adored by the public. She's Mariah freaking Carey, the exotic beauty whose voice propelled her to dizzying heights, some of which no one even knew existed. She's the legend who, for better and for worse, doesn't act like one. And while she's still known first and foremost as a singer, it's not lip-synching that endangers her career the most. If it did, then 70% of the current female singers won't be around anymore. In an industry run by shock value, intrigue, hype and likeability, relatability is the name of the game. And it can be challenging to relate to someone who feels like she has to show skin 95% of the time, whose social media presence is mostly controlled by idiots and who seems allergic to change. The hardest part for us as fans is always having to defend her, knowing that somehow, that shy, simple and humble Mariah still shows through the cracks of that overblown, superficial, hyper-airbrushed, super-glossy facade that she feels she has to put up since TEOM. (Friday 6 May 2016; 12:16)

Mariah's new single must be hot (61,849) by Ty from USA We see the mess behind JLo's flop single, it needs to be a hit. Mariah still with half her range can sing better than 99.9% of the chart divas. (Friday 6 May 2016; 2:09)

Article: The end of Mariah Daily Journal (61,848) by Luigi from Italy Hi, where can I contact you? I'd really like to have Mariah's magazines scans back, since I lost them. Please help me, I'm looking for them. (Thursday 5 May 2016; 23:16)

Re: Social media presence (61,845) (61,847) by Marissa from USA You just preached, especially when you said that Mariah seems like a living caricature of herself. I totally agree. Stop playing into the character that you think the world views you as and just be yourself. Seeing Mariah act the same way everyone speculates about in the National Enquirer is boring and redundant. It's cheapening herself. Who Mariah really is is 10 times more interesting than these little off-Broadway plays she puts on in her interviews. I guess she feels like being deep will make people remember her age because it seems like the older she gets, the more shallow she wants to present herself to the public. Don't get me started on eternally 12. This is the most aggravating part of the shallow rhetoric to me. It's one thing if you view yourself as a kid at heart. We shouldn't lose that playful and carefree part of ourselves. But if you keep shoving it down people's throat that you're 12 because you have some irrational fear of aging, it's ridiculous. It's not even like she says it every now and then as a joke. She shuts down every single conversation where age or years come up with that quote, which is making her look crazy. She looks great for her age. It's better to look too young to be 46, than too old to be 12. (Thursday 5 May 2016; 22:13)

Andrew (61,846) by Anthony Basco from Cardiff, Wales Well, yes Andrew, you do put it rather more bluntly whilst I always try and take a more diplomatic tone. Haha. We often think along similar lines, just with a difference in delivery. (Thursday 5 May 2016; 19:59)

Re: Social media presence (61,839) (61,845) by Mara from United States Anthony I completely know where you are coming from. I'm not quite sure what to make of it all. I do know all this has been recorded and planned on being showed on the E show or not but if it is, I hope they are careful on how they portray her. The public never seem to give Mariah a pass on things they give other female celebrities a pass on. Part of that is of and I hate to say it, Mariah's own doing. Like Mimi L said in the ET interview when mentioning the twins turning 5 instead of answering like a proud mom and saying something along the lines of "I can't believe how much they've grown", we get her flicking the hair in front of her face saying don't say it or something along the lines of that. The whole age thing is getting a little old. She is a grown woman who looks amazing for her age and she should be proud of that. Her actions sometimes I just can't justify and wish she would be a little more humble when asked some questions. The diva act is just so overplayed at this point and does not go over well with non-diehard fans. I don't understand. Some interviews came across really well but I really hope we see the fun things but not the real diva things all the time. I sometimes miss the way Mariah used to talk just in a normal voice without always over accentuating words with the drama. It's almost like Mariah has fully become a caricature of Mariah Carey and we don't ever see the real Mariah anymore between the image always on and every camer shot has to be perfect and touching the hair at all times to pulling the shades down or the showing of the boots to whatever. Ok sorry for the tangent as Mariah would say. All said in love. (Thursday 5 May 2016; 19:25)

Alicia Keys (61,844) by Giovanni from USA I'm honestly glad Alicia Keys is coming back with an album. I've been a fan since "The Dairy Of Alicia Keys". Who could ever forget the beautiful "If I ain't got you" song? She isn't the best singer but I enjoy her voice. (Thursday 5 May 2016; 18:59)

Re: Giovanni (61,838) (61,843) by Giovanni from USA I said what I said and I leave it at that. (Thursday 5 May 2016; 18:54)

Re: Social media presence (61,839) (61,842) by Andrew from UK Anthony, to put it bluntly, Mariah is increasingly acting cheap and like she has no class. It is embarrassing for a fan who was used to being able to defend her as a person. The tits-out sex-kitten imagery was once tongue-in-cheek, now the cheeks are the only things on display. I think long gone are the days when fans can blindly defend her, or suck up crap ego-trip, "am I a sexy princess? hee hee" music videos and interviews. There are wildly better looking sexier, thinner, younger celebrities for that. Label that how you like but it is steeped in reality. And in re: other artists, the simple fact that people didn't have to visit a record store to buy Mariah's last album and it still sold next to nothing makes everything far worse: people were so disinterested they wouldn't even click "download" from the comfort of their chaise longue (we all have one right? the guy who helps me walk down three steps sleeps on mine). Mariah could have come out with any of Rihanna's number ones and it would not have charted anywhere near. People have lost respect and she insists on making it worse. Where is the PR team? You only have to look at Mariah's music video output since TMB to realise she promotes her career almost as if she hates it, and the fans are falling by the wayside. Can't fill arenas? Other artists of the same calibre can. "Expect the unexpected?" I think most people know exactly what to expect, and it's putting them right off. (Thursday 5 May 2016; 18:44)

Diva duel (61,841) by Ardis Logic from Earth Who's better than Mariah, Beyoncé, Adele, Rihanna, ect? It's all in the eye of the beholder. Everyone has an opinion, everyone has their own taste in music. If Rihanna get's #1 hits (or anyone else) then she/they deserve it. Music changes as time goes on, and will continue to do so. Look at how music was 50 years ago. Mariah came onto the scene in the early 90's. Reality check, that was almost 30 years ago. I know shocking right? My point is, records are made to be broken, #1's will come and go. Despite all of these facts, no one will ever (all caps) be like Mariah. She is a legend. No matter what happens, she will be looked back on 100 years from now, as one of the greatest vocalist in music history. All these little details are no big deal. Have a beautiful day everyone. Peace and love to you all. (Thursday 5 May 2016; 18:10)

Re: Alicia Keys' "In Common", Mariah's sound overhaul (61,832) (61,840) by darrian liu from taiwan I agree. I think Mariah has nothing left to lose nor proof, so I think she should have more courage to step out of her comfort zone and experiment with various genres. Mariah could do a simple acoustic country song and it would still really be interesting. (Thursday 5 May 2016; 16:42)

Social media presence (61,839) by Anthony Basco from Cardiff, Wales I understand that a lot of success these days relies on an artists visibility, but some of the things I'm seeing lately make me cringe. I miss the days when Mariah was actually elusive, she had such an air of mystery, and that was so intriguing - the golden voiced beauty waltzed into the charts, into our lives, and then was gone again. Now, with the lap dances, semi naked grinding on dancers, butt cheek Instagram pic, drunk at parties, I don't know what I'm actually witnessing. At the moment it doesn't feel like a fabulous and blessed life, it kind of feels like witnessing somebody on the edge. There is such a thing as over exposure, and the comments and reactions are often unkind. It's either die hard lambs vehemently defending the behaviour or Joe public ridiculing it. As a true fan and somebody who loves Mariah, sometimes I'd like to see someone enjoying life, enjoying the rewards of hard work but also living with some humility and pride. I've also been a huge defender of the faith, but I just feel frustrated and quite often confused lately. Maybe I just need to lighten up. (Thursday 5 May 2016; 16:29)

Giovanni (61,838) by Martyn from England, UK Giovanni, you say the only reason Rihanna, Taylor, Justin etc. chart is because of Billboard counting digital sales and streaming and then mention that previously artists had to work, promote and sell their singles. Surely artists have to do just the same now? Don't get me wrong, I dislike a lot of current chart music because I'm 28 and it's probably no longer geared towards my age range, but many of these high charting artists do a lot of promotion and work their butts of to get where they are. Yes the way in which music is purchased and consumed is different now, but that doesn't make it any less worthy of being classed as a sale/counting towards a chart position. The way we consume music has always changed. That's like saying in the late 80s that sales of casettes and CDs were not as chart worthy as sales of vinyl. (Thursday 5 May 2016; 14:05)

Re: Mariah Carey gives the world's most awkward lap (61,809) (61,836) by Mimi L. from Empower Your Highlighter This was embarrassing and again, unnecessary. I wonder how JP feels about it. I saw the video and I am like, Mariah seriously? First of all why even bother and secondly it was so awkward that 2-3 other people had to stabilize her here and there (so she doesn't fall, just like the way they hold her when she is walking on those high heels) because she can't give the lap dance herself. Also now she doesn't have a good reason to complain about Nick partying it up with all those girls, because she was doing the same. What makes the lap dance weirder is that her kids are usually there around the stage and they witnessed this awkward situation. (Thursday 5 May 2016; 10:45)

Re: Visuals / Lemonade (61,824) (61,835) by darrian liu from taiwan Including digital sales hardly affects Lemonade's impact. I think she could hit 1 million in the next 3-4 weeks. Lemonade didn't tank lol (unless debuting with 653,000 sales of equivalent album units is tanking). Also, all 12 songs charted in the Hot 100, with 8 songs in the top 40 and 4 songs in the top 20, and 1 song starting in the top 10 (Formation). Stop bashing Beyoncé. She has never said anything bad about Mariah so why bother bashing her? (Thursday 5 May 2016; 9:32)

Re: Visuals / Lemonade (61,821) (61,834) by darrian liu from taiwan Please respect the attires. It's actually hairstyles and styles from her ancestors. Respect other's cultures as those clothings weren't just fashion, they're actual cultural artifacts. (Thursday 5 May 2016; 9:28)

Re: Rihanna (61,812) (61,833) by darrian liu from taiwan It is true that Rihanna is less talented than Mariah. However, I don't think Rihanna would easily be forgotten. She already has a signature song "Umbrella" and her collaboration with Eminem "Love the Way You Lie" is quite memorable. We don't know if she would be forgotten in the future, but I think it's highly unlikely. (Thursday 5 May 2016; 9:24)

Alicia Keys' "In Common", Mariah's sound overhaul (61,832) by this_is_qhm from the Philippines I hated Girl On Fire. That song and its accompanying album flopped by Alicia's standards because it sounded like something that she has been doing since the beginning of her career, but with significantly less inspiration and soul. Which is why I'm pumped about her return. Now I don't know how In Common will do commercially, but it definitely sounds interesting. While it's nothing original and in fact it sounds like something suited to Selena Gomez's seductive breathy mumbling and her growing penchant for staccato singing (it wouldn't sound out of place of Revival), it's still something new for Alicia, and that makes it exciting. Mariah's brand of R&B hip-pop is in a league of its own, but the audience has grown overly familiar with it at this point. Remember how you felt when you first heard #Beautiful? It was a borrowed sound but it fit her like a glove, and it set our hopes up for an artistically rejuvenated Mariah, only to find out later on that it is one of just a few tracks on MIAMTEC that offer anything new from her. Since an image overhaul probably won't be happening anytime soon, maybe a sound reinvention will. Mariah doesn't even have to innovate. She can just experiment a lot more than her usual toe-dipping here and there. If Janet was able to finally get off of the sex odyssey she's been on since 1993 on her latest release, I don't see how Mariah can't just totally move on from 2005. (Thursday 5 May 2016; 6:28)

Re: Visuals / Lemonade (61,825) (61,831) by Giovanni from USA And Adele's "25" sold 3.38 million copies in her first week sales. Surpassing the 1.8 million sales of Taylor Swift's "1989". "25" is the biggest selling album of 2015, and for 2016 so far. It's also the fifth album released since 2000 to spend 10 weeks at number one on Billboard. You don't even need to be an Adele fan to know whose album made a bigger impact, broke more records and sold more. She also scored a number one single with "Hello". Where is Beyonce's number one single? I'm not even crazy about "25", but it grew on me after giving it another chance. I don't have a grudge against Beyonce, I just can't stand her music and how over hyped she is. (Thursday 5 May 2016; 1:08)

Rihanna is not Mariah (61,830) by Ty from USA In Mariah's peak, she was huge. Rihanna does not have a signature song that will be played at graduations or preschool. Her legacy will be image and style goddess. She is marketed as the bad girl of pop and it works for her. (Thursday 5 May 2016; 0:48)

Mariah Amsterdam concert (61,829) by Billy from Greece If the last six years and a half I've been trying to come to terms with the fact that I've met (and touched) Mariah, I think I'll spend the next decade trying to come to terms with the fact that I've seen and heard her live. Due to the rush and over excitement that I experienced at the first half of the concert, I had to allow some time before I recounted my experience because in the beginning it felt as if I wasn't really there, as if I dreamed of it or something. Though some coulda woulda shouldas brought me down for a while (I wish I had better seats to see her face more clearly, for instance) the feeling of hearing live songs I've been singing my whole life was just surreal. In fact, listening to her live allowed me to understand her voice better, to almost feel the "weight" and huskiness it carries, while its power was otherworldly, something that had the audience cheering so loud that at times it drowned her out. Apart from that, and apart from the hardcore fans, the audience seemed dead to me, which gave me a weird vibe as to how the band and Mariah must feel in such a context, wishing deep down that it wouldn't ruin the concert for them or for me, but I guess it might be a cultural thing with northern European audiences, not being too expressive (like in Japan), I don't know. I could go on and on forever, and deconstruct every minute detail, but I can only say that there wasn't anything I didn't enjoy (though I did want to hear "I'll Be There" live which was omitted) and I wished it didn't have to end so fast. I'm still lost for words, trying to recollect my experience there. At the end of the day, I'll always marvel at the fact that I witnessed this majestically epic note live. (Thursday 5 May 2016; 0:29)

Re: Visuals / Lemonade (61,824) (61,825) (61,828) by RibbonB from USA Exactly. I thought he must have been joking, but good that you pointed all of that out. Bey is also headed for number two the week of May 14, behind Prince who shoots back up to number one on Billboard 100, since his untimely death. (Thursday 5 May 2016; 0:23)

Re: Article: A view from the top (61,815) (61,827) by Seth M from South Africa I agree with everthing you said. Do you perhaps have the name and email address of this journalist? I too would like to send her an email and give her a piece of mind. It is sad when journalists don't do their research and write not so nice things about Mariah just because they don't like her. We as the fans need to defend Mariah from such unecssary attacks. (Thursday 5 May 2016; 0:18)

Bring it on home (61,826) by Giovanni from USA I wish Mariah would write some more lyrics for this song, finish it, re-record it and put on an album. It's such a great song. I pick this over "Infinity" any day. (Wednesday 4 May 2016; 23:38)

Re: Visuals / Lemonade (61,824) (61,825) by Webmaster Eric from the Netherlands Lemonade debuted at number one on the US Billboard 200, selling 485,000 copies in its first week (653,000 with additional equivalent-album units). Me. I Am Mariah... The Elusive Chanteuse debuted at number three on the Billboard 200 albums chart with sales of just 58,000 copies. As of April 2015, Mariah's album has sold 122,000 copies in the United States. (Billboard even speculated that its high ratio of first-week sales to total sales suggested that interest in the album came primarily from a group of die-hard fans.) Saying Lemonade did not make an impact is complete nonsense, it just makes you look silly. Why do have such a grudge against Beyoncé? Mariah clearly doesn't. (Wednesday 4 May 2016; 23:38)

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