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Re: E=MC2 vs Memoirs (56,580) (56,591) by this_is_qhm from the Philippines Jono, I do agree that creatively, E=MC2 was a risk, but to me, only to Mariah's standards. If you listen to it as a whole, you would notice that most of it was exactly what R&B/pop radio sounded like in 2007-2009. Despite flirting with hip-hop countless times and occasionally dabbling in other genres, Mariah has always been considered "uptight" sound-wise. That's what sets E=MC2 apart from her other albums, because it was her basically saying, "Why not?" to following the latest trends - something she has always been iffy about. You're right, the best thing about it is probably the confidence that emanates from every song (obviously a result of her career rejuvenation following TEOM). That confidence is beautiful and makes each track that much more engaging. (Friday 11 September 2015; 12:34)

E=MC2 vs. MOAIA (56,590) by this_is_qhm from the Philippines Both have something over the other. MOAIA is more cohesive at the risk of sounding all same-y, so that's probably its biggest flaw. But some of the tracks rank among Mariah's best either lyrically (Betcha Gon' Know, It's A Wrap, Angels Cry, H.A.T.E.U.), stylistically (Ribbon), and attitude-wise (Up Out My Face). It's a breakup album that is up there with Charmbracelet in terms of commercial viability. E=MC2 is the blockbuster that wasn't given a chance to take off. It's her most feel-good, party-ready, trend-chasing set that was deliberately made for radio. Every track was a potential single, you could almost hear the calculation in every element. Whether it reached its potential success or not, it would still have had zero fighting chance at the Grammies, if it even were nominated at all. The varied, genre-hopping uptempos and midtempos make up for the ballads that are rendered almost interchangeable no thanks to JDs production (not that they're bad, just indistinct). My vote goes to E=MC2 for overall entertainment value. 7 years since its release and I'm still mad at how it has ended up to be a colossal wasted opportunity. It may probably not have gotten Mariah critical acclaim, but it could at least have won her more younger fans that would've helped with her latter releases. (Friday 11 September 2015; 12:10)

One more thing... (56,589) by Stacey from USA Celine Dion is at the peak of her success in 2000, she takes a break. Comes back two years later with a new album and Vegas show, a risk at the time for Celine and Caesars Palace. She sold out every show. Fast forward years later she takes another break. Look how she was welcomed back: with open arms (no pun intended). If anything, Celine has showed more staying power by taking breaks and showing she is still relevant in many minds by all the support she gets when she does returns to the stage. I don't think consistency is the key here or at least doesn't apply to Celine Dion. She is still very much a successful and sought after artist. If she wasn't, Caesars would not have welcomed her back. By the way, her Vegas shows aren't solely relying on her back catalog. Her shows contain covers of a lot of songs. By the way, isn't that what MC does too? Sing her past hits? Peace. (Friday 11 September 2015; 10:58)

Mariah's next video (56,588) by Giovanni from USA I hope for Mariah's next video we'll get some type of storyline. "Infinity" was cute, but I want something mature and exciting. Like "We belong together". That video is perfect. (Friday 11 September 2015; 10:21)

Mariah as mommy (56,587) by Manny from U.S. I get happy when see Mariah with "dem babies". Mariah is such a good mom. You know Roc and Roe are her life. She took them to Disneyland today. For Labor Day weekend, I saw a pic of her on the swing ride with them. As much as I want new music, there's a different type of joy when I see her be a mom. She is giving and receiving real love. Sometimes this celebrity and fame thing, seems fickle. Mariah enjoy those bundles of joy (Friday 11 September 2015; 6:56)

Re: E=MC2 vs. Memoirs (56,572) (56,586) by B from USA Side Effects featuring Young Jeezy (or is it Jezzy now?) is one of Mariah's best songs. I think it's as good as Breakdown, The Roof, Fourth Of July, Underneath The Stars, One Sweet Day, We Belong Together, and Don't Forget About Us, Vanishing, and Slipping Away. Mariah can write a mature R&B song with a Pop venner like she did during the writing and producing of Daydream, Butterfly, TEOM, and MIAM. Unlike the other albums MIAM requires repeated listens to fully understand its brilliance and has to be heard as a whole cohesive body of work. #Beautiful is the only obvious single. (Friday 11 September 2015; 6:19)

Deedre aka MiTodoChop @HBF: thank you (56,585) by Matty from Vancouver Canada Thank you Deedre. I completely agree that the listener-experience is 150% subjective. I hate when people say "this song/album is better then this song/album" in a definitive way without a reason beyond "I like this one better". It's so subjective and based on what you're looking for from Mariah's music. To Andrew's point about E=MC2 being better then TEOM, I don't know how you can pit the two against each other. E=MC2 is one of the best summer albums ever (so in this context, yes it's a great album), TEOM is one of the best classic-R&B albums ever. They are for different occasions and different moments. I don't appreciate how some posters on this board state their faves as the ultimate and unarguable and all the others with their opinions be cray. Subjectivity and objectivity are key, and personal. (Friday 11 September 2015; 5:32)

Re: Celine Dion is not passed her prime, Andrew (56,578) (56,584) by Travon..SweetSweetFantasy from USA Mariah Carey is by far the youngest out of the big 3 and it irks me when fans say she needs to take more breaks. That's all she does now is take breaks all year. There is no consistency anymore. I am not including expanding her endorsement brand. All I am saying is Mariah has not been consistent with anything since 2008. I understand she got married, had kids, Vegas, American idol, Jenny Craig, 4 top 5 albums (E=MC2, MOAIA, MCIIY, and MIAMTEC), 3 platinum singles, decorated Christmas queen #1 on the charts every Christmas year since 2010, 4 perfume launches, angel champagne line, Walgreen drinks, clothing line, and touring more. The big asterisk to all these things is the consistency. The consistency cant come back by taking a 4 year break. That was my point. The older you get the less opportunities come your way in any profession. No comparisons. This moment in her life where there are zero distractions is what she needs to capitalize on by being more consistent. It is not about age with her, never has been. Its her career at this point. By career, I mean how the GP views her. (Friday 11 September 2015; 4:58)

It's hard to explain (56,583) by QueenLambassador from Portugal People around here tend to take everything to the wrong side, it's hard to have an opinion out here. it looks like some control the panel. I've got the ultimate respect for everyone, even if I don't agree but some things just make me wanna cry - alot. Some people in the fanbase turned the rest of us into laughing matter around the block because you people don't own your status as fans. Mariah deserves better. You expect and demand the impossible, you put flaws int everything, you criticize the smallest of smallest thing and still act like you're right. In the last few years Mariah's done so many positive and different things and it's rather tyring to see everyone complain all the time. Can't we just have a break here? (Friday 11 September 2015; 3:08)

Re: Message board debacle (56,536) (56,582) by QueenLambassador from Portugal I saw it. Nicely done. Now how do you go from that to weight issues? (Friday 11 September 2015; 3:02)

Re: Message board debacle (56,532) (56,581) by QueenLambassador from Portugal I never said B was or is a shallow fan, I'm just stating that it's shallow to discuss anyone's phisical condition, weight or things of that nature. (Friday 11 September 2015; 3:02)

E=MC2 vs Memoirs (56,580) by Jono from USA Very different albums, but to me E=MC2 wins hands down because this is MC at her most confident. After TEOM, she was on top and went in the studio taking chances. Migrate is an absolute banger and one of her best uptempo records. I'm That Chick is also a fun groove. Touch My Body is playful and only Mariah could deliver that kind of song. Side Effects is haunting. Hell she even went for a little Jamaican accent in Cruise Control. The first time I heard that I was floored at how ridiculous and amazing it was. The first six songs of the album are completely different from one another, which is incredible. Not to mention Mariah had an absolutely slamming body during the promotion. Now I like Mariah a bit curvier, but she still looked great and she was dressing so hip and cool with her leather jackets and jeans. E-MC2 was really like the desert, a fun after party to TEOM. Memoirs on the other hand is a lot more mature, and does a 180 in terms of sound. It's something you'd listen to on a rainy early evening. Some parts of the production are genius, as they really compliment her signature vocals and melodies. To me, Betcha Gon Know, Angels (Interlude) and Angels Cry, and Languishing are the standouts. But the rest are just solid, if unspectacular. If E=MC2 was all about risk, Memoirs was about playing it safe. (Friday 11 September 2015; 2:25)

Re: E=MC2 vs. Memoirs (56,577) (56,579) by Deedre aka MiTodoChop @HBF from Canada That's the thing though, the listener experience is subjective based on our perceptions, so using Andrew's post as an example, he said he feels E=MC2 is better than TEOM, then for him it is. Period. How can we tell someone they're wrong for how they perceive something? Sure we can express different views on the matter, but it doesn't make one right and the other wrong. Some of my fave MC albums are Butterfly, debut, Memoirs, Daydream, MIAM, E=MC2 and TEOM and we could debate over who thinks what is better for the next decade, and posters on the board would still have differing views on the same albums. (Friday 11 September 2015; 0:43)

Celine Dion is not passed her prime, Andrew (56,578) by Stacey from USA Taking Chances (2007) has sold over 3.1 million copies worldwide since its release. Loved Me Back To Life (2003) has sold over 1.3 million copies (as of December 2013). Both albums were released with little to no promotion. Add to the fact she has had a spectacular run in Vegas since she started that in 2003. Celine Dion is as relevant today as Mariah. When she announced she was coming back to Vegas, it was all over the press. Anyways, I'm not writing this to start a back and forth MC vs. Celine. I love them both as amazing singers. Both are relevant. Both are in their prime not passed it. Andrew, I love your frankness. The honesty in your posts is quite refreshing. I enjoy reading them. However, my friend E=MC2 is not better than TEOM, lol. Though I do love IBYULT. That song had me at first listen. (Thursday 10 September 2015; 23:26)

Re: E=MC2 vs. Memoirs (56,576) (56,577) by Deedre aka MiTodoChop @HBF from Canada I love them both and I can't put the albums against each other. I just can't. To me they are both incredible albums. To me, they're both summer records full of creativity, fun, humor and lyrical genius. If I absolutely had to choose it would be Memoirs it is such an underrated beautiful album that sound fresh every listen. To hear the elevator music analogy is funny to me. But then music is a subjective experience. Love both. Cruise Control is my jam. Lol. (Thursday 10 September 2015; 22:16)

Re: E=MC2 vs. Memoirs (56,565) (56,576) by Luke from United Kingdom E=MC2 is incredible to me. It's rare I listen to almost every song on an album but with that one I do. I love it all and it sounds so fresh and modern, even now. It's always amazed me that a lot of Mariah's songs sound so timeless. With many songs and albums from years ago you can usually place what year/time frame they were made. However, Mariah's is so different. Excluding the 90's, when she started making music she was more passionate about it started to become very original and modern. I honestly think she could release E=MC2 now and it would still be a huge hit because it sounds so fresh. Like Andrew said she truely is a genius. (Thursday 10 September 2015; 21:49)

Can't nobody, can't nobody tell me nuttin' (56,575) by Andrew from UK Warren's comment is bang on the money, there. E=MC2 is an amazing album. It had energy and vision and was a stone-winner for Summer tunes. When "Can't nobody, can't nobody tell me nuttin'" kicks in I'm always beaming, without fail. Memoirs is elevator music. It's almost sounds like one long dull song. That being said, Angels Cry is art (not the terrible cut-and-paste duet with cheap video added). When "I know I can stand, just pull me back up" kicks in, I'm filled with the joy of what I know Mariah Carey can do. I actually feel a swell of energy in my body. "I shoulda had another mechanic under my hood" is absolutely genius. Very, very often, MC is just genius. And sometimes she's almost genius and it's kind of frustrating. E=MC2 is better than The Emancipation Of Mimi. And that's saying something. But Memoirs is better than Charmbracelet. And that's really not saying much. (Thursday 10 September 2015; 20:42)

Re: E=MC2 vs. Memoirs (56,565) (56,574) by Warren from Trinidad & Tobago E=MC2 is probably one of my fave MC albums ever. One of the first times I never skipped a track or two when listening. I can listen to that album from beginning to end comfortably. I love the flow and the song sequencing is the best she's ever done. (Thursday 10 September 2015; 18:35)

Re: Raven Symone made a great point (56,564) (56,573) by Travon..SweetSweetFantasy from USA Mariah took too long of a break to begin with (2010-2014) and I don't think she will take 4 years again to release new material. That is why AI was a mistake. She needed to use that time and devote it completely to music. She didn't and we are where we are now. This is Mariah Carey's decision. It amazes me that we all were wanting an album last year. We received a critically acclaimed album but it didn't sell well. Keep in mind Mariah doesn't have a direct fan base. Her fans are all over. The fact that she can sell 250,000-500,000 copies WW of any album without promoting the project, shows that she is very relevent. Janet Jackson, Madonna, and Celine Dion are older artists and past their prime. They use their back catalouges and it's the only thing that really works for them now. Mariah doesn't need a tour nor publicity stunts to sell records. Mariah needs to reinvent and reorganize where her career is at this point, make changes where they fit, and actually market her music better. She is still, by age, in her prime and has more chances of making a hit than miss career. (Thursday 10 September 2015; 18:31)

Re: E=MC2 vs. Memoirs (56,571) (56,572) by B from USA E=MC2. Side Effects, Migrate, I'm That Chick, For The Record, and Thanks 4 Nothing. (Thursday 10 September 2015; 14:09)

Re: E=MC2 vs. Memoirs (56,565) (56,571) by darrian liu from taiwan I prefer E=MC2. However, imo Memoirs is more cohesive overall, while E=MC2 felt like a greatest hits album. Both are great albums imo. I live for Up Out My Face though. The Lego lyric was epic. (Thursday 10 September 2015; 12:13)

Re: E=MC2 vs. Memoirs (56,565) (56,570) by Giovanni from USA Both are lackluster to me. I feel Mariah didn't deliver good musically. Most of the songs on both albums are kind of silly. "The Emancipation Of Mimi" is Mariah's ultimate album. Now that she's back with Sony I'm hoping she'll give us another on the same level if not better. (Thursday 10 September 2015; 10:54)

Re: E=MC2 vs. Memoirs (56,565) (56,569) by Jamie from UK I love both but E=MC2 has to be my favourite, each song is so strong and there's not one track I dislike. Memoirs when it was released I was disappointed with as on first listen I couldn't differentiated between the songs, but then it grew on me and also love this album but over all for song favourites it has to be E=MC2. I got to speak to her during this album era and she looked extra amazing too. (Thursday 10 September 2015; 10:35)

Infinity remix? (56,568) by Jamie from UK Whatever happened to the Infinity remix we got a leak of the other week? I wasn't actually that keen on it tbh but wondered if anyone knew of the plans if any for it. (Thursday 10 September 2015; 10:30)

Ellen has judging AI as one of her worst decisions (56,566) by Baby from Dreamville...Where There's No Beginning & There is No End So Ellen DeGeneres was on Howard Stern's radio show and had nothing but superlatives to say about her time on American Idol. Howard: "Did you hate judging 'American Idol'?" Ellen: "Yes. That's one of the worst decisions I've made." Robin: "Why did you want to do it in the first place?" Ellen: "As a fan of the shows, it doesn't matter that I sing or I know anything about pitch or anything, I'm like everybody else at home. It's 'American Idol.' So I thought I'm gonna represent those people at home that have opinions, but then I just thought, like Howard says, I can't break this person's heart. Let somebody else do that." Ain't it funny how Mariah kinda started a trend in exposing the false Idols of reality competitions? When will your lesser faves? (Thursday 10 September 2015; 8:37)

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