Well now, it's been a minute since I've been here, I'm sure few are familiar with my former days on this board, but I just had to break my "Never Look Back" rule for a second. One of the reasons I stopped posting was I really couldn't be arsed (English term, no need for a rewrite) with all the negativity, with the people determined to tear down the greatest - come hell or high water - babbling offences and calling it "being real". For the first time in I don't know how long, I read a portion of the posts, and I see no difference in about 5 years. People are still clamouring for the days of their "perfect Mariah", when there never was one, just a little girl with nothing to worry about beyond singing when she was permitted daylight. There is still this "lip-syncing" issue, which I addressed in an article I wrote during my site's own Mariah week last year - don't know whether it will be allowed to be shared here, but if so. As far as Fantasy in JA is concerned, it's mindblowing to me that no-one stated the obvious, there is a vast difference between lip-syncing and singing over a backing track. If it were the case of the former, you would not be able to hear her deviate from the melody line, which she clearly does, several times, throughout the entire song. Does she have rough days? Yes. The woman is human after all. Are they as many, or as bad as certain people on this board are determined to make them out to be? Not by a long shot. I've seen some crazy statements that had me seething, like one person's (not lamb's) claim that she didn't sing on the last album at all, but if there's one thing I've come to learn, it's perspective. Just because I can back my chat with evidence, doesn't mean everyone does, or even can. (When that fails however, I might point out a small NBC concert.) I was also blown away by the person who saw her live, knows she's still got it, but would rather buy into the propaganda. I mean wow. Anywhoo, I think I've said all I intended to on this trip for the nostalgia. Anyone who wants to keep up contact with me can do so via twitter: @emancipatedlamb (Tuesday 3 February 2015; 4:33)
Carol and Jewel (49,672)
by Travon..SweetSweetFantasy from USA
Carol, that's exactly how I feel. I feel like we collectively are becoming a crass. I don't want to be accused of enabling if I truly care for her emotions. Fans are becoming heartless and they never will admit their extreme level of critism as being rude. The same type of people do this everyday. They never have anything good to say and are the same ones that jump on here to criticize. They say "I should stop but I will continue talk", to try to justify what they need to say. I am optimistic she will rebound. Anyway I am looking forward to Vegas. Jewel in 2013, Mariah had a horrific fall that resulted in a displaced shoulder, cracked ribs, and several nasty bruises. This resulted in a delay of her album to 2014. The public also lost interest over time due to lack of promo because she took a while to rehab and contanstly wears the brace. She is currently misunderstood. (Tuesday 3 February 2015; 4:12)
Styling (49,671)
by Natalia from Argentina
As for her dresses as a fashion designer, I'm tired of those prom gowns, she only looks older with them like a 60 year old woman. Although the long dresses from the last Christmas concert were very very nice because they werent't tooo tight. I like this style of Mariah and I would loved to have seen some of this at the Jamaican Festival. (Tuesday 3 February 2015; 4:12)
Voice and style (49,670)
by Natalia from Argentina
Wow, I've never thought that I was going to write a line in here, but as it seems this is going OOC, I need to say a few things. We might have seen this before Glitter era. This is not a voice, wardrobe, stylist problem. This is herself again, feeling lonely, insecure, and not taking care of herself. At the stage she seems drunk or something. I couldn't believe when she walked away from the stage. She needs to stop singing like she is talking, that's annoying, she needs to re-arrange the songs in a different way, like she used to according to the voice she has now. I was excited because I thought she would do it but that didn't happen. There is no need to keep shouting, she still has a nice voice and you can tell in Jazz Festival, that she can do a lot of things with her voice. I wouldn't mind if she decided to sing this way for example like in a very calm and easy way. Lullaby Of Birdland is perfect for me, that's how I would like Mariah sing from now on. (Tuesday 3 February 2015; 4:11)
For the record (49,669)
by Dove from USA
I still believe Mariah will pull through and give us a spectacular show in Las Vegas. I'm still really excited to see her and I will go as many times as I can. One can never stop hoping. My vision is still beautiful, and even though everything is not perfect yet, I truly do see progress and things moving in the right direction. She looks great, she's singing live, her voice sounds good, she has energy and is moving more. She's giving us what we've been asking for. The things that need working out can be worked out, it's possible. Maybe she was upset because she heard about Whitney's daughter. It upset me and I didn't even know her. (Tuesday 3 February 2015; 4:10)
Jewel (49,668)
by Darryle from USA
Her right hand has a dip in it. It's from when she fell obviously and she's probably still very insecure about it so she wears the glove to cover it up. If you look closely you can see the dip in her Ellen interview. (Tuesday 3 February 2015; 4:03)
Re: Jewel / Jamaica (49,667)
by NYHotShotta from USA
Hey Jewel Mariah said in an interview last year she wore the gloves to remind her to do her hand exercises after she injured her right arm. But it turned into a fashion statement for as well. Here's some songs I think Mariah could have performed in Jamaica. This one as an intro. (Tuesday 3 February 2015; 3:50)
All things aside (49,666)
by Darryle from USA
All the bashing and ranting aside, I truly do want to see Mariah doing better. I want to see Mariah happy, with love in her life, and at the top of the charts. I know she's been having a really tough year and she's pulling through the best she can. I'm not trying to make excuses for some of the mistakes she's made I just know it must be tough for her to take care of her kids, deal with a cheating husband who your currently divorcing, and manage a career. So this me sending my little message of support out to her. Even though it may not seem like it I'm here to support Mariah in time of need. (Tuesday 3 February 2015; 3:29)
It's not negative to voice concern (49,665)
by Deedre aka MiTodoChop @HBF from Canada
I have been a fan literally since I was twelve, and things are definitely not ok with MC right now. I adore her, but I am not going to pretend. The lyrics "she smiles through a thousand tears" feel so appropriate because honestly that's what comes through. Someone smiling through it all, but underneath hasn't been ready to truly face some stuff. Haven't we all been there one time or another? I know I have. Right now, I don't care about her hairstyle or her clothes. I don't care about when her next performance is, I don't care about whether she's lipping or when her next album is coming out. I don't care what the press says or how many people are dogging her publicly. All I want is the best for Mariah the person, not the "celebrity". I hope she's able to get some genuine support around her. (Tuesday 3 February 2015; 3:14)
Shake it off in Jamaica (49,664)
by Ty from USA
I almost believed the press, almost. So I decided to watch some clips. "Shake it off" and "Always be my baby" were incredible. Mariah finally did her thing, she ablib parts, put extended notes in and for the first time she really let loose. Other than Fantasy and a boring "I'm that chick" it wasn't bad, her gowns were horrible. She should have went full out diva. (Tuesday 3 February 2015; 3:09)
Re: (49,654) by Andrew (49,663)
by Dove from USA
Andrew, thanks for the shout out, but I've actually been accused of being one of the "delusional" overly-positive fans of this site. I'm actually guilty of going off on fans for being too negative on here. (Tuesday 3 February 2015; 3:01)
To Jewel from USA on "Why the glove on the right hand?" (49,662)
by Vítor Henrique Pereira from Brazil
Hey, lambie. I also wonder what's with the glove? Imho, it's supposed to be the signature of this era. Back in E=MC2 era, she used to wear a Hello Kitty band-aid on her hand as a signature trend, too. Anyway, it's commercial: she wasn't wearing it on Ellen; she only wears it onstage. All that money and tacky onstage clothes. Why? (Tuesday 3 February 2015; 2:58)
Baby (continued) (49,661)
by Marissa from USA
I have never and never will call someone out for being positive. I am only addressing you because you are rarely ever positive without dismissing other lambs opinions in the process. Why can't your positivity ever speak for itself without digs towards other lambs hidden in it? As fans, I think we have the right to express our opinions because we are the ones who have sponsored her career. Contrary to popular belief, we are very powerful and we need to recognize it. If it wasn't for us (caps) buying her music, tuning into her interviews, and paying for concerts, Mariah wouldn't be the superstar that she is. She has amazing talent, but fans are what make a person a superstar, so I'm never going to look at myself like a peasant who needs shut up and be grateful, whether I love it or hate it. We invest our time, energy and money into Mariah, so it is only natural that we care about her brand. (Tuesday 3 February 2015; 2:34)
If it's over (49,660)
by Abraham from USA
That's completely up to Mariah. Clearly the Mariah we saw in Jamaica is different from the one we saw on "Ellen". She's obviously going through something which is why I don't understand why she doesn't seek God or a therapist. Get some counseling. Not drink your talent and career away. I love Mariah but I know I'm not the only one who is fed up with the tipsy performances. *Enough already* What Shelly posted is spot on. None of us would be posting here if we didn't care. We are the best fans. We bought the album and continue to support her hoping for a comeback. And want the best for her. But if something needs to be addressed, we as fans should address it because nobody else is. I hope that Mariah would see our posts because she needs a wake up call. One thing is that I will always love and respect her. Obviously she still cares about her career and music or she wouldn't have signed with Sony. She most definitely can bounce back if she puts her mind to it. But she should take some time and on herself and her kids. Then on music. If I sound harsh or rude I'm sorry. (Tuesday 3 February 2015; 2:11)
"Keep the faith" (49,659)
by Ardis Logic from Earth
I think Mariah can recover from this. There is no need to get ahead and assume that she needs to retire. (That is just crazy talk.) What she should do in my opinion is learn from this. Do what you have to do to get ready to put on "the show of your life" in Vegas. I believe her first concert is in May. That is plenty of time to get out of the spotlight, lay low, rest and relax her voice, and deal with whatever it is she needs to deal with personally. Get ready for this show and redeem herself. I know she can still sing. I know she can blow us away. She is an always will be amazing. She just really needs to take care of herself. Maybe even simplify the sound so that it is not so complicated. I loved the way she performed back in the day "Simply Mariah" is what I want. She is enough. This is what I want. Mariah only on stage. No fancy props, no dancers, just simply her in a simple dress singing from her heart. (Tuesday 3 February 2015; 2:10)
Nikki and Andrew (49,658)
by THE TRUTH from USA
Hi Nikki and thanks for explaining to the pedestrians about an earpiece, monitors, and such. I have to say that during the Tommy Mottola period this would not have and never did happen. The reason being that this was the "pre diva" period and Mariah went to sound check so if there ever was an issue it got resolved there and not in front of the whole world. When she began thinking it was okay to skip sound check and show up hours late for whatever, that was the begin of her downward spiral. Andrew, your arrogance is staggering. Where do you get off saying when anyone should retire? Further questioning what Mariah's vocal ability was pre 2001 is pure foolishness. Mariah was the greatest female vocalist of her generation and has simply allowed her emotional frailty and ego to sideline a 25 year career which was stacked with accomplishments that have not been matched by another female singer to date. (Tuesday 3 February 2015; 1:52)
Notes from a small island (49,657)
by Andrew from UK
I'll should give it up for a while again now. But what happened just now was quite poignant. I just left my best friend in a pub. I lived with him for five years and he knows every amazing vocal performance she's ever done, be it live or studio, be it crazy noone-has-done-this-before, to my-heart-aches-because-the-strings-are-pulled. "I saw it", he said, knowing I would cringe and be sad. He said this, almost word for word: "Runners stop running, footballers stop playing. You can't sing like that for that long and keep doing it." From a guy who, in quite a British way, takes the p constantly but inoffensively. And as a non-fan (God, he hates me for knowing all the words to, like, everything). There's no shame in stopping and saying: "I did that. Look what I did. And I'm done. There it is. That's my body of work. Respect me." She not Beyoncé. She's not GaGa. She was the last and the most popular of the great vocalists. There's no performance other than bounding about the stage as if to say "Hush now and open your ears. I know right?" The sounds of the past are going to fade into the mess of the social media era. If my friend can respect her, then the world has done the same. But it fades in a second. I've said it in many places for years. This is a lie. The records: I don't even believe she sang them in the studio. Let her repeat them just once live and I will. I'm over the tragedy, the pity, the personal life. Retirement is the only answer. (Tuesday 3 February 2015; 0:58)
Why the glove on the right hand? (49,656)
by Jewel from USA
I can't help but be curious. Does anyone know why Mariah keeps wearing a glove on her right hand? She's been wearing this glove consistently for like over a year now (usually lace, sometimes fingerless) and it's like she's trying to cover something. I wonder what it is. Anyone? (Tuesday 3 February 2015; 0:26)
Re: Gilbert (49,655)
by nikki from usa
Thank you Rashidi for those excellent observations. Gilbert, the "earpiece" is an in-ear monitor. When you perform, the sound that goes into the audience is called the "house mix", and it is balanced to produce the best sound for the audience. But, the musicians need to hear themselves, so usually they put speakers on stage facing the musicians (they are on the ground, in front, at an angle). The sound that comes out of those speakers is the "monitor mix". However, instead of speakers on the floor, the musicians have a custom earpiece fitted to their ear for bigger concerts. It's usually wireless, attached to a receiver in their pocket, or on their back. The earpiece acts as the monitor. The sound engineer does a separate mix for the musicians (sometimes different ones for the different musicians) to let them hear themselves and everyone else in the band. Singers usually want to hear themselves very well, even if it's louder than the audience hears it. This way the musicians can hear a different balance of instruments, get what they need to play, and the sound engineer can adjust the audience mix in whatever way works. Only the big concerts use those in-ear monitors. If you go to a club, you'll see speakers on the floor doing the same thing. This is why I'm continually saying this isn't "just" Mariah. She needs better people. This could also be why MC is more comfortable in smaller settings. (Tuesday 3 February 2015; 0:17)
If it's really gone, then tell me to tonight (49,654)
by Andrew from UK
Shelly, Edward, Adam, et al., I salute you for being true fans and saying it how it is. Silence is no longer an option, I *hope*, for those who spent decades in adoration and support. Something is very very wrong here. Not in the sense of a blip: this has the makings of the biggest downfall in history. To go from the biggest to the most ridiculed is astounding. There's no doubting the tone, the lyrics, the musicality. But what other way to communicate disappointment and fear other than to post and hope she reads it. My heart is broken. I don't know what else to do other than to be fierce and say it like it is. Two decades of effort destroyed. A Vegas residency? Won't it go like everything? All the "lambs" say it will be different this time. We will receive bad staging, an image no one respects, lip-syncing, the same tracks performed, embarrassing performances. The list goes on. Does anyone know what will make Mariah change? She was the consummate professional. Nobody had anything on her. And now industry starters can ridicule her. I feel cheated. Cheated of what it is to be dedicated to a performer. As in, we will fight for you but work for our fandom and money. It's quid pro quo. Hearts are broken. And I'm not even sure she cares. And I'm not convinced anybody who posts here is either. This staring at the camera, mouthing like a porn star is actually hideous. Can you not cringe? I laugh about "if it's over". But it is, right? What's left? I have no idea. (Tuesday 3 February 2015; 0:08)
Travon / Edward / Mirage_Nunez (49,653)
by Dove from USA
Travon, thanks for the shout out. Thank you Edward. Mariah is in my top favorite people in the world and sometimes it hurts me to read negative things about her. But I know most of us here really are fans, otherwise we wouldn't waste our time and energy regularly coming on here and commenting. If Mariah is going through something deep, I truly hope somebody helps her. Mirage_Nunez, I liked your post (49,630) and could relate to a lot of what you wrote. (Monday 2 February 2015; 23:49)
Lip-sync (49,652)
by Gilbert from USA
I adore Mariah, I really do but I think that if she doesn't want to sing anymore I could respect that. Why she is lip-syncing I don't know. I really hope she isn't going into a depression mode due to the divorce or has a yes team who isn't looking out for her own good. I'm just venting but I think if she feel's she is done performing then she should really go out with a bang, not as some joke. She has such amazing talent and I'd hate to see her just go downhill from there. She could even rearrange her vocals if she wanted to and just sing the whole a different way, I'm just not sure why this is going on. (Monday 2 February 2015; 23:29)
Why do we play this game? Everybody hates Mariah (49,651)
by Baby from Dreamville...Where There's No Beginning & There is No End
It's foolish and downright false of you to misrepresent that just because I or anyone else chooses to stay positive, it's because we don't see or acknowledge the negatives. We do, but it's just not what choose to take away from it. That's a trait we all know is a Mariah Carey trademark and I think we all should foster. Obviously you don't agree but that's your loss, not Mariah's or the diehard lambs. Mariah has built her entire life on seeing the glass half full all through the turbulence of her youth and childhood to her struggles and triumphs as an accomplished artist. More than any other singer-songwriter she has made it a point to give voice to people who need to hear something explicitly positive and written anthems that carries so many of us through our daily lives. If the positivity message rubs you the wrong way and you just can't help but jump on the negativity bandwagon then why are you surprised your lamb card is being called into question? You mistake my posts for pleas for your sympathies when in reality I'm not at all interested in changing your mind. I have no control over negative people and what they chose to emphasise. I don't know why you get so personally offended Mariah inspires positivity and loyalty that doesn't waver just because the tides turn. Meanwhile, Mariah just re-signed with Sony, is undertaking a grand Vegas residency, doing a guest spot on "Empire", producing #1's Mariah 2.0 and celebrating 25 years of longevity and managing herself. (Monday 2 February 2015; 23:12)
Bad peformance (49,650)
by G.G. from USA
Mariah's current bad performance is trending on social media. How sad. Someone who used to be considered one of the greatest singers to ever live is running around making a complete fool of herself. Oh well. She obviously doesn't care that she is ruining her reputation with all this foolishness, so why should I? I still can't believe she walked off stage during "We Belong Together". If I hadn't seen the video myself, I wouldn't have believed it. (Monday 2 February 2015; 22:25)
Hi everyone (49,649)
by Nick from USA
I'm new here and after all the recent controversy circling Mariah finally got me to join. I am a huge fan of Mariah and it is my dream to see her, even though she was "caught" lip-syncing to Fantasy. It's not news to us because we all know she has been doing that for years now. If I could go to Vegas and see her I definitely would, lip syncing or not. (Monday 2 February 2015; 22:23)
