Messageboard

Poor JD (45,877) by Edward from USA Poor JD, he never had a chance. Whether JD is manager material or not, he did his best to promote MIAMTEC. While Mariah was being elusive, he was out there trying to promote the album. Most of the interviews Mariah had, he was there by her side. Parting ways it is the best thing that could've happened to him, since anybody associated with Mariah's career at this point will be crucified by her fans when things don't go right. Mariah is a control freak, and as long as she keeps on hiring people she could easily control, things won't work out. These friendships mingled with business relationships don't work, and they usually end up damaging the friendship part, I hope that is not the case. She should come out and say she didn't fire him, that they decided to part ways amicably, but I doubt Mariah would do that. Many fans have been very unfair with JD, when he was the only one actually keeping us informed about what he could during this horrendous era. Let's see who the next one is going to be, probably her next label. Mariah is really out of control, and those who don't want to see that, should go and consult their eye doctors. (Tuesday 5 August 2014; 23:05)

The same attitude (45,876) by Carol from Spain He left and you still complain. It's ridiculous. Like I always defended, JD was never a manager, I actually never saw im as one. He left but the guy in place is what? The ex-president of IDJ I think. How is that good? Anyway, I couldn't care less about her management team. I just think it's a pity to see some of you with a "I told you so attitude". As usual, you're not helping. (Tuesday 5 August 2014; 22:19)

Bye bye (45,875) by PJW from The U.K. I just listened to Bye Bye for the first time in a couple of years and I find there's something really special about that track. I'm actually not a fan of its production (nor the majority of E=MC2 production) but the melody, her voice, the sentiment, the ad libs (oh, those ad libs). It just gets me. I still get lost in it and if I'm honest, I think that was the last time I really got lost in a Mariah track, and by lost I mean flamingly gay lost, fingers fluttering, heart leaping and all the jazz that comes with it. Admittedly my personal life changed beyond expectation or comprehension after that single was released and I lost my last bit of youthful freedom to indulge in music like I did, but I also feel this was the last time we saw Mariah as she was. By that single her life would also change beyond comprehension and that's since reflected in her art. It may not be her greatest track but for me, artistically, and despite her age, it was the last glimpse I got of that "innocent" playful sweet voiced girl. She was a woman after that and I'd grown into a man. The track title is so apt. (Tuesday 5 August 2014; 22:13)

Joyce (45,874) by THE TRUTH from USA Well said. I think you've hit the nail on the head. (Tuesday 5 August 2014; 22:11)

J.D. (45,873) by B from USA Mariah firing of JD suggest that she knows that she made a mistake hiring him. A mistake she should have learned after the Randy debacle. A tour would be a great way for her to reconnect with her fans. I think she should call the tour Me I Am Mariah... An Intimate Evening With The Elusive Chanteuse. (Tuesday 5 August 2014; 21:11)

Pondering (45,872) by PJW from The U.K. Upon the idea of abandoning the concept of albums. The industry as we've known it doesn't work anymore and really, artists aren't limited by the boundaries the labels create and call standard. It's all nonsense and something Mariah is no longer a part of. If I were in her position, I'd release tracks as and when I saw fit. They could stand alone or as part of a continuing story of where the artist is. I think it would allow more artistic freedom, remove a lot of pressure and allow the chance for more success. You only have to look at the sales of "Beautiful" compared to MIAM to see the benefits of individual tracks. Same with Obsessed or TMB. She ultimately lost the chance to sell great individual tracks or tell individual stories because the rules say everything has to come at once. Personally, I reckon that had there of been no MIAM and she'd have released some of these album tracks one by one without the constant expectation of an album, she'd have shifted far more in 2013-14 than she has done. (Tuesday 5 August 2014; 20:48)

The reason is (45,871) by Joyce from USA I don't think it's the music that's the problem. To all her original fans, she is completely a totally different persona and voice-ona that is completely unrecognizable. To the newer younger fans, her ball gown attire is completely un-relatable and nothing seems new with the vibe from her music. Though, her vocals seem to have improved from the prior non holiday album. Ironically, she should enlist the style management and image consultants she hated that were installed by the record company in the 90's that tightly manages her image branding and vocal maintanance. (Tuesday 5 August 2014; 20:05)

(45,870) by Ken from USA Plays Bye Bye. (Tuesday 5 August 2014; 19:10)

this_is_qhm (45,868) by Dove from USA I think if she can crank out good songs quickly, it would be better to start fresh and release a new album. If there is major promotion, awesome videos, breathtaking performances, and it takes off people will go back and buy MIAM too. I'm hoping 2015 will be another good year for her. (Tuesday 5 August 2014; 17:42)

If Jermaine like's it then I like it (45,867) by Mimi L. from Empower Your Highlighter I hope Mariah and JD parted ways on friendly terms. JD brought out the best in Mariah in many cases. They make really good songs. Yes Mariah can write great songs on her own but Jermaine was responsible for some memorable songs of Mariah that I personally really love. So I do hope that she has not lost him. This is another reason why friends should not be mixed in business. After Randy was fired by Mariah I don't remember seeing them together anymore. I hope we have not heard the last of "if Jermaine likes it then I like it". (Tuesday 5 August 2014; 17:26)

Differences / re-release vs. new album (45,865) by this_is_qhm from the Philippines I guess the thing about this board is that although we're all fans, we're all still different. Some of us are eternal optimists. Some of us are tough-love fans with pessimistic tendencies. That's just the way we are and the way it is. We shouldn't change ourselves or our opinions for anyone, nor should we ask others to do so just because we don't agree with them. We're all gonna react on the same opinion differently. Some of us are gonna be vocal about it, some of us won't. We'll all just have to find a way to coexist as peacefully as possible, because after all, we're all here for the same reason. Anyhow, we all know the rumors of new material that Mariah has finished. Considering the current state of her career, what do you think would be a wiser decision: to re-release MIAMTEC or to use the tracks for her new album? (Tuesday 5 August 2014; 17:02)

Mariah leaving JD and upcoming tour (45,864) by ADAM from USA I think JD did as much as he possibly could have done. He mentioned that he tried to push "Thirsty' as the lead urban single but MC didn't oblige by that and other innuendoes he's alluded to that were shot down by MC or her label. I think it's very clear, MC doesn't want to go out and push her music anymore. We can all speculate on the reasons why (babies, vocal damage, laziness, legendary status) but the end result is the same. JD was in a bad situation where MC once again hires her friends to manage her and then when it's time to manage she becomes unreasonable. I think Mariah needs to address the elephant in the room - her vocal cords, and decide if she's going to have surgery (if this works for her condition, after all she's never confirmed it) or publicly state that she'd like to go into retirement and randomly do one off shows (like Barbra Streisand) because of her aging cords. I think it's disingenuous to keep lip syncing during "live performances" on TV and go on tour to mime the whole show with the exception of a few ad libs and belts to try and throw fans off from the fact she's not singing. I say this as a fan who loves her music and wants her to win, but not like this. She's proven that she makes decisions swayed by the money (American Idol, Virgin records deal, Butterfly drink, perform for dictators) so I fear this latest tour is another notch in her lavish lifestyle at the expensive of her lambs. (Tuesday 5 August 2014; 15:43)

JD (45,863) by Darryle from USA Bye bye JD. It kinda sucks we didn't really get to see what his plans for this album where because of the behind the scenes stuff. I feel like would have actually been a good manger but everybody wrote him off so quickly because the two of them where friends. Oh well what's done is done. As long Mariah still makes great music with him. As for Kevin Liles I've never heard of him but I hope Mariah lets him take some control in managing her so that things don't end up like this again. (Tuesday 5 August 2014; 15:28)

Mariah's "slacking" (45,861) by this_is_qhm from the Philippines I've been one of those people who have been critical about Mariah's "slacking", something that started probably around the late 00s and has since escalated. Now I can rant all day about why she mimed most of Meteorite (in my opinion one of her easier songs to sing if you didn't include the belted ending), but I'd rather share my theories on why she has slowed down: 1) Family. She obviously has more on her plate now. It's tempting to compare her to other supermoms who can equally manage family and career just fine but then again, even people of similar status react differently on their situation. 2) Self-awareness. She has finally realized who she is to the world and knows she doesn't have to prove herself to anyone anymore. People know who she is. People know that she sings (or used to, to some). To her what matters now is that she makes great music, period. 3) Natural causes. Everything has been said about her vocal decline through the years. Of course we can blame her lifestyle for that, but aging and her nodules should at least account for half of that. Hence the lip-synching. It's probably her method of vocal preservation while gearing up for a live climax (which is fine with me, now if only she did it better). 4) Her reliance on familiarity. It's obvious that Mariah always turns to people she knows in every aspect of her life, even her most adventurous one - her music. In the studio, she's not as bold as Madonna who hires a different producer for almost every album. She'd much rather choose her friends. Onstage, she adheres to the standard 90s trick of just standing and letting her performance of the song speak for itself, seemingly blind to the fact that these days, that sadly isn't enough anymore for an increasingly visual audience. She sticks to the same past hits to sing over and over again, as if those were vital to introduce her new material. Don't get me wrong, no matter how good or bad the performance turns out, I still do enjoy seeing her onscreen or onstage, I mean come on - she's still Mariah, so I'll always be under her spell. But I'd be a hypocrite if I didn't admit that I'd enjoy her appearances better if she was always on her A-game, which is probably asking too much of a living legend who has embraced and now embodies the word "diva" in the best way possible; but unfortunately even its negative connotations. At the end of the day, be it filled with adoration or criticism, one thing will always remain the same - to me she'll still be the most influential singer ever. (Tuesday 5 August 2014; 15:14)

JD (45,860) by this_is_qhm from the Philippines It's no surprise that she fired JD. I have nothing to say against the guy on his managerial skills, as until now we still don't know what really transpired behind the scenes, including the terms he and Mariah have agreed upon and if they did meet each other's expectations as far as doing their respective parts is concerned. And even though the guy was responsible for a few subpar, same-y Mimi material through the years (hello, E=MC2 ballads), he also was fundamental in the creation of some of her vital recordings. I hope there's no bad blood between the two and that it was an amicable split. I'd still want them to collaborate someday, as YDKWTD and MILG prove that old dogs can learn new tricks, but for now, I hope this firing is a sign of Mariah finally reevaluating her team and making necessary changes that will hopefully work to her advantage. (Tuesday 5 August 2014; 14:37)

Heavenly news (45,859) by Ken from USA JD, you will not be missed. (Tuesday 5 August 2014; 14:18)

JD (45,857) by Mimi L. from Empower Your Highlighter So JD is gone. Whether this is good or bad only depends on Mariah actually. I personally didn't mind JD being her manager. The guy is talented as a producer and is immensely supportive of Mariah. I don't like the headlines "MC fires JD after album flop". Was the flop really JD's fault? A lot of people have been blaming JD for not promoting the album, for not being a good manager, for not getting singles right, for not delivering the album on time. But is it really JD's fault? Everytime I heard his interviews he mostly seemed annoyed and hinted that he has major plans for the album but is unable to act on it. There has many times he implied either MC or the label is not listening to him. The album delay was not his fault, MC was not happy with the finished product. The singles were not also his fault, I am more than sure he didn't get to choose it. As for the promotions, I don't think JD didn't try. Some people have mentioned here that MC is probably not promoting because she wants to spend more time with her family and her priorities changed because of kids. So JD can't obviously force her to leave her kids and promote the album. Yes Benny was good for Mariah but she only listened to him in 2005 when she needed to re-establish herself because people had written her off. But once she went back to top, Benny couldn't control her anymore, look at what happened during E=MC2. And then Benny was discarded. In the last 2 years Mariah changed 3 managers. While I agree that hiring friends as managers is not a good idea, I think Mariah really needs to let go of some control. She is an genius singer/songwriter. She can control all aspects of the conception, writing, recording, production of the album. However once the album is completed she should let go of the control a little bit and allow the professionals to handle it. Otherwise no matter who her manager is, it wouldn't matter, no one will be able to save a project which the artist itself has abandoned or misdirected. Bring on the hate messages, I don't care, it's the truth. (Tuesday 5 August 2014; 13:50)

There is more (45,856) by Jen from Manila from Philippines Whatever this move by MC I/we all her avid fans are hoping for the best for her. Ms. Mariah Carey has more to offer in the music industry. I just don't know why people chose crap music instead of her beautiful songs. Must be the people in her recording company, her staff etc., I myself don't know anymore. Her latest album is not a bad one actually it is good and it has a lot of wonderful songs. Her songs are real from the heart very well-written plus her voice. Maybe we should re introduce Mimi to the young ones. All the best to the queen Mariah Carey. (Tuesday 5 August 2014; 12:43)

I don't feel no ways tired (45,855) by Gilles from Malta (Tuesday 5 August 2014; 12:24)

MimiLamb (45,854) by this_is_qhm from the Philippines It really is a cycle, a vicious one that leaves no winners or losers at its wake. It would first start as a simple disagreement that escalates into a fan vs. critic debate and then someone like us, tired of the same old story chimes in just to try to remind everyone just how pointless it is. It's become a regular part of this board. Like clockwork. I've yet to learn how to ignore it every time it happens. (Tuesday 5 August 2014; 11:02)

JD (45,853) by Abraham from USA So no more JD. As much as I love the guy, I'd say it's for the best. Jermaine is very talented, but he isn't manager material. I think we would all agree that we want the best for Mariah. And want to see her be more successful. I'm hoping she will get her 19th number one someday. Let's hope Kevin does his best and helps Mariah get back to the top where she belongs. "MIAMTEC" shows that Mariah is still a great artist, singer, song writer and producer. It's one of her best albums. I'm excited now. Things might turn around. Will she be re releasing the album with those 3 or 4 new songs? (Tuesday 5 August 2014; 10:53)

Gilles, thanks for pointing it out (45,852) by May from Denmark I wanted to mention thanks for pointing out to the Cleveland song. I hit the submit button too fast. I need an "edit" button. (Tuesday 5 August 2014; 10:47)

At Gilles (45,851) by May from Denmark He was asking about the intro though. I think she used it set the mood with the rest of the song, as an uplifting and encouraging feeling. "I've come too far from where I started from. Nobody told me that the road would be easy, I don't believe He brought me this far to leave me." That's the part from Cleveland song that she added in Heavenly. (Tuesday 5 August 2014; 10:37)

Firing JD (45,850) by Stephen from London, United Kingdom If Mariah has fired JD, I think it's definitely a step in the right direction, but only as long as she has hired someone who she will actually listen to. Whether Kevin Liles is that person, I don't know. He seems like a friend, and I hope that is not the case. I do hope that she has done it in the right way and does not make JD a scapegoat for what has been her less than stellar behaviour over the past year or so. Irrespective of whether we like or dislike JD, or our views on his tenure as her manager, one thing that can't be denied is his unwavering support of Mariah. I hope she has treated him with respect, and does not disregard his loyalty by making him a scapegoat. With all that being said, it had to be done, but Mariah needs more than new management, she needs a new attitude, work ethic and dedication to her unique selling point; her voice. (Tuesday 5 August 2014; 10:37)

At Andy (45,849) by May from Denmark The intro lyrics from Heavenly are: "Folks will taking advantage of you because they believe you're too weak to speak up for yourself, you don't have to speak up for yourself, be still and let God fight your battles." I'm sure it can be interpret as God protecting you from those who try to harm you, so you don't need to speak up because God is there watching over you, guiding you and helping you go through any trouble, so while you don't need to say anything, you can take all the blunt because God will heal you and he will take care of the people who hurt you. So you don't have to speak for yourself because while they might think you are weak, they don't know God is in you and he will help you out in times of need. She didn't specify a passage for this phrase but it's common in the Bible to find such passages (yes, there are plenty because there were plenty of fights and wars) where God's people are being given courage before going to battle their enemies, saying that God will slay them all so don't need to fear if they stand still and say nothing, God will give his people salvation and will fight their battles and that God will be with them as long as they seek and find him but if they forsake him he will forsake them. To clarify, I have no religious affiliation and I'm a secular humanist, so to me the whole lyrics do nothing but I love the vocals in it. (Tuesday 5 August 2014; 10:33)

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