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Re: Carla (42,108) by G.G. from USA You can love and support someone and not like everything they do. I hated Triumphant and I did not buy it. I am not spending my money on a song I feel is garbage. I also am an expert, an expert in what I like. I listen to all types of music. I don't need a degree in music theory in order to know whether or not I like a song. Constructive criticism is what makes people better, some people are just not good at taking the constructive criticism. I'm afraid that MC has surrounded herself with people who only say yes to her. That's not good. This is, after all, the music business. If you can't sell records you will get dropped from your label and that would be humiliating. (Friday 14 March 2014; 15:58)

RadChad (42,107) by Tiina from Finland I don't really see a big difference. Every singer and musician is influenced by someone before them and they all borrow things. Ariana is doing the same thing and she has her own poppier sound in which she's applying the kind of things she likes. Yes, it's intentional. Artists always go for some specific sound depending on what inspires them. You know, Mariah herself has intentionally gone for a specific sound when she borrowed from the likes of Emotions and Alicia Meyers' song I Want To Thank You Heavenly Father for Make It Happen, which she was sued for. Mariah also intentionally went for a similar vibe to Aaliyah's sound on the Butterfly album for Babydoll. Listen to Aaliyah's One In A Million and it's pretty clear where the "inspiration" came from. Mariah even seeked for Missy to create a similar feel for her song. So what is the difference there? And what's so wrong? Nothing. Just artists being inspired by each other or "copying" each other, however you wanna put it. Ariana has her own flavour to it while yes, she is intentionally going for a specific sound and that's not a crime. Unless you use specific arrangements and parts from other people's work, like Mariah and David actually did and went to court for. Just saying. And lastly, I want to make sure you know I respect your opinion and I'm not going to figh about this like so many here fight all day long, it's childish. We're just exchanging opinions. (Friday 14 March 2014; 15:52)

(42,106) by J from USA Oh please, stop it. I support Mariah but I'm not like a lot of you that always have to call anyone who criticizes Mariah a hater. That's one of the reasons why she's in the position she is in right now. A bunch of yes people around her that don't sit her down and let her know the truth, and if they do maybe she's just in denial. I don't like You're Mine but did I buy it? Yes I did. I always do my part. Another thing, stop blaming everyone around MC when it comes the underperformance of her singles. What is her management team supposed to do? Go out and perform the song for her? This era has been so disorganized. She releases a single but doesn't promote it in favor of finishing the album, which has been in the final stages for like 4 months now. Why even bother releasing a single then. You're Mine is rising on radio but let's be real, the song won't survive on airplay alone. Digital downloads play a big part in a songs success nowadays and sadly the song has disappeared on iTunes. We as fans do out part even though we have our different opinions. Blame the general public, who obviously were not interested in the song. (Friday 14 March 2014; 15:45)

Influenced copycat (42,105) by RadChad from United States I just want to point out that there's a difference between being inspired by another artist and being a copycat. Mariah was never that latter IMO. Though her label pinned her against Whitney and she was inspired by Minnie Riperton's whistle register, she has always interjected originality into everything she ever did and has always been an authentic artist and creative force. I actually love when I hear Mariah's influence in other female artists, because it show that her legacy will live on and on regardless of how her career ends up. In regards to Ariana Grande, she has a cute voice and I would like to see her go far, but I am a little taken back that lambs have gotten to the point where they are comparing her to Mariah as if she could replace or match her. We must remember Mariah is often imitated, but never duplicated. Lol. (Friday 14 March 2014; 15:04)

Mariah's voice (42,104) by Tiina from Finland What I am worried about is her voice. It's in a pretty bad shape and I'm saying this not to be mean but because I'm truly worried for her. At the tree lighting ceremony last year, she had only 1 chance to get it right, so no prerecorded vocals and she didn't have multiple takes. She hasn't done that since when? It was a real struggle for Mariah and her voice cracked on a simple head voice note. It was shocking. It's one thing to have matured and to have your voice alter in time, which is only natural but to not be able to hold a note. Mariah stopped taking lessons from Pat pretty early on and went the other way, so she hasn't been taking lessons for decades and she's been singing these songs that require a lot from her voice. Technique would have saved her voice. Even if you're naturally talented but not trained, you don't really know how to preserve your voice. A great technique will get you through bad vocal days. I'm a singer myself and a technique nerd. There are some great therapheutic exercises for singers with vocal damage and there is a way to work your voice back even if you have nodules. But Mariah has been on her own for decades and because she's more mature now and has had kids, she simply doesn't have that young age as her advantage, even if she won't accept that fact. She simply cannot continue this way, she will lose what she has left of her voice. She needs an open mind, vocal therapy and time. The constant alcohol consumption only makes matters worse. (Friday 14 March 2014; 13:49)

Grande (42,103) by Tiina from Finland Since MC is one of the most influential singers ever and she's been one for 20+ years, it's only natural that her influence shows in other artists' work. I don't think it's tacky at all that Grande's sound is similar. Mariah herself borrowed from a lot of singers like Riperton and she was compared to Whitney bacause of similar tone and use of melisma. In other words, she could be called a copycat as well. Every singer could. There's no reason to be upset, singers naturally borrow from other singers they like and some artists are similar to others. I think Ariana has a great sound and a beautiful light voice, but it lacks depth. Mariah has more of a soulful textured voice. Anyway, Grande has put out 1 album so far, it's yet to be seen if she has longevity and if she can stand on her own without comparisons. I'm pretty sure she'll be around and successful but please, MC has nothing to worry about. I don't care how many can do the whistle, no one will ever have the beauty and the soul of Mariah's voice, no one will ever have the writing ability to produce 18 number 1's and create an outstanding body of work that inspires generations. No one will ever have the ability to crossover all over the world or have the personality and the looks like Mariah, period. (Friday 14 March 2014; 13:35)

Have a little faith (42,102) by Tiina from Finland You don't have to love everything she puts out. When Triumphant came out, I didn't like it and even #Beautiful I wasn't that excited about, but both songs have grown on me since that time. As for Almost Home and YME, they don't do it for me. But I appreciate that she puts out new material. I'm here to support her because I believe in her as a person and an artist. I don't need her to be back at number 1. She has nothing to prove, only to stay true to herself. But I'm certainly not blind to her behaviour. Sometimes she seems erratic during interviews but I think that happens when she doesn't rest properly, she gets this attitude and if you're tired you just snap and she has a tendency to spin around. But hello, she's human. Other times she can be appropriate, professional and stick to discussing her artistry like on the Ralphie show. It was clear she was rested and in a good mood. We all have good days and bad days. (Friday 14 March 2014; 13:22)

Thirsty / Ariana (42,101) by Mimi L. from Empower Your Highlighter In the recent interview MC says that she can't wait until her fans hear "Thirsty" when the album comes out, I'm a little disappointed because I was hoping she released that or the Mike Will track before the album release. I hope she just said that because she didn't want to reveal her plans about another single. About Ariana, please enough with that argument, so Mariah didn't acknowledge Ariana's existence, boo hoo, get over it. Nobody wants to hear that there is now a "younger" version of them to possibly replace them (ugh I cringed at myself for even writing that Ariana can replace MC). Why is it so hard for people to just accept that yes eventhough M is a multimillionaire record setting/breaking superstar, she is still insecure and feels threatened. I think it's perfectly normal, and it's not like she didn't say she doesn't care about Ariana, she wished youngsters well. She's a busy person and I don't think it's shocking if she never heard of Ariana or didn't hear Beyonce's new chart burning song. Give it a rest, it's not like Ariana is any better, she keeps going out of her way to claim her style is different than M's, when actually we all can hear it's a major rip off. After years of being controlled, M finally found her freedom in 2005 when she did what she wanted and was acclaimed for that, only to again have people write her off, so yes I think her insecurities are well justified. (Friday 14 March 2014; 12:38)

Mariah (42,100) by George Golden from UK Triumphant Pulse remix, Almost Home, Beautiful are amazing singles that shows that Mariah has still got it. These songs should have been properly promoted. People are still into Mariah, they are just sick of her trying so desperately to be hood. She didn't start off like this only after she started doing hip hop she became an addict. I've been listening to her older tracks and I just cant believe how amazing she was, reminding me why I love her so much. Please Mariah go back to your roots and stop all these hip hop ballads, it just ridiculous at this point. You're Mine could have been an amazing song if it wasn't produced like We Belong Together. Now she has run off again to go and bring another single and predictably the same style. Really frustrating to think that someone thinks they can keep doing the same thing and get a different result each time. All she is intrested in now is to force her nakedness down our throats. Lol. It's a shame because her husband can't tell her it's bad, her manager can't tell her it's bad and even her friends can't advice her. Because she is running the show like she has always wanted. I just pray she releases the damn album already. (Friday 14 March 2014; 12:02)

Insecurities (42,099) by Darryle from USA People keep bringing up Mariah's insecurities and saying she should try to fix them and stuff. Well she is, she's said so herself she knows she's insecure and she tries really hard to fix it but it is hard for her. And I believe it's hard for her. She's always been insecure. When she was little her race then the whole time she was with Tommy they said things like only show her left profile because your right one is ugly. When you're around that type of negativity for so long it's hard to get rid of. I honestly doubt Mariah's gonna get rid of hers. (Friday 14 March 2014; 11:21)

Mariah's new album prediction (42,098) by ADAM from USA Thank you Marissa. That's exactly my feelings about MC. I really hope she brings it this time around, however so far I'm a bit skeptical based on the several singles we've heard thus far. On Triumphant, I couldn't believe how her vocals were downed played and acted as a feature on her own song. Her vocals were so thin and a shadow of what they used to sound like even comparing it against anything on the Rainbow album. I hope we'll be pleasantly surprised with this record. When Nick said awhile ago MC was listening to all her older work getting inspired again, I thought great, maybe she is getting the message loud and clear from what we love and miss from her - assertive vocals, belting, introspective lyrics you name it. I hope I'm wrong, I would like to be. I just think she's acting erratic to detract from the fact her voice is in irreparable shape. Think about it, MC doesn't tour anymore and she has been hibernating for years now so ideally her voice should be rested and in great condition - however she never sings live. Last time she did sing live was for Memoirs album in 2008. If anyone wants to hear the condition of how thin her voice is just YouTube Today Show and listen to anyone of the songs and tell me it's not scary how very voice is worn. BTW don't use the same tired excuse that's its a morning show. Fact is MC knows what's up, that's why she prerecords all performances. Also she was caught lip syncing to TMB on GMA for such an easy song to sing. (Friday 14 March 2014; 3:29)

Strike two (42,097) by Lamb_O_Chop from Australia Wow did someone really just say "The Way and Almost Is Never Enough are the caliber of music we should be getting from Mariah"? So basically Mariah should copy her "poor man's imitation"? Chile on that note I'm really logging now. Bye lambily, enjoyed you profusely. (*wiggles fingers bye like Mariah*) (Friday 14 March 2014; 3:12)

Re: Carla and others (42,096) by Daydream327 from USA You're right, we all have our opinions and maybe some of us are just venting from frustration but I have never and will never disrespect MC. It's called constructive criticism. Sorry for knowing what Mariah is capable of and knowing she's better than any of this mess she has been releasing as of late. As lambs we support Mariah and I feel we have every right to express our opinions and disappointments. So if telling the truth is being a "hater" or "fake" then so be it. Besides if the fans don't speak up, who will? It's clear Mariah's team doesn't care. All we're doing is expressing what most lambs are afraid to say because they don't want to be considered a "goat". This has nothing to do with MC following trends or topping the charts. Lambs love using the "oh if YME was topping the charts, lambs would love it". Well, not this lamb. TMB was #1, and I hated it. Least played MC song ever. Mariah is at a point in her career where she shouldn't be worrying about trends or topping the charts, she should to be worried about leaving her legacy. But sadly to do this, she'll first have to accept her age. (Friday 14 March 2014; 2:32)

Laughing matter (42,095) by Carol from Spain Most of you people need to get a reality check on what being a fan means. It's alright to disagree with what she does but it's your job to support no matter what. I take my dedication very seriously but I'm far from delusional and I'm not going to public pages' page, including hers, calling her names. I leave that to the non believers. Now I do believe MC should listen to the ones that like her the way she is, instead of listening to a bunch of second degree crítics. Mariah believes in her music, she deserves the benefit of the doubt from me, the fan. Then there's the thing called constructive criticism. You can do that if you're an expert in the matter and if you are at her level. If not, keep opinions to yourselves. And, last time I checked, positive criticism should be saying something bad in a nice easy and all I see here is what you guys think she should do to please you, not herself as a musician. Mariah changed from the 90's to now but most of you is stuck and that isn't her fault. (Friday 14 March 2014; 0:57)

Questioning our lamb status? (42,094) by Marissa from USA I'm tired of people challenging our lamb status the minute someone gives Mariah constructive criticism. I feel like a true lamb steps up and talks about the things that need improvement because we want to see Mariah win. The path she's on is not impressive. Everything we are talking about on here is stuff that she has the power to change. Just like with family, you may love them, but you aren't going to agree with everything they do. Some of you guys are more devoted to Mariah than you are to your own family. The issue is that Mariah only seems to be in touch with lambs that agree with everything she does, which isn't going to lead to improvement. As far as Ariana, you shouldn't be worried about a 20 year old even if she is similar to Mariah. She doesn't stand a chance of achieving Mariah's success because music doesn't sell like that anymore. She doesn't have the power to take away anything Mariah's achieved, so why does it matter? If Mariah is serious about protecting her legacy then she better make some memorable music because songs like YME and TAOLG make it easy for anyone to blow her out of the water because they are forgettable regardless of whether they are doing well on the charts. Say what you want about Ariana, but her songs The Way and Almost Is Never Enough are the caliber of music we should be getting from Mariah. (Thursday 13 March 2014; 22:57)

A response to all the hostile lambs who don't know how to share opinions about MC (42,093) by ADAM from USA I really can't stand how some fans on here cannot accept whenever other fans who are unbiased express opinions that are not completely "everything MC does is #1 and great". I believe real fans are the ones who can objectively look at someone's track record of material and be able to critique it for what it is (all the while having love for the artist). Just because we say the truth about MC's increasingly annoying mannerisms and sub-par songs and live performances, doesn't mean that will not listen to her music or support it. That is the difference. Haters would just not support the artist and continue to trash talk them while having no history of their work or context. We on the other hand love MC and critique her based on the potential we have witnessed from her. Instead of bashing fans like myself, why not interject reasons why we may feel vindicated for what were saying or provide proof otherwise? I like this message board because of the exchange of ideas between lambs from around the globe. Let's keep up the lively debates on her work. I really appreciate everyone's candor and perspective. (Thursday 13 March 2014; 22:45)

Lamb O Chop, Mariah's Facebook wall today (42,092) by Blake from USA LambO: Thank you for saying that. I actually stopped posting and reading because of the nonsense on this board. However I just noticed Mariah posted the "I don't understand (your hair)" in Spanish from Honey. But she cut off the "hair" part. I am wondering if this is a statement that she doesn't understand why her lambily isn't supporting YME. She also posted to buy the single. I find this interesting, maybe she is finally seeing there is a problem. I am glad it's growing at radio. (Thursday 13 March 2014; 22:23)

Have mercy (42,090) by Lamb_O_Chop from Australia I've sat back and watched the commentary on this messageboard go straight to hell in a gasoline straight jacket. . "Ariana Grande fills a void Mariah has left since 98." Chile really? How exactly? By being a karaoke singer? Whose music nor her voice has the depth or conviction Mariah's music has. And yes even today's Mariah. I just can't with some of you all right now, spewing pure blasphemy as such. (*plays Bye Bye in memory of Isaac then exits into another hiatus*) (Thursday 13 March 2014; 18:15)

Lambs forget then exaggerate (42,089) by nikki from usa Quite frankly, this song is amazing and is still rising. Fans on this messageboard are fairweather when it comes to hits. Remember how everyone thought E=MC2 sucked until they listened to it for a few years and now it's most of your favorites? Most people on here will mention what great song Hero, Butterfly, or Vanishing is. But, you know what they all have in common? None is an over the top vocal or the most genius lyrics ever written. They were straight forward songs with a simple melody that told a story with it's own "mood". So is You're Mine. If this song was blasting up the charts no one would be saying anything. What lambs forget is most of MC's hit songs took time, they didn't all debut at #1. You're Mine is still climbing at radio and why is everyone's panties in a bind? There's still 2 freaking months left before her album drops. That's plenty of time for this song to climb. Mariah hasn't begun tv promotions yet. Has she ever released an album without doing that? Do you really think she's not going to be singing this live while promoting her album? She starts singing this live and you'll see the song jolt. (Thursday 13 March 2014; 18:02)

Re Daydream327 and others (42,088) by Carol from Spain You're opinion is like mine: an opinion. If you and the fanbase don't know where you stand when it comes to MC don't blame her for it. And like I said, Mariah has the worse fans on the planet because you are here when she is hot and disappear when she is not. The new album will be amazing and I can bet some here won't even buy it. Put on your thick skull Mariah will never do what everyone eles is doing. Accept it or don't call yourselves fans. It's your fault you didn't evolve with time, not hers. And calling MC a stuck up? You guys are worse then the haters. Bye. (Thursday 13 March 2014; 17:59)

RJJ12 (42,087) by Jenny from South Africa I completely agree with you. You said everything I've been thinking. Mariah is wonderful towards Kelly, Bey and Rihanna. And others as well like Jordin Sparks and Ciara. Even Brandy, Britney and Fantasia. And she's also always been great towards Whitney, Celine and Mary J Blige who are part of her generation. And how amazing was she with Candice from Idol? Who is a great singer. And she didn't diss Ariana in that interview anyway. She wished her well. Beyonce and Kelly Clarkson are amazing powerhouse singers and I would think if Mariah was going to feel threatened by anyone it would be them but she clearly adores them both. And you're right, neither of them rip off her sound even though she influenced them both and I also think that earned her respect more than the Leona Lewis and Ariana Grande type singers who do copy her style too much. I really don't think it's accurate to say Mariah doesn't acknowledge any younger female singers. (Thursday 13 March 2014; 17:39)

Ariana (42,086) by Kenny from Canada Sorry but if I wanted to listen to someone who sounds like Mariah, I'd rather just listen to Mariah and not a wanna-be. I laugh everytime I hear a new singer being hailed as the "new" Mariah. That's what they said about Jessica Simpson and Leona Lewis - where are they now? It takes more than just an adorable face and nice singing voice to fill Mariah's shoes. Mariah's voice has power, range and soul - Ariana's has maybe one of those things. (Thursday 13 March 2014; 16:27)

More mature audience (42,085) by Tony from Ireland Well, I can't feel more exited about Mariah's new album. I do believe she is gonna make people talk about her new music with a big "wow". I don' t care how long she has taken for the project to be finish, for me it is going to be worthy and of course I do love all her body of work. That's basically why I consider myself a fan. As many of you said before, all the people who now said any kind of stuff about her will come back as die hard fans. Never mind. And, common. She's been always a diva. Hahaha. And I love how she can say anything that's coming through her mind. When she is getting too serious that's too serious, when she's been playful and crazy funny on interviews, she's an alcoholic. Crazy. Ad many other things. Of course I do not agree with YME as a single but it is not as bad as her "lambs" said. Hilarious because lots of non fans are loving it. Peace and love. (Thursday 13 March 2014; 15:32)

Lee (42,084) by Musti from UK I agree. I think Ariana is very talented. She's still very young and is bound to find her own voice and style in one or two more albums (remember when Christina broke free with Stipped?). And to be honest I do think her album has been shaped to sound like Mariah. When you're just breaking onto the music scene it helps to be compared to a living legend. And guess what, it worked. She got her name out there and her album debuted at #1. She doesn't possess the maturity of Mariah's tone when Mariah arrived with her first album, nor her massive range. But Ariana is definitely a fresh breath of air in today's music world of Rihannas and other similar entertainers, as opposed to real singers. Of course I don't like that she's being called the "new Mariah". It does threaten Mariah's popularity with younger generations. Though the flipside also means young kids who might not know about Mariah will get to hear about her through these comparisons and take up her discography should they wish. (Thursday 13 March 2014; 15:06)

Arianna, filling a void left open since 1998 (42,083) by Lee from UK Am I the only one who actually couldn't care less if Arianna is ripping off Mariah's earlier work? I am a massive fan of Mariah's earlier work and have been longing for it to return ever since (the disaster that was) Rainbow. If Mariah is not going to give it to us, then I'm sure glad someone is. In all honesty, we can bitch as much as we want, but Arianna actually has talent. I'm not saying she will ever be as big or as adorned with accolades as Mariah is, but for me she is filling a hole where Mariah's earlier work left off. For that I take off my hat. (Thursday 13 March 2014; 10:54)

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