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Fantastic post Matthew (41,896) by jaker20 from US You pretty much summarized in one post what I have been trying to say for months but don't have the knowledge to articulate. I have many times over that #Beautiful is her most current song in many years, probably last 8 years, and it's worth repeating it is produced by someone she hasn't worked with. MC needs to expand as an artist, grow and learn, collab. So I don't understand how growing and expanding your style equals not being true to yourself or lacks integrity. Many MC fans are just as stuck as MC herself and if you notice they are the same who likes YME which to me is shockingly uncreative and a bore, I almost thought it's a Daydream or Music Box reject. Why does she keeps on recreating past styles, she's got dozens of albums I can come back to if I want the same style. All in all, if YME is the direction she's taking, I agree with Matthew, we should be concerned because that album will bomb. (Saturday 1 March 2014; 9:56)

Tory / Mysterious 2002 interview on Vevo (41,895) by Edward from USA Tory, I agree with you. That interview is hinting something. There's no reason for them to upload a 2002 interview out of the blue, unless they want to make a statement. I think there's something cooking with Justin Timberlake. He just released two albums last year, and he already has a new single for a new album on iTunes. If it's going to take a current singer help Mariah with airplay, I don't mind. Even though I'm still mad his record label didn't approve of it back in 2002. (Saturday 1 March 2014; 9:54)

Is it me... (41,894) by Tony from US ... or does it seem unwise to reveal a release date for an unfinished album? Isn't that where we were on multiple occasions last year? And with Memoirs? And E=MC2? I feel like I'm being set up yet again. (Saturday 1 March 2014; 8:09)

TAOLG / You're Mine Eternal (41,893) by Deedre aka MiTodoChop @HBF from Canada Personally, I never considered either song as a "lead" single for the new album. IMO TAOLG was like a personal love note to the fans who have been waiting such a long time for her to release new music. YME IMO was Mariah's way of being "festive" and tiding people over who are still waiting for the album. I can't go down the road of worrying about the "state of Mariah's career" because I don't believe things are as serious with MC as they might appear to be. Sure, some professional/management changes could be very helpful for MC, but I don't think things are as dire as some feel either. (Saturday 1 March 2014; 7:24)

Re: The state of R&B (41,892) by Daydream327 from USA Yep. that's exactly what it is, they are trying to bring the 90's/early 00's sound to 2014 and it's just not gonna work. YME is just not the "sound" of today, it's too boring. This is why I suggested Mariah work with completely new producers/writers. I'm really stuck on MC working with Ryan Tedder, his work is amazing (Beyonce's XO, Adele's Turning Tables). I think they could make an outstanding ballad/midtempo. Also an powerful uplifting ballad written with Sia would be great. I just want her to work with different talented people. A lot of the new stuff is sounding very dated. I mean it's nothing we haven't heard already. That's why I'm confused as to why MC has been saying YME sounds like a classic MC record but also sounds fresh and goes with what's going on in music today. I actually believe her when she says she only listens to her own music, and maybe that's why we keep getting WBT part 2. Lol. (Saturday 1 March 2014; 5:45)

Mariah Carey 2002? CD:UK interview (41,891) by Daydream327 from USA I noticed that as well. She looked great and I loved the casual look during that era, Very very random upload though. Lol. (Saturday 1 March 2014; 5:13)

Length of posts (41,890) by Chicago Lamb from USA I love you lambs but the last 20 or so posts have been too long to hold my attention. (Saturday 1 March 2014; 5:11)

Mariah Carey 2002? CD:UK interview (41,889) by Tory from Australia A video was just uploaded on Mariah's official Vevo channel. Random, it's an interview from the Charmbracelet era. The main point of the interview is her collabo with Justin Timberlake on "Yours". Is this a hint for her new album? (Saturday 1 March 2014; 4:05)

The state of R&B (41,888) by Matthew from USA It says a lot when you can have the #15 R&B song in the country, yet not be anywhere in the Top 100 songs. The fact of the matter is that R&B is not as prevalent as it once was on radio. A lot of urban artists are struggling with airplay. Mariah was on the forefront of the mid-90's R&B movement that incorporated heavy hip-hop production and guest rappers, but that type of sound is in decline. R&B is not dead though, it's just evolving into two distinct sounds. The first is a kind of futuristic R&B that has embraced the EDM movement. Think Chris Brown, Rihanna, Beyonce. The second is a retro R&B that embraces the whole "you bring your tambourine, I'll bring my guitar and we'll be jamming around the campfire" feel-good vibe. Think #Beautiful, Pharell's "Happy", Bruno Mars. The problem with YME is not that it's not a good song, it's that it isn't retro or futuristic enough. YME is straight up last decade. It's from a time when Rodney Jerkins and JD were in their prime. That is cause for some concern since those are the two principal producers behind this project. I think Mimi is versatile enough to go futuristic or vintage, and #Beautiful was a step in the right direction, so let's hope there is more of that. It's no coincidence that #Beautiful, her freshest sound yet, was produced by someone she's never worked with, Happy Perez. Hopefully her trust and control issues will allow her to work with other new talent as well. (Saturday 1 March 2014; 3:32)

Correction (41,887) by Me. I am Carly from USA I should not have said "not too pleased with the last minute stuff". I was not referring to the quality of the songs, just the choice to work on new projects, when they need to be ready and mastered by the 6th. (Saturday 1 March 2014; 2:56)

Focused finishing album (41,886) by Me. I am Carly from USA Mariah just posted that she "isn't coming back until the album is finished" because she is "focused". That is exactly what I suspected and yes, I was saying that she had very successful last minute songs, I just get the sense there is some tension when she says she hasn't played certain songs for the record company, and that she has promised it will be ready in time. (Saturday 1 March 2014; 2:53)

Last minute songs (41,885) by Edward from USA As Stacey stated, there have been many last minute songs that were great on some of Mariah's albums e.g.: "Love Takes Time", "We Belong Together", "Shake It Off" and "Don't Forget About Us". But when a last minute song turns out to be a half cooked one, it is a different story, and that's what I think most us here are referring to. Even though "The Art of Letting Go" wasn't single material, it doesn't sound like a last minute or half cooked song. It sounds as if time and care were put into it. #Beautiful, on the other hand, was a good song, but was half and promptly cooked. Had they put a little bit more time on it, it would've turned out to be a gem. YM(E) is missing something, I don't know what, but it is. The whistle notes are phenomenal, but the rest of the song is kind of bland and boring. I do love it though, but I'm being realistic. (Saturday 1 March 2014; 2:29)

Last minute songs / MC's career / Edward (41,884) by Stacey from USA Last minute songs aren't necessarily a bad sign. Love Takes Time was added so late in the game, there were copies of the album that went to press before the song was added. It became an instant #1 classic. WBT and SIO were last minute additions too, with both songs in the top 2 on Billboard at one point. At this point, I really don't care what is going on. It's obvious MC will do what she will, for good or bad. Is she that clueless? Who knows? She's survived in the business for over 20 years. I would hope she's learned a thing or two to stay relevant. Stephen is 100% correct. You need to work with people who aren't afraid to tell you no. MC is crazy talented, but she is human and prone to making mistakes. I guess at this point I will wait for May 6th and see what she puts out. Don't count out the last minute additions. Those are usually her biggest hits. Edward, I loved your tracklisting. Hillarious. Some folks just need to laugh more. My story was so cute, so positive toward MC. Yet some nerds still hit the thumbs down button, lol. (Friday 28 February 2014; 23:19)

Response to "where's Mariah" (41,883) by Me. I am Carly from USA I totally hear you, M probably has herself on a very tight schedule because she decided to add new songs. My guess is that the record company isn't too pleased with the last minute stuff, and probably has yet to hear it fully. (Maybe she thinks the leaks are coming from inside?) It is one thing to have all the negative press of the current songs but to have an album bomb is a whole other thing. It is unlikely that a few new songs will make or break her album at this point but then again remember she had last minute songs go number one on already pressed albums so maybe she is bringing in the big guns now that she knows what the singles are doing and what the word on the street is. (Friday 28 February 2014; 22:11)

Something is off (41,882) by Daydream327 from USA It's like she has completely lost touch with reality. I just can't connect with her anymore, she's like a different person it's so weird to see. She's capable of so much more, she's too talented for this mess she's pulling, I just don't understand. I understand she has gotten older but honestly it's as if she's getting younger mentally (if that makes sense). I get that her voice will change with age that's obvious, but Mariah has proved that if she take care of her voice it could be strong and in top form, but it seems she just doesn't care anymore. (Friday 28 February 2014; 22:11)

Something is off (41,881) by Daydream327 from USA She was really nurturing her instrument, she wasn't drinking, and she was getting plenty of rest. It seemed like pregnancy had really humbled her and did wonders for her voice. I enjoyed the interviews profusely and even though the videos weren't all that great from MCIIYou the amazing music made up for it. And that was the last era where I felt I really connected with her. Nowadays I'm lost. Everything sounds forced and uninspired. There are no feeling or emotional connection in the music. The performances are all about her trying to look sexy as possible. The vocals and lyrics are very lazy and basic. Her interviews had gotten annoying and very repetitive. She simply can't stay on topic, she's goes on and on about things like her dogs and things that really don't matter. (Friday 28 February 2014; 22:10)

Something is off (41,880) by Daydream327 from USA There were a couple of things I observed when Mariah was pregnant. Firstly, the best thing about it was she didn't obsess over how she looked. Being pregnant forced her to focus more on her voice rather than trying to be "sexy" all the time and as a result we got some amazing live performances from that era. Those performances kind of took me back to when Mariah would just get on stage and sing her heart out and show people why she had one of the greatest voices of all time. When I watched the Christmas In Washington and ABC special performances it reminded me of why I feel in love with her voice and talent. I was just so proud to be a lamb. Another thing I noticed she just seemed to be in such a great space creatively and emotionally and it really showed through the music. Her voice at the time was just out of this world. (Friday 28 February 2014; 22:09)

The Art Of Letting Go (41,879) by Antonio from Spain I'm going off-topic with the whole management thing, but I would like to point out how the song TAOLG is growing on me, I really do think it's gonna become one of my Mariah all-time favourite songs. I like the music, the vocals and the theme that surrounds the lyrics, as I can feel very attached to it. I think that together with #Beautiful, these are two great songs, as someone posted here earlier, she went out of her comfort zone. I feel that You're Mine is weaker, it's okay as an album cut, but I don't think it's a strong single, it sounds dated, and it reminds me of WBT, yes. I just can't wait for the album to be released. What are your thoughts on the song TAOLG? Love. (Friday 28 February 2014; 21:06)

That voice (41,878) by Joyce from USA The song would be great if she did not sound like she just woke up. Imagine Mariah in 2005 vocally tuned singing this new song. It would be number 5. The voice is falling apart by too much 10 year bed rest. I would have thought she would have been afraid to get up on that piano and rootching around, flailing her legs about out of fear she'd become disoriented and fall off again. I think what Mariah is suffering from is "Herd Separation Effect", (aka Micheal Jackson Effect) where severe isolation from the rest of the herd over long periods of time, certain social skills become atrophied and the person becomes disconnected and out of touch because of the far removed separation. In this case, constant praise, fame, financial abundance and glory of extreme success contribute to the carreer disconnect. I hoped that Nick would help bring her back to earth and in the beginning he did but she seems to be floating back up to the clouds again with the Marilyn persona and partying "splashes" every day. (Friday 28 February 2014; 19:20)

Fredoone (41,877) by Andy Tjondro from Indonesia Hi lamb, I'm interested in your collection. Could you please send me the list of items for sale. My email address is andy.tjondro@gmail.com. Thanks. (Friday 28 February 2014; 18:32)

What "management" is and isn't (41,876) by nikki from usa A manager's job is to oversee your project, set up a schedule to get you seen, and create/close deals for you. They have no control over your choreography, artistic direction, or what you look like. Benny Medina is a shady character who has a hard time keeping an artist for more than a few years because he creates a lot of bad blood and does some backstabby things. He can get things shaking and moving, no doubt. But, it comes at a price. Chris Lighty died rather suddenly and MC has been scrambling to find a proper replacement since. Randy was alright, but he still had AI duty and MC's injury cost her in that regard. JD has no experience, is still an artist himself, as well as an active producer for others so I think his attention is divided. Mariah needs a manager full time with experience who is innovative, not friends with other career obligations. I don't see Mariah being interested in "handling" her own schedule or having a problem "listening" to someone else. She is after all the queen of collabos. She doesn't entirely trust herself and is looking for everyone else's approval. Just look at her decision for AI. She didn't want to do it, but Randy, Nick, and even Prince told her to it so she did it. I think Mariah has trust issues and maybe someone screwed her over in the past. That would explain why she keeps hiring friends. (Friday 28 February 2014; 17:40)

Where's Mariah? (41,875) by nikki from usa Instead of taking the Beautiful approach and having every station in the land play the song at once, this was released in sections instead. OK, so she does the east coast radio shows the first week and debuts the music video at the end of the week. She introduces it to Ryan Seacrest, debuts the remix video on BET, and does west coast interviews in week 2. Then ends with the BET Honors show. Nice. Now, we're in week 3 when Def Jam is supposed to begin their media blitz and are nowhere to be found. Mariah's done 1 interview this week and fell off the face of the earth. This is the time to be hitting hard, to be singing live, and to be seen. Where did she go? The radio interviews are paying off as this song has been steadily climbing radio and continues to be a major gainer this week. Due to MC's lambs, she charted in the first week, when she really shouldn't have. The lambs got her to #11 on iTunes that first day and continued to buy throughout the week. That's why she charted. But now it's up to the public, but this song hasn't been out long enough with enough people to hear it regularly to want to take the next step to buy it. That usually takes a few more weeks or a few live shows to make that impact. So again I ask, where's MC? (Friday 28 February 2014; 17:17)

Re: Management of Randy (41,873) by jaker20 from US Stephen, the last official announcement, just after American Idol, is that Randy is MC's manager. As you say, her friend. If MC is managed by a friend, that's code for "I am the manager". The friend, whoever it is, will bow to everything MC says. And that is exactly the problem, the problem we've been seeing since she parted with Benny. She has to let others do this work for her so she can focus on her art and her creative expression. MC doesn't know anything other than touch her hair and hips. Benny forced her to learn choreo and a few dance moves, as basic as they are, at least that's not the aforementioned hair and hip-touching we've been seeing these past few years. I am in now way saying MC should learn how to dance this time in her carer. I'm saying she has to stretch somehow, like the way she carries herself on and off the stage. A "friend-manager" won't make her be the best she can be. They will just go to the studio, hang out and well, drink champagne. (Friday 28 February 2014; 17:05)

Re: Management problem (41,872) by jaker20 from US Haru, you are absolutely correct. It was definitely Benny who "straightened" MC. MC has a very head-strong, stubborn character. Most artists do, and I consider MC a artistic pop genius. So she needs someone who is equally strong, and it was Benny who had the whip in his hand who I see will stand up against MC's antics. Some artists, when they get very successful, they think they had it all together. But artists should not manage themselves or even have the last say. They have to surrender control to strong managers who see the bigger picture. I'm gonna say this, MC's head had swollen into epic proportions. And why not? With all the titles she's been labelled: "artist of the century", "most no.1", etc. etc. Imagine what that's doing to her brain? So yeah, managing an image, schedules, priorities, etc of an artist, that takes a no-nonsense manager. MC can't do it, and she won't change. So I think she needs a very strong manager who will handle her with an iron fist and tell her as it is. But with how arrogant she's become, I don't know if you can find someone like Benny. Otherwise, this is it for her. But we don't know, maybe that's what she wants. (Friday 28 February 2014; 16:47)

Mariah's management (41,871) by Paul from Usa I believe she should be managed by a professional who's been in the business for a while. I believe she has an issue with being told what to do, and that's why her managers quickly burn out. There's a rumor that she's gone through a bunch of nannies already, this probably stems from Tommy Motola's controlling personality. I think it's a terrible idea to let her husband or friends act as management, she needs to keep her relationship with her manager professional. (Friday 28 February 2014; 16:29)

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