Messageboard

Steve from Londondary England (41,557) by Joyce from USA I think you have a great point about recapturing adult audiences. After all, that was where she emerged from early in her career. But the challenge there is the actual degraded quality in her voice as in her past eras. Though reinventing yourself doesn't necessarily mean one does so for any target audiences, or being disingenuous for sell out purposes, but rather remaining fresh, forward and current. To those who are very young, it's like a software update to remain current and to remain current is to remain relevent, and not to a specific audiance but to the present total market. Mariah has herself refreshed/updated from time to time, from curly self-styling her own hair in 1990, to bone straight hair in Anytime You Need A Friend, and short barely there mini dress in Honey to curly and big like in Divas Live in 99. She tried an 80's flair back in 2001 with Glitter but from 2006 on has stayed the same pretty much, with variations of the cougar hair and glamour gowns from the TEOM tours. Artists and music evolve over time, saxophones or guitar solo bridges like back in the 70's and 80's are out, as is the lovely singing styles of Linda Ronstadt and Oliva Newton John, I still play on my record player from time to time whilst sitting with all my cats. I'm just saying a refresh is in order, a software update to be more palatable in the present environment and not collect dust from stagnancy. (Friday 21 February 2014; 1:00)

Cute story, Mariah related (41,556) by Stacey from USA I got into organizing my kitchen today. My five year old daughter was watching TV in the adjoining room. I turn on an MC mix playing IBLYLT. She turns around and asks, "Mom, did you turn on that beautiful music?" Yes, the next generation of MC fans are in good hands, lol. (Friday 21 February 2014; 0:55)

You're Mine / album / new single (41,555) by Musti from UK John, I agree that Mariah really wants to have another #1. She's proud of her #1's. In my opinion You're Mine had a great shot at hitting at least top 20. It's Mariah at her best in a really charming and radio-friendly song. I truly believe it's the video that destroyed its chances at being a hit. Similar to the disaster that was the #Beautiful video. She is just not good at vanity. Nevertheless the music is still perfect. All the songs she has released since MCIIYou show a different side of her as a singer and songwriter. She even managed to make an anthem out of a simple song like Bring It On Home. The way she soars at the end is to die for. I think the album's release date of May 6th is quite convenient. Perhaps IDJ tested the waters with YM. Seeing how it has underperformed I wouldn't be surprised if it gets the "Valentine's Day single" treatment (like Glitter got the soundtrack treatment) and they move forward with a new single before the album comes out. She's been giving major love to Hitboy lately. Anyone feeling thirsty? (Friday 21 February 2014; 0:40)

First singles (41,554) by Matthew from USA I'm just wondering why there is so much stress around the first single. The Emancipation Of Mimi was Mariah's most successful album of the last decade. The lead single for that album was It's Like That. I don't know where that song peaked, but I know it didn't go to number one. It was the second song from the album (We Belong Together) that made it a best seller. I'm just trying to say that the lead singe, while important, does not make or break an album. Let's all take a deep calm breath. Wax on, wax off. Lol. (Friday 21 February 2014; 0:14)

Butterfly (41,553) by Dav from Ireland I got married yesterday. I played Butterfly as my husband and myself entered the room. Everyone cried as she sung the first line. I was amazed. It's always been my favorite song and I'm delighted to see the power it had on others. (Friday 21 February 2014; 0:14)

John (41,552) by Isaac Ortiz from USA Don't be so hard on my lady. I do agree about what you stated about "You're mine". I feel the same way about the song. But you have to remember, Mariah isn't the one who picks her singles. I think maybe this is why she is annoyed or upset. Maybe the song she wanted to be the single is the song you or me wanted. We just have to be patient. I'm sure the new album is great. As for it being her last, I highly doubt it. Maybe her last with IDJ. Or like someone posted, if it is, I'm sure she'll pop back with one and surprise everybody. She still can sing and will always be talented and number one. I'm really excited to know what she will name the album. How many tracks? Double album? Whatever, I just want to hear Mariah. (Thursday 20 February 2014; 22:40)

My reply (41,549) by Joyce from USA Hum. I'll try to be less wordy here but: No, no artist should ever be fake or fraudulent in order to gain appeal. Please understand, that is not what I said nor anyone else here is saying now. I totally understand your point though, to not do anything drastic or desperate and to remain authentic and not to sell out as, I could not agree more. The challenge here for any artist especially ones who came to be 20 years ago, is combining the elements of the magic of who you are individually in today's market. The dresses in my closet are from the 70's and 80's and I would love to compose my own personal music the way I personally love it however, it would sound totally 80's and early 90's. I have to keep up with the current music market and within those constraints of keeping with in the range of public trends of music now, try to come up with material that's current and distinctly my own. My recommendations earlier were to utilize the art of communication of appearances to effectively speak to today's listeners whilst being true to your self - that balance of both worlds for the benefit of your career in this business. Madonna and Cher have managed to find that balance and everyone else, I'm not comparing them to Mariah at all, so please let's not start that dialogue. Aso, sorry for the undertone of mean. I'm so groutchy by lack of sleep. Life is hard at times. Hope all is well with everyone else. (Thursday 20 February 2014; 21:54)

Promotion (41,548) by Stacey from USA I've been most critical of MC in the past for not having "it together" with regards to promotion. This time around, however, things look different. She announced the song weeks in advance. Once it dropped, the video and remixes were released within days. That is a huge difference from what we've seen in the past year or so with other songs. She would release a song and the video would come out weeks later, if that. Delays would be announced with no real reason why. Not good. I'm willing to give MC the benefit of the doubt because her actions as of late show a more ready Mariah. Radio is at the heart of promotion. You get them on board, and the rest will fall into place. I do agree doing shows like Fallon, Ellen, and The View are important. But, I think you'll reach a wider audience by getting radio to play your song. Time will tell. (Thursday 20 February 2014; 21:44)

Video boring (Will) (41,547) by Hana from UK Videos have evolved over time. A lot of videos were pretty simple in the 80/90's. It's an era of creativity right about now. Mariah has to come with something innovative and more experimental or her videos will just fade into the background. "Video killed the radio star." (Thursday 20 February 2014; 21:23)

TAOLG / Triumphant (41,546) by Mimi L. from Empower Your Highlighter I wish articles would just stop calling the album TAOLG already, I mean come on. The legend herself has confirmed it's no longer the title. On another note, so I know many people, mostly lambs, did not appreciate Triumphant and said it was a bad song or whatever, but honestly I really love the song, it's upbeat, the lyrics of the chorus are uplifting and motivating, and the song has a nice beat. To top that off, the video was great, with M being the perfect glamor girl/diva and all the golden accents throughout the video. Yes, I will agree it wasn't the greatest choice for the lead single (at that point it was the supposed lead single), because people waited since 2009 to hear Mariah's new album and when they heard the rappers taking center stage, and M being the hook girl, it pissed off people, especially since M's signature/brand is her outstanding vocals. But keeping all those aside, I personally think the song isn't half as bad as people make it out to be, infact it's one of my favorite tracks of Mariah, the original and the vintage remix. Had Rihanna or JLo done the same, it would have been considered a great song because people don't really expect powerhouse vocals from them. It's just unfair to Mariah. (Thursday 20 February 2014; 21:09)

Easy to be a fan (41,545) by enwar00 from usa For me it's easy to be a fan, because I love her voice and I like the song, and in a couple months I'll get to enjoy a whole new album. As long as I'm able to connect to her songs, I'm good. You're Mine literally moved me enough to send flowers to an ex on Valentine's Day. (Thursday 20 February 2014; 20:50)

I just don't understand (41,544) by John from USA You would think after all these years, being the competitive person that she is, Mariah would know how to ignite a new era. I initially hated "You're Mine", but am happy to admit that it has grown on me (when I loved "Almost Home" and "Beautiful" after the first listen). But it's not a hit, it's too generic, slow, and boring. It's just not a hit. If Mariah no longer cares about radio and relevancy, than fine. But I think that she does. I think she wants another hit. But why on Earth would she put this out first when the album probably has so many better singles. It's like "Bye Bye" vs. "Migrate" all over again. I think her career won't ever recover after the missed opportunity that was E=MC2. She's gonna be 44, she lost her chance for more solid hits after TMB. She's lucky "Obsessed" did as well as it did. Sigh. Such a hard time to be a Mariah fan right now. (Thursday 20 February 2014; 17:28)

Mariah seems really annoyed (41,543) by Me. I am Carly from USA Although I posted about the possibility of this being her last album, I just don't really believe that. Isn't this her last album for her current company? Maybe that is where this last thing is really stemming from. Do you all remember one of the recent interviews in which she stated (paraphrasing) that she did not like leaving the studio to do promo? To me this is her way of saying that the company she is with is not helping and she has to do all the leg work which I think pisses her off. I think she is all very upset about ageism. My feeling is she is gonna really spill it once she is elsewhere. (Thursday 20 February 2014; 17:22)

That's a surprise, it's good (41,542) by Twisterman from Brazil It's so good to see YM(E) go well and much better than some people were describing here. But I hope this goes still up and up, although if it's not #1, I believe it can be like ILT and WBT. And the next will hit many weeks at #1. (Thursday 20 February 2014; 17:17)

Jazz album? (41,541) by Mara from United States I hope everything with MC is ok. I hope she does not decide to have this to be her last album, maybe it is getting confused with the last album with IDJ. But am I alone in wishing Mariah would ever record a jazz album? A while back she popped in a jazz club and sat with the piano player and just did improvised. It was amazing. Something along the lines of Christmas Time Is In The Air Again. The way her voice sounds on that song is so fitting. She has such a great voice for jazz. Mariah and piano is perfection. Add strings is beautiful. Has anyone ever heard her duet with Tony Bennett? The song is called When Do The Bells Ring For Me. That sound plus her glamorous "old Hollywood" look. Imagine MC standing in front of an orchestra with her signature old school mic and her looking old Hollywood. Maybe that is more fitting for her voice now too. Just my opinion. She probably would never do it. (Thursday 20 February 2014; 17:15)

BET as a video (41,540) by Me. I am Carly from USA I would love her team to release the BET performance as a video. Don't you think that would be very successful? (I think someone else may have also mentioned this in a longer post.) (Thursday 20 February 2014; 17:12)

Edward / Stephen (41,539) by Licia from USA I'm glad that you all are clarifying and explaining stuff because people are acting like she's not doing anything at all to promote the song. (Thursday 20 February 2014; 16:58)

If this is her last (41,538) by Me. I am Carly from USA The voice. Most artists that go away don't stay away, so there is always a chance that if she leaves she will come back. I am just curious if she is going be getting some sort of vocal surgery and therefore is not sure about her future. Dembabies. If Mariah does not end up performing, we will very likely end up hearing some major Mariah type instruments in the way of Moroccan and Monroe down the line. Totally will break my heart, but if she is so stressed/not able I understand that she needs to remove herself. (Thursday 20 February 2014; 16:51)

Edward (41,536) by Stephen from London, United Kingdom That's what I was thinking. They seem to be trying to get radio on board, hence the multiple radio interviews. Also, I think the chart position, of which only 62% can be contributed to downloads, shows how strong her streaming stats were this week. Having two videos out in quick succession and the links to the songs on her Vevo immediately clearly helped. That's a decent opening week if you ask me. Well done to team Mariah. There's been a lot of negativity on here lately, some of which has been justified, so it's nice to have this pleasant surprise. (Thursday 20 February 2014; 15:51)

Billboard Hot 100 / surprised (41,535) by Edward from USA I'm surprised and happy that "You're Mine (Eternal)" broke into Billboard Hot 100. With its iTunes downloads figures and radio airplay, I thought it wouldn't be enough to even bubble under it. It seems to be they aren't going with the Clear Channel deal this time around, but they're letting it pick up on radio and eventually on iTunes. I remember that before The Emancipation Of Mimi, IDJ made sure Mariah reconnected with radio again, by setting up meetings with radio DJs so Mariah could have a fair chance on the airplay game. At that point Tommy had sabotaged her tremendously, something that was later confirmed by some DJ's, they were getting paid or pressured not to play Mariah. I think that she is just that reconnection process right now. Hopefully once the BET performance has aired, she'll start performing YME on dates to follow. We're all too anxious for Mariah to succeed that we are forgetting there are hundreds of other singers out there trying to chart too. The fact that she has charted with just 32,000 downloads is exceedingly amazing to me. (Thursday 20 February 2014; 15:22)

Mariah updates February 2014 (41,534) by DivergentIntel from United States of America Pepemill said it best. I couldn't agree more. I have been saying for quite some time now that Mariah should go completely independent. Also usually when Mariah makes good music, it will chart well. Bring It On Home I felt should have been a hit single if she had released it to actually chart. Mariah needs to do an album that shows the real her and is a diverse body of work, as in something like Daydream or Glitter which are lyrically standout content among others from within her illustrious successful career. I hope that this is not Mariah's last album. I'll be disappointed if this is true. She needs to make better decisions in terms of taking advantage of opportunities and promotion of her ventures and music. Independent would have been the best thing for her. She needs to take advantage of that. Mariah also needs a new look. Needs to change things up a bit like a metamorphosis. I'll always love MC. She is just so special, unique, extra and appealing. So I await all that is to come from queen MC. (Thursday 20 February 2014; 15:15)

Betcha' gon know (41,533) by Amiroccan78 from Malaysia If this to be released as her new single for 2014, it would be a sure fire hit. IMO, the perfect first single, especially the lalalala part. But I still love You're Mine though. (Thursday 20 February 2014; 14:56)

Relevancy / longevity of Mariah (41,532) by Eternal from Italy I was reading the last few messages and the remote possibility that Mariah might stop making music altogether just made me so sad. Deteriorating voice, bad image, diva attitude aside, MC is MC and she's the only one in the business with this kind of music, songwriting talent and unique vocals (I do not consider Ariana her successor, her voice has none of that husky, sultry texture). Like someone else said, MC shouldn't try to capture the teen market. She isn't in her 20s anymore and her music has never been particularly cool for teens. She's always made music that was more intelligent, more intellectual for people in their 20s to 30s. I think she should go independent and release music of her own without succumbing to any label pressure for a chart-friendly hit. With 18 #1s and 200 million albums sold, she's already achieved all the numbers that others are still striving for. Why should she put herself in the competition with non-talents like Rihanna and Miley Cyrus? It's not an offence to them, it's an insult to Mariah. (Thursday 20 February 2014; 14:14)

Relevancy (41,531) by RadChad from United States I adore "You're Mine" and hope it picks up steam on radio and iTunes. But with her next single Mariah needs to drop something aggressive and energetic that's going to catch people off guard like she did with "Emotions", "Fantasy", "Honey", and "Obsessed". She just needs that song that's going to stop people in their tracks, and make them ask "Is that Mariah?" I know for a fact she has it in her to still have that affect. I believe Mariah's in full control of how relevant she can be in today's market. (Thursday 20 February 2014; 13:42)

You're Mine / relevancy (41,530) by Stephen from London, United Kingdom I like You're Mine. I think it's a very well produced cut. I'm glad we got to hear it. As good as I think the song is, I am not certain that it was the wisest choice for a single. Its a mid tempo number, that has a hynotic hook, but in terms of radio, it is likely to be a slow burner, and with Mariah atm, I'm not cure that radio is willing to give her a chance to allow the song to burn, so to speak. Mariah needed an out and out banger to blast her onto radio. In terms of relevancy, I think it's clear that from the press coverage Mariah gets, she's more than relevant. She made the front page of a notable UK tabloid, simply for the black BET dress. Irrespective of the reasons for her making the press, the fact remains is that there's an interest in her. However, Mariah's people and a lot of the fans on this board have got it wrong, Mariah shouldn't be trying to stay relevant for a younger audience. That's ridiculous at this stage of her career. She should be trying to recapture the more mature fans that she's already lost. Tweens don't buy albums, they buy Rihanna singles. Adults buy albums from the likes of Adele, and a more mature mature sounding artists. Mariah lost a shed loads of fans in the late 90s and has never truly recovered, despite TEOM. She should focus on those fans, who are obviously older, and stop trying to get teens to buy into her. It will look desperate and pathetic. YME as a single is a step in the right direction if you ask me. Not the video though lol. (Thursday 20 February 2014; 12:55)

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