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About Tiina from Finland: Lamb since 2008

Infinity (52,271) by Tiina from Finland I'm so pumped up because of all the excitement, I can't wait to hear Infinity although I'm not sure what time it'll be out here in my country. It's past midnight here. I'm just devastated that I can't watch that live stream thing because I don't have an iPhone, so I can't use the Periscope app. How cruel to do that to me. Why can't they just stream it live on the internet or something, not everyone has an iPhone. I hope to God someone will upload all the clips on YouTube. I don't want to miss these moments. This is only my fourth Mariah album release that I get to enjoy unfold on real time after all. I hope the single is going to slay. I have a good feeling about this. (Sunday 26 April 2015; 23:06)

Tevin / Mariah's voice / babbling (52,177) by Tiina from Finland I love Whitney. In her prime she posessed so much power and a beautiful tone. She will always be referenced by singers but I definitely agree that Mariah's voice is better and that she's a better singer. People always talk about the range and while it's most impressive (her lower range especially) to me the most beautiful part of Mariah's voice has always been her tone. I think it was Baby who made the comment that while there have been plenty of people with a similar tone to Whitney's, there have never been anyone with a tone like Mariah's and it's true. I love that she's able to sing in her high mixed voice without sounding whiney or too squeezy like most singers, it just sounds so effortless and round and she has this piercing ringing like a natural echo. Have you ever noticed how Mariah switches her tone from song to song and how she uses it to add to the emotional payoff of whatever song she's singing? I don't think most singers even think like that. It really says a lot about Mariah's level of musicianship. And that takes me to her use of melisma. Mariah uses it in a smart way. It's a part of her style but unlike most singers, her choices are not only original and imaginative, always attached to the melodies, never used just to show off. Some singers do way too many pointless runs just to show off but don't realize that it says a lot about their level of musicianship or the lack thereof. Mariah is special in so many ways but doesn't get enough credit for her atristry. (Friday 24 April 2015; 14:50)

Debut faves (52,161) by Tiina from Finland Vision Of Love is still one of the best songs Mariah has ever written. Once again, it's hard to believe she was still a teenager writing this masterpiece. She proved right then and there that she had range, not just as a vocalist but as a songwriter. VOL is so raw, it makes me emotional every time I listen to it. I feel very close to that song. SFUA is a fabulous, smooth jam which I listen to far too seldom but I'm always taken back how current it sounds. I almost can't believe it's on her debut album. Vanishing, another one of those songs that makes you go: wow, she really did that. I love the mixture of her beautiful buttery tone and that smoky breathiness. No one can sing Vanishing quite the way she does with such soul. I have a very special place in my heart for Someday, a song Mariah hates with passion. I love her vocals on it, the way se delivers the lyrics with such feeling. The acapella version is like crack to me. IDWTC and LTT have always been sibling songs to me in my mind (certain Mariah songs seem like siblings, don't you agree?). I didn't use to like them but today I yearn for them, especially LTT. Such soul, such raw emotion. TGTBAW, AIYM, Prisoner and YNM all sound pretty dated to me. My fave out of all of them is TGTBAW. It's not a strong song and it's cheesy as hell but those damn vocals, wow. She goes all out. That's why today I often feel unsatisfied when I try to listen to other singers. They sound so boring, bland and limited compared to Mariah. (Thursday 23 April 2015; 23:02)

Alone In Love (52,139) by Tiina from Finland I'm glad to see this song being praised because it's one of those hidden gems nobody seems to talk about. I'm amazed that she was still in high school when she wrote this song because it's very tasteful and sophisticated. I love the vocals to death on that record. The song has also stood the test of time beautifully. (Thursday 23 April 2015; 14:32)

New album cover (51,666) by Tiina from Finland I like it, it's very classic Mariah. The whole countdown to the reveal was a smart move by the way. Her new team is already proving to be on point. So excited for this era. (Monday 13 April 2015; 0:09)

It's a new day for Mariah (51,532) by Tiina from Finland Mariah is getting ready for a brand new era, so get ready, guys. So exciting to hear that she's going all out with some spring cleaning and hiring new people to jazz things up along with her new contract with Sony and the Vegas residency. Exactly what she needs right now. Smart move, Mariah. She's also looking beautiful. (Thursday 9 April 2015; 22:37)

For the nostalgia (51,530) by Tiina from Finland I've been loving all of these nostalgic posts. I wish I could have been there with you but I was only born in 1990 and unfortunately Mariah has never been that big in Finland. I remember a lot of Michael and Janet, Madonna and Metallica but no Mariah. I only recall hearing WYB in radio once as a kid and was very taken by it but had no idea who the two beautiful voices were. Years later I saw the video for WBT on TV and liked it but couldn't have guessed I'd turn into a hardcore fan one day. By this time I was aware that Mariah was part of the so called vocal trinity. When YouTube came around I began binge watching her live performances daily. Singing has been my passion since I was a preteen and I'm quite the vocal technique nerd, so I grew very interested in Mariah's voice. I'd analyze it with my vocal teacher at the time and bought a beautiful Mariah song book and sang Hero during class. To be honest, at first I was a little embarrassed to like her music. I had previously only listened to classic rock and my favourite band was Queen (actually now it makes sense to me because Mariah is just as camp as, say, Freddie Mercury). The image I had of her was that of a ditzy diva however she was undeniable. Then I learned that she also wrote her songs, which was really impressive. Finally when TMB came out and I saw the video I realized that she was in on the joke and that she was in fact quite the jokester, willing to laugh at her diva image. Been a lamb ever since. (Thursday 9 April 2015; 22:27)

Tattoo Club live and unedited vocals (49,414) by Tiina from Finland Could someone share a link, please? I would really appreciate it. Thank you in advance. [Webmaster: Just scoll down a few messages.] (Monday 26 January 2015; 13:48)

MC on Ellen and more (49,269) by Tiina from Finland I agree, she looked glowing and youthful. Finally she was wearing something else than a gown or a dress down to the floor. I love it when she dresses more casually, like she's one of us. I do love those diva gowns too, but to the playground? The gloves are off too, that's great. She's healing. And healing from the split as well. I admire her strength. I would be miserable and lost in her situation but Mariah is all smiles and throwing herself into work. This might sound selfish of me but I'm glad to have her back now that Nick's gone. Nick was like the 3rd kid running around making a mess. Now Mariah can raise her kids and concentrate on working on her legacy without having to worry about what he's doing. And I'm even more excited for the residency now that the new compilation album is coming out. It's great, exactly what she should put out this year for the 25th anniversary. And it's something for those of us too that won't be able to see her. I think a concert DVD from Vegas would be nice as well with all sorts of extra trinkets. Of course I would die and arrive in heaven if she put out her original demos but I don't think that'll happen. By the way, who else is excited to hear her sing Someday live? That is one of my favourites. I can't believe she hates the song, it's so good and the video as well, she rocked those jeans. By the way, there's an a capella version of Someday on YT with just the lead vocals. It's chills-down-to-your-spine-good. (Saturday 17 January 2015; 23:35)

Vegas, not necessarily a bad thing (49,048) by Tiina from Finland I think this is the right thing for her to do at this point in her life. She's a mother, first and foremost, and this residency deal allows her to work and earn but still be with her kids and see them grow. That's most important. She also gets to connect with her fans. I'm sure people all around the world will migrate there. In fact, I might as well if I can afford it. I think she'll be pumped up with new energy and inspiration. Besides, regular show dates will push her to stretch out those vocal chords and that'll be great along with the new inspiration for when she gets into the studio. And, if all goes well, she'll be the talk of the town as well as her next hit album. (Thursday 8 January 2015; 23:01)

Jazz album? Nick etc (48,826) by Tiina from Finland Christmas albums aside, I don't think we'll ever get an album with mainly just covers from Mariah. Maybe one day in the future but I'd see her doing that as a last resort, honestly. Personally I rather have her doing original songs. And also, I just don't think she'd want to do a concept album within just one genre. But one thing is for sure, she needs to gain her momentum back to have a hit album. Others have said it before me and I agree that she needs to borrow from the TEOM era. We need to get people to focus on her voice and songwriting again. I want her to sound and look iconic. She's going to need the right team behind her and the promotion needs to be on point. Mariah is still youthful, still very marketable. Her talent is undeniable, of course. She's fully capable of writing another number 1 hit. As for the image, the focus needs to be on her status as an icon, not as a diva. Nick sure spoke their relationship into existence. He also spoke their divorce into existence. Surely there were other problems as well, not saying that. Nick always had a childish sense of humour though and he would share intimate things right from the beginning but then he made it into a thing and it got to be too much. (Tuesday 30 December 2014; 0:06)

Part 2: boring technique stuff / no excuses / yada yada (48,302) by Tiina from Finland I'm not going to make excuses for Mariah. I don't care that it was cold. At times singers have to sing early in the morning, in a cold climate, both, or even when they're sick. A proper warmup is always necessary and every singer should know their instrument (whether they have thinner or beefier chords) as well as have a vocal warmup tailored for their voice (I expect Mariah to know her instrument at this point). This is important especially when you know you have things working against you. She knew it was going to be cold. I've already discussed the state of Mariah's vocal chords and have nothing to add. But to make things worse, it seems she doesn't properly warm up her voice. She's even said she warms up by singing along to her favourites. A lot of singers do this out of laziness. Some can get away with it, especially when they're younger, but as you age/have kids, it's a different ball game. You can't just rely on momentum anymore. You need to have your vocal chords warmed up (they're muscles after all) and fully functioning, meaning that all of the different components of a balanced voice, like chest, head, mix, resonance and edge, need to be warmed up separately. It depends on your voice what you need to focus on more specifically. There are also therapeutic exercises for singers in need. The value of technique/having a good warmup is huge. If Mariah systematically warmed up her chords, she'd be more consistent and would knock it out of the park. (Saturday 6 December 2014; 0:45)

Part 1: what about last year, the media (48,300) by Tiina from Finland Last year her performance at the Christmas tree lighting in NY was just as shaky, if not even worse, so I don't understand this media backlash. I actually think her performance was better than last year (not saying it was good but better than last year). The media is probably tearing her apart because a) it's slow and literally nothing else juicy is happening right now, b) she was late and so they think she deserves it, and, c) earlier this year her vocals on the tour gained a lot of negative attention, so it's a continous story they get to run with. They are completely over-reacting. So sad because right now is the worst possible time for Mariah to get slammed like this because it's all adding to how horribly tough this year has been on her. Even though she was late and kept everyone waiting (I believe her when she said that it was beyond her control), I give my respect to her for still showing up the next day with a smile on her face and singing live. (Friday 5 December 2014; 23:54)

Through the rain (47,689) by Tiina from Finland I'm so happy that Mariah is doing better and I wish everyone could see that. It's not about being perfect (which she can be in the studio) but she has improved a lot since the tour started, I mean a lot, so you got to give it to her (it's so true when they say that Mariah should never be counted out). Could be that she's been lifted emotionally by the special love that Asia has for her. Exactly what she needs now. I think she went on tour to connect with her fans to get the support she needs. She needs love to carry her through the sadness and disappointment of what's going on in her personal life. Too bad the tour started on a sour note but what matters is that she got through it and is shining again, she's trying. You know, I may criticize Mariah or talk about the state of her voice here (because I care, that's why I analyze) but I'm a huge fan and will never stop believing in Mariah, that's for sure. I guess I don't say it enough. (Thursday 30 October 2014; 22:44)

Singapore (47,620) by Tiina from Finland Mariah was great in Singapore. Finally she was singing live and she nailed it. My favourite performance was Fly Like A Bird. As in every real live performance there were a few pitchy moments but that is totally acceptable and normal. I'll take those moments over her lipsyncing entire songs. Clearly there was something going on when the tour started, either something physical or emotional. Or maybe she was still adjusting because she hasn't toured in a while. Whatever it was, we also got to remember that Mariah has had problems with her voice before and she's bounced back. Take the Music Box era tour. She had some not so stellar performances during that tour and some consider the era to be her prime. Don't get me wrong, she was mostly amazing of course, but she did dodge some of the difficult mixed notes (or upper belts), she had pitchy moments and her voice cracked a little, just like now. By dubbing her vocals for TV specials and home DVD's Mariah has created a monster. Some people expect her to be that perfect singer who never messes up. I think she herself is her worst critic. But live performances aren't meant to be pitch perfect, they're meant to be raw. As long as you give your all and there's an emotional connection there, the audience will be happy. I wish Mariah knew the thrill we get when she uses that incredible instrument and we get to hear her sing live. (Sunday 26 October 2014; 10:49)

Mariah can't sing anymore (47,421) by Tiina from Finland Not correct. The situation with her voice is bad obviously but of course she can still sing. What she has is a physical problem with her vocal chords. The nodules won't allow them to zip up. You need a proper "seal" of the chords to produce a clean sound. That's why Mariah sounds very airy but I must say that she has incorporated airyness into her sound beautifully. However, it's actually a problem and also abusive to the vocal chords (it's called "air leaking"). If you continue to sing that way, in time you may not be able to properly zip up your chords again and that means no clean sound. Mariah is having problems to sing on pitch, of course we know she can sing on pitch but it's like her vocal chords just fail her at this point. The air leakage must be behind it. The chords are worn out. Right now she can either sing airy or just belt from her chest voice but it seems that she's not able to use her mix. Her voice has become heavier due to aging. Mariah used to have a lot thinner voice, which made her so fluid. She was very resonant and that's what made her powerful. Today she's too chesty and tries to muscle her way up to reach her mix, especially now because her chords are so tired. All this doesn't mean she's lost her talent. She's dealing with a condition that makes her voice unreliable. She's better off in the studio where multiple takes are allowed. Mariah needs vocal therapy, no doubt. The voice is still there but the vocal chords are worn out. (Tuesday 14 October 2014; 0:03)

Mariah's attitude etc my thoughts (46,561) by Tiina from Finland She does live in a world of her own to a lot of extent, like for example refusing to acknowledge her age. The 12-year-old thing, I'm afraid, is getting a bit awkward by now. I realize she's referring to her spirit but I'd love for Mariah to be proud of the woman she is today. Beyonce is very vocal about being over 30 (which is young and so is 40 these days) and in her documentary she said she's not the same person she used to be. It was refreshing to hear that because Mariah would never say something like that. But owning up to your age doesn't mean you have to let yourself go or that you're old now, so you're over. It means that you've matured, evolved and achieved something greater as a person. And my goodness, it's not normal if you keep insisting that you never change. You can't relate to that. Then there are the other things that keep her detached, like surrounding herself with yes people, although I don't think the problem is Mariah, it's the people around her. Take B. Scott. He used to say that as much as he loves MC, he'd be the first one to call her out if that was the case. He is too close to her now to express any form of criticism, like he used to do. That too has got to be a problem when you're as big of a star as Mariah. It's just like she lives in this bubble. I adore her, she's an incredible artist and a wonderful person and maybe I should keep my opinons to myself but this is my observation. (Monday 1 September 2014; 23:07)

MIAMTEC (46,337) by Tiina from Finland When the album came out I was surprised of the tone. I was expecting it to be happy and upbeat because she was supposed to have it all. Now we know. I too have been listening to the album more closely, especially the lyrics. I definitely think that Cry., Faded and Camouflage are about Nick. And Thirsty. Even before the separation rumours, I always thought it was fitting. I think Mariah denied it but come on. Mariah has written very personal songs about difficult subjects before. It creeps in. I think the album is brilliant. It's some of her best work, hands down. The only songs I'm not crazy about are Supernatural, Meteorite and YME. (Sunday 24 August 2014; 12:33)

Wishing Mariah well (46,320) by Tiina from Finland Such a sad situation but it's been long coming. You could sense something was wrong all this year. It must be difficult for all of them but I'm especially worried about Mariah because it must hit her pretty hard that her children are the same age she was when her parents divorced. Thank goodness she has Roc and Roe though because the love they share will help her get through this. As for Nick, well, I've never been fond of him. He mostly has a childish sense of humour and sometimes he's just plain ridiculous, like when he faked that he tied up balloons on a dog and that the dog went missing. Stuff like that is not funny, it's disturbing. Further on he seems sleazy and does and says things to make people talk. In one interview he said he wanted to make people talk as long as possible. He is thirsty for attention for sure. It was disgusting that he'd share way too intimate things about their private business and place his wife in the same category as some past flings. That's not being very respectful to Mariah. I can believe he actually did say the latest about her mental health etc considering what he's shared already. (Saturday 23 August 2014; 23:24)

J.Lo on Wendy / Mariah's "Marilyn persona" (45,020) by Tiina from Finland I watched that episode of Wendy with J.Lo as well and the entire time I was thinking why isn't Mariah sitting there promoting her album and chit chatting away, having a heart to heart as a woman? I've never cared for J.Lo because the woman can't sing, sorry, but one thing is for sure, she's got it going on even still after all these years. She's very down to earth and funny. Very likeable. And she hussles like no other. To go on Wendy was a brilliant idea because like it or not, Wendy is hot right now. The couple interviews MC's had with Wendy on radio are her best. She was honest and funny on her show because Wendy is all about questions that get to the point and real discussion. Most interviewers are afraid they're going to say something that Mariah the legend won't handle. And about Mariah being like Marilyn. No, Mariah should take note from Marilyn that she's loved even after 50+ years after her death because she was the most humane star of them all. People love Marilyn because she was real and sensitive, even nervous. Mariah's been through a lot in her life like MM, it's that humane side of her we love, the survivor. If she's really insecure then why doesn't she show us that side? It's ok to be human. Arrogance is a turn off no matter how big of a legend you are. (Sunday 22 June 2014; 11:24)

Thirsty / the drink (44,758) by Tiina from Finland I think it could have worked if Thirsty would have been a real single (I'm not sure if it was even though it was released) and Mariah would have made a steamy video for it, Dita Von Teese style, sitting in a massive coctail glass, doing a burlesque inspired video. That would have been appropriate for the song and she could have had fun with it doing her usual sexy thing. Just imagine the cool single artwork and all that jazz. Then if she would have come out with her drink as part of the promotion for the single, now that would have made sense and she could have gained some momentum. Just thinking loud here. (Saturday 14 June 2014; 23:48)

Mariah's selling out / can't relate to her (44,688) by Tiina from Finland Remember when Mariah said to Wendy Williams that she thinks that selling all this other crap along with the music was money-hungry (she was shading J.Lo then) and that she was more of a purist and preferred sticking to the music. I always loved that about her. It all started quite innocently when she released her first perfume. But after the 3 first ones, I lost a little respect for Mariah when the perfumes started coming out one after the other and you could see they were nothing special at all and it was all really tacky. She said that Elizabeth Arden, the company she works for to create these perfumes, said she's the hardest-working celebrity they've met, that she's been very involved creating her products yet she went on to say that she didn't name the Lollipop Bling perfume line, that it wasn't her idea and she was embarrassed about it. And then of course the HSN thing and the OPI nail polishes. I'm not saying that her lines were all tacky and basic (I bought her nail polish) but I was a little sad she ended up on this road. And now she's done what I was afraid of, she's began to neglect the music to promote her business ventures. It's so bizarre to think that Mariah Carey, this amazing artist extraordinaire, has actually come out with a sugary drink to sell. I think it speaks volumes about her losing touch with her fans and also losing touch with her artistry. She's become very unrelatable, not on a record but as a person. I love her but it's the truth. (Thursday 12 June 2014; 12:22)

Mimi L (42,140) by Tiina from Finland Wow, you're really something. You know what, think whatever you want. You just have to be right, don't you? Fine, be right. No wonder you're constantly fighting here, I mean with your attitude. Have you noticed? BecauseI have. I will leave you out from any of my future postings, so don't bother replying to me either, thanks. (Saturday 15 March 2014; 22:36)

Memoirs (42,139) by Tiina from Finland I absolutely loved Memoirs when it came out and listened to it on repeat. I still remember I was on a holiday in London when Obsessed came out and I remember listening to it in my hotel room all excited. I also remember H.A.T.E.U. particularly, that song actually helped me during my depression. Anyway, since Mariah is putting out a new studio album, I listened to Memoirs from beginning to end and I hadn't listened to it in a long time like that because lately I've been obsessing about Daydream. I always have a phase of listening to a certain album from her and then it's like all I listen to. Anyway, I was quickly reminded how much I love Memoirs and what a beautiful album it is. There's a perfect flow in that one and every song is worth listening to. That's how it is. Mariah makes beautiful albums. But people don't listen to albums anymore, it's sad. It's all about singles. Mariah is a beast in the studio and she tells beautiful stories but people miss out because they're not listening to the whole thing. Like she's been talking about the upcoming album: it's a journey. One single is only one moment of that journey. I'm really curious and excited to hear her new album and I know all these singles will make sense on the album. (Saturday 15 March 2014; 22:28)

TMB made me a lamb / the lambily (42,137) by Tiina from Finland I became a lamb when I heard Touch My Body. Before that, I had been listening and watching Mariah's live performances on YouTube. Slowly but surely I became obsessed. But when I heard Touch My Body and saw the video, I was sold. I loved the humour both in that song and video and I realized Mariah was in on the diva joke, I mean, she was making fun of herself and that was cool and funny. She was so talented and beautiful and had a sense of humour too, and that's when I turned into a lamb. So, it doesn't always need to be a very strong vocal moment that can make a person a lamb. In the beginning I mainly listened to her new stuff. I love her whispery vocals, always have and it took me some time to like the older stuff because it seemed to me she only sang ballads. Now I love it all, every album, every era. Mariah has raised my expectations for vocal quality in other people's work and also my own. And I'm kinda sad to say this but when I joined the lambily, I noticed the negativity right away. I think it's really sad that the lambs are constantly fighting each other and have for years. I'm a huge fan of Marilyn Monroe and in the MM community, it's pretty much all loving and accepting, we're strongly united there. I'm proud to be a lamb and I wish we could all respect each other and remain united, even if we have different opinions. Heck, the lambs were here before the monsters and others, we should show them lol. But we only can as united. (Saturday 15 March 2014; 21:48)

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