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About Stephen from London, United Kingdom: Mariah fan since 1902.

#Beautiful top 20 again (38,096) by Stephen from London, United Kingdom Congratulations to Mariah for spending another week in the Billboard top 20. #Beautiful is doing its job and proving to be a good lead single. Perhaps it's time for Mariah to up the ante with some solid promo for it. She did well with AI, and GMA, in terms of promoting the song, but I feel she could be doing a bit more. I know she's busy with other things right now, but a few calls to radio or just an appearance on TV, such as Ellen or Fallon, wouldn't go amiss. (Friday 31 May 2013; 2:28)

Special K (38,095) by Stephen from London, United Kingdom Haha, I meant two middle fingers, followed by a diva strut and a deuce sign. Boom. AI is now officially history. Thank f@#k. Re the tour, I can't wait. If she doesn't come to the UK, I'll hit you up on the LA leg of the tour. We can have a lamb party lol. (Friday 31 May 2013; 2:12)

World tour and two fingers to AI (38,093) by Stephen from London, United Kingdom Yes Mariah. I'm so excited with this news. I'd like Mariah to come to the UK, but I'm not too fussed if she doesn't, as I'll go to the US to see her anyway lol. Great news re AI. Mariah's publicist showed them major disrespect in the way it was announced. She the twitter post. Whilst she wasn't rude or crass, it wasn't overly positive lol. (Friday 31 May 2013; 0:31)

#Beautiful explicit video (38,083) by Stephen from London, United Kingdom To me the #Beautiful explicit video is a clever marketing strategy to get more streams and create further hype for the single. Mariah seems to be doing something like this each week (last week it was the #Beautiful single being released on iTunes), a more subtle form of promotion compared to what we are used to. I'm not sure that this compensates for TV and radio promo, but at the same time, it's a clever way of utilising modern ways of listening to music. Regarding the video, I prefer the original. There's more to it for me. In this video Mariah reminds me of Marilyn Monroe when she's dancing in the Prince and the Showgirl, which is quite amusing. (Thursday 30 May 2013; 3:07)

Edward / more basic promotion (38,082) by Stephen from London, United Kingdom Yes, some interviews on radio wouldn't go amiss either. However, I suspect Mariah is trying to be more selective with her promotional choices. I think she's going for high profile appearances, with mass audiences in mind. Whilst this strategy is a good one, I would like to see her do just a bit more. Nevertheless, if I had two kids, a husband, just finished a grueling stint on AI, and had previously suffered a breakdown, then I'd probably be more selective too. Sometimes it's more about quality than quantity, although as a fan, I'd like just a little bit more. She should do Ellen, and one of the late night talk shows. That would make me happy lol. (Thursday 30 May 2013; 3:01)

Stacey (38,081) by Stephen from London, United Kingdom Spot on. You expressed my thoughts for me lol. Thank you. (Thursday 30 May 2013; 2:56)

Edward (38,068) by Stephen from London, United Kingdom I think there may still be a chance that they recorded a longer version, as if Mariah added a verse to an incomplete song, it is possible that they wrote a bridge together and that they cut it out for radio. #Beautiful is doing well. It has around 61 million audience impressions at the time of writing. However, momentum is starting to slow a little. I do think Mariah needs to get on TV and perform it more or at least do some interviews with it. Also, Miguel is a very good singer/songwriter. I've followed his music for quite a while now, and even wrote on this messageboard in 2011, stating that I'd like Mariah to work with him. I think it would be good if they wrote more songs together for her album. I also like that he gave Mariah credit for bringing that song to life. I also think that Mariah should actually prepare a second single and get a video shot for it too. For albums to sell in the current climate, the public need to trust the material and Mariah probably needs one more single to convince non lambs to buy the album. Although, I think it's too soon to release a second single just yet, it would make sense to get one prepared and release it a couple of weeks before the album drops. However, if you, Mariah and/or her team think otherwise, then who am I to disagree to the contrary lol. (Wednesday 29 May 2013; 9:33)

RadChad (38,050) by Stephen from London, United Kingdom Thanks for your post. It's good to see we can appreciate each others posts, despite the differing styles. I'm very blunt in real life, and in the UK, that's appreciated, you're right lol. Pay no attention to it. However, as Stacey will testify, I can be very diplomatic when necessary. However, when I get annoyed, the sharpness comes out. *waves to Stacey* lol. (Sunday 26 May 2013; 23:21)

RadChad (38,036) by Stephen from London, United Kingdom I'm glad she sang live for the most part, but do you now see my point regarding her voice? It's definitely more limited than it used to be, and she should either take more care of her voice to counter it, or just accept it and do the best she can live. As bad as the GMA "concert" was, she sang live, and showed some real quality moments, such as on WBT. The problem was, those moments were outweighed by bad moments. You're right though, the fact that she can still hit certain notes, does show the voice is there, it's just a question of whether she has the dedication to maintain or improve her voice at this stage of her career. Mariah was hilarious on the show, and I suspect she cursed twice on purpose, as it ensured she was plastered all of Facebook and Twitter. I agree 100% with you regarding #Beautiful. I'd like Mariah to try a Mariah only version. She should go on Ellen or something and perform it. Miguel is a very good singer, but I'm not sure about him as a performer. I saw him live in London a few years back, before he was well known, and he was terrible. I actually walked out. Mariah seems to have humbled him though. I think she's shown him what a real star looks like. He's on his way though. I like his music; hence why I went to see him live. I still stand by #Beautiful and he and Mariah. They both worked very well together on this song. I'd like if they wrote more together, just not as a duet. (Saturday 25 May 2013; 13:23)

GMA performance/Will (38,020) by Stephen from London, United Kingdom Despite the obvious limitations Mariah's voice now poses, I'm glad she sung the songs live. For me, I hate it when she fakes it, and for the most part today, she didn't. WBT was particularly good. She changed it up to prove that she was singing live, something she needed to do after the AI performance. #Beautiful was a boiling hot mess, but at least she sang most of the song live. Like I've said before, she needs to accept the limitations of her voice and just sing her damn songs live. I was particularly impressed with the clarity of her whisper register today. It sounded beautiful. She was also hilarious. I don't get why she sat on a chair for #Beautiful though. It was a very strange way to duet with someone, but it's Mariah, she can probably get away with that haha. I do agree with Will to the extent that she and Miguel (who was out of key) really need to nail this song live, as realistically they'll get very few opportunities to perform it together, and it is her current single, which should be pushed more on TV for me. Perhaps Mariah should do a solo performance on Ellen or something. (Friday 24 May 2013; 16:38)

Samuel (38,004) by Stephen from London, United Kingdom I suggest you re-read my posts. I've never said I expected a spellbinding performance. I simply stated that Mariah should give an honest performance, and either accepts the limitations of her voice or does something about it. If you or anyone disagrees with my opinion, then I suggest you get over it and move on. It's not a statement of fact, just my opinion. If I'm talking smack, then it shouldn't be too hard for you or anyone else to accept. With regards to her recording deal, you'd have a good point if it wasn't for the cheque cut for the radio and Joseph Khan being hired for the video. IDJ definitely expect a return on that investment, as it is business after all. I agree that IDJ were very slack with MOAIA promotion. However, I think that was more to do with the fact that they didn't like the music and were still mad at Mariah for (quite rightly) abandoning E=MC2, when they had invested so much. Also, despite an industry bias with women over 40, record companies seem to invest money in Madonna and J.Lo, expecting a return. I see Mariah as no different. In any event, this is the last I'm going to say on the matter, as I've just expressed an opinion. I've not been abusive to Mariah, as suggested by others. In fact, I'd say the response from some people towards me here have more so bordered on abusive. If people think what I've said is so ridiculous, then they shouldn't get so worked up over it. Clearly, I've touched a nerve. That's all I'm going to say on the matter. (Thursday 23 May 2013; 12:33)

Edward, TJ (37,995) by Stephen from London, United Kingdom I remember those days. For some reason, even though I am based in the UK, I think I was of the US opinion on those arguments. Looking back, that was actually hilarious. Was it Maria or Mary from the UK? It would be cool if she returned lol. (Thursday 23 May 2013; 0:02)

Edward and Jimbo (37,989) by Stephen from London, United Kingdom Very well said. I concur. (Wednesday 22 May 2013; 22:14)

Will (37,976) by Stephen from London, United Kingdom Yea, the reaction to #Beautiful has been great so far. People are genuinely feeling the song, with absolutely no promotion. It's been added to A playlist on Choice FM and I think Kiss FM too. I even heard it in the gym, and I haven't heard a Mariah song in the gym since TMB. It's been increasing in sales for a number of weeks, and is sitting in the top 20 on iTunes. This is a big impact for Mariah in the UK, and bodes well for the album. (Wednesday 22 May 2013; 18:27)

Stacey (37,975) by Stephen from London, United Kingdom Thank you. However, you know how it is here. If you don't constantly worship Mariah, even when it's undue, you're somehow not a fan or you're being "nasty". Utterly ridiculous. I've not said anything that isn't more than an opinion, and nothing I'd consider nasty. You know me, I'll call a spade a spade, and I'm happy to express that. If people don't like it, then I don't care. It's just an opinion. I never said it was fact. My writing stye may be persuasive or quite forthright, but that's just how I write. I've never stated that what I'm saying is the Bible. People on here really need to get some perspective. Anyways, back to what it's all about *plays #Beautiful*. (Wednesday 22 May 2013; 18:17)

Geronimo (37,974) by Stephen from London, United Kingdom Your post doesn't even make sense to me, so I have nothing further to say. (Wednesday 22 May 2013; 17:56)

Anthony Early (37,970) by Stephen from London, United Kingdom Firstly, I'm not constantly negative. Please see my comments re #Beautiful and it's accompanying video. I was praising both. Re the voice, you hit the nail on the head, it's my opinion, and that's all. Perhaps you should focus less energy on something that's merely an opinion, and do something more productive with it. I'm not going to sit here and defend myself as a fan to you. I've been on this message board since 1902, and have always expressed concern over the state of Mariah's voice. This is nothing new. Whether or not that makes me a fan of Mariah, I'm afraid I'll be the judge of that and not you. Just because I express an opinion that you don't agree with, that doesn't make it any less valid. I'm not going to discuss the matter any further with you, as I know you can't reason with the juvenile. You already said that you don't want to get into arguments with people online, and you're right, it's unnecessary. I merely expressed an opinion. If you don't agree with it, don't get worked up over it. I'm merely exercising my freedom of expression, which I have been doing so since 1902, and will continue to do so here. Peace. (Wednesday 22 May 2013; 13:35)

Samuel (37,965) by Stephen from London, United Kingdom I'm afraid I'm not missing any point. Mariah has been in the business for 23 years, and in terms of her legacy, she has nothing to prove, she's done it all. However, if she wants to release new material, and actually sell that to a mass audience, which is clearly the point of her having a record deal, then I'm afraid she has everything to prove. There is a whole generation of fans who don't have a clue who she is, or even care that prior to 1997 she was able to saaang. They also don't give a flying hoot about how many records she's sold. To them and most of the public at large, that's irrelevant. In this day and age, that counts for nothing. When you are singing on stage, on a platform as big as American Idol, where you are critiquing contestants vocal performances as a judge, I think the least you can do is actually sing the complete performance live. People expect that. A new generation of the public expect it. She has something to prove to them. She also has something to prove to her long standing fans. Why should we not expect the supposed "voice" to sing live? It's not like we're her fans for her amazing dance routines. It's the voice. That's the point of Mariah Carey, and if you don't get that, then I'm afraid that it's you who is missing the point. (Wednesday 22 May 2013; 2:10)

Edward (37,954) by Stephen from London, United Kingdom No problem dude. I'm so envious of the fact that you're attending the GMA concert. Oh what I'd give to live in the USA. Lol. (Tuesday 21 May 2013; 12:47)

Edward from USA (37,947) by Stephen from London, United Kingdom I'm totally with you. Surely, it shouldn't be that out of the ordinary for her to just get on stage and sing a damn song. I thought it was ridiculous and think Mariah needs to sort it out. She's incredibly insecure about the state of her voice, yet has done sweet nothing to improve it. Her voice is shot. Yes, she's gone on periods of vocal rest before shows etc, but that's clearly not enough. She needs to either accept the limitations of her voice, or see what wholesale changes need to occur with her current lifestyle, which has clearly affected her voice. When she was pregnant and off the sauce, her voice was in the best condition it has been in for a long time. Her voice has gone backwards since then. I have no right to tell her what to do with her life, but if she's that insecure about her voice, then maybe she should do something about it. (Monday 20 May 2013; 21:52)

Idol performance (37,937) by Stephen from London, United Kingdom Parts of the performance were clearly lipped. It was very embarrassing for Mariah. After years of lipping parts of most of her TV performances, which seemingly went unnoticed to the mass media, she got caught out on a very big stage. Hopefully, it will teach Mariah an important lesson. When I've heard her live on fan recordings, such as Sydney this year, she sounded great. I don't know why she doesn't just embrace her voice in its current state and run with it. She's still better than most out there. The AI performance was so awkward to watch. I don't know what she was thinking. I initially thought a medley would be a good idea, but I thought she'd have more time. The songs were badly chopped up, and upon reflection, perhaps Mariah should have just sung WBT (a song she's very comfortable singing), followed by a complete version of #Beautiful, maybe with Trey Lorenz or even Keith Urban. When Mariah isn't on a big tv show and is singing at a concert, such as in Sydney or in Brazil a few years back, she's way more relaxed, and does a much better job. She knows her voice is in whack condition compared to the voice that made her, and she's embarrassed to use it on a big televised platform. She should finally put the champagne down and look after that voice, if she feels that embarrassed. Hopefully, this will be a lesson to her. (Monday 20 May 2013; 1:41)

Stacey (37,881) by Stephen from London, United Kingdom I think we understand each other because we are both quite reasonable when expressing our opinions. I do question the maturity of some people when they can't get their head around the notion of a constructive criticism. I think you and I both love Mariah, but we are not blinded by it. We know what she's capable of, having been present in the 90s (I feel so old, I'm only 28 lol), so we won't except low standards from her. There's nothing wrong with expecting the best from the greatness that is Mariah. As I've said before though, I do feel #Beautiful is a return to form for Mariah. Great production and a gorgeous melody. Sorry, had to chuck that in there lol. I heard it on radio the gym this week and I haven't heard Mariah on radio in the UK since TMB. Very please for Mariah. (Thursday 16 May 2013; 22:27)

Stacey (37,861) by Stephen from London, United Kingdom I totally agree. Well said on all counts. On a more positive note, I can't wait to see Mariah perform on AI this week. I think she should defo do a medley of her hits, to remind people why she's been so popular, and to remind people why they should re-invest time and money her. I think she will sing beautiful with the contestants or just by herself. I feel that by adding Beautiful into the mix, she's saying this song is on a par with her previous music (whether you agree or not lol ). I think its a rare opportunity for Mariah to perform a few of her big hits to a very large TV audience. It's a good reminder of her legacy, and will help build hype for the new album I think. I feel like we haven't seen her sing music on TV in ages lol, even though that's not really the case. (Wednesday 15 May 2013; 12:24)

Stacey (37,848) by Stephen from London, United Kingdom You shouldn't have to defend yourself for not liking or agreeing with something Mariah has done, whether that be music or otherwise. I feel like you constantly have to defend yourself on this board and it's ridiculous. I like how you handle it though. Bravo lol. For example, we may have differing opinions on #Beautiful and the accompanying video, but that's cool. Not everyone has to agree, and nor do you have to like everything in the land of Mariah lol. This is getting tiresome. I really do question the mental age of some people on here. (Tuesday 14 May 2013; 1:34)

#Beautiful video (37,806) by Stephen from London, United Kingdom I love the video. I get why some fans don't like it. The video is pretty generic, and very much a modern Mariah video, ie no real concept, and a few repetitive vanity shots. For me, of all her recent songs, the simplicity of the video actually suits the song. Songs such as HATEU should have had a concept. With this song, it wasn't necessary. However, if you were expecting a Heartbreaker, Honey or ILT type of concept, then I get why you would be let down. However, I just didn't expect that with this song. For me, it works. Mariah is clever too. She knows only too well that people will talk about this video, and if she creates a stir or a buzz, then it can only benefit her if people hear the single. Rihanna, Gaga and Katy Perry are more vulgar IMO, and it's done them no harm. I'm not saying Mariah should stoop to their levels, but she's been doing this for a while, so it really shouldn't surprise people. If it's not her to sit in a field in a boiler suit, then people should just accept that. Surely, at this point in her career that video doesn't come as a surprise? (Friday 10 May 2013; 21:44)

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