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Re: Old Town Road (90,478) (90,479) by Deedre aka MiTodoChop @HBF from Canada I was happy to see Mariah’s response to the record on social media. It was nice to see her passing the torch. And I don’t bregrudge anyone their success, but I do think it is fair to discuss the impact of streaming and the difference between breaking a record in the 90’s versus today. Even if Mariah did break the record again through streaming for me it would not have the same impact as OSD because the rules were different and the song impacted organically. That’s not sour grapes it’s just the difference in how things are done now. (Tuesday 30 July 2019; 20:46)

Re: Old Town Road (90,476) (90,478) by Bill from the UK Yet, if Mariah got a 20 week reign at the top with her next song due to streaming, it'd be completely legitimate. It's one rule for Mariah, another for everyone else it seems. The record got broken, let's move on. Mariah took the news with grace and class, so should we. (Tuesday 30 July 2019; 20:12)

Old Town Road (90,477) by Terna from Nigeria This is kinda upsetting, but more revealing as to the sorry state of music in general, the younger lost (all caps) generation and the music industry as a whole. What happened to the magic? Where did it up and leave to? Music used to inspire and move people, now it only gives a headache. It's sad. Truly sad. In the next ten years music would be absolute "shite" to put it. Oh Well I'm glad I have my Mariah Carey records. (Tuesday 30 July 2019; 18:48)

Re: Old Town Road (90,466) (90,476) by Andrew from London UK I am never one to bend truth in Mariah's favour. You believe in honesty and integrity. When I say that the songs OSD and OTR are not worth comparing it is with just cause. Despacito and Old Town Road are average songs. They do not belong in the same league as One Sweet Day or I Will Always Love You, et al. Songs like that were milestones in music and defined their times. Songs, now, seem to be able to achieve great lengths at the top because of streaming. The rules of the game have changed. If you are playing the game by different rules to someone else then score comparisons are of little worth. Rather than radio having to play your song to people who have to go out and buy it, kids sit at home and press a mouse button. And, for that, any adult who still cares about the charts may possibly be just a bit silly. Myself included. (Tuesday 30 July 2019; 18:04)

Re: 16 Weeks (90,448) (90,475) by Deedre aka MiTodoChop @HBF from Canada I'm not begrudging anyone's right to break records, but I agree with Stacey. I think it's great that the collaboration on OTR is socially current and relevant that's wonderful happy for the artists, but I have yet to hear the song without seeing it out on my own and for a song to break a record musically I should know it and it should have at least made major impact on me. Niether has happened this time. Welcome to streaming music and how the quality of creating songs had changed. (Tuesday 30 July 2019; 17:13)

Re 16 weeks (90,474) by Deedre aka MiTodoChop @HBF from Canada I've never even heard the song Old Town. I at least knew Despacito. (Tuesday 30 July 2019; 16:38)

Re: Bill (90,471) (90,473) by B from USA There is also the "One sweet day sweet acapella" version. (Tuesday 30 July 2019; 15:00)

Re: Old Town Road 16 weeks (90,410) (90,472) by Rene from US I haven't even listened to Old Town Road. Not because I don't want to, I haven't looked for it. I am thinking more who is this Lil Nas X? Is he related to Nas? I'm serious. I listened to adult contemporary and "old school" radio stations. Where can I listen to this song? (Tuesday 30 July 2019; 10:52)

Re: Bill (90,471) by Nikki from usa Really? Because OSD was a top 10 hit in most places. In any case, it performed better overseas than ABMB did. Check out the chart placements and the sales. Currently, OSD has over 172 million views on Youtube compared to the 150 million for ABMB. Quite arguably, over the years, Mariah's performed "Always" far more frequently than One Sweet Day. Clearly, people remember it and like it. There was only one version of One Sweet Day. There were several versions and remixes for Always Be My Baby. The latter had better radio longevity overall, but that makes sense. People don't celebrate nor think about death until it happens. It hits hard when it does, so I think that explains a lot of OSD's success. However, love relationships, whether romantic or familial, can apply to all sorts of people in your life. (Tuesday 30 July 2019; 01:47)

Re: Old Town Road (90,469) (90,470) by this_is_qhm from the Philippines I remember wondering why and how One Sweet Day stayed on top of the charts for almost 4 months, especially since the song was the definition of an almost exclusively US hit, and that the song, while touching and relatable, wasn't really all that spectacular (the record was bigger than song itself). But then it hit me that in the past, there wasn't social media around, and so it much slower and more difficult to gain local, let alone worldwide success, and so most people only actually noticed, remembered and held on to the ones that made it big. Back then, MTV was crucial in promoting artists' new material, and the only ways that a video would be in heavy rotation (the 90s version of "going viral") were that if it was an undeniable hit or if it was from a hot, big-named artist. Boyz II Men was arguably the biggest R&B act at the time (TLC was probably a close second), and Mariah was obviously the biggest star then, so I really credit the song's lasting reign to mostly the combination of their star power. That and the fact the R&B was basically pop at the time. (Tuesday 30 July 2019; 01:10)

Re: Old Town Road (90,467) (90,469) by Bill from the UK I do agree though that One Sweet Day was a bit of a mystery for me all these years. It's a nice song. But 16 weeks at number one? I think We Belong Together deserved its long reign at the top, if not longer, but it's interesting OSD came and went on the rest of the charts worldwide in a matter of weeks. I feel sorry for the US as Sony canned the Open Arms single release there as OSD was still number one as Open Arms was being released all over the rest of the world. Also it is quite fitting that the record was ended by Always Be My Baby. But that song was number 2 for weeks and weeks as a consequence, and deserved a much longer run at the top of the chart, given how it ended up standing the test of time and is still played on US radio to this day. (Monday 29 July 2019; 19:19)

Re: Old Town Road (90,467) (90,468) by 123 from USA OTR is a novelty song like Macarena and I like both. OTR is a fun song and blends two of musics most profitable genres in the US (Country/Hip Hop). I love the blending and I'm sure we will start to hear more releases soon in the same vein. On the topic of it dethroning OSD. Streaming made this possible. You can't compare the two because OSD made it on radio play, single sales (people had to get in their car to purchase and pick up the phone to request), and no remixes to add to the count. This is why Mariah is unbothered by it. Her record is pre digital era, so if she really wanted to her team can still claim "the longest running number 1 in the pre-digital era". So he can have it in her mind, she knows that streaming will help AIWFCIY reach the elusive #1, set new records for her, add to her #1 count as an overall artist, female, songwriter, and producer. She holds a bunch of other records, what's losing some when she can potentially gain new ones. Longest trek to number 1 from its original release date (1994), I like the sound of that. (Monday 29 July 2019; 18:47)

Re: Old Town Road (90,466) (90,467) by this_is_qhm from the Philippines Any record-breaker is bound to be subjected to severe criticism. Especially in the age of social media. As for your preference for OTR over anything on Caution, I'm just gonna take that as a bad joke. Or that you were either high or hammered when you posted it. Next. (Monday 29 July 2019; 15:15)

Re: Old Town Road (90,465) (90,466) by Webmaster Eric from the Netherlands Why does everyone belittle this song? You call this song a "poor man's Over and Over" and forgettable, you call Lil Nas X a "one-hit wonder". Is it because Old Town Road broke Mariah's record? How can you call Lil Nas X a one-hit wonder if this is his first single? And if there's one song in Mariah's catalogue that is forgettable, than it is One Sweet Day. I really like Old Town Road and I think the song is better than anything on Caution. (But then again, I think Rainbow is Mariah's best album and I think Did I Do That is the best song on that album.) (Monday 29 July 2019; 14:45)

Re: Old Town Road (90,463) (90,465) by B from USA When I first heard it I thought it sounded like a poor man's Over and Over by Nelly and Tim McGraw. Now that song was revolutionary. (Monday 29 July 2019; 14:41)

Mix'N'Match (90,464) by Nikki from usa Mariah has a unique platform that literally nobody alive does with her Christmas abilities. Just think of all the different types of shows she can headline with that hit. I think everyone's ideas about her Christmas music being re-released are good ones. She could sing AIWFCIY and get it to chart. Then, bring out Micheal Buble again to duet with her at an event, get Justin Bieber to duet their version at another show, and then create a new version with Lady Gaga or someone current. She could pull an OTR by using the different versions and their fanbases to push her original. If we think about MC's love and ability to remix songs into other great tracks than I'd wonder if she'd ever use her Christmas platform to push new music. She usually has at least one really good dance/upbeat song. If she's creating new music with one track she thinks could be "the hit" I wonder if she could mix that into AIWFCIY. She loves Christmas so much she usually turns into a better performer during this season. This could push her Christmas stuff as well as the new material. Obviously, she should still sing the original as is for some events, but then pepper in the other versions along the way. Keep people guessing, keep it fresh. (Monday 29 July 2019; 01:33)

Re: Old Town Road (90,456) (90,463) by MusicfanJ from Germany I just watched it on YouTube and all that comes to my mind is that it's nothing special even if it's something "new" with the rap and the country influences. Ok for the radio, if you listen to it besides. The video is funny but that's it. Seems to be a one-hit wonder like Gangnam Style, Despacito and so on. I understand that Mariah won't be part of a remix. [Webmaster: Psy is not a one-hit wonder.] (Sunday 28 July 2019; 19:50)

Re: New album (90,460) (90,462) by Licia from USA I agree about the unreleased songs. I want to hear them all and I'm willing to pay for them all. I also want this to happen while she's still living. I hate when family and record companies release unreleased music after the death of an artist. (Sunday 28 July 2019; 16:38)

Re: New album (90,457) (90,461) by Licia from USA I'm honestly surprised that Tommy nor Sony pushed for this to be released. That would have been a huge money maker. Could potentially be a huge money maker now because the older fans would definitely purchase it. It would be amazing. (Sunday 28 July 2019; 16:33)

Re: New album (90,452) (90,460) by MusicfanJ from Germany As always I love your ideas Bill. Yes for the Christmas album. I would also spend the money for the St. John the Devine concert plus the interviews and all the extras. I want the rare things to be officially released in good quality. And please her debut with all the rare and unreleased songs, remixes, plus the duets and then I would be in lambily heaven. (Sunday 28 July 2019; 13:20)

Mariah crucified me for her (90,459) by Lafa from Sweden Mariah crucified me for her. Anyone feeling me? Lol. (Sunday 28 July 2019; 12:09)

Re: Fly abandonedly into the rainbow (90,435) (90,458) by this_is_qhm from the Philippines If there's anything we should learn about music, it's that the true measure of success of any composition goes beyond its commercial perfomance - it's whether or not it has actually achieved the aim behind its creation. Can't Take That Away was blatantly written to console and empower (Mariah and) others, and I personally know people who I grew up around who turned to the song for comfort and reassurance in times of personal adversity, myself included. We really can't knock a song that has helped people in some way. In that respect, the song has justified its existence. With that being said, its composition truly is quite unusual, what with its unconventional, almost chorus-less structure. The transitions between the different song parts are awkward, the instrumentation ups the schmaltz factor to less-than-tolerable levels and the tune just isn't as catchy as Hero or Make It Happen. You just know Diane Warren had a hand in this. However, its message still does feel authentic to the time it was created and released. And those inimitable runs in the climax help drive the song's point home. The video isn't even worth talking about, not even ironically. If anything, it's possibly the first proof of Mariah believing her own hype and influence. There's nothing wrong with that, but integrating it into a montage of vanity shots just screams disingenuous. It's like, "Look how I made a video for an inspirational song supposedly for my fans all about me." (Sunday 28 July 2019; 10:54)

Re: New album (90,454) (90,457) by Bill from the UK The fact that the St John the Divine concert hasn't been released should be a criminal offence. We are talking Mariah in her most confident, agile, and absolute best. Tommy was right when he said Joy to the World was the best live performance he'd ever witnessed, it kills me that she sung other numbers from the album and they've remained locked up in the vault ever since. (Sunday 28 July 2019; 10:52)

Old Town Road (90,456) by this_is_qhm from the Philippines The song's massive success can be attributed to several things: 1) The lightning-in-a-bottle factor. A remix from a C-list rapper and a relatively forgotten country music former hitmaker on paper should not spell chart success. At all. But for some reason, their collaboration just worked well. Some songs are just meant to be hits regardless of quality. Is it timely? Obviously yes. Will it be timeless? Probably not. 2) Super smart marketing and brazen promotion. The collaboration itself, while seemingly random, could actually be more of a conscious effort. While Lil Nas X would probably not have been able to get any big named current pop artist these days to collaborate with due to his newbie status, he was smart enough to get a country artist, and a much missed one at that. Hip-hop and country music (and jazz, to an extent) have the biggest and most loyal fanbases in the US. That's why their artists don't have to explode to be successful. Combine the two and you have more than half of the entire US music-listening public behind a rare collaboration. 3) The perfect song length. Clocking in at less than 2 minutes, OTR is the perfect song especially for the impatient yet rabid streaming generation. It's this perfect storm of events that have led to OTR's success. I'm with everyone's opinions here - let the record go, and Lil Nas X better be working on something else if he doesn't want to end up a one-hit wonder. Nothing sadder in the music world than having the biggest hit of all time as the only top 40 hit you ever had. (Sunday 28 July 2019; 10:18)

Re: New album (90,451) (90,455) by Tijl from Belgium No more Christmas albums please. She wrote a modern classic with AIWFCIY and will never surpass that. (Sunday 28 July 2019; 09:57)

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