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About Bill from the UK: I love Mariah more than you do. London Daydream Tour Attendee.

Lamb O Chop (45,017) by Bill from the UK Lol, I haven't justified what J.Lo did. It was very uncool and underhanded that she used a sample Mariah was going to use and that she took other elements of the Glitter album for her own. I don't agree with what she did at all. My point is that Mariah was just as bad (worse even) in the early 90s. You say J.Lo's sabotage is a "fact", well then so is Mariah being sued by certain songwriters for using their work without permission and settling out of court. It's your refusal to acknowledge that which is the issue here (still calling it inspiration rather than stealing). The point is that we as fans can not sit here bad mouthing J.Lo when Mariah herself acted just as underhanded. People in glass houses shouldn't throw stones. If Mariah had a clean record I'd be with you, but she hasn't. (Sunday 22 June 2014; 10:06)

Lamb O Chop (45,005) by Bill from the UK I think you're missing the point. I agree that Jennifer Lopez is not anywhere near the league Mariah is in, in terms of vocal and song writing ability. They are however in the same camp for using other people's ideas without permission. Just like Mariah never sought permission from the writers for her use of Best Of My Love and I Want To Thank You, J.Lo never sought Mariah's permission to use Firecracker (though it was never Mariah's permission to give, it's really a question about the songwriter's integrity as to why they would allow J.Lo use it after giving Mariah clearance months prior). Still you refuse to acknowledge Mariah's wrongdoing, still referring to it as "inspiration" and blaming Tommy. Last time I checked he didn't have a song writing credit on either song. Read up on it, the songwriter sued Mariah (saying "sampling is one thing, but she took the whole song") so it was clearly more than a homage to the group. (Sunday 22 June 2014; 2:04)

Lamb O Chop (44,990) by Bill from the UK You've got to take a step back slightly and listen to yourself. Mariah uses a sample without permission, it's inspiration. J.Lo uses one with permission, which Mariah also wanted to use, and she's a thief. You indicate the sample stealing that Mariah did in the 90s was Tommy's doing, yet the Loverboy scandle is both Tommy and J.Lo's. Mariah knew exactly what was happening with Emotions and Make It Happen just like Jennifer did with I'm Real. Stop trying to paint a picture of Mariah being the innocent party here when she isn't. Take your blinkers off. I'd understand Mariah being peeved if it was an original song/idea but it wasn't. Jennifer used a sample Mariah wanted to use, and she's still not over it 15 years later. I don't like Jennifer or care for any of her songs or rate her as singer, actress, or anything else, but it infuriates me seeing people behaving so blindly here. What goes around comes around and Mariah got it. (Saturday 21 June 2014; 23:57)

ADAM (44,979) by Bill from the UK That was a good point about Mariah getting a taste of her own medicine. I hate to say it, but Mariah knowingly used samples of tracks without giving credit, and the "lambs" need to recognise that. Emotions was clearly based on The Best Of My Love (by a group called The Emotions, what are the odds lambs? ). Everything from the backing track, theme, and vocal arrangements is obviously based on that tune. Settled out of court. Make It Happen also took its entire instrumentation from I Want To Thank You by Alicia Myers. It is exactly the same, except in a different key. Mariah sought clearance for the sample, didn't get it, used it anyway, and again settled out of court. And now these acts of thievery are apparently "inspirations"? Please. Wake up. By your way of thinking, maybe J. Lo was "inspired" when Tommy played her the original Loverboy and wanted to use the same sample. She got permission to use it from the writers just like Mariah did but beat her to it when it came to getting the song out. The YDKWTD cover looks odd. (Saturday 21 June 2014; 18:26)

MariahCarey.com (44,959) by Bill from the UK (Sidesteps J Lo talk.) Does anybody else feel that the look of MariahCarey.com is extremely outdated and could do with a refresh? It annoys me that "Music" ranks last in the menu bar, the site looks absolutely horrific on smartphones, and there are outdated references throughout. If you click on "Fan Club Merchandise for Sale", the page it lands on is for the MOAIA album, where it says how it is "launching on September 15 25th" (which is it?) and says Obsessed was released to radio "today". It's just shoddy. It's surprising that the label would let the site fall into such a state of disrepair. I don't blame Mariah as she's not responsible for the upkeep of the thing, but if I was her I'd get it sorted out. It's embarrassing. (Saturday 21 June 2014; 9:15)

Lamb O Chop (44,836) by Bill from the UK I apologise, but I'm exasperated. You can't have a decent discussion here without a "lamb" (for want of a better word) elbowing their way into the conversation and calling us negative. There's nothing negative about what the grown up fans discuss here whatsoever. We talk about concerns and irregularities and things which don't sit right with us. That's not being negative, but just coming here to talk to like minded people (as there are no Mariah fans in "real life" seemingly, this is the only place to say what's on our minds and get feedback on it). I'm tired of walking on egg shells here through fear of being lynched if I say a live performance wasn't that great. As I mentioned there are plenty of forums etc. for praise and worship of Mariah, but this message board's appeal is it's sensible members and realistic topic discussions. I don't want to see that go away because we all get yelled at when saying something constructive. (Tuesday 17 June 2014; 16:48)

MCLAFAN (44,830) by Bill from the UK Sorry, but I'm so sick of these sorts of messages. I am a proud non-lamb. I'd never want to be like you. Plenty of fans, Stephen, Edward, PJW to name just a few, express their thoughts constructively and discuss real issues with fans here. At the same time, they're each praising her latest album which we all agree is a fantastic record. If this message board is too high brow for you then stick to YouTube comments. (Slaps MCLAFAN in the face with a MIAMTEC CD.) (Tuesday 17 June 2014; 11:42)

PJW (44,814) by Bill from the UK Hi. You're right, it is oftentimes the elephant in the room we all avoid. Who knows, maybe the state of her voice means it takes several years to put an album together piecemeal, and several months for the "finishing touches", rather than months and weeks respectively. Surgery should always be a last resort after every avenue is exhausted. Mariah hasn't done that yet, and needs to get back on the wagon and pour her wine cellar down the drain before she does anything so drastic as to have nodule surgery. She didn't drink during her pregnancy, and her Vegas shows and Christmas album had great vocals. Not like anything from the 90s of course but good enough after several years. As for Rainbow, that is fast becoming my favourite album lately. This is what is so great about Mariah. Almost 15 years after an album comes out, I appreciate it in a whole new way. (Monday 16 June 2014; 19:01)

B / The Roof (44,801) by Bill from the UK Hi B, I agree, The Roof has got to be up there as one of Mariah's defining moments in her career. The only other song which comes close to being so atmospheric is probably Everything Fades Away. I agree that all elements from the lyrics, structure, video, sample etc. were beautiful and on point. I also love the vocal layers and how softly she sings the song. The sample also gives an undercurrent of urgency which I think is what makes the track stand out so much. A definite member of my top 5 ever songs by her. (Monday 16 June 2014; 10:20)

Isabelle (44,793) by Bill from the UK Most major labels wouldn't allow an artist to own the rights to their recordings. They may have to be consulted about any releases away from their jurisdiction but ultimately the songs would remain the property of the label. However they are usually open to allowing artists to buy the rights to their songs. The Christian singer Amy Grant did that a few years back and re-mastered and re-issued all her records digitally, which was great for fans as her older albums from the 70s and 80s were really sounding worn on vinyl and cassette. I know there is a likely a treasure trove of unused songs from both Sony and Universal. I'd give anything to hear them. (Monday 16 June 2014; 2:36)

Badr - Top 5 (44,769) by Bill from the UK 1. Make It Look Good 2. Make It Look Good 3. Make It Look Good 4. Make It Look Good 5. Make It Look Good But seriously, after MILG my order would be "Beautiful", "You Don't Know What to Do", "Money" and "Dedicated". (Sunday 15 June 2014; 14:30)

Did I do that?! (44,751) by Bill from the UK For some reason unbeknownst to me, I have been unable to get my most despised of Mariah's songs, Did I Do That, out of my head. Well, it's third in my worst ever list behind Boy and More Than Just Friends. Funny how sometimes you can really lose your mind and do things you would never do. It's been on repeat (yes MILG has been ousted for the time being lol) and I've grown to love the Rainbow album more than ever lately. I gotta get me some sleep. (Saturday 14 June 2014; 20:10)

Butterfly juice (44,728) by Bill from the UK Judging by the fanfare, press conference and media attention associated with it, I wouldn't be surprised if the Butterfly juice shifted more units than the album. (Friday 13 June 2014; 22:19)

The promo debate (44,577) by Bill from the UK I was thinking, Mariah was readily promoting her albums and singles just like she used to until the marriage to Nick happened. For Touch My Body and the launch of E=MC2, she was everywhere. Maybe Mariah decided herself to halt promo to enjoy her new husband. Then she went through that strange statue-esque period at the end of E=MC2 when she was clearly medicated (to help her conceive or deal with her miscarriage?), and then when she was pregnant, it was awkward and difficult so she probably couldn't physically do too much, and now she's a mother she probably wants to spend time with her children rather than jetting around the world. To me, it seems more on Mariah's part than the label's. It's natural and right that she's winding down the machine at this time in her personal life. (Sunday 8 June 2014; 14:59)

IDJ (44,552) by Bill from the UK Has it been explicitly stated anywhere that Mariah is desperately unhappy with the support her label have given her? I know she had a hang up about Migrate not being released, but on the main they've pretty much let her do what she wants creatively. A lot of people here are saying she's glad to be out of her contract, but how do you know? She may turn around and sign for another three albums. (Saturday 7 June 2014; 9:07)

PJW / Ian James (44,431) by Bill from the UK It's a sorry state of affairs when Mariah may genuinely give a great live performance and her fans automatically assume it is lipped. WBT was clearly live, Fab completely ruined any illusion that Money was live, but I think Heavenly was. I think the reality is that it was recorded live, then dubbed or fixed up in the studio. And here's a wake up call for all the naysayers, (caps) that has always been the case (end caps). Not just Mariah, but every artist. Mariah's home videos on Sony (Unplugged, Here Is Mariah, MSG, Around the World) were all dubbed, no singer in the world can have an unerring sense of pitch when performing live. You watch those back and compare them to today's "real" live performances (ie caught on smartphones) and it's obvious. PJW, great post on Meteorite. Ian James, loved the Emotions video. Proof she still has it. Really half the time it comes down to alcohol. She must have been off the sauce then as she was pregnant. What a difference. (Monday 2 June 2014; 20:57)

Dani / Ronan / QHM (44,393) by Bill from the UK Dani, thank you for your post, that was exactly what I wanted. What did you think of it? Ronan, thanks for the link, I've just watched it and I agree it was great. I did laugh at how FAB didn't even bother to lip sync at some parts haha. That said, Mariah appeared to either sing live or at least to a live pre-recorded track, so I am grateful she re-sang parts. Heavenly was fantastic. QHM, your description of MILG was right on point. To me it has that "Fantasy" feel, probably because they both sample a 70s track, it gives it that summery boardwalk kind of vibe. The layers and wall of sound and instruments have a similar set up to Fantasy, which we'd all agree is another career defining composition of Mariah's. Make it look gooder than them other fools Mariah. (Sunday 1 June 2014; 18:54)

NBC Special (44,379) by Bill from the UK Hey all, please can the US fans let us outside the US know what songs she sang and post any reviews please? I'm dying to know what it was like. (Sunday 1 June 2014; 11:29)

TR / Darryle (44,368) by Bill from the UK I think you're right, thank you. (Saturday 31 May 2014; 23:14)

Loverboy (Firecracker) (44,356) by Bill from the UK The remix to Loverboy on the Glitter album kind of features the Firecracker sample. Da Brat's "hate on me" rap is to the tune of Firecracker, and rather cleverly calls out J. Lo ("you can't do what the (cough) I do, just be imitating me daily"). I imagine and would hazard a guess that the chorus to Loverboy was originally sung to that melody. (Saturday 31 May 2014; 14:17)

Lee / TR (44,351) by Bill from the UK I'm obsessed with every single note of MILG. I have played the song 50 times a day minimum since the album came out, it is glorious, and the best thing she has ever done. I can't work out if she says "gooder than them other guys" or "gooder than them other fools", and no idea what she says rapidly before "supposed to be" in the chorus. But I get what you're saying about her voice sounding like a harmonica. It just blends with the instrument Stevie plays perfectly. I am so glad there are others on here who "get" the song lol. It is an absolute masterpiece. (Saturday 31 May 2014; 9:47)

To the floor / PJW (44,327) by Bill from the UK To the Floor was indeed known as "Tonight" when it was initially leaked after Say Somethin'. I still often refer to it as Tonight by mistake, probably because I think it's a better title. I do love that song to pieces, one of my faves from TEOM. (Friday 30 May 2014; 23:19)

Skip / the label (44,313) by Bill from the UK That was a good series of posts Skip. Playing devil's advocate (or angel's, if you prefer), single releases have been a mess from the outset. I Don't Wanna Cry was due as the second single from the debut but LTT replaced it. You're So Cold was the original lead from Emotions but was changed the last minute. And You Don't Remember was supposed to be the final single from Emotions but was dropped. Underneath The Stars was a song Mariah wanted as the second single from Daydream but OSD was chosen instead. Butterfly had two singles (Breakdown, The Roof) which were due for release but held back by Sony. We all know the debacle that happened over CTTA from Rainbow. So I wouldn't place the blame squarely on Island. With any single release, there will be a team involved testing what will work in the charts and what is best to promote the album, and as much as Mariah may like a particular track, it may not be right commercially in the label's eyes. She'll always have this problem unless she goes independent. (Friday 30 May 2014; 15:59)

Stacey / MIAM (44,282) by Bill from the UK Stacey, I love it when posters here say how much they like Make It Look Good. I must have listened to that song literally 300 times. It's on repeat on my iPod too and from work and on in my car and plays on Spotify in my house lol. I just think it is a wonderful, brilliant song. When I can tear myself away from MILG and listen to the rest of the album, I must say I've not enjoyed an album this much since TEOM came out. I think every track is a blast and aside from MILG, my other favourites would be Money (when I leave the house I mentally say "money, this, that, the other" as a checklist for my wallet, door keys, car keys and work pass), Cry, One More Try, Beautiful, Dedicated and Supernatural. I love hearing "dem babies", especially when one of them says "I love you so much", just adorable. (Thursday 29 May 2014; 23:27)

Homeslice from Canada (44,198) by Bill from the UK Mariah's 7 track Unplugged EP from 1992 was eligible to chart on the Billboard 200, so there's no reason Mahone's cannot. (Wednesday 28 May 2014; 12:21)

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