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About mimicarey from england: mariah's #1 fan

A couple of thoughts (93,261) by mimicarey from england

Hey everyone, I'm new here but I've adored Mimi since forever and think she's got so much potential today to have a commercial smash [with] critical acclaim (dare I say even more so than Caution). I just thought I'd share some of my thoughts and wanted to see if anyone agreed/disagreed.

Caution as an era, the viral social media posts and song challenges, Merry Christmas 25, AIWFCIY breaking a whole load of records by going #1, the BBMA Icon Award plus Ivor's Special Achievement, the Songwriter's Hall of Fame induction etc has definitely reversed all the damage from the first half of the 2010s. I don't think Mariah's public image has been this favorable since she gave birth to dem kids. The climate online and in public is that she's an [undisputed] legend and that's heartening to see.

However... a good public image does not always translate into sales (artists like Kelly Clarkson for one are adored by the G.P, but don't sell and can barely fill up a theatre). With that in mind, I feel that Mariah needs to have these points checked so she can use public goodwill to draw attention back to her music.

1. Self-Image: As we all know, Mariah from 1990-95 was the transcendent r&b/pop girl next door - this was reflected in her styling choices (natural hair, light makeup, conservative outfits). Now obviously there was a level of artifice to the level of this look (it wasn't authentically Mariah), but her look and public image complimented her music.

1996-2000: This was Mariah's first metamorphosis - not only did her music became much more drawn to heavier r&b and hip-hop influences, her styling choices reflected that by drawing on her sexuality and Amazonian beauty. However, there was still an element of sophistication to her look at the time, so despite potentially alienating her MOR conservative audience, she consolidated her hold over her already sizeable urban audience.

2001-2004: Mariah's style and self image was... interesting to say the least during this period, as were her musical and vocal choices (in the studio), as well as the nature of her singles.

2005-present: Mariah's reinvention into an irreverent urban goddess perfectly encapsulated the vibe of TEOM and propelled her back to the top. Her lack of variation from this image has arguably cultivated her into the pop culture persona she is today, but has arguably also contributed to the subsequent decline in sales after this however. Her self-image today very much taps into the look of a legacy artist (still stunning, but relatively recycled).

Putting the music aside, if Mariah wants another commercial comeback, her next album release needs to coincide with a shift in her self-image. Not a complete reinvention or step back, but rather a contemporary fusion of elements from across her era (the fresh faced look from the early 90s, the glamorous sophistication of her looks in the late 90s (w a more conservative twist) and the cutting self-aware humor of her persona in the 2000s alongside something contemporary (something in the style of Celine Dion's experiments with high fashion, albeit much less garish).

In terms of the music, at this point Mariah's only competition is herself. However, for a commercial comeback, she inevitably has to compete with the young'ins in the industry, which was something missing from Caution's non-commercially oriented release. Part of the frustration with Mimi today stems from the fact that audiences recognise her potential to comeback, but notice her (and her team's) lack of acknowledgement of this. In terms of the music, she's competing in an uptempo world and the singles need to reflect this - Mariah is more than capable of doing this.

In a singles driven market, radio and playlisting is obviously something that goes against her as a female artist over 40, so a relevant feature on the lead is also a necessity (the fact that #Beautiful was her last top 20 hit isn't a coincidence).

Mariah's strengths as an artist have always rested on her synthesist abilities - despite operating within the traditions of R&B, she taps into a wide range of musical sources and inspirations. In a hip-hop dominated landscape, an uptempo hip-hop inflected r&b track would certainly fit, but certainly get lost in the mix... here is where Mariah's pop sensibilities come in - 70s and 80s disco and dance are obviously re-entering pop culture, so a fusion of the three aforementioned elements would facilitate a smash.

Promotional, a single described as before with a current feature - performed on late night + award shows, playlisted across Spotify, promoted through a radio deal (like Beautiful) would smash. And in addition to tapping into the throwback disco vibe currently emerging, Mariah could satisfy her urban audiences by drawing on the sentiments surrounding the 'lack' of r&b in the current landscape.

Idk, I know this is a loooong drawn out essay but I thought it'd be best to put all my ideas down in one go. Apologies if this fills the entire page lol.
(Wednesday 11 March 2020; 23:34)