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The evolution of Mariah Carey (110,191) by BFF from United States
Do black artists not sing pop music? Are black and white the only types of people in the world? Last time I checked Mariah has devoted fans across many continents and of many different backgrounds other than "white" and "black". I'm not an OG fan. I became a fan in the 1997-2000 period and my first Mariah album was "Rainbow", so I thoroughly enjoyed and appreciated the way Mariah integrated hip-hop into her music. I think it worked best on songs like "The Roof" and "Crybaby" and the remixes for "My All" and "Thank God I Found You". And I also love the stuff from 1990-1996 - the ballads ("Can't Let Go"), the gospel-inflected tunes ("Any Time You Need a Friend"), the house and disco influenced uptempo songs ("Emotions", "Now that I Know", etc).

Last time I checked, Diana Ross, Michael Jackson, Janet Jackson, Luther Vandross, Donna Summer, and many, many other African-American/black artists have put out music that most people would categorize as "pop". Pop isn't a genre - it is shorthand for "popular" and encompasses a wide range of styles and idioms. And "pop" music isn't synonymous with "white". Country songs go to #1 on the "pop" charts. R&B and Hip-Hop songs have gone to #1 on the "pop" charts. House tracks have gone to #1 on the "pop" charts. Alternative rock songs go to #1 on the "pop" charts.

In 2003, Liz Phair caught a lot of flack for "going pop" on her self-titled album, but she brilliantly pointed out that it's dishonest for recording artists (and critics) to pretend that they aren't in business when they are. Having a career as a recording artist means that you're often (out of necessity) trying to appeal to the widest possible audience - it has nothing to do with "race" and everything to do with capitalism. Sometimes you need a "pop" hit to pay your bills, get out of debt, to build your clout, etc. There's no shame in it.

I actually think the main reason that Mariah began to feel the need to pander a bit was due to music critic Nelson George labelling her "a white girl trying to sing black", which is itself a racist statement because it conflates skin color with singing ability. This was a misnomer because she was already singing gospel, R&B, and house-influenced songs on the debut album in 1990 and the "Emotions" album in 1991. Last time I checked Adele is a more impressive vocalist than Janet Jackson, but this reductive thinking would have us believe that somehow "race" automatically correlates with singing ability. It doesn't.

Mariah being called a "white girl trying to sing black" by music critics became such an issue that she had a press conference/sit down with many of them early on to tell them to cut it out. The reality is that Mariah never denied being mixed race, and I don't agree with the argument that Tommy tried to hide that aspect of her. Critics like Nelson George were ones who created this issue because their color struck, racialist thinking disallowed the idea that someone who looked like Mariah could sing and write so brilliantly.

Sorry for getting on my soapbox, but it makes me angry that Mariah has felt pressured into pandering to this nonsense. Maybe we should stop trying to label music with such simplistic "racial" categories and just enjoy the music?
(Tuesday 29 July 2025; 15:21)
this is a reply to message 110,159
The evolution of Mariah Carey (110,092) by BFF from United States
For me, my favorite Mariah was from the 1997-2000 period. She had her freedom from the marriage but also seemed very happy and carefree. The bad experience with “Glitter” changed things for the worse in my opinion. In my opinion, that was really the point at which she became more remote, seemed less relatable, and less focused on her voice and the music. That marriage to Tommy really screwed her over in a lot of ways and its aftermath derailed her professional and personal life in the early 2000s.
(Saturday 26 July 2025; 15:10)
this is a reply to message 110,075
Sugar Sweet (110,042) by BFF from United States
I'm a little underwhelmed by the song, but I understand that its release is strategic as means for Mariah to stay contemporary. I don't blame Mariah for trying to stay current, but I think the songwriting, production and guest artists are a bit beneath her. The uptempo songs on "Caution" worked a lot better than this one in my opinion. Who knows? Maybe it grow on me.

I'm looking forward to hearing the songs she produced with just Daniel Moore, the Paul/Linda McCartney cover, and the collaboration with The Clark Sisters.
(Friday 25 July 2025; 13:13)
this is a reply to message 110,032
Jimmy Kimmel (110,039) by BFF from United States
I wasn't a fan of that interviewer. All she did was talk about Mariah's breasts and superfluous things that had nothing to do with the album or single. I was actually a creeped out on Mariah's behalf for all of the weird comments about Mariah's body.
(Friday 25 July 2025; 12:49)
this is a reply to message 110,035
Here For It All (110,010) by BFF from United States
I hope "Here For It All" performs well. "Type Dangerous" has already out-performed all of the singles from "Caution", so that is a good sign.

It saddens me that Mariah's team in 2018 botched the rollout for the "Caution" album. It was a solid album, and she was correct in her criticism of the "instant grats" approach. And they should not have released it so close to Christmas.

It seems like Larry Jackson and the Gamma people have it together for this album's launch though. Hopefully "Sugar Sweet" benefits from the hype built by "Type Dangerous".
(Thursday 24 July 2025; 17:42)
this is a reply to message 110,009
Here For It All (109,957) by BFF from United States
You know, in retrospect, I don't think seven years has been that much of a wait in comparison to some longer breaks that other artists have taken. Janet Jackson hasn't had a proper studio album since Unbreakable in 2015. Toni Braxton took eight years between Pulse (2010) and Sex & Cigarettes (2018). Maybe Mariah will be able to get more music out now that the twins are teenagers and with Larry Jackson and the Gamma team supporting her.

I'm looking forward to hearing the new music, and I'm really excited for this "Live and Let Die" cover. I love it when Mariah pulls off a random 70s/80s rock cover for us. It seems like some of the songs selected for the album were recorded earlier in the process than others, and it's clear that there were multiple sets of sessions for the album as we heard about during her interviews for the last few years. The collaboration with the Clark Sisters and the songs with just Daniel Moore seem to have been completed before the sessions with Anderson .Paak.

This summer has been super hard for me personally, but having a new Mariah album to look forward to has seriously brightened up my day(s). Happy to have people like Bobby A keeping me in the loop with his X research skills
(Wednesday 23 July 2025; 18:35)
this is a reply to message 109,937
Here For It All / Paul McCartney cover (109,927) by BFF from United States
Based on the songwriting credits, the song will be something that Paul and Linda McCartney wrote together. So maybe something from the album "Ram" which they recorded together or something from one of the eight albums recorded by the band Wings, for which Paul and Linda wrote a lot of songs together. Wings had a lot of hits in the 1970s, so there are quite a few possibilities.
(Tuesday 22 July 2025; 17:59)
this is a reply to message 109,911
Here For It All / Paul McCartney cover (109,902) by BFF from United States
Looks like she might be covering a song by Wings, Paul and Linda McCartney's band in the 70s? Can you imagine Mariah singing "Live and Let Die"?
(Tuesday 22 July 2025; 02:58)
this is a reply to message 109,896
Here For It All (109,889) by BFF from United States
I just looked the album up on Apple Music. It's listed as having eleven tracks with "Type Dangerous" being the third track followed by "Sugar Sweet" as the fourth track.
(Monday 21 July 2025; 20:34)
this is a reply to message 109,876
Here For It All (109,876) by BFF from United States
I like the title. Hopefully the 9/26 release date doesn't make the album conflict too much with whatever Mariah has planned for the holiday season. I remember "Caution" being released in mid-November 2018, which may have contributed a bit to its low performance. I like the album cover, the pose reminds me a bit of the "Glitter" album cover except with eyes open.
(Monday 21 July 2025; 16:36)
this is a reply to message 109,873
Special guests (109,835) by BFF from United States
I honestly wish the Usher collaboration single had happened with "How Much". I really liked the So So Def Remix version we got on the Anniversary Version of "Rainbow". That could have been a big git considering Usher was pretty big at the time as well.

Fingers crossed that Mariah hits a home run with the second single. "Type Dangerous" kind of fizzled out.
(Saturday 19 July 2025; 23:46)
this is a reply to message 109,823
New snippet (109,794) by BFF from United States
I thought I saw something earlier today indicating that "Type Dangerous" would re-enter the Hot 100? Perhaps due to streaming from the remixes?

I honestly would prefer she moves on to the next single. I don't really care for any of the TD remixes, and it feels like the moment has passed.
(Thursday 17 July 2025; 18:03)
this is a reply to message 109,789
We Belong Together (109,431) by BFF from United States
I think the initial excitement over new non-holiday music from Mariah has worn off a bit. I must admit that I haven't really been listening to "Type Dangerous" that much since the initial release. It's marginally better than "GTFO" but really feels a lot like "Dedicated" from the "Me I Am Mariah" album. It doesn't seem to add anything new to Mariah's repertory. Hopefully they have a solid second single lined up and "Type Dangerous" was just a means of generating initial buzz for better songs on the forthcoming album.
(Saturday 21 June 2025; 23:52)
this is a reply to message 109,427
TD second week chart stats (109,421) by BFF from United States
Looks like #95 might be the peak for "Type Dangerous" unless we get some more promotion and momentum from Mariah's camp. I don't really follow current music, so I have no point of reference. Does anyone know how well we are doing with streams, downloads, radio airplay, etc? I heard the song one time on the local R&B radio station when it first dropped, but that's about it.
(Friday 20 June 2025; 19:15)
Emotions (109,265) by BFF from United States
I love the "Emotions" album. It's my second favorite behind "Butterfly". "Can't Let Go" absolutely deserved to go to #1, and it is one of my favorites from Mariah's early ballad output. "If It's Over" and "Til the End of Time" are also favorites. The "Emotions" album was really special because it marked the first time Mariah had full creative control. I think it strikes a nice balance between the uptempo songs with David Cole + Robert Clivilles and the soul-inflected ballads she recorded with Walter A. and Carole King.
(Friday 13 June 2025; 13:43)
this is a reply to message 109,263
Type Dangerous Billboard stats (109,229) by BFF from United States
Any word on where "Type Dangerous" might end up on the Hot 100 chart? I saw a tweet that mentioned a "Top 80 debut", but that is quite unspecific.
(Wednesday 11 June 2025; 20:01)
Type Dangerous and new record deal (109,115) by BFF from United States
Amen. Glad to see people putting some R-E-S-P-E-C-T on Ms. Carey's name. Paul McCartney and crew better watch out. Mariah's coming for y'all.
(Friday 6 June 2025; 16:20)
this is a reply to message 109,110
Type Dangerous (109,098) by BFF from United States
This definitely hits harder than "GTFO" from Caution. I love the Eric B. and Rakim sample, and I love the sassy send ups of Tommy, Nick, and company. It's not quite on the level of "#Beautiful" with Miguel, but it definitely feels fresh and current. I haven't really listened to much current music recently, so I do not know where it fits in the current pop ecosystem.

I know we cannot focus on getting a hit, but I'd really love to see Mariah unseat The Beatles.
(Friday 6 June 2025; 12:47)
MC16 (109,023) by BFF from United States
I'm so excited for this. I think hooking up both professionally and personally with Anderson .Paak is going to be really great for Mariah. He seems like a genuinely caring and fun guy - great energy for Mariah.

It has been seven years since "Caution", but I'm glad she took the time she needed with this album. She clearly felt rushed with "Caution", and it did not seem that her management team executed the launch of that one to ensure success. Hopefully, the timing of "Type Dangerous" and the accompanying album around "The Emancipation of Mimi" anniversary will help provide the momentum Mariah needs. I'm rooting for her. Maybe she came across as exhausted in these recent shows and interviews just from all of the personal and professional stress - two recent deaths, tour, album re-release, new album launch, probably prepping some stuff for Christmas. She clearly had a lot going on in the background.
(Wednesday 4 June 2025; 17:12)
this is a reply to message 109,019
Show some humanity (108,836) by BFF from United States
Mariah comes across as absolutely exhausted - physically, emotionally, psychologically - in the interviews and on stage. I wonder sometimes if she just feels creatively stifled on the writing and recording side of things and maybe opts to do the tours instead because she's afraid of disappointing the fans. Or maybe she's overspending and knows that touring is the only way to keep the lifestyle she is used to? It also cannot be easy to cope with the end of her relationship with Bryan and the loss of her mom and sister within the same relative time frame. She also has a lot of people on payroll, and they have a vested interest in telling her "Yes, keep going" rather than "You need to stop and take care of yourself."

She definitely doesn't seem physically, emotionally or psychologically well right now. But she's obviously committed to more shows for the Mimi anniversary, and then there will, of course, be the annual holiday shows before long.
(Friday 23 May 2025; 12:29)
this is a reply to message 108,833
TEOM 20 (108,565) by BFF from United States
I really don't agree with people who call TEOM her "magnum opus". The magnum opus is "Butterfly", people. Get with the program. I find TEOM slightly overrated/over-celebrated because it was a commercial comeback. I like a decent number of songs, but there are definitely more skips than other albums. I'm excited for the re-release, but TEOM is nowhere near my favorite Mariah album.
(Sunday 13 April 2025; 00:20)
this is a reply to message 108,550
TEOM 20 (108,549) by BFF from United States
It looks like we are getting the full 20th anniversary release on Saturday, April 12 for the actual 20th anniversary of the original release date. I checked Apple Music, and it looks like the re-release is a two-disc set. Disc two, the one with all of the bonus material, has 21 tracks on it. We will be getting lots of goodies on 4/12/25. Please let "When I Feel It" be on the set. I love that song.
(Friday 11 April 2025; 10:59)
this is a reply to message 108,548
TEOM announcement (108,511) by BFF from United States
Are we about to get a deluxe anniversary edition of the album? I wonder if there are any other songs left over from those sessions that we don't know about. So exciting. This year is also Daydream's 30th anniversary.
(Saturday 5 April 2025; 14:12)
Favorite Mariah Hip-Hop collaborations (108,485) by BFF from United States
Totally fair. I just find the Fantasy Remix very "cut and paste" in terms of Mariah's remixes whereas the hip-hop remixes for songs like My All, Always Be My Baby, Heartbreaker, Thank God I Found You and Honey (So So Def) were re-sung, re-recorded, and re-written with new samples in an incredibly creative way. I also just find Wu-Tang Clan and ODB a bit overrated in comparison to other hip-hop acts from the 1990s. I particularly appreciated Mariah pulling in Missy Elliott and Da Brat on the Heartbreaker remix for an answer to Snoop Dogg's "Ain't No Fun".
(Saturday 29 March 2025; 18:02)
this is a reply to message 108,482
Favorite Mariah Hip-Hop collaborations (108,481) by BFF from United States
I was talking to someone the other day about how I felt the ODB version of "Fantasy" is a bit overrated and played out. It's the one that everyone knows - I actually quite like the original version and the House remix more. Though I do appreciate the "Me and Mariah go back like babies and pacifiers" line. I use that one a lot. What do you all think? Favorite Mariah hip-hop collaborations/remixes? These would be my 10 favorites

1. My All/Stay Awhile (So So Def Remix)
2. The Roof (Mobb Deep Extended)
3. Breakdown (Mo Thugs Version)
4. Crybaby
5. Always Be My Baby (So So Def Remix)
6. Underneath the Stars (Drifting Remix)
7. I Still Believe/Pure Imagination
8. Honey (So So Def Remix)
9. Thank God I Found You (Make It Last Remix)
10. Heartbreaker (DJ Clue Remix)

I never really cared for "I Know What You Want" with Busta Rhymes. And I still feel like Mariah's golden period for these collaborations was that 1997-2000 period.
(Saturday 29 March 2025; 14:29)

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