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About Norman from USA: I've been a fan of Mariah's since I first heard Love Takes Time (I don't know how I initially missed Vision of Love), and I haven't looked back since. Her music has been there for me in my darkest hours to help lift out of the depths of whatever I was going through at the time. She's my all time favorite female singer, even though I love many others. It's funny to think of her music as a "friend", but it's always been there for me. I love her talent. " As we drifted to another place and time And the feeling was so heady and sublime As I lost my heart to you There in the dark Underneath the stars"

Re: Just sayin' (78,679) (78,681) by Norman from USA Andrew, I hope you're brother is better soon; thankful he's home. Spending a day like that is scary and taxing on everyone. (Sunday 8 October 2017; 02:21)

Martyn (75,697) by Norman from USA My only connection to Martyn was through this board. And even that was limited to my liking his posts from time to time. Still, the news of his passing has shaken me in ways I didn't expect. I've openly wept for him, for the grief his loved ones must be going through, and the utter senselessness of this whole ordeal. My heart is heavy for all those who knew and loved him. May you rest in peace, Martyn. (Thursday 25 May 2017; 11:47)

Re: Nick on Wendy (74,820) (74,824) by Norman from USA Um, that would be an emphatic no. Perish the thought. *shudders* (Friday 28 April 2017; 09:53)

Re: New Vevo for 90's artists (74,703) (74,706) by Norman from USA Wait. What? Seriously? Wow. I'm going to have to look it up. (Monday 24 April 2017; 04:39)

Re: New Vevo for 90's artists (74,693) (74,700) by Norman from USA I Brownstone. That song is perfection. One of my all time favorites. (Monday 24 April 2017; 00:18)

Re: The uselessness of trying to change someone (74,001) (74,017) by Norman from USA Amen to that, Marissa. (Tuesday 28 March 2017; 22:37)

The best revenge... (73,905) by Norman from USA Is success. This was not it. And it's not a dig at Remy or the original song, because I like them both individually. The problems here are: 1. This is not a remix. I don't even know what to call it, but it's definitely not that. 2. This collabo offers nothing new or needed to the track. 3. The promo for this was totally predicated on the GP's knowledge of the feud between the three women, and then doesn't deliver, in the least, on that premise. 4. By not delivering, it brings the heat down on Mariah because it's her song, and because this will be compared to Shether. It's inevitable. And it won't be pretty. This was a badly conceived and poorly executed stunt (even if I did enjoy the promo). At the end of the day, the revamping of this song won't attract any new fans for Mariah. And it won't do anything to silence those who are concerned about the lack of vision or direction in Mariah's camp. Instead, it actually bolsters the ridicule of the recent missteps, and gives the skeptics something else to hold on to. It seems like an exercise in futility. If Mariah's camp wanted to capitalize on Remy's new found fame, it would've better to collaborate on a whole new song, or completely rework this song. The song was already dead in the water, they didn't have to worry about keeping it afloat. So making a really good remix shouldn't have been a problem. Staying above the fray might've been an even better option. (Friday 24 March 2017; 10:19)

Re: Weird era (72,327) (72,368) by Norman from USA Great question, Danny. I'd say the weirdest thing about this whole journey so far has been keeping Stella around. At the end of the day this is a business, and Stella has proven herself ill prepared to manage any aspect of Mariah's career. I know most of us wonder why Stella is still around despite all the mishaps during her watch that were her call (at the very least her strong suggestion). There's something that Anthony B. said in episode 1 of MW that struck a cord with me about Stella and her management style: "When you continue to cut from the things that are important for the production, it cheapens it." She's certainly not helping retain or improve the brand recognition. (Wednesday 8 February 2017; 12:44)

Re: It's just entertainment (72,275) (72,280) by Norman from USA Exactly right, Geronimo. Welcome to the board. (Monday 6 February 2017; 21:16)

Re: Mariah Superbowl - setllist (like Diana Ross) (72,266) (72,278) by Norman from USA Sheila, I know you mean well. I do. That's why this gay man is going to help you out with your Conway impersonation: PokerFace: 14 million. Bad Romance: 12 million. Just Dance: 10 million. Born This Way: 9 million. Telephone: 7.4. Alternative fact free zone. Even Mariah knows her. (Monday 6 February 2017; 20:00)

Re: Mariah interview (71,767) (71,784) by Norman from USA Love (all caps) that interview (exclamation). Can you imagine Glitter set in the 70s with an all soul soundtrack? Thank you for posting this. (Monday 30 January 2017; 11:33)

Re: Missy Elliott (71,682) (71,687) by Norman from USA It really is. And she has a documentary coming out. (Friday 27 January 2017; 22:14)

Re: Song spoilers (71,640) (71,641) by Norman from USA I agree with you about BGK. It would be a good direction (at leaat to experiment with some more). SE and BGK are personal favorites of mine. Giving the song a little more energy than either of those songs would come in helpful. Maybe that's where YG comes in. Then again, he's not the producer, and neither are his producers. It's JD. I'm going to shut up now... on this post. (Thursday 26 January 2017; 11:48)

Re: New song (71,621) (71,623) by Norman from USA This is at least a glimmer of hope that the vocals weren't rushed. What remains to be seen is how well YG is incorporated into the song and how they gel within it. Thanks for the update. (Wednesday 25 January 2017; 23:09)

The rap game (71,597) by Norman from USA Mariah's Hip-Pop collabo's are stuff of legend. They're something that will forever stand as arguably one of her lasting accomplishments in her legacy as an artist. As dedicated fans, we all know the story. Her detractors would argue that it was these very collaborations that started a downward trend in career that had previously known no ceiling. The problem with that is that these collabo's were in fact a very core essence and extension of who Mariah had been all along (as she frequently reminds us). If there's something to critique in her more recent dips into the genre, it's that she seems to have lost some of the heart and soul of what made tracks like The Roof, Breakdown, I Still Believe (Pure Imagination), Fantasy (Remix), etc., so special: the collaboration. They weren't just a song someone slapped any hip-hop artist on at the end to try and sell a song. She'd put in the work. She'd transform herself musically. Other artist may do it with their attire; Mariah seemed to do in the studio. They way she sampled "The Shook Ones" and made The Roof her own was genius. Matching Bone Thugs in spitting lines was pure perfection. And when she worked with Young Jeezy on Side Effects, it was totally believable and lyrical. When Mariah is on her A game about these collabo's, there isn't another female artist in the industry that can touch her (in Hip-Pop). The tracks may not chart toppers, but they'll be wholly authentic - if her head is in the game. At the moment, it would seem otherwise. YG has some good beats on his records produced by DJ Mustard. He's also had some success with Drake. That doesn't mean it'll translate with M if there's nothing relevant for each of them to vibe off one another. I'm just not sure how their styles mesh. We'll see on Sunday. (Wednesday 25 January 2017; 11:15)

Fur begs the question (70,402) by Norman from USA Why is it always pitchforks and torches around here? It's always guilty until proven innocent. And even then you need 100 forensic evidence. It's an obsession to snatch anger from the jaws of happiness. (Thursday 29 December 2016; 1:07)

Re: Your own private concert (66,576) (66,620) by Norman from USA 1) AYNAF (C&C club mix) full version - It forever lifts my spirits. 2) The Roof - It's a must. Period. 3) Where Are You Christmas - I need to hear her version of this. 4) Side Effects - So different from her. Real. 5) Looking In - Without the cracked ribs and arm sling Jeff, picking just 5 was very difficult. (Friday 23 September 2016; 12:57)

Forget the image, forget the ensembles, etc. (66,462) by Norman from USA Game time: Say that Mariah didn't have a single #1 hit to her credit. Say she'd never sold all those millions of albums and singles world wide. Not a single one. Say that in 2016 all that we know of Mariah Carey is that she's a singer/songwriter, single mother of two, twice divorced, who's never really had her big break. Her voice is in its current state (we know nothing about how it sounded prior to its current state). She's been a backup singer off and on for most of her adult life. Now, at the age of 46, a YouTube video of her warming up and singing (leaving this blank so you can decide later) at this year's (fill in the blank) music festival has gone viral and landed her a contract with a big label. If you were in the position to A&R, or help produce her debut album, what direction would you go? What type of artist are you thinking about when you hear her? Keep in mind this is just about the music, not how she's marketed Clean slate. No drama/baggage. She can collaborate with anyone. She can sing any genre (that's why I left the stuff above blank). The catch is that you have to make the case as to why. Why that specific collaboration? Why that specific genre(s)? Why that sound? Why that producer, and what do they bring to the project? If you name someone, you must have a why to back it up. Maybe compile a list of other artists to draw reference from, emulate/compare. Naming off your favorite big name producers and or possible collaborator is fine. The thing about this, again, is the why. Also, her discography is off-limits as reference since she doesn't have one in this scenario. You can't wish she'd write something we know she's actually written in real life. Past real life collaborations are also off limits if they're in the same vein as their actual work. For example: She should record a ballad with John Legend a la "With You I'm Born Again", or a "Breakdown" type of song with Bone Thugs. You can pick John Legend if you want, you just can't say a ballad like something they've already done in real life. Total suspension of disbelief is needed, obviously. This could prove interesting, however. (Monday 19 September 2016; 12:48)

Do you care for me beyond idolization? (63,496) by Norman from USA This Demi Lavoto mess is sickening. [censored] The woman, admittedly, had a lapse in judgment for sticking her nose in where it didn't belong, but to have her IG blasted with hateful messages about her mental illness, and to then invite her to continue to self mutilate because of an opinion you don't agree with? That's (all caps) what you want to feel proud about and congratulate your fellow "lambs" about? That's a damn right shameful and dehumanizing thing to do to another human being - particularly one who's been so open and forthcoming about their struggles. Go ahead and share how much "Outside", "Close My Eyes", "Looking In", "Languishing", etc., got you through something because you felt like an outcast, but there you are tearing someone down for something utterly trivial. Smdh. (Friday 17 June 2016; 11:40)

Re: Magazine (60,565) (60,569) by Norman from USA Mimi L., you know what I find hilarious about your posts? Well, not the exact content per se, but the fact that I know when I come on the board you'll always have a link to the best pic of our girl. Even when I try doing a search on my own, in the back of my mind I'm thinking that you must've already found a better one in a different angle. Hehe cheers. (Friday 18 March 2016; 23:31)

Mariah's World: Glasgow (60,465) by Norman from USA Looks like we got our wish of a fresh new do. That pic she posted on her IG right before that show is awesome. It reminds me of her hair during Glitter. Also, I'm liking the name change for the show. Mariah's World sounds much more appropriate. Because, no offense but, at the end of the day, no one really cares about her glam sqaud, right? I'm hoping that it's more of a documentary along the lines of Truth or Dare, instead of anything else any other celebrity has had on TV. Not to compare artists, of course, but just in sense of scope of pop culture impact and production. I hope everyone is well. Cheers. (Wednesday 16 March 2016; 1:03)

Re: Ten years ago (59,825) (59,836) by Norman from USA Oh Bill, you took me way back and painted a perfect picture of those early days (drifting to another place and time). And yes (all caps) the ATYNAF hair (exclamation). What a time it was. Thanks for that. Cheers. (Thursday 18 February 2016; 9:51)

Re: MC3 (59,228) (59,242) by Norman from USA Spot. On. (Friday 22 January 2016; 9:44)

Re: I'm so surprised (58,907) (58,913) by Norman from USA It's subjective, you know? It's ok not have liked so much. I think it was fun and had a lot of strong singles. Maybe not so much a cohesive album, but overall good. (Wednesday 6 January 2016; 9:44)

Re: Underrated songs with chart potentials (58,890) (58,892) by Norman from USA Mimi L, you're so spot on about "Side Effects". I can't say enough about that song. Actually, I think I talk about it a little too much, but it really is exceptional. So many great cuts on that album and, of course, they chose the wrong second single. Plus, all those promo spots she did on MTV for the album were amazing. Not to mention hilarious. Comedy is definitely her thing when she has good material. I still watch her and Snoop as Jack. (Tuesday 5 January 2016; 12:30)

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