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About Nicky from Jasmine's Sofa: Music lover.

Predictions (102,619) by Nicky from Jasmine's Sofa I have a feeling that we will get some interesting projects released by Mariah this year. I've a hunch that she has been in the studio with Beyonce. My intuition is that Act II may be an inspirational album, maybe with covers of classics in the culture. If so maybe AYNAF (alternatively this will appear on TBL). Unless Mariah hopped on a remix of Plastic Off The Sofa or Virgo's Groove. And I heard a rumour that Mariah has something coming out with SZA. Did she hop on Blind maybe? Or is this another song for the Lounge? SUD is coming this year too. I hope she includes some features on this project with like Willow Smith or someone else that has a fresh alternative style. And maybe we will see Mariah and Ariana together on Honey this year. I hope The Butterfly Lounge is the project that carries us into the Rarities 2 and jazz album. This next couple of years will hold several "eras" I hope. (Monday 24 April 2023; 01:21)

Butterfly 25 tracklist (101,208) by Nicky from Jasmine's Sofa There is a tracklist on Apple Music. Honestly, I'm disappointed and underwhelmed. The Roof collab with Brandy is great, but I'm not excited about any of the other tracks. I hope The Butterfly Lounge gets to see the light of day. I was stoked to buy this 25th anniversary vinyl, but I just may pass on it, to be honest. (Thursday 15 September 2022; 18:20)

Re: Collaborations (100,438) (100,443) by Nicky from Jasmine's Sofa Yes to this. I love her Caution era vocals, I saw her Caution World Tour show and she sounded amazing. I played that album over and over again for months when it first came out. I hadn't done that since Memoirs. Many lambs recognize that Mariah's voice sounds different on each of her albums, I think the points that you made alluded to this. Her voice is her instrument, she always says this. It's like she's learning a new instrument (or new way to use it) every few years. She'll always be an artist and songwriter first. I absolutely loved Mimi's Valentine's Day Mix, Fall in Love At Christmas, The Roof with Brandy, and all of her home concerts over the last couple of years. Her energy, enthusiasm, and her creativity has been so exciting to witness in the 2020's so far. And I'm sorry, Lullaby of Birdland is a huge standout for me on The Rarities album. I love how she sounds so effortless and comfortable in this singing style. And I love Caution. (Tuesday 14 June 2022; 03:21)

Re: MC's catalogue (100,374) (100,377) by Nicky from Jasmine's Sofa Never. She's not in this for the money grab, I think she'd go back to doing hair first. (Wednesday 1 June 2022; 02:42)

Re: Why I want another #1 (100,372) (100,376) by Nicky from Jasmine's Sofa I absolutely agree with this entire post. It feels like it is in line with the one I just made as well. Mariah's case is unique in that the mainstream machine that held the standard of expectations to "entertain" the audience was inseparable from her husband. Her rebellion against him, was her rebellion against the mainstream music beast Sony. The Mary J story reminds me of the dilemma of a marriage based in true love vs one of financial convenience. (Wednesday 1 June 2022; 02:39)

Creative artist over great vocalist (100,371) by Nicky from Jasmine's Sofa I want to start by saying that my words are in no way meant to be an excuse for Mariah or her career. I'm just offering my $.02 on this discussion around how she and her career is viewed by the public and peers. To sum this post up, I'm wondering if maybe Mariah's creativity has come to outshine her vocal instrument. And I don't think it's a bad thing. There was mention of diva antics being the cause for people to stop listening or to be embarrassed as a fan. I'm old enough to remember Aretha having many a diva antic whether onstage, in interviews, or otherwise. The same can be said for Patti and also Whitney. Whitney was known to be rude in interviews. I love all of these singers, I'm just mentioning this because I don't think "diva behavior" has much to do with her popularity. I will say that it's obvious that it became a defense mechanism after her paranoia in the Glitter era, feeling that she was backstabbed and "out there on her own" and understandably so. Again, not an excuse, just an observation of when it took a different turn. I believe it has more to do with her art. Mariah is in there from beginning to end of the project, she is the artist of many hats. She produces, writes, composes, sings lead and background, she really does it all minus playing instruments. She gained more control to create this way after Tommy, after leaving Sony. This is when her popularity started waning. Why? I think it's because her music was more of a creative and artistic expression and less of a mainstream, accessible, easy to swallow pill. I think of Prince in this same way. He was always in creative control and it increased further into his career. He was most popular in the 80s when he adhered to a sound he created that was acceptable for the time and within the bounds of WB, similar to how 90s Mariah was very much her signature sound, but within the structure of Sony. Given creative control, these 2 both became full on artists. I hope I'm painting this picture in a way that you all can understand. Whitney, Aretha, Celine, Barbra, Patti are all great singers and vocalists. They sing music that is mainstream in their respective genres. It's easy to listen to, you don't have to think too much about the lyrics, and they sound great in their music. If Mariah had an entire catalogue of Hero's she would fit right in with this group. The lyrics to Hero are not deep in comparison to her more personal works. The structure of the song is somewhat standard and easy to grasp. Someone else writes and arranges for these women the majority of the time. Mariah is not like this. Every single moment in her songs has been crafted or placed by her somehow. She writes from very deep places that not everyone can relate to or that not everyone is ready to hear. Again, this is similar to Prince in the 90s and beyond. His later music is an acquired taste. It's excellent and some of his best work in my opinion, but most people won't hear it or get it. I think Mariah's music is like this. Putting on one of her albums is honestly like watching a movie. There is so much ambience, emotional landscape, color, feels, sounds, it's an artistic display. The average person does not have the bandwidth or desire to get into all that comes with her album experiences. When some talk about Caution not sounding like a Mariah album, I think it's because she took a dip into the commercial again and it was maybe half-baked. I don't think she had as much control and time as usual for that album, although I do love it. I could go on but this post is way too long already. I'll wait to see if someone indulges the convo and I'll continue with a response. (Tuesday 31 May 2022; 19:28)

Shout out to Robert-Anthony / the Lambily is the best (100,259) by Nicky from Jasmine's Sofa I just wanted to send a huge thank you to Robert-Anthony for going out and getting me a copy of the #1s vinyl and shipping it to me. I just recieved it in the mail today. Words aren't enough to express my gratitude and appreciation. I shouldn't be surprised though, the kindness of his personality pokes through many of his posts and I always enjoy reading his takes on MC and the music. The true lambily is really something special. I think this messageboard really brings out the community aspect of being a lamb and I'm so appreciate of that. Anyway, I just wanted share word of this act of kindness. This gesture really goes a long way for me. (Tuesday 10 May 2022; 22:33)

Re: The Roof (Full Crew Club Mix) (100,085) (100,093) by Nicky from Jasmine's Sofa Yes, a whole masterpiece. It's been so long since I listened to this mix. Stone groove. (Tuesday 5 April 2022; 05:02)

Re: Question (99,911) (100,088) by Nicky from Jasmine's Sofa Another one to add to the list of occurrences B.C. (Before Carey) is Backyard by Pebbles feat. Salt N Pepa. I was a kid when this song came out, but I used to blast it all the time. It sounds like a Pop/R&B song in the same lane as Vanessa William's, but with the spice and hip hop moment of S&P. I would love for Mariah to cover a Pebbles song. "Girlfriend" should have been on the Glitter soundtrack. "Love Makes Things Happen" is such a beautiful song, an updated duet with Maxwell would be amazing. Also, "Love's Taken Over" by Chanté Moore? (Monday 4 April 2022; 21:22)

Re: Big big fantasy (100,067) (100,073) by Nicky from Jasmine's Sofa Yes. This is exactly why I never liked the original version. It sounded so cheap too. Mariah truly gave this song so much life. (Friday 1 April 2022; 03:34)

Re: Big big fantasy (100,058) (100,059) by Nicky from Jasmine's Sofa "Pure Mariah" is right, it feels just like summer. Just played Big Energy Remix followed by Don't Stop (Funkin' 4 Jamaica), You Don't Know What To Do, O.O.C., and It's Like That. I'm drenched in sweat, I love her dance music so so much. Bop after bop, she's such a vibe. (Wednesday 30 March 2022; 18:34)

Big big fantasy (100,054) by Nicky from Jasmine's Sofa I am so surprised. I thought this had the potential to be a tacky. It's actually a whole bop. It sounds fresh and refreshed, it's absolutely spectacular for summer, and it feels like a festive 90s summer cookout. Congrats to Mimi and Latto. There is going to be a big push for this, especially after the video drops. I think it could even go all the way to the top. Is it just me or does this sound like a Fantasy remix featuring Latto? Only Mariah could do this, and I'm so here for it. Cheers lambs. If she pulls off this number 1, I'm going to have to figure out how to get Black Irish in the Caribbean so I can toast to her big big energy. (Wednesday 30 March 2022; 07:08)

Re: Mariah's sweet spot (99,968) (99,970) by Nicky from Jasmine's Sofa Yes to all of this. I feel like MC and Robert could make some real magic. I love his covers of Everybody Wants To Rule The World and Cherish the Day by Duran Duran and Sade. Check out his Brandy feature, I believe it's on the first Black Radio. (Tuesday 22 March 2022; 12:14)

Re: Fair production (99,967) (99,969) by Nicky from Jasmine's Sofa Yes. It's just so pretty and fluid. I miss the effortless flowiness that was a signature of her sound. (Tuesday 22 March 2022; 12:11)

Re: Memoirs is an attempt at Butterfly II (99,943) (99,965) by Nicky from Jasmine's Sofa I get what you are saying. I have always felt that the Butterfly album was the sound and styles of music that she'd always wanted to make, from the way she hears music. So when Memoirs came out, to me it sounded like it was inspired by the music that she likes to listen to on the radio. I think there's a connection there. I feel like Memoirs of an Imperfect Angel is a polar opposite space on the other side of the Rainbow from Butterfly. On Butterfly, she was taking her first real dip into the soulful R&B sound coming from pop and contemporary. Memoirs comes as she'd been immersed in R&B for years and perfects her own sound in R&B with her precision and pop vocal training. There's a connection there. Butterfly is my all time favorite album of hers, but I rarely listen to it. I listen to Memoirs very often, but I can't even compare the two. Literally on opposite sides of the rainbow. (Monday 21 March 2022; 19:35)

Mariah's sweet spot (99,964) by Nicky from Jasmine's Sofa I've been listening to a lot of Robert Glasper lately. If you haven't heard his latest project, Black Radio III, you really should. The entire Black Radio series is great actually. The sound is a fusion of Jazz and Neo-Soul. He blends these sounds so seamlessly, it's truly stunning. I would love Mariah to make an appearance on BR4 or for them to do an entire body of works together. I wonder if Mariah was inspired by his work for Mimi's Late Nite Valentines Day Mix. I'm one of the lambs that's been asking for a jazz album from our girl for years. Ever since Charmbracelet gave us Subtle Invitation, which is a masterpiece in my opinion. However, I feel that with her 20's vocals, her experimental artistic style, and the maturity of her career, this neo-soul/jazz/dare I say even acid jazz style of music may be a great sweet spot for her to explore, feel comfortably challenged, without competition, and still be able to dip into pop, r&b, hip hop, and anywhere else when she wants. I love the way her voice sounds with live instruments. I love her lower register, her freestyle ad-libbing on the spot, the raspy and sometimes huskiness of her voice, her riffing off of a band. She would kill it in this music space, I'm getting Teena Marie improv vibes. Is The Butterfly Lounge a Neo-Soul/Jazz fusion take on the Butterfly album? (Monday 21 March 2022; 18:43)

Fair production (99,963) by Nicky from Jasmine's Sofa I'm not sure how many of your have listened to Normani's new single Fair. It's sonically so beautiful. Her vocals compliment the sound nicely. However, I couldn't help but think of how Mariah would sound on this song. Oh my goodness. The lyrics are actually really beautiful and not out of bounds of Mariah's own lyrical topics. I just imagine Mariah emoting, ad-libbing, and pouring her vocals over the tropical ocean wave-like rhythm; taking the song to a whole new level. I think Brandy would also sound amazing on Fair, her voice would take it to an entirely different place with its airiness, matching the lightness of the production. This is the type of production I want for MC16. Harv produced Fair. I love the different sounds, the dreaminess of it, the beat. To me this production style is heavily influenced by Mariah's impact on music. It doesn't sound directly influenced by her, just to be clear. Anyway, there are some exciting new producers out that create clean and beautiful music, that keeps an air of mystery which is something that I think we all cherish is Mariah's music. I also really enjoy the production work throughout Tinashe's 333 album. I would love to see some of these new producers reimagining with Mariah on The Butterfly Lounge project. (Monday 21 March 2022; 18:11)

The Butterfly Lounge / Fall in Love (98,844) by Nicky from Jasmine's Sofa I am so excited for this new Butterfly Lounge project. I am almost sure that's the name of this new Christmas album/project. Mariah mentioned a lounge during her Twitter Spaces chat when discussing her upcoming collabs including Brandy. I have a feeling she has so much in store for this concept, lots of duets and a whole new vision for a holiday album. This is going to be something so special, I love that the vibe is more adult contemporary. It doesn't sound like holiday music, but it has the warmness and captures the type of love felt around this time of year. This first offering from it is a masterpiece. I watched the video several times in a row and I was brought to tears. The music is just beautiful, the vocals are drenched in nostalgia and longing. This is an instant classic in my opinion. It doesn't sound like a Christmas song, it actually sounds like something you want to hear around Thanksgiving. This is a song for the first frost, for driving home to see family and friends, for the very beginnings of sweater weather and sipping Black Irish. This song is the musical equivalent of soul food. It makes me feel warm inside and it has me wanting more and more. Thank you Mariah, this is absolutely beautiful. (Friday 5 November 2021; 14:40)

Re: MC16 (98,570) (98,578) by Nicky from Jasmine's Sofa Um, yes. To all of this. I've imagined this before, but as a stage show. In album form would be next level. And maybe with some guests on certain songs and some new covers. Playful and fun like Lullaby of Birdland from The Rarities, but fresh and sleek like WBT MLNVM. I'm so here for this Bill. (Sunday 5 September 2021; 22:25)

Re: Black Irish (98,526) (98,529) by Nicky from Jasmine's Sofa Yes to this, I would love it to no end. (Thursday 19 August 2021; 00:52)

Black Irish (98,524) by Nicky from Jasmine's Sofa This news came at such a funny time for me. But I'm actually really excited to try all of these flavors. I didn't buy her cookies, but I feel like sipping Black Irish and listening to her catalogue could be a whole mood. Like it just feels like it would be a celebration every time. Cheers lambs, I can't wait to stock up on this. (Tuesday 17 August 2021; 21:48)

Clark Sisters (98,512) by Nicky from Jasmine's Sofa Mystery solved. I have a feeling this may be the group that Mariah was talking about in Spaces. I'm so here for it and very excited. I've always thought that Mariah should cover Optimistic by Sounds of Blackness, it would be amazing if the song with The Clark Sisters has a similar uplifting vibe. (Friday 13 August 2021; 00:05)

Albums ranked by heavy rotation (98,456) by Nicky from Jasmine's Sofa It's hard for me to rank these albums from favorite to least favorite because they are all so different and I go through phases with how often I listen to them. Butterfly is my all-time favorite, but I played it out years ago so I rarely ever listen to it these days. This list is in order from heavy to light rotation, for 2021: 1. Caution 2. Charmbracelet 3. E=MC2 4. Memoirs of an Imperfect Angel 5. The Emancipation of Mimi 6. Rainbow 7. Glitter 8. Butterfly 9. Me, I Am Mariah The Elusive Chanteuse 10. Mariah Carey 11. Daydream 12. Emotions 13. Music Box 14. Merry Christmas 2 You 15. Merry Christmas (Wednesday 28 July 2021; 02:33)

Re: Twitter Spaces audio link (98,451) (98,455) by Nicky from Jasmine's Sofa Wow, least favorite? That hurts. I think it's time for an album ranking list. (Wednesday 28 July 2021; 02:09)

Re: Fourth Of July (98,324) (98,330) by Nicky from Jasmine's Sofa Yes to all of this. (Thursday 8 July 2021; 21:54)

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