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About Randy from USA: MC is my favorite artist of all time and I love her songwriting skills on her introspective songs. My favorite album: Butterfly. My favorite song: Right To Dream.

Despacito (78,211) by Randy from USA Why is today the first time I listened to this song? I stopped caring about new music in 2009, well except Adele and that's because she makes music for all generations. And I'm an X'er. The song is number one for 16 weeks on the American charts and it's not in English? Here's where you (Andrew) call me an bloody, egotistical, one-language speaking American. I do not think this song will have the staying power of One Sweet Day or even I Will Always Love You at 14 weeks or You Light Up My Life at 10 weeks but ok. Like Oprah said when MC tried to humbly downplay breaking The Beatles record in '99. Records are made to be broken. (Thursday 31 August 2017; 00:45)

Re: Forgotten gem: The One (78,123) (78,132) by Randy from USA Andrew you are going to stop this now. I want you to listen to it in terms of lyric and melody. I laughed so hard when I read your one liner. You just suck the air out of any joy I get from MC. Don't make me reappear my case for RTD. (Saturday 26 August 2017; 19:07)

Forgotten gem: The One (78,101) by Randy from USA So I'm actually talking to a dude that is not my type but like a fungus he's grown on me and I have to deal. Today I decided to dust off that old warhorse Charmbracelet. You know the MC album that Rolling Stone said had so many colors that merged together into a muddy color of brown. I remember that after the failure of the debut single Through The Rain, which is one of my favorite MC songs of all time, The One was planned as the next single. The fans made such an uproar that they went with Boy I Need You. At the time, I didn't like either, but I didn't feel like The One was a hit. Revisiting the song today, and maybe a little emotional because of my current state, this song is classic Mariah genius. As usual JD overstays his welcome at the beginning and I don't get the reason for the guitar instrumental break. But lyrically this is MC at her best. The breakneck pace of the lyrics and her wording is sick. Come on, y'all can't deny that countdown in the second verse. It proves once again no one can do what MC does. And don't forget the final whistle adlibs in the last hook. Yeah sometimes you have to dust off an old track when you get emotional. The One like so many MC songs was ahead of its time and couldn't be appreciated. (Friday 25 August 2017; 05:07)

On Butterfly's 20th (77,938) by Randy from USA I cannot let today go by without commenting on the experience that is Butterfly. We comment on Mariah's over the top antics of late, but who collaborates with P-Diddy, Q-Tip, Mase, Stevie J, Eddie Griffin and The Lox on the opening single and video. That's not even to speak of Jermaine Dupri and Da Brat on the remix of Honey. Who uses three and four syllable words on a pop ballad? Check out the lyrical complexity to Butterfly and My All and one will realize that Mariah Carey is not just a belting, whistle register phenomenon. She is a songwriter, a poet and on The Roof, which surprisingly features Mobb Deep, and Fourth of July she becomes a storyteller. On Breakdown she becomes a mad genius matching the tongue tying quickness of Bone Thugs in Harmony. Who else but MC? And who else but MC would be so determined to work with Missy Elliot that she wakes Missy Elliot up from a hangover to co-create Babyfoll with Champagne? Then we get to Close My Eyes. What sets MC apart from her contemporaries Celine and Whitney is that she writes but not only does she writes, she sings beyond love and inspiration. She sings about alienation and her childhood. Whenever You Call is classic MC balladry; nothing to see here but soaring vocals and emotional outpouring. Then a house interlude? On an album of pop ballads, hip hop and r&b? Fly Away doesn't feel out of place. Then the definition of audacious is track 11. A Prince remake, with Dru Hill that is 7 minutes long and is a roller coaster that feels like sex. There's foreplay, there's climax and after glow. And she ends the whole damn experience with a gospel chord soul tempo'd track with a poetic lyric called Outside. She's neither here nor there but somewhat out of place everywhere. That's what happens when you are a lyrical genius, biracial, stunning beauty, vocal powerhouse of a complex pop superstar. Listen I could go on and on but there will never be an album of this type of melting pot, beauty and intense delicate magnitude ever in existence. And Butterfly is the reason that despite the breasts, Stella, Bryan Tanaka and razor to your ears live vocals I can't leave Mariah Carey alone. (Thursday 17 August 2017; 03:53)

One question (77,893) by Randy from USA Why is MC touring so much? She has never been a touring artist and to be quite frank, she's a studio singer. A perfectionist whereas she can sing something over and over again until it is at her standard. So why Vegas? SSFT? Lionel Ritchie? Why is she not in the studio recording or chilling raising her kids living off her money? She really doesn't need to be on stage. (Sunday 13 August 2017; 17:01)

Beat Shazam, drinking, Tanaka, the studio and Vegas (77,113) by Randy from USA Did anyone feel like me, like why she was there? She came out, hugged a few contestants, sat at the piano while they showered her with love and compliments and then she left. I don't know the show, but is that what celebrities come on there and do regularly? MC should definitely be in a studio working but I don't think all this touring will distract her, didn't she record Rainbow in like 3 months and the JD tracks on TEOM over a week? As far as her drinking, I do see she's always indulging but I will choose to be delusional there until she's falling out of a club drunk. Tanaka is gorgeous but it baffles me how a living legend could be flaunting her boy toy but then again didn't Cher date a guy in the bagel shop in the 80s? They were all over the tabloids. And Madonna and JLo also are known for their boytoys. I feel we are too hard on MC but yeah the wheels are definitely coming off. I'm still riding for her, but jeez y'all should see how other boards, blogs and Facebook groups are eating her alive about what you guys think sound good live in Vegas. (Friday 14 July 2017; 12:42)

Mariah jams to bump in the car (77,028) by Randy from USA So, it's high summer in Atlanta and I had my windows down and sunroof open at dusk. I was listening to my 2000s playlist on random and Don't Forget About Us came on as I was pulling up to the liquor store in the hood. I'm in love with Crown Royal Apple. Just then I remembered how wonderful that bass drop beat sounds in the car. To me, that is the best MC song to bump in the car, all the way up, with the windows down, in the city. What are y'all favorites? (Tuesday 11 July 2017; 05:00)

Re: Mariah's message for Martyn (76,790) (76,796) by Randy from USA That was beautiful. Every time we want to think Mariah's out of touch, then she does something that reminds me of who she is underneath the current glamour has been. (Saturday 1 July 2017; 05:52)

Re: Randy's rants (76,693) (76,703) by Randy from USA Why the disrespect? Because I come with receipts and proof. I don't just make blanketed statements? I've been a fan since the beginning and the only reason I criticize MC is because what's obvious to the rest of the world seems to be lost on her and her true fans. It's all love. I don't call people names or curse at people I don't know on a message board. I'm grown. (Tuesday 27 June 2017; 16:37)

Tamar, Jamie and Webmaster (76,688) by Randy from USA What's funny about everyone's concern about the voice and lipping is how I called it years ago and everyone on the board hated me and said I wasn't a true fan. Someone on here was sarcastic about how Tamar lipped at the BET Awards and got a standing ovation for it. Check out MCs performance of Through The Rain at the 2003 AMAs where you can actually hear the difference in volumes between her voice and her backing track. Oh and let's not forget the wall of background singers she had even though the song Through The Rain has not one background singer on it. She got a standing ovation and I called shullbit. Check out the YouTube dissertation about her 2006 Grammy performance which was a masterful cut and paste job. I called shullbit on that too. MC having strained vocals and pulling the Oz behind the curtain started way back in 97 on Oprah when she struggled with the verses on Hero and lipsynced to a few full voice notes and she lip synced practically all of Butterfly except for a bit of false ad libs at the beginning and the end. No one here wanted to hear me or believe me because I was a Mariah hater. Now though everyone wants to say there's a problem because there's an overwhelming amount of evidence that her voice is beyond repair and she doesn't care. I love MC but what has always gotten me is the arrogance of having a gift that is broken and you never address it with the fans except to say, I was born with nodules, I didn't get enough sleep, my ear monitors aren't working, his casket was in front of me, I was at the Fresh Air Fund and they were blowing smoke at me etc. I call shullbit on all of it. My simple observation is in 96 you are flawless and then in 97 you have severe issues? I love you MCArchives but you all are late to the party. MC's voice meltdown was a sudden unexplained phenomenon that happened long ago and then got worse than bad. You don't believe me, go to YouTube. There is a Vision of Love performance in 98 on The View that will make you cringe. I compare this 96 and 97 difference in MC's voice to a car hitting a wall. MC's voice was mangled instantly and instead of getting it fixed she kept driving until finally it wore out. And two final notes. Tamar has posted her singing in her dressing room killing it so for whatever reason she lip syncs she still can sing, in full voice. It's not like MC did a couple of years ago posting whistles while cleaning. Remember when she said she never wants that to become a gimmick in 92? Then on Music Box and Daydream there were hardly any. Whistles does not make a great singer. I can list about 6 others who can whistle and still have high full voice belts. Change Moore, Shanice, Lisa Fischer etc. Finally, the Jamie Foxx show shouldn't be a surprise. Remember James Cordon had to beg her to sing on his show. Again all of these antics would be fine for any other singer but this is MC who is supposed to be one of the greatest of all time. Fix the problem or address it publically or sing in a man's key. But please MC stop embarrassing the lambily or at least stop thinking we're stupid and you're really singing when your hand goes to your ear and you turn your head to your good side. (Tuesday 27 June 2017; 04:24)

Re: BET Awards (76,607) (76,611) by Randy from USA I was probably being mean about the weight. Hell, I'm battling those issues myself. She usually tries to look svelte for tv appearances. But can anyone confirm this? Is there a tribute to her? Do I have to sit through two hours of ghetto fabulous to find out? (Saturday 24 June 2017; 17:05)

BET Awards (76,604) by Randy from USA I heard a rumor on one of my FB groups that MC is being honored this year and Tamar Braxton is singing a tribute to her. I cannot find anything online that confirms this although Tamar Braxton is a performer. Mariah is currently prancing around Europe for no reason and isn't in the best of shape so I'm really wary of this. Have you guys heard anything? (Saturday 24 June 2017; 13:44)

Mariah has got to stop (76,399) by Randy from USA Listen you all can argue about Stella and Tanaka and those hideous ensembles, but what is starting to worry me is all of this straining she has been doing the last several years. We already know her voice has suffered irreparable damage, and I'm assuming she's not having the nodules surgically worked on. But I just watched her at the Glock Performance Center in Austria and she is doing this clenched fist straining and growling. She has been doing this for awhile. I feel like fans like me are partly to blame in that we kept on insisting that she stop lipping, but if she's straining her voice to the point where she looks uncomfortable and is shaking, I don't think there'll be anything left in 20 years. Dionne, Aretha, Patti and Gladys still give shows in their 70s. If the beginning of the end of her voice was circa 1998 when she was 28, what the hell will she sound like in 2037? (Sunday 18 June 2017; 15:38)

The changing of expectations (76,293) by Randy from USA I've gotten softer on MC as time has gone on. I used to attack her for her live vocals but I had to sit down and realize what it was. Mariah is severely insecure which makes her a perfectionist so that she doesn't receive criticism. She's a studio musician so she can re-record vocals until they're perfect. So live standing there on American television she's worried about her reception before she sings a single note and therefore is nervous, can't hit notes and then she can't re-record it as she does in the studio. Then I thought about my attacks on her dress. Back in 97, I remember a die hard told me that they cried when they saw The Roof and My All/Stay Awhile videos because she looked so trashy. I look at those videos today and think she looks perfect and yet she's pushing the envelope into more risqué territory now. I'm not sure why since she's older and not as fit but I get it. She's iconic and I think the problem is we know and have seen she's capable of so much more than we're getting. I've recently retapped into my love for MC. I've justified and excused her a bit. Don't drag me Edward and Andrew lol. I think MC is going through a phase trying to hold onto her youth and there's going to be a point where she can't anymore and then I think she'll get her style and her music together and we will be proud to be fans. Maybe at 52 she can't be eternally 12 anymore. (Wednesday 14 June 2017; 01:22)

Melt Away on Waiting to Exhale? (76,139) by Randy from USA I know that MC was partially signed to compete with pop superstars Whitney Houston, Janet Jackson and Madonna. Thinking back to the 90s when their albums usually came out closeby to each other. Do you think Babyface wanted Melt Away on the Waiing to Exhale soundtrack? The song was recorded very close to when Waiting to Exhale was recorded. I know Tommy and Clive wouldn't have been down with it but do you think this could've been Babyface's wishful thinking. And if you listen to the song closely it sounds like it belongs on that second sexy half of the soundtrack near Faith Evans' Kissing You and SWVs All Night Long. (Friday 9 June 2017; 01:32)

Re: Martyn who? He is not the only victim (75,698) (75,715) by Randy from USA You're a [censored] idiot. This message board has been around for decades so if one of us is lost in a senseless tragedy we are going to take our time to tribute them because we are like an international family. You obviously haven't been on here long and we're not intelligent enough to read the post because they tell who he is and why he mattered. Get some [censored] manners dude before you get dragged. (Thursday 25 May 2017; 17:04)

Martyn (75,623) by Randy from USA That's horrible that you can't even enjoy a concert anymore. And why do people think that terrorism sways governments? I've never known of an instance that a government changed its policy or direction due to a terrorist actions. Therefore it's senseless, unnecessary killing. And I hope Martyn is just unaccounted for in all of the confusion and is sitting up somewhere safe and sound and returns to his life unscathed and unbothered and when he returns to his computer feels the love and prayers of this message board. It's really cool to see that no matter our differences on here, we're all a family, or lambily. (Wednesday 24 May 2017; 08:07)

Re: Mariah loosing a lot of fans thread (75,554) (75,568) by Randy from USA I appreciate your fandom Terna. But you cannot seriously think MC is relevant to a contemporary audience? My biggest problem with you has been that you see nothing shaking during an earthquake. I remember after the NYE performance, you said "she has bronchitis; nothing to see here folks". And while that was not the death of her career, it was one more blemish that keeps her from getting the necessary respect from an artist of her caliber. I hang out with a lot of diva fans and they consider MC a studio singer. That stabs me because I remember a time when Mary J Blige, Janet Jackson and Ashanti were all considered studio singers. The fact that MC is given the same moniker kills me but I have no receipts to back up her as a vocalist here late. And the fact that she is dating her backup dancer fresh off a highly publicized breakup fresh off a publicized divorce seems like something she would've never done in 2006 let alone the Daydream era. Add to the fact that she wears her clothes in order to have a nip slip, has rappers in her songs and she's 47 and has allowed her manager and kids to feed off of the carcass of her career and I'm like who is this woman? But Terna dude keep on with the hear no evil, see no evil. It's sweet. (Tuesday 23 May 2017; 06:53)

Re: Ages? (75,387) (75,391) by Randy from USA Dude, it is the most depressing song ever recorded about hope. In addition there's nothing but MC and a guitar. No backgrounds, no beat, no rapper. The lyric is amazing showing her infinite ability to use complex words and metaphors. It is in a word simply beautiful. (Saturday 20 May 2017; 01:58)

Second favorite artists (75,379) by Randy from USA It's obvious MC is everyone's favorite but I'm just curious who your second favorite artists are? It'll let me know what you like about MC. My 2nd favorite is Whitney Houston. (Friday 19 May 2017; 23:08)

Re: Ages? (75,313) (75,343) by Randy from USA I'm 37 and my favorite song, Right To Dream. Shut up and Andrew and Edward. My favorite album is Butterfly and my favorite #1 is My All. The other artists I hold in esteem are Patti Labelle and Whitney Houston for live vocalists and for songwriting Sarah MC, Jewel and Lauryn Hill. (Thursday 18 May 2017; 23:38)

Happy birthday... yeah yeah yeah (73,992) by Randy from USA You don't look a day over 25, wishing you happiness and all that. Now go make an album. (Monday 27 March 2017; 19:49)

What Mariah should have learned from Whitney (73,915) by Randy from USA This just dawned on me. Mariah should've learned from Whitney Houston to keep vocals understated on wax so you have somewhere to go live. Whitney sounds good on wax but burns a stage up. Mariah sounds superhuman on wax but is a step below mediocre live, especially on television. I really feel she needs to stop piecing together her vocals and do a little bit on the album, let her superior songwriting skills shine and then hit the stage and burn it down. (Friday 24 March 2017; 15:29)

Re: Celine doesn't deserve an apology (73,842) (73,850) by Randy from USA This board is so sick of this topic but I'm gonna chime in for the millionth time. Aretha said "come on out here with me" and "would you be so bold" so Celine in essence said "Ima do you cause these other girls will just sit in the background and fade". Mariah tried to sing and sounded a raspy strained mess. So Celine came out and went toe to toe with a serious Aretha Franklin. And that was not a tribute to her. That was the first Divas and Aretha was the veteran. They didn't use the moniker of a tribute to until 2000 when they gave Diana Ross a tribute. And Aretha did get a Divas tribute in 2002. That night was the first time I was embarrassed as a Mariah Carey fan. (Wednesday 22 March 2017; 10:25)

Mariah's masterpiece - Edward and Andrew (73,793) by Randy from USA I just feel like with the singles we have gotten without albums here of late only one is worthy of playing anywhere near my faves, "Almost Home' and for me Mariah's masterpiece is a difficult topic. It would be the song you love to hate. The only problem is her vocal isn't that good. If I had to pick another it would be Butterfly but the video kills that one. So then I go to my third choice, My All. Here is why, the vocal, the lyric, the video, the remixes, the chart success all nod to perfection. Can you really think of another song where everything came together? And Andrew I would take you up on your offer so we can play RTD on an old radio sitting on the curb of a cobblestone street while watching the sunrise over some cathedral, but I may be a bit too ratchet for Europe. Edward I have to get to NYC so we can have our game of Mariah Carey-oke. (Sunday 19 March 2017; 11:34)

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