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About this_is_qhm from the Philippines: I love the intricate vocal harmonies only Mariah can make.

Re: That Mariah power (96,733) (96,735) by this_is_qhm from the Philippines And even earlier this quarter, JoJo, Meghan Trainor, Carrie Underwood and Tori Kelly released Christmas albums as well, Gwen Stefani re-released hers yet again with new tracks - and those are just the mainstream pop acts. Every year, releasing a holiday set is seeming more and more like an obligatory career move for any artist rather than just a stopgap between proper studio albums. (Friday 27 November 2020; 20:35)

Re: O Santa? O Mariah (96,698) (96,706) by this_is_qhm from the Philippines There will never be another Mariah - that goes without saying. But if any one of the media and public-touted "heirs" to her throne throughout her entire career comes closest, it would be Ariana for me. Yes, Ariana's tone will never be as rich or resonant, but based on her entire discography so far, she is the only one whose singing and melodic choices resemble Mariah's the most. She also seems to have that huge dedicated fanbase that's needed to help keep her career afloat. The only things that are holding her back are her reliance on mostly basic trap beats (3 consecutive albums now) and her songwriting skills (her new album contains a lot of her worst lyrics yet whereas Mariah at 27 came up with Butterfly). It's great that they're on good terms now. Would have preferred them to collaborate on a new song instead of a possibly chopped up and copy-pasted version of Oh Santa, but at this point I'm just glad Mariah's willing to share the spotlight with another femals artist who isn't a rapper, let alone two vocal powerhouses. Plus, Oh Santa is actually a nice song. Far from a classic, but still better than pretty much every other upbeat original holiday song that has ever been released post-2000. (Saturday 21 November 2020; 21:40)

Re: Most debuts at #1 (96,586) (96,599) by this_is_qhm from the Philippines Streaming allowed her to. Ariana was around since 2013 but she only got her first #1 in 2018 when streaming really solidified its importance in charting. The impact of streaming really started to become apparent in 2017. This hugely affected Mariah's AIWFCIY chart trajectory from #9 to #3 and finally #1 last year. Pretty much any new artist these days can debut at #1 if their fanbase is huge and active enough. Staying on top is a different discussion. Ariana's first two debut charttoppers held the top spot for several weeks, but her 3 #1 debuts this year fell from the top position by their second week on the charts. But a #1 is still a #1. (Wednesday 11 November 2020; 19:51)

Re: MC 30 (96,572) (96,574) by this_is_qhm from the Philippines I don't mind being redundant here when I say that Mariah could have kept Last Chance and Head Over Heels for herself, that would be my "Migrate should have been a single" sentiment. Since she claims that she has recorded her version of the entire Chick album, she likely has her own demos of these 2 tracks as well. (Monday 9 November 2020; 12:49)

Great news (96,560) by this_is_qhm from the Philippines Congrats, America. You did that. (Sunday 8 November 2020; 09:46)

Re: This should be a single, Busta & MC (96,463) (96,469) by this_is_qhm from the Philippines The song's not so subtle nod to the sound of I Know What You Want is a nice production choice. Mariah's role here is less than that of what she did in IKWYW and more comparable to what she brought to U Make Me Wanna with Jadakiss. Knowing how bad (faceless) hip-hop collabs have gotten this year in terms of quality, this song can stand out due to its deliberate throwback to the early 00's urban sound when singing rappers were all the rage. It can do well with great push. This year's hip-pop is mostly dire. It kind of makes us realize how we sort of took for granted how good we had it back in 2000-2005. (Friday 30 October 2020; 19:41)

Re: The Rarities ranked (96,400) (96,401) by this_is_qhm from the Philippines You left out I Pray and Lullaby of Birdland. (Thursday 22 October 2020; 11:10)

Re: Solid Mariah (96,372) (96,377) by this_is_qhm from the Philippines My bad. Yeah, Invincible was Michael's last proper studio album. I remember loving that album then, especially tracks such as You Rock My World and the trifecta of Break of Dawn, Heaven Can Wait, and Butterflies, but I also remember how much Janet was on fire then and how All For You was just a much more interesting, varied listen. Michael was the much bigger seller, star, and better performer, but Janet was the wiser artist in terms of production choices, image management and taking full advantage of her limited voice. (Wednesday 21 October 2020; 05:43)

Re: Solid Mariah (96,363) (96,367) by this_is_qhm from the Philippines I'd throw Janet in there. I'd say her first 2 albums where she had zero creative control over are part of her bottom recordings. She has always been an album artist, and even on her worst albums since Control (Discipline, 20 Y.O., Damita Jo), she still made an effort to keep her albums flow as one unit even when the various genres and sounds she experiments with make achieving such a bit challenging. She doesn't have as many recognizable deep cuts, but each of her albums work well sonically and thematically. The impeccable run of albums from Control, Rhythm Nation 1814, janet., The Velvet Rope to even All For You - more consistently enjoyable and better constructed albums than anything Michael has released after Bad, which is interestingly is also the time when Janet started eclipsing his brother in terms of critical and chart success. Even Janet's Unbreakable is much stronger than Michael's album of the same name. (Tuesday 20 October 2020; 15:38)

Firecracker vs. Cameo Loverboy (96,364) by this_is_qhm from the Philippines I'm not one to crap on other people's preferences or their reasons for such preferences, but I really think that many people who say they "prefer" the Cameo version over the Firecracker one just have nostalgia glasses on. I remember hearing Loverboy for the first time as a kid having difficulty to make out the words she was singing. The chorus was a little too muddled and hard to latch on to. It was the first lead single of hers that I could consciously remember listening to for the first time (I was just too young to recall anything released before Fantasy) and feeling underwhelmed by, especially since Fantasy, Honey and Heartbreaker were all so good. It was also the lead single that I recall really trying to like just because it was Mariah's. I've eventually grown to appreciate the dissonance between the melodies and the overpowering sample, Mariah's vocals (which sound like she had a cold when recording them), and the limp singing of the chorus. The Firecracker version may have an intro that is about 8 bars too long, but when the first verse kicks in, it really hits you and the bounce doesn't let up until the song ends. Its delivery is cheekier, more fun and engaging. In a way sort of reminds me of how the Bam Jam Soul Mix of Dreamlover, which was reportedly intended to be the final version but was also shelved. (Tuesday 20 October 2020; 09:32)

Re: An objective view (96,344) (96,349) by this_is_qhm from the Philippines I meant "the former being a better album". Wow editing your thoughts on your mobile can be tough. Daydream is the far more creative and artistic effort. Music Box was a transitional album between Mariah's earlier, more traditional pop-soul stuff an in some ways a precursor to Daydream's R&B influences. (Monday 19 October 2020; 11:18)

Re: An objective view (96,340) (96,344) by this_is_qhm from the Philippines Well, yes, Mariah has been half-assing it especially in the last decade in terms of live performance. This is pretty much expected - she just doesn't have the stamina to withstand marathons of performances, nor does she have the discipline to take care of whatever is left of her voice. She has always been a studio artist first, and if given the choice (if the sales haven't dropped dramatically), she'd probably remain a studio rat rather than do tours and concerts. This is by no means an excuse for her "laziness", but this entire situations can really be frustrating. As for her diminished sales, I'll say it again - most of this is because she just caters to a different audience. Sure, her polarizing image does hurt her sales to some extent, but based on my experience in my country at least, people out here don't care about Celine's image either. They just tend to buy Celine's material more because her brand of harmless MOR is just more likable in comparison, and really, much of the album-buying public just tends to gravitate towards such type of music because the melodies are more accessible and hence hold more replay value to them. I won't be surprised if this is also the case in most countries internationally. This may be illustrated by the fact that Daydream sold less than Music Box, despite the latter being the better album. R&B is a genre that isn't as transcendent and doesn't have the same level of crossover appeal as adult contemporary pop, which I feel is also the reason why we love Adele so much, because not only does she bring things back into perspective (the simple combo of sheer talent + great timeless songs), her output also harkens back to those simpler days when big, sweeping ballads reigned supreme. Celine isn't a jazz artist and neither is Barbra, but the former gained a lot of Barbra's fans when they collaborated in 1997. She has a more loyal and reliable fanbase, the same way rap, country and jazz artists do. That's just proven by how Barbra or Michael or Lil' Wayne or Garth Brooks shoot to the top of the sales charts with their new releases with minimal promotion. Madonna is a great touring artist who really tries to give the audience the best show possible, and that's why she, up until Madame X, has been effortlessly selling out arenas around the world. Mariah, on the other hand, just expects the music to speak for itself in her concerts and, on a good day, would be willing to do more of the bare minimum in her performances. The lack of enthusiasm and effort she displays is quite concerning, and the audiences recognize that, which is why she isn't as celebrated as other touring artists are. (Sunday 18 October 2020; 19:31)

Re: An objective view (96,333) (96,337) by this_is_qhm from the Philippines To each their own, but honestly, I don't see the point in seeing Mariah's reputation of being the Queen of Christmas as a negative. It's not a title she gave herself and there are a lot of far worse things the public could have given her if they wished. She did write what is now the most widely played holiday song worldwide. So what if just one song of hers transcends generations and cultures all around the world and guarantees quite possibly at least a million in royalties alone every year? That's supposed to be a bad thing? [Barbra], Cher, Mary and Janet are awesome, but they aren't even huge international sellers. Madonna, Michael, Whitney and Celine are, but none of them have that one thing that Mariah has - guaranteed career resuscitation for at least the last month and a half of every year. It does more than just set her apart from the rest - it's a freaking lucrative juggernaut. It would be dumb not to milk its potential, especially at a time when most of the music-consuming public no longer puchase music like we used to. Even before AIWFCIY has taken on a life of its own, prior to Mariah promoting it heavily in the last decade, it has regularly been added to Christmas playlists all around the world since its release. At this point, it's beyond her control. So let them all diss Mariah for just being relevant during the holidays - we know that she has a few evergreens that prove otherwise - ABMB, WBT, Hero. I even see some redditor fans saying they still hear either Emotions, Fantasy, Love Takes Time or Without You being played on the radio depending on their respective parts of the world. But let's say that AIWFCIY is the biggest (or only) thing she will ever be remembered for. That doesn't cheapen her image in any way. Honey, if that's considered a bad thing, then imagine how worse it could be for most of these younger artists with their forgettable flavor-of-the-moment streaming chart toppers which will, just like Mariah's own overlooked #1s, not even be remembered by the public in the next 5 years. (Saturday 17 October 2020; 22:49)

Re: End of the affair (96,255) (96,261) by this_is_qhm from the Philippines This may be more complicated than that. Remember how Michael Jackson had a song called Childhood? Setting the child molestation mess aside, it's clear that Michael and some of his other siblings were robbed of a normal childhood. They've all dealt with such trauma differently as they grew up, and some managed better than the others. It's these proofs of individual differences that play a part in coping with heavy issues that make me empathize more with anyone who has had not such a happy upbringing as a child, Mariah included. So while acting like she's eternally 12 is definitely not the most ideal way of dealing with her past, that doesn't necessarily mean she's dwelling in it. It's just her fun, annoying way of putting it. Much of her actions as an adult, as childish as they may seem, comes across as her chasing something that she wasn't afforded as a young girl from an unstable family and making sure her own children don't experience the same. It's her way of coping, and frankly, for everything she has had to endure, it seems to have worked for her somehow. She's now a middle aged icon who has outlived many of her legend peers who have succumbed to more serious issues. We can't really knock that because seriously, in such a cutthroat business that's always looking for the next shiny new toy, longevity is unfortunately an achievement. Don't let victim complex-ridden memoir fool you - this woman is a survivor and despite her many missteps she still continues to prove that she has a better head on her shoulders than most stars, and definitely more than most people give her credit for. (Thursday 15 October 2020; 19:00)

Re: End of the affair (96,212) (96,226) by this_is_qhm from the Philippines I'm just gonna address the why now part. Do you know of any mixed race superstar of Mariah's stature who was vocal about any issues regarding race in the 90s? 2000s? Or how about any other LGBTQ+ actor who was out and proud and loud other than Ellen? These are issues we can talk about openly these days, but back then, you would be crucified for getting too political or for actively speaking out on anything controversial. Hence, by your logic, every public figure back then was busy maintaining some sort of illusion, suppressing their thoughts and feelings, because that's how they kept their career alive - by sticking to what they do best and not pissing people off. Should we single Mariah out for simply playing by the rules of the game back then? This may not be the best analogous situation, but if an actor who has always been rumored to be gay his entire life just decided to publicly come out 30 years into his career during Pride month and openly speak about his troubles of being in the closet in Hollywood, will you question his intentions and think he's just doing so to revive his career because gay rights are more widely recognized today? I've been a fan of Neil Patrick Harris since I was a kid watching reruns of Doogie Howser, M.D. and never felt betrayed or lied to when he came out much later. I don't think his many years of not being out whilst being a public figure was a disservice to the gay community. Same with Ricky Martin and Matt Bomer. Since you believe in respect for all people regardless of age, gender, race, etc., I'd think it would also come natural for you to respect the level of comfort and self-acceptance that is required for people to publicly discuss potentially divisive/controversial aspects of themselves, and that sometimes, getting there takes time. Mariah is clealy still on that journey with her identity issues, she just happened to publish some of it. (Wednesday 14 October 2020; 22:37)

Re: Deflated and angry (96,184) (96,196) by this_is_qhm from the Philippines Couldn't have said it better. I really enjoy reading your posts, especially these more serious ones because you always manage to get your points across whilst achieving the delicate balance of being critical and realistic yet still supportive and respectful. Yes, we all outgrow the important figures in our lives in diffferent ways but it still baffles me how one can passionately support someone for so long only to just decide to throw that all away over something that is nowhere near a grave offense, even if such decision took years in the making. I guess it all boils down to not only how you value Mariah and her role in your life, but how you value everything you have put into keeping her in your life and how much you cherish the experiences such dedication has brought you, be they positive or negative. (Wednesday 14 October 2020; 13:05)

Re: Finally, on the memoir (96,183) (96,195) by this_is_qhm from the Philippines While I don't see it having the same level of significance as you do (probably due to a lack of understanding from my end), I do agree that this is clearly the project of a work in progress. Intentional or not, the imperfections of the memoir, especially her apparent lack of self-awareness on her possible role in everything she has experienced as an adult reveals exactly how far along she is in her journey of self-acceptance. The best thing about memoirs is that the selection of parts of the author's life to include in the book tells a story in itself. What was left out tends to become just as valuable as what was written. Aside from critical and commercial success, one should evaluate any project by the main objectives it set out to achieve. To be fair, she has said on numerous occasions that the purpose of the book is to give the young Mariah a voice, which I believe has been very much achieved. The wayward child was able to tell her story and that still is the most important and enjoyable part of the book to me, along with how she incorporated bits of her music here and there. (Wednesday 14 October 2020; 12:42)

Re: End of the affair (96,187) (96,190) by this_is_qhm from the Philippines I meant "*has* grown up". Really struggle editing anything I post on my mobile. (Wednesday 14 October 2020; 10:21)

Re: End of the affair (96,170) (96,187) by this_is_qhm from the Philippines I wouldn't call the book disingenuous. I'd describe it as imperfect, which is very much true of its author as well. Look, as someone who hasn't grown up in a country that isn't a large music market through the 90's and early 00's, unlike in most places, we Filipino fans weren't really privy to the wealth of information and content regarding Mariah that was available in other places outside of the carefully written articles and reports in local periodicals, radio and TV we were exposed to that only painted Mariah as a perfect superstar (the internet only really started to become public commodity here in the mid-2000s). Even her tumultuous marriage and her Glitter period weren't extensively documented; and if they were mentioned, they were only referenced, framed as some inspiring brief backstory to her massive success. So my knowledge of her struggles really only came from me deliberately seeking them out, hearing about them from other lambs. I mean this was pre-social media. Compared to today's overexposure, yes, the entire world was "in the dark" then, but even more so for the smaller, less known countries such as where I'm from. Other fans from similar situations may be able to relate to this. So while much of what is in this book to me isn't new, that's mostly because I have basically spent the last 15 years or so catching up to what I didn't know about Mariah back then. And even so, I still find it to be somewhat revelatory and refreshing by its imperfections, which is a stark contrast to the perfectly manicured image of Mariah that I grew up with as a child up until my early teenage years. As for the issues about her take on race which seems to be the most polarizing part of the book - I just refuse to comment on it because I am not informed enough and not qualified to. I am neither black nor white, and have not grown up around the environment influenced by whatever has been going on between both cultures. My experience of racism is much different from theirs, and so to all of their issues I'm really just a student who's open to all points of view. As someone who wasn't too keen on her writing a memoir at this point in her career in the first place, I made a conscious decision to get into this book fully aware that it is a personal account first, and that of a celebrity who's has been and still is obsessed with keeping up a specific image. I am actually pleasantly surprised with it - not by much, but still. It's uneven, frustrating, flawed - basically everything I didn't think of Mariah from my first decade of knowing her. People shouldn't be diving into this expecting an unbiased comprehensive biography. Anyone who thinks that will likely be severely disappointed to the point that this may even be the last straw for them in their troubled relationship with Mariah, which has evidently already happened at least twice on this board. I don't see this book as a huge deal that we will all be fondly looking back to and talking about decades from now. By then we will just be referencing this as a small, mostly entertaining part of the much bigger main event which was #MC30. (Wednesday 14 October 2020; 09:01)

Re: Allure (96,150) (96,186) by this_is_qhm from the Philippines I've always thought of Crave as not something Mariah really wanted, but rather something she just felt she had to have just to prove a point. By that time in her career, she was just desperate to get more control in all aspects her life, not just creatively or personally, but also professionally, and she perhaps thought that having her own vanity label was another step towards achieving that. She wasn't ready to have her own label then, or at least her mindset wasn't. Allure and whoever else was signed to it then were unfortunately just collateral damage. It sucks, and it's a shame, as they probably did better than anyone would have ever expected. I understand their frustration. I have never really heard anything that would suggest a fallout between them and Mariah, and so to be lumped in with all the non-entities she has excluded from the memoir would really sting. No Question, Head Over Heels and Last Chance are good songs; I even wish Mariah kept the latter two for her own discography. (Wednesday 14 October 2020; 07:34)

Re: Next single from The Rarities (96,117) (96,130) by this_is_qhm from the Philippines I'd go for the ones that she can perform with her current voice: Close My Eyes - The 2020 version is nowhere near the perfection as the original album version, and it does seem like an odd choice for release, but it's her story and it does tie in with everything #MC30. If there's anything that this version has over the 1997 one, it's that certain kind of conviction that can only be gained from experience. Cool On You - This sounds like the song that would fit the current soundscape. Sassy enough for the younger generation; lyrically simple and straightforward. Of all the songs on the album, it seems the one most likely to go viral via a Tik Tok moment ala Say So or Mariah's own Obsessed. This would work perfectly when performed after A No No. (Monday 12 October 2020; 20:13)

Loverboy Firecracker fan-made video edit (96,107) by this_is_qhm from the Philippines Yeah, this doesn't have the racetrack beat and energy that the Candy sample lends, but it still works. (Sunday 11 October 2020; 18:53)

Re: Billboard's 100 best MC songs (96,074) (96,100) by this_is_qhm from the Philippines Saw this when it came out last week and immediately thought that the mere inclusion of Infinity automatically invalidates the list. (Sunday 11 October 2020; 06:03)

Now a bestselling author (96,025) by this_is_qhm from the Philippines Seeing Mariah thrive in such a bleak year for everyone is just amazing. MC30 is already a huge success and we seem to be just halfway through it, and it's not even the holidays yet. The Rainbow EP songs are now on YouTube (at least in my country as of this writing). If you count down the remaining studio albums she may release EPs for every week (assuming she's saving the Christmas EPs for December), she will possibly be releasing the Caution EPs by the last week of November, which may mean she could be releasing the EPs for MC and MCIIY in December. Of course that's a lot of ifs but hey, nobody ever thought we would have a rollout this great this year either, so it would be hard to rule any possibility out at this point. I'm just so happy for her and the Lambily as well. (Thursday 8 October 2020; 18:47)

Re: Fave five The Rarities songs (96,000) (96,009) by this_is_qhm from the Philippines 5. One Night (would have stuck out but also have been an interesting inclusion in Daydream) 4. Loverboy (just insanely fun and bouncy) 3. All I Live For (very Toni Braxton debut album vibes) 2. Cool On You (really cool and smooth) 1. Mesmerized (opulent-sounding) This album is quite well-balanced especially in terms of the tempo of the songs. I guess it's safe to assume that we would have at least a second installment of rarities, but this is such a strong set that it would be quite difficult to top to be honest. (Wednesday 7 October 2020; 19:10)

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