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About 123 from USA:

Stacey challenge - songwriting (54,736) by 123 from USA The Roof - Her most poetic song. Dark, moody, nostalgic, haunting, and both lyrically impressive and expressive. Her best hidden gem. Underneath The Stars - The first Mariah song where I could instantly visualize the visual for this song. I wished she filmed an actual video somewhere underneath the stars. The remix was real nice too. Often forgotten about. You Had Your Chance - Watch a lyric video and you will see Mariah’s a true wordsmith putting words together by bending them (chorus). WBT - Her crown jewel’s lyrical brilliance gets overlooked because of its massive success. That second verse is so poetic and the chorus is cleverly constructed without sounding cliché. Languishing - Such a well written interlude that pulls at the heartstrings. It deserves to be a full song. (Saturday 20 June 2015; 1:26)

Stacey challange - vocals (54,735) by 123 from USA In no particular order 1. Vanishing (live at SNL) - She really let loose on this one and the transition from chest to whistle is out of this world. 2. If Its Over (live at SNL / Grammy performance) - The soulful growls in the beginning of the SNL version and the perfect ending on the Grammy performance makes her live versions superior to the album version. Co-written by Carol King, shows a legend took notice of her early in her career and rushed to work with her. 3. Anytime You Need a Friend Morales mix - I just love those ending belts, the complete vocal on this song is so soulful and the gospel backgrounds give it that church feel. The scatting is out of this world, amazing. We need more scatting moments Mariah. 4. Jesus Oh What a Wonderful Child - This was probably the biggest time Mariah vocally took me for a loop, sounding like a downright gospel singer and breaking it down at the end. I could listen to that forever. 5. Outside - The outro is so out of this world. The emotion, the pain, the desperateness of the vocal. Listen to the vocal performance after the bridge on that song and tell me you didn’t feel it and I’ll call you a liar. This was really hard and there are still a couple more I want to add. Nice topic Stacey. (Saturday 20 June 2015; 1:25)

Walter on the Music Box record / Adam (54,706) by 123 from USA Adam, you might have missed Walter's recent interviews regarding Mariah, they are not complementary at all. You might want to look up his comments when she launched her Chanteuse Tour. He did an interview prior regarding AIWFCIY stating "it's not my favorite song I've written" yet Mariah has stated recently that she wrote the whole song and "silly of me" for giving up 50% of the credits. She even came up with the melody on her Casio keyboard. It's very apparent that he only wants to work with her again for the cash. He broke her trust during a time where she needed it most, especially when other producers didn't take Tommy's offer to spy on her after their divorce. Also, Mariah would beg to differ on your comment that Walter is responsible for a huge part of her success. If you watch this interview, at 6:30 the interviewer makes that same reference and Mariah quickly corrects her as her face already said what she was thinking. "We are collectively responsible for those." Mariah cuts folks loose who betray her, she isn't going to work with him ever again, and I'm fine with that. Hopefully one day everyone else will be too. (Thursday 18 June 2015; 1:55)

Re: Shade (Leona Lewis and interviewer) my response (54,649) by Amber C my response a response to me (54,686) by 123 from USA You probably didn't mean it as a diss, but it did come off as dismissive to Whitney. By your original post you weren't around when Mariah came out. She was immediately pegged by the public as the "Next Whitney", the "White Whitney", or the Whitney Clone. Of course Columbia didn't help by using some of the same producers to make her sound less soul/r&b and more pop by having producers mainstream/watered down her songs, especially those she created prior to having a deal. The big difference is that Mariah was less diva (just a gifted vocalist) and more of a singer /songwriter/ producer/ musician so she made a conscious effort with each album to create and carve out her own sound, especially with her voice. Becoming lighter and airier. Whitney was a force and won the battle of the voice with her rendition of IWALY in 92 and began to retreat from the music scene altogether sans a few songs on a couple of soundtracks and an lp at the end of the decade. Prior to that, no one had a bigger career other than MJ. She still holds the title for the most consecutive number 1s (seven). Mariah only won the war because of her amazing work ethic of releasing quality product one year after another which lead to her domination of the 90s. (Wednesday 17 June 2015; 5:37)

When I Saw You cover (54,607) by 123 from USA It's nice to see people cover rare songs. This guy did a nice job and give his own little twist on some of the notes. (Saturday 13 June 2015; 2:43)

Shelly / standards (54,605) by 123 from USA Shelly, I know you didn’t ask me but I figured you might be interested in this clip. Mariah was asked that very question by Larry King during the Charmbracelet era. It's one of my favorite interviews from the post Glitter/breakdown Mimi. If anyone hasn’t seen it I suggest that they should. Mariah is intelligent, poised, introspective, honest, elaborate yet concise and shady. This is a perfect example of the type of interviews she should do now that she is in another “thunder precedes the sunlight” era. (Saturday 13 June 2015; 1:40)

Me I Am Mariah - a retrospective album (54,601) by 123 from USA If you all think about it, there is a reason why it was called Me I Am Mariah. The album was a musical retrospect of all her previous work wrapped up into one album. I remember all the suggestions that were posted at the time were all asking her to look to her past work and replicate it whether it was the pop sound of the 90s or the contemporary r&b and late seventies soul sound of TEOM. If you look at each song individually, you can pull each one from one or several eras. I believe she was looking to show her versatility and insane ability to put all these different tracks together in one album and sequence it in a way that made them all flow smoothly. She was able to sound contemporary without seeming desperate for a hit and the songs were mature enough to stand the test of time without sounding too dated. Here is my breakdown: Cry - Classic Mariah first two albums Faded - Contemporary R&B-Memoirs Dedicated - Fantasy remix Daydream rnb Hip Hop sampling ala The Roof Butterfly era Beautiful - Pop/Soul Dreamlover Music Box era Thirsty - ILT Migrate TEOM and E=MC2 era Make It Look Good - Throwback r&b/Soul sample Stay The Night It’s A Wrap TEOM Memoirs eras You’re Mine - WBT I Stay In Love Angel’s Cry last three eras YDKWTD - Emotions Unplugged You’re So Cold I’m That Chick Emotions E=MC2 eras Supernatural - Contemporary R&B E=MC2 era Meteorite - Daydream Interlude Fly Away Reprise all of her Morales remixes mid to late 90s eras Camouflage - Petals Rainbow era Money - The only song I believe was a slight departure/new sound for her. The blaring horns. Whisper vocals on the hook, full voice/mid range on the verses, then some jazz inspired vocals towards the end One More Try - Any album with a famous cover Heavenly - My Saving Grace Fly Like A Bird Charmbracelet TEOM eras (Saturday 13 June 2015; 1:06)

Live vocals (54,512) by 123 from USA It seems when she stays working and gets scrutinized by the public, she gets better vocally. After the isolated vocals went viral last year Mariah brought it at the Beacon theater performances and got better with each show. Those were the best live vocals that she has had since 05. There were no glorious G5s, but she belted notes I didn't think she could anymore. Fast forward to March with three months without any gigs and we saw her in bad shape vocally (except for a few shining moments), appeared intoxicated, and very sad. Vegas could have been a trainwreck but she knew all eyes were on her and she kept getting better vocally with each gig. I believe she really only works on her vocals or taking care of her voice when she is consistently working. Other than that, she would have no reason to when her personal life is no longer engulfed by her career like the early days. (Thursday 11 June 2015; 4:09)

Songs that didn't make MIAM? (54,508) by 123 from USA Whatever happened to Kick Rocks? Will she use it on a new album or is that impossible now that she is with a new label? What about the R. Kelly collab? We saw a pic of them in the studio in 2012 yet no song on the final tracklist. Didn't Maxwell insinuate that they were might be working together in early 2014, did that ever happen? That would be a awesome collabo btw. What about the ballads she removed from the album back when it was still called TAOLG prior to her getting into an accident and recording three new upbeat songs (Dedicated, Money, etc)? I wonder if she has the ability to put any noteworthy material that she recorded in the last era on a new Sony album. I need answers lol. (Thursday 11 June 2015; 3:48)

New album / can it be a success? (54,507) by 123 from USA Now is the perfect time to be working on new material. I'm confused as to why everyone is wondering if she is working on a new album when she confirmed it when she sang Hero at the event where Jussie introduced her. 2007 is too late. It would only fail if one of three things doesn't happen, 1. The material is less than what she is capable of (Infinity, Triumphant), it must be MIAM level of quality. 2. Her performances must be good, dare I say, the Beacon Theater good. Bad live vocals or pre-recorded mishaps ala Touch My Body via Good Morning America or bad transitions from live to pre-recorded a la Jamaica performances. 3. Promotion, promotion, promotion. If Sony does anything close to all the heavy promoting they did for Infinity, then we have no worries of a repeat of the Def Jam's silence or the late 90s Sony days. She also has to do intelligent, cohesive interviews like the one she did in that recent magazine article where she talked about everything professional (last album failure, intellectual property being stolen, upcoming projects). (Thursday 11 June 2015; 3:35)

10 Songs that prove Mariah Carey is queen of the remix (54,465) by 123 from USA I love this article. I really hope that with the new album she does remixes like she used to ie this article. I felt like she was halfway there with the Beautiful and You're Mine remixes but I'm going to need completely resung vocals and a new video, even if its her at her house a day in the life backstage in Vegas., whatever. How they were able to narrow a list of 10 down I don't know, I love so many of her remixes, even the Spanish ones. I wish she would sing in Spanish again. (Tuesday 9 June 2015; 23:42)

Tamia / Licia / Enwar / TY (54,213) by 123 from USA Licia, you know I was mad at her releasing such a silly titled song, Sandwich and A Soda, but it's actually quite catchy, it's got that pop/r&b blend that would fit on almost any radio station. Like # Beautiful. Enwar, Maxwell's last album, loved it. Another album Mariah should explore for inspiration. Fist Full of Tears is one of my favorites on that album. I get Mariah should do Mariah but there is nothing wrong with gaining inspiration from other good music. TY, Tamia is so underrated, she has so many good songs. Every time she comes out with new material she always has a song I like. I wish she and Mariah would collaborate. (Friday 5 June 2015; 4:16)

Bad blood response (54,209) by 123 from USA Baby, how are you? Anyway, you know Mariah never addresses rumors and lies. There just isn't enough time in the day. I'm actually glad she doesn't and I hope she doesn't change. While some people worry about the bubble she lives in, I'm glad she does because anything negative does not exist to her. Just watch this short clip from Mariah herself on how she deals with the negativity. (Friday 5 June 2015; 1:25)

Prayers for Mariah (54,166) by 123 from USA Praying for you. This one is for you. (Thursday 4 June 2015; 7:21)

Tamia Stuck With Me / new album suggestion (54,165) by 123 from USA Mariah, I need you to listen to this song asap. It's the kind of direction you should go in. It's contemporary R&B without the risk of sounding dated in a few years. Great lyrics, melody, production, and vocals. The vocals can be strong without having to go into unrealistic heights. I need a song like this on the new album. Tell me what you think? (Thursday 4 June 2015; 7:05)

Alexis (54,158) by 123 from USA Where have you been? I have missed your comments. You bring an interesting view to the board. You seemed to have disappeared a while ago. (Thursday 4 June 2015; 4:28)

Songs I hated that I now love/like (54,153) by 123 from USA Can we start a new topic, I believe we have already done the "songs I dislike" list? To stray away from the negativity of songs I hate, how about songs I hated that I now love and the reasons why. I'll start off with one: The Roof: I feel my hands burning for even typing this. This is my all time favorite Mariah song, but when it was released, I couldn't get into it. And I never hated it but it just didn't appeal to me. Fast forward 2006 when YouTube was birthed I saw a Lamb's video and the song was used to illustrate it. The lyrics came alive and I became obsessed with the brilliance of it. The moodiness, the yearning, and the running to nostalgia to get away from your present day life. I could go on. Did I Do That?: When I first heard this song, I thought it was the worst song she ever created, a rush job, album filler. At some point I was reading the lyrics in the booklet out of curiosity to what she was even saying in the song, as I didn't pay too much attention due to the fact that I couldn't get past the jarring noise emanating from my speaker. Wait a minute, did she just say "conversations painfully weak, you were much better off when you didn't speak". That so clever and underhanded. Mariah's first diss song? You Had Your Chance: I just hated her vocal on this at first, too much whispering, and wrong sample choice. When Dr Dre's previous is so prominent, that you can't hear it as anything else, much less a Mariah Carey love song. Years and a few broken hearts later, I went through a similar situation as described in this song. Someone I once couldn't live without reemerged in my life and I didn't feel a thing for them at all. And they were interested. Sorry, you had your chance. The hook was so well written and cleverly sung to flow nicely. "And now you want me back again, after my heartache and suffering, I was your fool, but that's all in the past. So sorry boy, but you had your chance." (Thursday 4 June 2015; 2:57)

New album (54,099) by 123 from USA Now that the video has come out, we can finally leave this 1 To Infinity era behind. The promotion was great and her performances have improved. She needs to continue to sing live. Now Mariah, there is no time for breaks before the July leg of your show. You need to get back in the studio and continue working on the new album, you know, the album you said you were up late working on a couple months ago. She needs resurgence with new great material, heavy promotion, and great live performances. May Infinity be a lesson that should have been learned with all the other lack luster singles (Triumphant, TALG, You're Mine) that you've tried to push while you ignore an album full of solid material (MIAM) or even a possible summer song (YDKWTD). No more filler to help buy time, get back in the lab, stay in hiding and reemerge with solid material that you promote the hell out of instead of paying it dust. (Wednesday 3 June 2015; 9:06)

Guilty By Association (53,836) by 123 from USA For those interested, here is a link to Damizza's memoir. It is very good and I couldn't stop reading it when came out, especially Mariah's chapter. Mariah's team initially sent a cease and desist, so I'm sure they edited certain subjects and even though he was vague with certain things regarding Mariah in order to get clearance what became the final version (their friendship growing into something more), he revealed a lot about her that I didn't know. You can read it here. (Friday 29 May 2015; 3:38)

MimiLamb / Musti / Dre and Mariah collab (53,834) by 123 from USA In Dr Dre's chapter, Damizza talks about getting Dre to produce for some major artists. He shut down the notion of producing for Michael, but was cool with possibly working with Mariah. Damizza explains that he usually attends the very first meeting between two parties he is trying to get to collaborate so that there are no misunderstandings with people's personalities and individual recording processes. Damizza was overly confident that they would get along and missed the first meeting. It went south. Dre wanted Mariah to come to his studio and record some vocals. Mariah wanted him to send a beat for her to work on with her engineer in Capri. Both parties were offended as neither worked the way the other did. Dre was offended that Mariah wouldn't come to his studio to record (as lambs we know she never records her vocals with anyone in the studio except her engineer). Damizza tried to fix it by telling Mariah to just go and do a scratch vocal to start the building of a relationship but the damage was done. Dre gave the beat to Mary J Blige and the huge hit that was Family Affair came to light. It would have been for her Rainbow album. This story is in Dre's chapter, not Mariah's if I'm correct. (Friday 29 May 2015; 3:30)

Bubble (53,811) by 123 from USA I'm shocked that people are questioning why Mariah would live in a bubble and might be oblivious to processes her team have put in place without her knowledge. What comes off as requests from a demanding diva could really just be her team trying to protect her. From the 1999 interview posted here recently were she talks about "secret people" following her, to her crying in Michael Jackson's arms admitting that Tommy would tap her phone and have her followed, to people being offered money to spy on her so they can keep tabs and sabotage her. After her intellectual property was not only stolen, but used against her to temporarily sabotage her career, I would be paranoid about everyone's intentions. She probably doesn't want to get hurt again by someone she ends up trusting (Brenda K Starr, Tommy, Walter, Kelly Price, Damizza, Nick) and then ends up speaking negatively about her either publicly or privately. (Thursday 28 May 2015; 8:17)

Damizza (53,809) by 123 from USA Like every man that she has ever been linked to (Tommy, Eminem, Nick), he still holds a candle for her and can’t stop talking about her. She’s divorced and his career is non-existent so he sees his chance. I used to like Damizza, great producer, especially after reading his memoir. For all the lambs that haven’t read it, they should. He speaks about her amazing work ethic, to her vast knowledge of music. He also goes into the juicy details of Tommy trying to put him on his payroll to spy on her, to her breakdown, to why Mimi and Dr Dre will probably never work together. Then, I see this interview where the interviewer gives him credit for being instrumental in bringing Mariah back with the Mimi album, and he sits there smugly basking in taking the credit, instead of correcting the interviewer. I questioned his character after that. I hope she stays away, he admits to being an alcoholic and being around someone like that wouldn’t be good at this time in her life. Her voice has sounded healthier and she seems to be in a good space personally and professionally. His musical suggestions were bad during the Charmbracelet era were bad anyway, whispering, and bad features. Why wasn’t she singing on Fat Joe’s hooks or whatever other rappers that were hot during the time. He said the Vegas show was too much for her. Well, she got through the first leg in a better space than when she started. Guess enough time has passed where he doesn’t really know her after call. (Thursday 28 May 2015; 8:02)

New album colab suggestions / California Roll (53,705) by 123 from USA I've been loving everything Mariah has been doing lately. From promotion, to the focus on giving more live performances with a noticeable improvement on each one, to the great interviews with the poise, focused, yet fun Mariah of the past. Why has Snoop beaten Mariah on getting a true duet with Stevie Wonder. And add Pharrell in to boot. I need Mariah to make a real duet with Stevie like Snoop's song with that throwback sound. Why not have Pharrell produce with a few lines as well and throw in Snoop for some bars. (Saturday 23 May 2015; 7:03)

Empire / new album (53,384) by 123 from USA I really want Mariah to guest on the next season and put a new song on their soundtrack. That would be a hot way to come back with new material gradually and then follow up with a new album. (Saturday 16 May 2015; 18:55)

Love Takes Time again (53,276) by 123 from USA I love this. The second performance of this song is even better and she even slipped in some new notes. (Thursday 14 May 2015; 3:56)

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