Mariah Carey: "IT'S TIME" 👑

[bat1990]

Jun 22, 2024 11:35:12 GMT -5 Ivy Leegue™ said:

Are we trying to summom Swifties into this thread or...

I listened to Rainbow again on my home speakers. Had to tweak some of the settings (Atmos has her vocals waaay too forward) but...much improved. I forgot how sharp her pen was on this album.

Oooo, fancy home stereo system

[Ivy Leegue™]

Jun 22, 2024 14:04:45 GMT -5 bat1990 said:

Jun 22, 2024 11:35:12 GMT -5 Ivy Leegue™ said:

Are we trying to summom Swifties into this thread or...

I listened to Rainbow again on my home speakers. Had to tweak some of the settings (Atmos has her vocals waaay too forward) but...much improved. I forgot how sharp her pen was on this album.

Oooo, fancy home stereo system

[#LisaRinna]

[jenglisbe]

This is a mess lmao:

[#LisaRinna]

Jun 23, 2024 15:58:37 GMT -5 jenglisbe said:

This is a mess lmao:

and buried!

[#LisaRinna]

Something we don't talk about enough... Memoirs is an excellent album. Let me tell you something:

- it's the angriest Mariah album, almost its entirety is a break-up record and that was a first for her. Even Whisperfly didn't feel like a divorce album because she was dating DJ on the side and she was all head over heels for him, but Nick got her in her feelings not even a year into their wedding and we still don't know WHY.

- the pen game is strong. The disses and reads she wrote on this album are fabulous. And for all the criticism about her taking a backseat to The-Dream in the process, there is still a lot of Mariah in these lyrics and melodies.

- coming off the dry Einstein era vocals, it's so refreshing to hear some layering and intricate vocals again. And she was serving tone and healthy vocals.

- I know we associate the era with the marketing mistakes made by the label, but the music itself is strong. The gerls could not deliver this quality R&B in 2009/10 amidst the Dance-Pop era when everyone was chasing a beat and a synth to save their careers. Mariah stuck to the genre and delivered.

[jenglisbe]

Memoirs is definitely an album I've grown to appreciate more over time. Initially I expected more just because I was a huge Dream fan and the album felt somewhat monotonous, but yeah it was really a merging of Dream/Tricky with Mariah's style and not Mariah doing a Dream album.

It was definitely surprising that she released this so quickly considering the gaps between CB and TEOM and then TEOM and E=MC2, so it does seem like Nick prompted something. (Of course, she took it further on Me I Am Mariah which is ultimately an album about a struggling marriage.)

My faves are still "HATEU" (it ranks with her best ballads), "Ribbon," and "Candy Bling." Most of the other tracks are solid to where there aren't any real clunkers. I love the first half of "Betcha Gon Know" but the latter half doesn't deliver. Her "I Want to Know What Love Is" cover is a bit underbaked, but her vocal feels very sincere and like she's already pleading with Nick to be a better man and show her that marriage can work out.

I also still hold out some small hope that Mariah recorded a version of "They Don't Know" and it will see the light of day for an anniversary or something.

I didn't know people blamed the label or whatever for marketing mistakes, though fans (and Mariah) always blame the label so I guess I shouldn't be surprised lol. "Obsessed" was a real hit, and Mariah performed on Oprah, Today, Letterman, Lopez Tonight, X Factor UK, The View, maybe more. That was a lot of promo. There were also videos for 5 different songs even though "Obsessed" was the only real hit (and then "IWTKWLI" in Brazil), and then remixes for like the entire album as well. That seems like a lot to me. Some of the videos were terrible, but that's on Mariah.

[#LisaRinna]

Jun 24, 2024 8:55:15 GMT -5 jenglisbe said:

I didn't know people blamed the label or whatever for marketing mistakes, though fans (and Mariah) always blame the label so I guess I shouldn't be surprised lol. "Obsessed" was a real hit, and Mariah performed on Oprah, Today, Letterman, Lopez Tonight, X Factor UK, The View, maybe more. That was a lot of promo. There were also videos for 5 different songs even though "Obsessed" was the only real hit (and then "IWTKWLI" in Brazil), and then remixes for like the entire album as well. That seems like a lot to me. Some of the videos were terrible, but that's on Mariah.

My criticism isn't about the amount of promotion. The label thought it was a good idea to market a strictly R&B album using the one AC ballad as the 2nd single following a solid, albeit slow-rising hit.

"Obsessed" wasn't even promoted as a single overseas, in markets like the UK where it could've had a chance to do well. They got stuck with this idea that the odd Pop ballad would sell this R&B album when they could've just focused on R&B radio and got some hits there to keep the campaign going.

[clsvltn]

I had no idea she had another 25th anniversary out, I just added it to my spotify to check it out. and working with anderson potentially on an album would be awesome as well! I just really want everything to line up for her to get one more #1 hot 100!

[Ivy Leegue™]

Wild that she allegedly was shading Nick on Memoirs when she put The Impossible on the same album, which is, like, one of her most extra devotional and lovey-dovey love songs. She literally said he rescued her love. So, what's the truth??

[#LisaRinna]

Jun 24, 2024 11:40:59 GMT -5 Ivy Leegue™ said:

Wild that she allegedly was shading Nick on Memoirs when she put The Impossible on the same album, which is, like, one of her most extra devotional and lovey-dovey love songs. She literally said he rescued her love. So, what's the truth??

I know! And MOTJF and Ribbon are very honeymoon flirtatious tracks as well. We'll never know I guess.

[Leigh]

Wasn't it Nick who supposedly convinced her to record a cover of I Want To Know What Love Is ??

[jenglisbe]

Jun 24, 2024 11:40:59 GMT -5 Ivy Leegue™ said:

Wild that she allegedly was shading Nick on Memoirs when she put The Impossible on the same album, which is, like, one of her most extra devotional and lovey-dovey love songs. She literally said he rescued her love. So, what's the truth??

Lol yup.

Nick might be her one and only songs
"Candy Bling"
"Ribbon"
"More Than Just Friends" (though they got married so quickly I don't think being friends first really applies lol)
"The Impossible"
"I Want to Know What Love Is"

Nick take a hike songs
"Betcha Gon Know"
"HATEU"
"Standing O"
"It's a Wrap"
"Up Out My Face"
"Angels Cry"

It's kind of a bi-polar album (no pun intended), but of course it's entirely possible that only a few of these songs are about Nick, but then that begs the question of why she felt so creative at that time and released an album she had to market at the exact time she was a newlywed.

In regards to Nick, I always come back to the heartbreaking "Camouflage," particularly:

I remember so many nights in the bed alone
Wondering, could I muster the strength to exist in the bitter cold?
But you showed up once in a while, I guess that's alright

I just picture Mariah lying in bed with her pregnancy complications while Nick is out working, philandering, whatever

Speaking of Nick's impact, we might have gotten more of this greatness if their marriage hadn't cut the era short:

[PGriffin]

Jun 24, 2024 10:53:32 GMT -5 clsvltn said:

I just really want everything to line up for her to get one more #1 hot 100!

I think that ship has sadly sailed. I think she had a chance with A No No (if there was a remix with Cardi) or after her Xmas resurgence the first time. I'm surprised everything wasn't lined up for the Big Energy remix or even for Yes,And? 

[jenglisbe]

Jun 24, 2024 14:12:56 GMT -5 PGriffin said:

Jun 24, 2024 10:53:32 GMT -5 clsvltn said:

I just really want everything to line up for her to get one more #1 hot 100!

I think that ship has sadly sailed. I think she had a chance with A No No (if there was a remix with Cardi) or after her Xmas resurgence the first time. I'm surprised everything wasn't lined up for the Big Energy remix or even for Yes,And? 

Mariah in 2024 is just not going to excite enough people to get a remix or something to #1.

The main way I see Mariah being able to get a #1 is for her to be a hook girl on a new song (not a remix) for a big name artist, or for a big name artist to use a sample of one of her songs where the artist gives her a credit for it (i.e. how that Drake song that samples "Emotions" went top 10).

The other way a song of hers could get to #1 is if an old song of hers goes viral, but even then we see that it likely wouldn't go to #1. She's had viral moments with a few older songs, but they didn't even chart on the Hot 100. Miguel, Kate Bush, and Fleetwood Mac all had even bigger viral moments with older songs of theirs, but none of them went to #1 (or even came close) so the odds are definitely slim.

[Ivy Leegue™]

Jun 24, 2024 12:53:18 GMT -5 jenglisbe said:

Nick take a hike songs
"Betcha Gon Know"
"HATEU"
"Standing O"
"It's a Wrap"
"Up Out My Face"
"Angels Cry"

It's kind of a bi-polar album (no pun intended), but of course it's entirely possible that only a few of these songs are about Nick, but then that begs the question of why she felt so creative at that time and released an album she had to market at the exact time she was a newlywed.

Writers pull from all areas of their lives - past, present, and future - so I actually wouldn't be so sure those songs are about Nick. MIAM...obviously because she was in the midst of either divorcing or separating/separated, but for all we know, she was still waxing poetic about Jeter, especially on Angels Cry. Then again, I forgot that she had already been with Nick for a couple years by the time Memoirs dropped, right?

[pnobelysk]

Yes dreaming about the next number one may not be the best plan. I honestly keep my fingers crossed she can get a new song on the hot 100 that stays for more than a week. I still think the right recipe could do it

[Me. I Am l!nk!nfan815...]

Jun 24, 2024 8:35:09 GMT -5 #LisaRinna said:

Something we don't talk about enough... Memoirs is an excellent album. Let me tell you something:

- it's the angriest Mariah album, almost its entirety is a break-up record and that was a first for her. Even Whisperfly didn't feel like a divorce album because she was dating DJ on the side and she was all head over heels for him, but Nick got her in her feelings not even a year into their wedding and we still don't know WHY.

How don’t you know why?

“He’s a man Barbara!”

[bat1990]

My question is who was making the single choices for E=MC^2 and MOAIA?

As alluded to above, the singles campaign was so poorly managed, especially in Europe, for MOAIA. But lets not forget the squandering of E=MC^2 with "Bye Bye" as single #2 with "I'm That Chick" and "Migrate" in the wings.
But I can go on about that for days. I mean, LA Reid wanted "Say Something" as a single early on in TEOM and while I love that song, him being overruled turned into an amazing album campaign.

[jenglisbe]

Oh I might need to stan

[@DjKingBee]

GTFO is one of my most fave Mariah songs also

And whoever said memoirs was different is because she hardly wrote anything. the dream wrote nearly every track. Mariah mentioned before it was the first time she DIDNT write on an album

[Coco Villain Era]

Thats not what she said... That's what you perceived? Mariah co-wrote as per usual and while the production and cohesiveness was due to having the Dream produce the entire album pretty much. It was still very Mariah.

[@DjKingBee]

Jun 25, 2024 21:59:32 GMT -5 Coco Villain Era said:

Thats not what she said... That's what you perceived? Mariah co-wrote as per usual and while the production and cohesiveness was due to having the Dream produce the entire album pretty much. It was still very Mariah.

Have you not heard the demos ? Just sayin. I’m a huge The Dream fan and every song sounds like him

[Ling-Ling]

To branch off of that Sabrina clip, I love the younger crop of artists and seeing what Mariah songs they latch onto. Charli recently gave a shout-out to "Through The Rain" and Charmbracelet

[jenglisbe]

Jun 26, 2024 10:46:44 GMT -5 @DjKingBee said:

Jun 25, 2024 21:59:32 GMT -5 Coco Villain Era said:

Thats not what she said... That's what you perceived? Mariah co-wrote as per usual and while the production and cohesiveness was due to having the Dream produce the entire album pretty much. It was still very Mariah.

Have you not heard the demos ? Just sayin. I’m a huge The Dream fan and every song sounds like him

Just because Dream sings the demo versions doesn't mean he wrote the songs without her. I mean, do you think Dream really knew names like Jasmine and Rae Rae to write the "Betcha Gon Know" lyrics without Mariah? Additionally, some of the lyrics are different from the demos (look at "HATEU" which has a lot of different lyrics from the demo), so clearly the demos weren't finished songs regardless.

Speaking of MOAIA:

The track really had already passed that marker as the remix with Gucci has about 10 million Spotify streams, but either way.

[Dreams]

Jun 25, 2024 21:52:15 GMT -5 @DjKingBee said:

GTFO is one of my most fave Mariah songs also

And whoever said memoirs was different is because she hardly wrote anything. the dream wrote nearly every track. Mariah mentioned before it was the first time she DIDNT write on an album

She never said such a thing.

[Coco Villain Era]

Look at all those rappers and hip hop producers in one video giving her dues. MC has literally conquered every single aspect of music from remixes , pop , rnb , dance , Christmas and rap

[jenglisbe]

Jun 27, 2024 4:34:46 GMT -5 Coco Villain Era said:

Look at all those rappers and hip hop producers in one video giving her dues. MC has literally conquered every single aspect of music from remixes , pop , rnb , dance , Christmas and rap

I love that video and the quotes used. For people who weren't outside back then, it's hard to convey how wild it was in the mid-1990s for a pop princess (i.e. known to many as a ballad singer as Remy Ma references there) to work with Ol' Dirty Bastard (i.e. a true hardcore hip-hop artist). So it was not only a merging of pop and hip-hop, but to some degree it was a merging of two extremes. So then, yes, as Left Eye says, it opened the eyes of people who hadn't given hip-hop a chance. Over the years Mariah has introduced many of her fans to hip-hop artists they wouldn't know otherwise (not to mention classic R&B songs and samples).

[osnarful]

I think a lot of songs on "Memoirs" are about Mark Sudack, they broke up around 2007/2008 and were together for a few years, so that was still resonating with Mariah at the time.

It's funny that he was completely ignored in her book, it's like their relationship never existed.

[Ivy Leegue™]

Jun 27, 2024 7:56:13 GMT -5 osnarful said:

I think a lot of songs on "Memoirs" are about Mark Sudack, they broke up around 2007/2008 and were together for a few years, so that was still resonating with Mariah at the time.

It's funny that he was completely ignored in her book, it's like their relationship never existed.

'Cuz it didn't.