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

Re: 90s R&B and 1994 albums (91,173) (91,179) by this_is_qhm from the Philippines Madge gets a lot of hate for being a button-pusher who has minimal talent, but truth be told, the woman is still the wisest, boldest, most instinctive woman in music. She wasn't popular because of shock value. She was popular especially among women and the LGBT community because she embodied what they secretly wanted to be, especially in such a restrictive and repressive society at the time. It's almost like they lived vicariously through her. Bedtime Stories was the first album where she hired the hottest, most in-demand producers. I am still pleasantly surprised she pulled it off, both the change in sound and the album's success in general, especially coming off of Erotica which almost ended her career. BS redeemed her to the public, saving her career and was the first step to making her likable again. It's a masterclass in crisis management. The album is also a prime example that an artist can dabble in current sounds and work with the producers of the moment without sounding like they were "selling out". It's her last album that had her sense of humor, as well as the last time she ever effectively pulled off the sex symbol image. Plus all the videos in that era were just art. (Saturday 26 October 2019; 22:01)

90s R&B and 1994 albums (91,162) by this_is_qhm from the Philippines Was listening to albums that turned 25 this year including Age Ain't Nothing But A Number, Brandy, CrazySexyCool, etc. and I was reminded just how much I love 90s R&B, including Madonna's attempt at it, Bedtime Stories. I know some lambs love it as well, which is totally understandable, because it's the the Madonna album that a lamb would gravitate towards the most musically. Love Tried To Welcome Me, Forbidden Love, Secret are gorgeous, and it also contains one of the best (if not the best) Babyface productions ever - Take A Bow. And then I switched back to a current hits playlist on Spotify and was reminded just how dire today's Top 40 is. I just miss those days when brilliant songs like Take A Bow deservedly topped the charts. Right now it's mostly just hype and star power. (Friday 25 October 2019; 17:23)

Re: Legends Ball (91,105) (91,116) by this_is_qhm from the Philippines True. It's one of her convenient excuses that she pulls out of her ever accessible excuse drawer. Never bought it for a second. She didn't go at it at the time because it wasn't planned, she was unprepared and she just would have embarrassed herself had things gone wrong. Plain and simple. That excuse was one of the worst she has used, by the way. You could always give a reason without being unnecessarily shady. (Monday 21 October 2019; 08:50)

The 90s diva trifecta (90,968) by this_is_qhm from the Philippines These three are held in the same pantheon because although they did the same big voiced, diva pop, that was pretty much the only thing they had in common. Each of them occupied a different space in the industry back then; they had different strengths and weaknesses, and they had their own loyal fanbases. Whitney, the more soulful one, was able to carry her from the 80s into the 90s, and most of her older listeners were likely fans of Aretha and Dionne. Celine, the most mainstream pop one, had many fans who loved Barbra and Karen. Mariah, the more versatile one, inherited fans of Diana, Minnie and Patti. Of course these fandoms would overlap in one way or another, but that's what it would generally look like if their listeners would had to be profiled and classified. Since Celine has established her identity as a live, big venue performer and has catered to the safest, broadest adult contemporary pop audience, it's not surprising that she sells more tickets than Mariah. People admire Celine because of her lungs of steel, discipline and extremely inoffensive image. She is someone who has played it safe her entire career. Mariah, on the other hand, is revered mostly for her musical contributions and artistry, and whatever fans she has now love her because they are aware of how her music affected their lives. (Wednesday 2 October 2019; 07:56)

Re: One Child (90,948) (90,953) by this_is_qhm from the Philippines It is quite disappointing, although understandable. It is the weakest out of the original songs on its parent album. But it definitely deserves to be there more than The Star and especially Lil Snowman. (Tuesday 1 October 2019; 11:56)

Diss tracks (90,934) by this_is_qhm from the Philippines Since Mariah is the poster child for epic shade-throwing, it's only logical that she writes the best diss songs around as well. To me, it's between Clown and It's A Wrap, but I'd give it to the latter because of its overall impact as a song. There just aren't many diss tracks out there that are set to a retro jazzy doo-wop backdrop. It's the contrast between the theme and the musical component of the song that makes it work better. It lends it this musical theater number feel. Plus, it features possibly the most violent Mariah lyric ever, "I should crack you right in your forehead." Clown is close behind. While lyrically more poetic, it's the almost unintelligible rapid delivery that makes it less impactful. Diss tracks are best when you don't have to have a lyric sheet on hand just to understand it. Still a good song that would have been better sung with a fuller vocal performance. (Sunday 29 September 2019; 19:53)

Caution Grammy chances (90,924) by this_is_qhm from the Philippines Unfortunately slim to none, so I'd be floored if it actually gets a nod. The submission cutoff for entries is drawing near, but I feel like these albums have a chance at being nominated for Album of The Year regardless of actual merit: Igor (Tyler The Creator) thank u, next (Ariana Grande) Hollywood's Bleeding (Post Malone) Lover (Taylor Swift) Happiness Begins (The Jonas Brothers) When We Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go (Billie Eilish) No. 6 Collaborations Project (Ed Sheeran) Cuz I Love You (Lizzo) (insert country / rock album here) A Star Is Born Soundtrack (Various Artists) It's a shame Caution would most probably not be one of those, but I guess we'll see once the nominees are announced later this year. Did I miss anything? I feel like Billie, Taylor, Lizzo and the A Star Is Born Soundtrack have the best chances. How about y'all? (Saturday 28 September 2019; 01:15)

Heartbreaker at 20 (90,871) by this_is_qhm from the Philippines Happy two decades to one of Mariah's best-aging lead singles. I'm still impressed at how this song managed to turn that unlikely sample into possibly the most deceptively sunny, feel-good sad song in history. Was it the first pop track with a rap feature in its original version to ever top the charts or something? Anyways, it's just unfortunate that by the time Heartbreaker was released, critics were already tired of Mariah's lead single formula. While it wasn't a creative leap forward, it still made for a pretty awesome song. My favorite part is towards the end when Mariah seamlessly lays the "gimme your love" hook over the pre-chorus, over the chorus. To this day, that remains a masterclass on vocal layering. I'll still never understand where the huge budget exactly went into the video, but I'll be forever grateful that it introduced us to the infamous Bianca (prior to her, the only pop alter ego I remember was Madonna's Dita). 20 years in and it still is a classic, immensely enjoyable romp that, like her past few lead singles at that point, managed to squeeze in a mini vocab lesson within it. (Sunday 22 September 2019; 21:04)

Happy 30th, Rhythm Nation 1814 (90,865) by this_is_qhm from the Philippines Milli Vanilli fiasco aside, 1989 was actually a great year in pop music, Lisa Stansfield debuted, Madonna released Like A Prayer and Janet unleashed one of the most impressive, important and influential albums of all time, Rhythm Nation 1814. For an 80s album, it has held up pretty well and still slaps today. It's still the only album in history to rack up 7 top 5 hits, over the course of 3 years (another record). I remember listening to it for the first time and fully understanding what all the hype is about right away. It is not good - it's vital pop. Every track slams in its own way, and this marked the beginning of Janet's obsession with including interludes in her albums to make for a seamless listening experience. Still love Miss You Much, Rhythm Nation, Escapade, Love Will Never Do (Without You) and my ultimate favorite due to how lush it sounds - Come Back To Me, which I feel is closest to a Mariah-esque sounding track melody and production-wise. Classic for sure. (Friday 20 September 2019; 17:01)

In The Mix (90,864) by this_is_qhm from the Philippines I have always wished Mariah kept Head Over Heels for herself as that song would have fit well on Butterfly and has such a Mariah melody. Well now at least we have In The Mix, which is like a combination of a bit of that, Heartbreaker and Fantasy with more deliberately retro early 90s production. It's good to know she is still capable of delivering the feel good fun, carefree sound and vibe of her lead singles from 1993-2001, albeit at a lesser impact this time, but it's still nice to know she has it in her, as it is a sound that has been missing from her work for over a decade. The harmonies are great, but just like others have pointed out, it would be nicer if we didn't have to search for the lyrics just to decipher what she was singing. The vocal layering isn't the best, but she also hasn't sung with this much gusto in a while, so if anything, this is just a cute little reminder of what she used to do so well. (Friday 20 September 2019; 02:22)

Taylor Swift (90,688) by this_is_qhm from the Philippines I know she has gotten a lot of hate here but let's just be really honest and give credit where it is due - the woman is one of the best mainstream artists who are currently out there, maybe even the best of her generation in terms of being the overall package (the way Bey is of her generation). She can hardly sing to save her life, but no one can deny that she does have a way with words, a wit and wisdom that is quite surprising especially considering she's mostly relegated to the run-off-the-mill white girl pop star category. She knows what the public likes and has this weird way of kicking off her albums with the weakest first single choices that are poor representations of their overall sound yet achieving success anyway. Her promotional strategies are very well thought and rolled out, videos are quite meticulously made that she is only rivaled by Beyoncé in terms of her mastery in using the media as a promotional tool (except that Tay's approach is more basic and relatable than Bey's high art aspirations). Every video is an event, and every TV guesting, social media post, video, interview, even wardrobe choice is so scrutinized by the public as they are rife with her famous easter eggs that she drops in relation to her latest endeavors, mist especially her music. This attention to details make the entire music experience much more real, interesting and memorable for her fans. (Remember how much we miss Mariah's voice memos?) Normally, all of this calculation would leave no room for heart, but whatever you say about her music - white trash, basic, bland, repetitive, Top 40, etc. - the heart and intention still manage to shine through all of the pop glaze, and that's why she still sells albums and arenas like she does. She definitely is not just a pop puppet or robot. It takes more than just loyalty or even blind allegiance to stay on top like she does (and we as Mariah fans should know that). Even her shady business moves are also great, such as her recent decision to re-record her hits (and by late next year, her entire discrography under her former label) to get back at Scooter Braun. She defies the dumb blonde stereotype and definitely knows how to flip scripts and take back narratives. They say Beyoncé or Ariana run the game. I don't. Based on consistency and payoff, nobody knows the current industry like Taylor does. She understands that being a pop star in this day and age is no longer just about you, but is more about how you interact with the fans and make them feel like they're somehow a part of your journey. It's about thinking beyond just the sonic experience. Smart. (Sunday 25 August 2019; 12:46)

Re: MC's tone (90,625) (90,629) by this_is_qhm from the Philippines Basing off of the album vocal performances alone, the vocal production on E=MC2 was much more polished. For TEOM, I remember her and her team wanting a more raw sound, which explains the good amount of live instrumentation and the jazzy, retro, soulful vibe of the album. This was a period that followed Glitter and Charmbracelet, where her voice has been widely reported and criticized to have been "shot", and so everyone was all so determined to prove the voice was still there. They even counted down to and promoted It's Like That using the tagline, "the return of The Voice". E=MC2 was a more relaxed affair, had far less vocally challenging songs as a whole, and the songs were simpler in structure. Much of her singing was pitched at a more comfortable lower range, especially in the verses. As for MOAIA, it was recorded throughout at a time when she reportedly miscarried, so that may have affected her tone. It was released just over a year after its predecessor as well, so she didn't have the luxury of time she had to make TEOM and E=MC2. However, Mariah's tone is notoriously hard to pin down as it really changes quite a bit from one album to the next. (Thursday 15 August 2019; 23:21)

Steaming vs. legitimate sales (90,489) by this_is_qhm from the Philippines True, it is easier and much cheaper to steam a song on loop than to buy several copies of a single or constantly request for it on radio stations, but the music industry has evolved and we all just have to accept it and move on. In fairness to this streaming era, I believe it does have its own difficulties as well, such as a much more fleeting interest from the public due to the wider access to more material. It makes it easier for a song to debut at #1, but it also makes it quite the battle to stay on top. So while streaming somehow does lessen the overall impact of charting to some extent (at least to us who were around long enough to witness the traditional way of doing things), it still is the current system and there really is nothing we can do about it. (Wednesday 31 July 2019; 06:16)

The record has been broken (90,488) by this_is_qhm from the Philippines While most fans are up in a tizzy being all salty and defensive about Mariah losing the record to an inferior song, I'm one of those who are relieved we don't have to worry about it anymore. There is always a bigger push towards breaking than retaining a record, and this time, it was One Sweet Day's turn to bow out. Mariah still has better records that no one can take away from her, like being the first woman to debut at #1 on the Hot 100 and having two Songs of the Decade back-to-back. Those records hold much more weight to me. If the queen herself has classily relinquished one of her crowns, so should we. (Wednesday 31 July 2019; 04:21)

Re: Old Town Road (90,469) (90,470) by this_is_qhm from the Philippines I remember wondering why and how One Sweet Day stayed on top of the charts for almost 4 months, especially since the song was the definition of an almost exclusively US hit, and that the song, while touching and relatable, wasn't really all that spectacular (the record was bigger than song itself). But then it hit me that in the past, there wasn't social media around, and so it much slower and more difficult to gain local, let alone worldwide success, and so most people only actually noticed, remembered and held on to the ones that made it big. Back then, MTV was crucial in promoting artists' new material, and the only ways that a video would be in heavy rotation (the 90s version of "going viral") were that if it was an undeniable hit or if it was from a hot, big-named artist. Boyz II Men was arguably the biggest R&B act at the time (TLC was probably a close second), and Mariah was obviously the biggest star then, so I really credit the song's lasting reign to mostly the combination of their star power. That and the fact the R&B was basically pop at the time. (Tuesday 30 July 2019; 01:10)

Re: Old Town Road (90,466) (90,467) by this_is_qhm from the Philippines Any record-breaker is bound to be subjected to severe criticism. Especially in the age of social media. As for your preference for OTR over anything on Caution, I'm just gonna take that as a bad joke. Or that you were either high or hammered when you posted it. Next. (Monday 29 July 2019; 15:15)

Re: Fly abandonedly into the rainbow (90,435) (90,458) by this_is_qhm from the Philippines If there's anything we should learn about music, it's that the true measure of success of any composition goes beyond its commercial perfomance - it's whether or not it has actually achieved the aim behind its creation. Can't Take That Away was blatantly written to console and empower (Mariah and) others, and I personally know people who I grew up around who turned to the song for comfort and reassurance in times of personal adversity, myself included. We really can't knock a song that has helped people in some way. In that respect, the song has justified its existence. With that being said, its composition truly is quite unusual, what with its unconventional, almost chorus-less structure. The transitions between the different song parts are awkward, the instrumentation ups the schmaltz factor to less-than-tolerable levels and the tune just isn't as catchy as Hero or Make It Happen. You just know Diane Warren had a hand in this. However, its message still does feel authentic to the time it was created and released. And those inimitable runs in the climax help drive the song's point home. The video isn't even worth talking about, not even ironically. If anything, it's possibly the first proof of Mariah believing her own hype and influence. There's nothing wrong with that, but integrating it into a montage of vanity shots just screams disingenuous. It's like, "Look how I made a video for an inspirational song supposedly for my fans all about me." (Sunday 28 July 2019; 10:54)

Old Town Road (90,456) by this_is_qhm from the Philippines The song's massive success can be attributed to several things: 1) The lightning-in-a-bottle factor. A remix from a C-list rapper and a relatively forgotten country music former hitmaker on paper should not spell chart success. At all. But for some reason, their collaboration just worked well. Some songs are just meant to be hits regardless of quality. Is it timely? Obviously yes. Will it be timeless? Probably not. 2) Super smart marketing and brazen promotion. The collaboration itself, while seemingly random, could actually be more of a conscious effort. While Lil Nas X would probably not have been able to get any big named current pop artist these days to collaborate with due to his newbie status, he was smart enough to get a country artist, and a much missed one at that. Hip-hop and country music (and jazz, to an extent) have the biggest and most loyal fanbases in the US. That's why their artists don't have to explode to be successful. Combine the two and you have more than half of the entire US music-listening public behind a rare collaboration. 3) The perfect song length. Clocking in at less than 2 minutes, OTR is the perfect song especially for the impatient yet rabid streaming generation. It's this perfect storm of events that have led to OTR's success. I'm with everyone's opinions here - let the record go, and Lil Nas X better be working on something else if he doesn't want to end up a one-hit wonder. Nothing sadder in the music world than having the biggest hit of all time as the only top 40 hit you ever had. (Sunday 28 July 2019; 10:18)

My perfect 90s Mariah trifecta / Cosmo vid (90,372) by this_is_qhm from the Philippines In the Cosmo video she did recently with her makeup artist, Kristofer asked Mariah her least favorite song. Her response sums up how she feels (and how I also feel) about her earlier material. She didn't name a specific track, but she basically said she doesn't like some of her earlier material because it contained tracks that she did just to appease the label. It's pretty clear she was referring to her first three albums. As genius and blockbuster as some of her earlier songs were, let's be really honest - they were surrounded by her most banal material to date. You Need Me? So Blessed? Just To Hold You Once Again? These and some other songs on those albums are the exact reason why Mariah was dismissed by critics then, they were rife with corny lines and clichés. I remember reading a review from a harsh but often truthful critic saying that she tries so hard to sing about something she doesn't know, which is love. Many of her current lyrics are very cringe-worthy, but back then, the situation was somehow even worse as it was as if she was trying so hard to sound mature and poetic, something she wouldn't really achieve effortlessly until Daydream onwards. The Daydream - Butterfly - Rainbow era the will always be my favorite time as a Mariah fan, because it was that period when she finally had significant creative say on her releases. I have said it before and I'll say it again: the most impressive thing about these albums, although not of equal quality, is how Mariah seamlessly and convincingly transitioned from adult contemporary pop to R&B to hip-hop to urban. Many fans deem Daydream perfect, which is accurate, as it is, up to this date, the best balance she has struck between artistry and commercial appeal. It deserved the Grammy for AOTY just as much as Jagged Little Pill has, but lacked the latter's edge. JLP defined the sound of a generation, while Daydream was more of an impressive artistic feat. Had they known back then how much the Fantasy remix's cultural impact would be years later, things might have gone differently. Butterfly is Mariah's magnum opus for a reason. It was the first time that a Mariah album didn't sound calculated and radio-hungry. Whatever it turned out to be and achieved was fueled by an unadulterated need for expression; and express she did beautifully as Butterfly is home to many of her best lyrics. It edges out both Daydream and Rainbow because it is evident how she actually loves every song on the album (as lovely as When I Saw You and Open Arms were, they felt like she did them for the label or so as to not alienate her more conservative fans). Butterfly just sounds classy, sexy and expensive, and is her only 90s album that could still stand today in its entirety. Rainbow, turning 20 this year (God we're old), is easily the worst of the three and has aged the worst. It may not be her best work as a whole, but I'll always be impressed at how she was able to come up with an good enough body of work at all considering the unfavorable circumstances she was in during its creation. And it has produced quintessential tracks such as Heartbreaker, Crybaby and Bliss, so it's still a worthy part of her discography. In fairness to Rainbow, a majority of the huge albums released during that era have aged just as badly, maybe even worse (FanMail, ...Baby One More Time, Christina Aguilera, Millennium, On The 6, etc.) leading me to think that it was somehow also a production thing. And Rainbow had some of best execution of the pop-urban sound at that time - a period where producers who were aiming for a modern, futuristic sound mostly resorted to annoying blips, squelchy and bombastic synths, random mechanical sounds, robotic vocal samples and frenetic, busy beats. We can't downplay the importance of Mariah's first 3 albums were as those put her on the map and allowed her to continue making music and improve her craft. The second half of the 90s may not have been as kind to Mariah as the first half commercially, but it helped shape the Mariah we know now more than any other period in her entire career. That's where the unhealthy lifestyle, ridiculous antics, childish vocabulary and diva persona really started, and everything that followed the decade after was just a heightened, larger-than-life version. Still, it's the music that mattered at the end of the day, and her 95-99 output sure gave us some serious Mariah fever. (Saturday 20 July 2019; 16:03)

Re: Madame X (90,087) (90,096) by this_is_qhm from the Philippines Okay, one, yes, it is just your preference that what most perceive as artistic growth comes across as a mess to you. But that's okay. Two, Caution is most definitely not a mess - all of the songs belong to that album and there is a consistent, plush nocturnal vibe that ties them all together. MIAMTEC is a mess, though. But I share your appreciation of Madonna as well. Yes, her albums have not been great since Confessions On A Dancefloor, and it's quite obvious why. Hard Candy marked the time when Madonna decided to chase trends instead of going against the grain. Every album she released since then followed suit. Hard Candy tried to capitalize on the Timbaland-Timberlake glory days, MDNA came at a time when the GaGa/Ke$ha EDM trend was dying down, Rebel Heart ended up being a victim of scattershot production in its attempt to throw Madonna into any genre to see what sticks, and Madame X, while being her best album since 2005, is her pandering heavily to the Latin market, like someone mentioned on this board earlier. My favorite album of hers is the very underrated Bedtime Stories. Forbidden Love, Love Tried To Welcome Me and Take A Bow are just golden. Critics are divided with Madame X. They either think it's her best in years or one of her worst ever. But as it currently stands, so far, it is her best reviewed album since Confessions On A Dancefloor, despite containing some very questionable lyrics and sonic choices, along with some of the most offensive themes she has tackled in her entire career. Her political and social stances are intended as stabs at "wokeness", but end up either being laughable or perpetuates the white savior trope. The most glaring thing about Madame X is that it showcases Madonna's voice at the worst shape it has been since the Like A Virgin era, but at least then she sounded human. She never has been the best vocalist, but she sounded adequate, even good, especially throughout the mid-90s to the mid-00s. Now, her voice is plastic, squeaky, cloying and marinated with autotune. However, given her horrific Eurovision performance, she definitely needed all the pitch correction in the world to make the album. (Wednesday 26 June 2019; 12:45)

Re: Charts (90,077) (90,083) by this_is_qhm from the Philippines I wouldn't use the term "outlasted" as well. They're still in the game, killing it for women of their age in such an ageist industry. Madame X may have sold more because it was promoted better and Madonna has once again resorted to ticket-album bundling for her upcoming tour. (Tuesday 25 June 2019; 14:33)

Songs most liked (90,082) by this_is_qhm from the Philippines Mariah Carey - Alone In Love and Sent From Up Above Emotions - The Wind Music Box - Never Forget You and Dreamlover MC - Miss You Most and AIWFCIY Daydream - Underneath The Stars, Fantasy and Melt Away Butterfly - Fourth Of July, Honey and Babydoll #1s - I Still Believe Rainbow - Heartbreaker and Crybaby Glitter - Lead The Way and Didn't Mean To Turn You On Charmbracelet - Boy (I Need You) and Lullaby The Remixes - Miss You TEOM - Circles and Your Girl E=MC2 - I Stay In Love, I'm That Chick and Cruise Control MOAIA - Ribbon, Candy Bling and It's A Wrap MCIIY - Christmastime Is In The Air Again and When Christmas Comes MIAMTEC - Make It Look Good, Faded and Dedicated Caution - Caution, A No No and Stay Long Love You (Tuesday 25 June 2019; 14:05)

Carly Rae Jepsen's Dedicated is pop heaven (89,617) by this_is_qhm from the Philippines It's sad when you have a hit such as Call Me Maybe make it so big that it pretty much overshadows your entire career even when you have so much better material under your belt. Carly's Emotion was the best pop album of 2015, and her new release this year seems destined to be revered just the same. She really knows her way around a great pop hook. Check out (my faves) Everything He Needs, which brilliantly reworks one of the tracks off Popeye The Movie of all possible songs, and Automatically In Love, which according to Carly, is Mariah-inspired, which is quite clear why with its delicious feel-good 90s vibe. (Friday 17 May 2019; 13:46)

Re: Madonna's BBMA performance (89,528) (89,529) by this_is_qhm from the Philippines That's exactly what Madonna's intention is. She never sells her music as high art. She is very much aware that she's ultimately marketing pop music. She still is the master of flirting with controversy, challenging whatever is deemed normal or acceptable, pushing the boundaries of taste and creating iconic moments in the most provocative way possible. Even current Bey and GaGa and Taylor can still take a lot of notes from her. What has gotten tired for me, though, (aside from the progressively cheapening sex symbol image and wardrobe) is her constant association of sexual expression and religion. That was brave and cool in Like A Prayer, tired by the time American Life came in and has been beaten dead and buried to the ground when MDNA arrived. But she still is hungry. She has never really coasted. There's something to be said for that. She still is Pop's top bitch when it comes to discipline and drive, and even if she doesn't really set the trends anymore, she is at least willing to keep up with what's new and trendy and put her own spin on it. We can't really say that for many of her contemporaries as well as other legacy artists including Mariah. (Thursday 9 May 2019; 14:20)

BBMAs 2019 (89,473) by this_is_qhm from the Philippines If there's anything the BBMAs 2019 has taught us, it's that the latest generation of performers (2010 onwards) apparently suck. Their performances are either uninspired, forgettable or are way too gimmicky and smack of trying too hard with the shock tactics. You can clearly see the difference between the Ariana, BTS and Halsey performances and the artists that debuted in the previous decade like Ciara, Taylor and Kelly. Even more so when compared with veterans such as Madonna, Paula, and Mariah, whose stage presence alone make it clear why they have lasted as long as they do. Mariah didn't even have to move much or walk and yet you couldn't look away from her. Madonna incorporated CGI imagery and basically turned Maluma into a pretty prop. Paula's performance clearly shows that she is truly a choreographer, who, at 56, moves much better than Janet who is almost 4 years her junior. Those 3 saved the night from becoming totally boring. They are just on another level and have a better understanding of the stage than the youngsters. (Monday 6 May 2019; 15:36)

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