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

Article: Mariah Carey makes "a no no" for real in her new single (85,546) by this_is_qhm from the Philippines The author obviously doesn't know about Mariah's obsession with Mean Girls. Mimi is clearly just channeling her inner mean girl not only in this song, but this entire era. All the delicious, epic shade on A No No? GTFO? Vulgariah in full force? All in an album called Caution? The theme is loud and clear and this reference is just in keeping with that. (Friday 2 November 2018; 14:40)

A No No (85,531) by this_is_qhm from the Philippines If you're gonna dish out some shade, you might as well serve more than just a platter, go ahead and throw a feast. Enter A No No, Mariah's brutally shadiest song ever. Her bitchiest since Obsessed and her sassiest one since Shake It Off, it's like a fierce blend of the latter, the entire urban pop sound of 1999, TLC's No Scrubs, and her own X-Girfriend and every other song that has used that brilliant Lil Kim sample ever. We haven't gotten to the lyrics yet and Stella's already furiously shaking in her leather hooker boots. Whereas SIO is more of a narrative kiss-off, ANN manages to fit in tons of unapologetic shade, clever pop culture references, celebrity braggadocio and her most meme-able and memorable lines on a song yet all within 3 minutes and 10 seconds, while sounding great, current yet a bit retro at the same time.That's genius right there. This is genuinely her most fun-sounding track since anything on her party album E=MC2. This is one of those rare MC moments where everything just comes together and works perfectly: the hot beat, the lyrics, the vocals, the melody, the sample, the tempo, the rap bit, etc. Every part is strong, too. The first verse echoes a bit of No Scrubs. The chorus is simple and really easy to follow. The ad-libs during the final chorus provide enough variation to keep things interesting and ending conversation clip is just brilliant. But the highlight has got to be that second verse. It is a tad reminiscent of how she attacked Heartbreaker's second verse. And then the Gilligan's Island reference kicks in and her tone shifts from authoritative pissed-off diva to an almost childish taunt with her rapid-fire delivery. Perfection. A No No is her best song in a long while, and perhaps the biggest success here is that she was able to make a great sample that has been borrowed so many times before sound like its best and freshest usage ever. She sounds great, the track is immensely enjoyable with an unbelievable repeat value, and we all know that if this is not chosen as the official second single, we will all be throwing epic hissy fits. (Friday 2 November 2018; 00:21)

Caution tracklist (85,508) by this_is_qhm from the Philippines So we're back to the early 90s when 10-11 tracks were enough to constitute most albums including Mariah's. It would be really great if the remaining 6 unreleased songs were just as awesome as those we have heard so far, and would stay unheard until the proper release date. I feel like I Don't would be somehow tacked on there as a bonus track. That'd be odd. (Thursday 1 November 2018; 12:22)

Re: Track list snippets (85,458) / Caution Part 2 (85,487) by this_is_qhm from the Philippines The part II album rumor is interesting. It would be nice since one of the perks of having her last 3 album releases (2009-2014) not do as well as one would predict a Mariah effort would, she really has nothing to lose and everything to gain. The trouble with two-part albums that aren't released simultaneously as one double album is that such release strategy is tricky and very risky especially for popular mainstream artists. Mariah is mainstream but hasn't been all the rage for a decade now, so however she wants to drop her albums won't really matter that much anymore, especially since she no longer cares about charting. However, should there be any truth to this rumor, I still hope she learns from what happened to Justin Timberlake in 2013. The material in the second installment should be at least as strong as the first one. If it's filled with songs that are considered outtakes, then it would end up like JT's The 20/20 Experience Part 2 of 2. Pointlessly self-indulgent effort that not only pales in comparison to its predecessor, but also negates whatever good the first part has done. If it's not ready, don't release it just to be able to give more, as more isn't always better. (Wednesday 31 October 2018; 23:14)

Re: Lips? Lol (85,431) (85,432) by this_is_qhm from the Philippines Mariah's problem isn't that she does not take care of her voice. She actually does to some extent, hence the humidifiers and tea and short periods of vocal rest (although having very talkative and inquisitive kids does not make that easy). Her real problem is that she loves her alcohol and late night parties way too much yet thinks that her humidifiers and hot tea and brief rests can offset the ill effects of her bad habits. In Whitney's documentary released earlier this year, even people she's worked have said that Whitney had issues with her voice, although there were rare instances where it sounded really magical and they'd have it for a few hours and then it'd be gone again. The period referred to was from 2000-2004, so around Whitney's late 30s to early 40s. It's possible that Mariah has the same issue. But it's still worth noting that Whitney smoked, drugged and drank her voice to the ground for years. Hers had undergone considerably greater abuse than Mariah's if we were to compare their lifestyles. Mariah at 35 and Whitney at the same age kinda sound on par in terms of capabilities (just compare TEOM and My Love Is Your Love to their respective predecessors and then to each other). Celine is known to be very caring of he voice. Even Barbra said that when Celine was recording Let's Talk About Love, in which Tell Him was a track, she would not speak for prolonged periods just to perserve her voice. I believe such discipline is still with her to this day. And she lips way better than Mariah. (Tuesday 30 October 2018; 12:36)

Re: Caution standard edition tracklist (85,414) (85,415) by this_is_qhm from the Philippines Now I know it's possible to both love and dread something at the same time because that's exactly how I feel about track 8. The title track better be an upbeat banger or we would instantly hear the collective sigh of fans all around the world. Good Lie seems quite intriguing. (Monday 29 October 2018; 16:01)

Re: Mariah's best advice (85,404) (85,410) by this_is_qhm from the Philippines Yes, she actually said that, albeit straight to camera (she was being interviewed confessional style) and not really to the contestants, but still, that's the most sensible and most appropriate piece of advice she has ever given to any dreamer ever. The industry truly is more parts luck and timing than actual talent and resources. (Monday 29 October 2018; 13:51)

Mariah's best advice (85,401) by this_is_qhm from the Philippines "I don't know that I have one big piece of advice to give to the artists. I think the main thing for them is to be themselves. And we can all give them little pointers or things that'll help them maybe succeed within this arena, but at the end of the day, if somebody's meant to be in the music business for their life, and it's their calling, then that's what it's gonna be. And they've made it this far, and we'll see what the future brings." This. This should be what any sensible person who ever gives any piece of advice to the contestants of any reality singing competition should be saying. Many have talent, but only about 1% (if not less) of those hopefuls will actually find a career in the music business as a legitimate star. Most of what the coaches say are pretty much very subjective and exaggerated because of their excitement for these talents. They tend to gush too much of their capabilities, and those hopefuls who get carried away by all the praises and don't know better are inadvertently led to believe that they have a secure slot at making it big, as if it were that simple. That statement by Mariah makes sense more than everything she has rambled about on American Idol, and is more realistic and poignant (or hopeful, depending on one's perspective) than anything these coaches have said so far this season or any season, really. Yay for keeping it real. (Sunday 28 October 2018; 23:44)

Mariah in Manila (85,340) by this_is_qhm from the Philippines So I'm still quite bummed I wasn't able to watch Mariah in my own country, but I'm just so glad my fellow Pinoy lambs represented us so well. That's how you treat a queen. You set aside all the rumors, bullcrap or disappointment you had with her in the past (there's a cruel, untrue rumor that Mariah uttered some supposedly racist remarks way back in the 90s towards a Filipino singer that always gets dredged back up every time she comes to our country thanks to some misguided haters, but whatever) and cheer for even the less impressive vocal runs and notes, even if some of them aren't live. You collectively chant her name during breaks. Your energy level never lets up even until the last song. I'm so proud of both Mariah and my fellow Filipino fans who were there last night. From the fan clips, you could just tell Mariah was feeding off of their enthusiasm and energy. I hope that more than made up for the horrible Manila traffic she got stuck in earlier. Not to put the US fans in a bad light, but I believe this is further proof why Mariah somehow performs better in foreign countries in general. There's less judgment, more appreciation from fans who are just so aware that this woman only comes to their country once in a while, and they're just grateful she even decided to stop by. (Saturday 27 October 2018; 00:02)

A No No (85,314) by this_is_qhm from the Philippines "Snakes in the grass, it's time to cut the lawn." Please let this be a Stella diss track yet somehow mostly universal at the same time. Mariah's voice in that line reminds me of how weird she sounded on some tracks of Glitter, particularly Loverboy. Quite nasal. I like it. Love the Lil Kim sample as well. This little snippet is already better than the three tracks that came before. Truth be told: she can't sing like she used to, but she sure has the most interesting vocal journey of all singers. The changes her voice undergoes as she ages in terms of tone - even the slightest nuances - if not always the most pleasant, are still really intriguing and fascinating. (Friday 26 October 2018; 16:21)

Re: Nick Cannon says Mimi had multiple miscarriages (85,265) (85,278) by this_is_qhm from the Philippines That also explains why many of Mariah's performances around that period (see X Factor UK, AMAs, Stand Up To Cancer, etc.) had her looking sad or pained or uncomfortable. She was recovering from physical and emotional pain. You could see it in her eyes. She was in the best shape of her life and riding from the success of her 18th #1, but her personal life was falling apart. The more you watch performances from that year up until 2010, the more you'll notice it. (Thursday 25 October 2018; 12:50)

Caution cover reminiscent of Britney's In The Zone (85,276) by this_is_qhm from the Philippines Yup. In The Zone. That's Brit's best album cover. It also is her most diverse and most interesting album. Every track just grabs you differently. It still holds up today. Toxic is still that beast. Brings back a lot of memories. (Thursday 25 October 2018; 10:43)

Album bundles (85,244) by this_is_qhm from the Philippines This truly doesn't feel like a comeback, which is good, because it actually feels more like a re-introduction. And mama is bringin' the merch, y'all. The album bundles are quite nice. The pink vinyl is hot and so is the cute phone case. And now there's a limited edition with more tracks. I'm actually impressed at how her current team is rolling out this promotional plan. It's like one surprise after the other. It's actually pretty standard fare compared to the promo done for younger artists today, but is still very much welcome considering it's been such a loooong time since Mariah's team has fired from all cylinders. She really wants this thing to work. The best thing about is how unfazed they are about the mostly lukewarm public reception to most of what they have done so far. They just push through with the plans regardless, whereas in previous album eras, promo would usually stop even after the slightest disappointment / discouragement. Again, kudos to Mariah's current team for the awesome job so far. (Wednesday 24 October 2018; 12:09)

The Voice (85,231) by this_is_qhm from the Philippines Now we know she and her team ain't playin'. Knowing how much of a sinking ship AI was back then, I have always wanted her to be on The Voice instead because of their more mentoring-focused approach to a singing competition show. I for sure thought that her AI stint burned her enough not to consider doing any singing reality shows in the future, but then I guess I still don't have her exactly figured out after all these years of predictability. Hope she's one of those advisors who actually demonstrates by singing, and not just one of those who just listen and nod or give generic critiques. It's a chance for her to show she can still wow with her voice. It's a great platform for promotion, and while hype for the show has fizzled out a bit these days, a lot of people, especially from the younger demographic, still watch it. Plus her parts as an advisor aren't live, so should there be any unnecessary rambling, it'd be cut out. Nice work, team. (Wednesday 24 October 2018; 01:11)

Re: Too many bubbles for my taste (85,187) (85,207) by this_is_qhm from the Philippines Well, we've all lived through 2010 up until the present, so we all know the public hasn't been interested in her for a long time. I personally have accepted the fact that she would be lucky to have any single hit the lower ranks of the Hot 100 these days. Pointless could be a good word to describe it as well, but I would rather have her and her team continue to push for a project they clearly could have given up on a month ago purely based on public response than not at all. Best scenario is that this album will be likely received like Janet's Unbreakable was. Low sales but still a #1 debut, no real hit singles but a critical success. Here's hoping the 7 remaining songs are better than those released so far. Unlikely, maybe, but I'm still excited. It's still all new material after all. (Tuesday 23 October 2018; 00:08)

Asian shows (85,170) by this_is_qhm from the Philippines Like someone else has mentioned here before, maybe it's the humidity in Asia, but Mariah almost always sounds her best when she's touring in the Orient. I mean a lot of it is still strained and shouty, but at least her tone is not nearly as dry and grating as it was during her Vegas shows, probably due to the drier, harsher weather in there. Her transitions are now smoother, her falsetto richer and her overall tone much more pleasant. Or who knows, it may also be the upcoming holidays or album release that got her excited to push harder and even attempt notes we have come to expect her to avoid over the years, especially on Emotions, Always Be My Baby, Make It Happen, My All, etc. Plus she sings the verses of With You in full voice you guys, and it's actually a good performance which makes you even madder that she had to lip the entire thing at the AMAs. Check out her videos in Taipei and Macau. And it's nice to know the fandom is still quite strong on social media and media sharing sites. I don't know of any artist whose every live performance is documented by a vocal highlights video reliably within a few days (hours, even). Really appreciate them lambs who do it all out of love. (Monday 22 October 2018; 01:33)

The Distance (85,160) by this_is_qhm from the Philippines It is trendy these days to incorporate the most random and weirdest samples for no particular reason in any production, if only to up its quirk factor. However, despite its ubiquity, it is still considered a risk as the results way elicit reactions that vary from sheer genius to indifference to bewilderment to irritation and even rage. The chanting that kicks off the song comes off puzzling at first, but as it ends with the same sample you'll realize that the chant actually flows with the beat of the whole thing. For most, that won't be enough to justify its usage, but at least it somehow makes sense. As for the beat, it's one of the best we've had on a Mariah track in a very long time. It truly knocks. Coupled with the atmospheric synth backdrop and you have a very cool groove, which is rare in the Mariah-verse, where most textures are plush, velvety and warm. The Distance also features the best input from a collaborator since Miguel. Just like Rihanna and Britney, Mariah has a way of enunciating certain words to add some flair and personality and gets away with it. Her "laughs" and "life" in the chorus pique interest. Overall it's a good track that recalls the urban excellence of the Thank God I Found You remix. (Sunday 21 October 2018; 14:23)

Realize (85,150) by this_is_qhm from the Philippines I want y'all to take a moment to think back to where we were as fans a year and a half ago, or in fact, any moment since MIAMTEC was released. If we really think about it, Mariah has gradually ticked of many boxes off our demanding collective checklist: - regain some confidence to at least be less stoic during performances - ditch the ridiculous ballgowns worn in questionable venues - fire Stella and her coven of bloodsuckers - slim down / get in better shape - not do a second season of Mariah's World (not entirely her choice, but we all know she could have done another one in spite of the opposition if she really wanted) - stop hopping from one head-scratching commercial venture to another and focus on the music instead - purge her wardrobe of the almost BDSM-hooker-leather-fetishist look Stella managed to get her to wear for a bleak period - lip a little more convincingly - keep the creative process and inception of a new musical project mostly under wraps until it's time to unveil it - employ better promotional strategies that aren't stuck in the 90s-early 00s - get a competent management team that shines the spotlight on her rather than sharing / eventually stealing it from her - clean up her social media feeds - be more musically adventurous and open to exploring current trends without losing her signature sound in the process - work with producers other than the usual suspects (this is the one I am probably most impressed with from what we have heard so far off Caution, and from some of the hottest current producers, too) - enough with the unnecessarily wordy and obnoxious album titles - stop chasing the charts (although we often contradict ourselves by wanting her to chart) - be more coherent and tone down the diva antics on interviews and appearances - come back from humiliating major debacles - somehow turn things around from what we thought was a public image beyond redemption - come up with classier, less auto-touchy-feely visuals that don't scream, "I'm so sexy, right? Right? Riigghhtt??" - dress more appropriately for her age and stature - do more relatable features and videos that are based more on fan interactions - be less catty and shady (keyword: less) - switch up her set lists (even for just a bit) - make songs that suit her current voice that she can better replicate live - rely less on showing off her studio-restricted higher range in favor of showcasing her still robust lower range - be with a guy who isn't threatened by her success and doesn't stunt on social media just to get attention (yes, I think just about everybody has warmed up even just a bit to Tanaka by this time - you happy now, Special K? You feel validated? Haha.) - produce less painfully photoshopped, actually flattering cover art for her latest material - rely less on guest features especially for official teasers / releases - look less uncomfortable on stage and less awkward / posey in any picture taken of her - come up with some of her best, most memorable melodies in years (although not instantly gratifying, but really, even just about anyone can do the "war" and "yo" parts on With You, but no one can make it sound as arresting as Mariah does) - have an organized album roll out Look, most of these happened this year. I guess it really is human nature for us to think she's taken 10 steps back for every incremental improvement she has done every time she effs up, but that mentality really keeps us from seeing all the good stuff. There is a chance she may end up disappointing us with Caution, and we will have another few years to rant about it should that happen, but for now let us just enjoy and appreciate the fabulous middle-aged goddess we have looked up to for so long getting her act together bit by bit. Yes, we will definitely be criticizing her every now and then - we can't change that. But looking back on how bad things were back then, now doesn't seem as underwhelming as some of us may think. Maybe we have just gotten used to so many stratospheric highs as lambs in the past that anything that falls short of that is a failure to us. It's not always about the spectacle or the big moments. Sometimes it's about how far you have climbed from where you have fallen. She's currently in the best state in her career and personal life she has been since TEOM. And for that I'm really, truly happy, proud and grateful. (Sunday 21 October 2018; 01:06)

Re: Distance - my theory (for laughs) (85,146) (85,149) by this_is_qhm from the Philippines You do have a point that has only become more apparent as time goes by. The image and visual aspect of Mariah as a person and performer has completely overshadowed any actual, real aspect of it. Her lipping and doing the bare minimum in her "live" performances these days are due to the fact that she cannot actually perform her hits like she used to just as much as the fact that she refuses to really put in the work required to at least seem like she is trying, all for the sake of looking good. As for the actual music, though, she probably just decided to follow everyone else's lead. Look at the songs burning up the charts right now, or for the past few years. No one seems to actually care about making the next classic anymore. Music has become about what would make a bigger splash, with all finger's crossed that such splash makes it debut high on the charts and become trendy for a while just so they can say that they have had a top 10 hit, even if in reality it was actually there for just one week. Everything on top 40 is ephemeral, and their so-called success aren't even geared towards longevity. It's disappointing that Mariah has lost sight of making timeless songs, but we can't really blame her when the entire music industry has given up on that as well. (Sunday 21 October 2018; 01:05)

The Distance meme (85,144) by this_is_qhm from the Philippines Yup, as it turns out, this is the most meme-able Mariah era yet. Y'all should check out this choreography set to The Distance. It's so on point, I am barely holding it together. (Saturday 20 October 2018; 19:52)

The rollout / The Distance (85,079) by this_is_qhm from the Philippines Okay, before we get to the song, can we just take some time to appreciate how her current team has managed to handle this album rollout, which is easily her best, most organized and strategic one since TEOM? Seriously, finally she's surrounded by people who get how it is to release an album post 2010s, as this one has the hallmarks of a current album release: the controversial buzz track ro test the waters (usually reserved for artists who haven't dropped an album in a while), the first official single which isn't so much a departure from the artist's familiar sound, the high-profile televised gigs, the fan-interaction-revealed cover art, the surprise instant grat track rewarded to pre-orders - her current team really get it. That alone is cause enough for celebration. Now on to the song - and let me phrase this in the typical expressions by dem netizens seen on social media memes and comments sections: issa bop, dat beat tho, lemme get myself a new wig, she ain't playing this time, this is lit, it's a vibe, etc. Mariah made something that as sounds awesome blasting out from car speakers on a late night drive as it is as call for slow dancing in a club. It's great. I'm with those who say this is the most excited they have been for an album since 2008. GTFO, With You and then this? 3 for 3 for me. (Friday 19 October 2018; 01:14)

Taipei show highlights (85,060) by this_is_qhm from the Philippines If you're still one of those who keep track of those fan-made clip compilations on YouTube featuring highlights of her recent vocal performances, you'd know that her show in her Taipei might be her best for this year so far. Of course it's not like she magically got her 2000s voice back, but at least that show saw her in better vocal form than usual (at least post-2010), she debuted With You (which was at least 50-60% live), her tone was a little less constricted but clearer, and she attempted to hit a lot of notes that for the last few years she would usually dodge and substitute all-too-familiar vocal saves for. It was refreshing, because her Kuala Lumpur show was pretty much the standard fare, so this was a marked improvement. Of course the term "slayage" has pretty much lost its meaning these days, especially for Mariah, but this is probably the closest we could really get to her slaying live these days. The best part is that she knew she was having a great vocal night and the confidence was more obvious. This may be a one-off, but I'm just glad she tried harder for this show. (Thursday 18 October 2018; 21:39)

#CautionUnlock / Mariah's social media presence (84,941) by this_is_qhm from the Philippines It's just so exciting that Mariah's current team know how to harness the power of social media to create hype for her ventures. Sure, compared to how other artists do it, Mariah is still quite behind in terms of gimmicks and creative ways to promote her stuff, but compared to how dire her feed looked during "Stella's reign of terra", what she has right now is just infinitely much better and focus on what's important rather than having unwanted fame-hungry photobombers share the spotlight. It's almost a complete image overhaul. Such a relief considering last year we were all worrying that Stella's cheap hooker looks were rubbing off too much on Mariah that she was turning into Stella's twin bit by bit (ew, like those were really bleak years). Seriously, it's like night and day. (Tuesday 16 October 2018; 14:29)

The album title (84,931) by this_is_qhm from the Philippines Who else is more excited for this album that they were for MIAMTEC? Of course the album title isn't everything but it sure does make a difference, doesn't it? The last time Mariah really intrigued the public with an album title was TEOM because it was her first album to deviate from the girly, cutesy titles of her previous albums. E=MC2 was clever and nice, if a little too on the nose as you could have deduced what that meant from the previous album. MOAIA amd MIAMTEC were just off-putting and were frankly disappointing. This is her first album title since 2005 that has not been self-referential or obnoxious. The two songs released so far are great slow-burners, but if there aren't any hard-hitting upbeat bangers on the album I'mma be really disappointed. And if Mariah ends up wearing only caution tape on the official album cover (ala GaGa in the Telephone vid), we would never hear the end of it. (Tuesday 16 October 2018; 13:25)

Re: Caution (84,891) (84,892) by this_is_qhm from the Philippines Sorry, the IG story appeared on my feed earlier than the post, which was buried under a lot of posts. Caution it is. Finally an album title that isn't too verbose or childish. (Monday 15 October 2018; 16:19)

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