Messageboard

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

Caution (84,891) by this_is_qhm from the Philippines Might be the name of Mariah's new album as per her most recent Instagram story. Out November 16. Or I might have just assumed everything from that post. Anyways, I'm excited. If it's true then Caution would be a great title. Quite unexpected. (Monday 15 October 2018; 16:12)

Ella Mai (84,880) by this_is_qhm from the Philippines SZA's Ctrl was last year's best R&B effort. This year, I'm predicting (really, really hoping) Mariah's will be later on, but for now, we have Ella Mai. She's like a British answer to SZA, but with a less distinctive vocal and style, just as sassy and brutally honest, but smoother, slicker and even more obsessed with the 90s. Her material is some of DJ Mustard's best work. Very chill overall vibe. This woman deserves the attention she's getting. With her burgeoning appeal, she could really go far. Boo'd Up really wasn't a fluke. Trip is awesome and so is the rest of the album and all of her 3 EPs that came before this debut. Very, very well done and well worth checking out. (Monday 15 October 2018; 13:02)

So this corset thing... (84,862) by this_is_qhm from the Philippines I'm sure Mariah has worn corsets before (and if she's worn them in the past, it wasn't really as noticeable as it is now) but when did she really start wearing them pretty much every time? All that constricting cannot be good. It already affects her breath control, thus affecting her singing. Constant use can't be good in the long run. Sure, it helps her achieve that hourglass figure, but she's fitter these days so she already has that going on naturally. (Sunday 14 October 2018; 16:27)

Re: New album (84,817) (84,829) by this_is_qhm from the Philippines Maybe that's a good thing. Maybe she'll finally get her surprise release. Right after the AMAs was a good time to do it but then she didn't. I'd rather have her drop the album out of nowhere to prevent leaks that may happen if she were to stick to a release date. I remember how MIAMTEC came out as a torrent more than 24 hours before its official release. When you don't sell as much as you used to, piracy becomes an even bigger issue for you. Announcing an album title or date of release gives enough hackers information to search for possible weaknesses in the record company's release strategy and intercept it. Still, Mariah should release it before the holidays officially kick in as that period isn't exactly favorable for most albums. (Saturday 13 October 2018; 10:55)

With You house (84,821) by this_is_qhm from the Philippines Apparently that balcony was the same one some of Lady GaGa's Paparazzi video scenes were shot. (Saturday 13 October 2018; 08:56)

With You video / song's simplicity (84,782) by this_is_qhm from the Philippines Finally, a video that, while still a vanity shots montage, at least looks classy, very flattering, is shot beautifully, isn't a touch-fest filled with supposedly come-hither looks that actually come off awkward, and doesn't look like it cost 10 dollars to make. I'm glad they didn't get a guy to play her love interest, because that would have been the more predictable route. Also nice to hear y'all warm up to With You. There's this reaction of the song on YouTube done by some professional musician or something, basically saying that its simplicity is deceptive - there's actually a lot of thought that went into the production, but all in the exercise of restraint. We fans are probably the last to notice it because we instantly recognize that it's a retread of previous songs and dismiss it as just that. It sneaks up on you, infectious in the least obvious way. Definitely a grower. (Friday 12 October 2018; 10:38)

Lamb alert (84,744) by this_is_qhm from the Philippines Shout out to Camila Cabello for giving Mariah a standing o. Can't blame those who didn't as they either saw through the bullcrap or just were plainly unappreciative of the living legend that stood before them. I still would have stood for her if I were there. It still is Mariah Carey. (Thursday 11 October 2018; 13:12)

Re: Mike Will made it (84,728) (84,742) by this_is_qhm from the Philippines Let's be real, Ribbon was the best song on that album just because of how different it sounds from the rest of the songs. They went a bit overboard with the production, but it weirdly serves the song well. It's a Wrap is a very close second. (Thursday 11 October 2018; 11:40)

Mariah redefines "bare minimum" yet again (84,651) by this_is_qhm from the Philippines This is exactly the type of lazy-ass nonsense that really disappoints me - the woman clearly has got no shame. Releasing a song that's not radio material - that's fine, we can work with that. I like the song and even love parts of it. But miming pretty much an entire performance of the same song that is probably the easiest lead single for her to sing since 1990 is just straight up insulting. We have also apparently reached a point where Mariah cannot even (or at least refuses to) coo live. Just how dumb does she think her audience, let alone her fans, are? No one deserved this - not all of us, not the song, and definitely not past Mariah who actually performed. It doesn't take more than 3 listens of the studio version for anyone to realize that that sham of a performance was almost identical to the original save for that intro (which, if we're being generous, is probably the only set notes she sang live), those cut out parts which the background singers do their thing and the finale without the whistles which is just a full voiced version of the fade out in the studio version. What part of "variation" does she not get? I mean literally, like down to the freaking vocal ad-libs / embellishments? Not to diminish everything she has achieved in the past, but come on, who are we fooling? And the worst part is that future performances of this song will most likely be no different. I understand perfectionism, or that she will never regain her confidence in performing live on TV, but the fact that she's willing to sacrifice her dignity for her to poorly cover up her insecurities is just sad. But then again I guess that isn't such a stretch when she already dupes her fans millions of their hard-earned money for supposedly live vocal showcases. On with the positives, though - we all know Mariah has superior static leg strength - I mean not many people are capable of not getting a cramp after not moving below the waist at all for around 5 minutes whilst on killer heels - that was actually more impressive than her actual performance. Kudos to her dancers including Bryan who choreographed their number as well as the backup singers for doing all the work to make her look good. She did look stunning and every bit the diva she is; the visuals effect was quite incredible, and since that's really been the ultimate goal for her since 2010, we could say it's been more than achieved this time. It's just really hard when someone you root for who is currently in the best place she has been in career-wise in a long time wouldn't even try. We all really wanted her to do well. Sorry, just needed to get that off my chest. You know what they say, you know something's up when the nice ones lose it. I hope my next post will be nicer. Now excuse me as I'mma take a much-needed essential oil break to calm down. (Wednesday 10 October 2018; 13:49)

Re: (84,609) (84,616) by this_is_qhm from the Philippines One of the worst/weaker ones, sure, but not the worst. Let's be real here - that goes to Triumphant. And/or Infinity depending on anyone's mood for the day. Those were legitimately bad songs that critics tore apart and only a few fans were able to warm up to since. Besides, I'll say it again - if anything's ruining her legacy these days, it's her "live" performances much more than her music. So people don't care about her new material because they don't measure up to her previous ones - that doesn't single-handedly ruin a legacy of a career with a longevity as long as Mariah's. It could be contributory, but really, more than anything else, it's this façade she unconvincingly puts up time and time again that she can still do those skyscraping vocal acrobatics live that really hurt her. Mariah could magically come up tomorrow with a great solid studio-cut gem of a single with all the money notes that made her click in 2005 and it still wouldn't really matter that much for her legacy if she cannot deliver an honest-to-god, fully live performance of it. (Tuesday 9 October 2018; 20:21)

Re: I need help (84,575) (84,589) by this_is_qhm from the Philippines Thank you. So much negativity has been directed to With You's selection as the first single that we lose track of its pros: 1. That pre-chorus is one of the best she has come up with in a long while. Those parts you pointed out are easily the best part of the song, especially the "yo..." in the second chorus where the background cuts for a bit to emphasize the alluring, affecting reverb on her lovely vocal. 2. The song has a very easy flow to it. Totally uncomplicated and easy to learn. 3. Dem harmonies. I cannot emphasize this enough. Really. 4. Despite its repetitiveness, With You is still her most melodic output since the best tracks in MOAIA. 5. The chord progression is simple but just beautiful. (Tuesday 9 October 2018; 12:49)

Re: Promo plan (84,565) (84,584) by this_is_qhm from the Philippines I meant dropping the album right at the very moment she announces it right after her performance, because although people know she has an album coming up, they don't know the exact release date. It'll be like a semi-Beyoncé move, as the public isn't exactly unsuspecting and it's Mariah that announces its release live. Sure, breaking the internet is an exaggeration and is unlikely, but it would be nice if Mariah just released the album right then and there as a surprise. This is the only high-profile promotional stint she has so far that we know of (and I doubt she'll have any events/guestings bigger than this in 2018, save for NYE if she does it again) so she might as well milk this opportunity, especially since Dick Clark productions has just partnered with YouTube Music to expand the global reach of the show. Besides, doing the traditional way of announcing release dates increases the possibility for early leaks and the album would have already been spoiled come the actual drop. (Tuesday 9 October 2018; 11:00)

Re: Promo plan (84,560) (84,565) by this_is_qhm from the Philippines Okay, here I am possibly setting myself up for disappointment again, but wouldn't it be great if she just dropped the album by announcing it at the AMAs? Like real time. It would be like a Beyoncé release, but announced on live broadcast (unless she lips the announcement as well, haha, kidding). It would be an unexpected but welcome move. It could be the closest she's gotten to breaking the internet since the NYE debacle. (Monday 8 October 2018; 22:18)

With You (84,467) by this_is_qhm from the Philippines Aside from the repeated hook, and the "Mustard on the beat" tag, With You doesn't really fit into today's standard of a top 40 single. It would have been right at home during the mid-late 2000s, but definitely not today. That being said, again, it is a conglomeration of her past material - the sparseness and simplicity of WBT, the subdued performance for majority of the song from Candy Bling, the storytelling of Love Story, the singalong flow of DFAU, and some of the vocabulary and vibe of TAOLG. It is therefore expected from her. But sometimes, when everyone rooting for you is expecting you to do the unexpected, then doing something completely expected becomes the unexpected. Nothing currently on the charts sounds like this. And we all know no one can pull this sound off better than Mariah, even in her current vocal state. If y'all don't like it, then take a break and just remind yourselves this and GTFO are just two songs that may not be representative of the album. For all we know they may be the worst ones in there. Look, even Taylor Swift led her reputation era with the weaker songs. I know it's not the best comparison, and I may just be being too optimistic right now, but I guess I'm just too excited for the new album, even if only half of the people here are at this point. Bring on the album. I wouldn't mind it being called "The Tea", "Lemme Have My Tea", "Spilling the Tea", "Tea is Served", "I Was Told There Would Be Tea" or anything with the word "tea". (Sunday 7 October 2018; 00:26)

Rumor (84,434) by this_is_qhm from the Philippines By the way, have you heard anything about a Dev Hynes (Blood Orange) collaboration rumored to be on the album? He's the talented guy behind Carly Rae Jepsen's All That and Solange's True EP, among other things. Here's hoping they made a hot track or two. Or more. (Saturday 6 October 2018; 12:35)

Are we doing our part? (84,433) by this_is_qhm from the Philippines Since the release of With You, I have posted a screen-recorded clip of the song playing loudly on my phone and posted it as stories on my Facebook and Instagram accounts daily. I have emailed and messaged friends informing them that Mariah has a new song out and encouraged them to listen to it on Spotify. That's of course aside from buying and streaming the song myself. Yes, I have a life and a regular job as well, in public service. It doesn't take that much time or effort, really. And I know it's not much, but it sure beats coming on here to whine on a song you don't like. No one's forcing us to support a lukewarm single. But I just choose to support Mariah the person, because despite every criticism that I have said or posted and will continue to say or post about her in the future, I'll always be that moon-eyed kid in the candy store when it comes to any new release from her. It may disappoint me, but part of me will always be thankful that she still wants to put out new music, no matter how awesome or terrible it sounds. It's her bad lipping and half-assed performances are really what's ruining her legacy more than bad music. Mariah does not have a bad album - just underrated or uneven ones. So come her AMAs performance next week, I'll be waiting for the first videos of her performance on YouTube as I won't be able to watch it on TV like Americans do. I'll be keeping an eagle eye on any news regarding upcoming the album. So to those who feel me, let's do this. I really hope I am doing my part as much as I hope y'all are, too. Peace. (Saturday 6 October 2018; 12:34)

Here's where I'm at (84,377) by this_is_qhm from the Philippines I understand why some underwhelmed fans would be upset. Now is probably the most favorable time for the introduction of a new Mariah era since 2008 and they feel like she blew her chances by releasing a familiar-sounding slow-burner that doesn't spell "commercial", "hit" or even "radio-friendly". I'm just as surprised as anyone who wonders how Epic approved of this track to kick off the new album. Nonetheless, I'm still happy because she is still trying to get back in the game but now on her own. Both GTFO and With You have reached the top 3 on iTunes in her own home country as well as worldwide. I know it's momentary and it's just iTunes, but (except AIWFCIY), when was the last time that Mariah charted that high on a popular music store unassisted by a rapper or a younger artist? It proves there's still some public interest in her music. How many 90s artists even do that these days? Not J.Lo., Gwen Stefani, Usher or Brandy. Not even fellow legends Janet, Mary J., Celine or Madonna. Heck, even Alicia and Christina fail to generate that type of interest for their new material these days. I'm just appreciative that she and her team are finally working like a well-oiled machine. If the material is wrong, then so be it. As long as she promotes the hell out of it, then at least we know she's trying. Who knows what all of those efforts can do? It's less painful to watch a bad single choice fail despite great promo than a great single choice abandoned and go to waste. Besides, With You's dated sound actually sticks out like a sore thumb against everything that's on Top 40 right now, so that may end up being an advantage. It's still within the iTunes top 10 (for a day now) as of this writing, and the video, the AMAs and the radio push haven't happened yet, so I guess we'll see. (Friday 5 October 2018; 14:03)

With You thoughts (84,345) by this_is_qhm from the Philippines This right here is a confirmation that Mariah doesn't care about charts anymore. Not only does Vulgariah seem to be in full force for this era (fine with me), but no artist of today with charts in mind would snag someone as current as DJ Mustard and then make him a produce a '00s R&B track that JD could have easily achieved. Negatives: 1. It sounds like a fall release, but is definitely not single-worthy material - not by any standard. 2. It has a chorus that would not even pass as a verse on Mariah's 90's stuff. 3. Many would write it off as boring if mostly due to the familiar background. 4. The lyrics are not universal. 5. The mostly subdued vocals throughout most of the song may make you wish she went harder on the climax. 6. I'll be floored if this catches fire, but I would really love to be proven wrong. Positives: 1. Not caring about the charts means one thing - she really just wants to express herself and keep the casual fans up to speed with what's happened in the last few years. 2. It prominently features her lower register and the melody takes interesting little twists and turns that aren't too difficult for the average listener to mimic. 3. It's a grower and her voice is not as overproduced as it was on some of MIAMTEC. 4. It makes for great driving music - the harmonies and vocal layering are as tight and dreamy as ever. 5. It's quite lovely and its simple chorus will lend itself well to live venues, with the lights down low and phones waving in the air as the audience sings along. 6. The best part is that this sounds like her most honest, heartfelt single in a long time. Despite it not breaking new ground for Mariah, it's saved by the almost palpable love that went into it, and it has the potential to truly touch people who can relate. (Friday 5 October 2018; 00:23)

Latest With You snippet (84,274) by this_is_qhm from the Philippines The latest (and likely last) snippet is quite interesting. It features her lower register more, though sung a bit lazily. But the vibe reminds me of the singalong style of Don't Forget About Us chorus. With You is shaping up to be an understated blend of her 00's hits. (Thursday 4 October 2018; 00:21)

Re: Remy and Caymus (84,270) (84,273) by this_is_qhm from the Philippines She sure loves to name-drop. Although 2 alcohol endorsements in the 2 songs that we have heard off the new album so far has me a bit concerned. Haha. As if we needed any more confirmation that the woman loves her wine. Hopefully that's enough, though. We don't want the new album to play like a series of alcohol commercials. (Wednesday 3 October 2018; 23:56)

If we really think about it (84,262) by this_is_qhm from the Philippines Knowing how hellish most of Mariah's career has been this decade especially post-AI, we should really take a moment to appreciate how much of a good place she is in right now compared to where she was at any moment between 2012 to present. Let our greed as fans not blind us from the facts that Mariah hasn't looked this good, hasn't had a team this good, and hasn't been in a better place in her personal life than she currently is in a long time. We have our criticisms on her choices and her output, and we are entitled to those, but this time I have learned to stop myself when I start getting too critical or idealistic or selfish, reminding myself that this very time last year, Mariah was still with Stella and she wasn't in the best shape physically, and that 2-3 years ago things were probably even worse. Maybe it's a low bar when you're glad that someone still exists, but after all the legends we have lost in the last 10 years (most of whom gone before their time), it always makes me extremely grateful that I can still actually say that the artist I grew up listening to most is still alive and looking the best she could for her age. With You come out really soon. Hit or flop, I'll still be in for the ride for sure. Now the question is, will you? (Wednesday 3 October 2018; 12:59)

Re: In a bubble (84,225) (84,241) by this_is_qhm from the Philippines This is the downside of Mariah having solidified her status as a hitmaker, especially throughout her first decade in the industry. She continues to set expectations despite not having a #1 hit in 10 years. When she gears up for something, it has been instinctual for us to set ourselves up for possible failure even when we know she is way past her prime and the younger audience no longer recognize her. No one does the same for Mary J or Celine, which shows how different Mariah is. Their fans don't put too much pressure or emphasis on a singles chart potential. They just enjoy the music. Unluckily for us Mariah fans, we always hope for a huge comeback like it's 2005. AIWFCIY's new chart peak last year certainly didn't help matters. I guess it's no one's fault, really, but all these expectations are really keeping us from enjoying the music. We are all guilty of this. So if Mariah is about to unleash an album full of album cuts with no standalone single led by non-commercial sounding midtempos like GTFO and With You, a lot of us are gonna be bored and disappointed, but it is what it is. The bright side about these 2 songs so far it that the vocals aren't too engineered to suspicious perfection unlike the last album, which was good, but much of her vocals were too heavily edited. I look forward to really, honestly appreciating a new Mariah song for what it is without chart expectations in mind, and after all this time, I'm still so not there yet, but I hope I'll get to that point sometime. But until then, here's hoping that With You somehow resonates with the public, because for the first time in a long time, with all the promotional strategies her team has employed so far, she seems to genuinely believe in this one, and the last time that happened was with #Beautiful. (Tuesday 2 October 2018; 23:00)

Re: Worst Mariah song (84,210) (84,217) by this_is_qhm from the Philippines I have always defended Boy (I Need You) on this board, which would not be hated as much if it was not released as a single over The One. A good amount of songs in Charmbracelet, while very un-radio-friendly, unmistakably stand out from her entire discography, including Subtle Invitation, There Goes My Heart, Bringin' On The Heartbreak, Clown and of course, Boy (I Need You). The funny thing about that song is that if had a different, stronger chorus that relied less on the repeated chipmunk "boy" clip, it would be significantly stronger. The chorus really is its weakest part. I wouldn't complain about the whispery vocals because that's what's normal for her single releases these days. (Tuesday 2 October 2018; 14:07)

Re: With You clip (84,202) (84,206) by this_is_qhm from the Philippines Just realized we share the same sentiments in our comments, haha. Lambs think alike. (Tuesday 2 October 2018; 10:02)

With You snippet (84,205) by this_is_qhm from the Philippines Have you listened to the supposed snippet of With You? I'm torn. This seems like the return of Vocabulariah. I enjoy that Mariah, but we all know what verbosity did to TAOLG. Story wise, it seems to be a sequel to Love Story. This better have a good chorus or else we're pretty much doomed. This so far lyrically sounds superior to GTFO but less interesting musically. (Tuesday 2 October 2018; 09:31)

MORE MESSAGES