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About Randy from USA: MC is my favorite artist of all time and I love her songwriting skills on her introspective songs. My favorite album: Butterfly. My favorite song: Right To Dream.

Mariah's masterpiece - Edward and Andrew (73,793) by Randy from USA I just feel like with the singles we have gotten without albums here of late only one is worthy of playing anywhere near my faves, "Almost Home' and for me Mariah's masterpiece is a difficult topic. It would be the song you love to hate. The only problem is her vocal isn't that good. If I had to pick another it would be Butterfly but the video kills that one. So then I go to my third choice, My All. Here is why, the vocal, the lyric, the video, the remixes, the chart success all nod to perfection. Can you really think of another song where everything came together? And Andrew I would take you up on your offer so we can play RTD on an old radio sitting on the curb of a cobblestone street while watching the sunrise over some cathedral, but I may be a bit too ratchet for Europe. Edward I have to get to NYC so we can have our game of Mariah Carey-oke. (Sunday 19 March 2017; 11:34)

Re: Singles mean? (73,753) (73,773) by Randy from USA Andrew a lot of my problems with music in general is the ridiculous obsession with love as a topic. Now I may be bitterly single, but even if I had someone my life wouldn't revolve around romance. Think about the countless albums in which tracks 1-14 all deal with love. There's a lot more that happens in life. So of course that's why I listen to those songs the most. I also tend to like dark music too. From the beginning, MC has given us at least one song per album not about love. Those are always my favorites. I probably do sound like a broken record pitching these songs because this is an MC site so along with Right To Dream , Looking In, Outside, Petals, Languishing, I'm obsessed with Dixie Chicks Top Of The World, Sarah McLachlan's Do What You Have To Do, Jewel's Who Will Save Your Soul, Madonna's Drowned World/Subsititute For Love, Janet Jackson's Velvet Rope, Kelly Clarkson's Because of You, Adele's Million Years Ago. Maybe I am creepy lol. (Saturday 18 March 2017; 20:34)

Singles mean? (73,743) by Randy from USA I just realized that the release of singles means we won't get an introspective ballad for awhile because she only releases these hip hop mid tempos with rappers. I need a Languishing, Petals, Right To Dream, Close My Eyes, Outside or Looking In in my life right now. (Friday 17 March 2017; 21:08)

This eye popping selfie (73,373) by Randy from USA Ummmmm how (censored) beautiful, fresh and young does she look here. Almost makes me straight. (Sunday 5 March 2017; 11:12)

Mariah completely covered. (72,899) by Randy from USA That brown shirt pancho looking thing the paparazzi snapped her in had no cut outs for her breasts. Singing live and now this. Could she actually be turning a corner? (Sunday 19 February 2017; 18:06)

Mariah Carey is a hard person to love these days (72,499) by Randy from USA But it's possible. See, what I don't want is her to throw down the mic and say I don't need this ish. Like she did in Glitter, or like Janet has done. I agree that MW was fine until it became about Tanaka. New Year's was a complete disaster and why is she touring with an artist twice her age? But when I hear Languishing, there's no denying she's the greatest singer/songwriter of all time. Everything has a shelf life. I don't think this sexy Jessica Rabbit image can hold up too much longer before she's laughed out of LA or NY or wherever she's living these days. I really want to see her tone the sexy down and sing a stripped down album with vocals she can replicate live. I think she will do that soon. She won't have a choice, because pretty soon she will look like Blanche Devareaux if she keeps this up. (Saturday 11 February 2017; 12:33)

Video is not bad but not stellar (72,167) by Randy from USA And just like I don't hate the song, I don't hate the video. I just don't understand why she feels the need to try so hard to be sexy. What is she going through internally? I mean you can't deny she looks great in the red dress and the black dominatrix ensemble but in that back seat she looks like, someone said it already, soft porn. Why is she rubbing herself? Does she know she's a almost 47 year old mother of twins? I hate to echo everyone here but if you wouldve told me in 1995 she would be doing this at damn near 50, I would've laughed you out of the country. But I would have never believed Trump would be president either. Maybe we're living in an alternate universe. Somewhere there was a stoppage of time and nearing the edge, oblivious we all fell right over. (Saturday 4 February 2017; 15:26)

I Don't (72,030) by Randy from USA This is interesting; I'm liking parts of the song. The stuttering beat and the sample are good. I hate the rapper and can't understand why she needs a rapper on so many of her records. I remember the review of Rainbow written in VIBE in 99. "There was a time when pairing a singing thrush with a rapper would have been ground breaking; ground has been broken, next." MC is 46 going on 47. She doesn't need rappers on her records. And everyone is right, dude adds nothing to the song. I also don't like the word buggin in the hook. But this is better than Infinity and I almost believe she can sing this one live, without a backing track or a wall of background vocalists, although she probably won't. (Friday 3 February 2017; 7:02)

The comeback(s) and the preoccupation with Mimi (71,256) by Randy from USA So, as one of the perceived negative ones on here, I wanted to wait for everything to die down before I offered another dissertation. I think MC still has a comeback after this. See I thought her voice was shot after the painfully dreadful and/or mediocre 98 performances and the lipsyncing performances of 99-00. But she surprised me with the Glitter performances. Once again I thought her voice was shot after the performances throughout Charmbracelet, TEOM, E=MC2 and MOAIA eras where she was singing verses and lipsyncing the dramatic climaxes. But she surprised me with the Jimmy Fallon impromptu performance. So I think something else to shut me up will happen. I also think if she came back from Glitter, she can came back from this. Today I was listening to the Daydream album and somewhere, in the middle of When I Saw You, I thought, yeah I can forgive this woman almost anything. I dare some of you go back and listen to the back catalogue. It almost makes up for Stella, earpiece excuses, Mariah's World, lip syncing, Tanaka and boobies. (Saturday 14 January 2017; 18:50)

Now that I've calmed down (70,630) by Randy from USA I think this is a confirmation of the loss of the voice and only because she could've cleared the stage cut all music and just sang acapella with her hand up to her ear. But I'm not calling for her to retire, just go back to singing without the ensembles and the dancers. One of the best moments of the Vegas show is her and the piano and nothing else. To fix this MC needs to do a press conference performance acapella and release an unplugged album. Nothing but her, piano and acoustics. CNN wrote a beautiful article about technological glitches and how MX should have handled it: I'm sad this is national news now though. How to avoid a Mariah Carey meltdown. (Monday 2 January 2017; 14:23)

My thoughts on NYE (70,575) by Randy from USA I have held my tongue until I knew how to address the situation. If you need to have vocal surgery, go have it. If you need to retire, then do that. But don't make a mockery of singing when there are so many girls who can sing who never get the chance because of what they look like or don't have the right connections. MC to me is the greatest singer/songwriter of all time but she clearly can't or doesn't want to do it anymore. And she got paid to do that, probably three times what I make in a year, for 6 minutes of work. As a fan, I am embarrassed. As a former singer, I am enraged. As an American worker, I am disgusted. (Sunday 1 January 2017; 19:35)

Positivity and Edward (70,466) by Randy from USA I feel like Right To Dream will happen as a number one almost ten years after the fact. Edward, I do not like all this love you get on this board. I feel like I'm the only one allowed to crush on you and your posts. And here's some positivity for you all. I was listening to my 90s playlist today and the Jermaine Dupri mix of Never Forget You came on. Isn't that one of her most underrated vocals? I love the second half of Music Box, besides "I've Been Thinking About You" what a waste. Happy New Year, and Eric please keep up this wonderful site. But you know next year is Butterfly's 20 year anniversary. We should do some big design tribute page in that same tan everyone got sick of during her promotional blitz for the album: y'all know: tan yet caramel. (Saturday 31 December 2016; 4:36)

Bleak (70,446) by Randy from USA I have come to be considered one of the negative posters on this site and I have to admit that sometimes the criticism over her actions is harsh. People [are] upset about her website advertising fur. People [are] upset about Stella. People [are] upset about Tanaka. People [are] upset about the way she linked a CD for purchase to a tribute for George Michael. When you are a superfan, you notice every little thing she does. So when these things do not match who she claimed to be post-Tommy pre James Packer, I can see the frustration. I think people come here to vent because in the grand scheme of things, who or where can you vent your frustrations about Mariah Carey? Your spouse? Your therapist? Your co-workers? She has meant so much to so many here. I'm listening to Petals now and I am almost floored that after the millionth time listening to it, the song makes me feel emotional. It's hard for some of us to connect the woman who wrote and sang Petals, to the flabby 46 year old woman kissing her backup dancer on the beach in front of a photographer whom she later picked through photos with to go to tabloids. Everyone knows that I personally could care less about the image if she went on stage and sang, but we can't even get her to do that. I'd love to have something to celebrate Mariah Carey about on this board. I would've loved to say hey she sang well on Divas and silenced the haters. I would've loved to say hey, her new single is killing the haters. I would've loved to say, her gown at the awards show is killing the haters and she is a fashion icon. She's not giving us anything to be positive about. So like many of us, I just listen to the music we have grown to love. As of her present state, I don't see Mariah Carey when I look at her. She is definitely the Elusive Chanteuse now. On a side note, I had one of my students write me a paper relating to Right To Dream, it was freaking awesome. The fact that he had no idea MC was so lyrically gifted speaks wonders about the corrosion her image has done to her talent. Happy New Year. (Friday 30 December 2016; 10:57)

If it's true (69,068) by Randy from USA I am pissed. She was the headlining act. It was said she would duet with Patti. If she sang AIWFCIY and left, then I'm furious. And another thing, I don't even like her singing that song because beside the beginning and one note at the end, it's all background and two Mariah's, even on the record. I don't care how good she looks. Sing. (Monday 5 December 2016; 0:25)

Re: She's over it (68,963) (68,975) by Randy from USA You hit in over the head with the she doesn't want to work. (Friday 2 December 2016; 3:49)

Article: The greatest make-your-ex-jealous pics of all time (68,883) by Randy from USA I always wondered why anyone even came close to comparing MC and JLo. It's because they date backup dancers. I am disgusted. (Thursday 1 December 2016; 1:26)

Re: Randy (68,718) (68,725) by Randy from USA But I have to tell you, Butterfly is what made me a die hard. No one has ever and no one will ever write a commercial album with vocals: the last chorus of Butterfly, My All, Outside, Whenever You Call, The Beautiful Ones. With lyricism: Butterfly, Breakdown, Close My Eyes, Outside. With crossing genres. Hip Hop: Honey, Breakdown, Pop: Whenever You Call, My All, Dance: Fly Away/Butterfly Mix, R&B: Babydoll. And the album was cohesive. It still is mind boggling, when you compare albums that get noticed now like Adele's 25, Beyonce's Lemonade and Rihanna's Anti. They aren't able to do what MC did in 97. But at the same time, that period marked the beginning of her vocal downfall. You can tell the difference even in the studio. "When you walk by every night talking sweet and looking fine, I get kinda hectic inside" sounds so much different in tone than "Honey you can have me when you want me, just simply ask me to be there." And that's what infuriates me about this board. No one wants to believe that there was some traumatic event, besides the divorce, that happened between Tokyo 96 and Butterfly promotion 97. Everyone wants to put their head in the sand and say "Oh she's the best singer in the world and she cant sing like she used to because it's been 27 years." (Sunday 27 November 2016; 23:48)

Re: Mariah, MC, Mimi (68,713) (68,714) by Randy from USA I have to first say your post was well written and very respectful but I have to strongly disagree. See there's a few things at play here. Firstly that MC is having vocal problems is nothing new. In 96 when she had the Tokyo concert she sounded amazing. The next time we saw her sing live was the Oprah performance in 97 and she struggled and lip syncd. Something had changed. She never addressed it. She's had many great performances since 97, but mostly it's touch and go, with background singers being loud and backing tracks. It's not for preservation of her voice. Tina Turner, Chaka Khan, Patti Labelle and Aretha Franklin held on to their voices for decades without issue. Now their voices are starting to fray but Mariah frayed in 97 and was really going through a rough spot in 98, 99 and 2000. She had only been out a couple years. Now we can all speculate it was recording an album every year with three remixes per single. Or it was her starting to hang with rappers that smokes in the studio and her splashes. I think the sheer disgust is the amount of deception involved. Check out her performance of DFAU at the AMAs in 2006. She sounded horrible during the verses and lip syncd the final chorus and got a standing ovation. And there's always some excuse. I used to think a little rain cloud was following MC around to purposely screw up her performances. Oh an ear monitor, oh the AC, oh I have food poisoning, oh the casket was in front of me, oh it's too early to sing, oh it's cold outside at this outside concert, oh I didn't get enough sleep. Those are all things she has literally said. As a school teacher, if I don't teach guess what? I get fired. So what happens when a singer doesn't sing? Nothing. And she commands $1 million for a personal concert. I don't quite make that much. Sarcasm. I love MC. The depth in her body of work, makes her counterparts seem so surface. She is a true artist. But the deception is repugnant. And when Whitney had issues with her voice she went out like a soldier. Let me say this. I'm not saying all hope is lost. I used to think that until the Impromptu for Jimmy Fallon and the fans. Even some of the Vegas performances had me surprised. But when it comes to American television and high stakes whereas everyone is watching performances, she folds like a card table. And lambs keep forgetting that she is considered one of the best of all time. We should not even be having these arguments. And if there is a problem, why does she continue to make difficult arrangements and create songs she can't perform live. I hated Infinity, but my first though was, she can't sing this live. I had the same thought when she recorded One More Try and Heavenly on MIAMTEC. I want her to have integrity. I don't think as a die hard I am asking too much. (Sunday 27 November 2016; 3:01)

Divas scares the hell out of me (68,708) by Randy from USA Here's the thing, I do sometimes you guys are too harsh but when I see what's being put out there for public conception, I'm like damn this is why the lambs are turning on her. Whoever just said it needs to be about the voice is correct. Lower the keys of songs, and stop having your background singers cover for you or backing tracks for that matter. She can still do something at live shows but as far as American television, she always falls apart. And for the last time MC's voice isn't in disrepair because of 27 years in the business, she started fraying in 98. Watch Vision Of Love on The View from 1998. She let Celine upstage her on Testimony. Whitney upstaged her at the Oscars in 99. None of that would have been possible in 95. (Saturday 26 November 2016; 20:18)

Holiday game (68,571) by Randy from USA So since I'm tired of all the negativity, and to be honest MC and her team's actions warrant it, let's laugh. What would you trust/ask MC to bring to a potluck Thanksgiving to your house? Must be a good item she made. Me: mashed potatoes that I would then hook up once they're in the house lol. Mariah can't cook imo. (Tuesday 22 November 2016; 19:53)

Re: Article: The top 10 pop singers of all time (67,453) (67,460) by Randy from USA I love this site and love the webmaster but seriously? This could've been left on the half cent blog it came from. [Webmaster: I posted this because I thought it was funny.] (Monday 24 October 2016; 4:42)

Bill and Mirage (67,303) by Randy from USA That's interesting that you both picked #Beautiful as the first single from MIAMTEC. I said YME because #Beautiful was released so prematurely. But I guess you guys are right. Sort of. (Sunday 16 October 2016; 10:44)

Rank first singles (full length studio albums only) (67,295) by Randy from USA Since we're all bored and waiting for something to happy, hey how about a new list? I can hear your groans. I'm doing this in terms of choices to create hype for the album, not my favorites. 1. Fantasy ft ODB 2. Heartbreaker 3. Honey 4. Vision of Love 5. All I Want For Christmas Is You 6. Dreamlover 7. Through The Rain 8. Emotions 9. It's Like That 10. Touch My Body 11. Obsessed 12. Loverboy 13. Oh Santa 14. You're Mine (Eternal) (Sunday 16 October 2016; 1:00)

Re: [censored] Andrew (67,112) (67,117) by Randy from USA TJ I don't agree with you necessarily but your experience in Norway may be different from my experience in Atlanta. I teach 11th grade English and my students definitely know who she is but they snicker when I bring her up as a crazy has been. When I introduce them to a lyric, they are surprised by her ability to write. My co workers all day the same thing, she can't sing anymore. As far as Andrew is concerned, no disrespect but you are way off the mark when you say MC can't act. The vunerablity that she pulled from to write Outside and your favorite song, Right To Dream (smile), is the same she vunerablity she pulled from on screen. I think she did what the Empire gig called for. But you can't look at her performances in Tennessee, Wisegirls, The Butler and Precious and say "she can't act at all". (Sunday 9 October 2016; 1:25)

Good side (67,034) by Randy from USA So I'm perplexed by something and maybe a die hard can help me understand it. Remember after MC left Tommy she did a couple of interviews saying that early in her career someone told her one side of her face was horrible and it should never be shown. She said she was a fool to listen to that. In 2001, she said Honey was the first video where you could see a forehead in its entirety and she learned not to be inhibited about so many things. Now over the last several years, she's back to having a good side and wanting to sit on certain sides of the stage. What happened? (Thursday 6 October 2016; 2:36)

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