Messageboard

About Marissa from USA: I love MC but I don't pretend that everything she does is perfect.

Is she a victim of or accomplice to her problems? (50,112) by Marissa from USA I don't believe that there's a media conspiracy against Mariah. When it comes to the media, everyone is fair game. No one is going to coddle her like her fanbase. It's not like they are slaughtering her because she accidentally fell on stage or forgot three words in a song. She's more often than not giving performances that are straight up embarrassing, and she doesn't even give a s*** about rectifying the issue. If MC was dressing age-appropriate and on point, actively taking care of her voice, quit lipsyncing and retired the diva antics and was still getting dragged, then I would blame the media, but she is her own worst enemy. Mariah needs to completely get out of her own way first before I start blaming any outside sources. You can't blame outsiders unless you know that you are doing everything in your power to achieve excellence. (Saturday 14 February 2015; 6:02)

The importance of #1's (50,072) by Marissa from USA The only reason I want MC to snag more #1's is because I don't want someone with lesser talent eclipsing her in numbers. If a mediocre singer like Rihanna surpasses her record, the gp is really going to pay MC's accomplishments dust. With the bad publicity that she's been getting lately, those numbers are about the only defense we have when people start talking s*** about her. Rihanna knows how to make a hot song, but MC's songs are meaningful. They are the soundtracks to people's lives. Although they're hot, songs like Umbrella and SOS pale in comparison to impactful songs like Hero, One Sweet Day or My All. I don't want MC to be another case of greatness eclipsed by popularity. (Friday 13 February 2015; 4:16)

The Grammys (50,033) by Marissa from USA As much as I'm aware of the fact that MC deserves way more Grammys than what she has, I don't have the time, energy or will to keep getting mad year after year that she doesn't win. We shouldn't depend on these political awards shows to validate her artistry. She's a musical genius with a prolific body of work. That's all I need to know. (Wednesday 11 February 2015; 17:31)

Raphael (49,826) by Marissa from USA Hey Raphael, I was having the same problem. The person who posted it deleted their YouTube account and I haven't been able to find it ever since. I hope someone reposts it soon. That interview gave me life. (Friday 6 February 2015; 16:33)

Songwriting (49,804) by Marissa from USA I think Mariah needs to start writing music for other artists. That is the one aspect of her talent that's never wavered. Mariah's songwriting ability is unparalleled. I think she should capitalize on that and stop hoarding all of that greatness for herself. Mariah knows how to write both deep love songs and catchy songs like TMB and ILT, so she could write for big vocalists like Adele or trendy artists of the moment. Can you imagine all of the good publicity she would get if Rihanna or Adele's hottest new song was written by MC? And who in their right mind would turn down a song written by someone of MC's caliber? People who work behind the scenes seem to get much more respect than the ones who are in the forefront. They also aren't under as much scrutiny. I'm not saying MC should stop doing music, I just think that this is a brilliant avenue to explore to ensure that her name is never completely tarnished. If she ever hits a rough patch emotionally, I think it would be better if she just shifted to working behind the scenes rather than retiring altogether. (Friday 6 February 2015; 1:11)

Mimi L. (49,765) by Marissa from USA Your avatar is fire. I almost changed mine to that one the other day, but I got distracted. I guess if you snooze, you lose lol. (Wednesday 4 February 2015; 20:22)

The "r" word (49,762) by Marissa from USA I think anyone who has proposed retirement has done that just because the way things are looking, people are losing faith that MC will ever pull it together. A fan's two biggest fears are their favorites either retiring or dying, so I understand the outrage. At the same time, I urge you to see that most of the people with retirement proposals aren't saying that to be mean spirited. It is just extremely hard to watch someone as gifted as Mariah continue to fall from grace. (Wednesday 4 February 2015; 19:46)

Done (49,730) by Marissa from USA "There is no mistaking my posts for anti-lamb or you would have been quoting me instead of trying to rewrite my posts like we all don't have eyes and fingers to scroll with." So I quote you multiple times and it's still an issue. At this point it doesn't matter if I write a dissertation on your posts, which I'm sure would be your next request. Nothing will be resolved. No one on any online messageboard is worth all of that effort. Case dismissed. (Wednesday 4 February 2015; 2:36)

Positivity / examples (49,707) by Marissa from USA If I have it in for positive lambs in general, why haven't I addressed notoriously positive lambs like Shelly or Nikki? Why? Because their positivity isn't accompanied by condescension and they don't say things that will inevitably stir up strife within the lambily. Here are some of your quotes: 1. "So, saying you're a fan of Mariah Carey since 1901 means nothing." 2. "Shout out to Nick and Tommy's proxies." 3. "It's funny how anyone is allowed to post slanderous things about Mariah under the guise of fandom." 4. "No one could pay me to relinquish the pleasure of watching you dig your own graves." 5. "Also, a negative Lamb is an oxymoron. You're either a lamb or a moron on oxy." There is a difference between being biased towards Mariah and being a genuinely positive person. If positivity was just your life philosophy then you wouldn't feel the need to throw rude comments towards other people within her fanbase (and no, we don't need to prove it to you whether we are actually fans or not). (Tuesday 3 February 2015; 18:32)

Baby (continued) (49,661) by Marissa from USA I have never and never will call someone out for being positive. I am only addressing you because you are rarely ever positive without dismissing other lambs opinions in the process. Why can't your positivity ever speak for itself without digs towards other lambs hidden in it? As fans, I think we have the right to express our opinions because we are the ones who have sponsored her career. Contrary to popular belief, we are very powerful and we need to recognize it. If it wasn't for us (caps) buying her music, tuning into her interviews, and paying for concerts, Mariah wouldn't be the superstar that she is. She has amazing talent, but fans are what make a person a superstar, so I'm never going to look at myself like a peasant who needs shut up and be grateful, whether I love it or hate it. We invest our time, energy and money into Mariah, so it is only natural that we care about her brand. (Tuesday 3 February 2015; 2:34)

Baby (49,633) by Marissa from USA If you don't want to acknowledge the negativity then great, but why do you hardly ever give your opinion without dismissing us as fans? You make it seem like you have to be on positivity autopilot in order to be a fan. That's not even human nature. We experience both positive and negative emotions towards people. The same people who are dissatisfied with Jamaica now still acknowledge when she looks fab, seems happy, looks like she's putting in effort, etc. Why is it a crime to have commentary not only when it's positive, but when it's negative too? (Monday 2 February 2015; 17:53)

Wow, just wow (49,567) by Marissa from USA I haven't seen so many lambs pissed all at once in a very long time. She needs to take her career seriously or sit down. Period. I don't have sympathy anymore. Someone needs to get her a therapist and life coach and let's get this show on the road. If she's that emotionally wounded then she needs to stop performing. This performance was an even bigger confirmation of why I am not wasting my money on tickets to anything unless she shows consistent excellence in image and performances. I'm staying right at Caesar's this summer and I'm still not considering seeing the show. I refuse to throw money away. I totally agree with Ardis. At least have the respect for your fans money (caps) to try. That's my message to the people who always make excuses for her. It isn't funny or cute for people not to get their money's worth when they are spending hundreds/thousands to see someone who doesn't care. (Sunday 1 February 2015; 21:26)

This is the s*** that makes me worry about Vegas (49,518) by Marissa from USA What in the hell did I just watch? The Fantasy lipsyncing was a complete mess. The sloppy outfits that I've seen from the Jamaica concert look like someone made them while blindfolded. Come on MC. Please no more mess before the residency. (Saturday 31 January 2015; 23:49)

Focusing on music (49,433) by Marissa from USA I agree that Mariah's motivation was drastically decreased since she got married and had kids. The reason Mariah was so distracted was that for once she was actually head over heels in love. Regardless of the fact that she had transitioned out of her prolific music-making during their relationship, I'm glad that she had that happiness while it lasted. I think it's selfish if we come up with a campaign for Mariah to stay single indefinitely because we think that's the only way she'll focus. Mariah's focus is within her control. Nick didn't perform any Jedi mind tricks to make her get off track. Unless she plans on retiring, she has to learn how to focus despite having kids or a man. She shouldn't have to choose between love or making music. She should be able to have it all, like Beyonce for example. (Tuesday 27 January 2015; 23:54)

Found the rare photo (49,372) by Marissa from USA Hey ksquarred. Here is the link to the picture. (Thursday 22 January 2015; 21:32)

More residency thoughts (49,097) by Marissa from USA Darrlye, you're right, Mariah may have the ability to be a performer but she typically isn't exercising it. I miss times like the Butterfly World Tour where she was actually putting on a show and trying. Nowadays singing on a random chaise lounge thrown on the stage is considered a great show. As long as those remain her only standards for a great performance, America is going to chew her up and spit her out. The US is not as forgiving as other countries, so this isn't the time to play around or be lazy. It's not that I don't trust Mariah's ability to slay or put on a good show, it's that I don't trust that she will put in the effort because her priorities always seem to be elsewhere (yes I know that she has kids now, but I'm just saying). Jaker20, I agree. I wish the energy that's going to be put into Vegas would be put into a well-promoted (caps) album. Vegas is just a distraction from the chart slaying that she could be doing. I agree Edward. A lot of people seem to be rooting for Vegas more for the convenience of not having to fly across the globe to see MC rather than assessing whether it's really a good career move. I stay at Caesar's Palace in Vegas every summer, so believe me, I understand the thought process, but still. Regardless of what I think, the recent MC spotting confirms it so. (Saturday 10 January 2015; 6:31)

Why I rebuke Vegas (49,029) by Marissa from USA 1. Mariah is not a "performer". When people come to Vegas, they want a full blown show and exquisite vocals. She stands and sings, and her singing is typically hit or miss. It can be great, but it can also be cringeworthy. You can give a person like Janet who is dancing her ass off more wiggle room vocally, but no one's going to cut Mariah any slack if she just stands and gives a subpar performance. 2. Unconvincing lipsyncing. This needs no elaboration. 3. The timing: MIAMTEC being considered a flop and the scathing reviews of her vocals in 2014 makes the residency look like a last resort for something positive. Vegas is seen as a mecca for stars who's relevance is in question. This is why I feel like she needs to kick ass with new material before a residency is even a thought. Then if she wanted to do it after that, no one would think she was accepting it because she felt defeated in every other area. (Thursday 8 January 2015; 4:33)

Otti / Greatest Hits (48,973) by Marissa from USA There's no official information that she's doing a greatest hits album. Seeing her cover photo on Facebook with all of her albums and singles made me think of it. (Monday 5 January 2015; 3:29)

Greatest hits album (48,964) by Marissa from USA I feel torn about Mariah releasing a greatest hits album for the 25th anniversary. Greatest hits albums were useful back in 1998 when it was easier to find one album with the best songs rather than running around town trying to buy all of the singles that you liked. Like Otti said, with YouTube nowadays people can just create a playlist of all of her most successful songs and listen to it for free. Another part of me feels like she should release a greatest hits album because it technically can't be considered a flop. I think greatest hits give you more wiggle room in terms of sales expectations. We all know that no artist's greatest hits album nowadays is going to sell millions of copies when people can find all of the songs for free. Another thing is, these are already the songs that made her a star. You don't have to hope and pray that the world will like the music. They already did and do. Plus she can remind the world in an even more obvious way how prolific her career was/is. Ugh, I'm torn. (Sunday 4 January 2015; 21:23)

Bill / Abraham / G.G. (48,925) by Marissa from USA Hey Bill. Thanks. My avatar was taken at TEOM album release party. It's a pretty rare picture because I remember that I found it very low in the Google Images search results. I actually don't even remember what I googled when I found it. Thanks Abraham and G.G. for the compliments. I'm loving everyone's cover wishlists. (Saturday 3 January 2015; 0:51)

Dream cover songs from Mariah (48,909) by Marissa from USA Note: This is an idealistic list. I'm not taking into consideration what notes are difficult for her to sing or not. In a perfect world, these are the songs I'd love to hear her cover: 1. Nothing Even Matters - Lauryn Hill & D'Angelo 2. Angel - Anita Baker 3. Lead Me Into Love - Anita Baker 4. Nobody's Supposed To Be Here - Deborah Cox 5. Ribbon In The Sky - Stevie Wonder (This must happen.) 6. Free - Deniece Williams 7. Stay With Me - Sam Smith (If Mariah did a cover of a recent song I think that would be great for her career. She could win over some of the younger generation.) 8. Beautiful - Tweet As you can see, I love when Mariah does R&B. What would you guys like MC to cover? (Friday 2 January 2015; 20:59)

Nick's problem (48,819) by Marissa from USA I think Nick's biggest issue is that he's a people pleaser and will try to entertain people at all costs. He doesn't seem to realize that he can be entertaining and still have boundaries about his private life. (Monday 29 December 2014; 6:41)

Album anticipations / dream collabo (48,801) by Marissa from USA I agree Cgee54, I'm ready for Mariah to explore more niche genres as well. Ideally, I would like Mariah to make one more mainstream album for the 25th anniversary to remind the world why she's the songbird supreme and snatch the wigs of those who talked about her like a dog, like Wendy Williams. (I know I'm being unrealistic here because MC's probably too exhausted from marital issues, international touring and the Christmas shows to even want to get in the studio any time soon, but a girl can dream.) Mariah always sounds wonderful when she sings jazz and it seems to be easier for her to sing than a lot of her mainstream hits, so that would be a great choice. I would love to hear gospel and neo-soul from her as well. Whatever genre she sings next, I hope I hear a lot of her lower register a la Melt Away. I've always thought her lower register was just as beautiful as her upper. Also, I must (caps) hear a soulful/jazzy collaboration with MC and D'Angelo in my lifetime. (Sunday 28 December 2014; 0:37)

Reflecting on 2014 (48,795) by Marissa from USA As a lamb, 2014 (the earlier half in particular) with the album pushbacks, Jermaine Dupri sagas, unflattering vocals and photos being leaked and media slayings of MC was extremely rough. I hope I never (caps) see a year like 2014 again in MC history. I can't sugarcoat it. I'm not even talking about numbers. Yes she sold out shows, got her Christmas spectacular, AIWFCIY got Vevo certified, etc. but sometimes even when the results turn out okay you still wouldn't want to go through the process again and that's how I feel about 2014. Besides the album, this is a year that I wouldn't mind forgetting, but I'm trying to stay hopeful for 2015 aka the 25th anniversary. I hope something festive and unforgettable is in the works. (Saturday 27 December 2014; 3:52)

Relatability (48,743) by Marissa from USA I think relatability to an artist plays a huge role in whether you become a fan or not. It is even scientifically proven that people tend to like others who are similar to themselves. In my opinion, there is a difference between an admirer and a fan. I have been an admirer of MCs music since VOL, but I didn't become a true lamb until I heard Mariah's life story and felt like I could relate to many aspects of it. I personally didn't feel that Mariah seemed unrelatable/diva-ish until E=MC2. The funny thing is that when you look at the facts of Mariah's life, technically she is relatable. Biracial, single mother, came from a broken home, grew up poor, has some insecurities, oppressive marriage, etc. These are things that millions of people could relate to by default, but despite all of this depth that she has to her life it is often overshadowed by the diva persona. It's okay to be fun, festive and quirky which we all know Mariah is, but at the same time, looking like you live in your own little world that very few people can understand could be the barrier that prevents people from going from a passive admirer to a lamb. I don't think Mariah needs some huge personality overhaul to be more relatable because she has all of the key components of it to begin with. It's just a matter if she's going to put a stronger emphasis on the superficial or the deep. (Tuesday 23 December 2014; 6:25)

MORE MESSAGES