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About Billy from Greece: I don't know, and neither do you.

Re: What is this mess (60,139) (60,142) by Billy from Greece Are you serious? This has me laughing, for real. It's as if she is peeping behind a curtain to see what Mariah's next move is so she can follow "on her tipy toes". (Thursday 3 March 2016; 1:10)

Re: Sam Smith (60,134) (60,141) by Billy from Greece Hey enwar. Latch is also pleasant (and the video has some hot dudes too), perhaps because Sam's falsetto is covered by the production. I just can't stand it. Not to be hating on the guy, he's young and all (how many posts about being drunk can he post, not to mention that once he starts speaking it's like he has no filters), but yeah, you get my point. Darren Hayes (of Savage Garden) on the other has much better transitions to that area of his voice, and overall control. Finally, I also liked some of the stuff Mary J. did with Disclosure. And make sure you check his posings. So dramatic. (Thursday 3 March 2016; 0:59)

Sam Smith (60,131) by Billy from Greece This is totally irrelevant, and I don't want to be hating on artists I don't like, just like I want Mariah to be respected regardless of whether someone likes her or not, but since this is pop culture we're talking about, let me make a politically incorrect statement: no more Sam Smith falsetto, please. It's just not right. And oh boy, lad has to really work on his lisp and enunciation. Not to mention the totally undeserving Oscar. And have you seen the way he's posing for the camera, the thing he does with his eyes/eyebrows? Good Lord, you're only been in the business for two years, relax. Someone needs to tell the Americans he's not really the male equivalent to Adele, and George Michael also has to step in and tell him to not copy his looks so faithfully. "Omen" with Disclosure is kinda groovy though. I stumbled upon his name in this board hence why this message happened. (Wednesday 2 March 2016; 17:00)

"My (*emphasis*) last album was Rainbow" (2002) (60,119) by Billy from Greece Mariah during Charmbracelet era, pretending as if Glitter never happened. Listen to how she stresses "my" to indirectly imply, for those in the know, that Glitter did occur but it was a soundtrack so it doesn't count. Remember those years, early 2000s? Tough years to be a Mariah fan for sure, but I also kinda appreciate that I was "there" to experience it, in the sense that it was more "special" since not many people stuck with her then (which is not totally true, since she did sell several millions even then, but you get my point), if that makes any sense. The interviewer is also very nice and cute, soft-spoken, good questions. They had previously got together during Rainbow. (Wednesday 2 March 2016; 0:38)

Butterly era (60,097) by Billy from Greece Here's a stunning, gorgeous, young and fresh Mariah. I tell you, here she is the most beautiful woman I've ever seen. Totally having a straight moment. (Monday 29 February 2016; 22:37)

MC and Elton (60,096) by Billy from Greece A day prior to the pictures with Elton and without even remembering that she would appear in this event, I started looking for pictures of Mariah with Elton from the 1999 Oscars. Next day, first thing I see, tada, Mariah and Elton 2016. My my, how time flies. I love me some Elton, and I used to wonder every now and then whether they are friendly with each other. Glad to see the two aries getting along. MC looked beautiful. (Monday 29 February 2016; 22:31)

Wendy show audience (59,986) by Billy from Greece I swear, in my life I haven't seen an audience acting more stupid than on the Wendy Williams show. Just look at how they're nodding everytime their host expresses an idiotic opinion as if it is a universal truth. I just feel like my IQ drops every single time I have a look at the travesty of a show that is her show. Just plain down unlikeable. (Wednesday 24 February 2016; 10:57)

Funny (59,985) by Billy from Greece That's funnt. The "basics gone wild" at the end had me laughing. (Wednesday 24 February 2016; 10:42)

MC at 1-Oak (59,929) by Billy from Greece So cool and nostalgic to see Mariah vibing to "Sweetheart" and "Loverboy" (albeit somehow less enthusiastically). And B. Scott just couldn't get off M's hair. But really, the "Sweetheart" sing-along, just sweet. (Monday 22 February 2016; 17:38)

Re: 1OAK (59,920) (59,922) / lashes (59,924) by Billy from Greece I second what you've said about the lashes, especially considering Mariah's eyes are so gorgeous. (Monday 22 February 2016; 13:21)

Charmbracelet tour (59,874) by Billy from Greece Here's a performance of "Hero" from the CB tour in LA. She sounds impeccable, and looks fantastic too, total glam queen. Worth watching it. Her tone was so good in that tour, full, robust. (Friday 19 February 2016; 23:39)

Grammys (59,826) by Billy from Greece Just catching a glimpse of the attendees at the Grammys this year (and the last 10 years or so) I thought I was watching a cheap gossip show, just full of people who are celebrities, known for who dissed who, instead of musicians. Go back 20, 30, 40 years ago and you'll get a real reality check. Also, what's with the ages of the nominees and winners? Are people over 30 prohibited from getting a Grammy? The industry has always been youth-centered, we get it, but this was like a highschool reunion or something. Will the business ever fix this bullshit they're creating? And the Meghan girl winning best new artist? Really? (Wednesday 17 February 2016; 19:09)

Re: What's wrong with today's pop stars? (59,758) (59,759) by Billy from Greece You support that Mariah "hasn't written a decent song in over 10 years". Seriously? I mean, seriously seriously? What are you even doing here? But wait a minute, your favorite album is "Music Box". (Saturday 13 February 2016; 12:49)

Marissa (59,698) by Billy from Greece Hi Marissa. Could you please tell where you found your profile picture? Thank you in advance. (Tuesday 9 February 2016; 1:37)

Re: Toni Braxton (59,623) / "A Christmas Melody" (59,634) by Billy from Greece Hey RJJ12. I did see the movie yesterday (thanks for the link) but I can't say I enjoyed it. It was (expectedly) full of showbiz cliches, but I agree with everything you said about the film being a vehicle for Toni to tell her own side of the story. The acting was pretty cringe-worthy too in my opinion, and as another person on the board here said, the girl who played Toni could not lip to save her life. That being said, I have been rediscovering Toni's catalog the past couple of weeks. Apart from "Secrets" which is a total classic from top to bottom, her recent duets album with Babyface is also amazing. Finally, speaking of cringe-worthy movies, and even though they are not really comparable, I can't see how the Toni biopic is any better than "Christmas Melody". I watched it after I had read all the comments about it being "Gliter Pt. II" and I find it way more decent than I thought it would be, and MC was just fine in it. And that's my two cents. (Saturday 6 February 2016; 11:33)

Re: Toni Braxton / Mariah Carey mini series (59,594) (59,599) by Billy from Greece Hey RJJ12. I personally am not in favor of MC doing a mini series of her life or a biopic and I don't think she is up for it either. Toni has even released a memoir, which is somewhat early in her career for that. We love Toni though, c'mon. What I did want to mention though in the first place is this: guess who directed the Toni Braxton biopic? Mr. Glitter director himself, Vondie Curtis Hall. Yep. (Friday 5 February 2016; 10:23)

Re: MC sings with the interviewer (59,572) (59,574) by Billy from Greece It is hilarious but also very endearing to watch because the interviewer is obviously so very nervous to even pop the question, so in the ends he was like "yolo", it's now or never, I'll do it. And after he experiences the ultimate, he gushes about it like a groupie. Aww, you go dude. (Thursday 4 February 2016; 16:21)

Re: MC sings with the interviewer (59,568) (59,570) by Billy from Greece Wow. Her tone is really straight the heavens up above here. Angels advocate indeed. But, oh boy, was that awkward or what. When the dude started singing MC was like "What in the ham sandwich?" Sweet nonetheless. (Thursday 4 February 2016; 14:43)

Vegas round 2 / dresses (59,546) by Billy from Greece I forgot to mention in my previous message that I loved the new dresses. The opening dress, wow, so glamorous and goes so well with those big curls. I also love how she's working that dress strutting around the stage. And the one she wears during "My All" with the long straight hair, also fabulous. It's as if I'm watching a star of bygone eras, so huge and "divine". (Wednesday 3 February 2016; 20:20)

Vegas round 2 (59,544) by Billy from Greece Watching the clips from the opening night, I feel like I'm watching a true legend. She looks phenomenal, she moves effortlessly on stage and, most importantly, she gyrates through all parts of her voice with great ease. Fantastic moments. So happy to see Mariah like this. (Wednesday 3 February 2016; 20:08)

"Vision of Love" (59,543) by Billy from Greece Good or bad, Mariah has always sung "Vision of Love" totally live from top to bottom. (Wednesday 3 February 2016; 20:07)

Off the topic (59,538) by Billy from Greece Has anyone noticed the uncanny resemblance between Tommy Mottola and Randy Hoffman (Mariah's manager during the first part of her Columbia tenure)? (Wednesday 3 February 2016; 18:32)

Records, charts and what not (59,537) by Billy from Greece Just enjoy the music. Cultural impact or longevity ("I hope they achieve longevity" ) does not rely on charts and records. Quality, above everything, surely doesn't. (Wednesday 3 February 2016; 18:03)

Re: Negative press, artist success and more (59,512) by Billy from Greece Regarding the discussions about Mariah getting a bad rap for the past, probably, 10 years and her mismanagement of her own image, all I can say is that it's not a "one plus one equals two" situation. The way that ownership of the media in America and around the world functions is very intricate, and many outlets are interrelated and interdependent. As far as the music business is concerned, the success or failure of an artist will impact not just the artist and their label, but a whole other line of sponsors and corporations attached to them. In this sense, there is a conscious effort to see certain artists succeed at certain points in time. It, then, all comes down to connections and alliances. The public does have a power to form cultural happenings, but on the basis of the products they are presented with. The reason why Mariah or some other artists may be more trashed in the media is because they may not have the access, through their collaborators, to those channels that control certain aspects of the press. Why do you think Beyonce is so successful (especially with the Grammys) for the past decade and has such coverage, positive for the most part? It all has to do with deals between Sony and CBS (which is the main network of the Grammys since the 70s) and the NARAS board. This is just an example. Mariah enjoyed that privilege in the 1990s, but after she basically became a free agent (just like Diana Ross in the 1980s) she lost part of the corporate intervention. That's why, after Def Jam, she started forming alliances with L.A. Reid, for instance, or BET and its president etc. In Hollywood, the press agents were always on top of managing or even determining the success ratio of a star. Make no mistake though: Mariah is a very smart business woman too, so don't feel like she has been left behind in terms of deals. (Tuesday 2 February 2016; 14:37)

New Yorker Whitney article (Mariah mention) (59,398) by Billy from Greece Clearly, the person who wrote this is not a fan of Mariah, but what he writes is not only disrespectful but downright offensive and verges on (counter-)racist. He writes: "The first challenge to Houston's legacy arrived in the early nineties, in the form of Mariah Carey, who, from the very beginning of her career, with her constant vocal runs and obsessive flurry of hands, took certain 'black' singing habits to extremes. These were habits that Houston [...] largely eschewed. Despite Carey's caricature of black stylistics and her mixed racial background, the skin-color difference between her and Houston managed to bring out America's racism. Houston was subject to the singer's version of the black athlete's curse: as the daughter of the gospel great Cissy Houston and a cousin of Dionne, Whitney was regarded as all instinct and natural gifts, whereas Mariah, arranger and songwriter, had a brain." "Caricature of black stylistics"? It's Ms Carey we're talking about here, not Christina Aguiera. So frustrated when people not only don't appreciate Mariah's musicianship but in fact misinterpret and misrepresent her. You can read the rest here. (Thursday 28 January 2016; 17:39)

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