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

Tabloid "journalism" (58,147) by Billy from Greece So, in the 45 pound loss "article" the following quote happened: "Mariah is gearing up to become a billionaire's wife and has already started referring to herself as billionairess." And I'm wondering: the people that are writing and approving this "piece", are they that stupid? I mean, seriously. Are they that much of idiots that they actually have the conviction that even idiots will believe such bull? No, really, this is a genuine query. Don't they think that even the bull they want to write lose credibility by virtue of such idiotic commentary? It's beyond me. (Wednesday 2 December 2015; 0:45)

Re: "Melt Away" / "Waiting To Exhale" (57,945) by Billy from Greece I was just listening to WTE yesterday. Great songs, great artists. When the Chante Moore started playing and I heard her do the whistle notes I thought that this was their (Babyface's/ Whitney's/ Clive's) way of having a Mariah "moment" in the OST without Mariah, if you know what I mean. Could have been interesting though, having Mariah there, but remember back in 95 the Mariah/Whitney "rivalry" was at its peak. There was a journalist that did separate interviews with both divas around the same time and she brought each other's names each time. Nippy's reply was a bit more biting, while MC literally exhaled when replying "not for me" to a supposed rivalry situation. Oh dear Lord, the 1990s are back and never coming back. Twenty years since 1995? I have to stop counting. (Monday 23 November 2015; 22:37)

Article: SoundTreks: Glitter (57,944) by Billy from Greece One of the lamest and most uninformed reviews of "Glitter" ever. Just terrible sense of taste or of understanding this genre or Mariah's music as a whole. Why review it then? I also detest how he insists on Mariah not having a personality musically. Totally idiotic review. (Monday 23 November 2015; 22:20)

Re: Speak up more (57,901) (57,907) by Billy from Greece Jonathan, as you said, Mariah has been indeed misunderstood but there are many forces that have led to that, some of them pulled by MC herself, but she clearly does not care. When I said that the "Elusive Chanteuse" was as "bare" as she would get at this point in her career, I meant that it's doubtful that she would have a tell-all, "this is for real for real, Oprah Winfrey whole segment for real" interview now, so you have to read between the lines, of her music in specific. That's where she puts everything but she does not name-call it, hence the "elusiveness". In fact, in my opinion, "The "Elusive Chanteuse" album was her most personal since, I don't know, "Charmbracelet" probably (sure "Memoirs" had very personal songs as well, but personal in the sense of specific to her - see "The Impossible" - instead of introspective, soul-searching songs). There may come a time that she speaks about Alison or Morgan, but I don't see it right now. It's obvious that as much as she is Hollywood, there are certain things that are out of reach. And it's fine. I think she expressed the most the way you mean it between "Buttterfly" and "Charmbracelet". As I've said before, she was at her most unguarded during those years. After that, and especially after 2008, there was a clear distinction between personal and public. The way in fact she treated the second divorce - which obviously was life-changing for her - just shows you how human she is. She could have made a headline with a revealing interview, but she didn't. As Miss Ross has said, "this is my life, not a [censored] story". (Saturday 21 November 2015; 22:31)

Re: Speak up more (57,898) (57,899) by Billy from Greece I think that in the "Elusive Chanteuse" Mariah was as 'bare' as she would get at this point in her. Although I see your point about opening up, I thoroughly get Mariah's hesitation to open too much about anything too personal. Also, the truth of the matter is, she has opened up several times in the past, though never overexposing herself either. I like that about her. I respect her "elusiveness" and I don't think that she should overshare. We're talking about a person who's under constant scrutiny, mind you. Finally, the "eternally twelve" issue could be, as you said, a defense mechanism, but I think it's a very strong part of her persona and playfulness and her own take on Marilyn Monroe's image tricks. Mariah is an excellent student of classic Hollywood and of pop culture in general, so I'm sure she cultivates her public persona based on a specific vision and "plan", if I can put it this way. Clearly, she's way more complex and smarter than what she allows the general public to see, but they way she "directs" herself is not random either. (Saturday 21 November 2015; 16:56)

"If We" / "Glitter" (57,823) by Billy from Greece I have often discussed my adoration of the "Gliiter" soundtrack for all kinds of different reasons. I'm giving it a play right now and I remember listening to "If We" for the first time. Wow, what a revelation that was. Such a hook, just an instant classic since first listen. Nate Dogg's part is so smooth too. Actually, the whole album felt as a revelation back then. Obviously, we knew that Mariah could blow like no other, but boy her vocals were so up front in that record and her performances - presumably through the character of Billie - different in a way. I remember the belting on the ballads. Wow, such a slap in the face (in a good way). It was also the first time that her tracks were so groove-oriented and the records so radio-ready, meaning tight and immediate. Great piece of work that will be a cult classic forever and for always. (Sunday 15 November 2015; 14:20)

Rare pic (57,785) by Billy from Greece Is this MC and Narada Michael Walden in this pic? (Friday 13 November 2015; 15:51)

Ariana interview (57,626) by Billy from Greece I really couldn't care less about Ariana (not a fan of her music or singing), but I was watching an interview she gave on Powel 106 FM where she really shut down a lot of misogynistic commentary from the two male hosts who were acting like university lads (with all bad connotation of the word), so kudos to that. However, what struck me was her body language and mannerisms which reminded me a lot of MC, as if Ariana has now started studying Mariah's interview techniques as well. I've never seen her like that before, but this time I could see an influence, or I'm just reading too much into it, I don't know. Here's the interview. (Tuesday 3 November 2015; 16:08)

Mariah - Macau China (57,536) by Billy from Greece Mariah looked and sounded every bit of the legend she is. Here's a good clip of the fantastic intro of "Emotions". (Wednesday 28 October 2015; 8:50)

Awesome vocals (57,171) by Billy from Greece Beause when Mariah is on, she is the best hands down. (Friday 9 October 2015; 1:32)

Re: Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (57,159) (57,163) by Billy from Greece Mara, it was the nominations that were announced, not the inductees. It took Janet a good few years to get in there, though I doubt Mariah will have it easier. But who gives a rat's ass about awards anymore. (Thursday 8 October 2015; 17:51)

Lenny Kravitz on biraciality (57,148) by Billy from Greece Check out Lenny's take on an issue familiar to Mariah. (Wednesday 7 October 2015; 18:36)

Mariah (57,138) by Billy from Greece I just wanted to say that as I go through life, experiencing situations that are often challenging, or filled with questions and often surrounded by instability, I keep thinking what it would be like for a person of Mariah's fame to handle whatever life poses you in the public eye. Considering that we have no idea what goes on in Mariah's life beyond what she herself (not the press) publicizes, I can't help but applaud her resilience and strength when she has had to face not just her own troubles but the "celebrity" aspect of her life as well. And that goes as far as back as 2001. The woman was thrown down, "abused" by the media, "disowned" by fans, and yet she kept on going. Behind that gorgeous smile and talkative playfulness, she has remained silent, discrete and low-key considering the over-the-top divadom that is attributed to her. People said she lost her voice, she kept on singing. People said she's lost her craft, and she kept on writing marvelous songs. People said she is fat, she kept on wearing whatever the hell she wanted. Have you ever thought how would you handle such a situation and if you could endure it? Sometimes I find it hard just to face another day and I don't even have to strike a pose in front of paparazzi. For all that has been said about Mariah, I remain an admirer of her ability to take control of her life, sometimes more successfully than other times, and keep on going. I need that inspiration every now and then too. (Wednesday 7 October 2015; 12:25)

Janet (57,137) by Billy from Greece I'm so happy with Janet's new album. I do agree with the person that said that it sort of is what "The Elusive Chanteuse" was to Mariah, namely, true return to form that evokes the essence of their artistry, standing up there with their best work. Actually, during 2014-2015 all three icons (Mariah, Janet, Madonna) released albums that signaled a creative rejuvenation, which I find fascinating. It allows me to feel (a little bit) like it's the 1990s again, only less carefree. Actually, this decade's popular culture has been paying homage to the 1990s aesthetic quite profusely I would say. If only you could go back in time. "Now I'm stuck in the future missing you. " (Wednesday 7 October 2015; 12:07)

"Never Forget You" (57,136) by Billy from Greece One of my first all-time favorites by Mariah, and one I played over and over again back in 1993 when hearing a mixtape my sisters had made with songs from "Music Box" and other songs from the early 1990s. It was after my adolescence though that I realized that NFY is not really a love song. The lyric that betrays its intent to me is "cause time wasn't on your side". A special, tender-intense song that I have also turned to in hard times. *sigh* (Wednesday 7 October 2015; 12:02)

Vegas program book help (56,951) by Billy from Greece Hi guys. I would greatly appreciate it if someone could help me with the following: around the beginning of MC's Vegas residency, one of the fansites or fan panges on Facebook shared scanned images of the Vegas program (which also included a small essay of sorts, saying - not word for word - that Mariah was one of the first female performers of her generation to seek full control over her career - something along these lines). Could someone direct me to the scanned images in case this rings a bell? I just can't seem to track them down right now. Thank you in advance. (Monday 28 September 2015; 21:40)

"Without You" MSG 1995 / dubbing / Svengali figures (56,785) by Billy from Greece Whoever (you know who) at Columbia records back in 1995 suggested that Mariah should dub the performance of "Without You" is a criminal. If you listen to the undubbed version of the performance you easily understand that this is not only one of Mariah's career best lives ever, but one of the most staggering live vocals you'll ever hear in a lifetime. Unless there were technical issues that made Mariah dub the performance over, I literally can't fathom any reasons why she should do that. Unfortunately, and to the dismay of Mr. Mottola's fans in this board, many of the "bad" routines Mariah may have retained along the years (such as dubbing already excellent performances) I believe were firstly acquired during the Mottola years. Apparently they were nitpicking every minute detail of Mariah to assure success beyond measure, which did happen, but at what cost? Thinking of similar Svengali-diva relationships, Berry Gordy also exercised tremendous control over Diana Ross and although she did branch out, it was also evident that things she learned under his guidance she would not dismiss. Clive Davis was also very hands-on when it came to Whitney's career, maybe having more input that she did at times, yet Whitney was able to "breathe", as a public personality also, something that Mariah apparently never had for the first part of her career. Again, for anyone who's unfamiliar with that live, do yourselves a favor and watch it promptly. (Sunday 20 September 2015; 23:26)

Re: Beverly Hills 90210 (56,731) (56,736) by Billy from Greece Check this video, post 3:36. (Friday 18 September 2015; 13:01)

Beverly Hills 90210 (56,728) by Billy from Greece I was taking a walk back down memory lane watching some clips from "Beverly Hills 90210" (remember, 1990s kids?) and in the school's radio station (where David broadcasts from) there is a poster of the back cover of Mariah's debut album. Aw, sweet. Didn't even remember that. (Thursday 17 September 2015; 21:58)

"All My Life" (56,370) by Billy from Greece So, I've been listening to "Glitter" right now, blasting every tune and adoring it just like the first time I put it in my cd-player. "All My Life" is one of all-time favorites by Mariah, ever, and the monster hit that never was and should have been. Imagine if that was the first single off the soundtrack. I would die if she performed it live. (Saturday 29 August 2015; 13:38)

The epicness that is Mariah (56,366) by Billy from Greece One of her career bests for sure. This is also great. (Saturday 29 August 2015; 11:03)

Re: Mariah Carey shades Christina and Jessica (56,346) (56,354) by Billy from Greece Funny indeed, but keep in mind that there is a little bit of montage involved in this clip. Mariah's (shady) reaction in 0:03 that follows the mention of the two names is taken from a different segment of the same interview, so she's not basically shading the people John Norris mentioned. (Friday 28 August 2015; 18:25)

Rainbow era / wardrobe (56,310) by Billy from Greece MC was so cool during the Rainbow era, like "I'm throwing a pair of jeans, a random t-shirt and call it a day" and she still looked gorgeous. She had that cutting-edge thing going on then (attitude-wise), very modern, street-smart and with a wink in the eye. This more relaxed Mariah I do miss. It's funny because up until the Glitter era she would sport this jeans based look quite often. After signing to Island though, and beginning with Charmbracelet, she glammed it up to the max (with a break during the E=MC2 era, where she was more casual in her wardrobe). I love me glam (or as she said to B.Scott in 2009 "vamp") Mariah, but I also kind miss that fresh-looking casual MC look. Check her out here. (Wednesday 26 August 2015; 20:05)

Glitter movie (56,308) by Billy from Greece That's funny. (Wednesday 26 August 2015; 19:41)

Merry Christmas rerelease (56,239) by Billy from Greece So, I found this on Amazon. No extras tracks on the vinyl at the moment. (Monday 24 August 2015; 17:38)

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