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

Re: Meghan Trainor - Watch Me Do (60,829) (60,839) by this_is_qhm from the Philippines Eligibility for Best New Artist Award has always been questionable at the Grammys. They came under fire when Whitney wasn't even nominated back then, when Shelby Lynne won (her case even more controversial than Meghan's as she was around for an even longer time). I like Tori, she does strike me as a younger, less gifted Mariah. She gives more of a "serious artist" vibe while Meghan can come off as kitschy, especially on her first album. However, the latter has shown growth on her material for her second album thus far, something that I honestly thought she won't be able to do not because she can't but because it's often hard to move on from a specific, distinctive sound you have started your career with, let alone on your sophomore album. Being an artist is about taking the next step forward especially after considerable success, where it's tempting to just rehash the same formula (just like Mariah dove into R&B after Music Box, then into hip-hop with Butterfly, and then urban with Rainbow) even at the risk of alienating your fans. To be fair, I haven't heard any new material from Tori Kelly's next album yet and I'm ready to be surprised (she better do something interesting with that great, malleable voice as clearly her first effort isn't really doing much for her), but for now I can rest knowing that this year's Grammy for BNA wasn't just wasted on someone undeserving. (Saturday 26 March 2016; 23:24)

Meghan Trainor - Watch Me Do (60,816) by this_is_qhm from the Philippines Gotta say I'm really loving this feistier new Meghan. Whe she first came out, I remember thinking she's not your typical pop star, but she's certainly sassy. Loved her debut album, but wondered how she was gonna grow from that sound. When she won Best New Artist over Tori Kelly, I'm one of those who actually thought she deserved it. (People tend to dismiss pop stars whose hits reek of top 40 calculation.) As much as I like Tori and think her talent is undeniable, I've always found her music a bit faceless and her voice a tad indistinct. Meghan's sound may not be original (I mean these days, whose is?) but at least she's got a ton of spunk and personality to back it up. And it's she's not just a manufactured product, she can actually sing. And with her latest single as well as another new release from her, she's giving me late 90s to mid 00s urban pop realness. If No sounds like a cross between Brit and Destiny's Child, Watch Me Do production-wise sounds like a collaboration between The Neptunes (the the the the for JT's debut album) and Rich Harrison (Amerie's 1 Thing, Beyonce's Crazy In Love, Toni Braxton's Take This Ring, JLo's Get Right). She actually has the swag to pull off this material and make it sound interesting. I can't say the same for a lot of artists today, especially not anyone from her peers. (Saturday 26 March 2016; 9:11)

Re: The 90s (60,688) (60,690) by this_is_qhm from the Philippines Exactly. Thank you. I always wanted to say that before without sounding so antagonistic, I guess I was just looking for an opening. If we're really being honest, the critics weren't really being harsh on her back then when they dismissed her songwriting attempts. A lot of Mariah's earlier lyrics sounded straight out of a Hallmark card - ridden with trite platitudes and cliches (although that's also part of the reason why her hits were so relatable and succesful). Most of us equate those with being "deep", "introspective" or "brilliant". Of course there were several exceptions (MIH, AIWFCIY). It wasn't until Daydream that Mariah start to improve and adopt a more vivid, storytelling style with clever quips, sublime rhyming and wordplay here and there as well as the occasional brilliant choices of words you'd usually only read out of a lexicon. Today, even if sometimes Mariah's lyrics pander to a younger crowd, try too hard to be hip with embarassing results, or just try to cram too many words within a line, it's still way better than what she did over 20 years ago. That's why you rarely see critics complaining about the lyrical content of her newer material. What the critics loved back then (and still love), though, other than her voice, was her musicality. Genius just emanated from her. She was always a better composer than a lyricist. Even when she seems to be stuck in a rut sonically, there's just a special inexplicable way of how she puts songs together that can't be replicated by any artist. (Monday 21 March 2016; 11:58)

Most listened to (60,552) by this_is_qhm from the Philippines Based on my "most played" playlist the top 5 Mariah entries are: Make It Look Good It's A Wrap Heartbreaker Ribbon Boy (I Need You) Seems a bit random, I know. (Friday 18 March 2016; 12:15)

Mariah touring (60,551) by this_is_qhm from the Philippines As much as I'm clamoring for new music from Mariah, I'm actually glad she's touring again. And by touring I mean multiple-continent extensive touring. Maybe she realized that she really needs to reconnect with her fans. While there may be no problem with fan devotion here in Asia, sadly, the same can't be said for most other parts of the globe. Heck, not even her homeland supports her that well anymore. Maybe this is what she needs - a time away from the mainstream musical spotlight. I remember her acknowledging the positive effect her Charmbracelet tour has had on her voice somewhere. I hope this tour does her the same favors and inspires her to write stellar new material. No more attempts at recreating her past hits. No more rent-a-rapper collaborations. No more lazy cut-and-paste "remixes" slipped at the end of the new album as bonus material. No more "safe" tracks with the usual producers unless they introduce something new. Just all-new, reinvigorated Mariah. (Friday 18 March 2016; 12:06)

Article: Mariah Carey "to shoot docu-series" (60,319) by this_is_qhm from the Philippines Not sure how to feel about this. To me at least, "reality" shows have rarely been tolerable, let alone "real". You know how slapstick is widely considered the lowest form of comedy? "Reality" shows are like the slapstick of TV - no - of entertainment. If Mariah comes out with this, I fear that even her star power and quirky personality isn't gonna be enough to distinguish it from other similar shows and her version of it will always be judged not by its own merits, but how it stands against other shows of the same format, and God knows there aren't a lot of good ones out there. I love how fearless she is about dipping her toes in other ventures, and kudos for her for being a woman of the world, but I kinda just hope she channeled that same fearlessness in her music. After all, that's where and how it all began. Heck, that's how and why we're all here in the first place. (Thursday 10 March 2016; 13:11)

Re: Uturn (60,232) new sound (60,237) by this_is_qhm from the Philippines Exactly. With MIAMTEC, Mariah tried to cater to every Mariah fan that she had and probably lost along the way, through the evolution of her sound throughout her career. It was sort of a reminder that she still is every woman that she has been can still bring it on hard with any facet. But that's just great for one album. If MIAMTEC was a reassurance, her next album should be her big step forward. Said it before, say it again. At this point, Mariah has literally nothing to lose and nothing left to prove - a perfect time for her to throw her formulae and her safety zone outta the window and start experimenting hard. Scrap them high profile producers who are running out of new tricks. Go for up-and-comers who still sound fresh. The more the better. I don't even care if it sounds scattershot, I'd rather have that than see her retread old paths again. But knowing Mariah, she'll always find a way to make it sound cohesive. Here's hoping for a new sound. Lovelife's great and quite risky, now it's time for the music to catch up. (Monday 7 March 2016; 12:59)

58th Grammys (59,815) by this_is_qhm from the Philippines This year had the most mainstream winners in the major categories since 2011. It was meh. I wasn't surprised about Tay's win. 1989 is a good album and the Grammys love them some Taylor. Next year, Adele will probably get Album of the Year for 25 and Record of the Year for Hello. Anyways, is it just me or is this show getting more and more of a snoozefest every year? I also hate how LL keeps using the phrase "Grammy moment" like every chance he gets, as if that term should be taken lightly and thrown around that easily. That should only be reserved for moments like Mariah's debut performance, Mary J's No More Drama, P.nk contorting in the air... those kind of stuff. Only good performances last night were the Bowie tribute, Kendrick Lamar, and Demi's solo of Hello by Lionel Richie. The others were either forgettable to horrendous. You know there's something wrong when you find yourself enjoying Gwen Stefani lipsynching to the filming of a live music video during a commercial break than all of the other numbers. And who the hell thought Pitbull would make a good finale? Rant over. (Wednesday 17 February 2016; 11:06)

Re: In Rainbow's defense (59,782) sound quality (59,791) by this_is_qhm from the Philippines Sorry, enwar, kinda missed that. But yeah, the sound quality doesn't sound as polished as it could have been, some may even sound like demos. However, I can't say I'm surprised that was the case. Remember, at the time, Mariah had a very public falling out with Columbia, and she herself admitted that the whole thing was rushed to get her deal over with. With what Tommy did during the Glitter era, he could have easily had a say in the production final mastering of the album, suggesting that the rougher cuts be left that way. However, I also think that this may me a awkward sound transition thing that happens every decade. You know, when the equipment they use try to adapt to the changing music trends. A lot of the albums released in 1999 had this screechy, "sparkly" (for lack of a better term) overall production sound. Even FanMail and Jessica Simpson's debut had it. Just like how a lot of the records during the late 80s and early 90s had this weird transition from the vacuous beats and steely synths of the 80s to the more R&B-influenced downy percussion and softer vibe of the 90s. (Tuesday 16 February 2016; 2:48)

In Rainbow's defense (59,776) by this_is_qhm from the Philippines I see how Rainbow be perceived as having a subpar quality compared to the earlier material. To some extent, I agree with that perception, as Rainbow is definitely not as good as any of its predecessors. But that doesn't mean that it is bad by any measure (it's one of the better records released that year). I believe the problem with it is the consistency of the material. It has some really strong tracks (Heartbreaker, CTTA, Bliss, Crybaby, Petals) but it's weighed down by songs that fall short in recreating/recapturing Mariah's former glories (After Tonight, Against All Odds, heck, even TGIFY but at least that one was somehow successful) and tracks that tried to follow the rising urban-pop trend at the time but ended up sounding like TLC rejects (How Much, X-Girlfriend). It also happens to be the first time that the filler had become glaringly obvious in a Mariah album. It offers the first glimpses of Mariah the diva. But I'm gonna cut Mimi some slack for still being able to come up with a body of work at all especially considering the circumstances at the time of its creation. Besides, it really is next to impossible to followup the one-two punch of Daydream and Butterfly, even for someone as brilliant as Mariah. To me, it sounds somehow similar to MOAIA, although this trumps that album in terms of diversity and hit potential. (Monday 15 February 2016; 11:31)

That pure pop rush (59,766) by this_is_qhm from the Philippines Remember the unadulterated pop rush you felt when you first heard Dreamlover, Fantasy or Heartbreaker? That's a feeling I would like to feel from Mariah again. She hasn't had that since #Beautiful, which sadly never lived up to its potential, and YDKWTD, which never really took off. She would kill with a vulnerable ballad, but I can't help but hope for a sunny, upbeat, poppy anthem from her. While I'm waiting for that, I'm really loving Gwen Stefani's new single. I have been waiting for the second coming of a hit as brilliant as Lovefool by The Cardigans, and while this is not at that level, it's the best attempt at recreating that magic I have ever heard. It has that fizzy, joyous pop vibe that make you feel all giddy inside. Really well done, Gwen. (Sunday 14 February 2016; 8:04)

Re: Mariah and George M duet and '96-'97 in music (59,733) by this_is_qhm from the Philippines I know, it's like how and why in the entire universe has this not yet happened? This is crazy but I kinda consider George Michael the male equivalent of Mariah for some unknown reason. It's most probably because of the similarities I have noticed between Mimi's Butterfly and George's Older, which were released around the same time ('96-'97). Both were lush, moody, dark, sensual masterpieces. Speaking of that era (a favorite of mine, and I know I have posted about this before), several mainstream artists were releasing very deep, introspective albums that rank among their best work. It was good weird. Kylie had Impossible Princess. Janet had The Velvet Rope. Madonna had Ray Of Light (technically this was released in '98, though). Quite depressing, but musically, those were truly great times. (Thursday 11 February 2016; 11:16)

King - We Are King (59,499) by this_is_qhm from the Philippines A year ago, I have posted on my admiration for Prince-endorsed soulful female trio King, and even likened their sound to Mariah's vocal layering. Their album is finally coming out this Friday but is already available for streaming here. It's the dreamiest, most sophisticated, most successfully mood-setting album I have heard in a while. You can hear echoes of Mariah's Fourth Of July and Yours in the songs with their similarly lush production. It's the sonic equivalent of a plush, rainbow-colored pillow, with the most honeyed, inviting vocals since Corinne Bailey Rae first came out. (Tuesday 2 February 2016; 9:35)

Re: Nick (59,365) (59,366) by this_is_qhm from the Philippines True. Ain't nobody checkin' for him anymore. Further proof of Mariah's star power. She giveth and taketh away. Even Dembabies make more headlines. In fact, don't think I have ever googled "Mariah" and had no recent news about her. She's always in the news for whatever reason. Queen. (Wednesday 27 January 2016; 11:20)

Stella (59,362) by this_is_qhm from the Philippines Guys, guys, calm down, Stella's fine. I mean, sure she adds the most random hashtags and captions in Mariah's social media posts, and claims Packer's property as her "second home", and brings practically the entire Bulochnikov clan to Mariah and James' private/family getaways, and is in more of Mariah's pictures than anyone would usually expect a manager to be, but you know, that's all normal stuff, right guys? Like everyone does it, right? Guys? (Wednesday 27 January 2016; 10:46)

Mariah Packer (59,309) by this_is_qhm from the Philippines While I get why a lot of people may think this is too soon, I'd rather be glad that she seems really happy with how her life is right now. If they can manage to make it work, then great for them. I actually had to remind myself that it's an engagement. That's what it is for now. If something goes wrong, then they can just call it off. If there's anything we have come to learn more about Mariah this past decade, it is that she can just be as impulsive as anyone. She's human, you all. If anything, I'm glad that this happened now rather than in after she just released an album. No one wants a repeat of what happened during the E=MC2 era. Not saying that Nick was the cause of that (it may well have been the miscarriage), but clearly Mariah tends to drop everything when faced with sudden personal events. (Monday 25 January 2016; 7:32)

90s rush / flip and rewind (59,237) by this_is_qhm from the Philippines Have you heard/seen this? I mean I always knew Rashida Jones could carry a tune but this makes me wonder why she hasn't actively pursued a music career. This song is just perfection in aural form. It has that laid back, "cool" factor. The video is quite amusing in its attempts to recreate clips from 90s music videos, but it's definitely effective in getting the viewers nostalgic about that decade. If Candy Bling, Thanx 4 Nothin', the H.A.T.E.U. remix and Dedicated were any indication, Mimi doing 90s throwback tracks is just meant to be. I would love for her to have this sort of production - slinky, intricate without sounding cluttered - this is the type of groove that Mariah's voice, especially her lower register, can really shine. Maybe she should work with Boss Selection as well. (Friday 22 January 2016; 6:55)

Re: Last Night a DJ Saved My Life (59,210) (59,226) by this_is_qhm from the Philippines I agree with LNADJSML being an iffy choice as a single. As great as the Glitter soundtrack is, and God knows how much I would defend it to critics, but I would have to agree with only one of their criticisms - that there were just too many cooks in the kitchen, and LNADJSML and the Loverboy remix are prime examples of that. Heck, Charmbracelet and the TEOM Ultra Platinum Edition had a lot of featured artists, but with Glitter, almost all the collaborations were not quite justified. It is as if they threw everything at a wall to see what sticks, not knowing it was a very sticky wall. It's Mariah's sheer talent that shone through all that and made it work. And while Loverboy's chart trajectory was quite dismal at the time with it only being buoyed up by a price cut, I believe it still did pretty well despite it being a letdown both creatively and musically, not to mention given the shenanigans behind its creation and the unfortunate circumstances/events leading to and after its release. (Thursday 21 January 2016; 12:33)

Article: Star-studded UNICEF Ball (59,088) by this_is_qhm from the Philippines And this is why Mariah should maintain having sleek, straight tresses. This look is like straight out of the TEOM era. The poofy, curly do ages her in my opinion, and makes her even seem more of a diva. Her straight hair brings out her nice bone structure and even slims her down. Looks like someone's gearing up for a comeback. (Thursday 14 January 2016; 4:27)

Re: Lambily opinion: Mariah's easiest song? (59,035) (59,064) by this_is_qhm from the Philippines I'm a guy, so by easy, I mean as a physical challenge - like something that I can sing with ease without dropping pitch, preferably with minimal falsetto. So I'm cheating here, but I'd say Languishing, Rainbow (Interlude). I know, they're interludes, but if I had to pick a song, it'd be Petals. That kinda pretty much stays in an octave (sans the ad libs) so I can most easily sing that. Haha. (Wednesday 13 January 2016; 5:30)

Re: Adele's reign with Hello (59,050) (59,063) by this_is_qhm from the Philippines Sure, Hello is a great song and while it does have chart potential, for some reason since its release, I never felt it had the longevity to surpass 10 weeks. It is not as catchy and memorable as Rolling In The Deep or Someone Like You (both of which had a shorter reigns at the top). I feel like most of its chart success was due to everyone missing Adele for quite some time. I live in a considerably remote area in our country, where people are generally less open to hearing any song that isn't of the country genre, so my true measure of a hit song is when I start to hear average music lovers on the streets or karaoke/videoke bars sing it. I experienced that with RITD and SLY about 1-2 months after they were released. Can't say the same for Hello, which has been out for almost 3 months now. The last song that worried me was Uptown Funk. Basically any song that has reached 12 weeks and is still on top of iTunes is something I usually look out for. So yeah, while a rebound may be possible for Hello, I personally doubt it will happen, especially not with 2 strong Bieber singles around, among other formidable competition. (I know Bieber was going to dethrone Adele, but I always thought it would be with Love Yourself, and not Sorry, which Hello blocked from the top spot since its debut. Bieber is surely on a roll, as it is very likely that LY with give him his #1 trifecta from his latest album. Good for him.) (Wednesday 13 January 2016; 5:01)

Re: Oh please, Adele? (58,965) (58,970) by this_is_qhm from the Philippines I happen to like Out Of The Woods. It has this sense of urgency. I get the sense that if it succeeds, Tay's so gonna milk the 1989 high by releasing a seventh single. I hope she releases Clean or You Are In Love. Say what you want about TS, but the girl definitely has a way with choruses. Which is why I love Blank Space and Style. Especially Style. Definitely the best song in 1989. That should've gone to #1 and not Bad Blood. I understand hype and how it works, but that song just reeked of desperation. (Friday 8 January 2016; 3:09)

Re: Oh please, Adele? (58,944) (58,968) by this_is_qhm from the Philippines While it's true that Rihanna is the current artist who has the most potential to break Mariah's record (she has 13 #1s and she's only 27), I wouldn't count on her releasing an album within this year. It would be wise of her not to, especially not with Hurricane Adele in full force. Judging by the under-performance of the singles that she released last year, I think she'll be going back to the drawing board as something obviously wasn't clicking. Adele's comeback put the fear of God in a lot of artists - One Direction, Justin Bieber, Sam Smith, Ariana Grande. Rihanna definitely followed suit. I believe she released the cover art for ANTI days before Adele dropped Hello. That was a total momentum killer. If I were her, I'd start from scratch. At her age and with her popularity, she's already experienced such slump. It's hardly a MIAMTEC moment, but it seems to be shaping up like one, and at least Mariah had hers at 44 in an ageist industry. (Friday 8 January 2016; 2:50)

Re: New photos (58,932) (58,940) by this_is_qhm from the Philippines I know, that hair flipping photo in particular is just insane. (Thursday 7 January 2016; 10:25)

New year, new album, new sound (58,812) by this_is_qhm from the Philippines Happy 2016 everyone. Can you believe we're nearing 2 years since MIAMTEC was released? With Mariah's new beau, her career rebound especially during the second half of 2015, and the rumors of new collaborations, I'm really hoping Mariah can release a record later this year. It doesn't have to be a long player. It can be short and sweet (10-12 tracks, with maybe just 2 bonus songs all clocking in at under 50 minutes like she did before Butterfly) as long as it's lean and free of filler. I also wish she would also have a more minimalist approach towards the production to highlight her vocals. She should showcase her lower register more and avoid those high notes that she may not be able to replicate outside the studio. And as much as I love her complex harmonies, I hope she uses them more sparingly and wisely. I have noticed that when she does them especially in her whisper voice, it gets harder to comprehend what she is singing, making the end product pretty but less sing-able and therefore less relatable to the average music lover. I'd love for her to do a straightforward, simple song like my latest obsession, "Thinkin Out Loud" by JoJo from her latest EP "#LoveJo2". Notice how the production, while moody and atmospheric, still lets her voice and emotions shine, and how the simpler vocal makes it even more appealing. This song first came out pretty much as an interlude in JoJo's 2012 EP "Agape". Lovely and honest. It even makes Ed Sheeran's similarly titled track sound phoney. (Friday 1 January 2016; 15:00)

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