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

Save the Day (95,132) by this_is_qhm from the Philippines Glad some of you like it but yeah, this is pretty weak. After approximately 70 times of sporadically listening to it in the past 37 hours plus 10 reaction videos later and there's still something off about it. Now if that's not trying to stan, I don't know what is. It does have a fairly decent chorus, although a little too reminiscent of In The Mix in terms of its bounce and vocal delivery. But the biggest challenge is how to keep any casual listener interested enough to even get there. The slow intro is dreary, and of course Jermaine had to come in and unnecessarily introduce the beat drop with his obnoxious tag. The pre-chorus is also unremarkably monotonous and its cadence is quite weird that it takes away from understanding the message of its lyrics. It takes more than a minute for the song to warm up and really settle in and when it does, one couldn't decide whether the sampled vocal is either too dominant or Mariah's melody just couldn't keep up and hold its own. It's a very good, memorable sample, but it could have been incorporated better and less tacked on. As for the theme of the song, it has always been difficult to pull off these "save humanity" tracks without being too preachy, condescending, cheesy or coming off as insincere. Even the best ones out there like What's Going On and Imagine have been criticized when they first came out and somehow still are to this day. This one is a pass for me and I wouldn't be surprised if it turns out to be the weakest song on The Rarities. As of this writing it's been at #4 for almost a day, surprisingly holding up better than expected so far on the US iTunes. That is until you realize how little it's actually currently selling in comparison to the #1 and #2 songs. Still excited for the compilation, but honey this song just ain't it, at least for me. Still hope it does well for the cause and Mariah (and Lauryn as well). (Saturday 22 August 2020; 20:07)

Re: The Rarities content (95,016) (95,022) by this_is_qhm from the Philippines I've read somewhere that Slipping Away will be part of the album. Mariah supposedly confirmed it in reply to a fan query on Twitter. Since this album is gonna be a mix of just about everything rare/unreleased from her career, and since Save The Day will be on there, just so I won't be disappointed, I'mma make a safe estimate that at most 5 of the 14 remaining tracks will actually be unreleased material, 4 will be b-sides (Slipping Away and probably Do You Think Of Me included) and 5 will be international/limited release album bonus tracks. My issue with compilations is that they are rarely ever truly satisfying. They're also probably testing the waters with this one. Public response to it may determine if they are gonna release a part 2 of some sort. I'm just glad Mariah and her team are working harder than usual to promote this MC30 era. (Thursday 20 August 2020; 21:49)

Re: The Honest Vocal Coach (94,836) (94,844) by this_is_qhm from the Philippines Love her and I am one of her subscribers. Such a unique character on YouTube. As a vocal coach, her critiques strike a nice balance between being too condescendingly critical and being too nice and safe. And she reacts to a wide variety of artists. She has dedicated every day of this week to Mariah in honor of her third decade in the business. She's just awesome. I also really like Nina Schofield, who is also a Mariah fan, although she's more of a musician and comments more on the production side of things. (Thursday 6 August 2020; 18:49)

Re: Dreamteam (94,810) (94,822) by this_is_qhm from the Philippines Okay, it's not like we needed any confirmation, but this string of comments just solidifies whatever feelings you have about Walter. Where the hell is this hostility coming from? It's making you look worse than the person you criticize so much. Hilariously so. 1) I'm not too fond of the guy either, but I can't deny that at least half of the material he and Mariah created has become an undeniable part of the foundation upon which she has built her legendary career and partly owes her longevity from. Despite not exactly being one of them, I can understand why many fans out here would like the two to work again. So purposely inserting an unnecessary Walter diss in a post that didn't warrant such comparison at all doesn't really put you in a positive light now, does it? 2) Apples and oranges. It's very difficult to objectively compare two producers who have distinctly different production styles and sounds, are powerhouses in their respective genres, and who both were instrumental in the success of many artists, albums and chart topping hits. Most of us here have actually consciously experienced the 90's, which is why we know that Walter has definitely produced a lot of stuff for other artists, including a little song called My Heart Will Go On, which you might have heard of. You remembering the Mariah ones only likely means you're a fan whose dislike for Walter has prevented you from listening to other memorable songs from him. And just so you know, the guy who was a crucial part of Mariah's 2005 comeback is the same Jermaine Dupri who, just a year after, was blamed by many for killing any chance of Janet Jackson ever recovering from Nipplegate (the public still loved her despite the blacklisting, but it's the uninspired music he produced for his girlfriend that was the final nail in the coffin). Outside of Mariah's singles, Walter mostly produced obscure album cuts for other artists, while JD was responsible for more charting hits, although that could largely be attributed to the perfect timing of his arrival into the scene (when R&B and urban pop were king) rather than him being the "better" producer. And of course you're gonna hear more about JD than you do of Walter post-2000. Adult contemporary pop, which is the latter's forte, hasn't exactly been popular for over 2 decades now. 3) You are obviously (or at least come across as) a young, new lamb who hasn't really lived through Mariah's creative, commercial and critical highs and lows during the 1990's and 2000's. Usually I'mma let Andrew, Bill or the webmaster put you in your place, but I'm gonna break character for a sec to give you a tip - when a large majority of the Lambily says that something like Triumphant is underwhelming, then you, relatively new blood, should be wise enough to listen and learn. The Lambily cannot be wrong, so no, we did not ruin Truimphant for Mariah. The song was as fresh as week-old unsold fish when it dropped. I'm appreciative of and grateful for how the strength of Mariah's catalog still has the power to attract younger fans, but whatever great new material she has come up with since 2010 are always built upon the sheer brilliance of her older work, only with a more modern twist, less timeless crossover appeal and less stellar vocals. I don't think you've actually revealed how old you are, and I don't really equate age with maturity, but wow do your posts really give you away most times. Call me judgmental, but the frequent sweeping declarations and the brazen disregard for facts does remind me of the die-hard Ariana stans I see every now and then in various comments sections who think she's better than Mariah despite the overwhelming orgy of evidence that says otherwise. (Wednesday 5 August 2020; 21:45)

Brandy - Rather Be (94,728) by this_is_qhm from the Philippines Brandy is dropping her seventh album and first major release in 8 years this Friday. Right now there doesn't seem to be much hype about it, but this track, while short and decidedly more of a deep cut than single material, showcases that unique earthy tone of hers. A collaboration between her and Mariah would be perfect especially with the latter's current, matured voice. I've always thought One Mo' Gen would suit Brandy's voice and harmonies well. (Monday 27 July 2020; 15:34)

folklore (94,718) by this_is_qhm from the Philippines I won't usually make the comparison as Mariah and Taylor are 2 different artists, but I feel like if 1989 was Taylor's Daydream, then "folklore" is her Butterfly. The girl can write. Really well. Which is sadly even more of a rarity these days. The new album is one of the best projects to be born out of this quarantine. Stripped down and low-key, it's the perfect reset button on Taylor's career, especially to those who reckon that she may have gone too far into pop. It's one of those albums whose songs would tend to blend into each other upon initial listen and would need repeated plays for each of the tracks to flesh out their own stories and differentiate themselves from the others. It's an overall subdued experience where every single song sounds fresh yet familiar at the same time. To those who love their Taylor with the bombast of her last 4 albums, they'll be disappointed with her subtler approach to choruses on this one. It's proof that Taylor's at her best when doesn't need to rely on hype and controversial songwriting to make a huge splash. Call it bland, boring, harmless background music - it's still a welcome change from the mindless teduim of hip-hop beats that dominated the charts for the last 7 months. It's perfect for long drives that call for a batch of songs that can easily be picked as movie soundtracks, or serve as nice silence-filler for reflective moments spent in solitude, or make for a mellow backdrop conducive for work-from-home arrangements. And pre-COVID those may have been considered negatives, but the forced isolation has sure given us a lot of time to collectively appreciate the simpler, quieter moments in life. What's most impressive about all of this, though, is how despite it being her least promoted release, Taylor remains on brand as possibly the best businesswoman in music since Madonna. Even at her supposedly least calculated, she still is very strategic. There are still generous sprinkles of her usual easter eggs here and there left for her fans to decipher. The video for the first single "cardigan" is one of the more impressive visual productions to come out during this pandemic when pretty much everything else by contrast has been mostly low budget, sporting a very DIY-feel. While most of us would need upbeat, sunny bangers whose contrast from the current overall global situation serves to distract us from this very weird year, Taylor chose to lean into the sadness with relatively somber to even heavy lyrics against light, understated production while keeping any change in tempo to a minimum. The lack of hype then becomes the hype. The lack of huge pop choruses lets people focus on the album's strengths which are the songwriting and delicate production. The lack of a meticulously planned album out rollout and promotion strategy plan in itself becomes the promotion. Even so, Taylor still manages to be her usual detail-oriented self - deliberately sequencing tracks like "the 1", "seven" and "august" as the first, seventh and eighth songs on the tracklist; telling a tale of teenage love broken into three tracks in the beginning, middle and last thirds of the album; managing to throw shade here and there while now being able to comfortably curse in her music, etc. She still goes the extra mile to ensure commercial success (as if having her name on it wasn't enough) by making a bonus track exclusively available through the physical release, which has 8 (yes, eight, because apparently she's Taylor and can be as extra as she can get to celebrate her eighth album) versions for the first week of release featuring different photos and artwork. Predictable sales success aside, this is also universally lauded as her best and most mature effort to date and is already an obvious contender for AOTY should the Grammys push through next year. Props to her. (Sunday 26 July 2020; 08:23)

30th Anniversary (94,717) by this_is_qhm from the Philippines The roll-out of unreleased material in celebration of this milestone has been quite impressive especially considering the lackluster promotion of most of Mariah's material in the last decade. Loving all the outtakes and previously unreleased material and you can clearly see where she's coming from when she said that there were demo versions which she deems better and wishes should have made the album instead of those that did. (Sunday 26 July 2020; 05:51)

Re: 48th Grammys performance (94,652) (94,656) by this_is_qhm from the Philippines Individual differences. Everyone is unique. There are types of singers who peak early in terms of vocal performance. Mariah may be part of that group. About the swift degradation, that's where other factors such as lifestyle and unhealthy singing technique, etc. come in. Even if Mariah had the physiological predisposition for an early vocal decline, it's the things she had/s actual control of that exacerbated/s those susceptibilities. To what extent is anyone's guess. (Monday 20 July 2020; 19:12)

Re: 4th of July (94,493) (94,499) by this_is_qhm from the Philippines Perfectly said. Underneath The Stars is, as the lyrics suggest, exactly what young love sounds like. I have yet to come across any other song that better captures that carefree, giddy, almost naïve feeling. It's a couple sneaking out for their first date which probably happened on July 4th. I have this weird belief that both songs are about the same date, which would make Fourth Of July about the same couple some time later, either on another magical date entirely or just reminiscing about that first date but in much more vivid detail. Mariah's great at painting with words, but this one in particular sounds picturesque. These two songs have always been my favorite Mariah tracks to play back to back. So plush and fuzzy. (Sunday 5 July 2020; 17:17)

Re: Jessie Ware - What's Your Pleasure? (94,468) (94,471) by this_is_qhm from the Philippines Oh so you actually weren't being sarcastic the first time? Whatever expertise or knowledge I may appear to have or know is still very limited considering the vast universe of music out there. Writing reviews entails more than just having an encyclopedic knowledge of music to pull easy and detailed references from. And there definitely are many people in this board (yourself included) who can express their thoughts more eloquently than I can ever muster. I can only write about either what I appreciate or what I don't. Make me write anything that falls in between those extremes (which encompasses a lot of what I listen to) and I won't be able to say anything interesting (or anything at all). And to me, a true music reviewer/critic/journalist wouldn't have to struggle that much. But that's quite nice especially coming from you, as you tend to be sparing with your praises. I'm content with being the resident pretentious occasional music critic here. Haha. At least I still have an outlet to geek out on without having to create a blog or resorting to social media. I'm positive that Martyn was way better at it and he sure is missed. (Sunday 28 June 2020; 17:14)

Jessie Ware - What's Your Pleasure? (94,465) by this_is_qhm from the Philippines Dua Lipa's Future Nostalgia is one of the best pop albums in recent years. Very unapologetically upfront with its influences and ambitions, it succeeds in living up to the promise of its title. However, as immensely fun as it is, it, just like Lady Gaga's Chromatica, can come across as quite brash and can be quite fatiguing. Jessie's fourth album, which marks a return to her dance diva roots. What's Your Pleasure? is a mostly disco and 80's synth pop affair which sounds just as homogenous as it is varied. Jessie approaches each track with an elegant soulfulness reminiscent of Lisa Stansfield. It's mostly upbeat, but at just the right tempo that is maintained throughout the album; and even in the slower tracks, the beats take a step back to hushed, simmering grooves and lush instrumentation. The beats, even at their most severe, are hardly pounding or banging. The entire project is ethereal, intoxicating and sophisticated, and Jessie's vocals are strong yet understated, bringing what pop in the last few years has been sorely lacking - finesse. There's a lot to like: a longer version of the classy Spotlight, the cool Step Into My Life, and on the slower side, the hypnotic In Your Eyes, and the lovely closer Remember Where You Are. Nothing here beats her early hit Running, but this collection is the closest she has gotten to achieving that level of magic. What would it take for Mariah to make a beat-driven album without any real ballads. If Madonna can pull it off, I don't see any reason why she can't. (Saturday 27 June 2020; 06:01)

Re: Producers (94,271) (94,276) by this_is_qhm from the Philippines I actually would prefer if she kept on looking for just about any other producer she hasn't worked with, especially those whose sound or style would not necessarily be expected to be associated with her. If Caution's any proof, she'll know how to not make all of them tracks sound scattershot as an album despite having an army of cooks in the kitchen. If Caution wasn't fresh enough, then all the more reason to work with new people to update her sound. Mariah never gets buried under varying production styles. She's a chameleon yet puts her own stamp on things, and she'll know when to tell them producers to rein in their enthusiasm. (Tuesday 2 June 2020; 11:48)

Re: I Don't (94,136) (94,153) by this_is_qhm from the Philippines Before Caution came out, we hardly had any idea of what the project would sound like as a whole, and when the news of a then unknown Japanese bonus track was leaked, I really hoped it wasn't I Don't. Once the title of it was revealed to be Runway, I was sort of relieved. But then when I heard the entire album later on, I realized that I Don't fit right in, and that my "dislike" of the track was actually mostly due to its horrible video. My Caution playlist ends with both I Don't and the Unforgettable remix. (Thursday 21 May 2020; 05:35)

Vote for Mariah (94,096) by this_is_qhm from the Philippines She's winning by a landslide anyway, so let's just add to that. (Thursday 14 May 2020; 19:38)

More Doja - Mariah fan remixes (94,073) by this_is_qhm from the Philippines So 8th Grade - Interesting mashup because one song is in the dominant key of the other. It's sort of what organized chaos would sound like. Shake It Off (Say So Remix) - This is really good. Say So / You Don't Know What To Do - Not as polished as the Say Somethin' or Shake It Off ones, but is a more predictable choice. Say It's Like That - Works quite well. I'm That Chick (Say So Remix) - Another expected song choice. Say So, Honey - Mariah's parts aren't as prominent as they should be, but they do fit the backdrop. As much as I enjoy listening to Say So fan reimaginations of Mariah's hits, I just had to stop there. (Tuesday 12 May 2020; 12:27)

Re: Through the Rain/Make It Happen (Rise Up NY) (94,069) (94,072) by this_is_qhm from the Philippines Better than the Hero at home performance. It's a good mashup. (Tuesday 12 May 2020; 11:21)

Re: Say Somethin' (Say So Remix) (94,065) (94,068) by this_is_qhm from the Philippines It really does. It's hard to go wrong with the Say So instrumental, though. It's one of the most versatile ones in recent memory. There is an insane amount of fan-made mash-ups and remixes featuring it on YouTube and they are instantly turned into nice roller rink jams. This is interesting as well. (Tuesday 12 May 2020; 05:52)

Re: Loverboy Firecracker (94,055) (94,057) by this_is_qhm from the Philippines What's ironic about using the Firecracker sample for J.Lo's I'm Real is that the original version of the song which interpolates it failed to make a significant impact on the charts. Such waste of a great loop for a bad Janet-aping track. Tommy decided that the level of pettiness wasn't enough so he got I'm Real remixed with Ja Rule to get a hit, and to once again torment Mariah who had a very similar sounding track If We. Well, Tommy's machinations worked. He hurt Mariah and got a #1 for J.Lo. Cut to about 4 years later when he's ringing up people just to know how Mariah's new CD fared. TEOM went to #1, sir, thank you very much. (Saturday 9 May 2020; 20:40)

Re: Loverboy firecracker (94,044) (94,046) by this_is_qhm from the Philippines The Firecracker sample definitely suits the melody better. I like the interpolation of Candy, but it just didn't feel "solid" enough for the melody to settle into, and so the resulting track does sound a little "empty" and it's the harmonies that save it most of the time. If you listen to the entire self-titled debut album by Yellow Magic Orchestra (a great album whose myriad of sounds were ahead of its time), that Firecracker is a part of, that synth riff is likely what you'll remember most out of the entire thing. Can't blame Mariah and her great ear for sampling for being drawn to that. (Friday 8 May 2020; 20:31)

Butterfly track-by-track interview (94,030) by this_is_qhm from the Philippines Haven't seen this in a while. You know, just Mariah on a chaise lounge. She's at her interview best when talking about her creative process, despite how "over it" she looks and sounds, it's the one topic she can discuss quite well. (Thursday 7 May 2020; 19:50)

Re: Ranked album covers/photography (93,988) (93,990) by this_is_qhm from the Philippines Sure, raincloud, I forgot that being obvious was such a crime here. Anyways, sure, just like every post I make here, I'mma make sure I squeeze that into my schedule. No biggie. (Tuesday 5 May 2020; 12:10)

Re: Ranked album covers/photography (93,979) (93,987) by this_is_qhm from the Philippines Ah Kylie. She always has her image in check. She never looks bad, she reinvents herself and updates her sound with every album release just about the right amount; she knows how to balance being cute, sexy, edgy and glamorous and always dresses appropriately for her age and body type. Regardless of how her music performs, she manages to ensure that everything she does serves her brand well. A little too safe by current celebrity standards, but consistency can go a long way. Mariah and many other female celebs can learn a thing or two from her. (Tuesday 5 May 2020; 09:20)

Re: Ranked album covers/photography (93,962) (93,965) by this_is_qhm from the Philippines Emphasis on "sound like". Haha. I guess everybody cares differently? Well, if anything, even with 1 1/2 responses into your ranking as of this reply, I think we have a fairly clear idea which Mariah covers are better than the others. (Monday 4 May 2020; 04:29)

Re: Charmbracelet (93,963) (93,964) by this_is_qhm from the Philippines Fair enough. Also hilarious. (Monday 4 May 2020; 04:07)

Re: Ranked album covers/photography (93,952) (93,957) by this_is_qhm from the Philippines 10. E=MC2 9. Charmbracelet 8. Emotions 7. The Emancipation of Mimi 6. Greatest Hits 5. Music Box 4. Merry Christmas 3. Butterfly 2. #1s 1. Daydream I really don't care enough to rank the ones from 11-20. (Sunday 3 May 2020; 15:46)

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