This question/topic is for people that have actually listened to Mariah's new album that was released yesterday.
Mariah's voice seems to have lost a lot of it's power on her new album. So, I was just wondering do you guys think that Mariah's voice is failing because it has been damaged over the years by her style of singing?
I mean, I know, that a lot of the ballads on the new album are all done live but I don't know, what do you guys think?
lalalalla
Posts: 2 | Location: U.S. | Registered: 13 April 2005
I think she just tried restraint for a change. I was unsure if she'd lost some of her vocal prowess until I saw her perform live in cold-ass Times Square on Good Morning America.
She didn't really go all out on the first two songs (from her new album), but she sang an old-school gospel track that actually sent me to the record store.
Upon listening to it, I definitely believed she was merely trying out restraint(without overusing the annoying breathy whisper thing she'd been doing for a while), 'cause on songs like "Fly Like A Bird" and "Circles", and "Mine Again", she showed she could still belt a song for all it's worth. It was my first Carey purchase, and I'm glad I waited for that, 'cause I could actually see myself becoming a fan.
Posts: 105 | Location: New York | Registered: 12 April 2005
She remains the spitting image of a chipmunk caught in a bear trap.
________________________________________________________ "The music business is a cruel and shallow money trench, a long plastic hallway where thieves and pimps run free, and good men die like dogs. There's also a negative side." - Hunter S. Thompson tinymixtapes.com / The Skinny / PopMatters
Originally posted by Filmore Holmes: She remains the spitting image of a chipmunk caught in a bear trap.
And the relevance of this is...?
Yes.
________________________________________________________ "The music business is a cruel and shallow money trench, a long plastic hallway where thieves and pimps run free, and good men die like dogs. There's also a negative side." - Hunter S. Thompson tinymixtapes.com / The Skinny / PopMatters
Actually I have been asking myself the same question for a while now (that is, what the hell happened to her voice?). We all know what kind of voice she stunned the world with when she first exploded into the music scene 15 years ago. I'm not sure what happened 10 years down the road.
I think her most powerful albums (vocally) were the first 6 (Self-titled, Emotions, MTV Unplugged, Music Box, Merry Christmas, and Daydream). The albums that followed, in my opinion anyway, showed some signs of decline in vocal power. I thought that it was due to her switch from powerful singing to a more restrained, breathy style -- Im sure a lot of fans weren't very welcoming of this (nor was I). I think this period of time was when critics were starting to make a point about Mariah not starting to sound like what she used to. I've actually almost come to the conclusion that indeed, the powerhouse that used to be Mariah's voice is gone. But then I came across a track (which I downloaded off the internet) titled "Lead The Way" and ironically it came from her suckiest album Glitter (back in 2001). "Lead The Way" might not be her best work in terms of production and artistic creativity, but it DID demonstrate that she did NOT lose her voice (the studio-recorded voice, at least). Try listening to the track and you'll see what I'm talking about.
I've seen several live performances she did on BET and some other shows. Some of them were mediocre, and some were better. I noticed though that most of the time her performances weren't that great (and a lot of times you could hear her crack), especially if the songs required some belting out.
I have a copy of The Emancipation Of Mimi. The album is great, no doubt, and I think it deserved being called a comeback album after disasters like Charmbracelet and Glitter. But I do NOT think the vocals in Emancipation anywhere match those of the first 6 albums I mentioned above.
So does this answer the question? I think Mariah has just reached the point where she probably does not need to prove any of her talent anymore (she's tired of powerful singing?). Maybe she wants us to understand that her vocals are not one-dimensional, and that she wants to express herself vocally in other ways besides powerful singing. In an interview article on the internet, she mentioned that people just don't understand the "subtleties of her vocal range" and thus may have led them to presume that her voice is damaged.
Originally posted by Filmore Holmes: She remains the spitting image of a chipmunk caught in a bear trap.
And the relevance of this is...?
Yes.
Reread your response. It makes no sense.
Werd.
________________________________________________________ "The music business is a cruel and shallow money trench, a long plastic hallway where thieves and pimps run free, and good men die like dogs. There's also a negative side." - Hunter S. Thompson tinymixtapes.com / The Skinny / PopMatters
I really liked Mariah's version of Holy Night, she really amazed me with that song. Imagine she had reached, I think it's 8th octave, that very high note. She's indeed still as good as before.
Originally posted by iron_dagger: I really liked Mariah's version of Holy Night, she really amazed me with that song. Imagine she had reached, I think it's 8th octave, that very high note. She's indeed still as good as before.
C'mon...every version of "Holy Night" blows. You should've heard my kid sister's rendition.
________________________________________________________ "The music business is a cruel and shallow money trench, a long plastic hallway where thieves and pimps run free, and good men die like dogs. There's also a negative side." - Hunter S. Thompson tinymixtapes.com / The Skinny / PopMatters
Did Mariah's "Voice" ever have "Power?" I really doubt it. Especially considering what was uncovered last year with the corruption in top 40 music (Hey DJ, play Mariah and get a free computer)
Posts: 3771 | Location: ZZ9 Plural Z Alpha | Registered: 18 October 2004
This discussion isn't about the legitimacy of her success, but rather about her voice. Even if every one of her #1s was bought by her label (although her name was conspicuously absent from the Spitzer report that fingered SONY), your ears are still your ears.
So let's try to keep this on topic
Posts: 105 | Location: New York | Registered: 12 April 2005
Yeah, Carlito. They killed it together. I was impressed because she sang beautifully, without oversinging every note. It was a nice, understated performance.
Posts: 105 | Location: New York | Registered: 12 April 2005
Originally posted by Mike: Did Mariah's "Voice" ever have "Power?" I really doubt it. Especially considering what was uncovered last year with the corruption in top 40 music (Hey DJ, play Mariah and get a free computer)
Payola's been happening since the 50s. Mariah never would've seen release back then. Seriously, Aretha vs. Mariah = no contest. Mariah has no soul and her totally pointless music reflects that. Kurt Cobain had a better voice, soul wise.
Well why are you comparing Aretha Franklin to Mariah Carey? Even Mariah Carey has humbly pointed out (actually overkilled the point) by reiterating that she would never even come close to singing like her.
Originally posted by Carlito's Way: Well why are you comparing Aretha Franklin to Mariah Carey? Even Mariah Carey has humbly pointed out (actually overkilled the point) by reiterating that she would never even come close to singing like her.
So why f*ck the cow when the legend is still on record? Just buy an Aretha LP and let Mariah fade into obscurity, like she deserves.
