I'm serious. And I'm not saying I like it.

Lyrics - I agree. But I was talking about the melodies.

I agree. But I was talking about the melodies.

Does she compose most of her melodies or does she leave that to the producer?

I know a lot of artists that cannot compose music, but hear an idea in their heads and let their producer compose it.

You will all hate me for saying this - or laugh - but I think this album shows signs of growth in Mariah. After listening to some songs attentively, I'm starting to believe that. It's weirdly uniform, has a kind of vision, there's something about it I can't yet describe precisely. I thought the critics would detest it and dismiss it as the worst piece of feathery, whispery vocal acrobatics junk, but it's kind of... Praised.

A lot of reviews I've seen(aside from Roger Friedman'$ glowing review) have absolutely panned this album. A lot of her diehards have even turned on her after this album.

E = MC^2 was fabulous, it was, I thought, full of radio edits/hits and I'm to this day quite surprised that it didn't achieve wider success. She picked the wrong songs for singles, though.

I will say I thought E = MC2 was much more...interesting than Mimi. You're absolutely right about that. I still listen to "Love Story" and there's a remix of "I'll Be Lovin' U Long Time" by Designer Drugs that is the f*cking deal. And occasionally, "I Wish You Well"

Say what you want, but Mariah Carey is an excellent songwriter. She knows how to craft a catchy tune. And not stop there.

I still think that. She just needs to let go of this whole, "slang," thing and really focus on lyrics that will appeal to a broader range. That is, of course, IF she wants another #1 single. She can't rely on her bag of rap tricks to make her relevant anymore.

Does she compose most of her melodies or does she leave that to the producer?

I know a lot of artists that cannot compose music, but hear an idea in their heads and let their producer compose it.

I think, and Sylph the staunch lamb, can refute it if I am wrong, but I think she only writes lyrics.

Also, did anyone catch the Today Show performance of "I Want to Know What Love Is" with the Gospel choir doing the cheesy hand movements and the random ejaculation of cheap gold streamer?

In terms of sound, I wouldn't want her to go entirely Music Box and do an album that was 70/80% ballads. I think she needs the diversity there, but I also think she needs to focus on more electronica and more modern hip-hop styles. She's played it too safe for too long and has alienated alot of her longtime fans for the quick rap/R&B fix. Her songs sound the same as they did in 1998 and THAT is the biggest problem. I think a great blend of label management and her own personal style came from her first album and even more with Emotions. Emotions was a solid album, but extremely unmarketable.

She needs to surprise people. Play an instrument, learn how to dance, do something other than sit on a chair suspended from the ceiling, pretending to be a flipping fairy.

Mariah is a 90's Artist. And it shows. She hasn't even bothered evolving.

In terms of the way she actually looks, she's allowed to have her own style, but she needs to quit coming out on stage and in public in lowcut outfits. She's too chunky to do it and she's not 16 anymore.

This is all extremely interesting, but I don't see it happening. Especialy the playing an instrument part. Perhaps I have a problem with myself actually, but it's difficult to believe. She has been insisting on the same sound since forever and even though I still do like it, mostly, I wish she tried something a bit different.

Which is when your comment about more electronica comes. I've never went into that direction; that's certainly more doable than Mariah surrounded with live instrumentation and, say, strings. That verges on if it's not outright tacky. Hip-hop is even more surprising.

She'll be forty soon, she needs to wake up already. Perhaps motherhood will change her.

It's platinum in Korea!

http://www.mariahcarey.com/news/news.php?uid=2645

On October 20, 2009 Stewart revealed R. Kelly appears on the opening song "Betcha Gon' Know (The Prologue)". He also explained that infact the album was less about remixes but more about appealing to more people by putting guests on 90% of the songs. He also states that the new version of the album could feature one or two new songs.

LOL at the desperateness...

And take a look at this:

http://www.examiner.com/x-21081-Indianapolis-Celebrity-Headlines-Examiner~y2009m10d17-Mariah-Carey-Very-cruel-concert-ad-spoof

Edited October 21, 200916 yr by Sylph

:lol:

I'm just looking at these Examiner.com titles!!! Take a look:

Mariah Carey: Will Def Jam drop her from their label?

Mariah Carey meets her new friend, Karma

Mariah Carey tries to cover up album flop with baby hype

Mariah Carey: Fading star in deep discount crisis

Mariah Carey: New 'Memoirs' album gets slammed by veteran critic

Mariah Carey: An open letter to a fading pop star

And the short articles themselves... It would be freakin' hilarious if it weren't this tragic.

Mariah Week on Television

Catch Mariah all week on the best talk shows on TV! Mariah is scheduled to appear on the following shows:

Mon 11/2 @ 10pm ET/PT (9pm Central) - The Jay Leno show (NBC, Check local listings for times)

Wed 11/4 @ 9pm ET / 6pm PT - Larry King Live (CNN, E-mail your questions)

Wed 11/4 - The Ellen DeGeneres Show (Check local... listing for times)

Tune in to hear Mariah talk about her album Memoirs of an imperfect Angel and the release of her critically acclaimed film - PRECIOUS, in theaters Friday, November 6, 2009.

<p><span style="font-size:19.5pt;"><font face="Verdana">Mariah: 'I've got big hair and wear tight dresses, but I'm not nasty'</font></span>

<span style="font-size:10.5pt;"><b><font face="Verdana">The singer with the biggest voice of them all on finding love again, ugly-ing up for her art, stepping into Helen Mirren's shoes, and that diva tag</font></b></span>

<span style="font-size:7.5pt;"><b><font face="Tahoma">By Alex Canfor-Dumas</font></b></span>

<span style="font-size:9pt;"><font face="Verdana">It's 8.30pm on a humid autumn evening in New York and the traffic's ground to a halt. The gridlock is worse than usual – apparently President Obama is in town. So it's ironic, but I think I'm going to be late for my interview with Mariah Carey, a woman who has a reputation for being rather late herself.

Yes, Mariah is known as the Head Girl of prima donnas – and then some. Even now, as I sit impatiently in my yellow cab, Mariah Carey could be making outrageous demands: the cushions should match her nail varnish; the temperature of her iced tea should be monitored. And what's that, glinting on the table? It's a goldfish, wearing a lilac tiara, just like the singer's own.

That's the sort of thing I'm expecting. I'd read the stories, but could they really be true?

'What say you we speed things up?' the cab driver suggests, springing into action with a sharp right turn. I lurch across the seat, but it looks like I'm not going to be late after all. I'll arrive with a bruised shoulder – but I'll be on time.

And so is Mariah Carey. That's my first surprise. In fact, she's been at the hotel most of the day giving interviews to promote her sultry new album, Memoirs Of An Imperfect Angel.

The second surprise is how relaxed everyone around her appears to be. There's none of the edgy nervousness that vibrates around a room when a difficult star is present – everyone seems calm and good-humoured. I'm informed Mariah will be available in five minutes, as she needs to record a TV message for a programme celebrating her friend Simon Cowell's birthday.

On cue, the door opens, and Mariah Carey gallops into the room. Tall as a supermodel (5ft 9) she's all legs and hair, with the latter cascading in tawny curls over her shoulders. Dressed in black, she looks like she's been poured into her tight trousers, and her shirt is unbuttoned just enough to reveal a substantial cleavage and an elegant necklace that spells out 'Angel'. The look is simple, but effortlessly glamorous.

Reclining on a sofa, the singer waits patiently for her make-up to be retouched, then, looking into the camera, she starts to sing Happy Birthday to Simon. [The video was shown at his birthday last month.] She stops abruptly. 'I can't sing!' she exclaims. 'I've been talking for 50 hours today and my voice won't be good enough for Simon!' Suddenly she's more like a nervous X Factor wannabe than what she really is: the biggest-selling female artist of all time (200 million records worldwide and counting) and – let's not forget – the possessor of an extraordinary vocal range. Even so, Mariah decides to speak to camera instead, in her seductive Long Island drawl. If that doesn't make the music mogul sit up, nothing will.

Later, when everyone's left the room, I speak to Mariah, 39, alone. There's no agitated publicist sitting in the corner censoring every question. It's just me and Mariah, who has her legs curled up under a rug. 'I hope you don't mind, but this is cosier,' explains the singer.

Memoirs Of An Imperfect Angel is her twelfth studio album, and it has the sexy, loved-up feel of a woman fulfilled. Its themes are love, at all its stages. Eighteen months into a happy second marriage, was it healing for Mariah to look back at her own journey of the heart? 'Yes, because I was able to build humour into some of the lyrics,' she discloses, 'and that helped. I've spent so much of my life feeling like I had to be a "good girl" when it came to guys. I had to be careful who I got involved with in case they bragged, but when you finally find the right person, you don't feel angry you went through some unhappy experiences. It all suddenly makes sense.'

The 'right person' in this case is actor, rapper, TV host, millionaire and current presenter of America's Got Talent, Nick Cannon. They announced their marriage after a whirlwind, two-month courtship in April last year. One track on her album, The Impossible, is dedicated to Nick. 'You rescued my love/You did the impossible/See, I had almost given up,' she sings. So what makes him different from all the other guys? 'He's giving and loving,' she smiles. 'He's also witty and fun. We have a good time together, like big kids. I adore him. He's a special person in every way. It can be a little tough, having a relationship when you're under such public scrutiny. But I like it better than being alone.' And the sexiest thing about him? Mariah hesitates, looking politely shocked. 'That's sort of private,' she says coyly, glancing down. 'OK, he's great-looking with a good six-pack.'

Mariah's in pretty good shape herself. What's her secret? 'I have to be careful with my diet,' she admits. 'Fortunately I'm quite muscular, so I can lose fat quickly when I try. At the moment I'm on this bleak pak choi diet. Ugh! I can hardly stand it, but I'm trying to lose a few pounds.' I try and work out from where these few pounds need removing. Her ankles, perhaps?

Diet aside, Mariah Carey seems happy. Fulfilled in her personal life and with a stellar 20-year music career to look back on, she's now also experiencing an about-turn in her acting ambitions. In her most recent film, Precious, she is almost unrecognisable in the small, but hard-hitting part of a social worker. The role earned her a 15-minute standing ovation at the Cannes Film Festival this spring, and there's even speculation she could grab the Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actress. She's come a long way since being panned for her 2001 performance in the film Glitter, so it must be quite satisfying.

'Well I've been doing independent films people don't know about and learning my trade that way,' she reveals. 'Someone told me Helen Mirren had been offered the role of the social worker, but had to pull out. So it was daunting to try and fill the shoes of this great Academy Award-winning actress. But then I decided to snap myself out of that mind-set and figure out what I could bring to the role.'

Almost as daunting for Mariah – a woman whose name is synonymous with glamour – was the make-under she had for the part. It left her unrecognisable, even to friends. 'It was hideous!' she screams, in mock horror. 'I had dark circles added under my eyes, a moustache. The hair was disgusting, the clothes horrible. But I'm willing to do anything for a role, to make it authentic. I'm proud of that part, and I want to do more films – especially independent ones. I'd love to work with Woody Allen.'

Mariah is glad, too, that she is at last receiving recognition for her song-writing and producing skills, even though she's been doing both since her teens. She co-wrote and co-produced all the songs (bar one) on her latest album. In fact it was Simon Cowell, who pointed out to last year's X Factor audience that Mariah's song-writing abilities were rarely given due credit.

'That was very nice of Simon,' concedes the star, who was mentoring the contestants during Mariah Carey Week. 'The problem is, unless you're behind a piano or a guitar, you're looked on as a diva.'

Ah, the 'd' word. 'Diva' has practically become Mariah Carey's middle name. But what's behind this reputation, and how does she feel about it? Philosophical, it would seem. 'At its heart, I think it's lazy journalism,' she offers. 'I was on the first Divas Live show (in the States) and that seemed to kick the whole thing off. You know, my mother – who was an opera singer – used to use the term as a compliment; it meant a very talented singer. But I looked it up in the dictionary recently and now it also means a difficult and demanding woman. I guess people like to put you in a little box, and that box fits me because I have the big hair, and I wear the tight dresses on stage. But that doesn't mean I'm difficult or nasty,' she says earnestly. 'I remember a story in the British press, saying I'd demanded rose petals be scattered on the carpet of a London hotel when I arrived. The truth is, we'd just landed, it was 3am and all I wanted to do was go straight to my room. The back entrance would have been fine, never mind rose petals! I'd never ask for anything like that. But that sort of stuff is written about me, so I've just learnt to shake it off.'

In fact, Mariah still has the same friends since her school days, and a management team who've lasted 15 years. Hardly the track record of a diva. 'I think one of the most down-to-earth things about me is that I value my friendships,' she says simply. 'My friends know MC keeps her word. I'm very loyal and never divulge their secrets.'

Then my time's up. 'It was nice to meet you,' says the singer, uncurling herself and hugging me warmly. Diva? All I found was a sweet woman. And her voice isn't bad, either...

The single, I Want To Know What Love Is is out 14 November. The album Memoirs Of An Imperfect Angel is out 16 November. Precious is released in the UK in February 2010

</font></span>

<span style="font-size:7.5pt;"><b><font face="Tahoma">http://www.mirror.co.uk/celebs/celebs-on-sunday/2009/11/01/mariah-i-ve-got-big-hair-and-wear-tight-dresses-but-i-m-not-nasty-115875-21777857/</font></b></span></p>

Edited November 1, 200916 yr by Sylph

Oh my.... Mariah...... who did she plagarize on this album?

Oh my.... Mariah...... who did she plagarize on this album?

Herself.

What plagiarizing stories did you have in mind in particular?

Oh my.... Mariah...... who did she plagarize on this album?

Meow!

Are you referring to Emotions/The Best of My Love or Till The End of Time? Or Thank God I Found You/One of those Love Songs? Or all the samples she's used?

She has been forgiven for a few of her sins. Let all that go.

Herself.

What plagiarizing stories did you have in mind in particular?

I wish she DID plagiarized herself! We may have gotten another "Vanishing."

And she really doesn't think she dresses trashy?!

Meow!

Are you referring to Emotions/The Best of My Love or Till The End of Time? Or Thank God I Found You/One of those Love Songs? Or all the samples she's used?

She has been forgiven for a few of her sins. Let all that go.

I was wondering that, too.

I wish she DID plagiarized herself! We may have gotten another "Vanishing."

And she really doesn't think she dresses trashy?!

Well, she remade Hero how many times? Vision of Love? We Belong Together?

Pay attention to Hallowe'en costume!!! :lol:

Well, she remade Hero how many times? Vision of Love? We Belong Together?

Pay attention to Hallowe'en costume!!!

That's just nasty. Is she gonna do this when she's sixty? At least Madonna's skinny enough to fit into those outfits.

I know she did that badass remix of "We Belong Together" with the rappers. That was good.

I never knew she remade Vision of Love, but I see her perform it live these days and it bothers me so badly because of all the extra vocal gymnastics she does to cover up for the lack of power.

And don't get me started on Hero 2009. "It's a long rowd."

She gets a pass on Never Too Far/Hero Medley. She did that for 9-11 and extra press. Can't fault her for that.

Edited November 2, 200916 yr by bellcurve