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Pop Rock Nation

Tag: Mariah Carey

  • Mike’s Gripes Vol. 1: Mariah Carey


    No, I’m not writing this to discuss her marriage to bad actor/bad rapper/semi-funny comedian Nick Cannon. Hey, if Mariah’s happy (after what seems like decades of bad relationships), then more power to her.

    I’m writing this to discuss the slippery slope of suckitude that her music has bobbled around for nearly a decade now. Not that Mariah’s ever been a particularly consistent listening experience-even this diehard pop fan can’t think of more than 2 or 3 Mariah albums completely worth your time. However, her last two albums in particular have been hailed almost as masterpieces by a segment of the critical community when they’re, well…they’re not very good.

    Hey, I don’t want to hear “Hero” again either, you know? But I can see what people are getting at when they turn their noses up at “hip-hop” Mariah. Not only has she caught the same excessive collaboration bug that’s afflicted just about every pop & R&B performer of recent days, but she seems to have regressed lyrically. She’s never exactly been Joni Mitchell (or even Mary J. Blige), but her earlier songs had a maturity to them that newer songs like “Touch My Body” completely lack. And “Touch” is one of the *better* written songs on her new “E=MC2” album.

    Despite the fact that “E=MC2” is well on it’s way to unseating Jack Johnson as 2008’s best-selling album, it’s not much different qualitatively than Mariah’s two relative “flops”: “Glitter” and “Charmbracelet”. From the hip-hopped out “One Sweet Day” rewrite of “Bye Bye” to about 4 or 5 songs that directly rip Mariah’s comeback smash “We Belong Together”, the album is overall a lazy and unadventurous experience. And while contemporaries like the aforementioned Blige seem to be at their creative peaks in their late thirties, Mariah (who’s just a year and change older than Mary J.) seems to be regressing. Listen to “Love Takes Time” or “Can’t Let Go” (two of her best early career songs) and then listen to…well, just about any song on “E=MC2” or even half of “Emancipation”. The difference is almost startling.

    For my money, her best work came on mid-career albums like “Daydream” and “Butterfly”. The former album is her only completely satisfying listening experience other than her debut. I can even tolerate her somewhat sappy cover of Journey’s “Open Arms” (although I’m not sure I can say the same about the overwrought Boyz II Men collaboration “One Sweet Day”, which I’ve deliberately avoided listening to for at least a decade) but it’s the album that best balances “Adult Contemporary Mariah” with “Urban Mariah”. The latter album ODs a bit on the collaborations (“Breakdown” with Bone Thugs ‘n Harmony, is particularly atrocious), but makes up for it with a wicked awesome song built on Mobb Deep’s unforgettable “Shook Ones” sample (“The Roof”), her all-time best ballad (the title track) and a truly bizarro cover of Prince’s “The Beautiful Ones” with Dru Hill (‘memba them??). She’s more or less been off the rails ever since. And even though I own each of the five albums she’s recorded since, there’s maybe an album and a half’s worth of great material between them.

    Despite her astounding success (hell, she has more #1 singles than anyone except for the friggin’ BEATLES) and the fact that critics seem to actually dig her nowadays, it’s probably safe to say that not only has Mariah’s music been decidedly average for the past ten years or so, but that it’s *never* been consistently great. How she’s sustained a two-decade career as (more or less) nothing more than a pretty solid singles artist is one of those mysteries I don’t think I’ll ever figure out.

    …but it might be interesting to see her as a guest on “Wild ‘N Out”…

  • Chart Chat 4/27/08: Mariah Carey, Leona Lewis, Madonna And More!!


    With NO further ado, I now present you with this week’s Top 20 singles and albums, courtesy of the good folks over at Billboard.

    Top 20 Albums:

    1) “E=MC2” Mariah Carey
    2) “Spirit” Leona Lewis
    3) “Best of Both Worlds Concert” Hannah Montana/Miley Cyrus
    4) “Lady Antebellum” Lady Antebellum
    5) “Now That’s What I Call Music! Vol. 27” Various Artists
    6) “Troubadour” George Strait
    7) “Alvin & The Chipmunks Soundtrack” Various Artists
    8) “Juno Soundtrack” Various Artists
    9) “Accelerate” R.E.M.
    10) “Taylor Swift” Taylor Swift
    11) “Trilla” Rick Ross
    12) “Sunset Man” James Otto
    13) “Sleep Through the Static” Jack Johnson
    14) “Welcome To the Dollhouse” Danity Kane
    15) “Daughtry” Daughtry
    16) “Jordin Sparks” Jordin Sparks
    17) “Vol. 3-4: Alchemy Index” Thrice
    18) “Snakes & Arrows Live” Rush
    19) “Little Voice” Sara Bareilles
    20) “The Odd Couple” Gnarls Barkley

    Top 20 Singles:

    1) “Lollipop” Li’l Wayne feat. Static Major
    2) “Bleeding Love” Leona Lewis
    3) “No Air” Jordin Sparks Duet With Chris Brown
    4) “Love in This Club” Usher feat. Young Jeezy
    5) “Touch My Body” Mariah Carey
    6) “4 Minutes” Madonna feat. Justin Timberlake
    7) “Sexy Can I” Ray J. feat. Yung Berg
    8) “Love Song” Sara Bareilles
    9) “With You” Chris Brown
    10) “See You Again” Miley Cyrus
    11) “Low” Flo-Rida feat. T-Pain
    12) “Say” John Mayer
    13) “Don’t Stop the Music” Rihanna
    14) “Damaged” Danity Kane
    15) “Stop & Stare” OneRepublic
    16) “Pocketful of Sunshine” Natasha Bedingfield
    17) “Boss” Rick Ross
    18) “Apologize” Timbaland feat. OneRepublic
    19) “Independent” Webbie, Li’l Boosie & Li’l Phat
    20) “Sorry” Buckcherry

    *Of course, it’s all about Mariah this week, as “E=MC2” becomes her sixth #1 album, putting her in a three-way tie for 2nd place among female artists with Madonna and Janet Jackson (Barbra Streisand is in 1st place, with 8). She should probably enjoy this moment, as Madge will in all likelihood bump Mariah back to 3rd place when “Hard Candy” is eligible to chart the week after next.

    *Although the 463K Mariah sold marks the biggest sales week of 2008 so far and is also the biggest debut week of Mariah’s career, it might be worth noting that in 2007 among female artists, Carrie Underwood, Mary J. Blige and Alicia Keys ALL opened with bigger first weeks. Then again, Mariah’s albums tend to have legs, so we’ll see what happens.

    *Why is radio not playing “4 Minutes”? The Madonna/JT collaboration has been the #1 or #2 downloaded song in America for the past 4 weeks, but stands at #6 this week. From a radio standpoint, the 21st century hasn’t been great to Madge, with her only huge radio hit being 2000’s “Music”.

    *The group Lady Antebellum (which apparently features the brother of fake John Mayer/Katherine Heigl’s hubby Josh Kelley) becomes the second consecutive new country act to crack the Top 5 nationally. I just wanna know who the hell came up with that name.

    *The real John Mayer finds himself in the Top 20 with a second single in less than a month (he’s credited on Fall Out Boy’s “Beat It”). “Say” has been out for something like 5 months now, but makes it’s jump due to a performance on “Dancing With The Stars”. It’s a cute enough song, but after a breakthrough album like “Continuum”, it almost sounds like a throwaway.

    *Also getting a TV-related bump is Gnarls Barkley. Following an appearance on SNL (was Cee-Lo’s mike messed up? The sound was weird), “The Odd Couple” pops back into the Top 20.

    *Alicia Keys’ “No One” FINALLY disappears from the Top 20!! I love Alicia, but I was getting tired of having to type that out every week. Hopefully Timbaland’s grossly overplayed “Apologize” is next.

    *How come when folks mention superstar acts coming out with albums in the near future, no one mentions Usher. Let’s not forget: Usher was the last artist to open with a million-plus week, AND 2004’s “Confessions” is the most recently released album to attain a diamond certification for 10 million plus shipments. “Here I Stand”, which arrives on 5/27, could be a monster.

    *Next week should be a relatively quiet chart week, with Ashlee Simpson being the only notable debut (with a number WAY off the pace of her first two albums). Mariah should be able to hold her ground at the top for a second week, although Leona Lewis fever is just beginning, and her performance on “Idol” last week should cement her position as runner-up.

  • Chart Chat: 4/20/08

    Happy 4/20, ladies and gentlemen! (If I have to explain the significance of this date to you, then never mind). Here’s this week’s Top 20 singles and albums.
    Top 20 Albums:
    1) “Spirit” Leona Lewis
    2) “Troubadour” George Strait
    3) “Sunset Man” James Otto
    4) “Now That’s What I Call Music 27” Various Artists
    5) “Accelerate” R.E.M.
    6) “Alvin & The Chipmunks” Soundtrack
    7) “All I Feel” Ray J.
    8) “Trilla” Rick Ross
    9) “When Angels & Serpents Dance” P.O.D.
    10) “Welcome to the Dollhouse” Danity Kane
    11) “Midnight Fire: A Body & Soul Collection” Various Artists
    12) “Pretty. Odd.” Panic at the Disco
    13) “Taylor Swift” Taylor Swift
    14) ” Ghosts I-IV” Nine Inch Nails
    15) “Sleep Through the Static” Jack Johnson
    16) “Daughtry” Daughtry
    17) “Jordin Sparks” Jordin Sparks
    18) “Day26” Day26
    19) “Saturday Nights & Sunday Mornings” Counting Crows
    20) “Consolers of the Lonely” The Raconteurs
    Top 20 Singles
    1) “”Bleeding Love” Leona Lewis
    2) “Lollipop” Li’l Wayne
    3) “No Air” Jordin Sparks & Chris Brown
    4) “Love in This Club” Usher
    5) “Touch My Body” Mariah Carey
    6) “Sexy Can I” Ray J.
    7) “4 Minutes” Madonna feat. Justin Timberlake
    8) “With You” Chris Brown
    9) “Love Song” Sara Bareilles
    10) “Low” Flo-Rida
    11) “See You Again” Miley Cyrus
    12) “Don’t Stop the Music” Rihanna
    13) “Stop & Stare” OneRepublic
    14) “Apologize” Timbaland feat. OneRepublic
    15) “No One” Alicia Keys
    16) “Superstar” Lupe Fiasco
    17) “Independent” Webbie
    18) “What About Now” Daughtry
    19) “Sorry” Buckcherry
    20) “Damaged” Danity Kane
    This week’s chart shows the sales bump provided by the “Idol Gives Back” special. Daughtry and Jordin Sparks both move back into the Top 20 on the albums chart, Sparks’ single reaches a new peak of #3, the fifth single from Daughtry’s 4X Platinum album debuts in the Top 20 (while the fourth single, “Feels Like Tonight”, sits at #24, and Carrie Underwood follows up last year’s version of The Pretenders’ Nineties hit “I’ll Stand by You” with a version of George Michael’s “Praying for Time”, which is new to the Top 100 at #27.
    Speaking of Sparks, her debut album surpasses Taylor Hicks in sales this week, meaning that she no longer has to worry about the dubious distinction of having the lowest-selling album by an “American Idol” winner in history.
    It almost pains me to say that the only artists who can boast a Top 10 single and a Top 10 album simultaneously this week are Leona Lewis (who’s vocally gifted but a complete cipher), and Ray J. (although I admit, “Sexy Can I” is kinda catchy!). In the process, Lewis becomes the first British female artist EVER to debut at #1 on the Billboard Albums chart. Take *that*, Winehouse!!
    I was just reading a “Vibe” article (one of many proclaiming Li’l Wayne as the best thing since color television) that mentioned the fact that Wayne had yet to live up to the hype by scoring a major pop hit. Welllll…with “Lollipop” making it to #2 (in a crowd of very successful singles) this week, I guess we can safely say that Weezy doesn’t have to worry about *that* anymore!
    Um…who’s James Otto??
    How the hell did one of those TV-advertised “Body & Soul” compilations (this one featuring Alicia Keys, R. Kelly, Mario and others) make it into the Top 20??
    Speaking of Mario, his third album “Go!” has been goosed slightly since he started appearing on “Dancing with the Stars”, but at only about 275K sold since it’s December release (and no major hit single), it’s got a long way to cover before it reaches the platinum-plus heights of his last album, “Turning Point”.
    Next week, Hurricane Mariah, who should leapfrog past the 500K mark with “E=MC2”, a number that will probably not only outsell the rest of the Top 10 combined, but will also immediately place her around #7 on the list of 2008’s Top 10 Albums (granted, it’s only April, but still…). It’s a long way from “Glitter”, eh?
    OK, the charts were boring this week, I promise something better next week.