Mariah Carey

[ElusiveButterfly]

I’m sure MC16 can have success if they do things properly like some of y’all said. It’s too bad if the label thinks she is worth to invest only during Christmas. There’s been several issues with Mariah’s career for a long time and yes there’s ageism in the industry but thats mostly in the US, in the rest of the world they don’t care and it would be good for her to put back the focus on the rest of the world and not do things only for the US. As for her image, things have been better with Roc Nation but there’s still plenty of work to do.
With the right campaign, the right visuals and the right single choices (something they mismanaged since E=MC2), she could make a great comeback and not be confined to Christmas stuff.
I’m not supporting the idea of another Christmas album now, she needs to show she’s not only here for December and push her non-holiday legacy and continue to release new music that can be heard and that people will see. I mean Celine and Madonna are not selling much either right now but at least their new releases have much bigger campaigns and impact.

[bm08]

I actually feel that she has become quite reclusive lately. I know Covid happened, but before she used to take part in random concerts/award shows. In a couple of weeks we'll have the Global Citizen event in NYC and apparently she won't be there as well . She just exposes herself more around the holiday season.

I dont think this is necessarily the case. Based on the call alone, she is doing quite a lot and who knows who she is interacting with. I do get the sense she is perhaps more combative with those label heads or whatever. But that could be due to a number of factors including growing into her own.

Back in the day you almost never attended events needlessly. People built appearances around an era.

[bm08]

I too can see her recording a new Christmas album with her voice being in such a good place. It might be now or never.

Tbh she doesnt need a new Christmas album but I will take it if offered.

I think if she does do it maybe she could do it in a genre or way she hasn't done before? Maybe a live album? Christmas duets? Christmas Jazz? Idk.

[24fanatic]

I think Mariah was excited about the things that are to come and wanted to share her excitement (while knowing she isn't allowed to reveal any specifics).

I am very curious as to what she meant by not just Christmas stuff too. If I'm being honest, having remembered the last Lambily Lounge, I didn't interpret this to mean she was releasing a new single (because she indicated to us that she was taking her time with MC16 and that it probably won't be out for a hot minute). I thought that maybe she has a non-Xmas collaboration with another artist on their album coming up. There were rumors of her potentially appearing on a Beyonce song on Twitter. Plus we have Adele coming around the corner... and Rihanna... maybe one of them (wisely) tapped her for a feature?

In terms of keeping her music sacred, I do think another artist wanted to do a straight up cover of one of her songs (and not AIWFCIY). I don't think she meant another artist just wanted a sample, because she has given clearance for that many times in the past (Drake with Emotions, Bryson Tiller with Shake it Off, Fifth Harmony with Always be my Baby, etc).

[delapuerta]

We should be happy for her. It's what she said. Whatever she's doing is for us

[NorthernMonkey]

I agree with the idea the Mariah has become quite unreliable in terms of quality and return. Caution was a fantastic album and realistically, her albums are always fabulous bodies of work. They don’t tend to sell well these days though because the singles she releases from them (and the ones in between) have been really below par over the last 10 years. #Beautiful has been the only really great single since 2010.

I personally feel like she’s lonely in her releases when she has them and that she has no backing from anyone. I just sense that she’s out there pretty much on her own sometimes.

People continuously say “she’s doing songs she likes now… she doesn’t need the success”.. but surely she can have both. I’m all for her releasing a banger that she loves. They don’t have to be two separate things. I’m sure she loves most of her successful songs too lol.

I just get frustrated when she has an album as solid as Caution and it goes unheard because they didn’t go the extra mile and launch it with a brilliant lead single to grab the public.

[ForeverYoung]

I too can see her recording a new Christmas album with her voice being in such a good place. It might be now or never.

Oh God.....................................I hope NOT.

She has released:

Merry Christmas [1994]
Merry Christmas dual disc (CD and DVD) [2005]
Merry Christmas II You [2010]
Merry Christmas (Deluxe Anniversary Edition) [2019]
Mariah Carey's Magical Christmas Special (Apple TV+ Original Soundtrack) [2020]


NOT here for another Christmas album. Please! She would REALLY be turning into freaking Connie Francis!

[delapuerta]

Do you realise most of the ones you put are the same album?

She has 3 Christmas albums, if we consider the last year soundtrack a new one

[delapuerta]

I think the problem, if there's one, is the visuals. You need good videos to create some hype and help the song to get into BB. Reply value.
I like Caution videos photography, but they don't tell much

[bm08]

Do you realise most of the ones you put are the same album?

She has 3 Christmas albums, if we consider the last year soundtrack a new one

The AIWFCIY cartoon movie also had it's own soundtrack, technically.

[delapuerta]

The AIWFCIY cartoon movie also had it's own soundtrack, technically.

Correct. I have it

[am1]

My predictions on the things she's up to at the moment. Just from what she's been saying on spaces... Could be totally wrong ofcourse!

• Apple Xmas Special with accompanying soundtrack with a new song to promote it.
• An album redoing some hits in the style of WBT late lounge. (Could be doing this to get out of her current recording contract?)
• MC16 with a raw sound and live instruments which will come out next year on a new record label with a behind the scenes documentary/speccial on Netflix or Apple.
• SUD will be packaged and released
• Merry Xmas going Diamond
• Something for Glitter with vinyl and cinema experience
• Lots of side business ventures - Hair products, Xmas merch etc.
• Rarities 2
• TMOM Movie / Series

[Michiel]

I really don’t think it has anything with the music, bar maybe too much overlayering which makes it sometimes hard to sing along to.

It is just 2021 and she is Mariah Carey and not Billie Eilish. As hard as we want her to succeed she would stick out as a sour thumb in a line-up with the current ‘generation Z’. She is just not as in demand anymore, like most ‘legacy acts’. It is bound to happen to any current act too. She just does not have the same marketing machine behind her like pre 2010. The music industry has changed tremendously, and Mariah is actually one of the few legacy acts that has managed to evolve along with it (quite solid streaming numbers, and being active on social media/trying new things) but it is just not enough. She might release her best song with her best video with tons of promotion and it would still not be enough. I actually think caution did everything it had to, being critically acclaimed and it served her best interviews in over a decade. The focus was on the music and she regained respect from a certain audience. It is just almost impossible for her to get huge succes with a new single in any genre of songs, even Christmas. Oh Santa was a viral moment and even that did barely anything. Mariah is also very meme worthy, she is referenced a lot in gifs etc., and Mariah plays with that brilliantly. I would argue that’s even the reason why they released GTFO as the first single/promo single. It was current, catchy, good enough video and meme worthy. And still it hardly made any noise. From a marketing point it is very understandable they left the album as it is after the release week. There’s only that much they can get out of it if nothing sticks. Still caution is her best era since e=mc2. They were prepared and she executed.I think releasing a collab with a current star and simultaneously releasing own new stuff might be the best option, but even that’s a long shot and which star would even be interested in releasing a single with Mariah for chart success? Releasing during or right after Christmas won’t do much, people overestimate the association ‘Mariah Carey = Christmas’, for most of the general audience it is ‘All I Want For Christmas Is You = Christmas’. The song is bigger than her, just like Last Christmas is bigger than Wham! It is what defines a ‘classique’.

Obviously I would live for a ‘believe’ moment, but I really believe they can only do as much, there also has to be luck and the right support online which is all outside of hers and her teams power.

And also wanted to echo and ask: which legendary artist still works so hard? Literally no one. Yet she still goes for it and still delivers high quality work. Caution sounded very Mariah, but also very contemporary. The rarities was a very great addition to her catalogue, and she did it with care (not throwing some half assed unfinished songs on it). And she gave us a high quality memoir/audio book, and not just a ghost written bibliography. I mean… phew, I don’t see myself working that hard at her age, also considering everything she already has achieved which is basically every record in music. She is brilliant. I’m gonna be happy with everything she still gives (bar new Xmas music cause I can’t , because I feel (personal opinion) she underestimates herself by focusing and investing so much in her recurrent Xmas eras, even if it makes sense from marketing point of view).

[WEBofDESIRE]

@Michiel I hear you.

I think huge commercial success is a ship no longer in the harbor at this point. Not to say she can't still release great work and have success on a smaller scale. She should work to build on the AC/Hot AC/Urban AC foundation she has and see if she can have some "hits" on that format. AC isn't powerful enough today to put songs on the top of the billboard chart, but it's still an audience beyond the lambs and even chart specific #1s and top 10s have a way of adding some prestige to an album and/or the songs themselves.

To me a big colab for her would be with another artist that is strong on the AC formats.

[NorthernMonkey]

I think the majority of us accept that she isn’t going to be a front runner again but she could be more successful than she is with better singles and more investment, financially and emotionally. Apart from a couple of weeks for caution (in the US only), it was just left to rot. I guess I’d just like the same amount of effort she puts in for her Christmas projects. Lol.

[jeejust]

Mariah is just not setting herself up for success. In this day and age you need exposure to the general public for them to remember you.

Madonna and Celine are showing up at events to let the world they are still here. JLo is literally at every event and making sure the public knows about her A List men.

Whitney during her 2003-2009 turndown became reclusive just like Mariah is and it made her comeback in 2009 especially hard and unfruitful.

[itsawrap]

Okay this is morbid… but Kelly Price is allegedly really sick with covid. I wonder if something happens to her would Mariah post a tribute after all the shit talking Kelly has done?

[am1]

Mariah is just not setting herself up for success. In this day and age you need exposure to the general public for them to remember you.

Madonna and Celine are showing up at events to let the world they are still here. JLo is literally at every event and making sure the public knows about her A List men.

Whitney during her 2003-2009 turndown became reclusive just like Mariah is and it made her comeback in 2009 especially hard and unfruitful.

Mariah is busy writing songs and making new stuff. J.Lo obviously has more free time at the moment.
She'll come back when she's done working and ready for promo mode.

[stevyy]

Okay this is morbid… but Kelly Price is allegedly really sick with covid. I wonder if something happens to her would Mariah post a tribute after all the shit talking Kelly has done?

Honestly, I don't wish anyone harm... Mariah should speak out if things turn out tragic... but for the meantime...

I will never forget her hurtful rants tho.

[stevyy]

I think the majority of us accept that she isn’t going to be a front runner again but she could be more successful than she is with better singles and more investment, financially and emotionally. Apart from a couple of weeks for caution (in the US only), it was just left to rot. I guess I’d just like the same amount of effort she puts in for her Christmas projects. Lol.

and even her xmas projects are not promoted internationally at all. imagine what could happen if she would actually get her arse to Europe or Asia or Australia and promote her damn xmas albums. Merry Christmas is hitting more and more charts in Europe and globally each year despite total silence by her.

That Bublé album is selling well from November - January and reaches the top 10 /20 in most markets worldwide... Merry Christmas should be able to do the same. Right now, it is doing best in the entirety of Scandinavia (Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Iceland), Italy, USA, Canada, Netherlands, Australia and the Baltics (Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania).

+ it sneaks in a week or two in the UK...bah,... it should chart as high and for as long as that damn song is.

[stevyy]

Well Michiel I get what you are saying.. I just hope that after 12 years of not promoting new music outside the United States, she would finally return to the world and proclaim: Here I am, I'm still alive and I'd really like for you to buy my new album!"

The last album she promoted in Germany was E=MC˛. I feel so robbed and empty of cute TV appearances. She was last seen on German TV 3 US presidents ago. OMG.

[stevyy]

I think the problem, if there's one, is the visuals. You need good videos to create some hype and help the song to get into BB. Reply value.
I like Caution videos photography, but they don't tell much

her music videos have been lacking a storyline for over a decade now. I believe Obsessed was the last one... and before that... it was TMB and before that it was Boy... I feel like her areas only get 1 decent video per era... with Caution getting none. (but we all know MC hates Caution).

[stevyy]

Tbh she doesnt need a new Christmas album but I will take it if offered.

I think if she does do it maybe she could do it in a genre or way she hasn't done before? Maybe a live album? Christmas duets? Christmas Jazz? Idk.

Rock n Roll Christmas.... as a duet album. It would go platinum tbh.

[delapuerta]

her music videos have been lacking a storyline for over a decade now. I believe Obsessed was the last one... and before that... it was TMB and before that it was Boy... I feel like her areas only get 1 decent video per era... with Caution getting none. (but we all know MC hates Caution).

Well, AIWFC (make my wish come true edition) is fun to watch and it's a good video

[tee]

Since it was MTVs anniversary and also Glitters 20th Anniversary would not have it been cool if she showed up on stage with an oversized Loverboy T-shirt and then proceed to strip revealing a black turtle neck underneath! She could have also had Carson Daly in on it or even present an award with him. It would be so MTV! Walking out with the Loverboy theme music and the T-shirt would have been more Iconic than even Madonnas New York montage.