Mariah Carey. Where did all go wrong

RobertfitzRobertfitz Posts: 2,732
Forum Member
✭✭✭
Its undebatable that Mariah's career has seen a steady decline in recent years and its a question worth raising. Will she ever see success again? Recent albums have showcased lack lustre songs, a rather under whelming vocal ability and a musical direction that's not pushed her to the top of charts. Is it further downhill from here?
«1

Comments

  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 117
    Forum Member
    Robertfitz wrote: »
    Its undebatable that Mariah's career has seen a steady decline in recent years and its a question worth raising. Will she ever see success again? Recent albums have showcased lack lustre songs, a rather under whelming vocal ability and a musical direction that's not pushed her to the top of charts. Is it further downhill from here?

    No, she will never be able to have the success that she had in the 90s or in 2005, even with American Idol. This is because she hasn't done anything 'new' with her music since 2005.
    She hasn't reinvented her music since the Mimi album, which is a shame as parts of her voice are still there (http://www.youtube.com/watch?NR=1&feature=fvwp&v=sbit9LDnQf4).

    e=mc2 was exactly like The Emancipation of Mimi, and Memoirs was a very relaxed rnb album that had no stand out songs except Obsessed which stuck out for all the wrong reasons. Merry Christmas 2 U was a good album though, I like Oh Santa! and When Xmas comes.

    IMO,her marriage to Nick Cannon has also affected her sales.
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 296
    Forum Member
    First of all I find your posting title completely bemusing, the woman is one the biggest selling artists in the history of music with over 200 million records sold. I wont even begin to list her endless accomplishments but there are ways and means of reading that for yourself. Artists are like products and with that comes a saturation and decline stage, you have to find other avenues to further your career longevity. It is very obvious that Mariah views herself as a brand and a powerful resource to make money as well as being an artist, this differs from an act such as Kate Bush who remains relatively withdrawn from "brand" management. Anyway, to answer your question "where did all go wrong" ... "IT" didn't go wrong, core fans will continue to buy the music however she is currently furthering her brand ...see 18 million dollar contract for Idol and various product lines she has created. On an end note... didnt everyone say the same thing but worse back in 2001? Then she released the "Emancipation" album...
  • RobertfitzRobertfitz Posts: 2,732
    Forum Member
    ✭✭✭
    First of all I find your posting title completely bemusing, the woman is one the biggest selling artists in the history of music with over 200 million records sold. I wont even begin to list her endless accomplishments but there are ways and means of reading that for yourself. Artists are like products and with that comes a saturation and decline stage, you have to find other avenues to further your career longevity. It is very obvious that Mariah views herself as a brand and a powerful resource to make money as well as being an artist, this differs from an act such as Kate Bush who remains relatively withdrawn from "brand" management. Anyway, to answer your question "where did all go wrong" ... "IT" didn't go wrong, core fans will continue to buy the music however she is currently furthering her brand ...see 18 million dollar contract for Idol and various product lines she has created. On an end note... didnt everyone say the same thing but worse back in 2001? Then she released the "Emancipation" album...


    Talk about defensive? I merely suggested that she hasn't seen the success recently since the early days. Geeeeeeeez chill out pal
  • Zack06Zack06 Posts: 28,304
    Forum Member
    ✭✭✭
    People said the same thing before she released The Emancipation of Mimi. When she had the breakdown and released that awful Charmbracelet album, everyone was saying she was over, yet she is still around.....I think she has peaked, but there is no reason why she can't keep selling, she has a massive fanbase, and American Idol will help re-introduce her into the younger market again...
  • JayPee86JayPee86 Posts: 3,565
    Forum Member
    ✭✭✭
    her new song is crap imo. and i even liked her 'memoirs' era.
    though god knows where shes going with this new era, the 'triumphant' dance remix is pretty good, but otherwise its got flop written all over it.
    which is a shame...
  • Andrew_DuncanAndrew_Duncan Posts: 1,715
    Forum Member
    ✭✭✭
    Her music these past two albums has been underwhelming to say the least and 'Triumphant' is just a new low. It doesn't even sound like she's properly singing it sounds like a backing singer if you get what I mean. To gain success she needs to go away and re-invent herself again. Intense promo is needed as well to show the world she's back. I loved 'Obsessed' though. Her 'feud' with Eminem did her no favours and to be honest neither does Nick Cannon. I mean he said she wouldn't 'lower' herself to go on a Singing contest show and a few months later she's doing Idol - awkward.
  • RooftopcowboyRooftopcowboy Posts: 7,234
    Forum Member
    I think she's been hit with a double-hit of R&B falling out of fashion and lacklustre songs.

    Back in 2005 her Emancipation album was very cool, the R&B clubs were playing songs like Its Like That, while commercial radio was all over We Belong Together....since then her material has been weak, and Dance has come back in to fashion.

    Her choices are to either go and do Dance/Pop songs, or (more likely) ride out this trend and wait for R&B to make a comeback.
  • BodyElectric.BodyElectric. Posts: 2,219
    Forum Member
    ✭✭✭
    MARIAH IS A MULTI - MILLIONAIRE what can go wrong?!

    The woman is one of the most successful female artists, she doesn't even have to continue making music.
  • Eric_BlobEric_Blob Posts: 7,756
    Forum Member
    It's nothing to do with Mariah. Pop radio stations in the US won't play urban songs anymore NO MATTER WHAT. Even Umbrella and Crazy in Love would flop if they were released now.

    Even if Mariah released the best R&B song of all time, she'd still flop. Quality of music isn't the problem, her personal life is not the problem. The problem is external, pop radio DJs not playing urban songs anymore. This is the same reason why rock songs are never hits, even if they're absolutely brilliant, because they never get played on the radio anymore.
  • RooftopcowboyRooftopcowboy Posts: 7,234
    Forum Member
    Eric_Blob wrote: »
    It's nothing to do with Mariah. Pop radio stations in the US won't play urban songs anymore NO MATTER WHAT. Even Umbrella and Crazy in Love would flop if they were released now.

    Even if Mariah released the best R&B song of all time, she'd still flop. Quality of music isn't the problem, her personal life is not the problem. The problem is external, pop radio DJs not playing urban songs anymore. This is the same reason why rock songs are never hits, even if they're absolutely brilliant, because they never get played on the radio anymore.

    Have to agree, Usher is only getting hits because he's turned to dance, and while Beyonce's last album kind of came and went without the impact of her previous albums.

    It will change at some point though, but it is probably Rock's turn to be back in the spotlight next, we haven't had a Rock 'era' since the Indie days of the Libertines, Keane, The Killers, Franz Ferdinand etc of the early 00s.
  • Eric_BlobEric_Blob Posts: 7,756
    Forum Member
    Have to agree, Usher is only getting hits because he's turned to dance, and while Beyonce's last album kind of came and went without the impact of her previous albums.

    It will change at some point though, but it is probably Rock's turn to be back in the spotlight next, we haven't had a Rock 'era' since the Indie days of the Libertines, Keane, The Killers, Franz Ferdinand etc of the early 00s.

    I don't think rock will ever come back to mainstream success. Rock music can't really thrive in a music industry like today's imo. It's too modern and manufactured, which goes against the whole principles of the rock culture.

    But it is looking like indie/guitar-pop and alternative is starting to dominate.

    However, I am wondering at this point, if dance-pop fades away, and urban music remains practically dead as it is now, what on earth are artists like Rihanna, Nicki Minaj, Usher, Chris Brown, Beyonce, etc. going to do?

    It's going to be interesting for the next few years I think lol.
  • LewnaticcLewnaticc Posts: 3,933
    Forum Member
    ✭✭✭
    Those artists will just conform to what ever the next mainstream wave is going to be. Dance will probably be around for a while longer yet, as for some reason people enjoy listening and buying songs like Bom Bom. Mariah will never be as successful as she once was. Not because she's lost her voice or hasn't tried any musical innovation since 2005, but because the charts have changed. Mariah will never do dance music--she hates it, and openly states that she's baffled at some of the awful stuff in the charts: "I was pregnant forever and being tortured by dance music."
  • Eric_BlobEric_Blob Posts: 7,756
    Forum Member
    Lewnaticc wrote: »
    Those artists will just conform to what ever the next mainstream wave is going to be. Dance will probably be around for a while longer yet, as for some reason people enjoy listening and buying songs like Bom Bom. Mariah will never be as successful as she once was. Not because she's lost her voice or hasn't tried any musical innovation since 2005, but because the charts have changed. Mariah will never do dance music--she hates it, and openly states that she's baffled at some of the awful stuff in the charts: "I was pregnant forever and being tortured by dance music."

    Well, we're talking about the US specifically. The UK (and the rest of Europe) will always have dance songs doing well in the charts. We even did back in 2004, when it had practically disappeared from the upper reaches of the US chart. And likewize, now R&B and hip hop are non-existant in the US charts, we've still got a fair few doing well in the UK charts.

    In the US it really looks to be starting to disappear.
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 5,852
    Forum Member
    OP don't you mean right?
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 80
    Forum Member
    Has it went wrong? Shes Mariah Carey. I am indeed no fan of hers, I hate her songs but just because I dont like her doesnt mean I will slate her. Is she like not in the top 3 biggest selling female of all time? I dont think she has anything else to prove or fix. Shes did it all tbh.
  • Hit Em Up StyleHit Em Up Style Posts: 12,141
    Forum Member
    ✭✭
    Mimi saw her back on top and I reckon that is where Mariah could have stayed had it not been for this

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KxshE43LP7w

    It was even worse than the Loverboy fiasco and this is where everything started to go wrong imho.

    I think the power vocal divas have it harder than the rest because their voices decline. This is completely natural. Mariah seems to be in denial about how much her voice has changed. She isn't 21 anymore. She needs to stop trying to sound like she is. In some ways its very sad because its age what has caused her problems. Nothing else.
  • gettygetty Posts: 3,480
    Forum Member
    ✭✭✭
    Has it went wrong? Shes Mariah Carey. I am indeed no fan of hers, I hate her songs but just because I dont like her doesnt mean I will slate her. Is she like not in the top 3 biggest selling female of all time? I dont think she has anything else to prove or fix. Shes did it all tbh.

    Plus she has her beautiful babies son Moroccan and daughter Monroe.:)
  • iseloidiseloid Posts: 9,392
    Forum Member
    I think she's been hit with a double-hit of R&B falling out of fashion and lacklustre songs.

    Back in 2005 her Emancipation album was very cool, the R&B clubs were playing songs like Its Like That, while commercial radio was all over We Belong Together....since then her material has been weak, and Dance has come back in to fashion.

    Her choices are to either go and do Dance/Pop songs, or (more likely) ride out this trend and wait for R&B to make a comeback.

    That's it. She and Whitney came at a time when their style was nonexistent. Now it's so hard to be a balladeer and get radio on side.
  • Tree-Of-LifeTree-Of-Life Posts: 1,080
    Forum Member
    ✭✭✭
    Mariah has finally found true happiness in her personal life. She has different priorities now as a mother of twins and probably views her career as a side priority now.

    She has done it all, she's a worldwide superstar, she's never been a famous 'touring' artist, obviously though with the strain that her vocals have to go through in each performance it would be hard to maintain that night after night in cities all over the world for many months. Kudos to Celine who has managed 200 shows per year in Las Vegas for all these years.
  • Master OzzyMaster Ozzy Posts: 18,923
    Forum Member
    ✭✭
    Maybe Mariah doesn't actually care anymore about pleasing the public. She's one of the biggest selling female artists of all time and has accomplished so much in her life. She started out young and she's now married and has two kids. She's done it all really and there's nothing much left for her to accomplish in her career. It's obvious that she really likes RnB music, and she has nothing left to prove so maybe she's making the music she wants to make, not the music the public want her too. She can do what she wants now as she has nothing to prove.
  • Anika HansonAnika Hanson Posts: 15,629
    Forum Member
    ✭✭
    Maybe Mariah doesn't actually care anymore about pleasing the public. She's one of the biggest selling female artists of all time and has accomplished so much in her life. She started out young and she's now married and has two kids. She's done it all really and there's nothing much left for her to accomplish in her career. It's obvious that she really likes RnB music, and she has nothing left to prove so maybe she's making the music she wants to make, not the music the public want her too. She can do what she wants now as she has nothing to prove.

    This.
  • Anika HansonAnika Hanson Posts: 15,629
    Forum Member
    ✭✭
    First of all I find your posting title completely bemusing, the woman is one the biggest selling artists in the history of music with over 200 million records sold. I wont even begin to list her endless accomplishments but there are ways and means of reading that for yourself. Artists are like products and with that comes a saturation and decline stage, you have to find other avenues to further your career longevity. It is very obvious that Mariah views herself as a brand and a powerful resource to make money as well as being an artist, this differs from an act such as Kate Bush who remains relatively withdrawn from "brand" management. Anyway, to answer your question "where did all go wrong" ... "IT" didn't go wrong, core fans will continue to buy the music however she is currently furthering her brand ...see 18 million dollar contract for Idol and various product lines she has 6created. On an end note... didnt everyone say the same thing but worse back in 2001? Then she released the "Emancipation" album...

    And this.
  • That_GuyThat_Guy Posts: 1,421
    Forum Member
    ✭✭✭
    I think Mariah surrounds herself with 'yes' people now, hence the decline in quality. At least with Sony she had a bit of guidance. That Walter guy had a lot to do with Mariah's 90s success.
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 6,505
    Forum Member
    Tommy Mottola too.


    Music changed. She didn't.
  • Carly_ThompsonCarly_Thompson Posts: 2,345
    Forum Member
    ✭✭✭
    It can't ever go wrong for Mariah now. She made it, she's done everything she the money she's earned and continues to earn will set her up for life, her kids too. I'm not a fan of her or her music, but nobody can really ask "where did it all go wrong" about a woman who is one of the biggest selling female artists of all time and who is that rich and that famous. I mean Mariah is a legend, everyone knows her.
Sign In or Register to comment.