I Want to Know What Mariah Is (1 Viewer)

[old spice]

Greetings, Moopy lambs!

I come in peace and with an open mind. Please play nice with me!

I do these stupid music polls on my IG (began through lockdown boredom and have just kept running...) and the current project is me trying to come up with personal top tens for each of the bestselling artists of all-time as per this (highly questionable) list.

It's Ms. Carey's turn next. I'd say I know all the notable hits and vaguely recall listening to the first few albums when I was a tween. I could probably come up with a top ten I'm mostly untroubled by already, but I like to give every artist a fair shot and explore their career a bit more thoroughly before passing judgment. Deep cuts and fan faves are a must.

Unfortunately, my request for such hidden gems online has resulted in replies like "her Christmas album!", 'We Belong Together', and "the one where she's on a swing." :/ My friends aren't always the most musically literate.

Please help me navigate my way through her rather intimidating discography a bit better. My overall taste skews painfully dad rock nowadays, but I'm open to most things and enjoy 'fun' 90s Mariah ('Fantasy', 'Honey', 'Heartbreaker', etc.). It's the 21st-century stuff where she lost all my interest: I don't care for 'We Belong Together' (plz don't hurt meee) and strongly dislike 'Obsessed' and 'Touch My Body'. I know '#Beautiful' and consider that one of her best - but I think that's also the last time I remember hearing a new Mariah song. :/

Another thing I'm struggling with is how many versions of her songs there are? E.g. I did get a decent deep cut rec for 'The Roof', but when I search for it I see that there's one with Mobb Deep ( ) and one with Brandy alongside the album track? Which one of these is considered 'canon' by the lambs? If there are remixes that are considered just as good/better than the OG tracks then please share. I know the ODB mix of 'Fantasy' and that's it I think (and in that case, I'll take the original).

All recommendations gratefully received, thank you! x

 

[Joseph]

The Roof album version is just Mariah - the Remix with Mobb Deep is from the EP and the Brandy version is from 2022 from her Masterclass and tacked into the 25th anniversary release of Butterfly

I personally prefer the ‘Thank God I Found You (Make It Last Mix)’ to the original

 

[Joseph]

As far as deep cuts / less talked about, here are some of my faves :

1. Reflections (Care Enough)
2. After Tonight
3. Bliss
4. My Saving Grace
5. H.A.T.E.U.
6. One Mo’ Gen
7. I’m That Chick
8. Fourth Of July

 

[Berly]

The Distance
Here We Go Around Again
Betcha Gon Know (the prologue)
Dedicated
Languishing (the interlude)
Help Me Make It

 

[Jark]

I have these three Mariah playlists that comprise singles and fave album tracks







they don't really include remixes, anything from Glitter or Charmbracelet or anything from the last ten years () but good for a quick tour through her discog if you want to get up to speed and figure out which album to dive into further!

 

[dUb]

Some of my favourite deep cuts/less well known songs:

Here We Go Around Again
Prisoner
Now That I Know
Everything Fades Away
Slipping Away
Long Ago
Melt Away
Babydoll
Lead The Way
Clown
Your Girl
Secret Love
I Feel It (never officially released as she couldn't clear the sample but it's on YouTube)
Cruise Control
Side Effects
4Real4Real
H.A.T.E.U.
More Than Just Friends (the most SLEPT ON song in her entire catalogue in my opinion)
Dedicated
You Don't Know What To Do
GTFO
The Distance
Giving Me Life

And some remixes that were as good as / better than the originals and had their own videos

I Still Believe / Pure Imagination
Thank God I Found You (Make It Last Remix)
My All / Stay Awhile
Always Be My Baby (Mr. Dupri Mix)

 

[Berly]

I was trying but I couldn’t for the life of me remember the Pure Imagination one Listening now

 

[Pipo]

I was trying but I couldn’t for the life of me remember the Pure Imagination one Listening now

It's AMAZING. It's a shame we don't have remixes like this anymore.

 

[funky]

Based on what you said I would honestly start with her first albums and listen to them chronologically. Putting aside the Unplugged and Christmas albums; her first 5 albums from 1990 to 1997 are incredibly consistent and represent the classic Mariah sound from start to finish - very little filler, vocals out front, R&B-pop focus.

Listening to them in order shows her evolution from pop vocal queen to R&B queen.

From 1999 onwards it does start to get a bit messier, the albums a bit lacking in individual direction, lots of filler peppered with some strong highs. But I personally don’t think you’re missing much by ignoring the deep cuts from the 2000s. for example. Especially if, like me, you’re not a fan of the likes of TMB and Obsessed and think that We Belong Together is a tad overrated.

The exception for me is the Me I Am Mariah album which is full of deep cuts and felt like a return to form with great collabs and a radio friendly sound not just chasing the urban market.

 

[old spice]

I think I've probably listened to about 80-90% of what's in this thread on top of revisiting like every one of her popular songs. A few observations (forgive me if I'm a bit over-critical in a lambs-only space, but y'all seem nice and my entire Moopy brand appears to be built on ENDLESS WAFFLING after all):

I always thought the reason I never much cared for Mariah was that I don't really connect to her voice. But I think maybe it's not the voice so much as how she chooses to sing. I dislike that upper register that she's been favouring for like, the past quarter-century. Reading YouTube comments on some of these vids suggest her fans see it as 'angelic' or 'songbird'-like, whereas I just find it wispy, airy, and mostly annoying. I'm also unenthused by the famous whistle notes (I think I'd prefer the end of 'Emotions' without them, as much as they make contextual sense there).

But I realise that when she does choose to really SANG, I'm able to get on board. Two of my fave discoveries thus far have been 'You Don't Know What to Do' and 'Your Girl' where she cuts loose and even gets a little stank. Pleasantly surprised! She also has fantastic taste in music and a great ear for samples (most obviously: 'Genius of Love' is one of my fave songs of the 80s so it follows that 'Fantasy' is pure killer). I wish she'd marry those receptive instincts to something more substantial more often. I swear I listened to a zillion different versions of 'Loverboy', and there's a good song in each one somewhere, but she just whisper-vomits incoherent gibberish over every mix and ends up falling way, way short of what could be. Compare to the aforementioned choons, or the wondrous 'I Feel It' (@dUb - EXACTLY what I was looking for, I thank thee!), and it gets frustrating cos she's v capable of nailing it.

Am I right in that those airier vocals begin around the Butterfly album? That said, amongst my other favourite discoveries are 'Breakdown' and 'The Roof' which are both slow-burners and total vibes, so I'll give her a pass there. 'Shook Ones' is another of those songs that's 'best of decade' material imo - it's kinda wild to me that Mariah was sampling and collaborating with Mobb Deep and I had no idea! I should give her more credit for being so badass. Talking of badass, I didn't care for her 00s comeback at the time and thought I disliked 'It's Like That' (among many others) - but it kinda low-key slaps two decades later? I also don't mind 'Say Somethin'' and, bizarrely, 'Don't Forget About Us' which I have zero recollection of but which seems to be 'We Belong Together Pt. II' - and yet, far more tolerable to me for some reason. I guess this is not the consensus amidst the lambs lol?

Also no one here mentioned 'Vanishing' which I might prefer to anything else she did pre-Music Box. Is this one not popular with the fanbase? I don't enjoy her early singles ('Emotions' excepted), though I can well understand why 'Vision of Love' was the debut. 'Vanishing' is a similar vocal showcase where I actually feel every word she sings - it's a shame that it languishes in obscurity compared to the stuff that was actually released.

All of this suggests that I'd like her more if she moved away from autotune, tinny beats, and meme-able lyrics ('A No No' would be a good song if she just rewrote like every word imo). She's better than I gave her credit for and were she to forgo any attempts at chasing contemporary relevance, lean into the more full-bodied part of her range, and come up with some sort of Stax-inspired or 70s-soul throwback album that draws on her vulnerabilities/maturity I think it'd be AMAZING. She clearly has that record within her.

Anyway, I think my actual top ten will end up being tragically vanilla by lamb standards, but I'm nonetheless grateful for these new discoveries. You guys aren't in danger of my joining your ranks, but I think there'll be a good 15-20 songs that I can come away saying I like/don't mind and that's much more than I expected (I've trawled through the discographies of Eminem, Queen, and AC/DC where it was nigh-on impossible to find ten songs that wouldn't rape my ears - Mariah's a million leagues above in my book!). Huge thanks again to everyone for the recommendations, and enjoy the season of INESCAPABLE Mariah that y'all have coming up! <3

 

[dUb]

Very interesting to read that @old spice!

Vanishing is often held up as one of her best ever songs, and I do love it, so not sure why I left that off my list.

Yeah the breathier stuff started with Butterfly but it was more of a stylistic choice then I think, whereas later (Charmbracelet onwards) it seemed to be used more frequently due to a quality decline in her belting register/chest voice.

Don't Forget About Us has a little fanbase who like to say they prefer it to WBT, indeed! So you've joined their ranks at least

 

[dUb]

@old spice you can't leave Lamb-Adjacent Laneway without hearing this late career WONDER

Full voice, soaring chorus, key change... underrated but loved by many. (Apart from her, she hates it )

 

[Loufoque]

Too late now but ten of my favourite deep cuts

Betcha Gon' Know (The Prologue) - 2009
Till the End of Time - 1991
Prisoner - 1990
Out Here On My Own - 2000
Triumphant (Get 'Em) - 2013
Melt Away - 1995
Meteorite - 2014
Underneath the Stars (Drifting Remix) - 1995
Looking In - 1995
Runway - 2018

Queen been coming through for 30 years

 

[Loufoque]

Honourable mentions

You're So Cold
Fly Away
Bliss
I Wish You Knew
Migrate
Standing O
H.A.T.E.U.
GTFO
Caution
Giving Me Life

 

[old spice]

@old spice you can't leave Lamb-Adjacent Laneway without hearing this late career WONDER

Full voice, soaring chorus, key change... underrated but loved by many. (Apart from her, she hates it )

I'm afraid I gotta agree with Ms. Carey - she of typically flawless taste! - on this one. Mariah sounds in very good voice, but this is really just some generic 2010s inspirational ballad no? At least all the stuff I dislike has a clear IDENTITY to it. I wish she'd sing in that full voice more tho, yes!

But never mind, I'm still out here losing my mind to 'I Feel It' which is gift enough! This really needs to have 'DEEP INSIDE' added in parentheses and the rights cleared asap. I want it thrown onto streaming so I can FEEL IT COME ALIVE on a more regular basis plz.

Thank you @Loufoque for the extra recs. I listened to quite a number of those! I remember noting that 'Melt Away' reminds me so much of something else that I can't put my finger on. Does it sample something? Or has something sampled it? It's so familiar! I also remember wondering who the hell was doing the rap in 'Prisoner' - it's not HER is it because if so!!

 

[dUb]

I also remember wondering who the hell was doing the rap in 'Prisoner' - it's not HER is it because if so!!

It IS her!

 

[Loufoque]

The Prisoner rap remains one of her career peaks. Someone needs to make it happen on TikTok. SEE YA!

 

[KC 🦋]

"That's just not my format"

 

[Pipo]

It has always pissed me off that THE version of Almost Home that plays during the final credits of the OZ movie is nowhere to be found online.

 

[old spice]

Omg lambs WHEN YOU fucking BELIEVE nearly won the whole damn vote but 'Emotions' pipped it at the end, 'Christmas' third, all ahead of my own fave ('Fantasy' natch). I am becoming increasingly convinced that democracy is an untenable system smh.

Anyway I properly bigged up 'I Feel It (Deep Inside)' and put it at #3 so I hope I will get to remain a Friend of the Lambs hereafter for my services to hidden gems. x

 

[Vicky the Vole]

I think my best of Mariah playlist would finish when the 90s did.

 

[dUb]

Omg lambs WHEN YOU fucking BELIEVE nearly won the whole damn vote but 'Emotions' pipped it at the end, 'Christmas' third, all ahead of my own fave ('Fantasy' natch). I am becoming increasingly convinced that democracy is an untenable system smh.

Anyway I properly bigged up 'I Feel It (Deep Inside)' and put it at #3 so I hope I will get to remain a Friend of the Lambs hereafter for my services to hidden gems. x

Of course! What’s your full list??

 

[old spice]

I think my best of Mariah playlist would finish when the 90s did.

Prior to this (requested) intervention, I would have said the same. But I stand corrected!

Of course! What’s your full list??

Ugh, well remember I warned y'all that my top ten would be very basic by lamb standards. My taste is actually quite basic full stop tbh - with most significant artists (inc. many of my faves) I tend to fall in line with critical/popular consensus.

Spoiler: LIST

1. Fantasy
2. #Beautiful
3. I Feel It
4. Always Be My Baby
5. All I Want for Christmas Is You
6. Honey
7. Dreamlover
8. When You Believe
9. Heartbreaker
10. Emotions

Spoiler: Ten that missed

11. Hero
12. You Don't Know What to Do
13. Your Girl
14. Vanishing
15. Breakdown
16. It's Like That
17. Forever
18. The Roof (Back in Time) [Mobb Deep extended version]
19. Don't Forget About Us
20. Say Somethin'

I know there's a fair bit of GLOOP in there, but I can be very susceptible to that when delivered well. With 'When You Believe' - I'm genuinely in love with Whitney's voice, and I think Mariah's complements it perfectly. They have differing strengths that sound great together (and I'm not one to resist a good old-fashioned gospel choir on the final chorus); it's a song that's aged better than expected imo. With 'Hero' - I have a certain fondness for dingy karaoke bars, and have run across way too many FILIPINA TITAS who invariably take a shine to me, so I must've duetted on this at least a half-dozen times over the years and likely know the lyrics by heart lmao!! With 'Forever' - yeah, I got no excuses for that one. :/

 

[funky]

I genuinely have no idea what “I Feel It” is.

To me that’s an amazing dance track with Jocelyn Brown from the 90s, but I don’t know the Mariah song.

 

[KC 🦋]

I believe they mean "When I Feel It". It's an unreleased song from The Emancipation of Mimi and a 10/10.

 

[dUb]

I genuinely have no idea what “I Feel It” is.

To me that’s an amazing dance track with Jocelyn Brown from the 90s, but I don’t know the Mariah song.

 

[funky]

Oh that’s quite nice! Should have been on the album

 

[Pipo]

which is why I fuckng hate DFAU, we were DEPRIVED of so much greatness in favor of hit-chasing shit songs.

 

[dUb]

At least she got a hit that time

 

[funky]

Was it on Rarities? I don't remember hearing it on there!

 

[dUb]

Was it on Rarities? I don't remember hearing it on there!

No, it's never been released officially. Whoever owns the sample wouldn't clear it.

 

[old spice]

'I Feel It' is a disco-tier level of DEEP (inside) CUT that is reserved only for LAMB CONNOISSEURS and their longtime-vegetarian sidechicks, alas. I guess I'm that chick.

I am now prepping for Rod Stewart week (holy fuck is his oeuvre DRAB AF) and I am genuinely missing Mariah which is not sth I ever thought I'd say. (Though ask me again in December and I'll have a very different answer I'm sure.) Might have to bop around to 'Honey' when doing the cleaning later.

I believe they mean "When I Feel It". It's an unreleased song from The Emancipation of Mimi and a 10/10.

Also THEY are a HE but thank you for being inclusive when unsure! I'm surprised this website doesn't have preferred pronouns!

 

[dUb]

I think KC meant they as in me and you

 

[Jark]

I Feel It is fine but a bit tuneless. I don't think I'd want it on TEOM