Mariah Carey performed live in New York City’s Central Park this morning. She was there to kick off Good Morning America’s Summer Concert Series. She was also there to promote her forthcoming album. The pop diva performed three songs, “Always Be My Baby,” “We Belong Together,” and her new single “#Beautiful” with Miguel. Complete with a near-wardrobe malfunction and an accidental expletive heard on live television, this made for one interesting morning. Miguel, who was billed as a “surprise guest,” surprised nobody as he graced the GMA stage with his presence. He sounded brilliant as always. Mariah definitely upgraded from her last televised performance on the “American Idol” finale. Carey was actually singing this time without the help of a pre-recorded track. She didn’t sound “perfect,” but a live performance isn’t supposed to be perfect. It’s supposed to be real. Towards the end of “#Beautiful,” it sounded like Mariah was trying her best to hit that trademark high note, but to no avail. However, I would much rather hear that as opposed to hearing her pretend to hit it while a backing track plays the background. Mariah’s voice sounded great for the most part and she should continue singing live without pre-recorded vocals.
Tag Archive: carey
On tonight’s all-star “American Idol” finale, Candice Glover won the competition. One can only hope that she doesn’t fall victim to the syndrome of winners who haven’t achieved stellar careers. It seems as though, with the exception of Kelly Clarkson, America becomes more taken with those who haven’t won the talent competition. Glover is a true vocal talent deserving of the win. However, her performance with Jennifer Hudson didn’t impress me at all. It seemed to be more about the vocal acrobats than a genuine emotional connection to the song. It felt like they were trying to out-sing each other. By the end, it felt very ridiculous.
Mariah Carey was there not just as a judge, but as a performer. She took the stage to perform a medley of hits, including her new single, “#Beautiful.” The performance fell very flat for me. It was a mess. Mimi looked stiff as hell, barely moving a muscle… including her voice. Yes, if you paid close attention you would know that Carey was lip-syncing to pre-recorded vocals during the performance. At one point, she even talked to the audience while her pre-recorded vocal played in the background. Oops! And when the high note at the end of “We Belong Together” ended so abruptly, it sounded painfully unnatural. It didn’t even feel like she was trying to convince us. As a lamb, it was a pretty disappointing performance.
Aretha Franklin was a breath of fresh air, though. Even via satellite, that woman showed them all how it’s done. Another outstanding number was Jennifer Lopez performing her new single, “Live It Up,” with Pitbull. The dancing was great. It’s clear that Lopez hasn’t forgotten or abandoned her “fly girl” days. And she sang the entire song live. No pre-recorded vocals here. Lopez sounded good, too. I love the song the more I hear it and it will surely be this year’s summer anthem!
So, tonight’s finale was packed with highs and lows. As a fan of J.Lo, I hope she keeps up the good work. I almost can’t contain my excitement for the video! And as a fan of Mariah, I hope she steps her game up. If she wants to continue to be taken seriously as a “singer,” then sing. And if Mariah insists on lip-syncing, she should at least get some tips from an experienced drag queen. They can show her how it’s done.
Mariah Carey’s new video “#Beautiful” featuring Miguel premiered tonight on “American Idol.” The clip features Carey and Miguel joy riding through the country. It is filled with bright colors and wonderful energy coming from Mariah. My only critique of this video is the fact that Miguel wears his sunglasses the entire time (even at night when they’re in the barn). I find that rude and condescending. Are we not good enough to look into your eyes? Wearing shades outside is okay, but it just looks ridiculous indoors. However, it is a very good video.
The first single from Mariah Carey’s forthcoming studio album premiered this morning. The song is titled “#Beautiful” and features singer Miguel. At first, I assumed the hashtag symbol was just something used for Twitter to hype the song’s premiere. I was wrong. When I clicked on my iTunes this morning to purchase the song, I was stunned to discover the hashtag is actually part of the title. Nothing grinds my gears more than when people say the word “hashtag” when they speak. Some things are meant to be tweeted, not spoken. So, I was nervous that the song would have the word “hashtag” in the lyrics. Thankfully, it does not. It’s just a short (very short), catchy pop/R&B tune. Miguel opens the song and Mariah comes in on the second verse. While it isn’t as disappointing as “Triumphant (Get ‘Em)” was, I wish Mariah would’ve sang more on this track. The fact that it’s very short bears repeating. The entire song clocks in at 3:23, it just comes and goes very quickly. That said, it is very catchy and Mariah sounds very pretty on this song. However, she’s had much stronger vocal performances and I don’t expect this to become Mariah’s 19th Billboard Hot 100 #1. Although, I’d love to be proved wrong…
The song’s video premieres on “American Idol” Wednesday, May 8th and Mariah will kick off the Summer Concert Series on “Good Morning America” on May 24th.
The following teaser was unveiled on Mariah Carey’s YouTube page last night. It announces the singer’s new single, “Beautiful,” featuring Miguel. According to the announcement, this song is where “the new era begins,” leading fans to believe this will be the first single from the new album. It will be available worldwide May 6, 2013.
Mariah is also set to perform as part of Good Morning America’s “Summer Concert Series” on May 24th.
Mariah Carey has just released the new song, “Almost Home.” The song is from the new Disney film, “Oz: The Great and Powerful.” The song is an inspirational ode to perseverance through struggle. It ranks up there with previous Mariah classics, “Hero,” “Through The Rain,” “Make It Happen,” and “Can’t Take That Away (Mariah’s Theme).” Carey’s vocals are stellar and it is a significant improvement following the disappointing “Triumphant (Get ‘Em)” that was released last year. Here’s hoping “Almost Home” will be included on Mariah’s upcoming album.
Mariah Carey has debuted the new single off her new as-yet-untitled studio album. It’s called, “Triumphant (Get ‘Em),” and it features Rick Ross and Meek Mill. Actually, it should be Rick Ross and Meek Mill featuring Mariah Carey, because all Carey sings is the chorus and the bridge. Ross and Mill are the stars of this track. Therefore, it makes for a bad choice of a single and a song that leaves a whole lot to be desired. For the past week or so, Carey has hyped her fans up for the song’s premiere, encouraging them to be inspired by the song’s uplifting message. However, when you compare this song to “Hero,” “Can’t Take That Away (Mariah’s Theme),” and “Through the Rain,” it’s no question who wins the contest.
Sorry Mariah, try again. And this is coming from a devoted lamb. Here’s hoping the rest of the album is much better. We want to hear the VOICE.
The song goes on sale on iTunes August 7th.
One of the most beloved singers of her time, Whitney Houston, The Voice, passed away on Saturday, February 11th. Houston was in her hotel room preparing for Clive Davis’ pre-Grammy Awards party set to take place within hours. Houston was found in her room at the Beverly Hiton Hotel submerged in the bathtub and when paramedics arrived on the scene, attempts to revive her failed. She was pronounced dead at approxamitely 4:00 P.M. and police claimed there were “no obvious signs of criminal intent.” The cause of death is still under investigation.
The death of Houston saw an outpouring of grief and sadness by loved ones, fans, and fellow artists. It reminded the world why they fell in love with her magical voice when she first set the music world on fire in 1985. Born on August 9, 1963 to John and Cissy Houston, Whitney came from a musical family. Cissy was a professional singer who was often on tour, while Houston’s cousin was the singer Dionne Warwick. Whitney Houston grew up surrounded by musical greatness.
She was discovered by Clive Davis, head of Arista Records, and was signed to the label in 1983. Her self-titled debut album was released in 1985 and peaked at number one on the Billboard 200 Albums chart. It remained sealed to that position for an outstanding 14 weeks. The singles, “You Give Good Love,” “Greatest Love of All,” and “How Will I Know” helped make Houston a household name. Another single from the album, “Saving All My Love For You,” won Houston her first Grammy Award for Best Pop Vocal Performance, Female. The award was presented to her by her cousin, Dionne Warwick.
On her sophmore album, “Whitney,” Houston scored another number one with “I Wanna Dance With Somebody (Who Loves Me).” “Didn’t We Almost Have It All,” “So Emotional,” and “Where Do Broken Hearts Go” also hit number one. Houston had earned seven consecutive number one singles, breaking a record previously held by The Beatles and The Bee Gees. Houston formed The Whitney Houston Foundation For Children in 1989. It’s a non-profit organization that raises money to aid children who are homeless, even ill with cancer or AIDS. “I’m Your Baby Tonight,” Houston’s third album, was released in 1990. A year later, she delivered a mind-blowing performance of “The Star Spangled Banner” at Super Bowl XXV.
Houston’s next avenue was one that she had previously visited breifly in the early eightes after appearing on sitcoms. However, she never landed a role in a feature film until Kevin Costner asked Whitney to star alongside him in “The Bodyguard.” It was an opportunity Houston was reluctant to take at first, but Costner waited as long as he could until she was ready. The film was released in 1992 and became a major success. The soundtrack featured Houston’s now-signature song, “I Will Always Love You.” The song hit number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and the album became the best-selling soundtrack album of all time, selling over 44 million copies worldwide.
On July 18, 1992, Houston married R&B singer Bobby Brown. On March 4, 1993, Houston gave birth to their daughter, Bobbi Kristina Houston Brown. Houston’s success continued with roles in “Waiting to Exhale” in 1995 and “The Preacher’s Wife” in 1996. The films also had adjoining soundtracks with songs sung by Houston. Her first studio album in eight years came in 1998 when “My Love Is Your Love” was released. The album’s first single was a duet with Mariah Carey for the film, “The Prince of Egypt.” The song, “When You Believe,” won the Academy Award for Best Original Song. The album also featured the hits, “It’s Not Right, But It’s Okay,” “Heartbreak Hotel,” and the title track.
By the start of the new decade, rumors of drug use ran rampant in the tabliods. Houston’s frail appearance at Michael Jackson’s 30th Anniversary Trbute concert caused the public to worry about her health. In 2002, Houston released the “Just Whitney” album. It debuted at number nine on the Billboard 200 Albums chart and gave Houston the highest opening week sales of her career. However, by her standards, the album was a commercial disappointment, selling approxamitely three million copies worlwide.
In 2004, Houston entered a rehabilitation facility to get treatment for her drug addiction. In 2005, she starred alongside husband, Bobby Brown, on the reality show, “Being Bobby Brown.” The show shocked viewers, causing harm to Houston’s public image. In 2006, Houston filed for divorce from Brown in October 2006. Many fans hoped this would be Whitney’s opportunity to return to music. In 2009, she earned another number one album with “I Look to You.” To promote the album, Houston gave a revealing interview with Oprah Winfrey where she opened up about her marriage, drug use, and other personal topics. Houston further promoted the album with the “Nothing but Love World Tour.” The shows received negative reviews from critics and fans alike, claiming Houston’s voice wasn’t the same as it was in her glory days.
Houston began work on the film “Sparkle” alongside Jordin Sparks. The film is set for release in August 2012. Her death came the night before the Grammy Awards and producers wondered what to do to pay tribute to the fallen singer. Jennifer Hudson came on stage during the show and sang Houston’s classic, “I Will Always Love You.” It was a mere two years after Hudson sang for Houston herself when she was honored at the 2010 BET Honors.
The music world has lost one of the most memorable voices in the history of music. Whitney Houston will go down in music history as one of the greatest talents of her generation. Despite her personal stuggles, Houston always lifted people’s spirits with her music and films. She leaves behind an impressive musical legacy that extends beyond time. Whitney Houston’s voice is timeless and will be admired by music lovers for generations to come. When it comes to real legends, they never die.
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