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Re: Nikki (40,199) by jaker20 from US I'm glad you state your opinion in a civil way. But we agree to disagree. You are saying that MC can claim "best selling of all time" title due to Soundscan. Come on, we all know that is misleading advertising. Also you are mixing up your Soundscan and global numbers. You yourself stated Madonna sold 27 million during Soundscan (it's actually 29m but I'll use your number here to prove a point). Pre-Soundscan she has RIAA certification total to 41m. That totals to 68m vs MC's 54. Yes RIAA don't represent actual sales, but if you add MC's RIAA certifications it is more or less the same number. That's also huge gap to think about. It is simply not possible. We're not even talking about global numbers here, just US sales. I think a lot of artsts used Soundscan's number and run with it for advertising. That's like saying Garth Brooks is the "best selling artist of all time", because you know, according to Soundscan, he sold 4m more albums than The Beatles. Sounds good for advertising, but we all know that's not true. (Friday 13 December 2013; 5:22)

Lamb since Vision Of Love, but..... (40,198) by CHAZ from USA No one (a lot of old fans, newer fans, new fans, people in general, even the music industry) seems to take you seriously anymore because it seems like you don't take yourself seriously, i.e., recent appearances in Angie Martinez, Jimmy Fallon, and The Today Show. Yeah, it's cool to show your fun side, but must you seem like you've just lost your mind every time? I hate to say it, but please take a cue from Jennifer Lopez, who seems so poised and professional and fun at the same time. I still love you and still will defend you from my friends, but at times, you make me say, "WTF?" Now I need a splash myself. (Friday 13 December 2013; 3:04)

I love you Mariah but... (40,197) by Gilbert from USA You need to stop announcing that you broke your shoulder. I mean it was all over the news. You're well and please move on. What you wore on the Today show, at first I thought oh maybe it's a dress, but why does everyone need to see your negligee? Aye Mariah, you give people reason to think your really off the wall sometimes. I love you, but really? (Friday 13 December 2013; 0:42)

RE: Jaker (40,196) by nikki from usa I have to disagree with you. That's very accurate advertising. The whole point of Soundscan is to track actual sales. Not so called shipments and certificates which are paid for, and numbers declared, from the record companies. The RIAA gets its numbers straight from the record company which is why there was never a way to gauge accuracy. There was severe number gouging which is why Soundscan was invented. Even if you add up all of Madonna's material from beginning to '91, she's around 100 million shipments. Since '91 to present day Madonna has only sold 27 million albums (US), which means she would've had to sell over 170 million worldwide to equal the number her PR is claiming. Her Immaculate album came out in November of 1990 and before Soundscan began counting actual sales in March '91 (3 months and 3 weeks later) her label claimed it already sold 5 million copies in the US. A few months after March her label claimed she sold another 5 million, even though Soundscan showed she was in hundreds of thousands with sales. No where near 5 million. This is where they got their hands caught in the cookie jar. This is an example of number gouging. The reason both MC and Celine Dion have awards recognizing over 100 million albums sold and Madonna doesn't is because they can prove it. If Madonna's sales were true, she would've won that award 3x's by now. Her actual sales have yet to prove she's hit 100 million even once. (Thursday 12 December 2013; 20:56)

Rihanna 13 #1s (40,195) by clueey23 from USA Who cares? On half the songs that went to #1 she is a featured artist. For example, "Monster" is an Eminem song where Rihanna sings the hook. MC will always have the distinction of having written and produced her own #1 songs. I'm glad we don't have to see MC associated with demonic images and just everything that Rihanna has become. We should all know that Rihanna loves MC. Also, Rihanna's career, as far as putting out an album almost every year since she's been an active artist., is molded after MC. Only Rihanna's songs are pop fluff, not pop classics. Don't get me wrong, I own Rihanna's albums, but to compare to Mariah's music is comedy. And she still needs 5 more songs to top the chart before she matches MC's record, that's a lot of #1s! But I do find it strange that she is amongst Michael Jackson, Madonna, Mariah, Elvis, and Whitney Houston. (Thursday 12 December 2013; 13:40)

Today Show (40,194) by Mimi L. from Empower Your Highlighter We'd be a little delusional if we don't see Mariah being a little irrelevant during interview. From around the 4.37 mark of the interview where the interviewer tries to move on to the next part and Mariah starts talking about her negligee. The open basically keeps saying "ok ok Mariah wait" because Mariah wasn't stopping and obviously the interview had a time limit so the woman had to move to the next part. Also when the interviewer was going to ask about AIWFCIY, Mariah started talking about "they call the wind Mariah". Opening and closing her satin robe and going on and on about how she's giving her a peak when the interviewer asked to see her closet. (Thursday 12 December 2013; 8:38)

Blaming the media, Rihanna, reality check, etc. (40,193) by jaker20 from US First, don't blame the media because Mariah is media. She has her own media, PR and advertising people, therefore she is part of that industry. All the press they put out over the years, best-selling female artist, most no.1 singer, etc. She might not have created it, but she definitely chased it and danced with it. We all know that the "best selling" part is not true. MC is best selling in Soundscan era but we all know Madonna takes the overall title. So that's somewhat false and misleading advertising. In my opinion, MC's true legacy is having the most no.1s by a solo artist. Here comes Rihanna, getting her 13th no.1 so fast I can't believe she'll break MC's record while MC is still actively working. She's definitely gunning for that title and with the way chart formulas are structured now, she'll definitely take it faster than we all though. Now, let's not pretend this isn't important. MC used that title herself throughout her career, it is good for business so to speak. MC at this point in her life probably: (1) don't care, (2) silently lamenting, (3) or just plainly don't know what to do (4) would rather focus on nail polish and perfumes. MC is kind of a victim of her own success. (Thursday 12 December 2013; 8:23)

Mariah needs to reinvent (40,192) by jaker20 from US MC probably hates that word because its synonymous to Madonna who has endured and outlived everyone's career, even those who came after her. But that's going to be MC's curse. If she doesn't reinvent, then as a performer she can't survive. Reinventing doesn't mean you have to change who you are. It's just part of growth, and any artists should continue to grow and change, because your body changes as well and you can't do the same you use to do 20 years ago. That is of course if MC even want to perform anymore. At the rate she's going, she seem more interested in reinventing herself as a business woman selling nail polish and perfumes. (Thursday 12 December 2013; 8:07)

AIWFCIY (40,191) by clueey23 from USA I think it's cool that "All I Want For Christmas Is You" is almost 20 years old and is #26 on Billboard Hot 100. If you all haven't noticed there is an AIWFCIY mega promotion going on. Also #1 on Billboard Hot 100 Christmas songs. A dream of mine is for this song to be #1 on the Hot 100. But one can only dream. I think it's amazing that only MC can be the "queen of Christmas". (Thursday 12 December 2013; 7:19)

George / interview (40,190) by Jay from USA Rihanna has 13 #1 songs on the Pop chart. She already surpassed Mariah. Mariah has 18 #1 on the Top 100 Songs. It's a different chart. No travesty yet. And as far as the interview, I see no difference in how Mariah acts in any of her other interviews. And I just chalk it up to her insecurities (which she often refers to in her songs). Which I think is also why she always has to do various takes when she sings live (pre-taped). She's human like the rest of us, except richer and with a hell of alot more talent. (Thursday 12 December 2013; 2:50)

clueey23 (40,189) by R&B Junkie from Poland Well said! It's the media made us believe that it's all about the hit singles, chart success, number 1's and so on. It all went along with the music until the beginning of 21st century. Then the market changed, album sales decreased, and later, expansion of digital format changed it even for worse: now it's all about the singles (that still can be sold in millions of digital copies) not the albums. Look at numbers of copies sold in a single week: an album can be sold in 70k copies and can hit even #1 on Billboard 200. It's something that just could not happen over 10 years ago (and remember, TEOM couldn't be #1 album of the year with 4.7 million copies sold if it was released 10 years earlier). Where's the point? No one pay attention to album as a whole anymore. Single tracks are the base of music industry. And keep it in your mind, #Beautiful, that almost got no promotion, sold 1,000,000 copies in US alone. That's a success!Mariah never said she is the best vocalist. She never wanted to perform live so often. As I remember, she was criticized in early 90's for not giving live performances. That was the reason for releasing MTV Unplugged. She's always been, is, and will be, the studio singer. It is sad, but it seems like most of people pay attention only to melody. Please, take some time, and listen carefully to her songs. They are all well-produced and arranged, see "Touch My Body". A fun song that has seriously great vocal arrangement that no one can imitate. Period. (Thursday 12 December 2013; 0:55)

Today Show (40,188) by Deedre aka MiTodoChop @HBF from Canada I thought the interview was light and fun. Two woman gushing about Christmas, decorating, family festivities, Santa photos and sparkly shoes lol. Not everything is so serious. (Wednesday 11 December 2013; 23:26)

To George Golden (40,187) by Alex from England I completely disagree with you. Mariah should not make a dance album just to stay relevant. She is an artist that loves music and after being forced to make the kind of music she did for the first few years of her career I hope she will never release any material just to be on top of the charts. I think people should accept the fact that Mariah's golden age may be over, at least commercial-wise. Now if she gave me the most beautiful album ever and ended up not selling a lot, sure I'd be disappointed that it'd be overlooked but at the end of the day, music is what counts if you're a true "fan". Mariah is Mariah, she has her insecurities, she is a goofball, she likes to look as pretty as she can, she is "eternally 12", she's a girly girl etc etc, nothing new. But she is also a woman with depth (her lyrics throughout her life about personal matters should ring a bell), a mother, a wife etc etc. While I understand that some fans are worried about her everytime she opens her mouth and says something that you personally wouldn't have, it is starting to be exhausting to read so much negativity. Yes she has given what might be her worst performance ever, no she doesn't have the same voice as she used to (it's time to come to terms with it, it's been 15 years) but she can still give great performances, she can still make good music, she can still sing most singers under the table. If you can't handle this Mariah, just move on and learn the "art of letting go". (Wednesday 11 December 2013; 22:48)

Will from England (40,186) by Licia from USA I agree with you. I didn't think this interview was supposed to be all serious. I saw two people having a fun time. The interview was about Christmas, family, and AIWFCIY. That's what they pretty much talked about until Tamron asked to see the shoe closet (which was hilarious). I don't see bad things that everyone else is referring to. So the consensus is if Mariah is having fun in an interview she's drunk? Oh ok. Lol. (Wednesday 11 December 2013; 22:34)

Today interview (40,185) by Will from England I'm watching it for the third time and I love it even more. Mariah didn't have to do diddly squat (i.e. waking up to receive the cameras, opening up a private area of the house). I didn't see any rambling. She gave long answers yes, but it's better than her sitting then and giving one word answers. To me, it was a very relaxed interview of two (I don't know if they're friends or whatever) women just talking, gossiping, catching, laughing and just playing up for the camera. If this was a Barbara Walter's interview or Oprah, yeah it would seem odd, but this wasn't one of those moments. Does Mariah have a drinking problem? Eh. I don't know, and neither do any of you to be quite fair. As for Rihanna getting her 13th number 1. I can't say I can name any of them, but food for thought: has she had Song Of The Decade twice in a row, or got the song that has had the longest run at number 1, or the talent of a songwriter/ singer/ producer/ composer rolled into one or a song that still tops the charts 20 years after it was initially released? Didn't think so. To be quite frank, Rihanna is nothing more than a fast food record resturant: she churns out single after single, that the public quickly eats up then forgets about. By musical standards, TAOLG is better and more soulful than anything Rihanna has ever released. Am I worried? No, because Mariah has got one thing that Rihanna doesn't and that's the ability to make records that can stand against time, not just a few months. (Wednesday 11 December 2013; 22:13)

Lamb O Chop (40,184) by Bill from the UK Hi. Yes I do know the difference between an excuse and a reason. A reason is based on something factual. The reason boiling water is scalding is because it is 100 degrees. An excuse is something based on something with no supportive evidence. Mariah's performance was bad because it was cold. Nope, not going to fly with me, I'm sorry. It was bad because she was either unprepared or did not care for her voice properly. Celine has been singing as long as Mariah has. They are around the same age and have been singing all their lives. Celine is sensible with her voice and as such it has been preserved relatively well. Mariah wasn't, and it hasn't. Believe me, as a fan of her music and a follower of her career, I hate seeing her go the way of Whitney. I'd love for Daydream tour vocals to be back, but it's not going to happen if she continues drinking in excess. (Wednesday 11 December 2013; 20:21)

Today Show (40,183) by Matthew from USA That interview was a mess. The reported had her hands full just trying to guide the conversation. I don't know what to say. Even when she doesn't have to sing, she still finds a way to botch it. She sounded like she had been drinking. She kept talking over the reporter. Maybe she does have a drinking problem. Obviously, she should stay away from live events until she gets better. She needs to just do pre-taped stuff that they can edit. When she does live events, she comes across as incoherent. People really started noticing on American Idol, then the Jimmy Fallon interview was really rambling, and now this. She was drinking on the Angie Martinez interview as well, but that one wasn't so bad. But yeah, the rambling is getting annoying. Make your point, then let the other person talk. Continuously talking while other people are talking just makes her look drunk and obnoxious. It was embarrassing when Matt Lauer said he wanted some of what they put in their morning coffee. Anyway, the Michael Buble thing is pre-taped, so let's hope that with some good editing, we can get a decent Mariah showing before the year is out. (Wednesday 11 December 2013; 20:13)

Bryant (40,182) by Myles from CT, USA Maybe that is the problem. Maybe we are still hoping she will become what she once was, not what she is now. It is getting harder and harder to naturally love a woman so obsessed with age, vanity and her own ego. Sometimes it makes me sick. But I will always love Mariah. After all, I have been a dedicated fan since 1993. I am not into kicking people when they are down, it's just she is not doing anything to bring herself back up. (Wednesday 11 December 2013; 19:57)

Today Show (40,181) by Mimi L. from Empower Your Highlighter I started watching the interview. I was happy Mariah was behaving when [...] she starts blabbering again. I know it's supposed to be a fun interview, but even the interviewer at one point was like ok just hold up Mariah, because MC wasn't letting her talk. What is happening? And just when everyone is saying she should now put on a more serious image, she started messing with her robes and Agent Provacateur slippers. (Wednesday 11 December 2013; 18:56)

The art of letting go (40,180) by George Golden from UK Rihanna is on a roll now guys. 13 number ones. What is Mariah doing? It will be a travesty if Rihanna surpasses her number ones. I am not happy with what is going on with Mariah's career. After she had her 18th number one, she just became lazy thinking she is on top. But look at it now. Rihanna is a serious threat to her. Triumphant Pulse remix would have been her 19 number one, Almost Home could have been a top ten hit with good promotion, Beautiful would have been her 20th with a great artistic video and promo. "The art of letting go" is an album track and it should have never been released as a single. Mariah should "let go" of her ego and make an album of dance and uptempo tracks. It's not the 90s anymore, if you want to stay relevant you must move with the times. (Wednesday 11 December 2013; 18:40)

Mariah and Barbra (40,179) by Billy from Greece I'm so glad to see the picture of Mariah and Barbra together during MC's interview on the Today show. It must be from the first half of the 2000s. I was always wondering whether they have had any encounters (beyond the first marriage I guess). I love Barbra. (Wednesday 11 December 2013; 18:24)

MC dubbing / insecurities (40,177) by clueey23 from USA Sony were the first ones to start dubbing Mariah's performances around 1994. So everyone acting like it's something new is mistaken. I actually believe that many people listen/watch something like Madison Square Garden and thinks that all of the swoops and transitions were actually live. Awesome concert but the whole thing was dubbed over to make MC sound perfect. I don't think her voice is completely shot. Now if her whole vocal was that of what we heard when she tried to sing the falsetto "you"s at the end, then it would be completely shot. I think Babyface said it best, "When an artist reaches a certain level of success, because they are so successful, they become insecure and begin to question even if they're relevant anymore." In some ways I feel MC has always had some insecurities, who doesn't? But more were brought on after she was signed. Not to be funny, but the label will say they love you and everything about you and slowly they change you, ie: early on in her career someone said that she had a bad angle and she only needs to be photographed from specific angles. That would be tough to hear from a professional that you trust to groom your image. That's what makes MC great is being able to sing something like the freestyle on Fallon and be able to joke and laugh about something that her handlers back in the day programmed her to think and believe. Also, it's not MC acting or saying she is the best vocalist, it's the media and the public. MC seems to be very humble when it comes to her vocals. She has said plenty of times that there are singers out there that can sing her under the table. To me, when it comes to MC is not about everything being perfect it's about the heart and the emotions she makes me feel with the runs and rifts and phrasing. It's not about having a hit record on the radio. I was born in 1986 and literally grew up listening to MC and Whitney and Mary J Blige. 90s music. What I've noticed is the music industry and celebrity have become so diluted and convoluted at the same time. Less love, more money. Less singer/songwriter more Barbie doll. MC hit #1 with "We Belong Together" a love song to the industry. Then hit #1 with "Don't Forget About Us" another love song to the industry. And then #1 with a song all about sex "Touch My Body". Notice the pattern change from what she was talking about then until now. (Wednesday 11 December 2013; 17:36)

Today Show (40,176) by Licia from USA The little interview was cute. I was rolling when Tamron quoted ODB. It was a fun moment not to be taken seriously, but I'm sure somebody will make it an issue. Lol. (Wednesday 11 December 2013; 15:57)

MC's image (40,175) by clueey23 from USA I don't think MC should cut her hair. A bob wouldn't look cute on her. Just the thought makes me laugh. I would like MC to have a more relaxed style though. Like I need to see her with some jeans on, hair pulled back every now and again. I think it would come off very rediculous at this point in her career to change her entire image. More so than anything, MC needs to sing parts of her catalogue that she hasn't sang live before when she begins her tour. A new set list. I'm tired of her singing the same songs. I wonder if it's a contractual issue that she can't sing songs like "The roof" in concert. I'm tired of these greatest hits tours. The standard songs that should always be on the set list are "Vision of Love" and "Hero" and "We Belong Together". Every other song should be something off the current album or something that she hasn't sang live before or sang in a long time. The snippet of "Love takes time" was actually refreshing, also "Looking in". (Wednesday 11 December 2013; 15:40)

Lamb O Chop (40,174) by Lyric from USA I don't think there is a bandwagon, per se. People are making excuses for Mariah, it's not a farfetched notion. Some people on this board truly feel the only way to be a fan is to wear blinders and that's ridiculous. "Yes" people in a celebrity's life do more harm than good, and I think Mariah could benefit from hearing some genuine criticism from her fans. People show disappointment out of love for her, so I don't understand the hostility coming from sensitive lambs. At the end of the day, WE have supported her career, WE have bought her music, WE have watched her videos, WE have been around through thick and thin. So if we want to voice negative opinions, we've got the right to do so. It's not the weather, it's not the speed of the song, it's not her being out of breath, etc. Mariah's voice is shot, deal with it. If it wasn't shot, we wouldn't all be on pins and needles whenever she performs. I think some honesty from her would smooth things over, she is still trying to convince us and the public that she still has her 1990 voice. Only delusional fans believe that. Someone who can still deliver good vocals outside of the studio wouldn't have been lip syncing and dubbing performances since the late 90s. Mariah is no longer reliable live, realizing this does not make someone a terrible fan. (Wednesday 11 December 2013; 13:19)

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