Mariah already holds the title of best-selling female artist of all time, and her astounding five-octave vocal range is impossible to ignore. But what of her ditzy image? (those album titles!) And, though it seems almost unfair to mention, her film career? (After its release in 2001, "Glitter" was massacred by critics.) Mariah, like all true divas, has had her ups and downs: We're all still trying to get over the rolling-around-in-broken-glass psychological breakdown that ensued after "Glitter" failed to shine.
But love her or hate her, Mariah Carey is quite possibly the biggest musical phenomenon of our generation. The Arts staff attempts to come to terms with these potentially frightening facts.
Marielle Battistoni '11:
Are we going to have to start calling Mariah Carey the "Queen of R&B?" After all she just surpassed the King of Rock and Roll, in quantity of hit singles, if not quality. I'm sorry if I don't believe Mariah Carey's 18th number one single, "Touch My Body," comes anywhere near the quality of the Beatles' 18th number one, the classic "All You Need is Love." The Beatles had better hold onto their record, or next thing you know people will be calling Hannah Montana the Bob Dylan of our generation. At that point, I will lose faith in humanity. And as for Carey's new album title, "E=MC^2" -- I doubt she even knows what that means.
Liz Ellison '09:
I still kind of want to projectile vomit whenever I accidentally recall her episode of "MTV Cribs." But I'm addicted to butchering her stupidly catchy songs in the shower. Damn you, Mariah.
Divya Gunasekaran '11:
Yet another number-one single for Mariah Carey is more of a statement about the country's taste in music than it is about her talent. Sure, the girl can hit some high notes that only dogs can hear, but I don't think even dogs would put up with the lyrical content of her songs.
Now, the singer-actress seems to be engaged in an attempt to take back the pop diva spotlight with her new album "E = MC^2." I guess she was going for irony because I somehow doubt the album is going to be as groundbreaking in music as that forumla was for physics. Wait, did you just hear that? I think it was Einstein rolling over in his grave.
Allison Ruderman '10:
Mariah hits notes that sound like dog whistles. Her melisma puts other pop artists to shame. But all post-"Glitter" Mimi wants is some street cred. Chart success aside, does she pull off the hip-hop vibe? For this, I consult a more knowledgable source: rapper The Game: "And I'll do anything, but I won't f*ck Mariah, even if she had Ashanti butt naked in bed, cause she got a forehead just like Tyra." Girl, stick to butterflies and Christmas music. Stay away from the streets.
Brittany Coombs '10:
Mariah Carey, for all of her whistle register fame, has not in fact hit the highest note ever recorded by a human voice. That distinction actually belongs to a Brazilian woman named Georgia Brown, who Guinness confirms hit G10 -- a note which, if you YouTube it, sounds like either a wailing infant ghost or a gas leak.
Now what, Mariah? I know your secret, and you are no longer useful to me.
Matthew Ritger '10
As far as I'm concerned, the final word in music criticism is Sasha Frere-Jones, the New Yorker magazine's genius-in-residence. His 2006 summation of Mariah's career brought me, I kid you not, to tears. Frere-Jones pointed out not only Mariah's commercial success, but her paradigm shattering incorporation of hip-hop into pop music: "Her idea of pairing a female songbird with the leading male m.c.s of hip-hop changed R & B and, eventually, all of pop."
In my opinion, Mariah is one of the bravest and most talented figures in pop culture. She's written or co-written 17 of her 18 number one hits and hasn't once backed down from her fantastically floozy image. Whether or not lowly you or I enjoy her music is of little to know importance. Her place in the pop pantheon is cemented, and deservedly so.
