This week, From The Vault journey’s back, back to a time when Mariah Carey was an undeniable vocal titan.
Our selection comes in the form of Mimi’s ‘Emotions’ performance at her now-iconic MTV Unplugged session.
*****
‘Emotions’ was the first single lifted from the songbird’s 1991 sophomore set of the same name and became her fifth consecutive #1 in the US Billboard. The song was also a Canadian Top 5 and a Australian and British Top 20.
If ever you weren’t privy to what we call a flawless vocal performance, this -quite literally- is it.
MC engaged her entire vocal range to intensify the performance, dabbling in Jazz and Gospel, while all the while remaining markedly “Mariah”. Even her stage presence, albeit not her strongest feat, was on point. The choir (which included a young Kelly Price) was also a potent touch, rendering the whole affair even more uplifting and vocally impactful.
Without a shred of doubt. this is the Mariah we fell for and hold in the highest regard. Her ability to hit those notes both confidently and effortlessly was uncanny. Indeed, there was no sign of the “painful constipation” sound or visual she seems to channel these days when reaching for those same notes.
Still, no matter the deterioration her voice has endured over the years, Mariah vocally remains a sturdy step step ahead of many of her counterparts.
Her upper register is not what it once was. That much is a given. Hence, we wish future releases will see her rely mostly on her astonishing (and somewhat underrated) middle and lower registers, so that she can exude the same confidence as in this showing while on stage. After all, there’s little point cooking up a vocal masterpiece in the studio, and falling to pieces when time to replicate live. A problem she has faced on numerous occasions in her latter day career.
An ever-adaptable chameleon, we’re sure the masses wouldn’t mind exchanging some of their lofty vocal expectations from Mariah for some of the “magic” she displayed here. A magic that has been missing from her live showings for years now.
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I´m so tired of this!!! Are u f****** serious??????????????
So you post this incredible vocal performance coming from a true great…. just to shade and shade her??? What? Your favs can only dream to reach this level but what you do is shade Mariah?
And this in the day we heard how on point were her vocals last night in Morocco??? Please this doesn´t make sense. Can you please post all the Morocco performances? Not just the 3 or 4 you “selected”? Can u please post “We belong together” for example? This is hilarious
And this all coming from some guys who find fascinating watching Beyonce growling and pussypopping on stage for years and years? And the very moment she just stands there and try to sing an epic ballad she just does the intro and that´s it because she could only dream to be able to sing like that song (IWALY) needs to be sung. Please give me a break. Do u know something about musicianship at all???
Give me a f****** break!
You sound so pressed! LOL. How is this shade at all?! Everyone know Mariah’s voice isn’t what it used to be..that is a fact! I’m a Mariah fan…and honestly, her new releases haven’t touched her old ones! I miss the vibe of her old albums…so yes…I hope whatever new album she puts out goes back to her roots.
I didn´t say they lied. But if you post a Michael Jackson video around Thriller era and instead of just talking about such greatness, you make the whole post about how he wasn´t the same 20 years later, don´t u think that´s shade? The thing is they never say these “truths” about people like Beyonce. And it´s needed someone to tell them
I´m not pressed, I know the truth, and the truth is I can´t see the point of your comment. Not pressed hun, just a little bit angry they always do it with the same people, do u get that?
@JohnVidal is right honestly. I read that write up in horror at the amount of the shade being thrown. To break it down for basic b******… That Grape Juice is insinuating that Mariah vocal’s should sound the exact same 20 years later from her peak. The f***? Does anything stay the same after 20 years, ever? I’ve never seen that happen with anything in life. We don’t look the same nor sound the same after 20 years has passed. So that is incredibly shady to ask Mariah to or compare her present day to 20 years ago. They’re just stuck in the past honestly. I just hate that as a society so many can’t accept that beauty fades over time in all areas. Credit should be given that she didn’t booze or drug herself to the point of not being able to give ANYTHING AT ALL today. She should be given praise for being here 20 years later. So many don’t make it. That is what that write up should have done IMO.
u’re so right!!! i mean the woman is a legend! it’s like she could be talking during her shows, she would still be better than all of these b1tches out there!! thre’s no need to say she s not good anymore!! let’s cherish our great artists who still live and not bring them down! if mariah dies right now! nobody care about the fact that her voice is not as strong as it used to be!, because the woman has been sanging her heart out for so many years!! jlike is said before, she has nothing to prove at this point of her career!same with whitney, in 200ç she put out that album and coul’dnt deliver at her shows!! but she s still remembered as a voice
Oh Mariah! Whether she can’t hit those notes anymore the fact is that she could hit those notes & LIVE and she already proved herself that’s why her career lasted over a decade! I stan for LegendTina Aguilera and Mariah influenced my fave and many others. My fave top 3 VOICES of all time will always be Christina Aguilera, Whitney Houston, Mariah Carey.
It’s so funny that no 1 can sing their songs like they can when people any1 covers it even when it does not involve nig notes but when they cover singers songs it’s better than the original. Just My Opinion
So whether she Mariah can’t hit them notes anymore the fact is that she could and to this day no 1 could do it like she could do it and I doubt no 1 will ever.
But can anyone point me to some current singers in the charts who can do what Mariah can at present? Let alone back in the 90s.
Mariah sucks ass. Her music is corny, childish and pretentious…and she acts like a stuckup airhead. Both Whitney and Celine are way better than her.
Please people, do not feed the troll.
This post was about her VOICE & not her music but if you want to talk about her music just know that she writes her own music & produces just Like Xtina. So if you shade Mimi’s music it’s just… Well you saying her music is wack is irrelevant & her album sales, acolades & #1s are prove of that… like I said, Mimi has nothing to prove because she’s done it all!
That performance was perfection.
Sam is an idiot. This was supposed to be about this great performance. Yet your hating ugy a** goes off topic talking about a host of other shyt. Have a f*cking seat. Mariah’s vocal range is still here which she showed of last night. You are just a hatr. You praise unoriginal artists that do the same tired routines over and over. You just rant without reason. Mariah has showed on many ocassions that she does her damn thing. Her standardalone, is in a different league from al of these so called artists out now. You are a bum. When you do writes ups for other artist like this you stick to qhat you know. Why didn’t you make mention of Beyonce’s weighted vocals. You ar a Marah hater & just talk about her simply because you need real talent on this site to make it seem legit. Wheres your favoite flop??? Somewhere picking up trash because she can’t sale for shyt.
A majic that has been missing for yrs? Really? Where hav u been clearly under a damn rock kissing Beyonce’s a** and turning this into a gossip site rather than being a real one. You could’ve saved this stupid a** write up, because it was pointless. You basically spoke in circles. Poor write up. You FAIL !!!!!!!!
This site always finds a way to shade Mariah. You would think she would garner more respect from a music site that prides themselves on knowing great music and REAL talent.
Thankfully people ALWAYS call grapejuice out on their Mariah posts.
Would they dare shade Janet who doesn’t perform at half the level she used to??? Wonder if they ever mentioned that, probably not. Maybe Mariah turned them down 4 an interview or something.
Sam is just bitter, he wants to be Mariah & the person that used to help take this site to great heights isn’t here anymore. The people he praise doesn’t have half of the talent that Mariah has. Sam will continue to remain bitter, with his ashy a** lips. This site been went down hill…….
WOW such shade as usual from grape juice on MC. um, did you dumb fuckers not see her recent performances that YOU just posted? every time she does something good, this is the website guaranteed to attempt to bash her and say she is irrelevant, her voice is done, blah blah. and you think you are so slick with your creative journalism, the way you approach the article like “its all good” and then of course, the massive shade comes in. I tell you what grape juice, you guys are some f****** lames. you sound like an immature ass drag queen hating on the world cuz you were born with a d***