New Song: Mariah Carey – ‘Almost Home’

Published: Monday 18th Feb 2013 by Rashad

It’s finally here!

Yes, the long-awaited new single from songstress Mariah Carey made its way to the net moments ago and is already winning rave reviews from her legions of lambs.

Set to officially hit Itunes tomorrow, listen below to the Stargate-produced track – the lead single from Disney’s ‘Oz:  The Great & Powerful’ soundtrack…

 


Yes yes and yes!  Showcasing those much missed soaring vocals, this song is definitely a winner!  We’re certainly hoping to hear more vocal performances like these on Mrs. Carey-Cannon’s next release due later this year.

No, this is not Top 40/brand new album material – but for a Disney soundtrack it is a homerun!  We like…do you?
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Your thoughts?

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  1. 4real February 18, 2013

    finally. this is what we’ve been waiting for!

  2. HOTSTUFF February 18, 2013

    It’s okay but good luck VOCAL QUEEN xoxo

  3. HBF82 February 18, 2013

    Very Euro Top40 friendly. More POP then anything Mariah released since Rainbow era. And the first song composed in her right key in years.
    Welcome back our Queen!

  4. alessandro February 18, 2013

    i love it i love mariah carey

  5. BeyFRAUD Armstrong (Beyonce’s Weave) February 18, 2013

    Not feeling the new Mariah Carey song at all. I mean it’s good but I would have loved a bit more power, the vocal sounds kind of weak.

    I’ve been listening to Leona Lewis – Glass heart and it’s a fantastic album, total work of art and that new MC song sounds like a Glass heart reject, minus the killer power vocals.

    I also have a hard time listening to a Mariah song because I always imagine her indulging herself on a bucket of KFC chicken…ewww. Mariah, you need to hit the gym so you can be s*** again.

  6. Don’t_Start_No_Shit February 18, 2013

    This is nice!!!.. Not giving me MC though!! It feels like a single for a Disney movie!!!

  7. ƸӜƷ MC ƸӜƷ February 18, 2013

    The bridge >>>>>>>>

    Stan hat off though, I got to say the lyrics are basic and the production could’ve been a lot better.

    Stan hat back on, I love her voice and I love that it isn’t the same urban beat that she’s been using for a while.

    I’m just happy that my fellow lambs and fans are happy with the result. I’m also happy she tried something new and not her comfort zone JD, MBC, etc.

  8. Ally February 18, 2013

    It’s OK. The production is spot on, but the autotune on the first chorus is done so badly it sounds like Britney…and like…she doesn’t even need that, unless she can’t sing low anymore. The rest of the track takes me back to the 90s!

  9. SHA February 18, 2013

    Loved the ending!!!! Verses and chorus could of been better if she performs this on american idol with it also having the backings of Disney this should be a Top 20 hit doubt it will be number 1!!!! Oh and @MC Happy Birthday how old are you today??

  10. JUELZ February 18, 2013

    NICE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    This is the Mariah that I have been yearning for since, technically, post-1997.

    Her voice sounds as strong as it did during the ‘Daydream’ era in this song – her vocals, and belts in particular, are giving strong ‘Forever/Underneath the Stars/When I Saw You’ vibes.

    I just hope that she’ll perform this just AS GOOD when singing live.

  11. ƸӜƷ MC ƸӜƷ February 18, 2013

    @Don’t_Start_No_Shit

    IT IS a single for a Disney movie though………

  12. OhSoBleak February 18, 2013

    yeesss i love it so much #almosthome

  13. Booooooooooooooom’ February 18, 2013

    Mariah Carey can never do wrong when it comes to her making music, honestly she one of the greatest. Though watching her on american idol is painful, she really doesn’t show her personality & always has an screwed up face when Nicki talks making her look very un-legendary . Back to the song, it’s great & very motivational.

  14. ƸӜƷ MC ƸӜƷ February 18, 2013

    @SHA

    Its not my birthday……but thanks.

  15. JOHNVIDAL February 18, 2013

    OMG Yaaaaaaaaasssssss What a surprise. I thought it was tomorrow
    I love it. Mariah could go pop the minute she wants it and she would slay the world easily, with these nowadays models present in pop scene in 2013. She just loves R&B and hip hop but she can slay pop. Shows the big risk she took in 1997 by leaving the most popular genre behind. And still despite being R&B since then, she´s relevant today. Only true greats lol

  16. HOTSTUFF February 18, 2013

    is this the lead single only for disney or her new album also ???

  17. Holy Hive February 18, 2013

    Flop mess!!! not here for it come better mrs.sqaurepants

  18. King B>Rihanna February 18, 2013

    THE SONG IS A GOOD EFFORT BUT THE PRODUCTION IS A HOT MESS BUT AT LEAST IT’S BETTER THAN TRIUMPHANT(GET E’M).

  19. Rita will slay your favs February 18, 2013

    DONT LIKE IT SOUNDS TO FORCED FOR MY LIKING MARIAH OLD ASS WILL PUT HER VOCALS ON ANY SONG GIVE IT UP B**** YOUR TIRED MAMA

  20. ƸӜƷ MC ƸӜƷ February 18, 2013

    @HOTSTUFF

    YES! This isn’t the lead single of her album, its only for the movie and someone form her camp said on twitter that it’s just a side project.

  21. JJFan1814 February 18, 2013

    Ehhh I guess chile

  22. Realest February 18, 2013

    Nice fresh sound for Mariah and she sounds UGH-MAZING!!! She’s the perfect example of a true legend who stands the test of time still churning out hits- that she writes herself. And you wonder why she’s richer than ALL your favs.

  23. HOTSTUFF February 18, 2013

    @ ƸӜƷ MC ƸӜƷ

    Oh okay, thanks! it sounds perfect for that !

  24. jason February 18, 2013

    O.M.G

    LOVE LOVE LOVE

    THIS THIS THIS

    Thanks Mariah! Next up! First single from the new album!

    This song will get alot of coverage and be a great warm up for the albums first single! Nice start to the year for the Queen! Could your favs record this?

  25. j February 18, 2013

    I like it, classic mariah

  26. Beyonce beyonce beyonce February 18, 2013

    Another day, no beyonce single. Please come back and show this old none singing b**** Mariah how it’s TRULY done!!!

    Beyonce >>>>ur fav!!!

  27. truth(i will draaag the F*** outta icki and her stans) February 18, 2013

    Meh…

  28. Lets Be Real February 18, 2013

    It’s ok.definitely Disney material …I really wanna see this movie though. Back to the song was I’m the only one waiting for a her whistle register “hooooome” at the end to close? Lol that woulda been icing on this little piece of cake.

  29. V2A February 18, 2013

    Diamonds Part 2… no comment

  30. V2A February 18, 2013

    Why is Mariah using autune? She doesn’t need it! I am not feeling it, sorry, just gotta keep it real. She just needed a piano, not an over-masterized instrumental.

    I hope her album is not going to sound like this, I do not want her to join the mainstream pop club

  31. LMAO!!!! February 18, 2013

    I DONT LIKE IT!! I NEED SO SO DEF MIMI BACK!!! BUT IT IS APPROPRIATE FOR DISNEY THO!! ANYWAYS WELCOME BACK MIMI!!!

  32. SDF February 18, 2013

    Producing this way a song with MARIAH’S VOICE is disrespectful.It ‘s too noisy.I don’t get this.She is a living legend,one of the most beautiful voices ever….but I just feel like she doesn’t care anymore.I am sorry for that.

  33. Todd February 18, 2013

    Guys the song is not in the right pitch,i guess due to copyright. Anyway my queen slayed me again !

  34. Todd February 18, 2013

    YASSSSSSSSS MIMI,YASSSSSSSSSSSSSSS!

  35. LMAO!!!! February 18, 2013

    WHY THE F*** ARE THE HOOD HIVE COMING FOR A LEGEND WHO HAS SOLD OVER 200 MILLION ALBUMS AND NOT INCLUDING SINGLES(THAT SHE WRITES)!!! BEYONCE WILL NEVER BE ON MIMIS LEVEL!!! BEYONCE IS GONNA FLOP HARDER THAN 4!!!!

  36. ƸӜƷ MC ƸӜƷ February 18, 2013

    @LMAO!!!!

    Actually Mariah has sold 145 million albums, the 200 million is records.

  37. Slick February 18, 2013

    OMG!!!!! In critical condition in the Emergency room! cant breath! Oh MAriah! !!!!!!!!!!(90’s Mariah) Oh Jesaaaaas! She KILLED IT!!!! THE QUEEN OF QUEENS!!!!!!!

  38. jason February 18, 2013

    Will you people shut the f*^k up and enjoy the song? production smuckintion!

    SLAYAGE!!!!

  39. JOHNVIDAL February 18, 2013

    Are your faves going to be asked to write and sing a song for a blockbuster Disney movie after 23 years of official career??? Don´t answer please 🙂

  40. Todd February 18, 2013

    * WHEN U HEAR THE SOUND OF THE TRUMPETS LOUDER THAN EVER BEFOREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE*

  41. BEYSUS OVER JESUS February 18, 2013

    LOVE IT !!!!!

  42. Todd February 18, 2013

    It’s beyond me how people care to brag about rihanna vs ciara (???) and not this

  43. JOHNVIDAL February 18, 2013

    Best selling females in the USA by February 16th 2013 (the list of lists and who is who in music history):

    Barbra Streisand—– 71.5 million albums
    Madonna—————-64.5
    Mariah Carey————63.5
    Whitney Houston——-57
    Celine Dion————–50

    Those are the biggest b****** ever by far.The only ones in the top 20 in a list full of men and groups. The rest are lucky if they appear in the top100 🙂
    Britney Spears———34
    Dixie Chicks————30.5
    Enya———————-26.5
    Janet Jackson———26
    Faith Hill—————–25.5
    Sade ———————23.5
    Usher——————–22.5
    TLC———————–22
    Alanis Morissette—–20.5
    Mary J Blige————20
    Toni Braxton————19.5
    Taylor Swift.————-19.5
    Sarah McLachlan——18.5
    Jewel———————18.5 (I loved her music 15 years ago)
    Destiny´s Child———17.5
    Norah Jones————17
    Leann Rimes———–16.5
    Sheryl Crow————-16
    Gloria Estefan———-15.5
    Alicia Keys—————15.5 (best R&B seller of the last decade)
    Carole King————–14.5
    Xtina Aguilera———–14.5
    The Cranberries——-14.5 (how good they were)
    Olivia Nweton-John—-14
    Pink————————13
    Carrie Underwood——13
    Tracy Chapman———13
    Cher————————12.5
    Adele———————–12 (in two years lol)
    Anita Baker—————12
    Paula Abdul————–11.5
    Spice Girls—————11
    Ricki Martin————–10.5
    Lenny Kravitz————10.5
    Brandy——————–10.5
    ABBA———————-10.5
    Avril Lavigne————-10.25

    That´s right guys. No Beyonce or Rihanna in that long official list (like 200 artists at least). Which means they have sold less than 10.25 million albums in the USA. So much for their fans to talk s*** about everybody else. In Beyonce´s case at least she´s with Destiny´s Child and she´ll be remembered cos of her performer skills. But Rihanna? LOL Who the hell wants to be Olivia Newton-John? Is she anywhere relevant in music history? (and I love her and love Grease) No. And she sold more than Rihanna or Beyonce and had multiple hit singles. This means someone like Rihanna who is not impacting teh world in any form and her sales are average won´t be remembered in a couple of decades, and specially she won´t be admired. I almost forgot about Nicki minaj and her crazy stans… well you know about that case and how much she will be remembered and respected lol

    Any questions? 🙂

    • MCfans February 28, 2013

      why is ricky martin among all these female singers?

  44. SLAYRIAH CAREY (SUPERIOR DIVA) February 18, 2013

    It doesn’t blow me away but I like it. The ending is EPIC though… 3.5 stars*
    Are we ever gonna hear that song (Mesmerized) that she did for the movie ‘Paperboy’?

  45. Music Soul Harmony February 18, 2013

    Have to give it a few more listens. It’s something very young and refreshing and suitable for a Disney movie although when listening, I felt like she had to hold back a little more because she’s not use to watering down her vocals for a Disney movie but that bridge was the best part of the song. The melismas she used were the icing on the cake since she didn’t use her whistle register.

  46. mob February 18, 2013

    ummmm………… it doesn’t have that signiture MC sound to me!

  47. Aishaaguilerakeystesfaye February 18, 2013

    Sounds like something Christina would sing, but I like.

  48. Gigi February 18, 2013

    I like it, don’t love it. It’s a great fit for a Disney movie. 🙂 Looking forward to hearing music from her new album !

  49. Aryo February 18, 2013

    Yassss the Queen is back. Omg i love her so much, she slays all our faves combined.

  50. Slick February 18, 2013

    This song is Great lyrically, and vocally she SLAYS the song. Im not sure why people aren’t feeling it, cuz this is her best work in years.

  51. Cream February 18, 2013

    I’m Almost home to my KFC ummmmm mmm Almost home to my Popeyes mmmm Almost home to my p** legs mmmm.

  52. tamartian February 18, 2013

    wow the haters that will show luv to anyone else besides beyonce. is like us seeing the now real hair of Lady gaga

  53. Taylor Is A H** February 18, 2013

    I LIKE HOW THE 90’S BABY COME ON HERE AND TALK S*** ABOUT CURRENT ARTIST BUT WHEN PEOPLE GIVE A RESPECTFUL OPINION ABOUT A LEGEND WORK THEY HAVE A PROBLEM.GOD FIRE BURN YOU C***..IF THE SONG IS WACK IT IS JUST F****** WACK I DON’T CARE MARIAH CAREY COULD HAVE SOLD OUT THE ENTIRE POPULATION OF CHINA THE SONG IS FAR FROM BRILLIANT NOW GET BACK TO YOUR ROCKING CHAIR OLD DRIED UP P**** B****.

  54. S****** Blonde February 18, 2013

    JOHNVIDAL
    February 18, 2013 at 2:19 pm

    Best selling females in the USA by February 16th 2013 (the list of lists and who is who in music history):

    Barbra Streisand—– 71.5 million albums
    Madonna—————-64.5
    Mariah Carey————63.5
    Whitney Houston——-57
    Celine Dion————–50

    Actually Madonna has already outsold Barbra in the US with 85 million certified records, it’s just that her sales have not been updated yet, the b**** keep working haha, i think Mariah and her are the only ones who can still beat the old ones.

    ABOUT THE SONG, i like it, it doesn’t sound like Mariah but is cute, i’m not into Disney songs but is a good song, I like her new voice, a little hoarse, I like it.

  55. TeamBreezy February 18, 2013

    Nice! I hear a bit of Diamonds beat too

  56. JOHNVIDAL February 18, 2013

    @s******
    Don´t lie b****. This is updated and I´m talking about albums, not records 🙂 Whitney was at 55 million not long ago and now she´s at 57 cos of the sales coming from her sad death. It´s updated b****
    It´s good enough being #2 don´t you think? lol
    Anyway yes, Madonna and Mariah, if not, who else is going to do it? 🙂

  57. Shawny February 18, 2013

    People complaining about the lyrics… NEWS FLASH**** It’s for Disney. They are strict on any and everything that involves them. I like it. Its nice and sounds fresh. Goof job MC!!! I’m sure Disney gave her a subject, and gave strict rules on what they want. It’s for Kids not the club so get over it!

  58. mc the place to be! February 18, 2013

    This is great! I like how she mixed the new generation and old generation in with this song and its Disney its good for the kids and I’m sure Disney channel will be playing out the music video like they always do good job Mimi!

  59. Remix February 18, 2013

    It’s good to see MC with a nice song. Like it

  60. Taylor Is A H** February 18, 2013

    WATCH THIS SONG FLOP UNLIKE MARIAH SQUARE BOX FAT CELLS.

  61. Hilly February 18, 2013

    I like It, it’s not mindblowing but i Enjoy It and her voice is always on point, so ok!

  62. S****** Blonde February 18, 2013

    @JOHNVIDAL
    Why i do have to lie?…just to make Madonna #1, no, i won’t do that but you said it, albums….i say records which also counts when it comes to sales and just in case you don’t know, Madonna has sold 400 million records ww not 300 million, as i say her sales have not been updated yet, i guess time will tell if i’m lying or not, another thing is that she is the best selling singles music artist, right there with Elvis and The Beatles, 180 million singles sold and f*** what wikipedia says.

    Madonna : 10 million copies ww.
    Like a Virgin : 21 million copies ww.
    True Blue : 25 million copies ww.
    Like a Prayer : 15 million copies ww.
    Erotica : 5 million copies ww.
    Bedtime Stories : 6 million copies ww.
    Ray of Light : 16 million copies ww.
    Music : 15 million copies ww.
    American Life : 4 million copies ww.
    Confessions on a Dance Floor : 12 million copies ww.
    Hard Candy : 4 million copies ww.
    MDNA : 2 million copies ww.

    Who’s That Girl : 5 million copies ww.
    I’m Breathless : 7 million copies ww.
    Evita : 11 million copies ww.

    You Can Dance : 5 million copies ww.
    The Immaculate Collection : 30 million copies ww.
    Something to Remember : 9 million copies ww.
    GHV2 : 7 million units ww.
    Remixed & Revisited : 1 million copies ww.
    Celebration : 4 Million copies ww.

    I’m Going to Tell You a Secret : 1 million copies ww.
    The Confessions Tour : 1 million copies ww.
    Sticky & Sweet Tour : 1 million copies ww.

    + 180 million singles sold worldwide.

    Get yourself the total sales, this are her sales without exaggeration with her best sales and her flops.

  63. mr.m February 18, 2013

    Triumphant >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

    LMAO!!!
    That cow is done .. Her music SUCKSSSSSSSSSSSS
    Man-iah please kill yourself and kill your babies with you
    Let Nick stuck a knife in your flop ass ..

    #Bye

  64. JOHNVIDAL February 18, 2013

    @s******
    Hey relax
    I got nothing but love for Madonna in this post in case you didn´t notice.
    But like I said I was talking albums so my list is still right (and by the way albums are way more important than singles so that´s why I just posted the list of all lists, USA album sales, and worldwide sales are only stimations, Madonna, Whitney, mariah and Celine would be the biggest anyway, but i just wanted to keep it 100% with real facts. It doesn´t get more precise than albums sales in the uSA when we talk about music sales. So I went there. It is the list that makes the more sense if you look at it as a whole
    And sorry but there´s no way Madonna has sold 20.5 more million albums in the USA lately! lol It´s impossible. From where did you get that? Her fan sites 🙂 In the last 5 years she has sold around 3 million albums from new releases. Are you going to tell me she has sold 17.5 million albums in the USA in recent years from her old catalogue alone? No b****. Don´t even try it. We´ll see if by the day she dies and specially after that she becomes the #1 on that list (very probable). But for now she is #2 hun. Just as great imo.

    ps: didn´t you notice my females list? I mean, didn´t you see Ricky Martin, Usher and Lenny Kravitz? I thought someone would notice 🙂 Btw where is Justin Timberlake? lol she´s on the same page as Beyonce and Rihanna I guess 🙂

  65. JOHNVIDAL February 18, 2013

    BTW how did Like a Prayer sell less than other albums by her? It´s definitely the era and song people will always remember the most when it comes to Madonna

  66. S****** Blonde February 18, 2013

    @JOHNVIDALç
    I’m part of her official fan club, the one that is really official, you get there all the real facts, her own manager Guy Oseary give us information about some interesting facts and he is never wrong, like i say those are Records not Albums sales cuz her album sales in the USA are now less, could be from her singles, albums+ other releases such as DVDs’ ect, ect,…i’m okay with Barbra, actually i think she should have sold more ww, she deserve to be there with Whitney, Celine and Mariah, about Madonna sales you know single sales are now important again, in the times of Elvis he sold more singles than albums and nowadays b****** sold more singles than albums, Gaga, Rihanna ect, ect…btw it is rare tha you think Like a Prayer is the era that people will remember the most about her, i don’t think so but it is there in a # 1 position tho….and yes i do notice your shade, lol….Justin is not even in the same page of Beyonce and Rihanna.

  67. King B>Rihanna February 18, 2013

    LIST: Mariah Carey’s 15 Best Songs…

    15) ‘Bringin’ On The Heartbreak’- Initially starts off beautifully understated before launching into a massive finish. Criminally underrated

    14) ‘Don’t Forget About Us’ – The 2nd of TEOM’s #1 singles, great production, beautiful vocals and almost a throwback to a simpler time. Reminiscent of the best of 90s classics.

    13) ‘Fly Like A Bird’- Yet another shining example of the brilliance of MC’s voice showed to perfection on a beautifully written gospel song

    12) ‘Can’t Let Go’ – Such a beautiful start; husky, pained yet almost reverent. We also can’t get enough of the final minute. Stunning.

    11) ‘Butterfly’ – you can hear the pain in MC’s voice so clearly it is heartbreaking. Angelic in its clarity, it is one of her best vocals.

    10) ‘All I Want For Christmas…’ – THE christmas anthem of the last twenty years. Iconic, legendary, fabulous – everything the Empress is.

    09) ‘Fantasy’ – the first video we ever remember watching, way back in ’95. And the song ( whose remix is credited with launching the hip-pop movement that has been so prevalent since) is one of the best offerings from ‘Daydream’.

    08) ‘One Sweet Day’ – one of the best collaborations in history as well as having the longest stint at #1, OSD is the definition of a SGSHW.

    07) ‘Vision Of Love’ – the song that started it all. The vocal that launched a thousand pale imitations. It has been referred to as the ‘Magna Carta of Melisma’. So many have tried… and failed.

    06) ‘Crybaby’ – Arguably MC’s best vocal layering to date, the final two minutes is a testament to artistic finesse and adlibbing perfection

    05) ‘Always Be My Baby’- A song that makes us smile each time we hear it, MC’s vocals are endearingly happy, almost ecstatic. And the production is an example of what Jermaine Dupri is capable of at his best.

    04) ‘Breakdown’ – if only for the fact that this is sheer R&B brilliance, we had to include it. One of MC’s best collabs. Sick production.

    03) ‘Whenever You Call’ – A tale of enduring love/friendship, this song is the older, more mature sister of ‘Anytime You Need A Friend’.

    02) ‘The Roof’ – This song is perhaps the most criminally underrated song we’ve mentioned so far. Perfect vocals, insane production, beautiful layering and understated brilliance.

    01) ‘We Belong Together’ – We’ve enthused about this song on many an occasion. The final minute is the best vocal of the last 15 years.

  68. JOHNVIDAL February 18, 2013

    What era/eras would those be then? I really think Like a prayer is her biggest song worldwide nowadays (not saying the one that sold the most during its release, i don´t know about that). If not, others would be Vogue, Like a virgin, Material Girl and Express yourself. Whether we like it or not, new Madonna (after 1998) will be less remembered when she dies, just like it happens with any other legend. I tell you in Spain Like a prayer is the biggest
    One of my personal faves is Forbidden Love from Confessions album
    And btw shut up, this is about Mariah lol

  69. S****** Blonde February 18, 2013

    @JOHNVIDAL
    I say erotica and Like a Prayer are her most famous eras but just because the scandals, others could be True Blue, Like a Virgin, Music, Ray of Light and Confessions, (eras not songs) btw, i love Forbidden Love too, the whole Confessions era was life, her last great reinvention, everything was on point, sounds, image, promo, just brilliant, not to mention that the album is a masterpiece, best dance pop album ever, i think those who are not much into her, just remember her 80’s and 90’s eras as big ones but they forget Music and Confessions, she has left her mark in every decade since she debuted, btw, you right, let’s talk about Mariah, just to respect this post….What’s your fav. Mariah’s song.?

  70. King B>Rihanna February 18, 2013

    During the last two decades, Whitney Houston and Mariah Carey have been continuously compared by the media as well as their fans, thus causing a seemingly neverending debate. Even today, months after Houston’s sudden passing, parallels are still being drawn between the divas. Yet, are those comparisons justified?

    The only way for us to truly get to the root of the Houston/Carey debate is for us to take a journey through time and reflect on the beginnings of their respective careers. Yes, I know that this is Thursday and Way Back Wednesday was yesterday but memory lane has great shopping for consumers of knowledge so strap on your comfortable shoes and let’s take a stroll.

    When Houston blasted into the music scene in the mid-1980s, she was an artist that the industry had never seen. With a powerful voice that could be scaled back from a booming belt to a soft coo in one swift swoop, a tone that was readily adapted to both the Pop and Urban radio formats, and the looks of a supermodel, she was the complete package.

    In fact, Houston had what most other female artists lacked – talent and marketability. Prior to her arrival, we had Aretha Franklin who ruled in the 1960s with a voice like thunder but she didn’t have the ideal look of a Pop star. Diana Ross definitely possessed the latter quality but her voice was lighter than Chris Brown is on his feet.

    The only woman who had similar facets to Houston was Donna Summer but the business model used to market her was not adequately refined to help her survive the fall of the Disco era and her success quickly waned after 1984 as the music landscape rapidly changed. Thankfully, with the genius of Clive Davis in her corner, Houston excelled where Summer failed.

    “There was really nobody who could rival Houston’s mix of ability and marketability…until the arrival of Carey in 1990.”

    So, now we understand why Houston so easily outperformed her contemporaries from the moment of her debut and easily competed with the already established Michael Jackson and Madonna. There was really nobody who could rival her mix of ability and marketability. Well, at least not until the arrival of Carey in 1990.

    After years of searching, Columbia Records boss Tommy Mottola finally found his answer to Houston in the form of Carey and she even outmatched her predecessor in many ways. Not only could Carey hit every note in Houston’s massive range but she could sing far higher as well as lower than her peer. Also, the tone of Carey’s voice was incredibly distinct and remarkably colourful yet colourless.

    In fact, Carey’s voice equalled her looks, which leads us to the next point: she was more marketable than Houston. The latter singer followed in Summer’s footsteps and helped to break colour barriers in the media so that African-American women could enjoy airplay on television, particularly on MTV. However, despite her achievements, Houston was still limited by her obvious ethnicity.

    However, don’t think for a second that Houston was mainly rejected by certain white audiences. Her black fans were the people who denounced her work during one of the peak periods of her career. Who remembers when she was booed by patrons of the Soul Train Music Awards in 1989 because her music was “too white”?

    This is where Carey’s ambiguous features gave her the edge. Is she white, black, latino or a species of Pokemon? We just couldn’t class her during her early career – and many people still can’t – so she shifted easily between the formats. Carey’s label clearly understood that fact and she became of face of MOR (Middle of the Road) music without ever sounding too Pop or too Urban; even her music was colourless.

    With that little history lesson explained, we can now discuss how the media easily turned Houston and Carey’s fans against each by igniting the most bitter feud since Prince vs Jackson in the early 1980s. This is actually quite easy to do if we review our notes: Houston and Carey both had massive voices and incredible technical control, and they were both beautiful women who targeted similar audiences.

    Despite the fact that Houston and Carey were completely different performers and their music became progressively dissimilar by the mid-1990s as the latter continued to explore the sounds of Hip-Pop while the other ventured into Adult Contemporary R&B, the media continued to fuel their imaginary feud. Of course, their labels enjoyed the extra publicity because it helped to drive record sales.

    Still, anybody who took the time to look beyond the propaganda would have quickly realised that Houston and Carey were drastically different. The former had a rich, powerful, clear and refined mezzo-soprano that was basically spotless. Carey’s voice, on the other hand, was far from perfect but that helped her to standout among the singers of the era. Indeed, her instrument was husky yet light, agile yet strong, colourful yet soulful and nobody could agree about how to class it. In other words, Carey was and still is a freak of nature, and I say that with love.

    I always use this analogy when people compare Houston and Carey’s voices: imagine two people baking a cake. One person makes the perfect cake that matches the recipe in the book to the last word without error. The other quirkier person breaks the rules and creates a cake with an innovative recipe that was never considered but it tastes just as good. Who gets an A grade: the model student (Houston) or the risk-taker (Carey)?

    If you need another example then think of America’s Next Top Model (Cycle 3) when Tyra Banks had to choose between Yaya and Eva for the prestigious CoverGirl contract. Yaya (Houston) was perfect by every standard but the judges picked Eva (Carey) because of her unique and interesting appeal. It really is just a reflection of taste.

    “Where Carey regularly tried to match her recordings during her live concerts, Houston was more natural and focused on delivering the best possible show for her fans.”

    Regarding their approaches to singing, Carey definitely outclassed Houston as a technician because of her thorough understanding of her range but Houston was the better live performer. Where Carey regularly tried to match her recordings during her live concerts, Houston was more natural and focused on delivering the best possible show for her fans.

    Honestly, Carey experiments so much with her vocals and musical stylings in the studio that sometimes I wonder if she forgets that she has to sing those songs live. Houston thought like a true entertainer and although her music was more one-dimensional when compared to Carey’s material, she knew how to bring it to the stage.

    In the end, after a few paragraphs of my rambling, it’s clear that Houston and Carey did have their similarities but they were very different artists. The media simply preyed on the minds of those fans who weren’t able to look beyond the basic parallels and think about their favourites artists without the added thrill of a possible feud.

  71. JER February 18, 2013

    The song is a complete miss for me. It’s lifeless and the production is empty. The vocals are autotunes for life and sound wobbly and weird. The beltinf and ad libs at the end still can’t save how off Mariah sounds. She sounds uncomfortable on her own song. Both Triumphant and this vocals were badly layered. I dont need all these double and triple layered vocal tracks it’s very distracting to me. Just SING Mariah. Smh

  72. Common Sense February 18, 2013

    It’s the typical Disney soundtrack song, but I’m so happy to see Mariah dropping some strong belted vocals. I hope her new album is more pop and less urban this time around.
    FYI not being able to reply to people is sucking the life out of this site.

  73. JOHNVIDAL February 18, 2013

    @s******
    lol I can´t choose one Mariah carey song. That´s impossible

  74. ƸӜƷ MC ƸӜƷ February 18, 2013

    @S****** Blonde

    😆 Madonna has not sold 400 million records! Are you kidding me right now?

    “I’m part of her official fan club, the one that is really official, you get there all the real facts, her own manager Guy Oseary give us information about some interesting facts and he is never wrong,”

    There you have it, HER ON MANAGER. DEF Jam said Rihanna has sold 41 million albums, has she? No, its called inflation 🙄 I thought you were smarter than that.

    😆 At Madonna selling 180 million singles when only less then 5 of her songs have made the official best selling singles of all time. Ch……..

    LORD THE INFLATION. I’ll take the official counts over a stan and her own management sales.

    RIP.

  75. S****** Blonde February 18, 2013

    ƸӜƷ MC ƸӜƷ
    February 18, 2013 at 7:08 pm
    There you have it, HER ON MANAGER. DEF Jam said Rihanna has sold 41 million albums, has she? No, its called inflation I thought you were smarter than that.

    At Madonna selling 180 million singles when only less then 5 of her songs have made the official best selling singles of all time. Ch……..

    LORD THE INFLATION. I’ll take the official counts over a stan and her own management sales.

    RIP.

    Time will tell, Elvis Presley singles are less certified and there is certification since 1958, as you can see those album sales i posted are not inflated, her singles sales are a little more difficult to find correctly, it should be noted that digital sales counts too and Madonna ended the decade of the 00’s being one of the best-selling digital singles artist, why is so hard to believe she has sold 400 million records, she has been listed 300 for awhile now, the same goes to Mariah and other musicians, for example, do you really think Mariah is still at 200, not honey she is closer to 300 now and Britney is at 190 million records now, yet they are listed at 200 and 100 million records sold, The difference is huge, it is the true, you will see, just wait for the updates, i don’t have to lie, especially when it comes to Madonna success.

  76. eric February 18, 2013

    It’s a different style for Mariah and I appreciate that, but the chorus sounds like the only part of the song that received a real treatment. The other parts feel a little flat and seem rushed.

  77. eric February 18, 2013

    I’m with the other person who’s hoping for a more pop driven album from Mariah, or just some straight classic r&b without the hip-hop overtones.

  78. justsaying February 18, 2013

    That’s BECAUSE it IS a DISNEY song for DISNEY movie.

    Just Saying!!!

  79. Pop Royalty February 18, 2013

    Ummm , Usually I’m Rooting For Her But I don’t Think This is What I expected from Her This ERA at all , it is Nice , but I want something that is MAJOR from Her !!!

    3.5/5

  80. ƸӜƷ MC ƸӜƷ February 18, 2013

    @Pop Royalty

    Ummm , Usually I’m Rooting For Her But I don’t Think This is What I expected from Her This ERA at all , it is Nice , but I want something that is MAJOR from Her !!!

    3.5/5
    ______________________________

    Maybe because its NOT for this era, its a side project for the Disney movie, its not a single off her album.

  81. Raden February 18, 2013

    AMAZING new sound from MC this song really feel good and soo much in love with her again and again and again . MC still stay relevant till this day we need to RESPECT her and her music old or new it doesn’t matter she here to sing and we need to appreciate what we have now as a SINGER like her when she still with us. Enjoy the music and enjoy the movie which hit the theater on March 2013

    This song will HIT the Chart in no time!

    Congrats Mariah Carey this is what we are waiting for No R&B No Urban just POP as what you deliver to us in our last generation

  82. Always February 18, 2013

    Why the hell do people come into articles and post long ass laundry lists of said artists career achievements? Are you that threatened by something someone said, or might say, that you need to list a bunch of boring trivia to reaffirm how “accomplished” they are? Are you maybe insecure that their greatness may not measure up to the smokescreen you’ve created in your mind, and so you post all this uninteresting b******* to keep the fantasy going in your head? Seriously, what are you hoping to prove?

  83. TKING February 19, 2013

    I really like the song and I love me some MC. But I think people need to remember that this song is not a representation of her exactly but of the disney movie. It is disney and they do ask for “Pop”. Can’t wait to hear her new album because its gonna truly be festive and a full representation of her.

  84. Queen Navy February 19, 2013

    She’s a fake. I thought she said she was committed to keeping it R&B and wasn’t going to deviate from it just because dance and pop music are more in demand right now. Then she comes out with this…

    Watch she come out with a pop album and tries to justify it as spreading her winds and doing something “different” and blahblahblah. We all know its because she can’t stand to flop.

    I said it before and I’ll say it again: both Whitney and Celine were more “real” than Mariah.

  85. James February 19, 2013

    Mediocre honestly. Her music hasn’t had any real depth since the late 90s. Take any song from the album Butterfly and put it up against this and all the music from that album craps on this. I’ve enjoyed the occasional ballad and remix from her since her heyday, but her music has mostly been rubbish post Butterfly.

    Another thing is that her music just seems to be getting progressively worse, as is her voice. She really needs to retrain her voice and start going back to her soulful roots. Screw all the pop/hip hop/following trends b*******.

  86. James February 19, 2013

    @Queen Navy

    I agree with you to an extent. At least Whitney sort of stayed true to her roots with songs like I Look To You and Million Dollar Bill. I don’t think she deviated from her original sound as much as Mariah seems to. Mariah tries to follow trends way too much. It always seems like she’s more interested in scoring a hit nowadays than actually making quality music.

  87. Todd February 19, 2013

    Morons, update ur link! Am i supposed to do your job?

  88. Gary C February 19, 2013

    I’m a huge mariah fan and of course i love the big vocals! That said, I wish Stargate hadn’t over processed her voice here and there, I prefer Mariah’s organic sound.

  89. CaptainSaveAHoe February 20, 2013

    I think the song is perfect for what its for: a kid movie.

    The lyrics arent too deep yet they arent too simple. Fits the movie theme well. I love the ending.

    20 + years in the game and Mimi still doing her thang!

  90. Rodrigo February 28, 2013

    WOW WOW WOW WOW WOW Mimi is baaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaack! I think this one of her best vocal performances to date. The song is easy, its pop, its catchy it is very radio friendy, very very Disney. Luuuuuuuuuuuuv it! This has got every element to make it to the top 10 and possibly #1. Absolutelly love the song and luuuuuuuuuv her vocals. Mariah has the ability to make her voice sound very different. People keep saying how they didn´t recorgnize her voice…. it wasn´t effects so much. It was Mariah using her voice differently. She’s done many times throughout the yrs….doing it again. New direction….yes please she needs to change again!

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