Angels abortion

It was a stupid idea from the beginning: Mariah was set to call “Take 2!” on her Memoirs of an Imperfect Angel album via a “remix” disc called Angels Advocate that was supposed to be released today (per its most recently announced release date – like its source album, it was pushed back a few times). It's important to understand that Memoirs is Mariah’s lowest-selling full-length (to put its failure into perspective, at just under 460,000 copies, it has sold about 176,000 fewer copies than the Glitter soundtrack in the U.S.). Refusing to take the public’s dismissal lying down is something new for Mariah, who’s always put the pop in populist, tirelessly mentioning her 18-song string No. 1 hits, performing her arguable signature “Hero” at virtually every show despite having expressed ill feelings toward it, and distancing herself from projects that weren’t the mega-hits they were crafted to be (I’ve read her write off Glitter’s failure by pointing out that it was a soundtrack and not an actual Mariah Carey album, even though she performed and wrote every track). For some reason, she didn’t care this time about the apparent lack of interest: embarrassingly low sales (even for this crippled record-buying market) and one measly Top 10 single ("Obsessed") out of three releases weren’t going to stop her from making sure people understood her vision. Or...something?

See, the fact that Memoirs was her first album not to feature guest rappers since 1995’s Daydream (or lead guest vocalists, period, since 1993’s Music Box) seemed to be a major part of that vision. Memoirs was crafted to be a cohesive album, the yin to the yang of its wildly diverse (and in my view, wonderful) predecessor E=MC².  A very shallow pool of producers (including Tricky Stewart on 15 of the album's 17 tracks, and his close collaborator The-Dream on many of them) confined the sound to a tempered collection of plunking pianos and cleaned-up 808s borrowed from the Dirty South. To my ears, this detrimentally limited the color palate. That album is not without highlights, but it is dull taken as a whole. Like a muse with a mouth on her, Mariah has always benefited from collaboration, at times even translating that hallowed voice into the style of her guest (see the crowning moment of her career, the Bone Thugs-n-Harmony collaboration, “Breakdown”). Memoirs was firsthand evidence of just how reliant on new blood (or at least different blood) Mariah’s creative energy is.

I’d like to think that she sensed this folly and immediately she scrapped that solo idea and then creativity dictated that she should be reconstructing these songs with guests. The truth is that it wasn’t until after “H.A.T.E.U.” unfairly tanked that the Angels Advocate project took flight, and so this backpedaling undoubtedly got its push from the public’s reception, not Mariah’s inspiration. If anything, she took over the toilet bowl from music listeners to shit on her own artistic vision and convert it to something more marketable with additional boldface names. A version of “Inseparable” featuring Trey Songz leaked, sounding every bit the pile of whipped air that it did on Memoirs...except this time with Trey Songz. Somewhat sloppily, two Advocate singles were released simultaneously at the beginning of the year: “Angels Cry” converted into a duet with Ne-Yo and “Up Out My Face” featuring Nicki Minaj, whose catchphrases, self-fellating comparisons, and Family Guy approach to referencing (it doesn’t matter if it’s smart or applicable, so long as it’s a reference!) make her an ideal collaborator for this project. Minaj doesn’t only shit on the notion of artistry, she does so on the entire notion of communication. (I’ll say a lot more about this scourge on pop music when her album comes out, as I like her less each day that goes by. For now, my assessment of Minaj is that she is a  geyser of unclever nonsense, and as such, a human waste of time.) Anyway, when neither of those singles took off, Angels was aborted, marking Mariah’s second major failure in six months. You know things are bad when your face-saving solution ends up to be a big face-palm.

It’s just as well, really. While I’d like to hear what Mary J. Blige contributed to “It’s a Wrap” and I’d give my eye teeth to hear Jodeci singing on “The Impossible” (both duets were promised in interviews leading up to the expected release), I doubt that the results would have been satisfying. Cutting out Mariah’s vocals here and there to make room for guests barely counts as remixing (especially when it omits the best part of the song, as does the leaked revamp of “Ribbon,” which excises the gorgeous chorus to make room for The-Dream and Ludacris). A woman who would once record several different sets of vocals to fit remix formats knows better than this. (“I Still Believe,” for example, sported one set of vocals for its original version, two different sets for two R&B remixes and a house-mix set, as well.) Only the resung “H.A.T.E.U.” remix, which samples Ghost Town DJs’ “My Boo” and is by far the best thing to come from this era, suggests any additional effort on her part. The scrambling to enhance what was already released has its foundation back in the days of Mottola, but with the primary changes (apparent in Advocate's seven or so leaked remixes) amounting to beefing up star power, the idea of Angels Advocate felt like Mariah’s workhorse ethic perverted. It’s true what they say: old gray mare just ain’t what she used to be.

After this exponential failure, where is Mariah left? Just where I like her, it happens: in the underdog house. Mariah is at her most fascinating when she is flailing. She was barely worth paying attention to when all she had to do was open her mouth to sell millions of records and be inescapable for the next six months. Her failures, her diminished voice, her determination to overachieve have blessed her career and music with character. She is miles away from the melismatic deer in spotlights that she was in 1990. As much as I look down on the idea of Angels Advocate, I have to admit that even that fits into her career in a fascinating way, that its desperation rings true. Though Memoirs suggested otherwise, there’s rarely a dull moment with Mariah. She comes to us with enough publicized stats under her belt to be pop music’s answer to a baseball player, and that makes loving Mariah something of a sport. You take the defeats with the victories. You get pissed when she’s off her game because you know she’s capable of better. You hold your breath has she goes up for the notes (and down for them, as well). But regardless of whether she connects with the ball, you know it’s only a matter of time before she’s up again. For me, the excitement of that alone has yet to wane.

Comments

[17Days]

but do you have this remix: The Impossible (Kris Di Angelis & Ben Dobie 'Pooldisco' Remix)? its fantastic.

[jeremy]

I LOVE how much you think about Mariah. That way, I don't have to.

[Chantal Goya]

I would have loved to hear the ravamped "It's a Wrap," which has actually turned out to be my favorite Mariah track of the last couple of albums.

[Joe Funtime]

E=MC2 was completely under-rated. The fact that "I'm That Chick" was not the lead single continues to blow my mind to this day. I'm rooting for Mariah and know she'll keep trying, at the very least. Her catalog proves tenacity in pop music can create amazing results. Thanks, Rich.

[chikochevere]

I'm surprised that you dislike Minaj so much, yet I understand. I've been getting lots of requests for her - in a predominantly white gay bar, no less. I thought I liked her but maybe I don't. I trust your judgement much more than mine.

[chikochevere]

I wonder what this means for the Jump Smokers remix album.

[Golden J]

I agree with a lot of your thoughts on Mariah, but I think you've unfairly assessed Memoirs. Although I shared your views on first listen, more of it got stuck into my head, and on subsequent listens I've decided it might be my favorite Mariah *album* from start to finish. (OK, I skip a few tracks near the end just to get "I want to know what love is," but still.)

I thought sticking with one producer and no guests was a great choice for making a cohesive statement. And "up out my face" and its postlude are incredible. The best track, though, might be the first - betcha gone know. The lyrical content, the voice, the beat, the attitude, it just hits so hard.

But you're right that Mariah is likeable when she's flailing - and her comeback, rising from the ashes like a phoenix, will be that much more satisfying!

[Dan]

Thank you so much for hating Nicki Minaj. She is rap's answer to Ke$ha (ignoring for a second that some of Ke$ha is an attempt at rap) - awful noise that sometimes attempts to have a pitch to it. Luda's My Chick Bad kind of sucks anyway, but Minaj takes something lazy and boring and turns it into the type of song I can imagine being played to drive prisoners crazy in the Middle East. She ruins Usher's threesome song, even though that wasn't the best to begin with either. Her verse on Bedrock is clearly the worst in a long line-up of 'also-ran' quality rappers.

Actually, now that I think about it, she doesn't ruin songs. She is only allowed near garbage to begin with.

[J-Rocka]

Rich, I can't wait to L.O.V.E.U. cuz right now I H.A.T.E.U. for calling this post "Angels Abortion". LOL.

I agree with you, despite the fact that I LOVE MEMOIRS. If you listen to it enough, it's actually a great album. I was excited to hear MJB on "It's a Wrap" and Jodeci on "The Impossible" and I'm sad over it not being released. I had this vision in my head of "The Impossible" remix being sorta like her "Make it Last" remix for "Thank God I Found You". And MJB would have killed "It's a Wrap".

I hope they release the songs some day. I'd love to hear them.

[twitter.com/Jakey3mm3rt]

That last paragraph was as comforting as it was sensible.

I'm so torn about this. On one hand, Mariah can never be deemed a failure -- 18 #1 and more money than God -- but it has been five years since the Mimi album that sold 5 million copies. But this post makes me wonder about the importance of commercial success over artistic success. Yes, "Memoirs" tanked, but it had some of the best reviews of her recent career -- she even made the Bullseye in Entertainment Weekly!

[DJBen]

I wasn't in love with Memoirs at first. It's definitely a grower. It's a shame this remix disc won't be released to at least give it a second chance. No one seemed to give a shit past Obsessed though.
I have to tell you how much I adore your assessment of Nicki Minaj. I keep trying to tell people that she is garbage and just spews things out for the sake of doing so, but they've been told she's amazing by the radio stations and pay no mind to me. Drake is just as bad. Someone requested his new song at a bar I work at. I threw the cd in and previewed the track. I heard him say "Rosetta Stone" and promptly put the cd back. Cannot wait for your review of Nicki's album!

[Ip Lawyers Melbourne]

I love her I don't see she is really pretty. But her voice is from heaven, I love this album cuz I have been waiting so long.

[Lena]

Rich, I have your post to thank for introducing me to the Damizza remix of I Still Believe. So good!

[Sam]

I pretty much agree with everyone on here. Memoirs is kind of, like, "Huh?" on first listen. It grows on you more and more though. I think that it was a "failure" due to the fact that people can be so damn impatient these days. I'm pretty bummed that the Angels got aborted (or whatever lol!) but oh, well.

Love the blog, Rich :-)

[Marty]

Rich, your last paragraph is pure love.

[LoveMyselfFirst]

Rich,

I also love MC and thought the remix album wreaked of desperation (although, I was curious about the It's a Wrap and The Impossible remixes like other posters above.)

You really have to give MOAIA a chance. I love that she ventured out and did a full album with no collabos with rappers or guest artists and It's a Wrap, Ribbon, Candy Bling, Betcha Gon Know, and Up Out My Face are tight and solid tracks.

It was so much easier to get into MOAIA than E=MC2 which to me, lacked artistry.

But, alas, we agree, Mariah is at her best when she is the underdog trying to jump to the front and claim her kibble. Let's see what she comes up with this time. She was back in the studio with JD, and if Jermaine likes it, then she likes it.

[fonlenmalesen]

I would really like to know. Marion Jones was only 18, a baby herself. To lose her life because the doctors were too busy with another emergency is horrible.

Alta Whitening

[Tiffany]

She's one of those artists that's always up and down but in the long run you know people will feel she has an amazing voice.

[coach handbags]

Just for today I will be happy. This assumes to be true what Abraham Lincoln said，that "Most folks are as happy as they make up their minds to be."

[Bastien shoes]

I usually don�t post in Blogs but your blog forced me to, amazing work.. beautiful �

[Designer news]

I don�t usually reply to posts but I will in this case. :)

[Chubby]

IDEsHJ Wish I could come up with posts that cool.

[Fashion shoes]

VRy interesting to read it :P :D

[pharmacy reviews]

She was such a sexy and beautiful woman back in her best days.

[4rx]

more than just a perfect pair of legs and those...sorry I can't control myself when I talk about Mariah, but retaking the theme of the post, yeah I sure that this will be a good album, almost as good as her legs...ey you back to the reality!!!