Mariah Carey came into the world on March 27,1970. She was the product of an interracial marriage between Patricia Hickey, a white opera singer, and Alfred Carey, an African American/ Venezuelan aeronautical engineer, during a time when such relationships were generally not received well. Carey has publicly mentioned her feelings of being an outcast during her early years, and it is with no doubt, this sense of not belonging is part of shaped her into the woman she is now.
Mariah Carey has come a long way since the poor little outcast girl growing up in New York, and holds the title for having more #1’s than any other female performer. Though she suffered a very public breakdown after the release of her movie, Glitter, which flopped at the box office, Mariah has proven herself a fighter not quick to throw in the towel. I’ll admit t being a bigger fan of the classic Mariah (pre-breakdown), but regardless what she puts out now it is without question she will always rest at the top of the charts.
If I truly thought about it, I would have to say my Mariah Top 10 are:
1.Someday
Growing up, I was not an overly attractive or popular child. I was about thirteen years old when this song came out, and it was so perfect for me. Thirteen is a tender age and this song helped me get through it. It gave me confidence when times were bad, and enabled me to say “You know what, you’re going to want me one day and I’m going to laugh in your face.” On another note, this song contains the most memorable of Mariah’s legendary high notes, and was the first song that really put it on blunt display all on its own, not mixed into other vocals.
2. So Blessed
Simply one of the most beautiful songs ever done by Mariah. Something about the simple melody reminds me of songs from the fifties. The lyrics are beautiful and Mariah does a great job of allowing the words to do the work, not overpowering this ballad with her big voice. There’s an innocent quality to it that just sets it apart from her other ballads.
3. O Holy Night
Mariah put out a great Christmas album in 1994 and although there were many wonderful songs included, this is the one that stuck out and gave me chills. I’ve heard this song sung in a variety of ways, by a bigger variety of artists, but Mariah put emotion into this song like none other. By the end, you’re left trying to draw a breath, it’s so powerful.
4. Vision of Love
The song that started it all. There cannot be a favorite songs of Mariah list without her debut. This is the song that introduced us to the beautiful singer with the smoky voice and incomparable range.
5. Anytime You Need A Friend
The remix is better than the album version, but both showcased a more soulful side of Mariah. The songs where Mariah uses the full strength of her voice, without overboarding on the high notes, are some of the best.
6. Always Be My Baby
If any of Mariah’s songs could showcase her ability as a songwriter, this just might be it. Pretty much a basic pop song, the version on the album was performed very simple, and there was a “cute” little video to go along with it. It was just cute and sweet. Then Mariah brought in Da Brat and Xscape to put a little hip hop flavor on there and mix it up a bit. This showed her versatility, but what really blew me away was the fact that David Cook was able to take her lyrics and sing them in a totally different way which kind of erased all the fluff and showed that underneath, hey, there really was a good set of lyrics there.
7. If It’s Over
Mariah performed this live on MTV Unplugged and put a depth of feeling in that many artists lack when performing live. The lyrics, tone, and music all combine to make this one of Mariah’s most soulful songs to date.
8. The Beautiful Ones
Mariah brought in Sisqo and covered Prince’s version on her Butterfly cd. She made a good choice by picking a co-singer who sounded like the original, and she made this solo song a duet, and it sounded far better for it.
9. Emotions
There’s nothing particularly deep about this song. It’s just one of those perky pop songs that gets stuck in your head and makes you smile. Mariah showcases her ability to hit those high notes in this one, and the live version done on Unplugged is one of her best performances.
10. Can’t Let Go
Classic Mariah. This was the singer the world fell in love with. She could take very simple words, blend them with beautiful melody, and sing her heart out in a way that seized yours in a death-grip. I miss that girl.
