Fans get to see a different side of Mariah Carey in her latest album
IN today's popular music landscape where sexy young artistes with less than spectacular talent come and go before you can say "pop!", Mariah Carey surely knows the secret to longevity.
Having released her smash-hit self-titled first album in 1990, the singer, songwriter, producer and actress continues to churn out hits with her follow-up releases. With her latest and 14th album Me... I Am Mariah: The Elusive Chantuese, the songbird with a five-octave vocal range proves she still has what it takes to be a leader in music innovation--her unimitable vocal style alone is the source for new artistes to imitate and follow.
An iconic figure who knows what it takes to stay relevant in the industry, the mother of two continues to be a force to be reckoned with. Mariah, who is scheduled for a concert in Kuala Lumpur next month, shares more:
What is your take on longevity and success in the music industry?
Longevity is something that is very difficult to obtain in this business. Today, the music business is about trends. A trend is only a trend because it lasts for a moment and then it's gone.
Then there are those who transcend trends. Typically they have a catalogue of songs that people love or a voice that people have learnt to love over the years. This is embedded in people's hearts and become like a soundtrack of their lives.
It is one thing to have a career, but to achieve and maintain success is very difficult. So it is all about what you want to achieve and how long you want to keep doing it.
Do you agree that your music has created a soundtrack for people's lives?
I would never be the one to say that. I could never say that. People have thanked me for writing a certain song because it has helped them get through the most difficult time of their lives. Hearing that gives me a great feeling.
Were you born with an ability to create and produce music?
I believe we take a lot of things from people around us. My mum (Patricia) was an opera singer who also sang jazz. She believes in me. I definitely haven't done everything that I want to accomplish. There are different facets of the entertainment world and I really want to explore all.
What is your advice for new artistes?
You know, I really think that we never know who's gonna have what type of longevity. It is really about your commitment to the music, fans, yourself and how much you are willing to sacrifice to do this. When you give, you are giving yourself. You are giving a certain amount of yourself away and that is just inevitable. There are many talented people out there and it all depends on how badly they want to succeed.
You were one of the first artistes to feature rap artistes in mainstream music. How do you choose your collaborations?
I am definitely not the first artiste to work with rap artistes or to work within that genre. I was known as an artiste who had this crossover appeal when I was on the R&B charts.
My base and heart have always been in the R&B world. As a kid living in New York, I grew up loving hip-hop, feeling the music because it is real and it comes from a place that is honest. So it was inevitable that I would end up working with rap artistes.
If you were referring to the song Fantasy with rapper ODB (from the album Dreamlover), that was my dream from the minute I thought about using the loop from Tom Tom Club's The Genius of Love -- that was one of my favourite song as a child. When I wrote Fantasy, I kind of snuck that in.
Many people didn't see that collaboration coming and for me, the song will always be one of my favourites. What it did though was it proved to the record executives to listen to me. I still keep up with different artistes whose music intrigue me and I'm fortunate enough to be able to work with people that I love.
To what extent are you involved in the business side of your career?
The business side is important because when you put so much of yourself into making an album, you want people to listen to it.
I try to get creative and get involved in the process. I try to work with social media as much as possible because that's a great connection with the fans. I'm very involved in the business side and I think it's a learning experience for everyone in the industry.
What is the theme behind your latest album Me... I Am Mariah. The Elusive Chanteuse?
There isn't necessarily one theme and that's why I want people to hear this album as a whole. I put every bit of myself into each song. It is a different side of who I am. I added three new songs that I felt were necessary to complete the journey of this album.
Do you want to make more films in the future?
Definitely. I love working in an independent film world. I am blessed to have worked with Lee Daniels (Precious). He believed in me and didn't try to categorise me. I'm really grateful to him for that and I am looking forward to another project soon.
Mariah Carey will perform in Kuala Lumpur as part of her world tour. The Mariah Carey The Elusive Chanteuse Show Tour In Malaysia 2014 will be on Oct 22 at Merdeka Stadium, KL (8pm).
It is organised by IME Productions and supported by Malaysia Major Events, an agency under the Ministry of Tourism & Culture, Malaysia. Tickets from RM120 (free seating) to RM680 (VVIP) are available at www.ticketcharge.com.my or calll 03-9222 8811. Details at www.facebook.com/imepmy