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We have managed to get our hands on the UK press kit of the launch of Mariah Carey’s Luscious Pink fragrance. Most of which was published as a feature by Now Magazine:
Mariah Carey’s Luscious Pink
Fragrance Q&A
Fragrance/Music/Lifestyle Q&A
August 6, 2008
FRAGRANCE
Why a fragrance, why now?
Launching my first perfume was such an amazing experience that it has inspired me to expand my fragrance collection, and I’m so excited to introduce Luscious Pink. I’m in a wonderful place with my career, with a new album with great music and collaborations. Luscious Pink is a feminine, flirtatious, optimistic fragrance that celebrates and reflects where I am in my life right now.
What were your inspirations for the fragrance (places, material items, people, etc.)?
For “M” the inspirations were multiple, places I’ve been, moments in my life and childhood memories. For Luscious Pink, the perfumers did something I thought was incredibly unique and innovative they used my voice as the inspiration to create the fragrance. We incorporated some of my favorite places and things, such as the Ocean Breeze of Capri, the sparkling crystalline notes of Bellini and Bergamot, and some of my favorite florals like Peony and Lilly of the Valley, with a warm sensual musky note to finish the scent.
How would you describe the fragrance notes and overall theme in three words?
* Sparkling (Sicilian Bergamot, Ocean Breeze and Bellini – reminiscent of Capri)
* Feminine (floral of Pink Peony, Tiare flower and Lily of the Valley)
* Sensual (richness of Sun-Kissed Woods and White Musk)
What was your inspiration for the bottle?
We designed the bottle to look like a blooming flower with a butterfly resting on top. As my fans know, butterflies are symbolic and inspirational to me. I wanted the design to feel magical! The Luscious Pink bottle captures a rainbow of iridescent color. The butterfly is my favorite – a luscious shade of pink – and the inspiration for the fragrance and design.
What was your inspiration for the carton?
I wanted women to feel the same excitement opening the carton as they would open a jewelry box—knowing that something very beautiful is inside. The carton compliments the bottle, being both sensual and chic. Its matte texture adds a sophisticated finish, and the pink tone is so feminine. The beautiful calligraphy, a shade of deep metallic pink, is the finishing touch with my signature “M” logo.
When do you wear fragrance?
Before my signature scent, M by Mariah Carey, I was never really a perfume wearer. I just never found one that really spoke to me. Now that I’m able to create my own fragrances, I wear them everyday. Fragrance adds the finishing touch to any outfit. I think it’s the best part of walking out the door – adding that final feminine touch of a perfume.
Who is this fragrance for?
Luscious Pink is for all women who want to feel flirty and feminine.
How much of the fragrance is true to you?
Like M by Mariah Carey, Luscious Pink is all me; just a different side of me. People are multi-faceted. Luscious Pink shows another facet of me and where I am today – happy and loving life! It truly incorporates some of my favorite scents and flavors – intoxicating Bellini, beautiful pink peony and lily of the valley – all the flavors of life that are sparkling and feminine! It also celebrates where I am in right now. I was so involved in every aspect and I had fun doing it!
How do you want women to feel when they wear your fragrance?
Feminine, flirtatious, sensual, optimistic – like they can do anything by embracing their femininity.
Any chance of a male fragrance by Mariah?
You never know! I definitely know what men like and I would enjoy creating a men’s fragrance.
FRAGRANCE/MUSIC
How did you begin your music career?
I began singing around the age of 3 with my mother who was an opera singer and singing coach. I first started as a background singer for Brenda K. Music has always been a big part of my life. I’m so blessed to have been given such a gift.
Which performers do you most admire, past or present?
I was influenced by R&B and soul musicians like Billie Holiday, Stevie Wonder, Aretha Franklin and gospel singers like The Clark sisters and Shirley Caesar.
Describe the feeling of hitting #1 on the charts.
I don’t really pay that much attention to all the charts but I’m so grateful and humbled when one of my songs makes it to # 1 because as a songwriter it’s rewarding to know that so many people have connected and have been touched by my music in some small way and that is an amazing feeling and blessing.
Do you have a favorite song you’ve ever sang?
It’s hard to really choose a favorite song for me to sing. I tend to put it on my fans and sing songs like Vision Of Love, Hero, One Sweet Day because so many of my fans have told me how much these songs have meant to them or how it got them through a difficult times in their lives so when I perform them it’s still an incredible feeling for me to see the audience singing along and still wanting to hear those songs….
You have led such a creative career within different fields of work. What were your favorite things about creating a fragrance?
I loved being so involved in the development of the fragrance. I had the opportunity to express myself creatively in new ways, and that was really appealing to me as an artist.
How did creating a fragrance differ from creating music?
Creating all my scents has been like creating a song, and that’s what I know best. I was surprised to find how incredibly similar they are – both involve layering notes to create a beautiful and intricate structure that really moves people. I put so much of my heart into my music and I do the same with my fragrances.
Will there be any products later on to accompany the fragrance?
Yes…I’m very excited about the future of my relationship with Elizabeth Arden.
Have you any more fragrances lined up for the future?
Yes I fell in love with the process of creating a fragrance.
LIFESTYLE
Do you get time to relax and if so how do you do it?
I don’t “get” time to relax but I’ve learned that I have to make sure I block out periods on my schedule where there is no work allowed…the best way is to go on vacation…i love tropical places and swimming in the ocean. The more private and secluded the place is, better.
Who are your favorite designers?
Azzedeine Alaia, Valentino ,Roberto Cavalli, Donatella Versace, Gucci, Chanel & YSL,
What is your favorite room in your house and why?
My bathroom…its kind of like my own personal spa, its very glamorous, very old Hollywood
What are your hobbies?
Swimming, watching movies, cooking
What is your life philosophy?
Never lose faith
What are you favorite home comforts?
My nice fluffy down comforter, my pillow, and my bath tub
What is your favorite holiday destination & where do you go to unwind?
Capri
Where were the last 3 places you went on holiday?
Capri, Aspen, St Barth’s
Where do you spend Christmas and who with?
Aspen, with friends and family
Did you always want to be a singer?
Yes
Do you plan on going down the fashion designer lane soon?
I plan on doing anything that inspires me creatively…otherwise its not worth it
When do you feel you’re most beautiful?
When I am happy
Who is your style icon?
Marilyn Monroe
Congratulations on your marriage. What is your current state of mind during this special time in your life?
Happy! I’m overjoyed!
- – - > Order the fragrance today from any of these online outlets (UK & Ireland)
- – - > Order the fragrance today direct from Elizabeth Arden
Source: Mariah Connection UK
Sony BMG is set to deliver a fantastic gift for Mimi fans of all ages when it releases a new compilation album of Mariah Carey’s best love songs called, The Ballads. The album is scheduled for release in the UK & Ireland on October 20 and Italy on October 24, 2008. The album is also set to be released in Japan on November 3 and as of now scheduled to be released in the U.S. & Canada January of 2009.
Mariah Carey rocketed to stardom with her debut album in 1990. Achieving eight top 10 albums through the course of the decade she became the Nineties’ most successful female singer/songwriter. This incredible success has continued throughout the 21st century and her stunning five-octave voice and songwriting talent have now delivered over 40 UK hits. Perhaps best loved for her powerful, emotional long songs, Sony BMG is collecting together all the best ballads for a brand new compilation called Mariah Carey – The Ballads.
The album is now available for pre-order at HMV UK for £ 8.99.
INTERNATIONAL TRACK LISTING
1. Hero – Taken from the Columbia release, Music Box
2. Vision Of Love – Taken from the Columbia release, Mariah Carey
3. Without You – Taken from the Columbia release, Music Box
4. Always Be My Baby – Taken from the Columbia release, Daydream
5. My All – Taken from the Columbia release, Butterfly
6. How Much (Featuring Usher) – Taken from the Columbia release, Rainbow
7. Dreamlover – Taken from the Columbia release, Music Box
8. Thank God I Found You – Make It Last Remix (Featuring Nas & Joe) – Taken from the Columbia release, The Remixes
9. The Roof – Taken from the Columbia release, Butterfly
10. One Sweet Day (Mariah Carey & Boyz II Men) – Taken from the Columbia release, Daydream
11. Anytime You Need A Friend – Taken from the Columbia release, Music Box
12. I’ll Be There (Featuring Trey Lorenz) – Taken from the Columbia release, Mariah Carey Unplugged EP
13. I Still Believe – Taken from the Columbia release, #1′s
14. Reflections – Taken from the Virgin release, Glitter
15. Open Arms – Taken from the Columbia release, Daydream
16. Against All Odds (Featuring Westlife) – Taken from the Columbia release, Rainbow
17. Endless Love (With Luther Vandross) – Taken from the Epic release, Songs
Bonus Track: 18. All I Want For Christmas Is You – Taken from the Columbia release, Merry Christmas
Source: Official Site: MariahCarey.Com
Even though there has not been any official announcement, it seems that Mariah Carey, may be able to get four final nominations at this years MTV European Music Awards.
Currently Mariah has preliminary nominations in the following categories:
* Ultimate Urban
* Act of 2008
* Most Addictive Track – Touch My Body
* Album of the Year – E=MC2
You can now vote by clicking one of the below links:
* Europe
* UK & Ireland
* Spain
* France
* Germany & Austria
* Netherlands
* Russia
* Italy
* Turkey
* Sweden
* Denmark
* Greece
Source: Mariah Connection
According to Canadian Idol’s Official Site, tickets for the final show at which Mariah Carey will be performing at, are available from Canadian Ticket Master.
Please keep checking Canadian Ticket Master’s website for listings of Canadian Idol tickets HERE!!!.
According to the Ticket Master, the ticket holders have to be at:
John Bassett Theatre
Metro Toronto Convention Centre
255 Front St. W., Toronto, ON M5V 2W6
Other Details
* Arrive BEFORE 6:30pm to be admitted into the show.
*Pre-show filming begins at 6:45pm.
Other websites seem to offer Canadian Idol tickets but we have no clue how reliable they are:
* Online Seats
* Go Tickets
* Ticket Liquidator
Source: Thanks to Moony
Over the years, many have dismissed Mariah Carey as nothing more than a freakish vocal acrobat. Her melismatic runs commonly hit a dozen or more tones in a single syllable, and her range pierces the whistle register; few but dolphins can sing higher. Some sneered at her weakness for hot pants and halters in the 1990s; others called Carey a lightweight because of her kitschy passion for butterflies and Hello Kitty. (She has described herself as being “eternally twelve” innumerable times). Yet in fact, Mariah Carey is Long Island’s answer to Dolly Parton, a woman whose bodacious body and over-the-top style have distracted many people from her rare and substantial talent.
By the time you read this, Carey’s newest single will probably have inched her one notch closer to overtaking the Beatles’ world record for the most number-one songs. (They had 20. This spring, she knocked Elvis Presley out of second place with “Touch My Body,” her eighteenth.) At the age of 38, Mariah Carey is the best-selling female recording artist in history. She has written and produced more number one songs than any other female composer or producer, and was the first mainstream artist to blend pop with R&B and hip-hop.
Carey’s multiethnic background is often cited as a source of her eclectic sound and style. (She was raised by her mother, an opera singer of Irish heritage, and barely knew her father, an aeronautical engineer who was part African-American and Venezuelan). Less noted, but equally important, is her ambiguous class identification. As with most bling-besotted female singers, Carey’s aspiration to G4 style seems an effort to make up for her bridge-and-tunnel background. Unlike some other strivers’, though, her reaching seems optimistic, not angry. Carey’s appeal, again like Parton’s, owes much to her mirthful candor about the longing that drives her. “From the time I was little, I had such a huge desire, and such an enormous ambition, driven mainly by the fact that I didn’t have the money to get the latest outfits, or even really enough food,” she says. When describing her new love -after a courtship that lasted exactly one month, Carey was married in April to the 27-year-old actor and rapper Nick Cannon – she roots her remarks within a childhood memory: “When I was a kid there was an ice storm in the suburbs,” she says. “We went to Manhattan to stay with a friend of my mom’s. There was nobody on the road. It was this moment that could have been scary for a kid, but she made it festive. That’s what Nick is like: He takes the hard part of a situation and makes it celebratory.”
These days, Carey has much to celebrate. In addition to the success of her new album, E=MC2, which debuted at number one, she won praise at the Tribeca Film Festival for her performance as a waitress in the independent movie Tennessee. Next, she’ll play a social worker in a film adaptation of Sapphire’s verse novel PUSH, then make a feature-length HBO musical adaptation of Merry Christmas, her 1994 holiday album – which is, by the way, the best-selling Christmas album… of all time.–Michael Joseph Gross, Fashion Rocks magazine
Source: MariahCarey.Com
With her otherworldly pipes, a lusty younger husband, and a record-shattering album, Mariah Carey is on the verge of all-encompassing world domination. But as Dan Crane quickly finds out, that doesn’t mean she keeps regular office hours.
Photographed by Alexei Hay
Styled by Joe Zee
“Do you hate me?” asks Mariah Carey, absorbing me into her well-toned figure with a firm hug. “I’m so sorry I’m late,” she says, gazing into my eyes as she pulls away and flutters both hands in the air to illustrate what I can only assume is her rationale. “The nails are still drying!” It’s 12:37 a.m. I’m in the living room of a sprawling suite on a high floor of the Beverly Wilshire Four Seasons in Los Angeles, and “Mimi” is, in fact, over two and a half hours late for our Friday night interview.
It’s classic diva: Make journalist cool heels downstairs in hotel bar while Mimi—what…? Has her nails done? Yes. Why don’t I mind? Unlike today’s breed of talentless manufactured star churning out pop drivel, Mariah has been paying her dues for nearly 20 years—and the dividends continue to roll in. With the April release of her latest album, E=MC², and its tongue-in-cheek sing-along “Touch My Body,” the seven-octave vocal acrobat topped Elvis’ record for most No. 1 Billboard chart singles. Now, with 18 No. 1’s, it’s likely she’ll soon bump the record-holding Beatles (who have 20) from their top spot, all—with the exception of just one track—with songs she’s either written or co-written. Her eponymous debut was released in 1990 and went platinum nine times; she’s put out 10 more studio albums since and is the third-highest-selling female artist, behind Barbra Streisand and Madonna. She escaped a disastrous marriage to former Sony record exec Tommy Mottola and survived an “emotional breakdown” in 2001. With 2005’s The Emancipation of Mimi, the biggest-selling record of that year, she led a comeback coup, nearly erasing our memories of the critically and publicly eviscerated 2001 film and accompanying soundtrack train wreck known as Glitter. And for me, at this late hour on a Friday night, it’s no small compensation that at 38, her youthful face radiates an irresistible blend of beauty and charmed innocence. Poured into perfectly fitting Louis Vuitton jeans (“The new Lou-ees,” she declares, in her self-mocking, outer-borough accent) topped with “an old sweatshirt from 1991” over a black Wolford bodysuit, she ensconces herself on one side of a love seat, legs extended. Her black patent Azzedine Alaïa heels elegantly crossed one ankle over the other, she conjures a hip, fully clothed, modern-day version of Titian’s Venus of Urbino.
Most of all, Venus Mimi seems happy—“festive,” as she says. Why shouldn’t she be? With another hit record under her belt and two new movies (Tennessee, which has already garnered her decent reviews on the festival circuit, and a cameo in the Adam Sandler vehicle You Don’t Mess With the Zohan), and having just been named one of Time‘s 100 most influential people in the world—complete with gushing tribute penned by her hero, Stevie Wonder—Mariah has plenty of reasons to celebrate. Oh, and there’s that recent little surprise marriage on the island of Eleuthera to 27-year-old actor-rapper Nick Cannon, who’s slumbering in the next room, I’m told. The new Mister is certainly a sound sleeper (“Nothing can wake him up,” Carey says), considering the loud barking that occasionally erupts from behind the bedroom door.
Though I’ve been warned of M.C.’s nocturnal reputation, I foolishly begin our conversation by asking the night owl if she’s tired.
“Do I look good?” she responds in a silky voice.
“You look fabulous,” I answer, assuring her I wasn’t insinuating she looked anything less than perfect. I’m not lying—she looks spectacular. She tells me about her French trainer, Patricia, whose favorite word during workouts is, naturally, encore. “She’s about the size of my arm—that’s her body,” she says, wrapping her hand around her left bicep. “But it’s all muscle. It’s not like she’s emaciated. She’s happy with me. She lets me eat meals now.”
Sipping Gatorade Ice (is that dinner? Breakfast?) from a wineglass, Mariah reveals pages of her life as pure storybook. Her first marriage, to Mottola, at age 23, might be observed as a Rapunzel tale of princess trapped in a tower (or, more precisely, an enormous $10 million mansion in Bedford, Connecticut). “When I was in an unhappy place in my life,” Carey says of her past, “I always wanted to be kidnapped. I just wanted a way out, but I didn’t have one.” Ten years after her split with Mottola, handsome young prince Nick Cannon has come to the rescue. “He sort of kidnapped me and took me on a helicopter ride. Then he re-proposed.” Cannon’s first proposal had taken place on Carey’s roof in Manhattan a couple of evenings prior and involved the hiding of a 17-carat diamond ring inside a candy ring pop. “They’ve been calling me Cinderella since I first started out, so, of course, being Cinderella…” she says, laughing. “Most people would think, Okay, please! This doesn’t happen in real life.”
The newlyweds met in 2005 at the Teen Choice Awards, where Cannon (then most famous for the film Drumline and The Nick Cannon Show on Nickelodeon) presented her an award. Only recently, however, did they officially get romantically involved. “We really kept the whole relationship aspect of it quiet,” Carey says. “Therefore, we didn’t really ‘date,’ you know what I mean? Because that would have been not quiet or private. I think we didn’t want to give people a chance to be like, ‘What are you doing? What are you talking about? This is so quick…are you sure?’” The couple clandestinely both got their first tattoos before tying the knot—hers is a butterfly on the small of her back with “Mrs. Cannon” written down the center; his, a shoulder-spanning rendering of her name—to signify their love.
While rumors have flourished that the marriage might just be cleverly timed to help promote the new album, such a publicity stunt seems unlikely. It may be difficult for some to buy M.C.’s deceiving combination of glam diva meets naive sweetheart, but her consistently cute image is part of the reason for her continued success. According to the press, her worst offense during her 2001 “breakdown” was handing out Popsicles to teens on MTV’s Total Request Live while wearing a skimpy outfit—a far cry from Whitney Houston’s notorious battles with Bobby Brown and drug rehab. Unlike the tough chameleon Madonna, with whom she is often contrasted, Mariah has remained a vulnerable performer, more Marilyn Monroe than Mae West. (Incidentally, Carey paid over $600,000 to own Marilyn’s white piano.) Further, despite her sales records, Carey rarely gets credit for being a cultural force; yet listen to many of the contestants on American Idol—season three winner Fantasia Barrino comes to mind—and you’ll undoubtedly hear attempts at Carey’s signature melismatic (the art of moving a single syllable over multiple notes) vocal pyrotechnics accompanied by her note-trailing hand gestures.
“You see a lot of singers come on wanting to sing her songs, wanting to sing like her,” says American Idol‘s Randy Jackson, who has worked with Mariah since the beginning of her career. “She’s one of the best singers in the world, but she’s also one of the best songwriters in the world. There hasn’t been one like her since her. The great singing voice starts with a great tone; that’s what you love about Nat King Cole, Sinatra, Stevie, Donny Hathaway, Nina Simone, Ella—it’s about the tone. Mariah’s got that amazing buttery tone and then all of the vocal ability. That’s what makes it so ungodly deadly. It’s instantly recognizable on the radio as a brand—and to be able to write like that? Dude! C’mon! A lot of people you find today—I won’t mention names—they have the vocal ability, but the tone is not beautiful. That’s what we call the Holy Grail, I guess. She’s got it all—all in her throat, dawg!”
Producer Jermaine Dupri, with whom Carey cowrote major hits, including “We Belong Together,” and who helped out on several E=MC² cuts, says, “She’s a person who knows exactly her style of music and knows what her fans are into, and she’s probably one of the most talented singers out there.”
“Talent always wins,” agrees L.A. Reid, the chairman of Island Def Jam Music Group and co-executive producer of the new album. “And Mariah Carey has an abundance of talent; she’s extremely gifted. She’s eternally youthful, and because she’s a true fan of music and a student of music and she’s a sponge—she’s always soaking up music around her—she refuses to grow old or get outdated. For an artist who’s been in the business for almost 20 years, she’s still one of the youngest. Her music has such young appeal. Her fans include 11-year-old kids from Long Island, for example. It’s remarkable that she has this magic that’s a combination of eternal youth and amazing talent.”
Talent and fame often come with a price, but for someone who has been a tabloid target for so long, Carey displays an admirable ability to not take herself too seriously—as witnessed in the video for her record-breaking single “Touch My Body,” in which a tech support dork from “Compu Nerd” (played by 30 Rock‘s hilariously geeky Jack McBrayer) comes to her mansion to fix her computer and lives out his fantasy with Mariah, complete with slo-mo pillow fights and late-night walks with her pet unicorn. “Much of this album is just jokes,” she says, “whether they’re inside jokes or pretty overt; but some people don’t want to actually acknowledge that I might tell a joke while singing a song or make it the actual hook.”
CHECK OUT THE AUGUST ISSUE OF ELLE, ON NEWSSTANDS NOW, FOR THE FULL STORY ON MARIAH CAREY
Source: Elle Magazine
Va-va-Mariah!
As we go to press, the blogosphere is abuzz with Mariah’s confirmation of her “secret” Bahamas wedding to the dreamy Nick Cannon – matching tattoos and all.
Her latest smoking-hot album E=MC2 remains at the top of the charts, and she’s never looked better (have you seen MC in a bikini lately?!) Yes, lambs, it’s looking pretty fabulous to be Miss (Mrs.?) Mariah Carey these days.
Our own Editor-at-Large Jasmine Dotiwala caught up with her best friend – our cover girl – before the latest media storm, to bring you inside the marvelous world of Mariah Carey. Read on…
Tell us about E=MC²
This album, it’s so much about fun and freedom and just the continuation of me feeling emancipated. It’s sort of like emancipation equals Mariah Carey times two. This is me, 100 percent …having fun, just being real. People ask me all the time: “How do you stay
relevant, how do you stay current, how do you make music that people continue to respond to?” You just keep being real, keep being you. Stay true to who you are from the beginning.
How was working on this project different from your last album?
It’s really interesting because I didn’t know what was going to happen with The Emancipation of Mimi. I was, of course, hoping for success, but the fact that it was such a massive Worldwide phenomenon – I was so grateful and thankful to God for that gift and that blessing, that getting back in the studio was really, you know I really prayed to have something that I could be proud of and that I could be really inspired to go in there every day and sing or write a new song.
If Mimi was dinner, this is dessert?
Me and my friends have a joke about “treat it as dessert” – that’s kind of it’s own little thing that we say. It’s a long story, it’s an inside joke I can’t really say but, yes, if Mimi was dinner, treat this as dessert. Meaning it’s the best part coming up.
Did you try anything new this time around?
It’s hard to be really specific about it because music is, it’s in the air, it’s divine inspiration
but I think what I did is just try to express myself from my soul. I tried to express myself from, like, having a sense of humour … and just really being myself. I think that’s the most important thing that for a long time I wasn’t able to do.
When you can listen to your own music and put inside jokes in there, and put things that have been a part of my behind-the-scenes life in to a song… fans are getting a glimpse of me the person as well as the artist.
So I think it’s something very new for me.
Would you describe it as more Hip Hop or R&B?
It’s so funny because ever since I did my first remix with ODB people have been saying “wow, you’re doing this new hip-hop thing.” And I’m like: it’s not new, its what I’ve always loved, I’m just allowed to do it now. And a lot of people didn’t know some of those hip-hop collaborations because they didn’t listen to hip-hop radio or buy remixes – I just put the remix record out a few years ago, so some people never got to hear that ‘till then. So now yes there’s a lot of hip hop flavour but there are definitely very powerfully sung, emotionally rich ballads.
Some of these records are so powerful in terms of where they’re coming from lyrically,
the way that I just sang them: one time and that was it. Reminiscent of some times a long time ago when I would sing a song one time and just leave it and that was it because the emotion was there. And I think that’s what’s different about this record to maybe the past few albums.
Where did you record the album?
I recorded in a lot of places… Let’s say I’m working with a big producer, I’m working on a track, I’ll go to where they are usually, where they are inspired, and then I’ll take the track and go sing someplace like Capri or maybe Florida. I spent a lot of time in St. Martin, all different places this time on this record.
Why did you create the Emancipation of Mimi Live DVD?
I just wanted to share something different with the fans this time. I wanted to allow the cameras backstage; I wanted people to be able to see the dressing rooms and what that’s like. I wanted everybody to be able to feel like they were with us on tour.
Not just seeing the show but, you know, behind the scenes, feel like they’re part of the
show, feel like … we’re all like one big family. My fans are part of my family.
And the karaoke feature on the DVD?
It’s been really amazing for me to watch how karaoke has become so popular around the world…. It’s fun and … its cute – its something fun to do.
Did you take a break after your last tour?
I actually did take a break and worked on an independent film called Tennessee (2008). I was very, very grateful to be offered that role of Krystal… The producer Lee Daniels [has] worked on so many incredible movies – obviously his biggest success being Monster’s Ball, such a wonderful performance by Halle Berry which she won an Oscar for.
I was just very fortunate to even meet Lee and to be able to work with him and everybody on Tennessee… guess I worked on that movie for a couple of months and after the movie I went straight into – it was really important for me to get right back in the studio.
I felt like I’d taken a break from being Mariah Carey, I’d taken a break from being on tour because, even though I was still working on a movie, it’s not the same as being in the studio. I love creating songs, and working in the studio, and putting that music out there for my fans.
Tell us about your new fragrance, M by Mariah Carey.
I was so excited to work on a fragrance because I’ve never even worn a fragrance before. I’ve never liked perfume until I started talking to the people at Elizabeth Arden about working together on a fragrance.
It’s called M and its my favourite, favourite scent of all time.
How did you create a fragrance while working on new album?
I was very busy in the studio so it was really tough for me to take on a big project but … we had a really great time and it was just something I wanted to share with my fans.
What was the inspiration behind the fragrance?
I guess it’s inspired by a lot of different parts of my life: childhood, different vacations and places where I’ve been in my life. I don’t know if they do this all over the world but in America we have different things like campfires and fun things like that when we’re little kids and so it reminded me of toasting marshmallows over the campfire – that’s just a little fun thing that kids do at camp and so that was one memory.
And then of course the beautiful fragrance of the Tiare flower, as well as the low note in the fragrance – the more sultry, sexy, sensual part of the fragrance which is like a Moroccan incense.
So it’s all different types of feelings that are combined to make you, when you smell the fragrance it just evokes different feelings. You know, its very sensual it also brings you back to different memories and the floral Tiera note is just wonderfully beautiful.
Is it more fun to be you now than in the past?
Yes it’s definitely a lot more fun being “Mariah Carey” [now] than it was when I first started out … I was very young and people were kind of bossing me around and telling me what to do and it was more difficult to be myself. But, now, being able to make the music
that I love … whether its singing a big ballad or doing an up-temp record that makes me
happy – it’s up to me to do what I want, and so it’s fun.
Click on the links below for other segments from the magazine:
* Mariah dishes on tracks from E=MC²
* Living a real Christmas card with my ‘’Christmas cousin” Mariah!
* High Quality Scans
Source: Ocean Magazine | Mariah Connection
- – - > Stream TV interview HERE!
A five-octave voice, five Grammy Awards, 160 million records sold worldwide, 18 number one singles on the Billboard music charts. She is worth about $225 million and is considered among the 100 most influential people in the world by Time magazine. It might seem like it is all about the numbers but pop diva Mariah Carey has found her formula for success. At 38, Mariah is now moving on to physics with E=MC2, her 11th studio album.
CNN-IBN’s Priya Krishnamoorthy speaks to the living legend on her new album, life and more.
Mariah Carey: We are not Einstein and there is no pun intended with E=MC2 as the album title.
Priya Krishnamoorthy: But why this title? A lot of your fans have written on www.ibnlive.com and all of them wanted to know what is with the name E=MC2. We know there is Mariah Carey somewhere in it.
Mariah Carey: It was basically a joke like ‘I am world renowned just like Einstein’. I really don’t think so and it is just supposed to be funny. I was most likely the worst maths student in the history of my school. I was terrible. I couldn’t even get past the seventh grade maths. So the title of the album was a play on words because MC is what most people, who know me, call me. Most people don’t call me Mariah unless they don’t know me.
I have never looked at albums as my comeback but Emancipation of Mimi was seen by many as my ‘comeback’. And this new album is that much more free and emancipated than anything else.
Priya Krishnamoorthy: With E=MC2, you have done what many have not been able to. In April 2008 the single Touch My Body became your 18th number one hit on the Billboard music charts, even surpassing Elvis Presley’s record of 17 number one singles. And there is more reason to celebrate for you are the only singer alive who is likely to succeed the Beatles with 20 hit songs.
Mariah Carey: The people that we have been talking about with these records are legends.
Priya Krishnamoorthy: And you are one now.
Mariah Carey: Well, I make music and I love what I do. I celebrate when I hear my new song on the radio for the first time. It’s still exciting for me. What is fun is being able to write and produce my kind of music. I get a chance to live vicariously through my own songs.
Priya Krishnamoorthy: When we talk about living vicariously through your songs what we have seen is that it’s all about fun. I have heard that you even co-direct the videos. Is that true?
Mariah Carey: Yes, it is. Touch My Body has been directed by Brett Ratner who is a very good friend of mine. He loves comedy and he knows that I have a sense of humour about myself.
A lot of people think that I am this person who stands seriously on stage and sings but they don’t know that I even write my own songs.
Priya Krishnamoorthy: If your music and videos are colourful then so is your life. Recently in a surprise wedding you married 27-year-old actor Nick Cannon within weeks of meeting him. This is something I came across and I quote you, “I don’t think I have ever experienced a relationship of the calibre I write about in my love songs.” Do you feel differently now?
Mariah Carey: Completely different. Yes. And it’s interesting because I have had this conversation with my husband also. Everything has heightened because you really are in love now. Everything has suddenly changed. I feel I had written about those things because I had connected with people like that. I had romanticised about other relationships but they were never what my relationship is now. People wrote to me saying I am an eternal optimist but unrealistic for believing in one person who I am destined to be with. When it actually did happen to me, it was an amazing thing because it answered all my prayers. Lot of people don’t believe in all this, but I do.
Priya Krishnamoorthy: They called the wind Mariah, was a song created in 1969 for a musical starring Clint Eastwood. It is this song that gave a little girl with golden voice her name. The voice went on to hit the highest of notes and rule the hearts of millions across the world. What were your earliest memories of singing and did you ever imagine success like this?
Mariah Carey: I saw things on TV and in movies and wondered what the idea of glamour was. I would always think that that is what I want when I grow up. I don’t know what I expected but I just knew that I loved singing, writing poems and I never let go of faith throughout my life especially as a little girl.
Priya Krishnamoorthy: Your mother, an ex opera singer, is perhaps one of the reasons why you dreamed big.
Mariah Carey: My mother encouraged me to believe in myself in a way that was not in a stage mother type of a thing. She really believed in my abilities and she was right.
Priya Krishnamoorthy: Your career took off at the young age of 20. A self-titled album not only went multi platinum but also bagged a Grammy Award. Your single Fantasy from the 1995 album Daydream debuted at number one on the Billboard Hot 100 making you the first female artist to achieve a number one debut in the US. According to the Billboard magazine you were the most successful artist of the 90s in the US.
Mariah Carey: Most people would desire to be famous. It is just because you are lacking something inside, maybe you don’t feel unconditional love and that is why my music has connected with different kinds of people. I have also felt like an outsider in many ways.
Priya Krishnamoorthy: While your albums peaked on the music charts, your marriage to music executive Tommy Mottola, who was responsible for your early success, failed. Following your separation, you introduced elements of hip-hop you’re your music. The good girl image gave way to a more glamourous and sexier avatar. What was the thought process behind the image transformation?
Mariah Carey: When I started I was really young. And I was under the impression that I was not allowed to have an opinion of my own. I didn’t like certain things. I liked some music videos but that was not in my record company’s plan. They didn’t want anything threatening.
Priya Krishnamoorthy: While you were set to live life on your terms, not all went well. Your much hyped acting debut Glitter was a box office disaster, and so was the accompanying album. Around the same time, you suffered an emotional and physical breakdown. Your subsequent albums did not do much for your popularity especially after the new crops of singers like Christina Aguilera and Jennifer Lopez made waves.
Mariah Carey: Starting young is very difficult and growing up in this industry can really mess up people’s lives.
I was always the class clown. I would always make up jokes. It was my own little way of coping with things. I like to believe that I am eternally 12, which means that I rather laugh than dwell on the negativities of life. And the well out there is quite deep, believe me.
Priya Krishnamoorthy: After hitting a low, Mimi, as you are fondly called, came back with a bang in 2005 with an aptly titled album Emancipation of Mimi. The album was a huge critical and commercial success and it even bagged three Grammy awards. And now with your latest album E=MC2, you have upped your career once again.
Mariah Carey: With this album I just wanted to be myself. I know that I have to try to put certain songs on the record like Side Effects or Bye bye. Even though they might be very personal songs and clearly there are some parallels with own life too. But I think it is important to write for other people who made me in a relationship. So I need that bit of inspiration to get out of it.
Priya Krishnamoorthy: It is this ability to touch people’s heart with your music that got you onto the pages of Time magazine. In 2008, you have been voted as one of the 100 most influential people in the world.
Mariah Carey: I didn’t even understand. I thought it was just entertainment. I had no idea of the enormity of the situation or what it meant. So when I found out, I was like ‘are you serious?’
Priya Krishnamoorthy: The icing on the cake came as praise from musician Stevie Wonder.
Mariah Carey: Stevie Wonder is my ultimate favourite artist. We share a very close relationship because he knows how inspirational he has been to me. So to see what he wrote about me, I had to just call him and thank him for everything. His words were the highest points in my career.
Priya Krishnamoorthy: What does success, power and money mean to you today?
Mariah Carey: Obviously there is commercial success which we have to have particularly once you become famous. But I think that all of us who are in entertainment should get involved and make a difference to this world.
Priya Krishnamoorthy: When are you planning to come to India?
Mariah Carey: I want to go everywhere and I really want to come to India. Please let my fans in India know how grateful I am for their support.
Priya Krishnamoorthy: Thank you so much for talking to us.
Mariah Carey: Thank you.
Source: CNN-IBN Live
Mariah Carey will make a Fantasy come true for her Irish fans with two huge concerts
at the new Point.
The 38-year-old has signed a deal to perform at the Dublin venue as part of a massive tour which will kick off next March. The Hero star will stage two shows at the revamped concert hall and belt out a collection of her biggest hits.
A source close to the singer said: “Mariah is desperate to play in Ireland and she can’t wait for the live shows. She is very proud of the fact her mum has Ireland roots and she always feels a strong identity with the place. It will be like a homecoming concert for her. She just can’t wait to make it happen.”
An all-star line-up of big names has already been booked for the Point which opens in February. Acts include Sir Paul McCartney, Britney Spears and Tina Turner.
Mariah has made a massive comeback with her last album The Emancipation Of Mimi topping the charts around the world. Her tour will also include gigs in London, New York, Cape Town and Sydney.
The source added: “Mariah is a massive world-wide star and her album sales in Ireland have been huge. We’re in no doubt that the tickets will sell out extremely fast and there will be a massive demand from her fans.”
“She also wants to spend a few days in Ireland researching her ancestry and having a look around Dublin. This will be her biggest ever tour and she wants to break all the box office records.”
“By the end of it she will have performed more than 70 dates in some of the biggest venues on the planet.”
Source: Daily Mirror Ireland | Text: Mariah Connection Ireland
The nicest diva in the music industry, Mariah Carey is back with a vengeance, boasting a brand-new album and a slender physique. She talked to a tipsy Jessica Huie about the stress of dieting, the importance of friends and her relationship with God.
Last night Mariah Carey got me drunk.
I’d turned up at a studio located by the Hudson River, in Manhattan, for an 11:30pm interview with one of the globe’s biggest superstars. Three hours later…I was still waiting.
Gazing out from the 14th floor of the Hudson Studios, I took in the breathtaking magnificence of the New York skyline by night, mentally quizzing the woman whose comeback from an emotional breakdown seven years ago sensationally saw her The Emancipation of Mimi album sell 10 million copies worldwide, cementing her iconic status in pop history. Exciting stuff. Despite the jet lag that has crept in 24 hours after landing at JFK, I couldn’t wait to get a peek inside the wonderful world of MC.
At 3am I get the okay to go through for the interview. Three French journalists are waiting behind me- one dozing on the couch, another downing espressos to ward off exhaustion, the third obviously annoyed that Mariah’s publicist has given me the okay to take his slot and conduct the interview before sleep gets the better of me.
I’m asked to sit behind a large black screen on a director’s stool. Mariah is sitting on the other side. I feel like I’m about to audition for American Idol. I’m handed a glass of wine, which I down quickly in the hope that the alcohol will awaken my dreary senses a little.
I’m called in, and there she is, a slimmed-down 5ft 9in vision of loveliness, even at this ridiculous hour. Don’t believe the hype or the paparazzi’s unflattering tabloid pictures: Mariah Carey is gorgeous in the flesh, although after my interview I’m not altogether convinced that she knows it.
She stands to give me a hug and I’m bounced by her ample bosom. However, aside from this one surgical enhancement, there’s no evidence of the alleged £150,000 liposuction that is supposed to have resulted in Mariah’s fabulous new body.
“I know the whole UK is freaking out that I had some crazy plastic surgery done, but hit this,” and she motions for me to hit her thigh, which is rock-hard from hours of lunges and toning squats. “Honestly. It’s working out and diet. Look at what I’m eating right now: olives! It makes me upset that people think I’ve had surgery ‘cos let’s discuss how annoying the dieting process was. My girls will eat really good fried food, and I also love sweet plantain and rice and peas, but I can’t eat it! If I eat it, it’s this small [she signals to a coin-size portion]. Do you want some wine?” I respond that I do, and so my professionalism (along with my sobriety) begins its speedy decline.
Half an hour later and my carefully planned line of questioning is forgotten. The situation isn’t helped by the fact that we are sitting in a darkened room lit only by scores of scented tea lights that, while creating a lovely chilled-out ambience, make is impossible for me to see my notebook. Mariah’s lovely assistant Jim appears and signals that my time is up. “No, Jim we’re not done! It’s my fault, I’ve been distracting her- we need five more minutes.”
A tipsy half an hour later, and we’re talking men. I ask MC if she has someone, and she responds: “I don’t know…do you have someone?”, which prompts a conversation into whether you ever really have somebody or if a relationship is merely a transient thing that is never assured. Fascinating stuff, even at 3am. Despite my being happily ensconced in a relationship, MC’s trying to set me up with her nephew. “He’s 33 and has just graduated from Harvard Law School. He was even voted one of the world’s most eligible bachelors…you’d be perfect together!” What I really want to know, however, is why, at 37, with beauty, brains and a wicked sense of humour, Mariah herself hasn’t been snapped up.
I ask her if she wants children.
“I do if it’s right, I don’t if it’s wrong. I’m probably so much more insecure than you. I don’t know that I’ve ever been loved or ever felt loved or fulfilled emotionally, and I know that I’m able to give that. But I don’t know if I’m able to receive it. Maybe I just don’t feel like anyone could ever care about me that way…I don’t know. I don’t mean to say that in a weird way, but I’m so grateful for Jesus Christ in my life. I’m so grateful for the Lord in my life. Because if you’re not ashamed to admit that you know God, you feel like, no matter what, you’re going to be Okay, ‘cos there is one who loves you. Maybe He’s not of this world, and maybe I’m not supposed to be loved by someone of this world, because maybe I’m too difficult. I can accept that I’m a bad girl…maybe I’m not worth it.”
Though we’ve just met, it’s hard to hear this beautiful woman speak about herself in this way, and the Pinot Grigo makes me want to give her a hug, and I feel my eyes welling up. This is certainly the most bizarre interview of my career, but also the most real. I remind her that the best things in life are hard work, while thinking how hard it is to be a woman.
She continues: “I wish I could be with a person who was exactly the same as me racially. Someone who would understand and not judge me. I believe that he’s still out there. But if there’s someone who just cares about me because I’m a famous person, it’s freaking ridiculous.”
Trust is a huge issue for Mariah, and so it was than when an interview with our very own Jasmine Dotiwala, who heads up MTV Base, resulted in a meeting of minds between the two inspirational women of colour, a very special friendship was born. When I mention I know Jasmine, Mariah instantly relaxes and touchingly explains: “She’s just such a good person. It’s so rare for me to find people that I feel close to. We met during an interview and we just had so much in common. She didn’t expect to like me, but we are so similar and I really care about and love her. We spend Christmas together now, we are family” She breaks into song: “I’ve got all my sisters with me!” She is my heart, and nobody can take her place. Do you want some more wine?”
Two more close friends of MC’s are Rachel, who sits in on our chat for the duration, and her nine-year-old daughter Sade. Rachel’s daughter is the coolest girl ever, and she’s one of my best friends. She’s a beautiful girl, she laughs at me ‘cos she knows that I’m eternally 12. She’s like ‘What are you talking about? MC’s not my auntie she’s my friend!’ We are like dumb and dumber, in fact, no, I’m dumber and dumber!”
I question whether it’s being well into her 30s that has allowed MC the confidence to revel in her sexuality on the new album. “Are you freaking kidding me? I’m 12!,” is all she’ll say, explaining that she no longer celebrates birthdays, preferring to view them as “anniversaries.” So how will she celebrate her imminent anniversary? “Honestly, I’d like to be 29 forever. I’m gonna be with Jasmine and friends somewhere fabulous. I’m so excited about that.”
Despite the insecurities that MC admits still dog her, the album itself, E=MC2, is a sure-fire winner, and an anthem for sexually empowered confident women in control. The first single, “Touch My Body” is a catchy send-up that sees a needy geek entranced by her svelte form as she invites him to “wrestle her to the floor” As diva-ish as they come (after all she thinks nothing of keeping the press waiting until the early hours of the morning for a 20-minute conversation), she’s a fabulous diva, famous for having no clue as to the number of bathrooms in her home. I wonder if the fact that she’s rarely spotted in the front row of the Milan fashion shows, or even alongside Beyonce and Jay-Z at the BET Awards, is a deliberate attempt to maintain the removed mystique of her stardom.
“I do award shows if they are all about me!” she laughs heartily. “I do them if I’m gonna have a promotional moment, but they’re a pain in the ass. When you’re on TV, you’ve got a camera in your face, and I don’t want to deal with that, it’s annoying. They’re in your face, they’re not even showing your waist, they’re right in your face with the worst lighting ever! It’s like…why? But it is what it is. Again, God had brought me a long, long way. I know it’s a lot to do with growing up in suburban America where you don’t feel that normal love.”
Whether or not there is a man deserving of Mariah’s love in her life, she’s adored by millions, has a yacht in Capri, a new home in the Bahamas, wealth beyond her wildest dreams, and a set of genuinely good friends. Then there’s the new album, which is full of club-banging summer anthems and sprinklings of T-Pain and Damian Marley to being the MC sound bang into 2008. It’s sure to meet, if not surpass, the dizzy success of the last record.
Her biggest blessing, however, is her relationship with God. I ask Mariah if she ever reflects on the strength of character it must have taken to overcome the breakdown she suffered years ago in such spectacular fashion. “I just look back and say, ‘Thank you Jesus, thank you Lord for getting me through my life and delivering me, for giving me strength when I almost lost it all.’ I can’t take credit for myself, you know why? In the word of the song ‘My Saving Grace’ on the Charmbracelet album. Whatever anybody else ever says, I say ‘I still exist because You catch my every fall.”
Ninety minutes after out interview began, we say goodbye, and I come face to face with the irate French journalist. Avoiding eye contact, I stumble back out into the brisk New York night air and smile. I’m not certain whether it was actually me who conducted the interview or Mariah herself. Regardless. I feel I’ve had an insight into one of music’s greatest icon. It won’t be an interview I forget- I shall always remember the night Mariah Carey got me drunk.
Source: Pride Magazine | Text and Scans: Mariah Connection UK
Thursday, October 9, 2008
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