Mariah Carey Case Study

Case Study on Mariah CareyMariah Carey (born March 27th, 1970) is an American singer-

songwriter, record producer, actress, film producer and model. Mariah Carey was born to parents in 1970 to Patricia Hickey and

Alfred Roy Carey. She moved to New York City when she was 17 to fulfil her ambition of becoming a star. Mariah Carey eventually

became a back up singer for Puerto-Rican freestyle singer Brenda K. Starr, who gave Carey's demo tape to Tommy Mottola who was at

the time the head of Columbia Records. Mottola suddenly signed Mariah who in a few years became the best-selling female

performers of the 1990's.

Mariah is most famously known for her and is known for her five-octave vocal range, power, melismatic style and signature use of

the whistle register (the highest register of the human voice).With a music career spanning over two decades, her achievements are endless. Mariah Carey has won 249 awards in total, including 5

Grammy Awards and 17 World Music Awards. She is famous for being the first recording artist to have her first five singles to top

the US Billboard Hot 100 Chart, one of the world's best selling music artists. Also, she is the only artist to have 18 number one singles on the Hot 100 and she has sold over 200 million albums, singles and videos worldwide, which therefore makes her one of the biggest selling artists in music history. Carey's album 'Merry Christmas is

the biggest selling Christmas album of all time. She has also has 12 platinum singles which is the most achieved by any female artist.

With all these it is no wonder that Mariah Carey has influenced some prominent figures in the music industry such as: Christina

Aguilera, Beyonce, Rihanna, Nelly Furtado amongst many others.

1990-Columbia-'Vision of Love'

Carey's debut single. The song was originally featured on Carey's demo tape which aided her

sign to Columbia Records. The song went topped the U.S. Billboard Hot 100, however came at no. 9

on the U.K. Singles Chart. The video as well as the lyrics connote a sense of

faith and prayer as it is set in a cathedral like setting. In reference to Carey's image here she

looks very natural, she does not not have a lot of make up on, she has long, golden, natural curls

and is wearing black clothing. Her look here is not very sophisticated. This song alone influenced the

singing careers of RnB singers Beyonce and Christian Aguilera.

1994-'Without You'Carey did a cover version of this song which was

first recorded by British rock group Badfinger. Carey's version of this single topped the U.K. Chart in 1994. "Without You" remains Carey's

biggest hit outside the U.S., being largely successful across Europe. It became her first UK

number 1 single, and still remains her only number 1 there as a solo artist. The video for this

single features Carey singing on stage, whilst accompanied by a Gospel choir. In this video again Carey appears very natural she's not

wearing a lot of make-up, her clothing is really casual as she's wearing a black long-sleeved top,

black trousers and a black gillet. This colour is clearly dull and not revealing any of her body

which contrasts hugely with what she would wear nowadays.

Her album and single cover

seem quite dull and boring, they are not really eye-catching.

Particularly this one in which.

From this single cover it suggests she feels isolated and lonely,

which links to the title of the

single.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hat1Hc9SNwE&ob=av2n

1997-'Butterfly‘ (Album)-Columbia Records

Following her separation from her former husband and Columbia Records Executive, Tommy Mottola, this album saw a totally diverse side to Carey in regards to her image as well as her style of music. This album pushed Carey more into the RnB/Hip Hop market compared to her other albums which had more of a pop feel.Brackett noticed a connection between much of Carey's lyrics and her separation from Mottola. Jon Parles, editor of The New York Times called Butterfly "a new turn" in Carey's career. Aside from commenting on its deviance from Carey's previous work, he noted songs in which Carey alludes to her failed marriage to Mottola, such as "Butterfly" and "Close My Eyes". He wrote "Since Carey writes her own lyrics, fans might expect a glimpse of marital discord or pride in her new-found autonomy.

1997-Columbia Records-'Honey'This single was taken from Carey's sixth studio album,

Butterfly. 'Honey' was Mariah Carey's third album to reach number one on the Billboard Top 100. 'Honey' became Carey's third single to debut atop the Billboard Hot 100.

The video for this single uses intertexuality as it includes a James Bond theme. Carey was cast as "the very sexy agent M", a woman who escapes a large mansion in which she has been held captive

Due to her separation from Mottola Carey had more control over this album and the single 'Honey' seems to explore that 'freer side' as throughout the video she is provocatively dressed and shows a more sexual image of Carey than previously seen. She wears a little black dress, tight black swimsuit, white bikini, all of which accentuate her figure.

Since the video was released during the separation of Mottola and Carey, there was much speculation about whether the the theme of the video was linked to Carey's failed marriage.

Whilst looking at the album cover it is clear that there

has been a transformation as Mariah looks more

glamorous and showing 'more

flesh'. Unlike her other albums that

just feature or mainly focus on

her face. The effect of her 'blown hair' gives a more

fierce and sexy look.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w3KOowB4k_k&ob=av2n

1999-'Heartbreaker' (featuring Jay-Z)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UvdSB-UDDnQ&feature=related

This single as one of the most expensive videos ever made, costing $2.5 dollars. The music video was

directed by Brett Ratner, during September 1999. According to Carey, the goal for the video was to mirror the lyrical content of the song, as well as

showing it from a female perspective. Additionally, the video was filmed in a comedic fashion, intended to

remain something "fun and exciting. Even though the way Carey is dressed here is rather casual her clothing is somewhat revealing and also accentuates her figure. Her dance routine (particularly at the beginning of the video), when Carey and her friends enter the cinema seem to show off her figure. As when she sits on the

counter she slaps her thighs and after she jumps down she turns around and raises her hands from the

bottom of her legs to her posterior.

'Get Your Number' (2005)

This song shows Carey as rather glamorous and sensual. The video contains voyeurism as at the beginning of the video it shows

different shots of Carey such as: her cleavage, her legs, her shoe, her hands and face and also her laying on a red telephone. The camera also shows Carey rubbing her

hands on her body creating a sense of sensuality.

This album shows Mariah as very

glamorous. Mariah is wearing gold

clothing and the letters of her name are gold. The colour gold signifies high-

quality and prestige. This could maybe

suggest that this is a high-quality album because this album was in a sense her 'come back album'

after the poor reception of her film 'Glitter' (2001) and

her album 'Charmbracelet'

(2002).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4lZEQuBzOrk&feature=fvsr

2008-Island-'Touch My Body'Dir:Brett Ratner

This single was the first release from E=MC². The music video involves a cameo appearance from Jack McBrayer

in which he plays a computer store employee who dreams about his relationship with Carey.

The music video revolves around the fantasy of a computer store employee, as he dreams about a

relationship with Carey. Throughout the video, the pair having a pillow fight, play laser tag, Guitar Hero and slot cars, throw a frisbee. Again Carey is portrayed here as seductive as we see her in various revealing outfits.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9b8erWuBA44&ob=av2e

'I Want To Know What Love Is'

The video for this song is held in the Yankee Stadium in New York City, inter cut with shots of audience members, often accompanied by loved ones, and some glimpses into the

tough times in their past, as they grow emotional from the song's performance. A gospel choir joins Carey at the centre of the stadium as the video's end. Even though this is meant to be an emotional song Carey does still look glamorous as

she is wearing knee high boots and a tight black dress to show off her figure. Carey also wears the signature curly hairstyle

from the initial stages of her career (1990–1993), maintaining the Memoirs theme of the album.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gCadlN8fexk&feature=relmfu

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Mariah Carey’s #1 Singles..Vision Of Love (1990)

Love Takes Time (1990)

Someday (1991)

I Don’t Wanna Cry (1991)

Emotions (1991)

I’ll Be There featuring Trey Lorenz (1992)

Dreamlover (1993)

Hero (1993)

Fantasy (1995)

One Sweet Day featuring Boys II Men (1995)

Always Be My Baby (1996)

Honey (1997)

My All (1998)

Heartbreaker featuring Jay-Z (1999)

Thank God I Found You ft. Joe and 98 Degrees (2000)

We Belong Together (2005)

Don’t Forget About Us (2005)

Touch My Body (2007)

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Discography… Mariah Carey

Emotions

Music Box

Merry Christmas

Daydream

Butterfly

Rainbow

Glitter

Charmbracelet

The Emancipation Of Mimi

E=MC²

Memoirs of an Imperfect Angel

Merry Christmas II You

Mariah Carey's change in Image through her Career..