Blog Post 5: What Caused The Change In Mariah's Voice?

A talent that cannot easily be surpassed, a legacy that seems impossible to thump, a name that has made a huge mark in the history of pop culture. "Often imitated, never duplicated" as she describes herself. The one. The only. Mariah Carey.

With those things said, it is obvious that Mariah has proven a lot to us in the span of 23 years in her career. She is credited for inspiring an entire generation of new pop vocalists. That's right! Beyoncé, Rihanna, Christina Aguilera, Kelly Clarkson, etc. can all thank her for their illustrious careers. Indeed, Mariah is the undisputed queen of music. So, I was appalled by the lack of intellect in today's social media after reading people's comments saying that Mariah has "lost her voice".

There has been a lot of debating about that in the article, "What Happened To Mariah Carey's Voice? - My Analysis" by Lewnaticc from forums.digitalspy.co.uk. The author gave the following factors that led to the change in Mariah's voice.

It is obvious that Mariah's voice has change after the 90s. Those were the days when she was still in her prime. Now that she is over 40, it is only natural that there might be drastic changes. Taken the fact that she also happens to drink a lot and has also worked non-stop for a whole decade. With tours here and there, singing live almost everyday can definitely strain your voice. Another factor mentioned was her constant use of the whistle register, and eventually abusing it. A huge factor though, was that she was born with vocal nodules. Although it is mostly considered a bad thing to have vocal nodules, Mariah was trained to use this to her advantage as to being the reason why her voice sounds husky when talking. This was said to be the main reason of her vocal breakdown for it is hard in her account since it is of both advantage and disadvantage to her.

Lewnaticc said "Maybe Mariah's nodules have finally betrayed her after years of producing her ethereal notes. Maybe her improper technique use throughout the years has finally caused her voice to give in. Maybe she's just getting on in her years."

Whatever may be the reason, we all hope it gets resolved soon. We can't just let this national treasure who played an important part in music - Mariah Carey's voice - deteriorate in a matter of years. And on the contrary, even though her voice has changed, she can still out-sing most of the current singers today.

One of the major factors in order for one to lose his/her voice is when they obtain vocal nodules. I read more about this in the article "Vocal Nodules" by Sarah Whitten from bostonsingersresource.com. When a singer is diagnosed with vocal nodules, it is bad news for them. This is the time when they need to decide whether they should continue singing or not. So what are vocal nodules and why does it cause a problem for singers?

According to Sarah Whitten, "Vocal Nodules are essentially calluses on the vocal folds and are similar to scar tissue on skin after a cut has healed. They typically occur at the intersection of the front and middle thirds of the cords and are the result of either misuse or abuse of the vocal cords. Misuse encompasses behaviors like poor speaking or singing technique or inefficient breathing while abuse encompasses behaviors like excessive yelling, screaming or just talking too much."

While these vocal nodules seem like a nightmare to singers, there is a cure for it! First they must consult a laryngologist who will give them a larynge check-up. They might need to scope the throat through the mouth or nose. If necessary, a laryngologist will be the one to operate the surgery. After this process, the singer will be asked to restrain him/herself from any singing activity for at least 8-10 weeks.

"When a person has vocal nodules their vocal cords can no longer completely adduct, or, come together. The voice can have a raspy quality, and you may experience the feeling of needing to clear the throat frequently as the body senses a foreign object on the vocal cords. A singer with nodules may find that the voice fatigues easily and the middle voice may have an abnormal, breathy quality." Sarah Whitten said.

It is now clear to me that the number one reason why Mariah's voice has drastically changed in the past few years was because of her vocal nodules. Judging by the tone of her voice, she often has a breathy quality to it which is pretty obvious especially on her current songs. And as I said earlier, these vocal nodules that have helped her achieve the raspy effect on her riffs has now damaged her singing capabilities. At the end of the day, the choice is still Mariah's. Should she go on like this or risk it all on a surgery?

Blog Post 4: Mariah Carey And Her Complex

Believe it or not, a self-centered diva like Mariah Carey has disproportionate concerns or anxieties about herself - appearance mostly - or "complexes" as we call it. First is of course, being born in a bi-racial family, second is her consciousness about the left side of her face. She never allows anyone to photograph her from that side ever since. This peculiar demand of hers got people wondering "Why not?", when clearly, she looks gorgeous in any perspective.

Only after reading this article "Self-Conscious In Front Of The Camera: Are You Obsessed With Highlighting Your Good Side?" by Charing Ball from madamenoire.com, can we learn about the back story of her strange complex. Mariah said, herself, that back when she first started in the industry - she was only 19 at that time - someone from her agency drilled into her head that her left side is her "bad side" and that she should never let anyone take pictures of her from that side. It definitely affected her and made her struggle with this idea embedded inside of her. On 2009, she finally said, "I don't care anymore." and declared that she no longer demands people to only take photographs from her right.

But last 2013, on an interview with E! for American Idol, she was placed on the right side in which her "bad side" was facing the camera. It can be seen on the video that she was uncomfortably squirming for the whole duration of the interview. Mariah wouldn't face the interviewer because doing so will show her "bad side".

"There is a larger point here that involves more than pointing and laughing hysterically at this poor, poor soul known to the world as Mariah Carey. In fact, this bit of humanity from Carey makes me appreciate her even more." Charing Ball said.

This only proves that we are all human. Celebrity or not, complexes exist in everyone. As hilarious as it may seem though, knowing that someone couldn't function well because they feel that their looks become inferior when they're in the wrong angle, is just plain sad.

Now that we all know the back story of Mariah's complex, it is safe to assume that it all started from someone criticizing her looks and it greatly affected her way of thinking. I read an article that can be relatable to Mariah's current condition. "Why Criticizing Others Is A Lot More Harmful Than You Think" by Donna Labermeier from huffingtonpost.com goes deeper into how a simple idea when implanted into a person's thoughts can damage that person's life.

Some people can be very careless about what they say to others. They don't know what negative impact can it cause to that other person. And such people will never stop doing so unless they become aware of what is really happening. They have to see the bigger picture that everything in the world is interconnected meaning everything affects everything else so it is important to be careful of our own actions. Instead of finding one's faults to bring them down, we must try to lift up each other.

There are three ways in which criticism can become a destructive force. First one is "Negativity". Throwing negativity at someone can hurt them without us being aware of it. We have the ability to interfere with another's self-esteem and self-worth which can change who they are and how they perceive the world around them. Number two is "Psychology 101". When you make derogatory statements about others, people can tell that these are your own insecurities. An individual lashing out on someone is automatically acknowledged as a defense mechanism. Our behavior is a reflection of the things we are trying to cope with. And finally, number three is "Collective Consciousness". What we do to others eventually comes back to us. So, in order to live a harmonious life, we must first find peace within ourselves and learn to emit that to the world.

"We know that we're all different, have our own opinions and everyone is never going to agree on everything. Having said that, the bottom line is as it always has been. If you can't say something nice, well, you know the rest..." said Donna Labermeier.

With Mariah's complex as our example, we can see that her condition falls under "Negativity". After hearing someone tell her that she has an "ugly side", it scarred her for life. She has been living with it for the past 23 years and even though she claims that she's over it, that might not be the case. This just proves that criticizing does not only hurt a person's feelings. It leads to the destruction of one's perception and self-esteem.

I know I'm not in the right place to tell Mariah that she has to be over it by now because I am not aware of what is going on inside her head. What I do know is that she doesn't need to have such complex because she is a beautiful woman and everything about her is divine.

Blog Post 3: What Mariah's Fashion Says About her

Since the early 90s, one of the noticeable things that has drastically changed about Mariah is her fashion statement. From the conservative, good-girl she was to the ego-filled, diva she is today, Mariah definitely wore clothes that showcased not only her breasts, but her personality as well. If you would compare her overall appearance then and now, you would see the distinct differences from one to the other.

Through the years, Mariah obviously changed a lot, personality wise. I wonder if that affected her way of dressing up or vice versa. The article "Fashion, Attitude, Confidence: What Your Wear Says A Lot About You" by Tamara Leigh from enableher.com says that there are three things that pretty much make up a person's wardrobe. The first one was "Attitude" in which there are two sides as to having the clothes define who you are as a person or wear them in order to change your way of thinking. Factors like colors and accessories should be considered all the time. The second would be the "Fit" of your garment. People often wear clothes with poor fitting. Little do they know that this plays a vital role in your fashionable output. Let's say an average sized woman with a voluptuous body wore something too wide when instead, she should be wearing a body-hugging dress where she'll be able to showcase her womanly curves. By doing so, the woman gains more confidence and becomes more appealing to look at. Proper fitting also gives a person that attractive and professional feel while a misfit can make them look otherwise. The last item mentioned was "Fabric". This concerns the brand, print and the texture of the clothing that if matched properly, may lead to carrying an elegant look.

Tamara Leigh said "Whether you’re fortunate to afford top designers and buy beautiful clothing or if you’re working with a limited clothing budget and have to make the best of what you can– Attitude, Fit, & Fabric factor into every wardrobe. When image plays an increasingly significant role, particularly in the professional environment, it helps knowing how to apply a few fashion guidelines for either gender."

As I have observed with Mariah, she often wears black or red during events. In clothing terms, black is considered to be a color of authority while red is the most emotionally intense color. Both of which are attention grabbers in lustful terms. Mariah also happens to wear tight dresses that reveal more of her admirable contour. She also wore eye-grabbing ornaments that may divert anyone's attention to something else. This shows how much of a confident woman she really is, especially with her body. As for the fabric of her clothes, they are all either designer or branded. Most of the time, she wears gowns or dresses with glitters and diamonds on them. A real show stopper, indeed. The clothes she wore were absolutely a reflection of her personality as to being that glamorous diva that she always has been.

Now that we've tackled on her fashion, let us go to the main storage of her valuable pieces, her walk-in closet(s). The article "What is Your Closet Personality Type?" by Debbie Roes from recoveringshopaholic.com talks about the five closet personalities and how they reflect on to what type of person you are. A person may have one or a combination of the following attitudes:

First one on her list was "The Pauper". This person doesn't really care that much about the garment itself, instead you can hear them bragging about how cheap they bought it.

Second, "The Hoarder". These are the people who are suffering from being an intense shopaholic. Their clothes often pile up and they use merely half of the clothes in their wardrobe.

Third, "The Sentimentalist". People who are sentimentalists find it hard to throw away their old items which they don't (and probably won't) use anymore. It goes the same for their wardrobe.

Fourth, "The Devaluist". Their clothes range from torn, stained to completely worn out clothing. They are the people who care really less about themselves.

And the fifth, "The Identifier". Identifiers are completely consumed with themselves and their physical appearance. They tend to be narcissistic and are very worried about the opinions of others. They are frequently preoccupied with logos, as well as expensive handbags and shoes.

"There’s nothing wrong with having a closet personality type, as long as it’s managed at a healthy level. However, the extremes of each type can become problematic. But as with all things in life, awareness is the first step toward change. Once we’re aware of a way of being that isn’t working for us, we can decide upon and make any necessary adjustments to our behavior." said Debbie Roes.

Among these five personalities, I think Mariah may be a combination of Identifier and Sentimentalist. Identifier by being blessed with designer clothing from left to right. Sentimentalist in a way because, as the pop singer she is, she gets to keep her stage costumes, gifts from her fans, some sentimental items from her past - like that only pair of shoes she had before she started her career, etc. As many may not be aware, Mariah is quite a sentimental person. She keeps things that were given to her, especially by her fans. Heck, she even has a whole room dedicated mainly for that.

I appreciate the fact that even though she gets really shady and boastful at times, she keeps this side of her which only a few people know of. One thing to keep in mind though is that she obviously cares for others. Behind that egoistic diva we all think she is, she might not be so bad after all.