![]() ![]() That is, until I discovered Carey in that car park. I wasn’t aware of any LGBTQ+ role models I could look up to or anyone who could say: “I know it’s awful now, but you will get through this, just like I did.” It was never-ending and there was nowhere to hide. Lots of the other boys would sit in class whispering my name in a drawn-out, effeminate manner: “ Iaaannnnnnnnn.” So I was ignored, pushed, shoved, spat at and vilified. Photograph: Courtesy of Ian EagletonĮverything about me was “gay” and therefore wrong. Jeffrey is media manager at Stonewall UK – you can find him on Twitter.Ian Eagleton at school. It’s Mariah, so what makes these vocals special? Those harmonies, and the multi-genre straddling.Īnything else? “Dedicated” is Mariah’s second collaboration with Nas, after teaming up to remix her 1999 hit “ Thank God I Found You”. Ending the song by repeating, “ This is dedicated to you,” she’s basically thanking the hip-hop community for embracing her so many years before. How about those lyrics? “ I’ll just sit right here and sing that good old-school shit to ya,” she declares. Includes references to Slick Rick and Eric B. Cleverly self-referential, “Dedicated” uses a loop of Inspectah Deck’s rap “ Carry like Mariah” to place this new work in the context of classic hip-hop songs. Why’s it underrated? The album didn’t mirror her previous records’ success, so bops like this went largely unheard. I Am Mariah… The Elusive Chanteuse It’s a love letter to old-school hip-hop featuring Nas. Which one is this, then? The “ true highlight” from extravagantly titled 2014 album Me. It’s Mariah, so what makes these vocals special? There’s no ‘classic Mariah’ big vocal ballad finish. How about those lyrics? Absolutely soul-crushing? See lines like: “ I was resigned to spend my life within a maze of misery,” and “ We bonded through despondency.” Where the melody falters, in the bridge, the lyrical honesty still disarms you. She lays bare her trauma, describing broken family relationships and her abusive marriage. ![]() Why’s it underrated? “Petals” was eclipsed by some of Rainbow’s bigger, more traditional ballads like “Thank God I Found You” and “Against All Odds”. You can practically draw a direct line between “Petals” P!nk's "Family Portrait" and Christina Aguilera's "I'm OK," off Stripped. This album cut from 1999’s Rainbow, sets out an autobiographical story of an "imperfect" family, over true sad-girl piano. Which one is this, then? I know, I know: a lot of these are ballads. Only to be stripped out in the song’s final moments, so we hear the resigned acceptance in Mariah’s soft cry that she’ll “ always be / Somewhere on the outside.” It’s Mariah, so what makes these vocals so special? The most chilling moment comes after the song’s last chorus, where just before the sudden build in drumbeat and backing vocals hints at an anger behind Mariah’s sadness. How about those lyrics? “ Eager to just / Believe it’s good enough to be what / You really are / But in your heart / Uncertainty forever lives.” It’s an impossibly cruel chorus that doubles down with Mariah admitting: “ You’ll always be / Somewhere on the / outside.” I mean, come on! Or: this one will fuck you up if you’re feeling sad. Helped by relatively restrained production, the piercing, introspective lyrics deliver a devastating image of insecurity and loneliness. “Outside” stands out in Mariah’s catalogue for its sheer vulnerability. Why’s it underrated? It’s a searing musical indictment of the damage caused by whiteness that forces self-reflection. On the album’s closing song, “Outside”, she opens up about the pain and alienation she felt being of mixed ethnic heritage. Which one is this, then? With Butterfly, Mariah presented a new face and sound to the world. ![]()
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