Mariah Carey - 'Over' singing... OR PLAYING her vocal cords like a guitar?!

[@Boethius411]

That woman’s voice control is insane. She could pull back on some of her runs a little at times but I remember when this came out and no one was saying come on girl it’s too much. We were all blown away by the range and power.

[@TheWerequat]

I was screaming girl it's too much, at the top of my lungs.

[@PatrickLongworth]

I'm not sure I was blown away but frankly Mariah is one overplayed singer along with Madonna, Adele, Celine Dion, and groups like The Rolling Stones and Led Zeppelin.

[@Hydrosized]

I remember!

[@ilovetati91]

@@TheWerequat Because you're tasteless - we see those playlists

[@no-ln3nm]

@@TheWerequat honestly you are really too much right now

[@drewm.2790]

It has never been oversinging to me, all the vocal lines I’ve heard from her fit so well and perfectly to the melody/musical accompaniments in her performances

[@redpine8665]

Isn't it funny, she was criticized for over-singing, but in comparison to all the immitators that followed, she seemed restrained in retrospect.

[@flyleelee5351]

@@redpine8665 exactly *cough* Christina Aguilera

[@cmkislay2133]

People over the years have become accustomed to this pop-gospel-R&B singing style, but back in the day many people particularly mainstream (pop) music fans/critics felt it was a little overkill--the runs, highs, lows, whistle notes. It almost seemed as if she was showing off, like: 'look what I can do'. That is what people meant when they criticized her for "oversinging". I remember reading some article in the 90s where the writer complained about her style saying, "does she have to insert a run into every syllable--just sing the song."

[@MosaidDeath]

I agree except for the whistle voice. It only works for some songs IMO. In this song it just comes out of nowhere, unexpected. But that’s completely subjective, just my opinion.

[@JesseAtata]

​@@MosaidDeaththat is why she didn't whistle that much during daydream .I honestly love the whistle at that part cause it is really creative, it is like the heavens opened up to give her an answer,which is what she is singing about .

[@thatorientalkid9509]

Love when knowledgeable people talk about Mariah’s voice. I’ve said it so many times, HER VOCALS NEED TO BE STUDIED!!!

[@Ciclopea2]

Some people might listen to young Mariah today and not even be impressed, but she caused a revolution when she debuted more than 30 years ago. Nobody sounded like her, not even Whitney with her undeniable vocal power. Sometimes she showed off every bit of her range in just one song, from low notes to whistle register, as she did in her debut single with crazy agility, and she's definitely the Queen of melisma, often imitated, never duplicated. When people talk about voices as "instruments" it's never more true than in Mariah's case, and she wrote and produced most of her hits. IMO one of the greatest yet underrated vocalists and music legends ever, the "Songbird Supreme".

[@cmkislay2133]

Mariah Carey did sound like Whitney Houston when she first appeared on the scene. Most people who were there in 1990 when her debut album came out will remember that she sounded like Whitney. In fact when "Vision of love" came out many people thought it was a new Whitney single. Of course as more singles were released you could tell the difference especially with the whistle register, but she really did have that Whitney Houston vibe. It took quite a while before people (especially critics) started giving her props. It took forever for publications to refer to her as Singer-songwriter--something that just baffled me in the 90s.

[@sanchezmcfollins]

@@cmkislay2133 what song does vision of love sound like.

[@cmkislay2133]

@@sanchezmcfollins I don't know. Not any song that I can think of. What's your point? The point I was making in MY comment is Mariah Carey sounded like Whitney Houston, such that when 'Vision of love' came out some people thought it was a new Whitney song, because Mariah sounded like Whitney, not because Vision of love sounded like any particular song they'd heard before (still, there were some other songs that did sound like Whitney songs--Remember Mariah was put in the studio with some of the same producers as Whitney). If Mariah Carey had released a doo-wop song in 1990 as her debut single odds are some people would've said "hey, Whitney is singing doo-wop now!" I remember hearing a Dj announce a Mariah song as Whitney's back in '91 (as 'Love takes time' or 'I don't wanna cry' was fading out he said something like, "That was Whitney Houston with...). Their voices were similar! Mariah was singing with that same Pop-gospel-r&b style that Whitney had become known for, (even her phrasing and diction were similar to Whitney's). There's no doubt about it she sounded similar to Whitney. That's all I'm saying! 🙂

[@Ciclopea2]

@@Swahili14 LOL it's funny how some so called Whitney fan desperately wants to downplay a legend like Mariah, maybe you should do some research and find the interview where Whitney herself debunks the claim that Mariah tried to sound like her. Those two loved and respected each other, even with people like you trying to pit them against each other, even after their duet. They're both legends, i bought albums by both of them, but i do have my fave, you can keep calling your fave the greatest vocalist of all time, but Mariah in her prime could've easily covered Whitney's music, pretty sure Whitney wouldn't have been able to cover most of Mariah's songs without making a few changes to fit her more limited vocal range.

[@Swahili14]

@@Ciclopea2 so singing is all about collapsed register? Whitney's belting range stomps Mariah's mediocre range Whitney possessed both quality and quantity She could sing both lows and highs effortlessly In their prime Whitney had much higher tessitura than Mariah's b'se she's a natural soprano while Mariah's mezzo But Mariah could only access high notes in falsettos and whistles (disconnected register which is vocally unhealthy and inferior technique) Whitney's mastered dynamics unlike no other she'd one of the most developed chest and HEADVOICE ever If you don't understand what you are talking about you'll never come to your sense as delusion is what you chose However With all that vocal range she'd not deliver one of the best renditions for Star spangled banner While Whitney's moved the entire world I understand that you like Mariah more But don't be delusional Whitney could outsing your fave in her sleep not even her whiny squeks could save her

[@somespecies]

She admittedly said that she had to do vocally demanding songs when she first started out so she'd get the attention of the masses hence her first few albums are total vocal suicide. Makes sense tho because back in the 90's, there are way way talented artists in the business

[@ian_ford]

Yep. And now she has no voice. Like Johnny Gill, who also blew out his vocal chords and disappeared for decades.

[@kevinpaje]

@@ian_ford No voice? You are clearly not following her.

[@ian_ford]

@@kevinpaje I'm speaking facetiously. Relative to this voice, Mariah cannot reach this register. Yes, I've been following her since the early 90s when I was in HS.

[@visionary515]

​@@ian_ford mariah can't really sing her catalog anymore due to the degree of difficulty of most of her songs.

[@rickwalker6400]

She was also a heavy smoker

[@brucedillinger9448]

Love her or not there really is no denying the woman is a naturally born singer. Her music was not my cup of tea but I always appreciated her talent. Great analysis FIL, as always. Thank you and keep 'em coming! ✌

[@user-pj5us2xz2p]

And her pen. She wrote all these songs.

[@lydiabentley3413]

Totally agree Bruce

[@lydiabentley3413]

Totally agree Bruce

[@nic_ccc3366]

I agree - her music is not for everyone and I get the oversinging comments, but her voice as an instrument is a generational talent, as Fil understands. It is a shame kids today only know her for a Christmas song and memes.

[@nameisamine]

Is r&b music not your cup of tea?

[@joshuasanders2123]

Mariah Carey is truly gifted from God. Love her music, so much respect for her craft. She writes her music, produces…and sings so beautifully!

[@Ernie1978]

Only Mariah and Whitney can sing like this blurring the lines of Pop and R&B flawlessly. Long live The Voices!

[@nameisamine]

Gospel too. When you listen to songs like “Emotions” you hear that church influence.

[@dacrimsoncurse]

@@nameisamine and anytime you need a friend, my saving grace, heavenly Those are top tier gospel songs written by mariah

[@erpmo3326]

nah Whitney was never RnB. she's whiter than albino Mariah 🤣🤣🤣

[@Neonlike0]

Her and Chris Cornell are my all time favourite singers. Weird eh? I think she just has it all - so many textures to her voice. Her melisma doesn't sound like she is oversinging. She has a way of phrasing everything so that it doesn't sound overdone as it would for other singers.

[@user-pj5us2xz2p]

Mariah Carey never oversings, quite the opposite as every single riff, run and flourish is complementary to melody and emotion

[@codywalsh2075]

They don't listen to her music, they don't like RnB so they wouldn't know that.

[@user-pj5us2xz2p]

@@codywalsh2075 YOU SAID A WORD!!!

[@gonvelour]

These are rockers who are used to singers whose voices are smoky and that's it. They don't know Whitney, Celine, Jennifer, Chaka, Aretha, Patti, Gladys and so many other fantastic singers. Mariah's music and voice are amazing 🔥

[@cbkqmom]

Y’all miss the point- people used to say she oversings. He is saying she didn’t... we may be rockers but we can and do listen to quite a lot of musical genre, and at least appreciate everyone else’s styles.

[@codywalsh2075]

@@cbkqmom lmao rock fans don't like anything

[@user-of4kk4in9f]

Here a new one for ya ---- *I'm often MORE impressed by her resonance* ... she really had that 'ring' in her voice that the old singers so prized. Sometimes I let it wash over me and ahhh. Great singing is sooooo refreshing to the soul. That resonance hits your ears then your guts. I wish more singers knew how to do it.

[@davidh1970]

I think the over singing was a product of that time period. She was competing with Whitney Houston and Celine Dion for attention. I had the pleasure of hearing Mariah sing the US national anthem when she was just starting out at the NBA finals. Her rendition was incredible. It was Detroit and she blew Motown away.

[@cmeflywva]

One of the greatest moments in the taping was one player turning to a teammate asking who she was and the guy replying, "Man, I don't know." Completely blown away. The video is on KZbin.

[@davidh1970]

@@cmeflywva I will have to search for the video. I think Vision Of Love was just released a week or two before. I was in the nose bleed seats. Most of the people around us didn't know who she was but there was a buzz in the arena after she finished.

[@cmeflywva]

@@davidh1970 You’re correct - Vision of Love had just came out and almost no one knew who she was at the time. Sony pulled a big score getting her on the Arsenio Hall Show that same week but the NBA Finals was a huge score in getting her exposed to a more wider and more diverse population. When you look back at it now you realize just how young she was then. She certainly deserved Best New Artist at the Grammys the next year. I know someone who has a video of her at a showcase they used to do back then when new artists would perform in venues basically exposing them to the press and other possible ventures. She sang better at the showcase than she did at SNL and she matched her live performance on MTV Unplugged. He won’t post it because he doesn’t know if he will get in trouble. He has one of Christina Auguliera as well. Cheers!

[@somespecies]

@@davidh1970 she sang "America The Beautiful" on NBA finals 1990 and there's a video of that here on KZbin. All these years I always wondered about those people who were at that stadium who heard her live. Man I'm glad I found one now 😃

[@krissy9128]

That "America the Beautiful" performance was incredible. I wouldn't say she was competing for attention though, she simply just wanted to write songs, sing and hear her songs on the radio...earn respect for her work. Nothing else mattered to her. The labels and public were the ones that put these women I'm a competition...so to speak.

[@noontiamat4127]

Really nice that you picked this performance, people don’t realize what a gem this is, and it was her debut year!

[@cadeevans4623]

She is a fantastic singer fil great vocals she has great control love her voice she is amazing singer indeed

[@lydiabentley3413]

Absolutely right

[@lindadescafano3749]

Mariah's vocal range is just amazing. She is hitting these notes you didn't know existed. I always liked her music Including her Christmas album. Great analysis Fil!

[@allisonB123]

So excited for this - Mariah was an incredible singer (yes, she over-did it on occasion, but her tone was beautiful), and such a talented song writer too, her ability to connect with people was amazing - and the combination of these talents puts her in a league of her own, IMO 🤗❤️

[@ilovetati91]

Not sure she really ever overdid it as her melisma was strongly connected to the melody or the emotion of the song. And she was brilliant at playing with tonal colors and dynamics in doing this.

[@lydiabentley3413]

I agree

[@lulamilesibanda361]

You are talking as if she's dead and she's not people need to stop treating Mariah like she can't sing if other celebrities had nodules they would lose some of their range as well

[@allisonB123]

@@lulamilesibanda361 my apologies, this wasn’t my intention 🙏

[@pdgf]

She doesnt over sing. Every note riff and run has a purpose. People who dont know music think that that is oversinging. So we forgive you lol

[@conservatorcivilus]

‘Bout time you analyzed one of the most incredible voices of the 90’s 😄👏🏻😎 Listeners may have forgotten how amazing Mariah’s voice once was. 👍🏻

[@DudeSilad]

She was the singer who forgot how to sing. This is the best I've ever heard her. She kills my ears now.

[@conservatorcivilus]

@@DudeSilad Yes, she had it when she was young in the 90’s. Some pipes don’t last, perhaps due to her own neglect? I believe her voice just got burned out over time.

[@hectorbello161]

@@conservatorcivilus Mariah had nodules since she was a child. It is a miracle she could sing around them. She sang Vision of Love in 2020 and I think she sounded great. kzbin.info/www/bejne/bWGTo3-vqN9rbtU

[@strangerthings88]

@@conservatorcivilus she had severe vocal nodules which are like tumors for your voice. She had them since a kid and they progressively got worse. Removing them risks losing your voice and or tone so she never did it.

[@conservatorcivilus]

@MARK ESQUIVEL that’s ironic because she started out as a backup singer.

[@krissy9128]

To me, Mariah never oversings. She mastered the melismatic singing style and she implemented it perfectly into her vocal arrangements. Also, her voice is insanely agile which allowed her to do it easily. The riffs and runs and whistles etc fit very well into the melodies of her songs. Just take a look at people who try to imitate her. When you listen to Mariah vs them it's like she's the one showing restraint. That, or her tone is just so pleasing you don't notice "oversinging". Other people singing her songs are never as satisfying as listening to her. Great video! You should do a bit more Mariah (Emotions, Bringing on the Heartbreak, Love take time, Anytime you need a friend etc). Her vocal arrangements are so interesting.

[@dant.6364]

Thanks for using the term “melismatic”. I listened to several youtube videos so I could understand what it meant and it now I can articulate exactly what I don’t like about Mariah and 90% of other pop singers trying to imitate her in the past 30 years. My favorite music is mid century Jazz sung by the great female artists of the time such as Ella Fitzgerald who used melisma with restraint. See the Wings of Pegasus video, where she uses mainly once in the whole song. With Mariah it seems like she cant go 10 seconds without using it. In every song Mariah sings it seems she is competing for the gold medal in a the “Most Melismatic” category of a music competition. I guess that is why mid century Jazz sounds so fresh and amazing to me even though the music is over 50 years old. Another example of an amazing artist of the time is Nina Simone who IMO intentionally didn’t use melisma, so much so that you could say that Simone’s technique would sound startling to most modern listeners. Mariah certainly has a technically better voice but Nina has vastly more emotional/theatrical range.

[@krissy9128]

@@dant.6364 I respect your opinion but like I said, when it comes to Mariah, for me personally, it's not overdone to the point where it's annoying or plainly distinctive. You don't even notice unless you're a singer or you're studying her vocal arrangements. Her voice is naturally very agile so her arrangements flowed out if her effortlessly. It wasn't like she was like "ok I must put 50 notes in one bar" - that's not the case. Her style and delivery just came naturally to her. "Vision of love" was noted as the magna carta of melisma but did she expect that? No. She just sang it passionately and it was recognized as one of the best vocal performances. Given your taste in music, you're simply not a fan of pop/R&B, and that's ok. There's nothing wrong with the way Mariah, Beyoncé, Tori Kelly, Whitney etc sing.

[@karenbennett7085]

Love Mariah’s music. She is so talented.

[@honestperson3042]

Mariah never oversing. She has the best musicality

[@kbrown611]

Even better than the original recorded version 😭😭😭

[@lynseydowns8993]

Really enjoyed the analysis fil, Mariah has an amazing natural ability to hit those high notes, great to see it on the screen software

[@tiffsaver]

I do believe that Mariah tends to "overdo it" as you say, but only she can truly get away with it. Her vocal chops and those supernatural "whistle tones" she manages to get really set her apart from all the rest. Now Ariana Grande is copping the technique, but face it folks, it's Mariah, all the way.

[@nameisamine]

I don’t get the “overdo it” critique. It’s a style of melismatic singing that comes from the black church, it’s extremely difficult to achieve, and is worthy of respect. I feel like when people say it’s over-singing, it’s an attempt to cut the vocalists down to size and diminish their talent. Idk maybe the amount of raw undeniable vocal talent makes people feel inadequate or intimidated so they go out of their way to find faults in faultless vocal performances. If its not your taste, just say that. No need to diminish the craft. Like I said, it's a style of singing that originated in the Afro-American community, and we know some skeptics have gone out of their way to find ways to devalue or diminish black art for time immemorial *[and they failed every time].* If the singing was so ‘overdone’, I wonder why 100s of millions of people were moved to purchase the records (as well as millions purchasing concert tickets to hear them "over-sing" in person)? Vocalists like Mariah and Whitney ended up outselling at lot of the rock singers these critics rated so much higher than the gifted melismatic singers they so often liked to put down.

[@tiffsaver]

@@nameisamine Whitney Houston does NOT rely on these same vocal affectations like many of the younger girls do. Her voice is clear, powerful, and pure, and does not need the additional vocal "gymnastics" that girls like Christina Aguilera specialize in. Both Mariah and Christina are in a class of their own, but do not confuse Whitney's singing with anybody else.

[@tiffsaver]

@@nameisamine I think I should explain my personal background a little. First, I am well aware of the origins of R&B music, which in my day used to be called "soul music." But all black music, including jazz and blues, all came from slavery in the Old South, starting in gospel churches, then morphing into the form it is today. If it wasn't for black music, their would never have been what we call "rock 'n' roll" music today. Many people believe that Elvis Presley was "The King of Rock 'n' Roll," a label that he detested, because of what I have just mentioned. The first man to record an actual rock record was Little Richard, with "Tutti Fruitti." Since I'm still a professional musician and 76-years old this year, I'm pretty "old school" when it comes to my choice of music. I HATE rap because it isn't "music," and never was. It is simply bad poetry, spoken to someone else's beats. It requires no singing talent whatsoever, and rappers can't even play a cowbell. But the worst thing about rap is how it denigrates both black men AND black women, reducing them to negative stereotypes and glamorizes the entire gangsta lifestyle, which I neither enjoy, promote, or support.

[@jcortese3300]

The weirdest thing about this single is that it's the kind of single that most singers would create as a career pinnacle. And it was her debut. Which is kind of rough, when you think about it. When you start out singing like that, where the hell do you take your career from there?

[@8lycan7]

Listen to her catalogue there’s much much more she gave us over the years

[@halevirginia9523]

Well with 19 #1's she's already answered that question, lol

[@8lycan7]

@@halevirginia9523 tell ‘em !

[@usermo]

I know that your considering her voice right now but The song itself is killer!

[@richardpatrick2852]

I agree and always liked this song and the version of Genius of Love that she did. As time went on I think I kind of lost interest in her music, I have to admit.

[@voxtur__7]

Exactly. A very unique song and certainly the bible of melismatic singing (along with Emotions).

[@zgsanpedro]

She is the most technical singer, songwriter and producer. Always imitated, never duplicated.

[@Fan-vv8wb]

This song of vision of love was a #1 smash hit and influenced every singer in music history from Beyoncé to Christina to Ariana grande to Kelly Clarkson etc.

[@lucyclift2909]

Her range and power is immense!

[@ScottfromBaltimore]

The notes she hits! The accuracy! The speed. Wow.

[@redpine8665]

This song set the world on fire when it came out. Everyone was blown away. Unfortunately her enormous success led to singers over-singing the daylights out of everything. I came to hate the style, but none could touch Mariah's ability at the age she was here.

[@khalilzantou4558]

Marvellous analysis and perspective! I would like to hear more insights about her repertoire. I would suggest some songs showcasing this kind of techniques that she uses. 1) The supersonic run at the very end of Vision of love performance (Sydney, 1998) 2) The C & C remix of Anytime you need a friend where she plays along with the instrumental. 3) The ending of Heavenly, incredibly strong and agile in a few seconds 4) The very short alternative "demo" of All in your mind, recently unveiled, where she sustained an astonishing G5 belt! That's insane. She sounds like an electric guitar 🎸

[@cynixie8862]

never imagined that you would be giving us a mariah reaction lol thanks

[@marylehman1295]

This video segment was really interesting. I would like to hear a full version on guitar . Mariah has crazy sick range and obviously inherited from her mother Patricia. Fil I hope one day you play this song all the way through on guitar, because I think it would be amazing love !! Much respect…

[@bnicolette14]

I completely agree with the sentiment that she plays her voice like a guitar or instrument. Her whistle note on her cover of Bringin On the Heartbreak is a good example and also her recent Masterclass where she uses her voice to get the sound and specific note she wants from the violinist! There are many other examples, too ofc. Her musicality is amazing.

[@zenawarrior7442]

One of my fav songs by her. What a powerhouse. Love she moves around vocally, doesn't hold notes because she can. Fun analysis with the guitar Fil 🎸⭐🎶🎙🎼

[@BlackCatMargie]

Wow. I've never really appreciated Mariah , until now. Thanks Fil!

[@dm3889]

I absolutely love when artists from other genres breakdown different genres from a musical technical aspect. It’s very refreshing. I hope that you do more of these. I think another song you may enjoy would be “If it’s over” Grammys 1992. She wrote the song with Carole king. I think you will enjoy it. Also, listen to her rendition of “Bringing on the heartache” recording. Thank you for this!

[@kschindle1]

thank you for sharing your analysis of Mariah's beautiful voice. I like the guitar application, not played guitar in years and when I did it was a few chords.

[@lydiabentley3413]

Truly a great and informative analysis. Mariah has an absolute wonderful voice and can do so much with it and she’s so great to listen to. Thank you Fil

[@angelxemotions9102]

Fun fact When you said you dont think mariah can get a G5 in chest voice, she can!!! She has most famously done it when singing “hero” in live performances like tokyo dome, madison square garden, rotterdam, etc.

[@yardengali]

Did she...or did she fake it?

[@angelxemotions9102]

@@yardengali lmao she definitely did it, yall think shes always lipsyncing, check the performance i listed out urself.

[@wahyudeni8461]

@@yardengali it's not that hard to searching... Lazy af

[@wingsofpegasus]

It wouldn't suprise me to be fair! 😂

[@strangerthings88]

Same in the All in Your Mind demo. No idea why they didn’t use that on her first album it was a mind blowing long held G 5

[@1020LAStep]

Excellent choice.

[@redzwestisbest]

People don't always understand these types of singers sometimes...the voice is an instrument.... that is why in these 80s 90s RnB ballad songs alot of times had simple backing music.

[@redzwestisbest]

also, this is Mariah's first single. incredible to singing this live so well at age 21.

[@rezaariel8406]

@@redzwestisbest she's 20 tho this is 1990

[@redzwestisbest]

@@rezaariel8406 thought the performance was after her bday

[@Rico-x2g]

Mariah will foreverly the best, greatest and Queen of all Singers! What about Emotions, the one, if it's over and without you. Amazing analysis and reaction Sir!

[@WineSippingCowboy]

Legend 🙌 Before this, Minnie Ripperton blew me away with her whistle notes 🤯 Mariah Carey the first time. I heard this on radio 📻 in 1990. It blew me away! 🤯 Covers. 11 year old Elha Nympha sang this as an audition for The Voice Kids Philippines 🇵🇭. Blew me + the judges away! 🤯 2017 or so Morissette Amon performed this. Blew me away! 🤯 Vastly underrated song of 1990. Influenced many other singers such as above, Ariana Grande.

[@alicesmith8297]

Love the analysis shift from vocal to possible guitar riffs. Beautiful teaching video, Fil.

[@lewiswoodhall]

Her range and agility is amazing! She has hit F#2 and Bb7 live!

[@RonWesterbeek]

Awesome tribute to this natural inspirational vocalist . Rock

[@tomasck2973]

Yes please! This is such a good performance to react to! Prime Mariah is so good at singing VOL that one could analyze her performances line by line without running out of things to say

[@Otokage007]

Def the best voice I've ever heard in a pop artist

[@daviddonnkin611]

A very fascinating episode Fil, you did a comprehensive review of her voice, the vocal dexterity is amazing, well done mate, I thoroughly enjoyed this episode.

[@LuisMiguelchart]

Really enjoyed this analysis! Can’t wait to see more.

[@1SeanBond]

Much appreciated Fil, this was a amazing job, I sure enjoyed this analysis! Lol Boy can that lady sing & those trills! Luv&Peace, Cheers!🤝🏼👍🏼

[@arturodelcastillo9191]

Fantastic vocalist ! So precise ….., even a great songwriter and producer !!!! One in a billion ❤

[@imannonymous7707]

im flashing back to a girl i used to date in the 80s who loved this chik...personally i never really dug mariah, but she has incredible range and control....it is what it is

[@FragranceswithGigi]

I wish you could do this for me lol. I never know my actual range or voice type. Mariah has an incredible voice that we all treasure 💕

[@rippy4freedom]

Wow, how i wish she stayed true to the raw-ness to this performance it was so much Fun !

[@tnmoppylaura5476]

Excellent class from Professor Fil!!! Thanks.

[@donnadee1966]

Great breakdown. Mariah Carey avails herself of her amazing ability with "melisma" or changing the pitch of a syllable as it is being sung. Her range is simply phenomenal and her control unwavering! Thanks for this video!

[@TorToroPorco]

I don’t know what it’s like nowadays since I don’t watch it much any longer but the SNL music segment was a prime live viewing event. Countless memorable performances from the biggest musicians of the day such as Bowie, Prince, Tina Turner, Rolling Stones etc etc. Mariah’s performance was rated as one of the top 25 SNL performances by Rolling Stone Magazine.

[@Lefs86]

Nice reaction! You should react to her rock covers: Without You, Open Arms, Against All Odds, Bringing on the Heartbreak and I Wanna Know What Love Is.

[@drewpall2598]

I know of Mariah Carey by name only I have not followed her career to know a lot about her. with all of your analysis you give us an appreciation for all artists and bands regardless of genres and era in music that we are not familiar with. 😊🤘

[@Larom79]

Mariah’s voice has so many colors to it. Her resonance, range, vibrato, melisma, and songwriting abilities will never be matched! She set the bar so high that nobody can compete with her. The Songbird Supreme ❤

[@renny1712]

This still remains Her very best performance ever!!!! Everything you need to know and learn about technique is right there… Notice how much she dropped the jaw and rounded the lips when she gets to the top of her range… For Example: Prayed through the night [So Faithfully] [So faithful, so faithfully] especially… I can listen to that part a million times… so technically incredible….Her support and breath control are insane… I adore the official video as well… MC is so stunning there. I’m so glad you chose “Vision Of Love” When you mentioned Luther Vandross Can You Do an Analysis on “Endless Love” duet with Luther and MC???? My favorite as well….

[@Devoted2Mariah]

Thank you for finally doing my favorite musician. Mariah is an absolute treat for music lovers. There’s so many I could request, try her Stevie Wonder cover of “You and I”, you would go nuts over it lol. 🥂 cheers, dahhhling.

[@tomasck2973]

14:20 LOL yeah. Even though Mariah has always been notorious for showcasing her range, she did it so notoriously often (and so notoriously well) in 1990. And to think she was nervous singing this. Insane

[@annakoziorowska1940]

Mariah & Whitney sang briliantly

[@erpmo3326]

Mariah and who?

[@patrickjordan2233]

There's a reason why she was (and still is...) such a Huge item..🤣 But I'm a fan (always have been) of interesting and surprising vocal melodies.. Thank you, Fil....👍

[@melissalee2166]

Christina Aguilera is the one who over sings

[@blackprix]

This is early Mariah. I’m not mistaken it’s from the 90s, which I believe in my opinion her vocals were stronger and more artistic early on. I know she still got a voice but I think the early days of her career she presented her vocal Strength better.

[@RooibaardBoerseun]

That range is insane. D# / E♭3 to C7 is 3 octaves and 9 semitones!! alto (F3-E5) mezzo-soprano (A3-A5) soprano (C4-C6) So technically she fits into any of these voice groups… Awesome video bro!

[@wingsofpegasus]

Thanks!

[@quikxfl]

Please cover any live version of My All. Another perfectly curated song for her ability.

[@julioaguirre5951]

Love the review! Do more Mariah I love hearing about how incredible her voice is. Would like to see reviews on more recent performances

[@Stoney_Eagle]

Haha the audio software has quite a fight on what scale it should show. What a lovely voice!

[@TundeOnAVocalJourney-lw5df]

Great video and a wonderful choice of performance for analysis. I never thought to compare Mariah's voice to guitar playing.

[@hlovewood5636]

It is so sweet to see, When she does her tricks, how it makes you smile

[@shannonrowland6803]

I love watching you smile at certain points in each song. Your joy and passion for everything musical is evident.

[@seanskelton866]

I remember seeing these first television appearances from her and thinking, whoa who is this? I was super impressed and I never really thought she over sang because it all made sense. I was a fan right away. Great video and great guitar lesson also.

[@gtucker7848]

Awesome video, Fil. I’ve often said that Mariah sings wonderful 3 minute guitar solos. Loved listening to you explain what my ears have always heard.

[@tammy5938]

I love this, analyzing singers, guitar players.,thank you for doing this makes my morning brighter, keep doing this,love it.

[@freespiritwithnature4384]

My mom just lost her favourite singer today. Olivia Newton John RIP. ❤️

[@brucevob]

Wonderful.I lived just a few miles away from Mariah on Long Island.During this era she sang at some local night spots with her backup singers, and it was perfection.She worked on her craft, and was at the top of her game.There is another video at a local club where they perform,Love Takes Time,and it is fabulous.I enjoyed this video.Thank you.

[@fanmev1687]

This is so interesting! 😍 I would love to see Emotions by Mariah Carey ❤️

[@jessicacoleman4673]

Great performance. Will always and forever be my favorite Mariah song.

[@mailidong3576]

Although I am not a great fan of her runs that seem excessive but amazing none the less, I truly appreciate your analysis and especially your application to a lead instrument. I also appreciate the analysis of her skill to instinctively change the scale. I'm very naive on picking up that and would love for you to expound more on this scale changing that these more blues singing may demonstrate. It seems logical that musicians should be more aware of how this progresses in reinterpreting older songs or composing new songs.

[@deltatango6793]

My childhood hero

[@xgoodsoul]

Queen of versatility 🖤

[@Shinespheres]

Mariah has something called Musicality that not all artists have, she also writes and produces her songs so she knows his the melody goes cause she created it and yes, her voice is the instrument she plays on the song, thats why it not sound over singing or out of place, she really is one of the greatest Artists ever live ❤

[@jphuwae4505]

This is early Mariah, she was more soulful and Motown sounding early on. What’s fascinating to me was her late 90s and 2005 stuff. She experimented more with dynamics of her whisper voice . It’s a very unusual sound - have a listen to “Out Here on My Own”. These dynamics of soft and loud is very unique and very difficult to imitate.

[@theresahoward7216]

Fil you are amazing with your analysis...to get me to watch this type of artists objectively. Obviously Mariah Carey is a talented singer...but not in any they type of music I enjoy- yet I watched and was interested until the end. Always thing to learn- especially in things/ people that aren't in your normal rotation.

[@senuoyizahg490]

Hey this is my first time watching ur video, and it is amazing I love yr reaction. plz do more of Mariah Carey.

[@wingsofpegasus]

Thanks!

[@ro21336]

🇧🇷Gratidão por detalhar esses timbres MAGNÍFICOS! GRATIDÃO!🙌🏻💗✨🎵🎶

[@tammydoolittle6054]

Mariah Carey (Songbird Supreme), is a beautiful lady with a great voice, but sometimes I think she does do some "over singing" too. I didnt know about Mariah until I heard, "All I want for Christmas is you". I bought the cd and liked every song on it. I always enjoy hearing your perspective on things, especially on music. You are brilliant! 🙂

[@wingsofpegasus]

Thanks!

[@JDG81-r3b]

I have seen an interview lately where she said her co writer walter afanasieff asked her to sing at her highest (over singing to some people) because it suited her talent. She eventually broke off from him by the time she recorded Butterfly, where she started applying more layering and breathy notes. Many people compare and contrast old Mariah to new Mariah and that is around the time she started implementing additional elements in her vocal runs. She is never trying to keep with current trends, she always does her thing and that's why I admire her as an artist.

[@lieslwindjulie3230]

Really impressive! I wonder if Mariah can break glass with her voice 🤔 Thanks for this analysis, Fil 🖤🤘🏽

[@barblc3202]

Great analysis, Fil. It makes me think of Alanis Morissette singing like her flute-playing in "That I Would Be Good"

[@dalebaker9109]

Astounding video as always. This lady’s voice in up in the stratosphere. I am trying to work out her range 4 possibly 5 octaves. She must hit the whole piano range.

[@kyle1462]

Great reaction, please do more Mariah live reactions !!!

[@I1L3A0V2]

Brilliant analysis man!

[@morbidmanmusic]

What a friggin vocal.

[@cathyortiz1280]

Now, Mariah could SING!!! Amazing vocals!