BOOK REVIEW // "The Meaning of Mariah Carey" by Mariah Carey with Michaela Angela Davis

Real Lambily members rejoice. If you know, you know. This fall has been a significant one for those who have been relishing in and swooning along with singer and Song Writing Hall of Fame inductee Mariah Carey since the early nineties. It's been now thirty years since we first watched "Vision of Love" sky rocket to the top of the charts, since we saw a young Mariah grace the stage of the career-defining Arsenio Hall show, and takeover the radio airwaves. If you're a true, true Mariah Carey fan, the ups and downs along the way have meant little to nothing, because of simply how much power the music itself has had along the way.

At the end of September, Mariah Carey's memoir "The Meaning of Mariah Carey" was released, and decades worth of stories, context, and perspective were confessed. For many, the albums of Ms. Carey have served as soundtracks to our adolescence, to teen years, our twenties, and now even in our middle ages we are blessed to still be able to turn on a new Mariah album, and turn the pages to this captivating story.

Her artistry is to be admired. It has always been her strength. Not just her multi-octave voice, or string of number one hits (one per decade since her first...as soon as the December 2019 number one "All I Want For Christmas") but just her songwriting alone is to be celebrated. From day one, Mariah has had a hand in the writing, composition, and recording of her music. Just like Prince, and other great performers of our time, she is a consummate musician and writer. This book only solidified that.

It's not easy being a fan of Mariah Carey. It comes with a lot of justification and defence at times. But those of us who know, know. We know that we have never doubted her character (even though things appeared to be questionable in the media) but we know that at the root of her songs and performances was a humility, an honesty, and a purity that was almost difficult for others to comprehend. Easy to dismiss sometimes.

Having finished her memoir, I'm happy that I had the opportunity to understand her fascinating story, and life. Fully. The missing pieces of Mariah's journey are now filled in. The context, the pain, the confusion...all of it is beautifully outlined in the pages of this book. And when I say beautiful...I mean beautiful. Her writing is impeccable. Her reflections, and her references, her emotion, and her raw experiences read truthful and relatable because Mariah is (and always has been) an exceptional writer. Period.

Questions about her family life become painfully evident. Curiosity about her confidence, her identity issues, and her love life: it's all there. Marriages, flings, media breakdowns, and huge performances...all there. Reading this book filled in so many pieces to a lifelong appreciation for Mariah Carey the diva, and really and truly depicted Mariah Carey the woman in the most clear way.

A few things stood out to me along the way:

Her experiences with Blackness, and existing in a town (Long Island, NY) that didn't have the ability to understand her racial identify: "In my mind, dancing became a measurement for Black acceptance..." (page 41).

Her complete passion for music: "...she heard an aria. It was the most beautiful sound she'd ever heard, and she was determined to chase it..." (page 44). 

The description of hearing opera legend Luciano Pavarotti sing an Italian version of her lifetime classic "Hero" at a "Pavarotti & Friends" special in 1999.

A significant quote: "The music business is designed to confuse and control the artist..." (page 115).

"I may have been insecure about my money, my clothes, my family, and a whole host of other things, but I knew my songs were valuable..." (page 119).

When first meeting Tommy Motolla: "I recognized his energy, and I think he recognized mine..." (page 124)

On her mother's prized possession: "Her piano held memories in its keys..." (page 134)

On working with Whitney Houston: "We both had our hearts anchored in the Lord, and that was real..." (page 219), where she described having a lot of fun, and laughing a lot.

On her fans, the Lambs: "I established an independent relationship with my fans before social media was even created..." (page 235).

Significant advice from her therapist: "Please change your cast of characters..." (page 267)

"Prince was a real writer and composer--a lot of people claim they are, but we know..." (page 319)

And if the memoir itself wasn't enough, "The Rarities" was also presented, featuring unreleased songs from the 90s until now, again, filling in the blanks to a musical career that has already been groundbreaking and legendary.

Listening to "The Rarities," you are reminded of everything that has made Mariah great. The old 90s ballads. The upbeat pop tracks, filled with lightness and positive energy. The soulful and often choir-esque background singers. And of course: the lyrics. Mariah is the queen of lyrics.

When you read the book, one of the greatest treats is that you are now able to place the lyrics in context. Every song, every moment, every word, and phrase has significance. It's almost hard to explain just how poignant it is to be able to read the story behind some of your favourite Mariah tracks. For true fans, it's incredible.

One song in particular, one of my absolute favourites from Mariah, "The Roof," (built on the Mobb Deep sample from "Shook Ones") has a particularly awesome story behind it about an experience with Derek Jeter, and young love and passion, that in itself is worth reading the book to get it. I'm pretty sure I gasped with joy, being able to learn the origins of that process. It made me reflect on how many dope remixes she has inspired, particularly this remix of "Thank God I Found You (Make it Last Remix)" featuring hip hop artist Nas and R&B singer Joe:

Another great story, how "My All" (another personal favourite) was developed, on a plane ride from the Caribbean to New York, and how a beautiful experience "fueled me to a new level in my creativity" (page 206).

The writing is so good. I can't stress that enough. And it was co-written by Michaela Angela Davis ("award-winning writer, image activist, producer, and cultural commentator. She is a veteran fashion, beauty, and culture editor with a particular focus on elevating stories about Black women's identity and culture"), which explains the spot-on racial and social references, and the accuracy and delicacy with which it is explained. The combination of their two minds makes for a very thorough, unapologetic piece of work.

The story wasn't all great, in fact, some parts were downright unbearable. Sad. Her restrictive marriage to music mogul Tommy Mottola, for example. The abuse and neglect suffered at home by a family that never really knew how to show her love, or appreciate her talents. A bittersweet relationship with her Black father, and the complexities of that relationship in her racist Long Island neighbourhood. Adolescent bullying, and physical hatred from siblings. It's powerful stuff. All of it. The ups and the downs.

What you learn about Mariah, is that a lot of it was painful. Despite the persona, the images, the sexy clothes, and the seemingly frivolous behaviour, there was a lot of pain. Destruction. A lot of doubts, and a lot of sadness. And the amazing thing is how she was able to translate that into some of the most treasured and memorable songs of my generation. And how she'll forever be known as one of the greatest of all times.

There are fun stories about singing with Diana Ross, meeting Nelson Mandela in South Africa, and numerous other amazing experiences that still appear to humble her. A friendship with Will Smith. Joyriding with Cam'ron, and adventures with her longtime friend Da Brat. Meeting and having a whirlwind romance with Nick Cannon, and of course, the birth of "Dem Babies," Roc and Roe. I believe the humility is real, and I think anyone who reads this book (a fan, or otherwise) can clearly see the soul of who this woman is, and why she is the way she is. Why she appears to be..the way she "appears" to be.

A few things are unshakeable though, as far as I'm concerned: Mariah is a powerhouse. Anyone who reads this book can walk away from it being inspired, proud, and thankful that Mariah Carey has not only survived a lot of adversity, but also that she has existed to share the story with us, and bless us with the fruits of her struggle along the way. Countless beautiful compositions, and melodies that remain in our souls, year after year. Mariah is the first artist to have a number one song on the Billboard Hot 100 charts for four decades.

A few things she was awesome not to acknowledge: the alleged alcoholism, Eminem, the marriage to that last weird Australian guy, and photos of her ex-siblings. I noticed, and think it was an excellent choice.

"You can't let anybody define, control, or take away your vision of your life..." (page 336)

If you don't have time to read the book, check out the Oprah interview on AppleTV: fantastic. 

"Lambily, the fans and I, go through things together..." (page 322). Real talk.

Truly, an inspiration!