Mariah Carey to release her first book Me. I Am The Meaning of Mariah Carey. The Elusive Author.

Mariah Carey had been letting everybody know that she was releasing a book during her promotional run for Caution, and people seemed more interested in the book than the album. The fucking nerve, because Caution is fire. But, anyway. Mariah teased that a book was coming, then nothing. Then news broke it would be releasing as part of a venture with Andy Cohen, who I can't stand. And now we have the title, the cover, the release date and that the book was written with the involvement of Michaela Angela Davis; former fashion editor for Essence magazine and star stylist, who also happens to be good friends with Mariah herself.

I'mma tell you now. I don't like that cover or the title. Mariah really just gave us an outtake from her Billboard shoot in December. She may as well have just called the damn thing Me. I Am Mariah and pushed the album.

Anyway.

Mariah has been pretty candid and honest about her career and personal life, both in interviews and in her music. But these are things that only her fans remember and hang onto. For the general public, all of it all gets pushed aside in favour of her diva antics.

Mariah grew up poor with a Black father and a white mother. She experienced racism. She struggled to fit in at school due to being mixed race. She started her singing career young. She married young at 23 to a man who was 21 years older than she was, who was also the head of the label she signed to.

Red flags be waving all about the place. But let us continue.

Mariah experienced tension with her husband over his stifling of her sound and her image. She was a victim of emotional abuse. Following a divorce, Mariah's husband made attempts to sabotage her career, forcing her off of the label that he signed her to, at a time when she was still one of the best selling artists on it. Mariah saw her entire back-to-back, hit-after-hit career take a serious nose dive. She released a film which couldn't have bombed any harder if a bitch took dynamite to the set. She had a breakdown. She lost her father. She had another marriage which ended in divorce. She had a manager mishandle her business and take advantage of her - during which time her public image got dragged through the mud as a result of a catastrophic reality show and live performances that made headlines, and the Internet wouldn't let her live down. Then Mariah reveals that she is bipolar. In the midst of all of this, there are concerns over her image and her sound at a time when Ariana is blowing up, who is skinny, can sing good and is being dubbed by the media as the new Mariah.

And this is all the shit that we DO know. This alone would make for a good-ass book, but Mariah ensures us there's more to be told. So, I might have to get me a copy.

Mariah Carey honestly doesn't get the props she deserves. Not only for her talent and being the blueprint for so many female artists, but the shit she's been through not just over the course of her career, but her life. You seldom hear any talk of Mariah's resilience. It's unfortunate. Especially at this point in time.

I really do hope that this book not only sheds light on Mariah's plights and struggles, but enlightens those whose image of her is just as this diva who does that whistle thing with her voice. It's a shame that after all she's done and achieved, that she gets reduced to so little.

The Meaning of Mariah Carey will release on September 29th. Given the pandemic and restrictions on mass public gatherings, I can't see there being any form of book tour, unless Mariah just does a stop in Florida. And there's no news of any music releasing around this time to coincide with the book release neither. Although, the Daydream anniversary falls on September 28th, so maybe she might do something around that with the book. Who knows.

📝 Album reviews: Glitter | E=MC² | Memoirs of an Imperfect Angel | Caution
🔊 Playlist: Mariah Carey featuring...
🎛️ A mashup that nobody asked for: Mariah Carey x Sonic the Hedgehog