02/18/2007: "Mariah The Writer: Simple, Memorable, And Absolutely True"

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Mariah Carey has often received flak for her lyrics. Critics often dismiss her songs as "cliche" or as being like "high school diary entries" or "Hallmark greeting cards." Those criticisms miss the point, though. Mariah has said that she writes songs about specific situations in a general manner so that people can relate. As Devon Powers of Pop Matters wrote, "Her lyrics were exactly what you wanted them to be: simple, memorable, and absolutely true." The reason Mariah has had so many hits is that her songs strike a chord with listeners. Not only can she craft wonderful melodies that stick in the brain, but she writes lyrics that seem to describe what all of us feel.

Perhaps this is also the reason Mariah has been mistaken for not having a point of view. In a society where people fight over who gets to stand on the soapbox, Mariah writes for the people who are away from commotion living their life. She writes for the everyman who is trying to make his way in the world. She writes for the everywoman who wants nothing more than her soulmate. Madonna is one of the people who has claimed that Mariah Carey lacks a point of view, and that's an ignorant statement. Mariah writes from the point of view of a multiracial female who grew up in a family of divorce. She writes about the effects of childhood, equality, romantic yearning, and the need for self-love. If most of Mariah's lyrics are about seeking affirmation, either from yourself or others, it's because that's the universal struggle. Aren't we all looking for affirmation? Aren't wars fought between countries seeking power? Isn't welfare about helping those who need a break? Mariah's lyrics are more political and sociological than people think. She has said "Can't Take That Way" was written in reaction to the Columbine shootings. If you can't tell that strictly by reading the lyrics, it's because Mariah understands that the reasons behind those shootings aren't that far removed from the feelings that cause some people to attempt suicide and other people to remain in an abusive relationship. All pain is the same, regardless of how it manifests itself.

This also gets to how Mariah is perceived image-wise. While Madonna and Janet Jackson can wear just as little clothing as Mariah, and sleep with more men, they do not receive the same criticism that Mariah does. Mariah has always projected vulnerability. Even though Madonna has always been about getting attention, she hides it better; Mariah wears her insecurity on her sleeve (when she wears sleeves). That makes her more real, which is why Mariah has such a deep connection with her fans. Madonna seems to be above humans, Mariah is human. Her pain is our pain, even if we haven't had the same specific experiences she has. As DJ PC Munoz wrote on his web site, "Mariah possesses a kind of little-girl spirit which most female songwriters don't dare conjure, for fear of being pigeon-holed, stereotyped, or mocked by 'serious' songwriting peers and critics." Mariah's style of writing may never earn her the critical respect that indie singer/songwriters receive, but as Munoz states, that "certainly doesn't warrant automatic dismissal of her work as an artist."

As a writer, Mariah has more #1 songs than any other female composer. If nothing else, this speaks to her ability to write lyrics and melodies that touch people of different generations. Mariah also co-wrote the only holiday standard from the past 20 years in "All I Want For Christmas Is You." That tune has become one of the 10 most-played songs each holiday season, and it has been covered by everyone from My Chemical Romance to Shania Twain. Mariah has also received 5 Grammy nominations as a writer, including 2 for Song of the Year (one for "Vision Of Love" and one for "We Belong Together"). She's clearly speaking to someone.

Mariah's early songs captures the various reasons relationships end and the subsquent feelings. As Hillary Frey of Salon.com wrote, "'Someday' summed up my teenage angst and anger better than any Cure song could. And 'Love Takes Time' -- has any breakup ballad ever put it better?" As PC Munoz says, the lyrics to "Dreamlover" are "an expression of the simplest of romantic dreams: to find the right person and to be taken care of." Everyone can relate to that, so it's no wonder artists like Nelly Furtado have said they wrote songs like Mariah songs while growing up. And Mariah has started branching out as a writer. The post-divorce album Butterfly featured Mariah's most personal and detailed lyrics yet. Rich Juzwiak of Slant described "The Roof" as "vivid and sometimes shockingly clever", and "Breakdown" as having "lyrical strokes as broad and obvious as they are naked." Mariah's next studio album was Rainbow, and Danyel Smith wrote in Entertainment Weekly that lyrically it "brims with a richness and vulnerability." That sense of vulnerability always shines through.

Maybe that's what Mariah was sent here to do; serve as an outlet for those of us who need someone to give voice to the emotions we feel on a daily basis. After all, while war and politics are issues that need to be discussed, the reality is that relationship and identity issues are what most of us deal with on a daily basis.