I have been listening to Mariah Carey since I was a kid and I've noticed that ever since she released her album Daydream in 1995 i've noticed that Mariah Carey has gone downhill and I would like to know if you've noticed this? Because I've noticed that Mariah's music now uses lots of samples and features a lot of rap stars. Is this because Mariah Carey wants to gain a better audience or is she trying to become popular in the R&B music world? The second thing I've noticed about Mariah Carey is that also when you listen to any of her songs you will notice that Mariah now whispers her lyrics and it's very hard to hear her sing because of this new voice that Mariah Carey has. I remember when she had wonderful ballads like Hero and Anytime You Need A Friend but ever since she switched to a R&B sound I have lost interest in Mariah Carey
Have you noticed this about Mariah Carey?
Bestie

Aging and the usage of her octave range for a quarter of a century has weakened her voice, to explain why it's not as powerful as it once was. As for the rap/R&B get-up, she is trying to market to today's youth who mostly listen to the nonsense that you hear on the radio and all over social media. It's kind of sad, because you also see Madonna trying to be young and hip by collaborating with young pop "stars" and rappers to try to stay current/relevant. This move alienated her older fan base, which seems to be doing the same for Mariah. A midlife crisis if you will. It's sad to see legendary singers sell themselves out and act desperate.

Yep, she's been going downhill since the late 90's when she started collaborating with hip-hop artists and trying to stay relevant. The last great song she did was We Belong Together, a sweet ballad that really didn't get a lot of airplay, but I heard it all the time on the smooth jazz station. It's not entirely her fault though, the music industry has to share in the blame. It seems these days you really can't get a song played unless you pair up with rappers or have a singer with one name you've never heard of outside the club guest star on a song. Even country singers have done it.

It seems these days you really can't get a song played unless you pair up with rappers or have a singer with one name you've never heard of outside the club guest star on a song. Even country singers have done it.

This is how Willie Nelson stays afloat. He has nothing left to prove but still occasionally manages another gasp of air by leeching onto a popular younger singer in an attempt at another hit.

Yeah but Willie Nelson still sounds good LOL.

Yes Mariah Carey keeps working with rap and hip-hop artists to stay "relevant". But the truth is, it seems to work that crap is all you hear on the radio anymore. And let's face it, it's called aging, it's happening to everyone including Mariah Carey. Some people just age better than others and who knows maybe there are personal habits she has that we don't know about that are affecting her voice. But no she ain't as young as she used to be.

Ed.

The last great song she did was We Belong Together, a sweet ballad that really didn't get a lot of airplay, but I heard it all the time on the smooth jazz station.

This...is not correct. We Belong Together spent fourteen weeks at number one on the Billboard Hot 100 Chart in 2005. Billboard also declared the song the most popular song of the 2000's decade. The only song to spend more time at number one in Billboard history is Mariah's One Sweet Day.

Mariah recorded the majority of her biggest ballads between the ages of 19-25. She's now 46, so of course her voice is going to change. From the very beginning she had an interest in R&B but was groomed to go in another direction, which worked out wonderfully for her career.

While I haven't been a huge fan of much of what she's released since her 2008 album, I believe she always had an interest in working with rappers and hip hop artists. Though, even as a massive fan I do have to agree that a lot of the music she has released in the past several years has been out of desperation to get more hits. It just isn't that necessary. She's already a legend and doesn't really have anything else to prove. She has broken so many records in her career that I wish she would just tone it down and release an album for the fans, not for Billboard.

Yep, she's been going downhill since the late 90's when she started collaborating with hip-hop artists and trying to stay relevant. The last great song she did was We Belong Together, a sweet ballad that really didn't get a lot of airplay, but I heard it all the time on the smooth jazz station. It's not entirely her fault though, the music industry has to share in the blame. It seems these days you really can't get a song played unless you pair up with rappers or have a singer with one name you've never heard of outside the club guest star on a song. Even country singers have done it.

Not sure if you're serious about "We Belong Together" being her last great hit or if that's your personal opinion, but "Shake It Off", "Don't Forget About Us", "Touch My Body", "Bye Bye", "Obsessed" and "Beautiful" have enjoyed moderate to high success on the charts since 2005 as well. I think it's a mixture of things causing a slow decline for her, being she is in her late 40s and not as marketable as younger talent, her voice has lost its power from years of use plus age plays a factor, collaborating with artists who aren't favorable personally or professionally and that part of her fan base has been alienated (either by their own volition or Mariah's career choices driving them away). It's a sad world we live in today when powerful singers are not held in regard anymore and replaced by plastic idols.

This...is not correct. We Belong Together spent fourteen weeks at number one on the Billboard Hot 100 Chart in 2005. Billboard also declared the song the most popular song of the 2000's decade. The only song to spend more time at number one in Billboard history is Mariah's One Sweet Day.
It didn't get a lot of airplay where I lived so maybe here it just wasn't as popular as her other songs...