When she just sings, I can deal with her voice. But when she ad-libs and starts screaming like a holler monkey, my ears bleed. She sang "I Am", and it's a good song. And she didn't holler too much through the song. Very catchy, she looked good, sounded good. Her interview was just basic stuff about performing at the White House - stuff like that. I have to think that a lot of these artists don't "go for it" when on a morning show because their voice isn't as warmed up perhaps as if they were doing an evening show and had the larger part of a day to get in singing mode. She sounded good though.

My issue with her is that it seems the last few albums have been about her struggle, her hard times, etc. It started with No More Drama. Okay good, you got through some drug stuff, and got clean. Then she kind of (I thought) lightened up with Love & Life. But then the drama train started again with The Breakthrough, Growing Pains, and now Stronger With Each Tear. HOW LONG ARE YOU GOING TO STUFF, MARY?! I mean seriously, letitgo. Even Prince knew when to stop singing about record companies on every album. I'm not trying to be dismissive to her struggles in life, but shit. We ALL have struggles, even in our 30's, even in our 40's, and might in our 50's as well. It doesn't mean we're tortured 24/7 (unless you're an alcoholic or something harsh like that).

How tortured is that girl? Mary LOOKS happy most times, and I thought she was happy, married, sober, etc. But there's always that "struggle" side to her, that sad tone or whatever. At this point, she's either still REALLY fucked up, or it's just gimmicky.


I only own about 3 MJB songs. "Love No Limit", "Real Love" (Toby Lightman did a great country-esque cover of that song), and "Just Fine" (I think). Last year, my roommate got me a MJB album. I guess my face didn't hide my dislike for the CD. He said, "You don't like it?" I said, "Um....well, I'm not a fan." For some reason he thought I was. I realized he saw me watching her perform "Just Fine" on some award show, and probably thought I was a fan. (I've only known this guy, as my boyfriend, and now as just a friend, for 12 damn years - you'd think he would know who I do and don't like! HAHA) I didn't open it, and exchanged it for something else at Target.

I HAVE TO check out that Toby Lightman version of Real Love now.

You´re right, the "Mary always going through some drama" thing seems to be her schtick. But, on the other hand,her music doesn´t really benefit from her "happy" phases....most of the time, she comes out with some pseudo-techno dancefloor shit everytime she´s happy.I stopped buying her albums after her fourth or fifth album, I don´t even remember the name...I think it was simply titled "Mary". And I think I also bought the one that came out later, the one where she´s wearing this hideous dead fox or leopard fur thingy.
I really liked her back in the 90s when her first albums came out ( and yes, I prefer "What´s the 411?" over her sophomore album "My Life" simply because it is a little bit more creative,musically. "My Life" still sounds great but the more familiar you are with the music that was sampled for it, the more you realize how lazy the production team behind it really was).

I saw her live sometime in the 90s, and while the show wasn´t really bad, it also wasn´t very good, either. One hypeman running up and down the stage, from left to right, all the time, constantly shouting and screaming bullshit in all the wrong moments, ( "All you muthafuckas make some noooooiseeee! Hell yeah!" " Now screeeeeaaaaammmm!" " I can´t hear you muthafuckaaaaas!")
Simply horrible. I still have a hard time understanding what those stupid "hypemen" were all about in the 90s....really unnecessary.

And you´re right about her ad-libs and her whole screaming all the time....same thing with Nikka Costa..I can´t stand her performance on the Alladin Las Vegas ONA DVD...some call it having soul or whatever, but IMO it´s just unnecessary screaming, showing off, stealing the show, whatever.

PS: Eric Leeds also can´t stand singers who go on and on with their screaming. He said during the 2002 event at Paisley that this screaming is called a "melisma", and the dislike for it is something that Eric and I have in common.

Let´s blame everything on K-Ci from Jodeci.He ruined her life.
[Edited 12/23/09 16:37pm]

ernestsewell said:

That's strange you say that because most are complaining about why she don't sing the sad songs no more .Most think she's TOO happy now so this is interesting lol

babybugz said:

Based on the album titles alone, and each results interview when she promotes it, I see her working the "tortured artist" gig a lot more.

ernestsewell said:

I don't know . her music seemed more depressed back then

But I see what you mean about the titles , I think if she was focusing on coming out of her problems it should have stop with growing pains.
[Edited 12/23/09 17:13pm]

babybugz said:

Exactly.

She went from My Life to Share My World...okay, whatcha got? Yes we know your name is Mary. And it's great you want No More Drama. Good, it's over. Oh, a Breakthrough? From what exactly? I get it, you're still having Growing Pains. Welcome to life, baby. But it's great that you're Stronger With Each Tear.

Stronger With Each Tear??? REALLY? What the fuck she cryin' about? I thought she said she NOT GON' CRY no more? I know what the 411 is....DRAMZ.

Why does Mary always sing about being stronger?

midiscover said:

This is what we are discussing now

ernestsewell said:

I know right ..something must be going on with her and her husband I like her album though

Sorry, I was through when she tried to cover "One" and insisted on trying to sing it live.

ThreadBare said:

Yeah, that was pretty bad.

oh blinky J.Blink?


sorry....every since her "blinking" thing has been brought to my attention- i cant think of much else when it comes to her.

babybugz said:

That is true

She even talked about the big portions of her fans who "supposedly" feel that she gotta go back "and use drugs in order to bring some good songs" I'm saying suppposedly because Mary is a big drama queen and If her paranoia doesn't kick in, she'll realize that anybody who loves/likes her don't wish her any ill thoughts,,,,they just want that sincerity back, 's all.

I LOVE Mary, let it be known. One doesn't have to be "depressed" to make heartfelt music,,,,and I think the sooner she stops trying to force it by proving/preaching it to folks, the sooner everything about her material will sound as natural as the ones prior to "No More Drama", minus the depression.

OR,,,,I gotta a better solution.....

How about practicing what she's preaching? She said "I don't have to work with anybody who's hot just coz everybody else jumped on their bandwagon",,,,Um, Mary? Thats EXACTLY what you're doing right now, sweetheart

Mind you, from the reactions I've seen from her fans and non-fans alike,,,,,I have a sense that she'll get a good dose of reality.
[Edited 12/24/09 0:37am]

Harlepolis said:

So true.

Nvncible1 said:

Uh, what?

ThreadBare said:

She blinks.....ALOT..... A- LOT.

Nvncible1 said:

How do you even compare something like that?

By the way, Elton John raises his eyebrows when he sings, but that's not going to stop me from checking out his music...

Nvncible wasn't exaggerating the girl does have a blinking reflex.

Watch her interviews,,,and esp the roles she acted in TV(and her recent film). She could fan a fire with that blinking.

The girl is the queen of blink hop and soul.

Timmy84 said:

ill blink to that

Harlepolis said:

OK. I've watched an interview. She's all a-flutter.

Maybe that's why she has so much trouble with pitch. She's worn out from all that blinking.

ThreadBare said:

No, the blinking has nothing to do with why she has pitch problems.

Timmy84 said:

I'm just trying to help the child.

ThreadBare said:

I know you were.

Harlepolis said:

Yes I notice it a couple years back i'm like what's going on with your eye mary Mostly in interviews you see it
[Edited 12/24/09 16:44pm]

babybugz said:

Her eyes been batting like that since she started.

Timmy84 said:

I didn't pay attention to her eyes since she started ..lol

babybugz said:

sometimes peole who r anxious it manifests in blinking

babybugz said:

I'm a little older and whenever I saw her interviews especially in those early years, she kept batting them sons of guns. At one point when she was getting high and stoned, her eyes sometimes rolled lol It was evident she would show up drunk and high during early interviews. But even "sober", those eyes still bat like crazy.