Why Mariah Carey Matters

August 14, 2023
Journalist Chan’s reverential debut traces the shape-shifting career of “one of the most complicated characters in modern pop.” From the moment Mariah Carey was discovered by Sony Music CEO (and future husband) Tommy Mottola in the late 1980s, she refused to restrict herself to one musical style: the first tape she gave to Mottola was layered with gospel and R&B undertones. Despite Columbia Records’ efforts in the 1990s to market Carey as a ballad-blasting pop singer to white audiences, she continued to make forays into various genres; for example, she was one of the only ’90s pop stars to rerecord her hits for house remixes, which were popular among Black and queer dance club audiences (with whom the biracial singer shared “an experience of outsideness,” Chan writes). Later albums showcased “how sharply attuned Mariah was to R&B’s past and future,” including her 1995 Daydream and its standout “Underneath the Stars,” an “ode to young love... like a secret whispered in the dark by one R&B fan to another.” In expansive prose that occasionally goes overboard (“I like to picture her voice as a kind of cosmic seeker, stretching its tentacles into weird little pockets of sound”), Chan proves that despite a smooth-edged commercial exterior, Carey’s style “foregrounds the ways singing can activate something irrational and untamed within us.” It’s a satisfying tribute to a dynamic and influential singer.

August 18, 2023

Mariah Carey embodies the duality of celebrity; she has both rabid fans (known as Lambs) and vehement haters. This book by Chan (contributor, 4Columns) showcases Carey's musical talents and delves into her work as a songwriter and producer. Her struggles for acceptance as an artist of color are also spotlighted. The well-researched book reads like a doctoral thesis but still in a comprehensive, accessible way. Chan's beautiful descriptions of Carey's songs, lyrics, and performances aid in the difficult task of bringing sound to life solely through words. Cited works are varied, ranging from the superstar's own autobiography to articles from Buzzfeed. The outcome lends a distinctly 21st-century feel to an artist largely defined by her hits in the '90s and early aughts. Observations of Carey's influence on the LGBTQIA+ community are sprinkled throughout. Chan interjects his own stories of how he came to know and love Carey's music, lending more insight to his admiration of her. VERDICT An excellent look at a great artist. Readers will likely find themselves YouTubing the Carey performances described in this book.--Jessica Durham

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