Mariah Carey
Mariah Carey Wows Crowd, Pokes Fun At Herself At L.A. Show
by on Feb.24, 2010, under Mariah Carey
‘I know it’s a diva moment,’ singer jokes as she summons hair and makeup people onstage.
By Ryan J. Downey
Mariah Carey performs at L.A.’s Gibson Amphitheatre on Tuesday
Photo: Jason Merritt/ Getty Images
UNIVERSAL CITY, California — Early into her set, Mariah Carey smiled widely as she surveyed the packed Gibson Amphitheatre on night one of a two-night stand. “You sound very, very festive,” she told the audience. She picked up a glass from a table full of beverages. “This is water — don’t get it twisted, please. Now that’s not to say there aren’t other things on the table. This is L.A. And I have been known to have a sip or two in L.A.”
It was one of several moments of feisty self-effacing humor from the chatty singer. Throughout the night, her between-song banter felt light, honest and steadfastly lucid, in stark contrast to recent well-publicized bouts of public babbling. Her intimate connection with her fans was palpable from start to finish.
The evening began at 9 p.m., right on schedule. “I’m usually much more late and people criticize me for that,” she pointed out later in the show. “But tonight, in Los Angeles, was I on time?” The crowd roared in the affirmative. A rousing rendition of “Shake It Off” set the tone for what felt like a celebratory evening.
The band and backup singers stood toward the back of the stage on high platforms, resembling a 1950s dance-show set, which kept the focus on Carey. The crowd sang the “I will hunt you down” refrains back to her, loudly, during “Touch My Body” and kept the participation going throughout the night. Backup dancers disappeared and returned in varying configurations throughout the show.
“I had forgotten about this song the whole tour and I don’t know why. Funny I should forget it, considering the title,” she laughed as she introduced “Don’t Forget About Us.” She stayed dressed in a form-fitting short dress with a flared, tutu-like bottom for the first portion of the night, occasionally using a white mic stand. There were a couple of wardrobe changes into other form-fitting attire.
Mariah took a gulp of champagne (and later shilled for her own upcoming brand) while lying seductively on a chaise that seemed to have been brought out expressly for that purpose before singing “Always Be My Baby.” It was the most symbolic moment of the evening, somehow embodying the many facets of her appeal in a single action: beauty, sexiness, luxury, playfulness and talent.
At one point she complained about a chair being placed too far from the fans — the electric fans. “Don’t you know that my hair naturally blows just like in all of the videos? That’s real,” she joked.
She asked for hair and makeup people to come onstage and touch her up, saying, “I know it’s a diva moment, but I don’t care.” But the vibe of all of the antics was coy and knowing, like a joke within a joke that all of the crowd is in on. “I went to beauty school, so I can do this, too. Five hundred hours! The teacher hated me.”
A few tasteful and well-timed moments of seriousness notwithstanding — “Fly Like a Bird” was dedicated to her late bishop, “Angels Cry” to the people of Haiti — the evening rolled out with a relaxed vibe and the hits kept flowing, including “Make It Happen,” “It’s Like That” and “Up Out My Face.” A male backup singer took over for a cover of Michael Jackson’s “Rock With You”? “The ‘Heartbreaker’ remix was my favorite part of the night,” a 20-year-old fan named Manny told MTV News.
“I wrote it for my husband, who is not here tonight because he had business,” Carey said before “The Impossible,” the night’s only reference to Nick Cannon. “Whatever. Maybe he’ll surprise me one night.” Mary J. Blige was also absent for the text-message-drama song “It’s a Wrap,” which didn’t stop Carey from belting out the entire number herself. “Give it up for the jet skis in the video!” she shouted during “Honey.”
Carey thanked Jermaine Dupri for co-writing “We Belong Together,” which she said he told her was Billboard’s Song of the Decade. It also holds a high honor in the heart of at least one concertgoer, Tiffany, 21. “It’s my favorite song from Mariah. It’s my favorite song, period,” she told MTV News.
Carey returned for an encore, “Hero,” before unleashing the crowd into the night to fend off bootleg T-shirt vendors as they wandered Universal City Walk.
A remixed version of Memoirs of an Imperfect Angel, called Angels Advocate, was due in stores this month but pushed back to March. Carey mentioned during the show that it might be pushed back again.
Related Photos
Related Artists
Nicki Minaj Loved Making ‘Up Out My Face’ Video With Mariah Carey
by on Feb.08, 2010, under Mariah Carey
‘I didn’t believe until I was physically in the studio that I was doing with something with Mariah,’ Minaj gushes.
By Shaheem Reid
Nicki Minaj
Photo: MTV News
Nicki Minaj says she was so surprised that she got a call to work with Mariah Carey on the remix of “Up Out My Face” that she kept the collaboration very hush-hush.
“That one, I didn’t believe until I was physically in the studio that I was doing with something with Mariah,” the New York native told MTV News last week. “I didn’t even tell anyone I shot a video with Mariah, because I didn’t even believe. In the back of my mind, I felt like, ‘This video is not gonna come out. There’s no way I’m gonna do a video with Mariah Carey before I even put out my album.’ Then, when it came out, I think it was the #1 video on YouTube in one day, something crazy like that. She’s an icon, I’ve loved her since I was little, like ‘Vision of Love,’ ‘Someday.’ I was one of those little girls in the mirror singing her songs with my mother.”
Much like her fellow Mariah Carey collaborator and good friend Gucci Mane, Minaj said the real Mariah was nothing like she imagined.
“When I met her, she was so funny and silly,” Nicki recalled. “I thought when I was gonna work with Mariah, [she] was gonna be like this diva. But we were cracking jokes the whole day. She’s a sweet, down-to-earth person.”
Nicki and Mimi had their names written on two giant baby doll boxes in the video. In the Nick Cannon-directed clip, the two bust out and have a good time changing outfits and playing with men. The doll angle plays perfectly with Nicki’s “black Barbie” persona.
“I think it was dope,” Minaj said about the video. “A lot of times, more famous artists or more confident artists take from a younger artist but they’ll never include you in that. I feel like she liked the whole doll thing and she wanted to do it with me. But she said that: She said, ‘Everybody’s gonna say “she’s doing Nicki.” But I told her, she’s always had a doll persona, like all that ‘doll baby’ [stuff]. So it goes perfect with Barbie and we had fun. That’s all that matters.”
The remix will appear on Mariah’s Angels Advocate remix LP, due on March 30.
Nicki has been making the rounds with guest appearances recently, from Mariah to Robin Thicke’s “Shakin’ It 4 Daddy,” and of course Lil Wayne’s Rebirth, and she recently shot the video for “My Chick Bad” from Ludacris’ forthcoming Battle of the Sexes LP, which is slated for release early next month.
“He sent me the beat. He didn’t have verses on it yet,” Minaj said about working beside Cris. “I told him, ‘You could take what I did to the next level because you’re animated and crazy. People know you for that. I kinda went animated and crazy on that. Luda is definitely one of those people — I love when people don’t take themselves too seriously.”
Related Videos
Related Artists
Simon Cowell’s Haiti-Supporting ‘Everybody Hurts’ Premieres
by on Feb.02, 2010, under Mariah Carey
All-star remake of R.E.M.’s hit song includes Susan Boyle, Mariah Carey and Leona Lewis, among others.
By Kyle Anderson
Simon Cowell
Photo: M. Caulfield/American Idol 2008
On Monday, the music world came together to record a new version of “We Are the World,” the classic charity single organized by Michael Jackson and producer Quincy Jones that was originally conceived to fight hunger in Africa and will now raise funds for earthquake relief in Haiti.
But it wasn’t the only star-studded charity song to grab headlines, as the Simon Cowell-produced cover of R.E.M.’s “Everybody Hurts” premiered this morning. The track contains turns from more than 20 stars, including Susan Boyle, Mariah Carey, Jon Bon Jovi, Rod Stewart, Mika, Miley Cyrus, Leona Lewis and Kylie Minogue. The song also includes a reunion of Take That, featuring lead singer Robbie Williams.
The tune was recorded in both Los Angeles and London and made its premiere on BBC Radio 1 early Tuesday morning (February 2). The song is currently available for pre-order via a handful of British retailers (including HMV.com and Amazon.co.uk) and will be available starting Sunday, February 7. Proceeds will benefit the Helping Haiti fund established by U.K. newspaper The Sun, which also helped organize the production of the track, and the Disasters Emergency Committee.
“We have a short time to do this but already we are getting some fantastic support,” Cowell told Sky News while organizing the recording. “Right now this is an absolute priority for us all. The people of Haiti need as much help as we can give them as soon as possible. Every day the situation becomes more desperate.”
“Everybody Hurts” was originally a massive hit for R.E.M., one of several big singles from their 1992 album Automatic for the People. The video, which featured a traffic jam in which people abandoned their cars, became an MTV staple in 1993 and scored four Video Music Awards in 1994.
Related Artists
Mariah Carey ’s Angels Advocate Due Out March 30
by on Jan.28, 2010, under Mariah Carey
‘Angels Cry’ and ‘Up Out My Face’ remix videos hit the Web on Thursday.
By Jocelyn Vena
Mariah Carey
Photo: Bryan Bedder/Getty Images
Mariah Carey has confirmed that her remix album, Angels Advocate, is set for a March 30 release, after being pushed back from a February 23 release date.
She now goes up against Usher, who is set to release his new album, Raymond v. Raymond, on the same date. Angels Advocate is Carey’s 13th studio album and will feature all new remixes and duets of songs off her 2009 release, Memoirs of an Imperfect Angel.
According to a press release, Carey will release two songs this week: a duet of “Angels Cry” with Ne-Yo and “Up Out My Face,” featuring Nicki Minaj. Videos for both songs, directed by Carey with her husband, Nick Cannon, hit the Web on Thursday (January 28), and will make their MTV debut on Friday. Currently, Carey is on her Angels Advocate tour, which is set to wrap up on February 27 at the Pearl Concert Theater in Las Vegas.
Cannon recently spoke to MTV News about his and Carey’s hectic schedule, noting that they are planning to start a family once things slow down. “We absolutely plan to have a family,” he said. “But we gotta prioritize, because that’s a major, major priority. That’s like the only priority in life, when you think about it, is starting and raising a family. We wanna make sure everything is out of the way and that we don’t have any distractions.”
Related Artists
Nick Cannon And Mariah Carey Are ‘Moving Toward’ Having Kids
by on Jan.27, 2010, under Mariah Carey
‘We absolutely plan to have a family,’ he tells MTV News.
By Jayson Rodriguez, with reporting by Christina Garibaldi
Nick Cannon
Photo: MTV News
Work, work, work.
Seven months ago, Nick Cannon said whenever he and wife Mariah Carey could manage to squeeze in some downtime, they would work on adding a little one to their family. But when he spoke to MTV News this week, Cannon said that although he and Carey will eventually have kids one day, it’s too tough of a task right now with their schedules.
“We absolutely plan to have a family,” he said. “But we gotta prioritize, because that’s a major, major priority. That’s like the only priority in life, when you think about it, is starting and raising a family. We wanna make sure everything is out of the way and that we don’t have any distractions.”
The two entertainers spend as much time as they can with each other, Cannon said, and when they aren’t together, he stops everything that he’s doing when his wife calls. She’s his first priority, Cannon said. The pair will celebrate their second anniversary in May.
Currently, though, Carey is touring in support of her most recent album, Memoirs of an Imperfect Angel, and Cannon is busy hosting “America’s Got Talent” and green-lighting TV shows.
“She’s on tour right now, I’m doing a bunch of stuff, so eventually we want to be able to say, ‘It’s time to have a kid,’ and set everything up,” he said. “But we’re definitely moving toward [having children]. We got our house in L.A., and we got a house [in New York], established and close to schools. So we take all of that stuff into consideration.”
Related Artists
Nick Cannon ‘Laughed Off’ Drama Around Mariah Carey’s Awards Speeches
by on Jan.27, 2010, under Mariah Carey
‘That’s not the first time someone has been tipsy at an awards show,’ he tells MTV News.
By Jayson Rodriguez, with reporting by Christina Garibaldi
Nick Cannon
Photo: MTV News
Maybe Mariah Carey was a bit tipsy during her acceptance speech at the Palm Springs International Film Festival gala earlier this month, but the diva regained her composure the very next night at the People’s Choice Awards.
There is some debate online about whether she was two-for-two in delivering awkward thank-yous, but according to husband Nick Cannon: Who cares?
“That was weird to me,” Cannon told MTV News about all the hubbub over his wife’s appearances. “She only gave one tipsy speech. The other one was just her being her. We definitely laughed it off. I wasn’t there [for the first one]. I think I was in China. And I woke up in the morning, and it was, like, all these Google Alerts about Mariah Carey being tipsy.
“And it was like, ‘Oh Lord,’ ” he continued. “But everything she does is always under a magnifying glass. That’s not the first time someone has been tipsy at an awards show. That’s what the whole Golden Globes is about. But, you know, it’s Mariah Carey, and they make a big deal out of it.”
Carey displayed the full breadth of her talents this month as she was first honored for her acting chops in Lee Daniels’ film “Precious.” The director handed Carey her award onstage at the Palm Springs film festival, and Carey couldn’t quite keep it together. “Please forgive me, because I’m a little bit … um, yeah!” she said.
Twenty-four hours later, when she scored a win for Favorite R&B Artist at the People’s Choice Awards, the singer was in much better shape. Cannon, though, had to assist his wife to the stage because of her constrictive gown. Carey was ever appreciative as she thanked her hubby and everyone else she could think of.
“My real fans know that they are my extended family, and I love them so much,” she said.
Related Photos
Related Artists
Mariah Carey, Miley Cyrus, Jon Bon Jovi Join Simon Cowell’s Haiti Single
by on Jan.26, 2010, under Mariah Carey
Singers reportedly participating in cover of R.E.M.’s ‘Everybody Hurts’ for earthquake relief.
By Gil Kaufman
Mariah Carey
Photo: Charley Gallay/Getty Images
Miley Cyrus, Mariah Carey and Jon Bon Jovi have joined the list of stars pitching in on “American Idol” judge Simon Cowell’s charity single for Haiti relief. According to England’s The Sun, the singers will appear on the cover of R.E.M.’s “Everybody Hurts,” which will also feature famous Brits Susan Boyle, Leona Lewis and Rod Stewart.
“It’s amazing these great singers are clearing their schedules to make this happen,” Cowell told the paper, which is helping to organize the single. “I just found out Mariah has changed her schedule to be able to do this too.”
Carey’s and Cyrus’ participation in the single could not be confirmed at press time, but an Island Def Jam rep did verify the news of Bon Jovi’s appearance.
“It says such a lot that everyone is working so hard to help Haiti,” Cowell told the Sun. “This is something that really matters to us all, and I’m so grateful for the support we are getting.”
An unidentified source close to Cowell told the paper that Carey was very eager to pitch in on the all-star project. “Mariah was brilliant, she wanted to help in any way she could,” the source said. “Her name gives the single another great boost.”
The recording of the song kicked off in London over the weekend with “X Factor” judge Cheryl Cole and British act JLS, whose Oritse Williams lost relatives in the 7.0 earthquake that has so far claimed the lives of at least 150,000. Also expected to record their bits soon are Take That, Michael Bublé, Westlife, Alexandra Burke, James Morrison, Mika and James Blunt. All proceeds will be split between the Sun’s Helping Haiti fund and the official Disasters Emergency Committee appeal. It has not yet been announced when the single will be released.
Friday night’s all-star “Hope for Haiti Now” event has set a record for funds raised by public giving by a telethon with $58 million and counting. The iTunes album of the music from the show has already hit #1, notching the biggest one-day album pre-order in iTunes history.
Learn more about what you can do to help with earthquake-relief efforts in Haiti, and for more information, see Think MTV. Visit HopeForHaitiNow.org or call (877) 99-HAITI to make a donation now.
Related Videos
Related Artists
Taylor Lautner, Mariah Carey, More Rock Golden Globes Fashion
by on Jan.18, 2010, under Mariah Carey
Olivia Wilde, Anna Kendrick, host Ricky Gervais and more stood out on the Golden Globes red carpet.
By Jocelyn Vena
Mariah Carey at the 2010 Golden Globe Awards
Photo: Timothy A. Clary/ Getty Images
The A-listers turned out for the Golden Globes on Sunday, and the night’s fashion was dominated by retro-theme glamour and sophistication. While the ladies went for sparkle and shine, the gentlemen kept it old-school in classic tuxedos.
Olivia Wilde kicked off the night in a high ponytail and shimmering low-cut black Gucci dress, completing the look with smoky eyes, drop earrings and a big bangle. Perhaps taking notes from last year’s show, “Glee” star Lea Michele looked similar to Amy Adams in 2009 in her Oscar De La Renta strapless black gown with sweetheart neckline.
Emily Blunt wore minimal makeup and kept her hair loose; her light pink strapless gown dazzled with its floaty skirt. Maggie Gyllenhaal’s gown was a similar color, but with origami detailing on the neckline. Kate Hudson’s heavily architectural white gown also had origami detailing.
Drew Barrymore had a bit of a Lady Gaga moment, dazzling the red carpet with her unique nude-color gown embellished with sequins and spikes on the hip and shoulder. “True Blood” star Anna Paquin seemed to be channeling Beyoncé in her sparking gold low-cut gown with a high slit in the front.
“Up in the Air” star Anna Kendrick’s look included a one-shouldered white-and-silver sparkly gown with an embellished tiered neckline, while Mariah Carey left very little to the imagination in her very low-cut black gown.
The men seemed to be split into two camps: Team Tie and Team Bow Tie. On team tie was “Gossip Girl” star Chace Crawford and “Avatar” star Sam Worthington, while Taylor Lautner, George Clooney and “True Blood’s” Alexander Skarsgård represented the latter.
But the night’s host, Ricky Gervais, wore neither tie nor bow tie on the carpet, and Mickey Rourke followed suit, accessorizing his look instead with a cowboy hat.
For young Hollywood news, fashion and “Twilight” updates around the clock, visit HollywoodCrush.MTV.com.
Related Videos
Related Photos
Related Artists
Mariah Carey’s Angels Advocate Release Date Pushed Back
by on Jan.16, 2010, under Mariah Carey
Remixed version of Memoirs of an Imperfect Angel will drop March 9.
By Jocelyn Vena
Mariah Carey
Photo: Bryan Bedder/Getty Images
Mariah Carey’s latest release, Angels Advocate, is being pushed back from February 23 to March 9. The album, a remixed version of Carey’s 2009 LP Memoirs of an Imperfect Angel, will feature appearances from Swizz Beatz and Christopher “Tricky” Stewart, as well as Trey Songz, R. Kelly, T-Pain, Gucci Mane and OJ Da Juiceman.
The news first broke on MariahJournal.com. Rapup.com further reports that Ne-Yo will appear on the track “Angels Cry” and Nicki Minaj will be on “Up Out My Face.” This isn’t the first time in recent months that one of Carey’s releases has been pushed back. Memoirs of an Imperfect Angel was originally slated for a September 15 release and later got moved to September 29.
Late last year, Stewart spoke to Rapup.com about the direction of the remix album and the tracks he hoped to work on with Carey. He said, “I’m gonna do a remix to ‘I Want to Know What Love Is’ myself. I’mma raise the tempo up. I’mma try to make it into something else. … Once I get the beat and if it calls for the right person, I can get anybody on the phone I want to right now, so I will be using my Rolodex for that.”
Carey is currently on her Angels Advocate Tour, which is set to wrap up on February 27 at the Pearl Concert Theater in Las Vegas. And she may have won a People’s Choice Award for Favorite R&B Artist, but she recently has been making headlines for her work in “Precious.” She was honored at the Palm Springs International Film Festival gala, and after a tipsy, giggly acceptance speech, she later admitted she had had a bit too many “splashes of champagne.”
Related Artists
Mariah Carey Gets Awards Speech Re-Do At People’s Choice
by on Jan.07, 2010, under Mariah Carey
The singer blames tipsy Palm Springs acceptance speech on champagne and Lee Daniels.
By Eric Ditzian
Mariah Carey accepts the Favorite R&B Artist awards at the People’s Choice Awards on Wednesday
Photo: Kevin Winter/ Getty Images
On Tuesday at the Palm Springs International Film Festival gala, Mariah Carey took the stage for easily the most awkward acceptance speech of the 2010 awards season so far. Honored for her supporting turn in “Precious,” she giggled and leaned on the lectern for support as her eyes went glassy during uncomfortably long pauses. Finally, the diva confessed, “Please forgive me because I’m a little bit … um, yeah!”
The next night at the People’s Choice Awards, Carey explained her clearly inebriated behavior in Palm Springs. As she told reporters backstage, she and “Precious” director Lee Daniels hadn’t seen each other in a while, and they got a little carried away while celebrating their reunion.
“We were celebrating and having little splashes [of champagne], and I hadn’t eaten, and that’s what it was,” she said. “We were celebrating the movie and all the exciting stuff going on. There’s a time for celebration and a time for not — but really, technically, it’s a party atmosphere. We had splashes of champagne. I love Lee, but he’s a bad influence.”
Carey had a shot at a re-do when she won the People’s Choice Award for Favorite R&B Artist. Maybe she had time for a nosh or skipped the bubbly, but she proved capable of delivering a speech sans awkwardness. Hubby Nick Cannon guided her up to the stage, lest her heels get caught in her floor-length gown, leading to an embarrassing tumble.
“My real fans know that they are my extended family, and I love them so much,” she said in thanks.
Related Videos
Related Photos
- Taylor Swift And Taylor Lautner And More Backstage At The People’s Choice Awards
- Carrie Underwood, Hayley Williams, The Cast Of ‘Glee’ On The People’s Choice Awards Red Carpet
Related Artists
