For Mariah Carey on Her Golden Anniversary
Fifty years ago today** in Long Island, New York, a baby girl was born to a biracial family of limited means. By the age of 20, this girl had burst onto the music scene with a voice that astounded the world. By the age of 30, she had broken countless industry records and established herself as one of the most successful musicians of all time. Following some major personal and professional setbacks, she mounted one of the most astonishing comebacks in entertainment industry at age 35. Now at 50, she appears to be living her best life with a pair of beautiful children, a record-extending 19th #1 song, and an industry finally starting to give her the respect she deserves. In honor of this monumental occasion, I detail my feelings of personal connection with the icon and count down her fifty greatest songs.
Mariah Carey: “Often Imitated, Never Duplicated”
One of the first things I did after venturing into the world of blogging just over two years ago was publish an ode to the singer-songwriter who was my first pop culture obsession — Mariah Carey. I ranked what I felt were her 48 best songs in honor of her, um, corresponding anniversary. (Mariah Carey has anniversaries, not birthdays).
In the intervening two years, I have written about her a handful of other times. As a mental health professional, I underscored the gravity…
