Like a Star: Mariah Carey

Mariah Carey Naked Characters

Mariah Carey is said to be able to cover all the notes from the alto vocal range leading to those of a coloratura soprano, and her vocal trademark is her ability to sing in the whistle register. Mariah Carey has cited Minnie Riperton as the greatest influence on her singing technique and from a very early age, she attempted to emulate Riperton's high notes, to increasing degrees of success as her vocal range expanded. At one point, The Guinness Book of Records recorded that there was no other singer who could hold a higher note than Carey. In 2003, her voice was ranked first in MTV and Blender magazine's countdown of the 22 Greatest Voices in Music, as voted by fans and readers in an online poll. Mariah Carey said of the poll, "What it really means is voice of the MTV generation. Of course, it's an enormous compliment, but I don't feel that way about myself."

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Mariah Carey 's voice has come under considerable scrutiny from critics who believe that she does not communicate the message of her songs effectively. Rolling Stone magazine said in 1992, "Mariah Carey has a remarkable vocal gift, but to date, unfortunately, her singing has been far more impressive than expressive at full speed her range is so superhuman that each excessive note erodes the believability of the lyric she is singing." The New York Daily News wrote in 2005 that Mariah Carey 's singing "is ultimately what does her in. For Carey, vocalizing is all about the performance, not the emotions that inspired it… Does having a great voice automatically make you a great singer? Hardly." Some interpreted Mariah Carey 's decision to utilize what she described as "breathy" vocals in some of her late 1990s and early 2000s work as a sign that her voice was deteriorating, but she has maintained that it "has been here all along". An article in VIBE magazine indicated that Mariah Carey 's singing style highlights weaknesses in other aspects of her music, "The impressiveness of her voice as well—as her tendency to over-sing—make the blandness of her material all the more flagrant."