from Mariah Daily

 

Carey Caps Off 'Emancipation' Run // 5:58 PM EST

 

It was starting to look grim for fans who were hoping Mariah Carey would tour to support "The Emancipation of Mimi."

 

She certainly didn't need to. Since its release last year, the album sold more than five million copies, spawned smash hits like "We Belong Together" and won three Grammys, all without her hitting the road.

 

Plus, Carey didn't even know if she wanted to tour. She dreaded staging a long jaunt, and was taking time to savor the sweet success of her comeback. But after some cajoling from fans, the multi-octave diva realized that she needed to be on stage — that she wanted to celebrate the album that marked one of the sweetest times in her long career.

 

AP: What took you so long to get on the road?

Carey: (Laughs.) Honestly, it was kind of like the album, it has its own life. And I wanted to allow myself to make videos, to really work the record more than I have ... allow people to experience the album, to live with the songs, to feel the videos and the energy and basically get where I was coming from with this project on that level first.

 

AP: What are the special things you're planning this time around?

Carey: It's going to be kind of off the cuff ... When I said there may be special guests, that's kind of the way the record was made. It's like, I'm in a studio, someone is in the next room, all of a sudden, me and Snoop made a record together. It wasn't planned. If I happen to be in a city where I know somebody who I collaborated with on the record, you never know, they might want to show up if we have that kind of relationship.

 

AP: How do you determine which songs you're going to play and which ones you're not going to sing without alienating your fans?

Carey: I feel like I'm a tough critic. When I go to other people's shows that I'm fans of, and if I don't hear my favorite song, I'm like, 'Man, why?' (laughs). I'm going to do my best to please the crowd, but I also want to be able to express myself creatively, and I think that there's a happy medium now. The set list that I'm working with now — I won't reveal it yet, darling (laughs) — but it's a work in progress, it is going to achieve that, because some of the fans really do want to hear an old album cut. And then it's like some of the fans have heard you do 'Hero' 9,000 times and are like whatever.

 

AP: How much stuff do you haul around on tour?

Carey: I'm in the process of trying to get my bus together because I'm going to go by bus for the first time, because I really do sleep well by driving — not at the wheel (laughs) but I've always been able to sleep in a car, and my main thing is I always need a lot of rest when I tour ... I think it's going to be pretty cool, especially in America, to see the surroundings and really feel where I'm at, as opposed to being whisked into a hotel room at whatever-o-clock in the morning.

 

AP: Is your dog, Jack, coming?

Carey: Oh yes, Jack has his own section. He's going to have his own little nook. It's already planned out. ... I may have to bring him out every now and then. It depends on the crowd.

 

AP: Besides Jack, what is a must-have on the bus?

Carey: Really just to make it as private as possible in my little living space where I'll be hanging out and sleeping. As long as I have a TV and a bed and some humidifiers, I'll be all right.

 

AP: What do you do during your down time?

Carey: I don't know if people realize that for me to tour, I actually have to have a full day and a half off in between shows, whereas most touring artists do every night, and I just can't do that, because I'm very strong, but I'm very delicate in many ways too. So in my down time, the thing that requires the most discipline is not talking. Like, I wouldn't be doing an interview. I wouldn't be talking to anyone, I'd be writing notes, and sitting in a humidified room, sleeping.

 

AP: Has your voice ever given out on you on tour?

Carey: No, it's never that, I just know my voice. And honestly, the late great, Luther Vandross — who I had the utmost respect for — taught me an invaluable lesson, which is about the humidification, because the tone of his voice, the airy quality, when he would sing in that breathy voice, there's a similarity that we have. He would say, 'The best place for us is a really warm climate, and you really need to make sure you have humidifiers around yourself all the time.'

 

AP: With all the success you've had with this album, has it become one of your most special?

Carey: This and 'Butterfly' are my two favorites because they mark two very special significant times in my life, so this will always be a favorite of mine. And I just love that songs like 'Shake It Off' were allowed to be singles. In the past, I would immediately get, 'It's too urban, you can't put it out.' The experience of this record has just been so much fun for me, and just the freedom, and the title was very apropos, because this has been a lot of freedom for me as an artist.

 

AP: So now that you're free and there's been an emancipation ...

Carey: Now we're having an adventure.

 

 

LifeLight

Thanks for that. Lord knows why she likes 'Shake It Off' so much. I wouldn't have let her release it.

 

I think she was miming when I saw her live so I don't know why she needs to take a day and a half off between gigs. Silly woman.

Thanks for posting that. :D

 

I think Mariah is pacing herself Tim. Even if she does mime, there are a lot of preparations behind the scenes so they may tire her out. Just a theory. :)

Thanks for posting that. :D

 

I think Mariah is pacing herself Tim. Even if she does mime, there are a lot of preparations behind the scenes so they may tire her out. Just a theory. :)

 

Yes, but why does she need humidifiers for her voice if she mimes?

Not sure about that, though it could have been a one off? :unsure: That's the only idea that springs to mind.

She may sing her the better songs live, I mean some of the notes on the songs she sings are really tough, and trying to sing song after song after song is really going to take it out of her voice. ;)

She may sing her the better songs live, I mean some of the notes on the songs she sings are really tough, and trying to sing song after song after song is really going to take it out of her voice. ;)

 

But she's a singer. It's her job 'to sing song after song after song'.

But she's a singer. It's her job 'to sing song after song after song'.

I understand that, but most people don't have to sing the massive notes Mariah does, so I wouldn't blame her if she mimed some of the lesser songs. -_-

I understand that, but most people don't have to sing the massive notes Mariah does, so I wouldn't blame her if she mimed some of the lesser songs. -_-

 

I've seen lots of artists that cope. Leann Rimes was extraordinary live, full band and not even a backing track - she did a reasonably short set and then it's managable vocally.

 

I'd rather Mariah sang live, and minimised some of the acrobatics, than mimed with all the notes in.

 

When I saw her, there were only 2.5 songs that were definitively live. No backing track whatsoever. The others she may have been singing over/with the backing track but I still think that's a bit of a cheat for a live gig.

Especially one featuring an artist touted as 'the voice'.

Edited May 27, 200619 yr by Tim

I agree with what Tim says though her voice obviously isn as good as it used to be back in the power ballad days imo -_-

 

hmm i think mariahs voice is as good as it used to be. i think her voice has always been the same...when she talks she does sound a little sqeeky though. guess it must be from all the singing and high notes etc. i saw mariah mime stay the night but it doesnt matter. she does sing better live...it makes the perfomance unique i guess. mariah mimes cuz she needs to rest her voice sum days i guess or mabye she finds it hard to do ALL of the high notes but it doesnt matter cuz its still her voice so...

I agree with Yassy. :P

I really hope she releases a dvd, this time !

I can't afford a US trip to see her live ! :o

 

LifeLight

I really hope she releases a dvd, this time !

I can't afford a US trip to see her live ! :o

 

LifeLight

Oh yeah. There was a 'Live In Paris' DVD on the release schedule forever and it never came out.

Fingers crossed for a new one!

Oh yeah. There was a 'Live In Paris' DVD on the release schedule forever and it never came out.

Fingers crossed for a new one!

I would have liked a Live In Paris. :(

I would have liked a Live In Paris. :(

 

But it would not have had 'We Belong Together' on. Every cloud...

Yeah I know what you mean, but it would still have the other hits though which is worth a purchase in my book. :D