Noire Notes VI
On Mariah Carey, Live Performances & The Makings Of A Star
Author’s Note: This piece was inspired by
’s Performance Review series: micro-reviews of live performances that illustrate the beauty of music and the pleasure of bearing witness to itYou wish upon a star and you see her on stage. Dressed in all-black, she seduces the crowd with her whistle register and her million-dollar smile.
You marvel at how this star effortlessly transmutes gospel into pop, years before she mixed the rhythm of blues with the spirit of hip-hop.
You wonder to yourself what it takes to create such a star and why it’s so difficult to find one today? Is it just pure talent and charisma or do you need the help of the industry to develop something more polished and manufactured?
You get lost looking into the star’s eyes and the soft bounce of her curly brown hair. Then you glance at the silver adorning her ring finger and remember the life that will later appear – the ‘knight’, who once ‘saved’ her from poverty, becoming the person that damns her in luxury.
You remember Whitney Houston’s performance at the Super Bowl and consider how this live presentation fits within that same legacy: a slice of Black Americana doubling as a form of creative agency.
You are amazed by the way the star’s voice travels through different constellations and galaxies: from a bassy growl to a pitch that rivals the fairest of canaries. Your gaze follows the star as she moves around the stage with a boundless joy, an effervescence that cannot be contained, a flash of musical mastery destined to flicker throughout the annals of time.
As the star gets ready to step away from the spotlight, you wonder how she’s taking in this moment. She would later claim that she was nervous but successfully pulled off the illusion of never showing it. Her rendition of a classic tune comes to a close and the people rise to give her a standing ovation in response. This is Mariah Carey’s MTV Unplugged, a showcase of what happens when you’re free to pursue the things you love.
Further Reading
[1]
, When Whitney Hit The High Note, ESPN[2]
, Performance ReviewFurther Watching
[1] Mariah Carey’s MTV Unplugged (1992)
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My schoolfriend Ricky gave me MTV Unplugged on cassette for my 13th birthday. I was crushin' hard at the time (as I did for the next 10+ years). Even back then I could appreciate how difficult it was to sing like that live and how well arranged that whole performance is. Songs such as 'If It's Over' and 'Someday' ❤️🔥 I wore that tape OUT. The whole thing just brims with this captivating mix of youthful innocence, first-night nerves … and innate excellence!
PS Random fact. Trey Lorenz is on BVs and dueting on 'I'll Be There'. I just happened to be listening to his track 'Photography of Mary' this afternoon. The Masters At Work dub is heavy.
Very cool!