Byy

I always said I could hear Mariah singing this one, out of all the others

I venture to say that she retreated from the public eye because the outcry over her National Anthem performance (and, to a lesser extent, her viral "#1 on iTunes" moment) brought her as close to relapsing as she'd ever been, and this is as close as she's been to sustaining the demands of being in the public eye since then.

FINALLY, A QUESTION WITH SOME HEFT! As she's now settled comfortably into her status as a hallmark-type of artist within her genre-realm, looking back on her time as one firmly in the mainstream, it's clear that her albums have all been tightly-constructed packages. As formidable as the Never Say Never era was, it eked out one Top 20 hit after its two #1s...with a non-commercially released single released in between them. With all of the fanfare of her other major endeavors at the time, she never stood a chance as a singles artist--a good problem to have as the full-fledged entertainer she is, but her undeniable influence won't impress the numbers-obsessed cynic. Full Moon might have actually had its impact dulled by a full cycle. Released in early 2002, it arguably reflects the sound of 2000/2001 more accurately. In contrast to the splashier, more adventurous sounds of the Y2K aesthetic, the hits of 2002--probably informed by the grief of 9/11, combined with the unstoppable rise of hip-hop/R&B--are conspicuously palatable urban pop. The more contemporary elements of Full Moon pale in comparison. On the other hand, the abandonment of a traditional push gave it the space it needed to become as beloved as it is. With that being said, I would actually proclaim that its follow-up, Afrodisiac, is more influential than Full Moon. Some of its production ideas can be heard in the nocturnal, woozy sounds introduced by The Weeknd, as first widely heard on his contributions to Take Care, 8 1/2 years after Afrodisiac was released.

Ran for this

One time I was driving a Friday evening in July, and this song was playing as the sun was setting. Need I say more?

Dear ATRL, Buy another server PLEASE DO NOT PAYWALL ANYTHING Love, Us

Bre from Cycle 5 with her NASTY runway walk

Most of the songs would be about soaking, to maximize its appeal to the LDS Disney adults

Baby, we got Madame X at home!

Not y'all making me smile this year

2013 was an INSANE year for women in the pop-sphere

Quest realness

All by the same people/bots

I'm doing my own uninformed snooping around, as to what the Paul McCartney/Linda McCartney remake could be. So far, my money's on "My Love"; it seems to be within her range

I've had the battery conversation with straight dudes before.

Madonna's Madame X

It might not have even needed to be a single, if the timing of other singles was as appropriate as it needed to be. Her record company got greedy for another #1, and one on the level of "We Belong Together". Following something that accentuated the spring ("Touch My Body") with a song that better fits the backdrop of dark winters ("Bye Bye") obviously derailed the promotional momentum and sank the potential for the album. No, "Migrate" and "I'm That Chick" wouldn't have been number ones either, but they would have fit nicely along Lil Wayne's runaway summer and the fall of Chris Brown's "Kiss Kiss" that year, respectively. Additionally, I believe being under the wrath of Nick Cannon threw her off her game.

Not the actual gay "brat" coming

He fine, all 5'8" of 'em

If she don't just get the jellyfish haircut...

You know what? I'm gonna wade into this with MY nuanced, singular, authentically-owned opinion. Gaga is a lot of things, but the promo of MAYHEM harkens back to the days when she was a top Twitter fixture. I remember during the conceptualization and recording of ARTPOP, everything seemed fine. It was during the promotion of ARTPOP that things cratered. The "flop" of "Judas", however arguable, nonetheless set into motion a period of releasing poorly-timed singles. The muted reception of "Applause" would have stung, but the pivot to "Do What U Want" was jarring and hit just as as chatter over featured R. Kelly reached new levels of volume. Along with other things, her engagement takes a downward turn. I believe what we hear, listening to ARTPOP, is an attempt to bust past the pressure of the pop machine she'd originally submitted to and, at one point, chiefly powered. It's tense, completely misguided in some places, and promo was a disaster. On the other hand, to put it more simply, "Joanne" was the inverse of "The Fame", the one that started it all. It rejects fame altogether, rather than mask its idolatry of it through witty sarcasm and inflections too perfect for its item good. And, yes, it is an audition fo "A Star Is Born". Promotion was limited due to lack of public enthusiasm, and she might not have been up for it if there were. Let's be real about "Chromatica": It checked a lot of boxes, if just that. The first two singles were hits, but she's the true essence of a 360° artist. We need the visuals, the special appearances, and the tour from her, in addition to the music. This movement was hindered by the pandemic. And, once again, personal challenges might have precluded her from giving her all on the road before 2021. With MAYHEM, everything is truly in alignment, for once. The visuals are lacking in the slightest, but the promo is enthralling, top-notch, and it looks like a tour might actually launch on time. She's always engaged, but, yes, she seems happy. I hope it lasts, and it does seems to be sticking. I wasn't immediately on board with this era, for better or for worse, but this is an undeniable statement that she has no more to prove to any spectators on the fence od naysayers. She seems to be eager to touch us again, like she did up to twelve years ago--and we're enthusiastically on board for the first time since then, too.

1990-2010

But it was just a donut, right?