MARIAH TO RELEASE BALLAD AS NEW SINGLE?

MARIAH TO RELEASE BALLAD AS NEW SINGLE?

*** After a rocky start with her single "Obsessed" and a couple album pushbacks, Mariah Carey is resorting to plan B. Showbiz 411's Roger Friedman reports that Mariah will release a "powerhouse ballad along the lines of 'Vision of Love'" as the follow-up to "Obsessed", which currently holds the No. 14 spot on the Billboard Hot 100.
*** She is also back with her old publicist Cindi Berger of famed public relations group PMK/HBH. The two parted ways after Mariah's Charmbracelet project. The pop diva's 12th studio album, Memoirs of an Imperfect Angel, has been rescheduled for the second time. The set will now arrive on September 29.
*** Berger explained the reason for the delay. "Record release dates change all the time," she told People. "It's nothing unusual and it doesn't signal anything. There are a lot of moving parts to Mariah's professional life... She's making sure the record is how she wants it to be and it's no big deal."

(Rap-Up)

MARIAH REVS UP NEW CD, RETURNS TO POWERHOUSE PR

MARIAH REVS UP NEW CD, RETURNS TO POWERHOUSE PR *** Mariah Carey - despite idiotic postings elsewhere - is gearing up for her big new CD release. Mariah feels so strongly about "Memoirs of an Imperfect Angel" that she's even re-hired the PR powerhouse that made her second-stage career such a success. She's back with Cindi Berger of PMK HBH. It was Berger who made her "Emancipation of Mimi" the biggest hit of Mariah's career. Smart move. *** Of course, that means both Mariah and Whitney Houston are now being repped by the same PR company. PMK's Kristen Foster is handling Whitney with my old pal, Jill Fritzo. *** "Memoirs" was scheduled for an August 25th release, then moved to September 15th. Now it's set for September 29th. If the regular Grammy deadline had been in place - September 30th - Mariah would have made it. But the unfortunate early deadline of August 31st cut her off. So she has some slack time to get "Memoirs" just right. *** The first single from Mariah's CD will not be "Obsessed" - that was just a summer trifle, and it was a lot of fun. The real first official single is said to be a powerhouse ballad along the lines of "Vision of Love". (Showbiz 411) *** So "Obsessed" is not the first single from the new album. Does this mean "Obsessed" won't be on "Memoirs of an imperfect angel", or does this mean that "Obsessed" is not really a single, despite being released to radio, with live performances, a video and even a physical single? It is No 1 on Billboard's Hot Singles Sales chart. *** Also, in May 2004, Roger Friedman wrote: "It was only three short years ago that Mariah Carey's career was in the toilet. But she seems to have forgotten that. Last week, Carey fired her longtime publicist, Cindi Berger, of powerhouse firm PMK HBH, because - I am told - she held her responsible for a stupid, unchecked gossip item that ran in a local newspaper." See: Mariah: singing a tune of self destruct? So how can Cindy be responsible for the success of an album that was released a year after she was fired?

WHY IS MARIAH CAREY CANCELING EVENTS?

WHY IS MARIAH CAREY CANCELING EVENTS?

*** Reports that Mariah Carey has rescheduled several upcoming appearances has left many fans wondering if something might be wrong with the singer. Carey, 40, had been tentatively set to receive a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame August 25, perform on Today August 28, and also tape an episode of VH1's Storytellers.
*** But the singer's publicist Cindi Berger tells People there is no reason for concern: "These dates have been postponed and not cancelled," she said Friday. A source says the singer is completing her new album, Memoirs of an Imperfect Angel, the release of which has been pushed to September 29.
*** "Record release dates change all the time," Berger confirms. "It's nothing unusual and it doesn't signal anything. There are a lot of moving parts to Mariah's professional life... She's making sure the record is how she wants it to be and it's no big deal."
*** In addition to working on her album, Carey is launching another perfume line and promoting her upcoming film, Precious, which is produced by Oprah Winfrey and opens in November. The reason for the calendar re-jiggering is explained further on Carey's official Website: "Mariah is putting the finishing touches on her newest album, and we have shifted all of our TV and promo appearances to coincide with the new release date of September 29th. We can't wait for the fans to hear the new album!!"

(People)

MARIAH CAREY, EMINEM'S WAR OF WORDS A "PUBLICITY STUNT"

MARIAH CAREY, EMINEM'S WAR OF WORDS A "PUBLICITY STUNT"

*** Mariah Carey's husband Nick Cannon has indicated that his wife's row with her ex-beau Eminem is just a publicity stunt to promote their new albums. Eminem declared war against the "Honey" hitmaker by discussing their brief fling in his recent track Bagpipes from Baghdad, and Carey retaliated by mimicking Eminem in the video for her latest track "Obsessed".
*** This urged Eminem to hit back again at her in a new song called "The Warning". According to critics, the fight has been orchestrated to promote Eminem and Carey's new albums - and Cannon seems to agree. "My wife doesn't beef (feud). She's Mariah Carey. She's not beef'in. She's vegetarian," Contactmusic quoted Cannon as telling Us Weekly.

(Thaindian Mews)

Mariah Carey Bets on 'Forever' Perfume

Mariah Carey takes her happiness seriously. That's why she has named her new women's scent "Forever." It's due out in September.

"I am in a wonderful place right now, surrounded by all the things I love, and Forever captures this moment in time," said the entertainer, whose first scent, M by Mariah Carey, launched in September 2007.

"When we work with celebrities, we aim to put together a project which is representative of their life," said Ron Rolleston, executive vice president for global fragrance marketing at Elizabeth Arden, of the new women's launch. "Mariah's happily married, has a movie coming out in November, which already did well at Sundance, and she is releasing a new album in September. She's got a lot of joy and optimism in her life right now, and we wanted to express that in a fragrance."

Perfumer Olivier Gillotin of Givaudan worked with Carey to create the modern opulent floral, which has top notes of neroli, lotus blossom and dewy green apple; a heart of tuberose and gardenia, and a drydown of white musk and exotic woods. "When I first met with Mariah, I was inspired to create a glamorous, opulent floral," said Gillotin. "I wanted the scent to be radiant but to also evoke a warm sensuality. This fragrance has iconic white florals, which convey a powerful message of feminine sensuality and classic glamour."

The collection includes eau de parfum in three sizes — 1 oz. for $42, 1.7 oz. for $55 and 3.3 oz. for $65 — as well as a 0.5-oz. parfum, $250, and a 6.8-oz. body lotion, $28.

In the U.S., the scent will be available in about 2,000 department and specialty store doors, including Macy's, Dillard's and Belk's.

The bottle, inspired by Carey's love of the art deco style, is clear crystal with a gold band around the top. Outer packaging is bright pink with a metallic trim.

While executives declined to discuss sales projections, industry sources estimated that Forever would do upwards of $35 million at retail in its first year on counter. Sources also estimated Arden would spend at least $10 million on advertising and promotion.

Print advertising, shot by Michael Thompson and featuring Carey, will break in October fashion, beauty and lifestyle magazines, including Elle, Vogue, Glamour and In Style. A TV campaign, which also features Carey, is slated for the holiday season. As well, vials on card, scented strips and other scented pieces are expected to deliver upwards of 49 million scented impressions, noted Noreen Dodge, senior vice president, fragrance, global brand development for Elizabeth Arden.

In addition to a dedicated Web site, MariahCareyBeauty.com, a strong social media campaign will also be part of the campaign, Dodge said. Arden plans MariahCareyBeauty pages on Facebook, MySpace and Twitter, hoping to leverage Carey's 1.7 million followers on Twitter and 700,000 Facebook fans (Carey also has 132 fan separate fan pages on Facebook.) Arden is also working with social media sites Imeem, Pandora and VideoEgg to further drive business. Pandora will create Carey fragrance-branded backgrounds for users to see while listening to the singer's music, while Imeem will feature an exclusive Forever-themed playlist customized by Carey on its home page. VideoEgg will feed into Facebook, MySpace, Twitter and YouTube in an effort to drive traffic to MariahCareyBeauty.com. DailyCandy will offer a "twitter-to-win" sampling program for the fragrance, and Sugar Inc. plans a customized Carey page on its site and a sweepstakes to win the scent.

(Women's Wear Daily)

Australia's Rhyme & Reason Mag Previews Memoirs

Rhyme & Reason, Australia's largest and most frequently issued Urban magazine, was this afternoon treated to an exclusive preview of Mariah Carey's 12th studio album, Memoirs of an Imperfect Angel. A single CD containing six songs from the album was flown in to Sydney from Island Def Jam's New York offices, accompanied by an IDJ representative. Taking every precaution to avoid leaks of Mariah's new material, phones and recording devices were cloaked before the listening session, with the lone CD set to return to New York along with the IDJ representative.

The release of Memoirs of an Imperfect Angel has been delayed until September 29th as Mariah continues to write and record material alongside a collaborator who is understood to be a writer she worked with in the earlier part of her career. Along with the six cuts previewed by Rhyme & Reason, an additional five or six songs are expected to round out the album.

Mariah has entrusted much of the album's production duties to Tricky Stewart and The-Dream, while long-time friend and collaborator Jermaine Dupri also makes a return for Memoirs of an Imperfect Angel, along with hit-maker Carlos "Los DaMystro" McKinney [Usher, R. Kelly, Whitney Houston].

Mariah co-wrote all of the songs previewed, save for "I Want To Know What Love Is" - the remake of Foreigner's chart-topping 1985 single. "I Want To Know What Love Is" is expected to be the album's next single.

While we don't want to give too much away, below is Rhyme & Reason Magazine's brief breakdown of the six songs previewed from Memoirs of an Imperfect Angel:

"CANDY BLING"
Credits: Written by Mariah Carey, Carlos McKinney and Terius Nash. Conducted and produced by Los DaMystro for DaMystro Music LLC/Music Line Entertainment, LLC and produced by Terius "The-Dream" Nash for Radio Killa Records.
Description: A laidback, mid-tempo track set to finger-snaps. At one point, Mariah makes mention of bringing "ODB back".

"OBSESSED"
Credits: Written and produced by Mariah Carey for Maroon Entertainment, Inc., C. "Tricky" Stewart for RedZone Entertainment and Terius "The-Dream" Nash for Radio Killa Records.
Description: You should all be familiar with this one...

"H.A.T.E. U"
Credits: Written and produced by Mariah Carey for Maroon Entertainment, Inc., C. "Tricky" Stewart for RedZone Entertainment and Terius "The-Dream" Nash for Radio Killa Records.
Description: A slower-tempo song which has Mariah wanting to square off with a trifling partner; "I can't wait to face you / I can't wait to hate you".

"STANDING O"
Credits: Written and produced by Mariah Carey for Maroon Entertainment, Inc., C. "Tricky" Stewart for RedZone Entertainment and Terius "The-Dream" Nash for Radio Killa Records.
Description: The "O", of course, stands for "Ovation". This is an unmistakable Dream concoction laid over mid-tempo staccato piano chords and plush synths. The chorus includes Mariah mimicking Dream's signature "oh, oh" vocal punctuations.

"IMPOSSIBLE"
Credits: Written and produced by Mariah Carey for Maroon Entertainment, Inc., C. "Tricky" Stewart for RedZone Entertainment and Terius "The-Dream" Nash for Radio Killa Records.
Description: A woozy, somewhat minimalist slow jam.

"I WANT TO KNOW WHAT LOVE IS"
Credits: Written by Mick Jones. Produced by Mariah Carey for Maroon Entertainment, Inc., C. "Tricky" Stewart for RedZone Entertainment and Big Jim.
Description: Staying true to the original, this piano-lead remake is less an overhaul of the classic 80's hit than it is a modest but impressive update.

( Rhyme & Reason Magazine)

Mariah to Attend NYFF?

"Antichrist" – reviled, awful, coughed up like a hairball at Cannes – is coming to the New York Film Festival. Lars von Trier's sexfest with Willem Dafoe will be a feature presentation this fall at Lincoln Center.

It's the one film of real interest on a list of mostly foreign films and releases of things that people really won't be too excited about.

With the exception of Lee Daniel's "Precious" and a new print of "The Wizard of Oz," this should be some film festival.

The funny thing is, new and unpopular executive director Mara Manus went to Cannes, had an unsuccessful lunch for Hollywood types. Everyone was scared that the NYFF would be overrun with Hollywood releases. Surprise! There aren't any, not even the Coen Brothers' new film.

What happened? Well, Lisa Schwarzbaum of Entertainment Weekly is gone, and so is any connection to commercial or even indie commercial reality. The other title of this article could be: "Mariah Carey only celebrity expected this year."

(showbiz 411)

MARIAH CAREY'S "MEMOIRS" ALBUM DELAYED AGAIN

MARIAH CAREY'S "MEMOIRS" ALBUM DELAYED AGAIN *** Originally scheduled for an August 25th release date and then September 15th, Mariah Carey's upcoming 12th studio album, "Memoirs of an Imperfect Angel", has been delayed yet again. "Memoirs" will now arrive two weeks later on September 29th. *** The singer has also pulled out of a string of appearances surrounding the album's release, including "VH1 Storytellers," the "Today" Show concert series, 2009 MTV Video Music Awards and her Hollywood Walk of Fame star ceremony. According to a source at Def Jam, the label Carey is signed to, the reason for the delay is that the singer hasn't completed the album and needs to return to the studio to record additional songs. *** This afternoon, Carey's website was updated with this message: "Mariah is putting the finishing touches on her newest album, 'Memoirs of an Imperfect Angel', and we have shifted all of our TV and promo appearances to coincide with the new release date of September 29th. We can't wait for the fans to hear the new album!!" *** Carey's latest single, "Obsessed", reached No. 11 on the Hot 100 chart and No. 15 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart. As previously reported, "Memoirs" has already stirred up controversey with the label's descioon to include advertsing in the CD packaging, in the form of a mini-Elle magazine featuring Carey-related content. (Billboard)

MARIAH'S "MEMOIRS" PUSHED BACK AGAIN

MARIAH'S "MEMOIRS" PUSHED BACK AGAIN

*** Mariah Carey is turning back the page on her Memoirs. Mimi's new album has been pushed back again. Memoirs of an Imperfect Angel will now arrive two weeks later on September 29, Rap-Up.com has exclusively learned. This is the second delay for Mariah's 12th studio album. Memoirs was originally scheduled for an August 25 release before being moved to September 15. In addition, the three CD collector's set has been postponed.
*** The "Obsessed" singer has pulled out of a string of appearances surrounding the album's release, including "VH1 Storytellers", the "Today" show concert series, 2009 MTV Video Music Awards, and her Hollywood Walk of Fame star ceremony.
*** Mariah recently signed with Chris Lighty and Violator Management, which represents 50 Cent, Diddy, and Soulja Boy, among others.

(Rap-Up)

SHOOTER SERIES VOLUME 1

SHOOTER SERIES VOLUME 1 *** Director Brett Ratner comes out with a new DVD, called "Shooter series: volume 1". This DVD features a collection of Brett's music videos, commercials, short films, documentaries, and special extras. "Brett Ratner is probably the first big, mainstream director that hip-hop gave birth to," according to Sean "Diddy" Combs. *** On this DVD are four Mariah videos which were directed by Brett Ratner: "Heartbreaker ft. Jay-Z", "I still believe", "We belong together", and "Touch my body". Other Brett Ratner videos with Mariah, which are not on this DVD, are: "Thank God I found you", "It's like that", and "Obsessed". Maybe these will appear on "Shooter series volume 2"?

MARIAH CAREY REALLY WORKING THE "IMPERFECT" ANGLE

MARIAH CAREY REALLY WORKING THE "IMPERFECT" ANGLE *** Coming on the heels of a subpar performance on NBC's televised variety show America's Got Talent, songbird Mariah Carey has pulled out of her August 28 performance on that same network's Today and reportedly decided to hold off on other appearances. And now there's talk that her forthcoming album Memoirs Of An Imperfect Angel has been pushed back yet again, this time to September 29. (It was originally supposed to come out on August 25.) *** So what's going on? Next week's Billboard Hot 100 has Memoirs‘ lead single "Obsessed" holding steady at No. 14 in its fifth week on the chart - and it's still below its debut-week chart peak of No. 11. The Tricky/The-Dream-helmed track does have a bullet (meaning that overall its metrics gained), and next week's charts see it scaling both the sales and airplay charts, so perhaps Carey's label Island Def Jam is hoping to strike while the iron is a little warmer than it has been up until this point. Still, what with Carey's Twitter going mysteriously silent since her Talent appearance - and the mass pull-out of appearances after that disaster - one has to wonder what, exactly, is going on. (Idolator)

MILEY CYRUS TO REPLACE MARIAH CAREY ON "TODAY" SHOW

MILEY CYRUS TO REPLACE MARIAH CAREY ON "TODAY" SHOW Miley Cyrus *** Miley Cyrus has been tapped to fill in for Mariah Carey, who canceled her upcoming "Today" show concert scheduled for August 28. Carey was set to debut tracks off her new album, Memoirs of an Imperfect Angel, during her appearance. *** No reason has been given for the cancellation, according to WENN.com. Cyrus most recently appeared on the Teen Choice Awards, which aired Monday, and received some flak for the provocative performance of her new single, "Party in the U.S.A." Carey recently sang her new single, "Obsessed", on "America's Got Talent," the show hosted by her husband, Nick Cannon. *** Cyrus and Carey have recently been linked in another way. Cyrus will be the latest pop star to join the ranks of VH1 Divas when the concert series returns this September. Carey had been one of the original divas when the show made its debut in 1998. *** "Adele, Kelly, Leona and Miley have all captured the world's attention with their talent and have earned their designation as VH1 Divas this year," the show's producer, Lee Rolontz, said, referring to the new lineup. "Don't let some of their young ages fool you - these women are among the best entertainers in the world and will continue to thrill music fans for a long time to come." (MTV News)

MARIAH CANCELS BIG APPEARANCES

MARIAH CANCELS BIG APPEARANCES *** Fans who requested tickets to Mariah Carey's August 28th performance on the Today show received an email today stating that Mariah cancelled on NBC and has been replaced with Miley Cyrus. Not a good sign. Especially with a new album supposedly coming out next month. *** To add insult to injury, Carey is also noticeably absent from the list of performers at this year's MTV VMA's. The songstress was originally scheduled to perform at the September awards in NYC, but Mariah's name has been left off the latest press release.

BEATLES TOP POLL FOR MOST POPULAR MUSIC GROUPS

BEATLES TOP POLL FOR MOST POPULAR MUSIC GROUPS *** Ask people of various ages about their favorite music and what do you get? Perhaps more common ground between the generations than you'd expect. A Pew Research Center survey found the Beatles high on the list of every age group and other acts from the 1960s and 1970s popular among people too young to have known them when they performed. *** Among those younger than 30, Michael Jackson was the No. 1 pick. For those 30-49, the Eagles won out. People 50-64 picked the Beatles - the winners overall. For those 65 and older, Frank Sinatra can't be beat. Rock was the favorite type of music for every age group except 65 and above. Older people preferred country music, followed by classical. Top 20 acts in the poll 01. Beatles 02. Eagles 03. Johnny Cash 04. Michael Jackson 05. Elvis Presley 06. Rolling Stones 07. Aretha Franklin 08. Frank Sinatra 09. Carrie Underwood 10. Garth Brooks 11. Jimi Hendrix 12. Bruce Springsteen 13. Mariah Carey 14. Bob Dylan 15. Jefferson Airplane 16. Nirvana 17. Madonna 18. Coldplay 19. Kanye West 20. Grateful Dead (The Denver Post)

NEW YORK FILM FESTIVAL ANNOUNCES LINEUP

NEW YORK FILM FESTIVAL ANNOUNCES LINEUP

*** The latest offerings from the directors Alain Resnais and Pedro Almodóvar will bookend the 2009 New York Film Festival, the Film Society of Lincoln Center said Tuesday. The festival, which returns to Alice Tully Hall this year, will open September 25 with the American premiere of "Wild Grass", a new film by Mr. Resnais ("Hiroshima Mon Amour"). The film is adapted from Christian Gailly's novel "The Incident", and tells the story of seemingly disparate characters brought together by a purse-snatching.
*** On October 11, the festival will conclude with Mr. Almodóvar's new film, "Broken Embraces", about a blind and brokenhearted screenwriter. The festival's lineup also includes Lee Daniels's film "Precious: Based on the Novel Push by Sapphire", as well as Michael Haneke's "The White Ribbon", Todd Solondz's "Life During Wartime" and Lars von Trier's "Antichrist".
*** A spotlight retrospective will feature a high-definition restoration of Victor Fleming's "Wizard of Oz" (hopefully not on the same bill as "Antichrist").

(The New York Times)

MARIAH JOINS MACY'S COME TOGETHER CAMPAIGN

MARIAH JOINS MACY'S COME TOGETHER CAMPAIGN

*** The nation will gather around the dinner table this fall and come together for special moments with friends and family, while fighting the plight of domestic hunger. This September during Hunger Action Month, Macy's and Feeding America will launch "Come Together", an innovative awareness and fundraising campaign that aims to feed 10 million people suffering from hunger.
*** Celebrating the renaissance of cooking at home, Come Together will invite the public to rally around the cause and host special dinners in their homes, but will ask their guests to pledge a donation to Feeding America in lieu of the traditional host gift. In return, Macy's will match these donations dollar-for-dollar until the total goal of 10 million meals is reached. To support the effort, Macy's will launch a major awareness campaign that will include a new star-studded celebrity TV commercial, dinner parties hosted by world-renowned chefs from Macy's Culinary Council at stores across the country, a national charity shopping day, World's Largest Dinner Party; and a one-stop online destination at Macys.com/ComeTogether that will feature recipes, dinner party fashions, invitations, themes, music and other special content to create the perfect gathering.
*** The Come Together campaign will launch in mid-September with one of Macy's famous celebrity TV spots featuring the retailer's "star" designers. The commercial directed by Barry Sonnenfeld (Men in Black, The Addams Family) running in 30-second and 60-second spots, will feature an all-star cast including Mariah Carey, Jessica Simpson, Queen Latifah, Usher, Martha Stewart, Emeril Lagasse, Tommy Hilfiger and Donald Trump. A Spanish-language commercial will also feature TV star Carlos Ponce.
*** Mariah: "It's great that Macy's is doing this because it's going to draw attention to the situation and hopefully other people will follow suit."

(MariahCarey.com)

MARIAH'S SLOW-MOVING "ANGEL"

MARIAH'S SLOW-MOVING "ANGEL" *** Mariah Carey is said to be scrambling to complete her new album, "Memoirs of an Imperfect Angel". "She's getting very nervous now that Whitney Houston is coming back," said our source. We're told Carey signed with manager Chris Lighty four months ago, but the album still isn't finished. *** Lighty told Page Six by e-mail, "My management company is dealing with [Mariah's] music, brand extensions and commercial opportunities. We love Mariah." Carey hasn't had a music manager since splitting with Benny Medina last September and has only released one single - "Obsessed" - off the album so far. *** We tried to get more details from Lighty, but he told us he was "at the beach" and couldn't talk. When we called her p.r. firm, a rep said, "We are no longer working with Mariah." (New York Post)

MACY'S AND FEEDING AMERICA COME TOGETHER

MACY'S AND FEEDING AMERICA COME TOGETHER *** The nation will gather around the dinner table this fall and come together for special moments with friends and family, while fighting the plight of domestic hunger. This September during Hunger Action Month, Macy's and Feeding America will launch "Come Together", an innovative awareness and fundraising campaign that aims to feed 10 million people suffering from hunger. Celebrating the renaissance of cooking at home, Come Together will invite the public to rally around the cause and host special dinners in their homes, but will ask their guests to pledge a donation to Feeding America in lieu of the traditional host gift. In return, Macy's will match these donations dollar-for-dollar until the total goal of 10 million meals is reached. To support the effort, Macy's will launch a major awareness campaign that will include a new star-studded celebrity TV commercial, dinner parties hosted by world-renowned chefs from Macy's Culinary Council at stores across the country, a national charity shopping day, World's Largest Dinner Party; and a one-stop online destination at www.macys.com/cometogether that will feature recipes, dinner party fashions, invitations, themes, music and other special content to create the perfect gathering. *** "In today's environment, there are two things we know," said Peter Sachse, Macy's chief marketing officer. "The first is that many American families are struggling to get by, making simple luxuries like regular dinners out more fiscally challenging. The second is that hunger is one of the most significantly impacted issues during an economic downturn. Our new initiative with Feeding America is intended to give people the tools and motivation to participate in the cooking at home trend, as well as to give them a service call-to-action to come together with their friends and the rest of America to lend support to a cause that hits every community across this country. Together, we hope to raise 10 million meals for the hungry this fall, as well as to inspire many great moments, meals and memories in homes across the U.S." *** "We are thrilled to partner with Macy's in this campaign and are so grateful for their support and determination to provide 10 million meals," said Vicki Escarra, president and CEO of Feeding America. "As the need for food in this country is up 30 percent since last year, there is no better time to take action. No American should ever go hungry and it is because of generous and engaged donors like Macy's joining Feeding America in the fight to end domestic hunger that we are able to support 25 million people every year." *** The statistics are staggering, as 35.5 million Americans are at risk of hunger with 12 million of those being children. This year alone the need for food is up 30 percent. While many assume that the homeless make up the largest contingent of the hungry, in reality 89 percent of the people Feeding America serves each year have homes. The need for food increases yearly during the Fall/Winter, a time this campaign will target. In total, Macy's support for the issue has been strong for more than a decade. For the past 12 years, through Macy's, Inc.'s award-winning "Partners in Time" employee volunteer program, Macy's has aimed to "Bag Hunger" with its annual summer fundraising, food collection and volunteer effort. As the company readies to kick off this national consumer effort, Macy's announced results from its own internal campaign - a total impact equivalent to 9.7 million pounds of food - or 7.6 million meals. *** To get involved the public may participate in three ways - Host, Give and Shop. Friends and families across the country can host dinner parties from casual to formal, send invitations and manage party details including themes and recipes on www.macys.com/cometogether. As they invite their guests, hosts can suggest they make a donation in lieu of bringing wine or a dish to the party. The donation can be made directly to Feeding America on the Macy's site. For those who want to participate without throwing a dinner party, donations can be made directly at any Macy's register - one dollar to provide dinner for seven. Lastly, Macy's customers can shop for the cause and get special savings in-store on October 17, when Macy's hosts a national Shop For A Cause day - where a portion of the $5 in-store ticket sales will benefit Feeding America. *** The Come Together campaign will launch in mid-September with one of Macy's famous celebrity TV spots featuring the retailer's "star" designers. The commercial directed by Barry Sonnenfeld (Men in Black, The Addams Family) running in 30-second and 60-second spots, will feature an all-star cast including Jessica Simpson, Queen Latifah, Mariah Carey, Usher, Martha Stewart, Emeril Lagasse, Tommy Hilfiger and Donald Trump. A Spanish-language commercial will also feature TV star Carlos Ponce. Set in a Macy's store at the close of the day, the fun and appealing cast will relax over a meal peppered with the usual and unexpected twists and turns that occur at all great gatherings. To further create awareness, Macy's Come Together will be featured in print ads that disrupt the normal boundaries of advertising into editorial content, as well as in direct mail, magazines, in-store signage, an online microsite, customer e-mails, outreach via social media, and more than 50 in-store culinary events and fashion parties across the country. To launch the campaign, Macy's will host a special VIP dinner party during New York Fashion Week on September 15th in its flagship Herald Square store. The event, hosted by Martha Stewart and Emeril Lagasse, will benefit Feeding America and will include other celebrity and VIP guests, along with Macy's customers. On that day, at 6pm local time in more than 650 full-line Macy's stores across the country, shoppers will get a taste of this important initiative as Macy's hosts the World's Largest Dinner Party. This kick-off event will have customers join in the "first course" of the nationwide party to celebrate the launch and to educate the public about the effort. The Come Together campaign concludes on October 21, 2009. *** Macy's Culinary Council, made up of 15 world-renowned chefs including Emeril Lagasse, Tyler Florence, Todd English, as well as entertaining authority Martha Stewart, will serve as the experts of this campaign, offering up dinner party themes, recipe ideas, product suggestions and even their suggested playlists, to help America host delectable and entertaining dinners. All of this great content will be available on macys.com/cometogether and in other direct mail vehicles during the campaign. *** With Come Together, Macy's and Feeding America hope to generate attention to the staggering issue of domestic hunger while inspiring the nation to gather over dinner for this important cause. (Business Wire)

WENDY WILLIAMS ON EMINEM'S NAKED PICTURES OF MARIAH

WENDY WILLIAMS ON EMINEM'S NAKED PICTURES OF MARIAH *** Wendy Williams, on a recent taping of her new television show, The Wendy Williams Show, claims that Mariah Carey is the blame for the attacks brought on to her by Eminem in his new song "Warning" and she believes the naked pictures of Mariah Carey and more. *** As reported on HipHopRX.com on last week, Eminem released his new song entitled "The Warning" and, in the song, dissed Nick Cannon calling him a "punk" and dissed wife Mariah Carey, calling the Pop singer a "liar" and "alcoholic", among other things while hinting that he relieved himself on her and that he has more on Mariah including possible naked pictures of the singer. *** "Mariah, you started this," stated Wendy Williams on a recent taping of her new television show, referring to Mariah Carey's song and music video "Obsessed" where Mariah Carey, dressed in Eminem swag, portrays a stalker who stalks after her. *** Following that, Wendy Williams goes after Nick Cannon, for inadequately defending Mariah as she claims a husband should. "It's gotten so ugly now that Mariah's husband Nick Cannon is not even adequately able to defend her character," expressed Wendy Williams. *** Williams claims Nick Cannon, who has been Twittering scripture quotes following Eminem's verbal attack on them in his song "Warning", should be trying as a husband to do "a little more than high school twitting", in her words. *** Then Wendy Williams claims that she believes Eminem's threats of having pictures, possibly naked pictures and more things that could damage or in Eminem's term "murder" Mariah Carey's career. (HipHopRX) If you want to set Wendy Williams straight, go to The Wendy Williams Show.

New Macy's Commercial Behind-the-Scenes

STARS THROW A DINNER PARTY IN NEW AD

STARS THROW A DINNER PARTY IN NEW AD

***ET's with Jessica Simpson, Usher, Mariah Carey, Donald Trump and Martha Stewart as they serve up a behind-the-scenes look at their new Macy's commercial for a good cause! "After hours, Macy's employees as well as all of us carrying our [celebrity] brands come together and have a dinner," says Usher of the spirited ad, which also stars Queen Latifah, Tommy Hilfiger and Emeril Lagasse.
*** It's the newest commerical from Macy's and "Feeding America" for the "Come Together" campaign to help end hunger. "It's great that Macy's is doing this because it's going to draw attention to the situation and hopefully other people will follow suit," Mariah tells ET.
***"Hopefully this commercial will help raise money for 'Feeding America'," says Jessica. "I think that it's such an incredible charity, and it's amazing when you think about the numbers of how many people are hungry in America."

(ET online)

Mariah at Las Vegas' Palms Print Ad

Below is the full-page advertisement for Mariah's concerts at The Palms, Las Vegas whose tickets go on sale starting tomorrow, August 8th at noon. The ad appeared in Las Vegas Weekly and City Life magazines yesterday and runs in the daily newspaper Las Vegas Review-Journal today.

Source: Gilbert | MariahDailyJournal

New "Ultra Pink" Exclusive at Wal-Mart

The new Ultra Pink fragrance is now available exclusively at Wal-Mart.

The new Mariah Carey "Ultra Pink" embraces Mariah's feminine side, flirty and fun. –Get your diva on with Ultra Pink, the exclusive new fragrance by Mariah Carey –A colorful floral melody, Ultra Pink is flirty and fun and embraces Mariah's feminine side –Soft accents of cherry blossoms and wild berries, combined with signature dewy Tiare Petals and a creamy blend of Sun-Kissed woods create a radiant and vibrant fragrance

Below are pictures of Mariah's "Ultra Pink" display stand at a Wal-Mart store.
Get your diva on with Ultra Pink, the exclusive new fragrance by Mariah Carey. A colorful floral melody, Ultra Pink is flirty and fun and embraces Mariah's feminine side. Soft accents of cherry blossoms and wild berries, combined with signature dewy Tiare Petals and a creamy blend of Sun-Kissed woods create a radiant and vibrant fragrance.

(Walmart)

Get your "Ultra Pink" bottle by visiting any Wal-Mart store or online for $30

Source: Wal-Mart | Jeremy

MARIAH CAREY GOES KARAOKE

MARIAH CAREY GOES KARAOKE *** Mariah Carey turns karaoke queen for her latest album Memoirs of an Imperfect Angel. We had a first listen to six tracks but almost choked on our pink cupcake as we heard her belt out Foreigner's I Want To Know What Love Is. *** We can see the children's choir on stage already. The rest is classic Mariah with R&B tracks Candy Bling, Standing O and Impossible and a biting tribute to Eminem with Obsessed. (Mirror)

PREVIEW: MARIAH CAREY

PREVIEW: MARIAH CAREY

*** I've had a sneaky preview of six tracks from 40-year-old Mariah Carey's new album Memoirs Of An Imperfect Angel, out on September 14. Her 12th opus boasts collaborations with artists including The-Dream, 27, and Timbaland, 38. Here's my verdict so far:
****Candy Bling: A melodic, mid-tempo soul shaker with understated vocals that leave you thoroughly detoxed. Not the booty-trembling hip-hop anthem you'd expect from the title. 4/5
****Obsessed: The hard-hitting yet elegant lead single has MC declaring: "It must be the weed, it must be the E, 'cause you be poppin', you get it poppin'." Eminem bating? Possibly - but definitely biting. 4/5
****H.A.T.E. U: Mariah has invited fans to guess the meaning of the track's initials, but it's clear it stands for a lady in love as she purrs through a hypnotic, musical aphrodisiac. 4/5
****Standing O: The O is officially for ovation but, given the intimacy of this tune, it must be a double entendre. A toe-tapper but not quite a show-stopper. 3/5
****Impossible: MC loves you "like a milkshake", although the melody isn't quite as full-flavoured as you'd hope. 2/5
****I Want To Know What Love Is: Foreigner's cheesy 80s signature power ballad, given the Carey the Carey treatment and complete with choir and karaoke climax. It's a great re-work. 5/5

(Daily Star)

MARIAH CAREY'S NEW LP GETS THE BIZ REVIEW TREATMENT

MARIAH CAREY'S NEW LP GETS THE BIZ REVIEW TREATMENT *** Mariah used to be on fi-ah. But no longer. While UK Brrrap pack artists such as Tinchy Stryder and DJ Ironik take soul and R'n'B in exciting new directions, veteran Carey is left looking tired and irrelevant. No more so than on new album Memoirs Of An Imperfect Angel. *** I was played a selection of tracks from the CD, due on September 14, and they left me feeling that the diva has run out of steam. The collection has been billed as her most personal so far, harking back to the sound of her mid-Nineties heyday. But its reliance on bland, dated-sounding, dreary R'n'B bored me to tears. *** Cliched lyrics about things being better "back in the day" and loving someone like "Kool Aid" don't help either. A cover of Foreigner's I Want To Know What Love Is was competent at best. And with little of her trademark vocal pyrotechnics on display I can't find much to recommend what I heard. *** There's still more tracks to finish before the album hits the shelves. I just hope they're not as bad as the one's she's already handed in... (The Sun)

MARIAH CAREY TO RELEASE COLLECTOR'S SET

MARIAH CAREY TO RELEASE COLLECTOR'S SET

*** Mariah Carey fans who go to the store to pick up her new album on September 15 better bring extra cash. Island Def Jam will release a three CD collector's set the same day as Memoirs of an Imperfect Angel, Rap-Up.com has learned. The box set will include the songbird's first three Island albums, 2002's Charmbracelet, 2005's The Emancipation of Mimi, and 2008's E=MC2, and be sold at a special low price. The packaging will have space for a fourth CD (hint, hint).
*** In addition, those who purchase the collector's set will receive a Mariah poster to remind them of all the money they just spent.

(Rap-Up)

NICK CANNON CLAIMS "OBSESSED" IS ABOUT HIM, NOT EMINEM

NICK CANNON CLAIMS "OBSESSED" IS ABOUT HIM, NOT EMINEM

*** Despite what you might think about Mariah Carey's single and video for "Obsessed" being directed at Eminem, when the singer made an appearance Wednesday night on husband Nick Cannon's show "America's Got Talent", Cannon used it as another chance to insist the song isn't about Em.
*** "I don't care what nobody say, that song is about me, because I am obsessed with this beautiful girl right here," Cannon said on the show after Carey performed the controversial track. "This beautiful woman next to me has more #1 hit singles than any single artist in the world. How do you do it?"
*** After Carey clarified that the Beatles have more hit singles than her, Cannon added, "We ain't worried about them, because it's all about Mariah right now. She's modest, she's beautiful. Ladies and gentlemen, my soul mate, Mariah Carey."
*** Cannon had been angling to get Carey on the show since its premiere earlier this summer. "They keep asking me that - I don't know. It's a possibility. She loves the show," he told MTV News in June. "She has a hot new album coming out. It's the hottest show on TV, so why wouldn't that work out? So hopefully the timing works out and she does get to come represent."
*** He also had previously mentioned that he thought the song was about him when he spoke to us while promoting "AGT". "I always say I thought the record was about me, 'cause I'm obsessed with my wife," he said. "But if somebody's out there and you feel like you might have been obsessed, then the record's about you."

(MTV News)

NICK WELCOMES "SOULMATE" MARIAH TO AMERICA'S GOT TALENT

NICK WELCOMES "SOULMATE" MARIAH TO AMERICA'S GOT TALENT

*** Wednesday brought the first night of live eliminations on America's Got Talent, when 12 quarterfinalists, who performed Tuesday, were cut down to just five acts. High-flying basketball crew Acrodunk, Drew Thomas Magic and country crooner Kevin Skinner were the first three to make the semi-finals.
*** Then, AGT welcomed Mariah Carey, host Nick Cannon's wife, to the stage to perform her new single "Obsessed", off her upcoming album Memoirs of an Imperfect Angel. "I don't care what nobody say, that song is about me because I am obsessed with this beautiful girl right here," Cannon said as his wife finished her song. "This beautiful woman next to me has more No. 1 hit singles than any single artist in the world. How do you do it?"

*** "Well, there's a group that has more," she said, referring to the Beatles. "And clearly, we can't touch them." "We ain't worried about them because it's all about Mariah right now," Cannon replied. "No, no. This is your show," she said to her husband. "I'm just so happy to be here."

*** "She's modest, she's beautiful," a proud Cannon continued. "Ladies and gentlemen, my soulmate Mariah Carey." Then, it came down to just two more spots in the semi-finals and the first went to 75-year-old stand-up comedienne Grandma Lee, who got choked up when she got the news. The second, between 14-year-old singer Thia Megia and dancer Arcadian Broad, 13, would be the judges' choice.
*** In a split decision, Broad, who played the piano and danced to "Footloose" the night before, was selected to move on to the next round of competition, getting votes from judges Sharon Osbourne and David Hasselhoff while Piers Morgan's vote went to Megia.

(People)

MARIAH CAREY PREVIEWS NEW SONGS

MARIAH CAREY PREVIEWS NEW SONGS

*** Mariah Carey's latest songs, from her new album Memoirs Of An Imperfect Angel, were previewed in London. While the Grammy-winning star wasn't in the capital to show off her new tracks in person, Matt Voss, Island Def Jam's senior vice president, introduced the newly completed six songs to reporters at the Langham hotel.
*** "LA Reid and Mariah thank you for taking the time to listen to Mariah's first finished tracks - there's loads more to come, it's a contemporary but evocative classic Mariah Carey album," he said.

(The Press Association)

MARIAH CAREY: "OBSESSED" IS DEFINITELY NOT A FLOP

MARIAH CAREY: "OBSESSED" IS DEFINITELY NOT A FLOP

*** Despite continuous claims that Mariah Carey's new single "Obsessed" is a flop, the single has been rising steadily at iTunes and continues to gain airplay impressions nationwide. The song originally debuted at number 11 on Billboard's Hot 100, then dropped to number 20 and climbed back to number 17 last week.

*** This column was one of the first that heralded the single as a flop, but we put our foot down way too soon. When a single by a big artist is first released, the die-hard fans buy a lot of copies the first week. Thus, Mariah had a huge spike of sales that made her debut at number 11.
*** After first week sales level off, the song either drops completely off the charts or drops and slowly climbs its way back up if the rest of the general public like the song. After dropping out of the top 20 in iTunes, Mariah has made her way up to as high as number 14. It is quite possible that the song will rise up to the top 5 again on iTunes. Mariah will most likely score another top ten single.
*** Despite our admitting that we called "flop" way too early, it is still obvious that Mariah is in need of a makeover. The song isn't the huge number one smash people expected and several fans and non-fans have said they are growing tired of Mariah's hoochie mama act. In any case, Mariah is making more money than all the people reading this column put together so perhaps we should just let her be.

(Examiner)

NICK EXCITED TO SHARE AMERICA'S GOT TALENT WITH MARIAH

NICK EXCITED TO SHARE AMERICA'S GOT TALENT WITH MARIAH *** Nick Cannon is not the only one excited to see his wife Mariah Carey perform on America's Got Talent Wednesday night. "I see paparazzi pictures of them all over the place, but very rarely do you see them interact together," executive producer Jason Raff tells People of Carey's performance Wednesday on the live results show. "I have a lot of anticipation to see her perform, but also to see her interact with Nick." *** As for Cannon, "He's really excited to share his primetime show with his wife," Raff says. "He's always so proud of her. He always talks about her." Cannon, 28, is in the middle of his first season hosting AGT while Carey is promoting her new single, "Obsessed", off her upcoming album Memoirs of an Imperfect Angel. *** "The fact that they live in the same house certainly doesn't hurt the situation," Raff says of booking Carey for the show. "But it's about [the timing]. It's never something that we talked to Nick directly about. It's never like, 'Do you think you can ask your wife if she doesn't mind coming on to perform?' We went through our normal channels." *** In short: "She was thrilled to do it," Raff says. Could America be witnessing the second coming of Sonny and Cher with Cannon and Carey? "They can be the first family of variety," Raff jokes. (People)

OBSESSED EXTENDS MARIAH'S LEAD IN TOP 40 HISTORY Mariah Carey makes her 29th appearance on the Mainstream Top 40 radio airplay chart as "Obsessed" de

OBSESSED EXTENDS MARIAH'S LEAD IN TOP 40 HISTORY *** Mariah Carey makes her 29th appearance on the Mainstream Top 40 radio airplay chart as "Obsessed" debuts at No. 39, extending her lead for most overall chart entries in the tally's nearly 17-year history. She is now three titles ahead of second-place holder Madonna (26). *** On Tuesday, August 4, Mariah's "Obsessed" music video reached the #1 spot on BET's 106 & Park Top 10 Live video countdown. Keep voting for the video here. (MariahCarey.com)

SUPERSTARS TO MAKE JACKO TRIBUTE ALBUM

SUPERSTARS TO MAKE JACKO TRIBUTE ALBUM

Madonna, Beyoncé, Mariah Carey and Robbie Williams are among the host of big names planning to record a charity disc of Jacko's greatest hits. Other world-famous acts taking part include Whitney Houston, Usher and Brit schoolboy sensation Shaheen Jafargholi, with legends Stevie Wonder, 59, Diana Ross, 65, and Lionel Richie, 60, also expected to lay down tracks.
The idea came about after a succession of stars sung cover versions of the singer's hits at his memorial service. Producers are asking the stars to perform their favourite Jacko songs. Mariah, 39, will sing I'll Be There and Britain's Got Talent star Shaheen, 12, who wowed fans at the Los Angeles memorial with his version of Who's Loving You, will be asked to record that track and Jacko's 1970s smash Ben.
Madonna, 50, could be tempted by Beat It or Billie Jean, while other songs expected to be covered include Rock With You, She's Out Of My Life and Bad. And Robbie, 35, is being lined up to sing Man In The Mirror amid reports his former Take That bandmates could cover ABC, Working Day And Night or Don't Stop Til You Get Enough.
A source revealed last night: "The idea came from the memorial concert. Many fans asked if cover versions would be released and it seemed a wonderful idea. Some the biggest stars in the world have indicated they'd like to take part to pay their own respects and tribute to the King of Pop. This covers album is sure to be a massive worldwide hit with fans and could raise a fortune for Michael's favourite charities."
Robbie, 35, revealed yesterday he has already been working on a tribute to Jacko - who died suddenly on June 25, aged 50 - on his own new studio album. "It's all so very sad," he said. "I couldn't get a lyric to fit on one of the new songs, so when Michael passed away I rewrote it with him in mind."
It has already been revealed that Robbie and Whitney, 46, have been asked to play some of the O2 Arena dates that had been pencilled in for Jacko's 50-gig run at the London venue. A live tribute concert is also being planned at the venue, involving the singer's family and other guests, on what would have been his 51st birthday on August 29.

(Daily Star)

SNEAK PEEK TO MARIAH CAREY'S PERFORMANCE

SNEAK PEEK TO MARIAH CAREY'S PERFORMANCE

***Footage showing Mariah Carey's upcoming performance at "America's Got Talent" has emerged. The performance was pre-taped on August 2 and will be aired at the reality TV show, which is hosted by her husband Nick Cannon, on August 5.
***Mariah, who wears a black one-off shoulder, is seen performing her brand new single "Obsessed" with companions from several male backing dancers. During the taping, her black-and-white pictures are featured on huge screen behind her.
***Mariah Carey has released "Obsessed" as the lead single from her upcoming studio album "Memoirs of an Imperfect Angel". The new effort is set to arrive in U.S. market on August 25 and will feature ads from upscale brands like Elizabeth Arden, Angel Champagne, Carmen Steffens, Le Metier de Beaute and the Bahamas Board of Tourism.

(AceShowbiz)

WHY MARIAH'S SELLING ADS IN A CD PACKAGE ISN'T SELLING OUT

WHY MARIAH'S SELLING ADS IN A CD PACKAGE ISN'T SELLING OUT The music industry may not be the first to turn to the advertising industry to fill its revenue gap, but there's something to what Brandweek reported yesterday: that Mariah Carey's forthcoming album, "Memoirs of an Imperfect Angel" will include a "a 34-page co-production with Elle magazine that includes lifestyle ads from Elizabeth Arden, Angel Champagne, Carmen Steffens, Le Métier de Beauté and the Bahamas Board of Tourism". And that's only the beginning. Carey's label, Universal Music's Island Def Jam, may expand the program to new releases from Rihanna, Bon Jovi and Kanye West, among others. (To complete the virtuous - or is it? - circle, a non CD-specific version of the Mariah mini-magazine will be inserted into October issue's of Elle.) L.A. Reid, who runs Island Def Jam, told Brandweek the pitch: "We sell millions of records, so you should advertise with us. My artists have substantial circulation - when you sell 2 million, 5 million, 8 million, that's a lot of eyeballs." To which I say, "Duh!" and I mean that with all due respect to Monsieur Reid. What Reid is onto here is a concept that gets lost sometimes when people become too attached to older business models: that even as media options proliferate, sometimes we don't think of enough things as being mass media - able to grant those advertisers who want to piggyback upon big crowds - no matter how they are assembled - the kind of reach that is harder to come by every day. But let's look at this from the content company's point of view: Is this going to save the music industry? No. And, yes, there's a certain paradox in thinking about some artists as mass media, even as sales of their product continue to plummet, thus limiting their reach. Still, you have to applaud parlaying a simple idea into revenue. I asked Becky Ebenkamp, a former colleague who wrote the story, whether she thought this idea was a flash in the pan, or the real deal. She told me: "I think the idea could catch on. Let's face it, when someone discovers a new ad medium, whether that's a urinal, a dry cleaner's hanger, a pizza box or a piece of produce at the market, it doesn't stay blank for long. And we're already seeing marketing merge with music in so many other ways, from pop songs replacing jingles in TV ads to promo fliers falling out of CDs when we open them to rampant brand mentions in hip hop lyrics. In some cases, like Chris Brown's Wrigley gum deal, these are even paid endorsements!" It's been a long time since what Carey and her label are doing here has been viewed as selling out. In fact, these days, for some companies and musical acts, "selling out" may equal survival. While Carey certainly doesn't need the cash, what would be cool is if an idea like this could become a revenue stream for music's long tail of independent and up-and-coming artists. It hasn't worked for most long-tail content providers online, but hope springs eternal. (BNET)

VH1 STORYTELLERS POSTPONED

vH1 STORYTELLERS POSTPONED We are so sorry to tell you that the VH1 Storytellers taping has been postponed. We don't have a new date yet, but we will pass on whatever details we find out, as soon as we get them. VH1 Storytellers winners - your names will remain on the list for the re-scheduled taping date. (MariahCarey.com)

MARIAH ON LATEST MIXTAPE

GHOSTFACE KILLAH GETS BEYONCE, MARIAH ON LATEST MIXTAPE "What a joy we made from the love we made." Raheem DeVaughn definitely does need to use the Auto-Tune, and despite his computer love in the vocal booth, he laces the chorus to Ghost's single "Baby". The record is the first official offering from the September release The Wizard Of Poetry. (Obviously you can tell by the title of the mixtape that it's to promote said album.) J-Love assembles over 20 Ghost R&B collaborations, such as "Summertime" with Beyoncé, the "Chosen One" remix with Jaheim and the remix to Faith Evans' "Again". Our big beef with the tape is that Love did not include Bulletproof Wallet's "Never Be the Same" with the homie Carl Thomas (C. Teezy). (MTV News)

WHY DID EMINEM DIS MARIAH CAREY?

WHY DID EMINEM DIS MARIAH CAREY?

*** Even if you're a total cynic, there's something puzzling about Eminem's latest dis track - in which he reiterates his claim that he once had some bad sex with Mariah Carey, before she met her current husband, Nick Cannon. It's a claim Carey denied while also poking fun at Em in her recent video for "Obsessed", the first single from a forthcoming album Memoirs of an Imperfect Angel. For reasons having apparently little to do with that awful title, and instead focusing on his thus-far violated right to be recognized as a quickly disposed member of Mimi's male harem, Eminem thinks it's cool to talk about murdering Carey. (Yeah, it's a metaphor, in that Em supposedly has a large enough reserve of incriminatingly intimate phone calls and pictures of Carey that he feels confident spitting the line "enough dirt on you to murder you". So is that really a threat, or just an over the top way of saying he'd like to hurt her credibility? Given Shady's past history of declaiming a desire to get his assault and battery on with respect to his own mother, I'm going with the former.) The video's obviously NSFW, with lots of offensive language about women, as well as a depressingly anti-sensualist attitude about sex that might make you want to become a monk for a few days.

***Now the cold, cynical economic rationalization for this generally tired and immature back and forth centers around the fact that both platinum-selling work-horses have albums out this year, during an era in which record labels are desperate for numbers. Eminem took the top of the charts when Relapse debuted back in May. But its first week sales of 600,000 utterly paled in comparison to the million plus in opening business he notched with previous records. Is there a "threaten to murder someone" button over at Universal Music Group - the owner of Interscope, which in turn distributes Dr. Dre's Aftermath label - that gets pushed whenever Slim Shady fails to move a million units in the first week? There's an odor of stale beef here that could lead one to think this is being done with a wink and nod between the two performers. (After all, Eminem proved he wasn't above a little stagecraft back at the MTV Movie Awards, as his encounter with Bruno's ass was planned well ahead of time.)
But even if the Mariah-Eminem feud isn't staged, what's strange is how witless the end product is. Diss tracks are supposed to bring some funny. Yes, they also need to devastate an opponent, but most rappers understand this is better achieved with an undermining wit as opposed to a violent spasm in the gutter. Take, for example, Inspectah Deck's recent swipe at Joe Budden - who had apparently committed the sin of comparing himself favorably to a member of the Wu-Tang Clan.
*** Around the one minute mark, in the midst of a hard-bangin' verse, Deck dares the listener to "name me three Joe Budden songs", after which we hear the Jeopardy! theme. In the background, a hip-hop head attempts to do Deck's bidding, but can only come up with "Pump It Up" as a Budden track. "Aw, this is for a hundred thousand dollars? I'm blowin' it!" the faux contestant cries in desperation as he realizes he doesn't know or like Budden's music enough about to be able to answer the question. "Still waitin'," Deck thunders as the track comes back strong. The point - that Budden isn't successful enough to back up his boasting - is effective because it makes you laugh, even if you've never heard Budden's music.
I'll say this for Eminem's diss track, though. Dr. Dre's beat is more interesting than the track Cary used for "Obsessed".

(Newsweek)

MEMOIRS OF AN IMPERFECT ANGEL

MEMOIRS OF AN IMPERFECT ANGEL *** As the most successful female recording artist of all time, as well as having written more #1 singles than any woman before her, Mariah Carey occupies her own unique place in music. Following up on the platinum success of E=MC2, Mariah is back with Memoirs of an imperfect Angel. This incredible album once again showcases her amazing virtuosity as both vocalist and songwriter. *** Partnering once again with C. "Tricky" Stewart and The-Dream, Mariah's first single "Obsessed" is an amazing track that was immediately the #1 Most Added track at its formats. Together with Brett Ratner-directed video and a national premiere on the NBC hit series America's Got Talent, everyone knows one thing - MARIAH IS BACK! The great early press hits in People and Rolling Stone confirm what we already know... *** To launch Memoirs of an imperfect Angel, Mariah will have an unprecedented number of high-profile release week appearances, including: VH1 Storytellers (this is Mariah's first ever appearance), BET 106 & Park takeover, star presentation on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, and a very special performance on The Today Show to close out their Summer Concert Series. Memoirs of an imperfect Angel, packaged in a beautiful 3 panel softpack, is a must-have for all Mariah fans and will include: the CD; a 2nd Enhanced CD featuring the "Obsessed" video, a remix video, and 3 remixes; and a 36 page Elle mini-magazine that's an inside look at Mariah. *** Along with a massive marketing, advertising, and online campaign, Memoirs of an imperfect Angel is positioned to be one of the biggest releases of the year! (Universal Music)

Mariah at America's Got Talent Taping

MARIAH'S "MEMOIRS" CD TO INCLUDE MINI-MAGAZINE WITH ADS

MARIAH'S "MEMOIRS" CD TO INCLUDE MINI-MAGAZINE WITH ADS ***As music sales continue to drop like they're not so hot throughout the industry, Island Def Jam Music Group is jamming on a new business model: integrating brands into artists' CD booklets. The first deal, created for the Mariah Carey release "Memoirs of an Imperfect Angel" on Sept. 15, is a 34-page co-production with Elle magazine that includes lifestyle ads from Elizabeth Arden, Angel Champagne, Carmen Steffens, Le Métier de Beauté and the Bahamas Board of Tourism. Providing the experiment goes well, the label is eyeing bigger brand deals for booklets of CDs by Rihanna, Bon Jovi, Kanye West and other artists. ***The mini magazine contains Mariah-centric editorial ("VIP Access to Her Sexy Love Life", "Amazing Closet", "Recording Rituals") and lifestyle advertising along with lyrics and other CD booklet elements. Elle contributed the editorial and designed the layout. ***The booklets were created for the first run of U.S. CDs (1 million) and the first 500,000 overseas, said Jeff Straughn, svp-strategic marketing for Island Def Jam Music Group. It will also be available in a digital format for those who buy music online. A condensed version of the Mariah mag, sans the 14 pages of CD-specific material, will be inserted into 500,000 subscription copies of Elle's October issue, which arrives mid-September. ***"The idea was really simple thinking: 'We sell millions of records, so you should advertise with us,'" said Antonio "L.A." Reid, chairman, Island Def Jam Music Group, a unit of Universal Music Group. "My artists have substantial circulation-when you sell 2 million, 5 million, 8 million, that's a lot of eyeballs. Most magazines aren't as successful as those records." ***Carey was "very open" to the concept when Reid showed her a mock-up of the booklet in a magazine format that included brand imagery synonymous with her lifestyle. "I wouldn't want to do Mariah Carey and Comet abrasive cleaner," Reid said, laughing. "I wanted things that really reflected her taste." ***Reid said the program was unprecedented. Terry Dry, president of Los Angeles-based digital-word-of-mouth marketing agency Fanscape, agreed, saying that the CD booklet advertising is a first, though he wouldn't be surprised if more labels look into doing the same thing: "Hollywood Records [Disney], I know they love to monetize all over the place for something like a Jonas Brothers record. Open any rap record and a couple of inserts will come flying out, usually for a business the artist is a part of. I wouldn't be surprised if 50 Cent had a Vitaminwater thing." ***Labels are looking for ways to eke out extra bucks, borrow equity and cut costs anywhere they can today. Year-to-date album sales were down 13.9 percent for the week ending July 19, 2009, compared with the period last year, according to Nielsen SoundScan (227 million units vs. 195.5 million units). Of those 2009 sales, 18.9 percent, or 41.9 million, were digital. ***Ad revenues are subsidizing 100 percent of Island Records' costs for the Carey booklet, but label execs also see the alliance as a way to expand distribution at a time when the local music store is becoming as rare as the Beatles' "Yesterday and Today" LP with the "Butcher" cover. ***"We don't have music retailers any more, so a smart consumer products company that understands the value in distributing music is going to restore the vitality of our business," Reid speculated. "If we distribute music properly and if it's done tastefully, it could be a huge profit center for all of us. That is the missing link-we need partnerships." ***To underscore the point: At one large retail establishment, partner Elizabeth Arden is allowing the label to cross-promote the release. The CD "Memoirs of an Imperfect Angel" will be merchandised directly outside Walmart's music aisle with Carey's new signature Arden fragrance, Forever, which has its ad on the booklet's back cover. The CD and scent will also be displayed together in the beauty department. (Billboard)

"MEMOIRS" TO INCLUDE MINI-MAGAZINE AND ADVERTISEMENTS

"MEMOIRS" TO INCLUDE MINI-MAGAZINE AND ADVERTISEMENTS ***It has come to this: Island Def Jam revealed that Mariah Carey's new album Memoirs of an Imperfect Angel will feature a 34-page booklet devoted to the diva and produced by Elle magazine, Brand Week reports. It will be stocked with articles like "VIP Access to Her Sexy Love Life" and ads for Elizabeth Arden and the Bahamas Board of Tourism, among others. ***The integration of advertisements is the latest move by record companies to increase revenues as album sales continue to plummet. If the experiment succeeds, ad-packed booklets for Rihanna, Kanye West and Bon Jovi might be next. ***"The idea was really simple thinking: 'We sell millions of records, so you should advertise with us,' " Island Def Jam head Antonio "L.A." Reid said of the promotional deal. "My artists have substantial circulation - when you sell 2 million, 5 million, 8 million, that's a lot of eyeballs. Most magazines aren't as successful as those records." The booklet will also appear in issues of Elle that coincide with the September 15th release of Carey's album and plans are underway to produce a digitized version of the booklet for the digital release. ***Back in January 2008, Rock Daily wrote that then-EMI honcho Guy Hands flirted with the idea of corporate branding an artist, saying "Football [Soccer] teams have very distinct corporate sponsorship. Why shouldn't some of the leading bands have the same sort of relationships?" (Rolling Stone)