MARIAH REVEALS HER NEWEST FRAGRANCE AD FOR FOREVER

MARIAH REVEALS HER NEWEST FRAGRANCE AD FOR FOREVER After much anticipation, we are excited to unveil the glamorous visual for Mariah's newest fragrance, Forever. Shot by famed photographer Michael Thompson, Mariah reveals her undeniable sensuality in an exquisite visual reminiscent of Hollywood glamour. The first print ad hits newsstands tomorrow and will be featured in September's issue of InStyle. Make sure to pick up a copy. Forever will be in stores early September. Be one of the first to experience this glamorous new fragrance. (MariahCarey.com)

EXCLUSIVE FIRST LOOK: MARIAH'S FOREVER FRAGRANCE CAMPAIGN

EXCLUSIVE FIRST LOOK: MARIAH'S FOREVER FRAGRANCE CAMPAIGN *** Mariah Carey may have pushed back the release of her anticipated new album, but there's no stopping another launch the beauty maven has in the works. Following the success of her two previous signature scents, M by Mariah Carey and Luscious Pink, the singer is poised to hit another high note with a new fragrance for fall - and she's debuting her sexy ads online exclusively on People.com. *** "Fragrance is so personal," she tells People, "and Forever captures that glamorous feeling that I want to share with my fans." The opulent floral scent, which will start at $42 for a 1-oz. spray, will contain notes of lotus blossom, tuberose, gardenia, exotic woods and white musk. (People)

OBSESSED

OBSESSED *** Hi Gary. Now that Mariah Carey has released a physical single of "Obsessed" exclusively at Wal-Mart, I was wondering how much impact a physical single can have on the Billboard Hot 100, as opposed to a digital single. And, how much effect does streaming have, as opposed to radio spins? *** Thanks, I enjoy reading your column! Christian Medrano, Willmar, Minnesota *** Thanks Christian. "Obsessed" debuts at No. 1 this week on Billboard's Hot Singles Sales chart, which tracks sales of physical singles. The numbers on the chart certainly pale in comparison, however, to the top sales figures on Digital Songs. "Obsessed" starts on the former chart with just north of 1,000 copies sold, according to Nielsen SoundScan. That total would not even rank among the top 750 most paid downloads in the same tracking period. The Black Eyed Peas' "I Gotta Feeling" is No. 1 on Digital Songs with 197,000 downloads moved. (That's a lot of Peas in (i)Pods.) *** Obsessed" is Carey's 10th No. 1 on Hot Singles Sales, and when she last led the list, it was before download sales had amassed enough influence to contribute to the Billboard Hot 100's formula (they did as of the chart dated February 12, 2005). In February 2003, "Through the Rain" bowed on Hot Singles Sales at No. 1 with 13,000 physical singles sold. If we go back just four years earlier, we can see that no matter the product form - cassette singles, CD singles, downloads - there are constants among sales of singles. In October 1999, Carey notched her best weekly total on Hot Singles Sales when "Heartbreaker" rocketed 72-1 with a hefty 271,000 singles sold. *** As you might suspect, physical sales no longer have a large impact on the Hot 100, which combines songs' digital sales, physical sales, all-format radio airplay (according to Nielsen BDS) and streaming data. This week, the total point percentages for all songs on the Hot 100 break down as follows: 52% digital sales 45% airplay 3% streaming 0.06% physical singles (Ask Billboard)

MARIAH CAREY FIRST ACT ANNOUNCED FOR FASHION ROCKS 2009

MARIAH CAREY FIRST ACT ANNOUNCED FOR FASHION ROCKS 2009 *** Singer Mariah Carey will be performing in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil in October 2009 during the next edition of Fashion Rocks, which promises to combine music and fashion. Versace, Marc Jacobs and Brazilian beachwear label Lenny are confirmed for the event, scheduled for 23 and October 24 at the Copacabana Palace and the Jockey Club in Rio, respectively. *** The announcement was made this Wednesday during a press conference held by Fashion Rocks in the Copacabana Palace. The organizers of the event say that Mariah Carey is only the first musical attraction announced. Other names to be announced in the coming weeks. *** "It is difficult to match dates with big bands such as we want, but we are trying," said the director of the musical part of the event, Christian Lamb, who has led tours of Madonna, Coldplay and Lenny Kravitz. While other details are being kept under wraps at this time, OI Fashion Rocks, in association with OI Brazil, promises a stellar list of performers and designers. (Mariah Connection)

EVERYONE FALLS FOR "BAD MARIAH" STORY

EVERYONE FALLS FOR "BAD MARIAH" STORY *** One of yesterday's local papers got just about everything wrong in its story about Mariah Carey and Whitney Houston's new albums. I do hope Michael Lewittes takes them to task in his new Gossip Cop blog. The NY Daily News apparently doesn't know that this year's Grammy eligibility deadline has moved up a month to August 31. Because the decision was made late, Carey decided to wait and make her album good instead of rushed. As you can read in this column, the album is done and very, very good. *** Whitney's album is being released officially on August 31. It's been moved up a day from September 1. I'm just sayin'... let's get this stuff right. It ain't rocket science. Carey, by the way, cancelled a bunch of dates once the album was completed, and went on a late, delayed summer vacation. She has a big fall ahead, with the album release and the Lee Daniels Oscar movie, "Precious". (Showbiz 411)

MARIAH CAREY AMONG MEGSTARS MAKING THE TRIP TO TIFF

MARIAH CAREY AMONG MEGSTARS MAKING THE TiIP TO TIFF *** George Clooney and Oprah Winfrey are among the megastars coming to the Toronto International Film Festival next month. Other marquee stars scheduled to make the trip include Mariah Carey, Matt Damon, Bill Murray, Colin Farrell, Chris Rock, Jennifer Garner, Keanu Reeves and Natalie Portman, according to a list of expected guests released by festival organizers today. *** Organizers also announced a new batch of movies set to screen at the fest, including "Mr. Nobody", which stars Jared Leto as the world's oldest man. Set in 2092, "Mr. Nobody" casts Leto as the last mortal left on Earth and also stars Canadian Sarah Polley and Diane Kruger. *** More than 300 films from 64 countries will screen at this year's festival. The 10-day fest kicks off Sept. 10 with the U.K. biopic "Creation", about Charles Darwin. (The Canadian)

MARIAH CAREY COVERED THE WRONG FOREIGNER SONG

MARIAH CAREY COVERED THE WRONG FOREIGNER SONG

*** The next single from Mariah Carey's upcoming album Memoirs of an Imperfect Angel has been announced, and it's epic. Carey will unleash her cover of Foreigner's classic 1984 ballad "I Want to Know What Love Is", one of the most iconic song of the '80s.

*** Many will write off "I Want to Know What Love Is" as one of the schlockiest songs every written, but it's secretly brilliant. In fact, Carey should really take it a step further and record an entire album of late '70s/ early '80s ballads. She has already covered Journey's "Open Arms" (on her 1995 album Daydream), so she might as well do her own version of "Don't Stop Believing" (or "Any Way You Want It" if she's feeling cheeky). Styx's "Come Sail Away"? Why not? REO Speedwagon's "Keep On Loving You"? Yes please. "Hold On Loosely" by .38 Special? Absolutely!

Since Carey's voice is so high and versatile to begin with, she can wrap herself around the vocal stylings of Steve Perry and Dennis DeYoung without much fuss. And just for argument's sake, she might as well add a Rush song in there too (if only because she's got the same range as Geddy Lee, though can you imagine Carey singing the Ayn Rand-inspired lyrics of "Freewill"?).

*** Those are all excellent ideas, and though "I Want to Know What Love Is" was an excellent choice, she really should have covered "Hot Blooded" instead. Even better, she should have covered their acoustic version, a bongo-riffic performance if there ever was one. So come on, Mariah - give us a fever of a hundred and three!

(MTV Newsroom)

MARIAH CAREY'S NEXT SINGLE ANNOUNCED

MARIAH CAREY'S NEXT SINGLE ANNOUNCED *** Even though the "Obsessed" single is still flirting with the Top 10 on the Billboard Hot 100 (it currently sits at number 14), Mariah Carey is already prepping the next single in the lead-up to the September 29 release of her 12th studio album, Memoirs of an Imperfect Angel. The song is a cover of Foreigner's signature ballad "I Want to Know What Love Is", which originally appeared on their 1984 album Agent Provocateur. A rep for the singer said "I Want to Know What Love Is" will hit radio soon but did not specify a date. *** Oddly, the report that announced the single - which Carey later posted to her official Web site and her Twitter account - refers to "I Want to Know What Love Is" as the first "real" single from the album. However, Carey's rep clarified that "Obsessed" is indeed the album's first single. *** Despite the buzz surrounding the single's release, the high-profile video, the controversy surrounding her and husband Nick Cannon's feud with Eminem and a performance on Cannon's show "America's Got Talent", "Obsessed" has peaked at #11 on the Billboard Hot 100 thus far. According to Nielsen SoundScan, which tracks sales of albums and singles, "Obsessed" has sold 383,000 downloads in five weeks, a respectable number but not quite up to Carey's past success (comparatively speaking, last year's "Touch My Body" moved nearly 300,000 downloads in its first seven days). *** Still, "Obsessed" is Carey's 40th charting single - tying her with Diana Ross for the eighth most of all time among female artists - and anticipation remains high for Memoirs of an Imperfect Angel, which is now slated for a September 29 release and features production by The-Dream, Timbaland and Jermaine Dupri. (MTV News)

NEW ALBUM TO DEBUT TOO LATE FOR GRAMMY CONSIDERATION

*** Mariah Carey is refusing to be pushed around by the Grammys anymore. The songbird, who has won a mere five awards out of 21 nominations since 1991, is officially taking herself out of the running this year. She'll release her album "Memoirs of an Imperfect Angel" on September 29, missing the Grammy cutoff date by just one day.

*** "Mariah's been shafted so many times before that it's like a big 'Kiss my butt' to the Grammy folks," says a music industry insider. "She doesn't need the awards, because her career is already so successful." The diva definitely doesn't need trophies to sell her album: "Memoirs" has already spawned the hit single, "Obsessed" and has generated heavy industry buzz.
*** Although the singer just rescheduled a series of promotional appearances on programs like the "Today" show and "VH1 Storytellers", the insider says Carey is just busy adding more songs to her album, wanting the end result to be perfect. In addition to her CD, the singer is drawing rave reviews for her performance as a Harlem-based social worker in the indie flick "Precious". The Lee Daniels-directed movie debuted earlier this year at the Sundance Film Festival.
*** Meanwhile, fans hoping for a Battle of the Divas will be disappointed to learn that Whitney Houston's new CD will be released nearly a month earlier than Mariah's; the icon's first album in seven years is now set to hit shelves on September 1. Whit should be thankful she's avoiding a showdown with Mimi. Her album's first single, "I Look to You", received a lukewarm reception on pop radio, finally debuting on Billboard's Hot 100 last week at No. 74. Mariah, meanwhile, blasted onto that chart at No. 11 with "Obsessed".
*** Houston is hoping the record's second single, the Alicia Keys/Swizz Beatz-penned track "Million Dollar Bill", will make her some big bucks - it's being released just five weeks after "I Look to You". Says Houston's rep: "Our strategy has always been to release a song to urban formats ('I Look to You') and a song to pop formats ('Million Dollar Bill'). The reviews for 'I Look to You' have been glowing. In fact, Billboard has said this single 'signals the long-awaited return of a true diva'."

(New York Daily News)

MARIAH CAREY BETS ON NOSTALGIA, COVERING FOREIGNER

MARIAH CAREY BETS ON NOSTALGIA, COVERING FOREIGNER

Perhaps realizing that the focus should be less on Mariah Carey's feud with Eminem and a bit more on the pop diva, more hints were dropped today about the singer's upcoming "Memoirs of an Imperfect Angel". The ad-supported album, which was originally set for August 25, is now due to be released September 29.
The second single from Carey's "Memoirs of an Imperfect Angel" will apparently be a cover of Foreigner's "I Want to Know What Love Is" (perhaps tackling "Don't Stop Believing" would have been a too-obvious choice of pandering). The news was first reported by Roger Friedman, and his article has since been posted on Carey's official website.
This isn't the first time Carey has covered an '80s ballad - see her take on "I Still Believe". The latter gave Carey yet another top 10 hit, a status that has thus far eluded her "Obsessed". But it's far from a tanker, as the song is holding steady at No. 14.
Additionally, Nielsen SoundScan reports that the single has sold 383,000 downloads to date. The tally isn't bad for a song that's only been available for about a month, but it's not showing the kind of initial numbers her "Touch My Body" displayed last spring. The latter sold 286,000 downloads in its debut week, and shot to No. 1.
If anything, tackling a well-known power ballad seems like a safe choice. It's a comfortable fall-back plan after "Obsessed" performed well, but did far from blockbuster numbers. It will undoubtedly be a hit, but it's giving me more reason to fear "Imperfect Angel". The sort-of-real/sort-of-not feud with Eminem seemed largely a ploy to keep Carey in the headlines, and covering Foreigner seems just as calculated to steer Carey back onto familiar ground. Pop & Hiss awaits to be proven wrong.