Slightly misleading post title because I'm not sure I believe that. To make up my mind once and for all I am going to pit the two Divas against each other in a number of bouts with the overall winner being decided by who wins the most categories.It's handbags at dawn! DING DING: bout one!
 |
| Madonna and Mariah Carey in 2010 |
Style: Mariah makes this easy for me since she's been stuck in stripper mode since the Rainbow album. High heels, micro dress- regardless of weight- and giant hair are her fashion staples. Madonna, however, has constantly been reinvented herself and and setting fashion trends with her canny ways since before I was born .
Voice: Sorry Madonna, this has never been your strong point. Mariah, on the other hand, could sing the phone book and make it sound like an angel whispering in your ear. Her voice is more than just a human piano; it has excellent tone, brilliant dynamics and is incredibly versatile.
Legacy: Madonna is a living legacy who's impact on not only music but popular culture can not be underestimated. If you were lucky enough to live through Madonna's career growing up in the 80s and 90s you'd remember how every release was a maelstrom of controversy and hysteria. She gave the female population and the disenfranchised a voice and an icon to aspirer to. Songs like "express yourself" about personal expression, "erotica" about sexual liberation, and "what it feels like for a girl" about sexism, are just some of the varied themes shes sung about.
I'm disappointed to say that Mariah's legacy will only be a realised after she pops her clogs. Her impact on singers is undoubtedly huge, and can clearly be seen on talent shows around the world, but frankly, at this moment in popular culture Mariah's seen as a bit of a a joke, with stories about her demanding puppies and practically worshipping butterfly exacerbating this.
However people need to remember that Mariah single handedly created the pop-hop genre with her remix of "Fantasy" by featuring the ODB. Back when Mariah released this track she was the white- yes I know she's "bi-racial", I'm just telling you how it was- girl next door and America's sweetheart. Next thing you know, totally out of the blue, she's released a song with a scary black gangsta rapper and a hip hop beat! The end result was it breaking down barriers between genres. Nowadays people take for granted the Diva/rapper combination but when Mariah did it it was unheard of.
Sales: Despite there not being any reliable figures pre 1991 I dont think anyone will argue with Madonna selling more. She's been going for almost an extra decade, and she was selling in the decades when albums routinely sold 10 million plus. She's also way more popular worldwide, thus having a bigger audience to buy her music.
Live act: Now I have been fortunate enough to have seen both artists live. I attended Mariah's "Rainbow" concert in the late 1990's and went to see Madonna's "Sticky and Sweet" concert a few years back. Which you prefer is subjective but it goes to if you prefer to "see" or "hear" ie do you go to see a show or to hear a singer. For me I'd rather listen to a singer than watch a show.
( And for those who don't believe shes funny watch the video on the left and watch out for the laugh at 0:46).
VERDICT:
Suprise, surprise its a draw, with 3 a piece! So everyone needs to grow up, get over this feud and respect these two artists for what they've done! One is a performer and one is a singer and just to prove that point I've never heard anyone say they wanted to sing like Madonna, and no one has ever said they wanted to dance like Mariah. They are two sides of the same coin!
Now if only we could genetically meld their talents together, what would we get? Highlight Beyonce?...?for the answer. Lol. I kid. Long Live The Divas
The origin of all the hate between
MariahCarey and Madonna fans.
Mariah Carey is better than Madonna, but that doesn't mean i hate madonna.
ReplyDeleteI agree, the stans fighting about who is better is silly. They are both good in their own right. Great article
ReplyDeletei am sorry but i have to disagree with the draw!!!
ReplyDeleteMadonna HAS to be better than Mariah Carey.
Just look at the state of music now and all these female artists trying to emulate or re-create Madonna. And be successful still!!
Madonna used hip hop beats when she released Justify My Love... she did a duet with Tupac (I'd Rather Be Your Lover) that unfortunately never got released and she had entire albums heavily influenced by hip hop and r&b (Erotica and Bedtime Stories) when Mariah was still singing her easy listening, slow jam songs(Music Box).
And who's to say what she's really like in real life. Madonna might come across scary or demanding.. whatever.. but she proved to us she's got heart. And she does have a funny side as well..
I love Mariah Carey and i listen to her tunes now and then but there will always be the assumption that she's got a career thanks to her ex-husband. Yes it is true her voice is one of the kind and she CAN sing but she can't perform at all.
Madonna does NOT have that kind of voice but her artistic sensibility goes way beyond a love song!!! She shaped and brought the entire music business to new levels!!
Your article is only based on your personal opinion and misinformation. Sorry
@anon above, of course its my opinion, it's my post, just as your response is your opinion.
ReplyDeleteI still stand by Mariah and Madonna being equally good for equally different reasons....besides I would hope people would have noticed my tongue firmly in cheek with this post.
I will also say that I like both Mariah Carey and Madonna. Madonna vocals are okay and get the job done. Mariah is an outstanding vocalists. My main criticism for Mariah is she is brilliant at recording but her reputation as a performer is not even close to her standing as a recording artist. Madonna has conquered recording and touring. Mariah is severe lacking in the concert arena. I feel this is crucial no Mariah cannot dance but neither can Whitney Houston who in her hey day was known as a concert diva. This is my only problem with Mariah, she has not proven her self as a bona fide stage diva.
ReplyDeletelol at this article...so basically, you can't compare the two? lol. It's like comparing Janet to Whitney, one gives you amazing visuals, choreo, and thematic elements that shape a culture, but doesn't have much of a big voice, while the other gives you an amazing voice, moves you emotionally, while influencing an entire generation of singers, but doesn't give much dancing or a "show". I call it comparing Apples to Onions. ^__^
ReplyDeletenow i like both so much because i see both as pop culture staples
ReplyDeletebut if you take away everything
and put madonna and mariah in front of a mic - mariah would blow madonna out of the water with the first note that escapes her mouth
if you were to ignore everything and close you eyes and just listen to both women sing - mariah would destroy madonna
for me mariah is still one of the most talented vocalists in the music industry - even if she is not as good as she used to - but hey shes aging and its understandable
Mariah carey writes all of her songs, she's a song writer. And when we say her song, it means its deep... And it touches a lot of lives. So screw those people saying that she lacks artistry, she just prefers not to be eccentric like madonna, she's not a dancer anyway coz what matters to her is her voice and her music. She doesnt need any props to prove herself. She's gifted. Her talent is natural.
ReplyDeleteEven with no dance, Mimi has stage presence.
ReplyDeleteThis is an interesting article DD.
ReplyDeleteVocally, which is what this site prides itself on, Mariah takes the cake.
But if we're talking about impact, Madonna is the winner. I mean, she was the first peson to utilize sex appeal, which has completely changed the industry.
I love both, but Madonna is inarguably the biggest pop music icon, while Mariah is the greatest vocalist in the history of pop music. Both great titles BTW. :)
I agree with most of them apart from where you mention that mariah carey dresses like a stripper ignoring the fact that madonna dresses like a stripper on many occasions also. Madonna basically just wears underwear when she is performing on stage, I think Mariah has more style and class in that sense.
ReplyDelete