Platinata, iper coccolata, snob, luccicosa sin nei peli pubici, lustrata con cerone e botulino, costretta ad architettare penosi featuring con rappers di quart'ordine per cercare di cavalcare ancora uno tsunami trasformato in pioggerellina d'aprile: è questo l'attuale profilo di Mariah Carey, una star che ha scelto l'impietosa ostentazione della propria condizione di riccona pluripremiata dopo una manciata di lavori d'esordio in cui un bel visino di post-adolescente era curato esclusivamente con la classicissima forma dell' "acqua&sapone" e non con un'alchimia di cosmetica e arroganza. La Carey è ormai di fronte ad un bivio/baratro fra l'autocelebrazione del suo ego smisurato e la prosecuzione di un cammino musicale e artistico monotono e scarsamente variegato che si è spiegato in sdolcinatezze da teenager.
Eppure, miss Carey non è nata come membro attivo di una crew di papponi del calibro di Snoop Dogg e compagnia variegata. Nella prima metà degli anni Novanta il suo nome venne immediatamente accostato a Whitney Houston e all'allora nascente figura di Celine Dion e vincolato indissolubilmente al trend dei pezzoni melodico-strappalacrime-scenografici zuccherosi che tanto riuscivano a vendere e conquistare cuori infranti. Il trittico di grandi voci prestate all'industria discografica e alle colonne sonore romantiche del periodo sfornò ognuna il suo mirabolante curriculum di successi: la Houston si impose con I Will Always Love You e tutte le numerose canzoni di accompagnamento per i propri blockbuster, la Dion fece breccia nel mercato anglofono con The Power of Love, Beauty And The Beast, My Heart Will Go On, Falling Into You, Because You Loved Me e It's All Coming Back To Me Now, mentre la nostra Mariah sciorinò una sfilza di titoli, da Vision of Love a DreamLover, passando per Emotions, Love Takes Time, Without You, My All e Hero. Il declino del pop vocale fra Novanta e Duemila scioccò in parte il trio delle ballatone che presto si trocò a trainare il nuovo connubio fra romanticismo e sonorità R&B. La Carey in parte si difese strenuamente da tale metamorfosi - Butterfly, già ricco di sfumature Rhythm & Blues moderne, è forse il migliore della sua discografia - ma ben presto venne travolta dall'incapacità di mantenere il proprio tradizionale operato senza imbastardirlo pesantemente con i nascenti abomini commerciali: tralasciando il temporaneo declino commerciale inaugurato con la debacle di Glitter, l'estro di Mariah nell'unire "buona musica" e una voce suadente si smarrì - e pare ancora smarrirsi - in fatture melense e omologate che mai riuscirono a confrontarsi con lo charme dei primissimi pezzi "lenti".
Mariah Carey rilasciò nel 1993 "Music Box", terzo album dopo un binomio di successi (l'omonimo debutto e il successivo Emotions) e ultimo lavoro prima della parzialmente malandrina svolta R&B-Hip Hop, escludendo naturalmente il natalizio Merry Christmas e l'inno al vischio sotto l'albero All I Want For Christmas Is You. "Music Box" rappresentò non solo il riassunto delle due puntate precedenti della prima discografia di Mariah e il suo più grande multimillion-seller, ma riuscì anche a incarnare in una manciata di brani tutto quello che era il pop mainstream di maggior smercio nei primi Novanta, a metà strada fra il gradevolmente zuccheroso e scenografico, il ballabile/danzereccio e la malinconia romanzata dei blockbuster "kleenex alle mani". Ed è così che il cavallo di battaglia della signora Carey replicò questa ricetta con la convinzione di poter in futuro portare sulla tavola imbandita delle major e della classifiche menù analoghi.
L'album ospita tre delle maggiori ballate dell'artista, ovvero Dreamlover (vagamente R&B), Hero e Without You, un celebre trittico di brani di grande effetto scenico, densi, ma non troppo, di genuino pathos e sincero romanticismo, privi di qualsiasi ostentazione mielosa o sessualmente esplicita. Seguono altri pezzi di analoga fattura e ispirazione, fra cui il vagamente gospel Anytime You Need A Friend, le calorose ninnananne di Never Forget You e della title-track Music Box, nonché l'apoteosi vocale di All I've Ever Wanted. In questo calderone di ballate c'è spazio anche per la gustosissima traccia dance-house Now That I Know e la uptempo freestyle-funkeggiante I've Been Thinking About You.
Un disco che rappresenta un'epoca o, meglio, parte di un epoca, la pietra miliare di una cantante ormai smarrita fra assurdità e tentennamenti. "Music Box" è, assieme a Butterfly, il lavoro ideale per coloro che vedono attualmente una "bambolona" senza smalto e carisma e con un ego fin troppo sviluppato e non conoscono invece l'origine "nobile" di una grande voce gettata in pasto alla desolante voracità di ghetti trasformati in banche e locali di peep show.
Mariah Carey, "Music Box"
Dreamlover - Hero - Anytime You Need A Friend - Music Box - Now That I Know - Never Forget - Without You - Just to Hold You Once Again - I've Been Thinking About You - All I've Ever Wanted - Everything Fades Away.
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01 Dreamlover (03:54)
Oohh......
do dududu da da dah
ooh ooh ooh ooohhh
(x2)
I need a lover to give me
The kind of love
That will last always
I need somebody uplifting
To take me away
I want a lover who knows me
Who understands how I feel inside
Someone to comfort and hold me
Through the long lonely night
Till the dawn
Why don't you take me away
Dreamlover come and rescue me
Take me up take me down
Take me anywhere you want to baby, now
I need you so desperately
Won't you please come around
Cause I wanna share forever with you baby
I don't want another pretender
To disillusion me one more time
Whispering words of forever
Playing with my mind
I need someone to hold on to
The kind of love that won't fly away
I just want someone to belong to
Everyday
Of my life
Always
So come and take me away
(2X):
Dreamlover come rescue me
Take me up take me down
Take me anywhere you want to baby now
I need you so desperately
Won't you please come around
'Cause I wanna share forever with you baby
02 Hero (04:19)
There's a hero
If you look inside your heart
You don't have to be afraid
Of what you are
There's an answer
If you reach into your soul
And the sorrow that you know
Will melt away
Chorus:
And then a hero comes along
With the strength to carry on
And you cast your fears aside
And you know you can survive
So when you feel like hope is gone
Look inside you and be strong
And you'll finally see the truth
That a hero lies in you
It's a long road
When you face the world alone
No one reaches out a hand
For you to hold
You can find love
If you search within yourself
And the emptiness you felt
Will disappear
'' Chorus:''
And then a hero comes along
With the strength to carry on
And you cast your fears aside
And you know you can survive
So when you feel like hope is gone
Look inside you and be strong
And you'll finally see the truth
That a hero lies in you
Lord knows
Dreams are hard to follow
But don't let anyone
Tear them away
Hold on
There will be tomorrow
In time
You'll find the way
'' Chorus:''
And then a hero comes along
With the strength to carry on
And you cast your fears aside
And you know you can survive
So when you feel like hope is gone
Look inside you and be strong
And you'll finally see the truth
That a hero lies in you
That a hero lies in you
03 Anytime You Need a Friend (04:26)
If you're lonely
And need a friend
And troubles seem like
They never end
Just remember to keep the faith
And love will be there to light the way
Anytime you need a friend
I will be here
You'll never be alone again
So don't you fear
Even if you're miles away
I'm by your side
So don't you ever be lonely
Love will make it alright
When the shadows are closing in
And your spirit diminishing
Just remember you're not alone
And love will be there
To guide you home
Anytime you need a friend
I will be here
You'll never be alone again
So don't you fear
Even if you're miles away
I'm by your side
So don't you ever be lonely
Love will make it alright
If you just believe in me
I will love you endlessly
Take my hand
Take me into your heart
I'll be there forever baby
I won't let go
I'll never let go
Anytime you need a friend
I will be here
You'll never be alone again
So don't you fear
Even if you're miles away
I'm by your side
So don't you ever be lonely
It's alright
It's alright
04 Music Box (04:57)
When I am lost
you shine a light for me and set me free
When I am low
You wash away my tears
And take me through
The loneliness
And emptiness
Through the darkest night
Somehow I survive
Through it all
When you tell me I'm the only one you need
Sweet and tenderly
And your love
Breaks away the clouds surrounding me
All I have I want to give to thee
If I should fall
Your love is strong enough to lift me up
If I'm afraid
You chase away my fears
And take me to
A brighter place
Beyond the rain
And I feel alright
Because you're by my side
Through it all
When you tell me I'm the only one you need
Sweet and tenderly
And your love
Breaks away the clouds surrounding me
All I have I want to give to thee
You take me through
The loneliness and the emptiness
And I feel alright
'Cause you're by my side
Through it all
You tell me I'm the only one you need
Sweet and tenderly
And your love
Just breaks away the clouds surrounding me
And baby all I have I want to give to thee
Want to give you all of my love
Now and forever my love
All I have I want to give to thee
05 Now That I Know (04:19)
I never knew
If I could believe in you
I thought I was just a diversion
And you were killing time
My friends they told me
To leave you
They said you would never be mine
But you gave me your love
And you said I'm the one
You want the rest of
Your life
Now that I know
That you want me for me
I can be what you want
I can be what you need
Now that I know
That your love is for real
I can finally see
This is not make believe anymore
I was afraid
It was all a masquerade
That I was only a play thing
And you would leave me behind
But now I feel so secure
By your side
I can conquer the world
I gave you my love
And I know you're the one
I want for the rest
Of my life
Now that I know
That you want me for me
I can be what you want
I can be what you need
Now that I know
That your love is for real
I can finally see
This is not make believe anymore
( I really feel it )
So much love
( I really feel it )
So much joy
( I feel it )
Sweet sweet ecstasy
'Cause you opened my eyes
And I realize
Your love is for real
Now that I know
That you want me for me
I cant be what you want
I can be what you need
Now that I know
That your love is for real
I can finally see
This is not make believe anymore
07 Without You (03:36)
No I can't forget this evening
or your face as you were leaving
but I guess that's just the way the story goes
you always smile but in your eyes your sorrow shows
yes it shows
No I can't forget tomorrow
when I think of all my sorrow
when I had you there but then I let you go
and now it's only fair that I should let you know
what you should know
I can't live
if living is without you
I can't live
I can't give anymore
I can't live
if living is without you
I can't give
I can't give anymore
Well I can't forget this evening
nor your face as you were leaving
but I guess that's just the way the story goes
you always smile but in your eyes your sorrow shows
yes it shows
I can't live
if living is without you
I can't live
I can't give anymore
I can't live
if living is without you
I can't live
I can't give anymore
(No I cant live)
(No I cant live)
I cant live
(No I cant live)
(No I cant live)
If living is without you
i cant live without you
09 I've Been Thinking About You (04:48)
We've known each other
For a long long time
But I never really notcied
All the magic in your eyes
I've been around you
A thousand times before
And you've always been a friend to me
But now I'm wanting more
I must have been so blind
I never realized
You're the one that's right for me
All the while I couldn't see
And now I feel so strange
I'll never be the same
Going 'round and 'round in circles
And I don't know what to do
'Cause baby
I've been thinking about you
In the most peculiar way
I've been thinking about you
It's unbelievable to me
But suddenly I think
I'm falling in love with you
There's no explaining how I feel inside
I'm going through a transformation
That's so hard for me to hide
I had a revelation that
Finally opened my eyes
The one I spent a lifetime searching for
Was right here all the time
I was oblivious so very out of touch
All the while I couldn't see
You're the one that's right for me
And now my world has changed
I'll never be the same
Going 'round and 'round in circles
And it's all because of you
Sweet baby
I've been thinking about you
In the most peculiar way
I've been thinking about you
It's unbelievable to me
But suddenly I think
I'm falling in love with you (x2)
Don't you know
That you're blowing my mind
What you do to me
I can't describe
Baby I can't hold back anymore
I just can't conceal it
You're the one I really adore
I've been thinking about you
In the most peculiar way
I've been thinking about you
In the most peculiar way
I've been thinking about you
In the most peculiar way
I've been thinking about you
It's unbelievable to me
But suddenly I think
I'm falling in love with you
I've been thinking about you
In the most peculiar way
I've been thinking about you
It's unbelievable to me
But suddenly I think
I'm falling in love with you
10 All I've Ever Wanted (03:52)
If you only knew
What I feel for you
If you only lived for me
The way I live for you
than I'd be in heaven
and all of ,
My dreams would come true
'Cause all I've ever wanted
Is you
And you alone
And I love you so
More than you could ever know
All I've ever wanted
Is you
If you were my own
To caress and hold
I would shower you with love
And drown within your soul
'Cause I live and breathe for you
And I really need you to know
That all I've ever wanted
Is you
And you alone
And I love you so
More than you could ever know
All I've ever wanted
Is you
Everything I do is for you
And you are every part of me
And I don't want to face
Another day
Alone
Without your love
'Cause all I've ever wanted
Is you
And you alone
And I love you so
More than you could ever know
All I've ever wanted
Is you
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