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Boiling Point: The Whitney Houston / Mariah Carey Debate
Whitney Houston and Mariah Carey
During the last two decades, Whitney Houston and Mariah Carey have been continuously compared by the media as well as their fans, thus causing a seemingly neverending debate. Even today, months after Houston’s sudden passing, parallels are still being drawn between the divas. Yet, are those comparisons justified?
The only way for us to truly get to the root of the Houston/Carey debate is for us to take a journey through time and reflect on the beginnings of their respective careers. Yes, I know that this is Thursday and Way Back Wednesday was yesterday but memory lane has great shopping for consumers of knowledge so strap on your comfortable shoes and let’s take a stroll.
When Houston blasted into the music scene in the mid-1980s, she was an artist that the industry had never seen. With a powerful voice that could be scaled back from a booming belt to a soft coo in one swift swoop, a tone that was readily adapted to both the Pop and Urban radio formats, and the looks of a supermodel, she was the complete package.
In fact, Houston had what most other female artists lacked – talent and marketability. Prior to her arrival, we had Aretha Franklin who ruled in the 1960s with a voice like thunder but she didn’t have the ideal look of a Pop star. Diana Ross definitely possessed the latter quality but her voice was lighter than Chris Brown is on his feet.
The only woman who had similar facets to Houston was Donna Summer but the business model used to market her was not adequately refined to help her survive the fall of the Disco era and her success quickly waned after 1984 as the music landscape rapidly changed. Thankfully, with the genius of Clive Davis in her corner, Houston excelled where Summer failed.
“There was really nobody who could rival Houston’s mix of ability and marketability…until the arrival of Carey in 1990.”
So, now we understand why Houston so easily outperformed her contemporaries from the moment of her debut and easily competed with the already established Michael Jackson and Madonna. There was really nobody who could rival her mix of ability and marketability. Well, at least not until the arrival of Carey in 1990.
After years of searching, Columbia Records boss Tommy Mottola finally found his answer to Houston in the form of Carey and she even outmatched her predecessor in many ways. Not only could Carey hit every note in Houston’s massive range but she could sing far higher as well as lower than her peer. Also, the tone of Carey’s voice was incredibly distinct and remarkably colourful yet colourless.
In fact, Carey’s voice equalled her looks, which leads us to the next point: she was more marketable than Houston. The latter singer followed in Summer’s footsteps and helped to break colour barriers in the media so that African-American women could enjoy airplay on television, particularly on MTV. However, despite her achievements, Houston was still limited by her obvious ethnicity.
However, don’t think for a second that Houston was mainly rejected by certain white audiences. Her black fans were the people who denounced her work during one of the peak periods of her career. Who remembers when she was booed by patrons of the Soul Train Music Awards in 1989 because her music was “too white”?
This is where Carey’s ambiguous features gave her the edge. Is she white, black, latino or a species of Pokemon? We just couldn’t class her during her early career – and many people still can’t – so she shifted easily between the formats. Carey’s label clearly understood that fact and she became of face of MOR (Middle of the Road) music without ever sounding too Pop or too Urban; even her music was colourless.
With that little history lesson explained, we can now discuss how the media easily turned Houston and Carey’s fans against each by igniting the most bitter feud since Prince vs Jackson in the early 1980s. This is actually quite easy to do if we review our notes: Houston and Carey both had massive voices and incredible technical control, and they were both beautiful women who targeted similar audiences.
Despite the fact that Houston and Carey were completely different performers and their music became progressively dissimilar by the mid-1990s as the latter continued to explore the sounds of Hip-Pop while the other ventured into Adult Contemporary R&B, the media continued to fuel their imaginary feud. Of course, their labels enjoyed the extra publicity because it helped to drive record sales.
Still, anybody who took the time to look beyond the propaganda would have quickly realised that Houston and Carey were drastically different. The former had a rich, powerful, clear and refined mezzo-soprano that was basically spotless. Carey’s voice, on the other hand, was far from perfect but that helped her to standout among the singers of the era. Indeed, her instrument was husky yet light, agile yet strong, colourful yet soulful and nobody could agree about how to class it. In other words, Carey was and still is a freak of nature, and I say that with love.
I always use this analogy when people compare Houston and Carey’s voices: imagine two people baking a cake. One person makes the perfect cake that matches the recipe in the book to the last word without error. The other quirkier person breaks the rules and creates a cake with an innovative recipe that was never considered but it tastes just as good. Who gets an A grade: the model student (Houston) or the risk-taker (Carey)?
If you need another example then think of America’s Next Top Model (Cycle 3) when Tyra Banks had to choose between Yaya and Eva for the prestigious CoverGirl contract. Yaya (Houston) was perfect by every standard but the judges picked Eva (Carey) because of her unique and interesting appeal. It really is just a reflection of taste.
“Where Carey regularly tried to match her recordings during her live concerts, Houston was more natural and focused on delivering the best possible show for her fans.”
Regarding their approaches to singing, Carey definitely outclassed Houston as a technician because of her thorough understanding of her range but Houston was the better live performer. Where Carey regularly tried to match her recordings during her live concerts, Houston was more natural and focused on delivering the best possible show for her fans.
Honestly, Carey experiments so much with her vocals and musical stylings in the studio that sometimes I wonder if she forgets that she has to sing those songs live. Houston thought like a true entertainer and although her music was more one-dimensional when compared to Carey’s material, she knew how to bring it to the stage.
In the end, after a few paragraphs of my rambling, it’s clear that Houston and Carey did have their similarities but they were very different artists. The media simply preyed on the minds of those fans who weren’t able to look beyond the basic parallels and think about their favourites artists without the added thrill of a possible feud.
Watch Houston and Carey perform ‘When You Believe’ below and see if you can spot the points I highlighted about their voices:
Thoughts?
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Whitney will always be the best, Mariah is good don’t get me wrong, Mariah came close but never better or tied with Whitney.
There both incredible legends, why compare them !!!
Great post! I agree with basically EVERYTHING that was said! No corrections from me lol
These Mariah/Whitney post are very very played out. It’s been tired………… Mariah duplicated what she did in the studio live on countless occasions. Thats part was off. They are both equally as talented. They both have certain aspects that make them unique in their own way. Whitney’s a performer, with her stage presence almost being uncanny. Mariah is the technician, she’s more focused on doing things to the “T”. They are two different kinda performers.
I totally agree with everything you said, Trent. I’ve always felt that Whitney’s voice was more powerful than Carey’s, but Mariah was the more versatile singer. Both are absolute legends though, true masterclass vocalists.
Trent, once again, you’re right on the money. Perfect article. There will never be another Whitney (RIP) and NEVER another Mariah. Sadly Mariah doesn’t get the recognition she deserves because she’s still going strong and often overshadowed by her “diva” persona that most people don’t get. Mariah is a living legend. End of story.
@Theman Good point. I actually did disagree with Trent on that note lol. Mariah has proven time and time again that she can perform her songs live. Maybe not so much anymore but let’s just re-watch MTV Unplugged.
i love em both but i am a bigger Mariah fan, where’s Celine ? they always leave her out
Great article!
People always seem more legendary when they are no longer here, but I much prefer Mariah as a vocalist.
I love Mariah Carey and Whitney Houston. Whitney had such a rich and powerful tone; she could make any song come to life even, if she did not write it. I agree that Whitney was the better performer; she was born to be on stage. However, her catalogue was not that great and one could say that her best songs were, on the many soundtracks that she had done.
Mariah Carey is not the best performer and she hardly tries to out do herself live. She is very timid live and she holds back too much. For Mariah every single note, runs, and high note has to be perfect. So much, so that she rarely let’s go on stage like Whitney did. Now, she has had some great live performances, however, most of which were in intimate settings (that is where she truly shines).
All though, Mariah lacked the natural performing ability that Whitney had, however, she possessed something that Whitney did not. Mariah is a writer and composer, something that Whitney rarely did. Also, Mariah voice is, as trent said ” a freak of nature….” her range and different textures of her voice is what makes Mariah, Mariah.
In the end, Whitney is “The Voice” because of her rich and powerful tone. Whitney is a performer is every sense of the word; she could bring any song to life. Mariah is a true “Songbird” because of her writing and composing talents. Mariah is an artist in every sense of the word; her range and many different textures of her voice is unmatched.
SN: What if Whitney and Mariah were one person? Imagine the talent that they would have!
Excellent article Trent. An insightful and interesting read that had a rather objective approach. The article is not about comparing which is the better artist but about highlighting the differences between the two that make each so unique and special and appreciating that fact. Because often times the comparisons are not justified at all.
People love to compare the two, although as you highlighted, they are completely different artists. They don’t need to be compared, that does not do either artist justice. You don’t need to pit Whitney and Mariah against each other to make the other look great, they are great on their own and shine their own bright light. Appreciate both for the incredible talent that they bring to the music world.
It’s unfortunate that you have some people that feel that because they love one, they must hate the other. How immature and incredibly shallow! Appreciate the legends and just enjoy the music!
I never thought in the whole wide world that I would find a bigger Mariah fine than me! I have been listening to Mariah since I was 11 and I am in my thirties. I have seen many come and many go but MC is a true talent, period!
They are both great artists. Whitney Houston and Mariah Carey have carved their own niche in this industry. There are no comparisons just like Trent said about the cake. They are both legends!
this was clearly written by a Mariah fan, first of all mariah could never match, let alone outmatch whitney as a vocalist, as an artist YES, but NEVER as a vocalist. and her tone clearly wasn’t distinct because she was constantly compared and accused of trying to sound like whitney and whitney herself even said Mariah had a similar tone and did some of the same kind of runs she did, so stop that.
And Whitney was never limited as an artist, she crossed all genre’s and mariah lack of an identity actually worked against her when she never identified with being black UNTIL later in her career when she wanted a “hood pass”
and how did she “ouclass” whitney as a technician when Whitney was perfection live and Mariah resulted to using backing tracks and lip-synching less than 10 year into her career. Whitney knew her voice and how to use it and in later years even when she was off she still knew how to deliver with what she had left because of her masterful technique and she knew how to deliver within her boundaries.
Hopefully Mariah lives a long and beautiful life but if something was to happen to her she would NEVER be called the best singer ever, one of the greats, yes, but the best, never something that has been said by many about whitney even before she passed.
Well written I don’t think I can disagree with anything you wrote there. I could never understand fans going at each other as to who is the best as you say at the end of the days its about “taste”
@theman4u “she never identified with being black….” Really? Check this out ——> http://youtu.be/6_fesQ8ExpA?t=4m25s. I get sick and tired of black people getting mad at mixed people (who are part black) for not picking one race when, they belong to more than just one (hence, the term “mixed”).
So, @theman4u would you be happy if she denied her white/irsh side of the family? Like you claim she did her black side? Would that not be hypocritical?
Also, people only say she never “identified with being black” because she is so pale. If she had Alicia Keys’ complexion this would not be a issue.
Mariah, hands and feet down.
Whitney was excellent, don’t get me wrong. She has a legendary voice. But Mariah always had the better material (that of which she ALWAYS wrote and produced) and I think that always gave Mariah the edge.
Lets see….
Power – Whitney > Mariah
Musicality – Mariah > Whitney
Musical Interpretations – Whitney > Mariah
Melismas and runs – Mariah > Whitney
Belting – Whitney > Mariah
Low Notes – Mariah > Whitney
Head Notes – Whitney > Mariah.
Musical discography – Mariah >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Whitney.
Classic material – Mariah > Whitney
In terms of personal preference – Mariah >>>>>>> Whitney
Whitney may have not been the artist Mariah was but at least she knew exactly how to bend and mold a song to fit her voice, and interpret it. That takes a lot of skill (something there contemporary Celine still hasn’t mastered after 25 years).
But, as Whitney once put it, they are nothing alike because Mariah does a lot of “inflections”. She could harmonize anything.
“Honestly, Carey experiments so much with her vocals and musical stylings in the studio that sometimes I wonder if she forgets that she has to sing those songs live.”
By far the most insightful comment I’ve read here. Case in point: vocal layering. Adds so much richness to the recording; almost as if the singer was echoing or answering his/herself. Since it was Mariah’s voice only, choosing which lines Mariah was to sing and which her background singers would take were unclear. Easy observation in her early performances, until they apparently settled on who should take what as time and performances progressed.
I like this article. There’s nothing to argue about here. A good (but a tad short) essay that disproves rather than instigates. I really think you should continue with these debates as a series. It’ll be nice for someone to dispel rumours and rivalries that linger in the royal court of pop music (we’ll leave the hip-hop rivalries for Entertainment Tonight). Obviously the women will be much more fun!
I like Mariah’s music better, but for me, it’s not even a contest. Whitney imo blows Mariah away vocally.
Sure Mariah is a wonderful singer and can hit those dog whistle notes, but Whitney is a much more powerful singer if you ask me. Mariah tends to sound whiney when she hits her upper register whereas with Whitney, her voice never falters. When she was at her peak, she could not be topped.
Whitney’s voice had such strength and clarity. She hit those high notes SO EFFORTLESSLY, which is more than I can say for the likes of Mariah and Christina Aguilera who sound like they’re really forcing to hit those high notes.
Whitney is my all time favorite female vocalist. At her peak, she was just incredible. Amazing tone, range, power and perfect diction.
I still get goosebumps whenever I listen to her old records. What a gifted singer.
Also, writing and singing are different things, I never understand why people think that singers should write their own material. A singer brings the material to a higher level. And there is a reason we have a job title called songwriter.
In classical music almost nobody sings their own material, it’s only with pop music that singers should write their own material. Never got that.
Whitney is a better overall vocalist than Mariah could ever be.
IMO, the best vocalist:
Ella Fitzgerald > Aretha Franklin > Mahalia Jackson > Whitney Houston > Mariah Carey
I agree that Mariah is more involved in the production process, but really she’s not a writer. For a while, she was getting sued like every 3 months for claiming she wrote tracks that really she got through Sony and just added her name to. Beyonce does that, Madonna did it, Lauren Hill did it. A lot of people do it, so I’m not down on Mariah over it. After Mariah left sony & got divorced from Tommy her lyrics and writing hasn’t really been the same. I also remember Mariah being Oprah and saying she had “never been in love” and Oprah asked her how she wrote all those songs about love and she could barely explain.
@ Nippy’s Receipts:
You can’t prove that. That is by far one of the dumbest accusations I’ve heard. As far as I know, there have only been four cases in which Mariah has been accused of plagiarism: Emotions, Can’t Let Go, Make it Happen and Hero. All have been settled, none ever proving in the accuser’s favour. Embarrassingly enough, the accuser in the Hero case was forced to PAY Mariah has a result of the dismissal of his case. And to be clear: those accusations were never for lyrics, they were for melodies, chord arrangements. And it’s not particularly difficult for someone to appear out in the wide open space and claim that something on the radio sounds like something of their own. And what reason would Mariah have TO steal lyrics or melodies? She has been one of the most innovative samplers since her early years and has had no problem with granting production credits to the sampled song’s original writers, even if it means extending the writing credits to ten (see We Belong Together, which mentioned songs by Babyface and Bobby Womack).
In fact, if you were to contact all of Mariah’s collaborators, they would tell you that she is a musician/writer/producer full body. Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis have said it; Jermaine Dupri has said it; Carole King has said it; David Foster has said it; and of course Walter Afanasieff, who, upon reflecting on his musical relationship with Mariah, stated that his duties were reserved until after Mariah wrote the bulk of the song.
But how exactly can Mariah’s lyrics not be the same since her first divorce when you had just accused her of plagiarizing her entire catalogue? After the divorce, her image changed, her voice changed, her persona changed, so naturally, her lyrics would too.
Enough of your hypothesizing and mind/body language reading, all evidence contradicts your statements. Such a desperate attempt to degrade Mariah’s superior musical abilities.
@C-D-C
Beyonce’s cases always got settled too and people whom she’s worked with have commented on her so called “song writing” ability, that doesn’t make me believe she writes any more than Rihanna. Money can stop a lot of things from being exposed. Mariah had one of the most powerful man in the music industry by her side at the time so of course she would win those cases.
@Nippy’s Receipts
Again, unless you can provide proof, then your position is as much speculation as the reports in The National Enquirer.
In the case of Beyonce, she declared to an attentive audience that she wrote Irreplaceable, but was countered by Ne-Yo (sp?) who said her efforts in the song were minimal. Speculating Beyonce’s credentials is understandable, since someone “inside the circle” (so to speak) discredited her claim. People throwing lawsuits aren’t likely to be “in the circle”.
Anyway, Mariah’s musicianship has been verified, publicly confirmed and well documented. She said that most of the songs on her debut were written when she was in grade school. When she was 16-17-18 shopping around her demo tapes, Vision of Love was among them. Do you mean to tell me that Mariah even as a penniless teenager managed to employ ghostwriters?
“@Boop says: Classic material – Mariah > Whitney”
Oh please! Mariah doesn’t have a true classic like I Will Always Love You.
Anyway….singing is art, art is subjective. I prefer Whitney’s voice because it was more rich, soulful and had more emotion. Her glorious head voice & powerful vibrato was a bonus!
I also think she was a lot more versatile…Mariah could hit the higher notes but when has she sung opera like Whitney did at the rainforest benefit in 1994! Whitney experimented a lot in her concerts…on her 1999 tour she was doing full on REGGAE! She was THE Voice because she could sing ANYTHING.
@CDC AND NIPPy RECEIPTS
What do Beyonce have to do with this debate? Ne-Yo also said she arranged the song which many people like to ignore but anyways. And there are many many interviews where Beyonce credited Ne-Yo as the writer of “irreplaceable” in many interviews before and after she accidently slipped up to the audience and said she wrote the song.
@NIpp Receipts
Beyonce in many interviews have said she loves the melody and arrangement part of making a song which is considered songwriting in definition. (Lyricist and songwriter are two different things.) And there’s also a small clip of a B’Day writing session on youtube that shows Beyonce is a part of that part of the process as well.
Anyways, I say Mariah as an overall artist is better than Whitney and Whitney had the better voice.
stan posts<<<<<
Whitney had a stronger, heavier voice but Mariah was more versatile. Whitney has more memorable songs but Mariah’s catalogue is better.
Anyone who thinks Mariah can’t write a song —>
i dont care who wrote what or who has the better material when it comes to the points being made in this article, its bull.
How was mariah more marketable when the top selling cd of all time by a female belongs to whitney, she starred in one of the highest grossing movies of all time, how was mariah more marketable?
why bring up the soul train awards without mentioning that same company named whitney their artist of the decade during the same 10 years of mariah’s dominance?
and then you praise work mariah did in the studio? a studio can make britney spears sound like a competent singer the true validity of any vocalist is what they can deliver live
@theman4u
The author was NOT referring to auto tune and similar vocal synthesizers. And to be fair to Britney Spears, modern day machinery cannot perform the work of God. All those stereotypes you’re so familiar with from the television are far and away over exaggerations.
@theman4u
The author was NOT referring to auto tune and similar vocal synthesizers. And to be fair to Britney Spears, modern day machinery cannot perform the work of God. All those stereotypes you’re so familiar with from the television are far and away over-exaggerations.
He was referring to Mariah the technician, scientist
@theman4u
The author was NOT referring to auto tune and similar vocal synthesizers. And to be fair to Britney Spears, modern day machinery cannot perform the work of God. All those stereotypes you’re so familiar with from the television are far and away over-exaggerations.
He was referring to Mariah the maker and technician. What you’re trying to do is compare the two as performers and entertainers.
To expand on the author’s point, Mariah has proven to be one of the most experimental artists in pop music, even if some people are blinded/deafened by just the voice and diva demeanour. Some of the most familiar record arrangements that we take for granted today were derived from Mariah’s own mind and/or research.
Greatness isn’t always calculated by how louder someone can sing over another.
@theman4u “why bring up the soul train awards without mentioning that same company named whitney their artist of the decade during the same 10 years of mariah’s dominance?”
If its the same company, I’m guessing you’re talking about The Soul Train Awards, of course they’re going to say WH. She’s BLACK! The Soul Train Awards are FOR THE BLACK COMMUNITY. Mariah’s Black also, but she’s white too.
Mariah was named Artist of the Decade by the BILLBOARD AWARDS. That’s EVERY COMMUNITY, not just the Black community. She EARNED that award, fair and square.
Think about it: Mariah topped the charts in ONE DECADE with 15 #1 singles. (She had more than Madonna.) She sold over 150+ albums in ONE DECADE. She also garnered 2 Diamond albums (Whitney & Mariah both have 2 Diamond albums), and her 11th #1 single became the Song of the Decade because it was at #1 for 16 straight weeks. No one has come close to beating that record, except for Whitney’s IWALY and Mariah HERSELF with We Belong Together. Those both were 14 weeks at #1. Not trying to start any arguments, but you have to take ALL of those facts into consideration.
@C-D-C
‘Greatness isn’t always calculated by how louder someone can sing over another.
Greatness isn’t always calculated by how louder someone can sing over another.”
I was with you until that. Whitney was more than just a loud singer with a diva demeanor. She was an expert at her craft. She WAS A FIRST CLASS Virtuoso and musician. Being a musician is not always about writing. the wya Whitney was able to take a song and interpret it was phenominal. that takes a lot of skill as I stated in an earlier post.
Whitney had everything that a vocalist could wish for! She had the perfect timbre, great control, athleticism in her voice that is incomprehensible, the power, rich belting tone, and complex use of the melisma. She is the greatest vocal talents of the past 27 years. She proved to everyone on why she’s called “The Voice.” Her use of dynamics are incredible and her phrasings. This is why she’s one of my favorite singers. I love other singers, but she inspires me the most vocally.
Each dynamic, harmony, phrasing and any other virtuosistic feat was placed in an extremely musical manner in order to define solid ideas. This is what makes Whitney the most creative singer of the past 27 years.
I also believe whitney was held back by Clive. The woman was a fucking great piano player and no one knew about that talent she possessed. She plays at 1:30 in this video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NeUJY3k9hFc&feature=player_embedded
And i remember clive saying a quote “Singers shouldn’t write.” With what whitney went through i believe she had a lot to say that she wasn’t able to express.
LOL @ “Is she white, black, latino or a species of Pokemon?” I agree with Trent! Even though I’ve always preferred Mariah, I’ve had mad love for Whitney too. Both were friends so I see no need to perpetuate this war. Both are legends who each brought something different to the table.
Lol, and speaking of Beyonce. I would say Beyonce is to Whitney as Rihanna is to Mariah when it comes to comparisons (Not in terms of talent).
Although at a point in there career’s Mariah eclipsed Whitney in commercial success, Whitney was always the more respected artist by her peers and general public and went on to become more of a legend than Mariah. This is how I feel about Beyonce and Rihanna.
Stans are only being stupid stans. ariah owns the upper belt & has far ease than ……Mariah is the more versatile singer because she could go lower,higher and she has the whistle register to go along with it. They both have power, Mariah is powerful, yet agile & light, while Whitney just has sheer raw power. @TheMan4u is clearly a bitter azz hater. Period……. Mariah could sing any genre. What he mean’t by her being more marketable, is that you couldn’t really tell what she was.
Whitney was more respected by her peers? You are out of your mind…….. Just as many artists respect Mariah’s musicianship/artistry/voice just as much if not more. She is a complete artist, not just a singer. The Rihanna/Beyonce comparison is trivial.
@theman4u
Mariah does not get the respect she deserves especially amognst the younger crowd, let’s not be delusional. Even when Whitney was on crack you always had people praising her. During appearances and award show performances Whitney didn’t even have to utter a single note and people would stand. Mariah always had to earn her standing ovations. So my Beyonce/Rihanna comparison is correct. Hell, a lot of people don’t even know Mariah writes her own music. I was listening to “My All” a few months back and a friend of mine said “this song is cool but I don’t like singers who don’t write” I surely read him his rights afterwards but you get what i’m saying. I prefer Mariah’s music over Whitney but let’s not act like Mariah wasn’t always considered 2nd tier to Whitney. Even back in the day when celebrities would get asked “Mariah or Whitney?” they would say Whitney.
FUCK BOTH THEM TIRED ASS NOBODY SELOUT BITCHES, QUEEN BEY, SHE SHITS ON DEM HO’S AND GOT A BETTER VOICE THAN THEM BOTH DEM HO’S AINT NOBODY EVEN CHEKIN FO THEM, EVERYBODY IN THE WORLD WANTS BEY, CAUSE BEY CAN DANCE TOO, AND SHE CAN ACT AND THEY CANT, SHE’S THE BEST IN THE WORLD AND YOU BITCH ASS NIGGAS NO IT TO.
One reason why Whitney overshadowed Mariah is that before the drugs Whitney always seemed to give a flawless performance and for Mariah it was always a hit an miss thing… I dnt care how INCREDIBLE the song sounds on the cd if u cant get on stage and deliver that song then I wont appreciate u as an artist and that was my problem with mariah sometimes should would and sometimes she wouldn’t. I am not saying whitney didnt have bad performances but in the earl years of her career those were few and you can’t expect a normal listener to understand the technical stuff that Mariah did. As I said dont get me wrong on Mariah she is a beast but I am just stating the things that broke the tie between the two and another thing was how effortless Whitney was she never seemed like she was straining for a note or even trying ( watch the National Anthem she was smiling the whole time ) every other singer including mariah seemed to be struggling an dfinally lets call it what she is a lot of times Mariah screamed a note like just because its unbelievable high STILL dont make it singing…u cant compare singing and screaming sorry no shade but ask any body who stuies and knows music…Mariah does things that are not considered singing where as Whitney gave u all singing so sorry trent sometimes all that “experimenting” went beyond the realms of music. Its kinda like how beyonce talks certain notes like she often does in me myself and I performance where she yells “calling me”..it sounds amazing but its still a yell with some growl she sings up to it and yell that part. They are both legends regardless and very different but I put it this way no one could scream or go as high as Mariah but for some its like no one could sing like whitney
WHAT DOES BEYONCE HAS TO DO WITH THIS?!
*have
@mikemike
Mariah screaming? Yeah fucking right. You obviously don’t know what you are talking about. You must have Mariah confused with Christina Aguilera.
And how can you talk notes? You obviously know nothing about music or the voice be gone. Mariah and even Beyonce are able to apply vibrato to these notes you say they scream so no it’s not screaming dumby.
Mariah is far more talented as a musician, but Whitney has the best voice.
If I had to choose, it would be Mariah hands down. When it comes to artistry you have to take into consideration many things. Mariah writes her material and is a hell of a singer (those harmonies on her songs are sublime). Don’t get me wrong, I think Whitney was better live but her catalog does not do much for me. And Mariah always seemed nicer than Whitney. She was more of a diva but had greater sense of humor.
They are both legends and Mariah could still have a long way. I imagine that with time she will be more respectful and she will turn into jazz or other genres and get the recognition she deserves.
I prefer Mariah. if you wrote this article this time last year, it wouldnt be as firey.
Regarding Whitney being “limited” by her ethnicity, what was mentioned in the article was a criticism, which isn’t the same thing as a limitation. Mariah faced some similar criticism when she came out as well. She was seen by some as “a white girl trying to sing black”. So I don’t understand how Mariah was more marketable due to her ethnicity.
The reason Mariah was mostly compared to Whitney was because Whitney came on the scene with a unique pop-gospel singing style, and five years later, Mariah came on also with a mix of pop and gospel vocals. That’s why Mariah was said to have “sounded” like Whitney. It wasn’t due to the specifics of their timbre.
And from the mid-90s onwards, Whitney sang R&B, gospel, she experimented with hip-hop on the MLIYL album, and of course, kept a little of the pop torch song. Regardless of what they experimented with or touched upon musically, both women kept an R&B base in their music from the mid-90s onwards, which is probably also a reason they were/are still compared.
any body who is trying to tell me that Mariah carey has never screamed on stage is fucking delusional point blank period..Im am not saying that she screamed all the time or as bad as Christina but she has before which is why she has been off pitch a few times GTFOH http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EDGYvaBClcI watch this and tell me she MEANT for that note to sound like someting just bit her wtf
@boob I have studied music for six years and been apart of a classical choir for four I am well aware of what Vibrato is and most importantly I am well aware of what Pitch is and as I said Mariah has had some fucked up moments where she has been off pitch and screams the problem is because she does it in a extremely register the general listener is amazed by it but a true musican can recognize that it was a damn mess. Sopranos face the same problem in every single choir because they often sing in their high register the general audience are always wowed by them and thing they are amazing even when the mess up big time
Some of you people need to read and re-read this article. Trent isn’t putting Mariah and Whitney against each other for a debate. He simply stated each singers talent and how each is a great singer and that there is really no comparing the two. He has complimented both artists. And why is Beyonce’s name even in this? Beyonce is a talented artist and good singer but lets be clear and play a game called “keep it 100%” Beyonce will never match up to Whitney and Mariah’s vocal ability. It just will not and cannot happen. Beyonce has a great voice and I am a fan of her work but Whitney and Mariah will sing Beyonce into a vocal coma!
Whitney & Mariah!!!!
As person born in the early/mid 80′s Whitney is the 1st female voice I remember hearing that really impressed me. I was about 3/4 when “I Wanna Dance With Somebody” came out and on British radio that was the only stuff I really remember rivaling MJ’s “Bad”.
In my opinion, this Boiling Point is very spot on. It highlights things that only someone with musical know-how would be able to comment on. The only real rival Whitney had was Janet Jackson, as Janet catered for the millions of Black girls out there who couldn’t sing but loved good music and loved/were great at dancing.
As for Mariah being more marketable than Whitney I somewhat disagree. I recall articles and interviews about Whitney during her “My Love is Your Love” era where she was described as being the first female artist to have Black, White and Brown girls singing into their hairbrushes trying to be her (boys too!). Whitney was modeled to look like a White woman with each new single! By the time her second album came out and she debuted the blonde extensions in the “I Wanna Dance With Somebody” video I think everyone was getting deluded as to what appeared to be happening to our Black stars (Michael Jackson had returned in “Bad” drastically lighter than he did in his last video, “Thriller). Unlike Michael however, Whitney’s music had no real Urban edge (see “Love is a Contact Sport) and THAT’S the main reason she was booed at the 3rd Soul Train Awards. In Whitney’s case there may also have been jealousy as she was a stunning Black woman with beautiful eyes, high cheekbones, unusual, wavy hair, a megawatt smile and a supermodel’s figure. According to some people (women) her lack of “Black” curves, a la Beyonce, further distanced her from her own community.
In regards to their voices and music a lot can be said. People tend to say Mariah’s discography is more impressive but I disagree because in my opinion Whitney’s songs are far more memorable. As a British guy who has lived in Europe nearly my whole life it’s fair to say that around this continent (and maybe worldwide) you’re far more likely to find a Whitney tribute than a Mariah. Ask people whose songs they can name the most and maybe the year Whitney is likely to come out on top. “Saving All My Love”, “How Will I Know” “The Greatest Love of All”, “Where Do Broken Hearts Go?” “Dance With Somebody”, “So Emotional”, “One Moment In Time” “It’s Not Right” “I Will Always Love You”, “I Have Nothing”, “I’m Every Woman” “My Love Is Your Love”, and that’s only some, are well known to do whole tributes on. With Mariah, however, you tend to find people saying “Hero” first then maybe “Can’t Live”, “Emotions”, “Dreamlover” and “I’ll Be There” (3 of these are from one album, another only a year before). These are the only ones of her songs you’re likely to hear on the radio. Maybe you can add “Butterfly” and “We Belong Together” in too.
The problem is that Mariah’s multiple album’s in the 90′s made it impossible to keep track of how great her music was and it almost became like she was a singles artist despite the fact she outsold Whitney. Unlike Whitney who became known for great albums inc. “Bodyguard” Mariah’s work is “Which song is she doing now?” This brings me to my next point.
Mariah’s music was always FAR more predictable than Whitney’s. Even though she used rappers the type of singing she’d do seemed very repetitive. Her albums went something like this: Track 1) Uptempo song with Queenriah demonstrating her entire range: breathy, to mid to belt to mix to whistle, Track 2) a slow song with the same vocal tricks just elongated. You’d always find a sentimental ballad in there and if you’re lucky you may get one more dance song (she’s added more nowadays) but I found it too easy to forget her music whereas Whitney’s music to me, really stood out. It was hard to forget Whitney’s vocals on the “I’m Your Baby Tonight” album, her duet with Stevie Wonder, the video for the title track, the way her songs were so different but were distinct.
Vocally, to me, Whitney had the better voice not just because she had a unique style and flare as the above video of “Dance” shows. She also knew how to colour the song because her voice was soulful, I don’t think Mariah’s is. Mariah’s voice is more like a building with different levels. You can’t settle on any of those levels as it’s in seeing all Mariah has you see how great the building is. With Whitney I feel one “room” of her vocal building is enough to convince you she’s the greatest (or up there with them) “Someone For Me”, “How Will I Know”, “Dance With Somebody” “Broken Hearts” “Miracle” “I Belong To You” “Run To You” in evey part of the song Whitney makes life hard for her competitors. with. Even on songs such as “Who Would Imagine a King” Whitney would leave you shocked as to just how much versatility there was in the 3 octaves she used. With Mariah, however it all seemed very ordered despite the fact she did experiment on live showings. When she did do something amazing it felt more showy/expressive than impressive, as if she wasn’t really in sync with the flow of the music. Whitney as the better performer of the 2 vocally rode the beat and you could feel that in her voice. MJ was like this too and you can compare the way MJ and Whit sang “Wanna Be Startin’ Somethin’” around ’87 on their respective tours. Dead BODIES!!!!!
Mariah has THIS advantage, she can sing ANY Whitney song, albeit with less soul…but Whitney can’t sing hers!!!
I could go on forever but it goes like this. As Trent said it comes down to a matter of preference. Mariah for all of the threat she posed to Whitney was almost forgotten about when the songs from “The Bodyguard” dropped. It was very clear, Whitney couldn’t be replaced even with nearly 2 octaves less than Mariah.
As a fan, I love them both…but prefer Whitney to learn from, she’s more vocally relateable!
Sidenote: Whitney often outsold Mariah in the UK, with multi-platinum albums whereas Mariah tended to not go past Platinum (300,00) in the UK.
Sorry for double submission!!! Ooops!!!
Mariah will always be the best, Whitney is good don’t get me wrong, Whitney came close but never better or tied with Mariah.
@Boop
That wasn’t a dig at Whitney. It wasn’t anything specific worth deciphering, but rather a broad and general sentiment.
Take for example, “The Voice”. They put two singers in a boxing ring (literally) and yell, holler and scream and practically battle it out until one croaks or until their eyes roll backwards. Who would the judges in the end choose?
Referring to theman4u, it’s evident that they measure vocal prowess (entertainment value) while ignoring the other 270 degrees that complete the circle.
“what is it called when they move you from coach to first class?” “oh yeah, upgrade [you].” #writingbybeyonce
It really just depends on your taste…Vocally..It’s too hard for me to decide because they both go neck to neck..so maybe a tie…Artistically, I would say Mariah wears that crown…Live, goes to Whitney..even at her worst, she gave it a 1000% ALWAYS…Memorable hits goes to Whitney…
Overall, I pick Mariah..she was smart to keep up with today’s music…which is not a logical enough explanation to pick her over Whitney..I just picked Mariah bc she’s more of my taste..but I love some Whitney too…Mariah just has more personal songs bc she wrote most of them which naturally so makes them more relateable…
Still both very good artist, and when both are gone, still NONE can compare..Even if both their success and talent is outmatched, they will ALWAYS remain legends bc little do these other stans want to admit it, Mariah & Nip are their favs favs
But dead @ y’all stans going in!
It’s funny! In England (where i’m from) “When you believe” was Mariah Carey and Whitney Houston and in thw USA it was Whitney Houston and Mariah Carey.
Mariah has the most versatile voice & she owns the upper belt. Her voice has so many different textures to it. Whitney’s songs aren’t nearly as complex as Mariah’s. Again it goes back to Mariah being the technician and Whitney being the performer. Mariah has out did herself on many occasions live, where she would hit higher notes on a song as opposed to what she did in the studio. Her music also has more variation. Mariah’s songs are just simply more complex, due to how they are composed. She has given tons of brilliant performances. Whitney songs are less complex.
Mariah Carey has sold almost double the records, she is a very under-rated vocalist and songwriter…her “All I Ever Wanted” is just as beautifully song as “I will always love you”, it was just never heard, her “I Wish You Well” is just as beautiful as “I have nothing”…..While Whitney had a beautifully perfect voice back in the day…..she just seemed formally trained, i’ve always loved Mariah slightly more….her imperfect life transferred over to songs about not being perfect and heartbreak….just touched something in my soul. “Looking in, fly like a bird, Mine Again, All I Ever Wanted, Love takes time to heal”….are the songbooks for my life. Love whitney also…but Mariah…..’s heartbreak can bring tears to my eyes. Loved This article.
Whitney—better voice
Mariah—better artist