Ever since the world collectively decided to coronate Mariah Carey as the Queen of Christmas, as usual with women in pop culture, the talk of which hopeful Christmas Princesses could replace her almost immediately followed. However, she’s only grown in her festive ferocity over the decade since embracing her Christmas royal status.

This year marks the 30th anniversary of her Queen-making song, “All I Want For Christmas is You,” and it’s clear that Carey’s Christmas confection has inspired many of her musical daughters to follow in her stiletto steps. In their sonic choices, lyrical themes, or festive holiday promotional campaigns, all of pop’s princesses want a piece of Carey’s Christmas monarchy. While she won’t be relinquishing the throne any time this century, she has blessed a few of these Christmas princesses with her coveted stamp of approval.

In this playlist, I’m ranking Carey’s Christmas princesses holistically based on several factors: the quality of their original songs, how genuine and committed they are to the genre, their cultural impact, and their reverence for the Queen.

12. Sabrina Carpenter, “Santa doesn’t know you like I do”

Fresh off of a breakout year as pop’s latest it-girl, Sabrina Carpenter wasted no time entering the Christmas conversation. In the Best New Artist nominee‘s Christmas variety special on Netflix, “A Nonsense Christmas,” she repackaged her 2023 holiday EP, “fruitcake,” for mass consumption. As sassy and sexy as her latest hits, the set is heavy on humorous innuendo that would make even the sweet-as-“Honey” Queen of Christmas Mariah Carey blush. However, on “santa doesn’t know you like i do” Carpenter tones down the innuendo in favor of cutesy Christmas tidings that make it perfect for holiday playlisting.

11. Katy Perry, “Cozy Little Christmas”

Always good for a throwback, this 2010s hitmaker released her first and only Christmas song, “Cozy Little Christmas,” in 2018. Perry put her pop songwriting sensibilities to good use for this bubbly bop that gives a modern twist to the classic Christmas uptempo sound. While there is nothing particularly fresh about its plodding piano and sleigh bell-adorned production, that’s what makes it so, well… cozy. Considering how tritely unremarkable her latest album was, she might want to go full-throwback and consider a Christmas album.

10. Ava Max, “1 Wish.”

Ava Max made her second Christmas contribution this year with the release of “1 Wish,” a supercharged pop confection that is as catchy as it is cheerful. Wholly wholesome, she opts to celebrate the Christmas season by rattling off as many items on her list of must-haves to say that her “1 Wish” is for every day to be like Christmas. Refreshingly, it is not another rewrite of the “All I Want For Christmas is You” theme in different words. Ava Max could certainly deliver a solid Christmas album one day, perhaps that’s her fans’ “1 Wish.”

9. Leona Lewis, “One More Sleep”

Since her debut as the British X-Factor winner, Leona Lewis has been compared to Mariah Carey due to her immense vocal talent and style. Like Carey, Lewis recorded a Christmas album as her fourth set in 2013. Unlike Carey, her career peaked there. Regardless, “One More Sleep” has endured over the decade-plus since its release as a minor but beloved bop inside and outside her fanbase. She reissued the album in 2021 and toured the UK for Christmas in 2023, slowly and wisely nurturing a Christmas legacy.

8. Tamar Braxton, “No Gift”

Tamar Braxton might have a very famous sibling, but she’s a self-proclaimed Lamb. She’s always shown reverence for the Queen. You can hear the influence all over her work. So, it’s no wonder that Braxton would go on to record a Christmas album… and that it’s heavily Mariah-spired. “No Gift” has the same theme as Carey’s quintessential classic, but is on the opposite end of the sonic spectrum. Braxton serves drama on this slow-building ballad that works in several classic Christmas piano interpolations.

7. Jennifer Hudson, “Santa For Someone”

In 2020, Jennifer Hudson joined the Queen of Christmas on a special “Oh Santa!” remix alongside Ariana Grande for Carey’s Apple TV+ Christmas special. In 2023, the trio had a surprise reunion at Carey’s Madison Square Garden Christmas show. Hudson released her first Christmas album this season, “The Gift of Love.” On one of its original tracks, “Santa For Someone,” Hudson masterfully executes a high-energy, horn-driven groove that’s as bombastic as it is festive. While her non-holiday music hasn’t made much of an impact, she stands a chance to make quite the name for herself in the genre. The Queen of tributes, Hudson at covering songs and making them her own. With a successful daytime talk show and Carey’s co-sign, in time, she’ll find her way.

6. Kelly Rowland, “Love You More at Christmas Time”

Kelly Rowland began her Christmas story in 2000 when Destiny’s Child recorded their first-ever Christmas song for a Rosie O’Donnell Christmas album. For you post-Millennial generation folks, I can’t even explain that for you right now. But it was a thing. Anyway, the trio released a full-length Christmas set the following year, on which Rowland had a solo cover of “Do You Hear What I Hear” heavily inspired by Whitney Houston’s rendition.

Through the years Rowland has continued to flirt with her festive side, recording several more Christmas tracks, the highlight of which is “Love You More at Christmas Time.” This original was recorded for her first Lifetime Christmas film, “Merry Liddle Christmas.” The film went on to have two sequels. With “Love You More at Christmas Time,” Rowland, like Carey, masters the pop crossover sound while maintaining her R&B sensibilities for the upbeat, romantic track. It’s been over a decade since Rowland’s last full-length album, and once she finally follows that up, it’d be nice if she recorded a solo Christmas album one day.

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“Damita Jo” showcased Jackson’s resilience as an artist. No matter how the landscape of pop music morphed, she was able to carve out a sonic space for herself. In 2004, R&B and Hip-Hop dominated the charts like never before. Producers like Dallas Austin, Rich Harrison, and Kanye West dominated the charts by producing hits for younger pop stars, all of whom Jackson had inspired. On “Damita Jo,” Jackson brought in a wide array of producers to work alongside the tried and true trio of herself, Jimmy Jam, and Terry Lewis. It made for an album that sounded refreshing, yet still classic Janet.

We’ll be exploring the album in further detail in Issue 2 of THE 97 ZINE out this summer. We’re still ironing out the details, with the formal announcement and preorder coming in May, but you can subscribe now to receive Issue 1 starring @MariahCarey’s “Me. I Am Mariah…” album, as well as Issue 2 starring “Damita Jo” and Issue 3 starring “Destiny Fulfilled” by Destiny’s Child. If you’d like to pitch an essay for the zine, email vincent@the97.net.

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Until then, check out my top 5 songs from “Damita Jo.” Each track I selected represents one of the five prevailing moods on the album.

Damita Jo: My Top 5

5. “Damita Jo”

The ever-innovative Ms. Jackson was ahead of time with this succinct track, clocking in at just under 3 minutes long. Some may consider the track as a sort of second intro song for the album, and thematically, it is, but it’s a fully fleshed out track … and a complete banger. With quips like “A little lady, a whole lotta class, but do me wrong and I’ll get in that ass,” how can you not get your entire life? This track represents the more playfully revealing, “behind the velvet rope” sort of vibe of several other songs on the album, like “My Baby,” “Thinkin’ Bout My Ex,” “Truly” and the poetic interludes.

4. “All Nite (Don’t Stop)”

This club-ready jam deserved to be a smash hit. Effortlessly showing us why she, and not Madonna, is Britney Spears’ true pop mother, “All Nite” proved that Ms. Jackson was still ready and able to hang with the young girls. Unfortunately, the powers that be made that impossible. “All Nite” represents the album’s more contemporary dance-pop sound, also found on “Strawberry Bounce,” “SloLove” and the elusive “Love Me” remix of “Just a Little While.”

3. “Like You Don’t Love Me”

Perhaps her most unabashed album to date when it comes to sexually-explicit lyrical content, “Like You Don’t Love Me” is my favorite of the hyper-sexual tracks on “Damita Jo.” It’s a high-energy bop that’s filled with confidence and swag. “Sexhibition” also does this well, as does “Strawberry Bounce.” There’s also the pair of bedroom (or, rather, backseat) ballads, “Moist” and “Warmth” if you need an oral instructional manual.

2. “R&B Junkie”

This battles for #1 in my book, and for a long time, it was. The throwback fun of “R&B Junkie” is irresistible and infectious, and a highlight of the album. Atop the funky Evelyn King sample, the song is impossible to skip. “Junkie,” as well as lead single “I Want You” and bonus track “Could This Be Love?” perfectly play with this soulful, R&B vibe. “R&B Junkie” is the album’s best uptempo, for sure.

1. “Spending Time With You”

If the album’s interludes are any indication, Jackson must’ve spent a lot of time in the Caribbean while recording “Damita Jo.” This groovy jam encapsulates the breezy beach vibe echoed on other tracks, like “Island Life” and bonus track “I’m Here.” While perhaps best known for her danceable uptempo tracks, Jackson’s slow jams are severely underrated. Filled with intricately layered background vocals and soulful leads, “Spending Time With You” is the perfect example of that aspect of Jackson’s artistry overall, and the sensual, slower side of “Damita Jo.”

Listen to Janet Jackson’s “Damita Jo”

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Nearly impeccable from start to finish, “eternal sunshine” is just under 36 minutes long, with infinite replay value. The songs are succinct, pulling from the best of her previous works: the stickiness of 2018’s “sweetener,” the sincerity of 2019’s “thank u next,” and the soulfulness of 2020’s “positions.” In the shadow of “eternal sunshine,” those albums now read like rough drafts from an artist still finding her sound and a woman still finding herself.

Interest in Grande’s relationships has long fueled interest in her music, with her songs becoming increasingly introspective. On “sunshine,” she leans into it completely – out of necessity. Its lyrics read like the notes from a therapy session that document a journey from hurting to healing… or sunset to sunrise.

“eternal sunshine,” the sunset

The album begins with the sunset of her marriage. Grande expresses a range of heartbreak-adjacent emotions across a series of tracks: from the bitter sass of “bye” to the bittersweet shame of “don’t wanna break up again” to the apologetic “eternal sunshine.” While she can deliver soaring vocals, Grande opts for a more muted approach here that complements the pensive disappointment of her words.

Of course, the title track stands out here as the album’s thematic centerpiece. With flawlessly executed production, lyrics, and vocals, Grande opens the album with a showcase of her best assets. She emotively delivers confessional lyrics atop perfect pop production helmed by frequent collaborators like Max Martin and ILYA.

“eternal sunshine,” the late-night

Next, the album’s middle sinks into emotional twilight, shifting its tone from light to dark. She is starry-eyed by the prospect of a magical new love (“supernatural”), reflects upon how she’s been scorned (“true story”), and is unapologetic about pursuing her desires (“the boy is mine,” “yes, and?”). The latter two tracks are R&B-leaning romps that find Grande excelling in her comfort zone.

In the vengeful “true story,” Glinda the Good Witch asserts she can play the villain role, and proceeds to prove just that on the infectious “the boy is mine.” Referencing Brandy and Monica’s 1998 classic, Grande leaves no room for debate and proclaims she will take what she wants. Fittingly, it’s followed by the celebratory sass of “yes, and?” which sounds hollow in a post-Mariah Carey remix timeline without the presence of Grande’s musical “Mother.” Nothing that a lil’ playlist can’t fix, though.

“eternal sunshine,” the sunrise

The album’s final four tracks represent the sunrise, the dawn of a new day. Reflective, insightful, and mature, Grande truly shines here. The second single, “we can’t be friends (wait for your love),” is a quietly anthemic realization that perfectly captures Grande’s essence as an artist. The captivating video, inspired by the film “Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind,” further elevates the emotional weight of the entrancing track.

The gut-wrenching “i wish i hated you” follows; a sparkling, sprite song that sounds inspired by “Wicked’s” equally tear-jerking final duet, “For Good.” You can hear Grande’s voice break at the end, sniffling as she fights back tears to sing, “I wish I hated you/ I wish that weren’t true/ wish there was worse to you/ I wish you were worse to me.”

Post-Manchester, Grande has not been shy about putting her feelings into her lyrics, but there is a piece of her embedded in each of the “eternal sunshine” songs, especially on these final four tracks. The cleverly titled “imperfect for you” is next, a swaying, put-your-lighters-up, self-aware torch song.

On the album’s closer “ordinary things” Grande shares one more very special piece of herself: a voice note from her Nonna (her Italian grandmother), who answers the question that Grande asks in the intro: “How can I tell if I’m in the right relationship?” The song seemingly holds the answer: in the right relationship, the ordinary things seem extraordinary.

Only Grande knows whether she’s finally found such a love. But, as an artist, she’s no longer ordinary. With “eternal sunshine,” she’s proven herself extraordinary.

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The 97-Hour Review: Our 97-hour reviews offer commentary on new music just over four days after its release. While we generally like to spend a lot of time with the music we love before speaking on it, that’s what retrospectives are for. Until then, enjoy our fresh 97-hour take!

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Prancing out of an Oz-induced hiatus, Ariana Grande puts her Glinda the Good Witch character aside (for now), to remind us that she is an unapologetic savage. The lead single from her forthcoming 7th studio album, “yes, and?” combines the dance-pop sounds of “sweetener,” the sassy trap of “thank u, next,” and the sultry delivery of “positions” for a track that attempts to pinpoint who Grande is an artist.

At the same time, there’s nothing particularly original or innovative about it. While “yes, and?” recalls elements of Grande’s most recent hits, it also heavily borrows from successful sounds by her more innovative influences.

Kicking off with a screwed-up vocal sample created an effect similar to Beyoncé’s use of a Big Freedia sample on the intro of her 2022 house-inspired hit “Break My Soul.” Lyrically, Grande’s take on house-inspired dance-pop is a youthful rewrite of the “resilience” theme in Beyoncé’s more matriarchal anthem. Like Queen Bey, Grande also leans into allyship with several lyrics that signal support for the queer community.

Musically, the song has been compared to another Pop matriarch: Madonna. Before its release, early reports suggested the track contained a “heavy interpolation” of Madonna’s 1990, house-inspired classic, “Vogue.” But… it doesn’t. Penned by Grande alongside go-to collaborators ILYA and Max Martin, the track doesn’t credit any samples, nor does it sound like it heavily borrows anything, aside from being a house-inspired, dance-pop song of the same vein. In actuality, the song is less Madonna-coded than it is Mariah-coded. As usual, Mariah Carey’s influence on pop music remains understated.

Once the beat drops, the self-professed Lamb floats atop it with some masterfully Carey-esque high notes. Long compared to the legendary diva, in recent years Grande has gone from sounding like a student to a graduate in how she takes notes from Carey. Throughout the track, it’s clear Grande’s low-key vocal delivery is inspired by Carey’s late 90s pivot to sultry subdued vocals instead of her early 90s bombast. While Carey generally lets loose on her house mixes of the same era, it seems Grande opts to be the “Christmas & Chill” to Mariah’s “Queen of Christmas” when it comes to house track vocals.

This choice is where Grande falters. In the chorus, she sings, “Say that shit with your chest,” so, you’d expect her to do just that. Instead, she merely mutters “yes, and?” as nonchalantly as she’ll ask you to break up with your girlfriend because she’s bored. While she does deliver a few soaring adlibs later in the track, as one of the most talented vocalists among today’s pop singers, she leaves the listener with less of a “yes” feeling, and more of an… “and?”

While it may be a creative misstep, it might prove to be a wise choice commercially. After a few spins, the song, unassuming at first, becomes endearingly infectious — sort of like Grande as an artist. In the end, the “yesses” of the song outweigh the “and?” aided by its minimalistic music video.

Here, Grande is heavily inspired by another late 80s Queen: Paula Abdul in her “Cold Hearted” video. Emulating the concept in more ways than one, the “yes, and?” video is certainly an homage to Abdul’s 1988 classic. With a similar storyline, setting, ensemble, and similar, yet subdued choreography, the comparison is undeniable.

As Wilde said, “Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery,” and indeed, Abdul seemed flattered, calling it an “honor.” However, the second half of Wilde’s quote is often left out: “Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery that mediocrity can pay to greatness.”

While Grande’s “yes, and?” is a fun, enjoyable song that is sure to become a hit, it’s a mediocre track in comparison to the greatness that inspires it. Throughout her career, Grande has been consistently successful — and is by no means mediocre — but often sells herself short. Here, the song’s title is quite fitting: two parts “yes,” and one part “and?” After ten years in the industry, it’s time for Grande to perfect her formula — and start innovating rather than imitating.

Listen to “yes, and?” by Ariana Grande

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Of course, Carey’s place in the music record books is more than secure. She has spent more weeks at #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 than any other artist (91) and has more #1 singles than any other solo artist (19). Her albums have been certified for a total of 74 million units by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), making her the top-ranking woman, and second to only Michael Jackson among Black artists. It’s only natural that, for most of her career, Carey surely felt pressure to succeed as a hitmaker.

“When ‘Caution’ finally came, at that point in her career there was nothing else for her to prove,” says Princess Gabbara, an entertainment journalist, editor, and author whose writing has appeared in ESSENCE, Vibe, MTV News, and Billboard, where she interviewed Carey.

“She was able to create music for fun again, just for herself and the people who appreciate it most: her fans.”

Released after a tumultuous period both personally and professionally, Carey was a woman liberated on “Caution.” No longer confined by commercial expectations, she commanded the respect she deserved and earned. Carey, seemingly more comfortable and sure of herself than ever, returned to the studio in early 2018 to begin the recording sessions that would compose “Caution.”

“The studio is such a safe place for me, the right environment,” Carey told Rob Markman during her “Genius Level” interview. “I had been outside of that environment for too long and doing too many superfluous things that I really didn’t need to be doing.”

Over the four and a half years between “Caution” and 2014’s “Me. I Am Mariah… The Elusive Chanteuse,” Carey indeed had a lot going on. She got divorced, engaged, and then broke it off. She changed managers a few times, went on three tours, had two Las Vegas residencies, produced a cringe-worthy reality TV show… and then there was the New Year’s Eve 2017 debacle. However, she kicked off 2018 by returning to the very same stage, vindicating herself with a stellar performance. 

Later that year, she disclosed that she’s battled bipolar disorder since 2001, saying she could no longer “live in constant fear” of someone exposing her (spoiler alert: someone was about to do so). In an exclusive interview with People, Carey admitted, “​​I sought and received treatment, I put positive people around me and I got back to doing what I love — writing songs and making music.” Seven months later, she released “Caution.”

“’Caution’ is a return to her creative prowess because all of the negative drama was gone, and she could just create with no distraction,” says Gabbara. 

During her “Genius Level” interview, Carey also spoke on the creative process behind the album: “I really wanted to collaborate. One of my favorite things to do is collaborate and go back and forth…I did a lot of that on this record.”

That she did. “Caution” found Carey collaborating with an array of producers and songwriters, most of whom she had never worked with before. The result was an impressively fresh, modern R&B album. Teaming up with trusted names like Timbaland, No ID, Shea Taylor, Poo Bear, Bibi Bourelly, DJ Mustard, Nineteen85, and The Stereotypes, Carey masterfully combined contemporary R&B styles with her signature, crossover sensibilities. She also worked with less predictable collaborators, such as EDM producer Skrillex and, most notably, Dev Hynes of Blood Orange. Though each of the album’s ten tracks pairs Carey with a different set of co-producers, they mesh perfectly.

“It’s one of her most cohesive albums,” says Taylor Gray, indie R&B artist and playlist curator. “She was able to fuse many different sounds and collaborators and it worked seamlessly. It was very forward-thinking for Mariah … a little more alternative in certain elements.”

One of the album’s most “alternative” sounding tracks is “Giving Me Life.” Penned by Carey and Hynes, with a guest verse from Hip-Hop legend Slick Rick, the track is like nothing Carey has ever recorded, yet still manages to sound unmistakably her own. 

“I think her collaboration with Blood Orange is an indication of the future for her,” says Andrew Chan, author of “Why Mariah Carey Matters,” a book critically examining Carey’s legacy. “The whole weird psychedelic outro that she does, it’s just fantastic.”

Praise for “Caution” is not limited to Gabbara, Chan, or Gray. On Metacritic, a website that creates an aggregate score for albums based on published reviews, the album has a score of 82 based on nine reviews, which they note as “universal acclaim.”

“She started to finally receive a lot of her flowers,” says Gabbara. “It felt like a full-circle moment. Not only the fans, but the critics recognized that too.” 

Critics were definitely impressed. In Entertainment Weekly, Leah Greenblatt wrote, “On … the breezy, pleasingly defiant ‘Caution,’ she finds a freshness that’s been missing from her recent material.” Similarly, in the Pitchfork review by Maura Johnston, she noted that Carey employs “of-the-moment producers to add current touches to her tracks, but the way she uses them on ‘Caution’ results in her fine-tuning her aesthetic, not bending to current playlist-friendly trends.”

For Spin, Winston Cook-Wilson gave Carey, and “Caution,” high praise: “More than just a sound effect, “Mariah Carey”-ness is a style and an attitude, a mode in which so many artists continue to make music. On ‘Caution,’ she is still doing it better than most of her students, and sounds more comfortable than she has in quite a while.”

Chan, too, notes that this album marked a shift in how critics wrote about Carey, but he also attributes that to a change in demographics among critics: “Things change when more people of color start writing about music; when more queer people start writing about music. Much of the music criticism was controlled by a certain type of straight white man who really had no interest in what Mariah or a lot of other black women were bringing to the table musically.” 

“It also says something about how Mariah’s legacy has solidified,“ he adds.

While Carey is famously averse to acknowledging time, the album was released 28 years into her career, on the cusp of her fourth decade in the industry. At 54, Carey is far from retirement but is certainly a veteran, a “legacy act” – which comes with good and bad elements. Due to ageism (and slightly confusing single choices), the album barely made a dent, commercially. However, its critical acclaim and subsequent celebrations of her legacy that followed “Caution” show that Carey is beginning to receive the respect that an artist of her caliber deserves.

“People started to realize we need to appreciate our living legends while we have them,” says Gabbara.

Since “Caution” was released, Carey herself has made several conscious decisions to celebrate her legacy and catalog. While she may opt to refer to them as minutes and not years, she celebrated the 25th Anniversary of iconic albums “Daydream,” and “Butterfly,” the 30th Anniversary of “Music Box,” and her entire career with a campaign called “#MC30.” In 2020, she also released her first memoir, “The Meaning of Mariah Carey,” alongside an album of unreleased songs “from the vault,” titled “The Rarities.” 

Each of these events was met with celebration from fans and critics alike, perhaps contributing to the snowballing success of Carey’s evergreen classic “All I Want For Christmas Is You,” which, after notching its first week at #1 in 2019, has only grown more popular. With it, Carey’s profile as the “Queen of Christmas” continues to elevate. 

This year, her “It’s Time” video announcing the start of the holiday Mariah season became the most-watched video on Twitter (X), with over 122 million views. On TikTok, it has over 93 million. Currently, Carey is on tour spreading Christmas cheer with a setlist that includes holiday favorites, as well as some of her biggest hits and fan favorites. Just in time to celebrate its 5th anniversary, there’s even a “Caution” cut included, the Lil’ Kim-sampling gem that should’ve been its lead single: “A No No.” 

As she continues to release (GRAMMY-nominated) special editions of her classic albums and trek around the world each Christmas as obligated by The Crown, it’s becoming increasingly clear that Mariah Carey is no longer shying away from reminding us that while she may be the Queen of Christmas, she is not just the Christmas lady. Following the acclaim she received for “Caution,” Carey has definitely seemed more emboldened and aware of her worth. 

“I think maybe there is something that happens with artists who just don’t get any critical respect,” says Chan. “It’s almost like you feel shy about praising yourself or putting yourself forward as a major musician, maybe because you’ve never been made to feel that by people who have respected positions and can judge that. Once you have a sense of how influential you are and it’s being acknowledged in the press, I can understand how that would make you go back and reflect on what your contribution has been over decades.”

In celebration of the album’s release, Sony Music installed an exhibition called “The Mariah Carey Experience” at Sony Square in New York City. With different photo booths that allowed fans to recreate a couple of her iconic album covers, a museum-style display of her #1 hits and memorable ensembles, and of course a Christmas moment, it simultaneously placed her legacy front and center alongside her then-new album.

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Before landing on “Caution,” Carey originally planned to title the album after a different track, the reflective ballad “Portrait.” A tradition at this point, she bares all on the dramatically introspective album closer. She sings, “I won’t let the teardrops spill tonight/ Just conceal myself and hide/ This portrait of my life.” Dripping in insecurity, “Portrait” illustrates a woman fighting to survive, remaining resilient (“down but not demoralized”), but in shame (“how do I disappear?”).

The last song recorded for the album, “Caution,” became the album’s title track instead. A wise choice, from both a stylistic (the song is more representative of the set, sonically) and marketing (the artwork and other caution-taped theme promo materials were really cool) standpoint. However, maybe unconsciously, “Caution” paints the picture of a much different woman in comparison to “Portrait.” On the slinky, Caribbean-inspired groove, Carey confidently sings, “Proceed with caution, but don’t make me wait/ Before too long, it just might fade away.” 

While yes, the song is about a new relationship, perhaps as an album title it was metaphorical. “Caution,” the album, was a catalyst; it was Mariah Carey putting the world on notice. She demanded respect as an artist, and releasing a damn good body of work was the most effective form of statement to make her case.

Recently, Carey announced that she’s back in the studio working on her next album – the follow-up to “Caution” that fans have been eagerly anticipating. Indeed, “it’s time.”

Revisit “Caution” by Mariah Carey

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“I’ve been in my Normani bag, for sure, so it’s time for a project,” jokes Gray.

Following the album “Teo” in 2018, Gray dropped a string of singles, one per year (indeed, just like the elusive Fifth Harmony singer). In 2020, he began curating an R&B playlist, Flavor Waves. Now, though, Gray is focused on curating his sound.

“I’ve had a concept in mind for a couple of years now, and I’m finally getting to execute it,” he says of the track. “It’s an official launch into this world of futurism that I’ve been wanting to embody.”

That futuristic, time-traveling concept Gray refers to is not only present in the song’s artwork but in its production, too.

“I really wanted to fuse this idea of time flying by when it came to the pacing,” says Gray. “No matter what you’re doing, no matter if you’re in a state of productivity or depression – time is still going, you can’t cheat time.”

“I wanted to have that chaotic feeling mixed with my intrusive thinking and depressive thoughts,” he says.

While Gray credits the UK Garage sound and acts such as Craig David and PinkPantheress as sonic inspirations, it’s the song’s exploration of an existential crisis that sets it apart. Written when he was 29, going on 30, the song is steeped in vulnerability.

“With ‘Crisis,’ I really pride myself on the lyrical content and the statement that it makes,” says Gray.

“It’s a message of solidarity to everyone like me, who goes through these feelings, of just not understanding their purpose and feeling frustrated by how fast or slow it’s taking to accomplish the goals that you have.”

In both the song and our interview, Gray notes the impact that living in LA as an indie artist has had on him. The crisis he sings of is not solely personal, it’s professional as well. Save for a handful of lightning-in-a-bottle examples, succeeding in the music industry is an uphill battle for indie artists like Gray. And, he’s not afraid to speak on it.

“I directly call pieces of my music career out in the song, I mention specific ways that I’m not progressing. It’s a harsh reality,” Gray admits.

“A lot of artists, signed and unsigned, don’t like to appear in a vulnerable state with their own careers, because part of being an artist is this illusion, or this mystery or allure that you are at some kind of echelon that is unattainable,” he adds.

“I kind of break all of that down, you know, so I can move forward.” 

Gray notes Janet Jackson’s “The Velvet Rope” (which used the Adinkra symbol Sankofa to represent its theme of learning from the past to move forward) as a major influence at the moment. He also cites Maxwell, Babyface, Musiq Soulchild, Usher, and “Mariah Carey, of course.”

“Tinashe is someone I really look up to in the current landscape of art as well,” he adds.

“I just love people that are able to combine visual and audio elements to really create a world or universe themselves,” says Gray.

Beginning with “Crisis” and culminating with the release of an EP titled “RESET” in 2024, Taylor Gray is ready to take listeners on a journey into his universe.

Take a listen to “Crisis,” and keep up with Taylor Gray on social media.

The post Taylor Gray talks new single “Crisis,” announces EP appeared first on THE 97.

Throughout the early 90s, Jermaine Dupri established a name for himself as an R&B and Hip-Hop super-producer. In 1998, Dupri pivoted to become a rap artist himself and released his debut studio album, “Life in 1472.” By then, he and Mariah Carey had also developed a strong personal and professional relationship as good friends and musical collaborators. An ever-loyal friend, Carey appeared on the album’s third single, “Sweetheart” (a cover of the 1986 hit by Rainy Davis). Like on many of their mash-up style remixes, the pair transformed the very 80s track, elevating it with a fresh, sexy Hip-Hop spin.

Watch the “Sweetheart” video, stream it, or get “Life in 1472” on CD.

In celebration of summer, the staff at THE 97 has compiled a playlist containing some of our favorite summer songs, from then and now. Each day we will reveal one song, rotating daily between past and present with pairings from 1998 and 2023, for a total of 97 days/songs. Since we love nostalgia, we’re celebrating summer songs from 1998 as they turn 25, alongside new songs that we feel deserve some shine. Pairings could be thematic, sonic, or based connections between the artists.

Check out our full “THE SUMMER 97 (1998 x 2023)” playlist here

The post 97 Words: “Sweetheart” by Jermaine Dupri & Mariah Carey appeared first on THE 97.