2005: Mimi; 2006: Madonna Or Whitney?

Contributed anonymously:

Mariah Carey has staged a miraculous comeback this year. NOBODY would’ve thought The Mariah Carey we knew in the 1990s would stage a comeback that placed her once again at the pinnacle where she once belonged. Mariah returned with a fresh image, every inch a diva, a fresh sound, and a carefree personality.

Mariah Carey used a simple but risky formula: For the first time in her life she made an album that was almost 95% R&B, and using samples and music from various sub-genres of R&B (quiet storm, pop-r&b, 70s retro, etc.); For the first time in her life she didn’t follow the “90s blockbuster” formula she has employed in her bigger albums; this is also the first time in many years, she incorporated less rap; this is the first time that Mariah didn’t overproduce her songs, with less vocal acrobatics, less ultrasonic notes, but instead focused on beats and cool lyrics. This is the first time Mariah made an album that was not for the many fans who followed her through the years, but for the general R&B- and music- loving public.

Following Mariah Carey are fellow diva superstars: Madonna and Whitney Houston, who both will likely compete for the crown in 2006.

Madonna has clearly made a very smart move: a reinvention that makes her reach out to her dance-loving fans and dance-hungry general public. Madonna comes back in music with a fresh album, a fresh look, a cool figure, and a cool red hair.

Whitney Houston also tries her starpower in 2006 as she once again starts re-appearing in public, sexy and once again beautifully healthy. Fans of Whitney Houston have craved for the return of a voice that started the big-voiced diva era.

Will 2006 be good for these divas the way 2005 was kind to Mariah Carey?

Or will the demi-divas Alicia Keys and XXXtina Aguilera upstage them? 2006 will be a very interesting year in music.