The Meaning of Mariah Carey

"The whole world is pink yet lavender when you're in a good swirl, and we were in a sweet swirl (a swirl is the opposite of a spiral)." ~ 79%

I heart Mariah! In my head, we go back like babies and pacifiers. So I have anxiously awaited the publication of her memoir. Finally her personal life is shared in her own words, to her own recollection. No rumors. No speculation. The truth behind the diva with no concept of time. Deep background info and hopefully true to the title, The Meaning of Mariah Carey. 

The well-known American award-winning singer/songwriter of Black and Irish ancestry found the courage to tell her story. In the new memoir, The Meaning of Mariah Carey, she shares triumphs and traumas, debacles and dreams, ups and downs that contributed to the woman we see today. No single magazine article or TV interview or behind-the-scenes reality snippet reveals as much. So I literally brewed a cup of tea and began to read...and read...and read...for nearly a month.

"Music and humor have been my two great releases—they have been how I survived all the anguish in my life." ~ 42%

Mariah Carey states that writing this memoir was incredibly hard, humbling and healing. I can see why to a certain extent. She shared memories from early childhood and gave a detailed family tree. Lambs like myself already know about her home life, cultural background and early singing career. This was an opportunity to share more yet she only gave us a peek before closing the stage curtain. 

Which is why I am so very disappointed in The Meaning of Mariah Carey. In particular, the lack of mentioning her diagnosis of bipolar disorder. To not include such a major battle seems suspect. It almost invalidates what she did share within 400+ pages and quite honestly, makes me side-eye her transparency. 

Sharing her experience of living with bipolar disorder could help someone else cope. Instead it may show it's okay to be ashamed and feed into the mental illness stigma. Suuuuure, go ahead and blame tiredness, not sleeping, roaming the halls of "Sing Sing" and other manic behavior on just working a lot. That's like not acknowledging your many Grammys! How do you just leave that part out?!

"This book is a testimony to the resilience of silenced little girls and boys everywhere: To insist that we believe them. To honor their experiences and tell their stories. To set them free." ~ 3%

I never feel comfortable rating or reviewing a memoir. How do I rate someone's real life experience? Who am I to essentially judge the telling of their own life story? How do I know what is credible or what may be fabricated for entertainment purposes? And how could I possibly review the writing style if 9 times out of 10, the author is everything but a professional author? 

Then the copyeditor in me rationalizes that the memoir most likely has a co-author, editor and major publishing house to help the celebrity figure tell essays. As the general public/fans, we are not owed any explanation. But if you're gonna write "unfiltered" then 🗣WRITE THAT SHIT! Tell it all! Pour the whole kettle of tea!

In an Oprah conversation, Mariah Carey says she feels "freer" after releasing this memoir. How free can one really be if still holding back? I already know fellow Lambs are going to read—or already read—this new release from our beautiful talented songstress regardless of my two cents. This review is more-so for regular readers or curious folks. You may get more out of reading Mariah Carey's lyrics than the pages in this memoir, daaahling.

Title: The Meaning of Mariah Carey

Author: Mariah Carey

Published: September 2020

Pages: 415

Edition: eBook

Rating: 🖤 🖤