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Despite the extraordinary successes of her first two full-length
albums, 1990's self-titled debut and 1991's "Emotions," young star Mariah Carey had yet to embark on a
world tour of any sort, restricting her live performances to television and
awards shows. Though Carey defended her actions in the press in these early
stages of her career, citing the vocal strain of back-to-back gigs and
her unshakable stage fright at the time, some were unconvinced. According
to her detractors, Carey's distinctive voice was a manufactured gimmick designed
to sell albums.
Yes, even in those pre-Britney days of the early
'90s, pop's reigning princess had to face accusations of studio trickery. How
could Carey's team take the heat off their most valuable rising star? Enter
MTV's live acoustic concert series, "Unplugged."
Bing: Mariah Carey videos
Filmed on March 16, 1992, "Unplugged" was to be Carey's response to her critics, her chance to prove to the world the full prowess of her powerful pipes. And prove them she did: The then-22-year-old singer's performance became one of the series' most-aired episodes to date, prompting Columbia Records to release it as an EP on June 2, 1992.
The record sold over 3 million copies in the United States alone, but despite
considerable sales overseas, didn't break past the No. 3 spot on the Billboard
100. Chart performance aside, "Unplugged" helped propel Carey to superstardom,
securing her place alongside pop's reigning divas for the remainder of the
decade.
Although the melismatic style of singing made popular by
Carey seems passe by today's Auto-Tuned, vocal fry-heavy standards, there's a
certain timelessness embodied in her "Unplugged" set. This is early '90s
pop-infused R&B at its absolute finest: pure, precise and oozing with
charismatic innocence. From jazzy torch songs ("If It's Over") to light R&B
dance hits ("Make It Happen"), Carey adapts her voice to an impressively wide
range of styles over the course of the career-changing EP's seven
tracks.
Looking much like the long-lost sister of Elaine Benes
(albeit a much more glamorous version), Carey's initial onstage awkwardness is
palpable as she sidesteps through the smooth jazz swagger of "Emotions." Halfway
through the song, she loosens up. The anxiety quickly vanishes from her face
and, more importantly, from her voice. As Carey reaches the end of the second
verse, she lets out a powerful, glass-shattering note from her whistle register
-- one of those characteristically Carey high notes so many of her critics
claimed to be a hoax. Hold on, world, this girl is the real deal.
The original recording of Carey's first single, "Vision of Love," suffers from a synthesizer infatuation left over from the previous decade. The track overflows with distracting and dated glassy leads and drums. But her "Unplugged" reworking is something of a marvel, replacing the canned effects with lush strings, jaunty piano riffs and gospel-tinged doo-wop backing vocals that service Carey's voice rather than blemish it.
Also: Inside Mariah Carey s Lavish First Birthday Party for Her Twins!
By far the most famous track from Carey's "Unplugged" is her cover of the Jackson 5's 1970 chart-topping hit "I'll Be There." A last-minute addition to the show's set, Carey's rendition — performed as a duet with her longtime collaborator Trey Lorenz — went on to be the singer's sixth No. 1 single, garnering two Grammy Awards nominations and reaffirming Carey's ability to be a hit-maker for Columbia. Neatly arranged and far more intricate than the Jackson 5 version, Carey's "I'll Be There" retains much of the same emotional sincerity of the original while giving the song much-needed new life. The single was hard to escape in 1992, and still shows no signs of vanishing from pop's ever-evolving lexicon.
"You know I'm not used to doing this," Carey quipped before launching into the impromptu closer, "Can't Let Go," referring directly to the many criticisms that initially prompted her "Unplugged" stint. Yet, early jitters aside, as the EP progresses Carey transforms from a nervous 20-something into a natural stage presence, a musical force to be reckoned with. If Carey still felt anxious by the performance's conclusion, there's absolutely no way to tell.
Related articles from Idolator.com:
Mariah Carey Shakes It Off at Gotham
Hall
Mariah Carey & Nick Cannon Renew
Vows
Mariah Carey Is Most Definitely in Shape
on 'Shape' Magazine
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