In the popular imagination, Mariah Carey is a caricature: the embodiment of the demanding diva stereotype (a persona she has often played up to with relish). Her first memoir reveals her to be not just in on the joke, but peeling back the layers to deconstruct it. Because, for all the dry humour that flashes through The Meaning of Mariah Carey, it is not the glitzy, gossipy celebrity reminiscence some might expect, but instead a largely sombre dive into her past that, at times, feels like therapy ... Carey is particularly acute on the subject of race, analysing the complications of her experiences growing up as a mixed-race girl, and then as an adult in a prejudiced music industry, through the prism of the world’s belated awakening to Black Lives Matter this year ... a rewarding insight into Carey as an artist as well as a person ... For all the adversity it covers, The Meaning of Mariah Carey is rarely mawkish. Instead, Carey recounts many of the worst parts of her life with a deadpan, self-aware wit ... Some of the most poetic passages describe vintage furniture and designer outfits, though this same eye for detail applied to her somewhat grimier childhood environs makes clear why these material prizes hold so much meaning for her ... a carefully pieced together self-portrait of one of this generation’s most fascinatingly idiosyncratic, frequently misunderstood artists from the ground up.
...affecting ... an incisive, entertaining, and impressively well-written account of her road from poverty and obscurity to superstardom ... Carey’s tale of escaping her marriage via couple’s therapy and an affair with Derek Jeter is riveting ... But the book’s greatest revelations are her descriptions of her own and others’ artistry ... There is no discord to be found in her accounts of working with other musicians—no fight over royalties or control or credit, no hint of competition. Instead, Carey keeps her musical relationships (with artists such as Jermaine Dupri, Da Brat, Ol’ Dirty Bastard, Whitney Houston, Stevie Wonder, Prince, and many others) in a sacred space apart from the drama that defines her familial and social life ... This isn’t a story of self-making so much as it is an account of the suffering of 'Little Mariah' and a demonstration of the nebulous relationship between past and present, life and song.
The previously tight-lipped pop star connects dots from her life to her music as she never has before, weaving her lyrics in and out of relevant scenes, and sheds light on the real-life origins of eccentricities that practically ooze out of her pores under glaring studio lights ... If she is over the top, here’s a book-long theory of how she got there ... A discriminating reader may question whether this book is laying Carey definitively bare or merely reinforcing a painstakingly crafted public image. But what Carey and her co-writer have assembled is such a terrifically readable yarn that the warts-and-some treatment feels impressive either way. It is, above all else, an exceptional entry in the genre ... What sounds tough to live through is riveting to read about ... She is frequently funny ... [Carey] casts herself as, above all things, a survivor of hardship. Much of the focus is not on what she has done but what was done to her ... This book sets in type pop music’s ethos of good packaging. To love pop is to appreciate its gloss, and in that narrow but all-important sense, wow does The Meaning of Mariah Carey shine.
... the book is a page-turning guide to the public narratives and intimate moments that Carey has long hinted at in her song lyrics. It’s less a book of major reveals than one that provides depth and valuable context around the experiences of a star whose traumas make headlines and whose soundbites and facial expressions are internet gold ... Like one of her perfect pop tracks, The Meaning of Mariah Carey is a careful construction. While the book reflects on her triumphs and tragedies, we only see as much as she wants to reveal. But that’s not a bad thing. What Carey presents to us is the wholly entertaining tale of a woman who made a harmony out of the discordant elements of her life.
...there’s plenty in the 337-page volume that will surprise even the most devoted Lambs. Most surprising of all, though, is perhaps how elusive the chanteuse remains even when she makes herself so vulnerable ... Carey’s voice is as distinctive to read as it is to hear: She addresses her reader as 'dahling' or 'baby' here and there, and her constant, flexible use of the word 'festive' reveals it to be a deeply held personal ideal rather than just a vaguely pleasant adjective. Even in describing her lowest lows (and there are some bad ones), the writing is never austere; like her narrative structure, Carey’s prose has rhythm and high dramsavoring moments and details with melismatic indulgence ... She is...better at starting stories than finishing them ... This applies to the memoir as a whole but was most disappointing in the case of her romance with Derek Jeter, the beginning of which makes for some of the book’s dreamiest, most hopeful moments ... It’s hard to begrudge her these omissions, though, when she’s recalled such great suffering and even greater survival. She’s already explained how pieces of her persona are armor, and in which moments she forged them; let her keep some stories. They belong to her.
Reading Carey’s book helped me understand, on a deeper level, what drew me to her music and public persona. She approaches her memoir with the same vulnerability and openness I gravitated toward in her music.
Only the wildest gambler, then, would have put money on The Meaning of Mariah Carey being such a perfectly pitched modern pop autobiography, addressing tough, timely issues of racism, sexism, power and trauma with humanity and candour. Impressively co-written with the 'image activist' and editor Michaela Angela Davis, it isn’t quite a gritty misery memoir — Carey sparkles too hard for that — but the flawless pop star image often rubs away to show real pain ... This is, ultimately, a high-spec survivor’s tale and if it occasionally becomes schmaltzy or self-serving — an eye-to-eye moment of understanding with Princess Diana across a crowded charity ball; recognition from the rapper Tupac Shakur — it’s balanced by surprising self-awareness and a willingness to show exactly where she came from ... There’s a strong sense throughout this book that the diva might fall under this category herself; she cracks enough jokes to suggest she would be great fun over an unguarded bottle of wine ... Yet if at times it seems a shame she hasn’t gone the full Elton John — dialling up the indiscretion, naming more names — it’s because there’s a real seriousness to this tale of transformation, not so much a miracle as real-life escape. With The Meaning of Mariah Carey, she proves once again that she is what she has always wanted to be: a class act.
The Meaning of Mariah Carey feels pieced together from interviews, so it’s not a work whose style you can delight in at the sentence level. But the story it tells feels genuine and timely ... She’s too gracious to acknowledge her critics in the book, but the story of Carey’s childhood is an implicit riposte to the idea that she’s not an 'authentic' musician.
[Carey's] long-awaited memoir (written with Michaela Angela Davis) promises the chronicling of her life's ups and downs 'unfiltered,' and indeed she demonstrates a painstaking commitment to specificity throughout as she recounts a complicated childhood, challenging relationships and her career ... Many of Carey's best songs have showcased her ability to be playful, joyful, cutting, straight-to-the point and vulnerable with a pen. Meaning only crystallizes how her talents reach far beyond catchy melodies, that signature range and a flair for the dramatic, dah-ling. The woman knows how to craft a narrative.
... heartbreaking but down-to-earth and often humorous ... Carey’s ability to overcome inspires. The stories behind her lyrics will undoubtedly create a new appreciation for her work, and readers will enjoy glimpses into the music industry that few have experienced firsthand ... A must-read for Carey’s fans, though music lovers of all genres will also delight in this personal story.
Many readers will look for the gossip, and in this regard, the book does not disappoint ... There is wonderful gossip in who gets unnamed shade (Celine Dion) and who doesn’t even merit a reference (Eminem) ... But this is not a traditional memoir, limiting itself to autobiographical details and the spilling of tea. The Meaning of Mariah Carey craves more and focuses on her greatest love of all: music ... offers insight into the process executed by a prodigiously talented lyricist and musician. Mariah Carey shows her work, and the best passages dive into the details of a song’s production ... an imperfect, but fun read — an important contribution to the genre of celebrity memoir, even as it transcends definition. Something Mariah Carey has always done well.
