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Mariah Carey
Interview - Dolly Magazine
11/17/1997

All set for her Australian tour in February '98, pop princess Mariah Carey
gets between the sheets (literally!) with Dolly to give us the goss on
hangin' with Puff Daddy, living with racism and her new album, Butterfly ...

*Mariah, do you often do interviews in bed?

No, (laughs) but whenever I get a chance I like to rest. I'm like a psycho
at the moment, trying to do a million things.

*So, what's the meaning behind Butterfly, the title of your latest album?

It's about having the strength within yourself to let something go. It
would be a part of yourself or another person.

*You seem more hard core on this album.

It's definately more urban but it's still me. I cut with Bone
Thugs-N-Harmony and I also cut with The Trackmasters. I have always loved
urban music. I think it started with Fantasy, which was the first time I
worked with Puffy (that's Puff Daddy, readers!) before he was a big-time
artist. It seems like a natural progression - there's still the ballads
and Butterfly is the best one I've ever written.

*Did you add some tough R&B to remind people of your background?

My father is African-American and Venezuelan, and my mother is Irish.
There's a major division here between black and white. There's a song on
my album called Outside that's specifically about this. It addresses how
I've always felt, which is somewhere in the middle. It's hard to be
multi-racial, but musically I'm now happy to be incorporating more of the
urban feel into this album because it's what I really love without losing
who I am - which is a combination of all those things, musically and
ethnically.

*What were you like at school?

I went through a lot of different stages. I moved around a lot, so I
distanced myself from the other kids, but then I was a bad kid from Seventh
Grade onwards. I was a tough girl - I used to slam people into lockers. I
wasn't really bad, I was just acting tough - it was all just a facade.


*You have also split with your hubby Tommy Mottola. Is the song Breakdown
about him?

I just make the music, I don't write about it. It's been difficult but the
thing is, we have a really good relationship, regardless, and we have a
friendship - we're part of each others' family no matter what. Breakdown
was inspired by the Bone Thugs style.

*You looked pretty sexy in the video for Honey ...

But they didn't get it! It's supposed to be a James Bond thing and they
wrote that I was a princess in a castle, and I'm thinking - WRONG! Iím
supposed to be a freaking secret spy, it's not about being saved. I save
myself. I'm not trying to be a sex goddess of the world, it was more about
being funny and having a good time frolicking around.

*Do you think you'll ever become an actress?

I've been studying. I acted when I was a little girl up to the age of 12 -
I was in different theatre productions. I have a project that's being
written for me right now. It has to do with music - I think, for my first
role, it's appropiate, and I might do other things before that. But
studying acting has been a great creative outlet for me and has really
helped me throuh the last couple of months.

*There has been heaps of rumours about you recently ...

Yes, they've been very creative lately. What's been true? Well 99.9% is
not true.

*What about the rumour that you've dated Puff Daddy?

Totally false. They take a picture of me with a guy and suddenly I'm
living with them. They said I was with Puff and Q-Tip, and the other night
I was out with one of my closest friends, Wanya Morris from Boyz II Men,
and they took a picture of us talking and suddenly it's, they "have eyes
for each other." It's so funny because I've never been put out there in
that way and now it's a free-for-all - "She's up for grabs!"

*How careful do you have to be with your voice?

I have to have at least two days off between shows without speaking. I
need a complete vocal rest because the shows are so demanding.

*What can we expect from your live show?

I'm not like the big touring acts, which are based more on the whole visual
aspect. My shows will be great visually but people want to hear me sound
like the record, and for that I have to have complete vocal clarity, which
is not easy - especially for me 'cos I had to write all these songs that
are up in the freakin' stratosphere! I'm hoping to have Trey Lorenz - who
has a single on the Men In Black soundtrack - on tour with me.

*What special thing do you do before you go onstage?

I drink a lot of tea and honey, I sing and I warm up in the dressing room,
and I do my other little private things.

*Whatís the funniest rumour you've read about yourself?

There are so many - that I am an unapproachable diva who has 50 million
bodyguards around her constantly. As you can see, that's not me.

*Have you heard of Tina Arena, Silverchair and Savage Garden?

Yes, I've heard of them. I don't know the music that well but I've seen
Silverchair on MTV, and they seem cool. I'm more into R&B than alternative
music. I listen to rap, hip-hop and older R&B stuff, like Stevie Wonder.

*Finally, what's the best thing about being famous?

Getting good tables at restaurants and stuff like that. (Laughs)

*Thanks Mariah.
I'll definately see you in Australia!

Starchives - Mariah Carey - Interview - Dolly Magazine 1997
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