What Happened To Mariah Carey's Voice? | 2010 - 2020 

TBH, it's almost a miracle that she still can sing like this if you put together all the issues she's been through with her voice AND her mental/emotional health which is major factor. Nodules, age, super demanding songs, all the years she's been in the industry and she still super active, anxiety, nerves, the pressure, her mental sate, the lack of sleep, having kids. When she's relaxed (or she has something to prove) she still slay hard (Beacon '14 after Rockefeller scandal being the prime example, she got like a mini vocal peak in December that year). And 2013 is one of her most agile Eras ever, especially in her falsetto. Btw, check the acapella version of "Endless Love" from May '19. She gave us the belts, the resonance, the fluidity, the clearness, the tone. Now that was a vocal moment!.

Things that make mariah seem like a bad singer: 1. Her confidence - her confidence was not as good as 90s and effected her voice 2. Hard songs - all her songs she makes are at least 90% harder to sing than modern songs 3. Preserving voice - she still hits high belted notes like its nothing, but she reduced hittting them cause it will make her voice go bad quicker.

Factors that contributed to Mariah's vocal decline: 1. nodules 2. insane schedule, especially in the 90s (new album year after year and concert tours) 3. vocally demanding repertoire 4. lack of sleep and rest 5. alcohol

It's the loss of fluidity and agility that's jarring for me. Other facets of her voice is still there but what I enjoyed the most about Mariah's voice is the effortless connections between her registers which is very crucial for her heavenly breathy vocals and agility in general. She can't do them no longer but it's understandable with ageing and the nodules. Any who, she is still unmatched in terms of vocal prowess and music success anyway. Queen lives on!

One problem was overworking. Especially during the end of the 90s and Charmbracelet-E=MC2

Mariah's voice has become a little bit lower than it used to, but noticeably becomes heavier and often powerful than her light soaring 90's vocals.

Mariah has become one of my favorites in recent months😍🥰

I just like to point out that people forget that her songs aren't just your average pop star songs, her songs are difficult as it is. The human voice is not designed to be singing her songs day in day out like she was doing in the 90s.

TAKEAWAY: Has she lost her voice? NO. Has her voice changed after 30 years of excessive singing and performing? Yes. Can she still deliver unmatched vocal moments with proper rest and preparation? ABSOLUTELY.

Although her voice has definitely changed, she still sings better than most of the girls on the charts today. She will always be the songbird supreme to me

She's not just attacked by her large nodules she's also living in constant fear because of her nodules. She's fully aware of her condition and she knows anytime soon once her nodules reach its climax, it means over for her. That's why as much as possible she wants to preserve it and at the same time doing what's essential for her-singing and writing songs. Yet people want to hear the 90s Mariah. She's been dealing with double standards for decades. Can we just appreciate this woman? The moment she stops singing VOL, I'll Be There, Hero, When You Believe, One Sweet Day, etc. It will be the end for all of us, she's one and only. And you can never find another artist like her -a great singer, songwriter, producer, and director.

The sharp contrast between the Daydream and Butterfly eras was shocking.

Her voice may change but her musical intelligence still stays the same! I love how she improvises and changes some demanding parts of her songs while singing and still manages to make them sound artistry

I can only imagine how painful it is for her to sing a song, only to hear a declining note or skill, one after the other. As a vocalist, this is got to be a very vulnerable and a very traumatizing experience. Especially if singing is what you are known for and what you love most!!!...Luckily she has a huge catalogue; record breaking #1s; a legendary status and has made her self a christmas, household brand. 💕 her!!! Respect the queen!!!!

It's aging, singing extremely and edgy vocal demanding songs + nodules.

I think Mariah has become very self conscious about the unreliability of her voice, so her singing is kind of stiff now, that's why phrasing is detached and harsh. But when she's relaxed, man, her fluidity comes back immediately. You see it mostly in candid moments, when she is not nervous

I wouldn’t be surprised if her vocal chords are damaged , she gave us everything she had , with nodules , there are so many legendary videos of her singing her heart out . I’m so thankful we have them .

I seen her live last year and no one can convince me she can’t sing

I’ve also noticed Mariah sounds amazing and looks like she’s having fun when she’s preforming in other countries she just seems more relaxed then when she’s in the states

She’s still great, I just wish she’d focus on making her singing a bit more fluid. Sometimes I find her constant use of staccato a bit redundant.

She is still incomparable. She’s a human being like the rest of us and like us she has flaws. She’s been performing for 30 years and has gone through changes in that time. It’s amazing that she can still give what she does.

This is an amazing video but may I add something? I honestly think that she isn't pushing herself anymore. And this is a good thing. She was extremely pressured during the 90's. She had to be the best one. During the 2000's she was pressured to make a comeback. And she did all of this. But now she's older and wiser. She's making other choices to keep her current voice intact. As you said, her vocals were so complicated, her runs were CRAZY. she doesn't want to do them anymore cause it's harder for her now. She can do it but she would probably be very fatigued after a show or a single performance. To be honest I love the way she sings now. I don't compare her current voice to her old voice cause that's unfair with her.

This isn't fully related to the video but it's probably worth noting that good vocal technique doesn't always ensure one's vocal longevity, we've seen classically trained singers like Julie Andrews (whose voice was ultimately ruined by a botched surgery) developing nodules after decades of using similar technique, whereas more casual singers like Sheryl Crow accessing high belting and whistle register in her 50s. Frankly speaking, what defines a good vocal technique is a rather controversial discussion itself, since we know that different genres and singing styles require different approaches. If the singer sings with unconventional methods while showing no real signs of vocal damage over time (check out Mike Patton or even just Paul McCartney), as listeners we can't simply claim that they are using an 'unhealthy' technique. Additionally, I think factors like the singer's vocal stylings, lifestyle, working schedule, health condition etc. contribute more to the preservation of their voices in the long run.

I think a major reason behind the changes to her voice when she's performing 'live' is she used to put a lot of pressure on herself before/leading up to the performance (ie. strict vocal rest/care and preparation) and once she got on stage she was more comfortable and undeniably more confident... now its far more like the opposite. She is less focused on vocal care/rest/preparation and as a result, once she gets on stage she is under an immense level of internal pressure and stress leading to an utter lack of confidence and constant fear & worry. To compensate, rather than address the real issues, she came up with these bandaid fixes like those pointed out in this video (ie. shorter, choppy, pushy techniques and placement/positioning which results in an unpleasant tone).

As a Lamb, I really appreciate what Mariah is able to give now rather than not appreciating even the little runs she do or her improvisations. Change is the only constant thing in this world and everything is bound to change. I'd rather celebrate her now than when she's gone, when people will only realize her true contribution to the entire music industry and see her influence to the other great singers.

When she was young no body could keep up with her. Now days she aged and it is normal. SHE IS A LIVING LEGEND AND WE ALWAYS LOVE HER EVEN IF SHE CANT SING ANYMORE.

Her tone is the real gem. She's one of the very few singers whom you can easily identify just from the first two notes like Karen Carpenter, Dionne Warwick, and Billie Holiday.

honestly, she hasnt lost as much her voice as much as people make it seem. She still looks like shes hitting those notes as effortlessly as the 90s, its just age. Shes just preserving it so she doesnt loose her voice therefore ending her singing carrier. common sense

Hot take: her low notes are better than her prime. In 2019, a lot of times when she sang Emotions, her vocal tone literally transported back to 1992.

what makes me sad are her melismas. It agonizes me when she pauses from note to note. with you said in the video, separate notes. seems to have a lot of difficulty.

It's a miracle that she still can sing with her 5 octave range after 30 years with nodules.

your voice inevitably changes after THIRTY YEARS. nonetheless, mariah still sounds incredible and will always reign supreme. she is a musical genius; her writing and production, vocal layering and structures are superior to anybody else's. her musical skills can never diminish with age but only become even more nuanced (as shown by her recent We Belong Together remix)

idk, many people are really stupid, or ignorant, I don't know, but, to think that the voice of the mariah should be the same, it is completely idiotic, she has already shown us everything, including that she is one of the greatest artists in the world, she needs to be respected

Mariah is one of our Vocal Trinity. Shame to those who downgrade her because of the changes in her voice. 😊😊😊😍😍😍😍.. Respect is something those people need.

Well, done for a non-scientific/academic analysis. This is one of the best I've seen of someone analyzing Mimi. Fair and balanced. Keep up this high quality work!

In a nutshell its a combination of nodules, ageing, impossibly difficult songs and public pressure.

She Still Sings Great

I have been waiting for this video for so long😭 A lot of her vocal abilities are actually there, it's just the huge difference of her vocal tone that makes ppl conclude that she lost her voice. The resonance in her midbelts nowadays is just oustanding, and she has utilized her whistle register more often (even hust for fun).

The INSIGHT! The RECEIPTS! The EDITING! The effortless SHADE to the pathetic Haters (0:47 💯 yep, let em' know!) I think utilizing a headier mix would help but then again the exacerbated condition of her voice (nodules) probably makes it much harder (considering her struggle with head voice.) Excellent video once again! 🌟

As a Lamb, I'd like to say that I totally agree with this video. Let's go to the topics Vocal range: she lost the ease on upper belts and does them more rarely, same thing on 7th octave whistles Belting: I prefer her mid-belts nowadays, they're more powerful and resonante Agility: she isn't as fluid in her chest voice, but she has her moments in whistles and falsetto (and in chest voice too) Vibrato: in caution era she started using it more, especially on falsetto, whistles, and low belts What caused: for me, it's her nodules, very difficult songs, the drinking and the fact she's a non-stop artist (in the 90's she released 7 albuns and 1 EP went on tour 3 times and performed on tv shows and events constantly, singing it all live). Also, she lost confidence, especially om TV shows, we can see when she's confident, she can sing really good (2020 home performances, for example)

Oddly, I find her a much more fascinating singer than I would if her voice was still perfect. I think some loss in natural ability has led her to be far more creative in-studio - sure, there are singers who will out sing her on stage, but they can't do what she does in the studio, which is her true instrument (think songs like Camouflage and the Art of Letting Go). It also keeps things interesting because I am always listening for those moments of greatness and never know what I'm going to get. Would it be awesome if she still had her Daydream voice? Yes, but I don't think I would be nearly as fascinated by her as an artist if that were the case. Just some thoughts I had watching this video!

thank you for this

I've always struck me that even in her prime she had trouble really sustaining notes more than a few seconds and never had stable vibrato. That doesn't mean shit to her ability or beautiful in her voice tho.

This is absolutely wonderfully done. Bravo

Aside from the anatomy of it all and the drinking, as a singer myself, mental health plays a big part in your voice. We all know Mariah suffered from bipolar disorder, anxiety, depression and pressure since 2000s until god knows when, and it has definitely affected not only her voice, but her overall confidence esp in singing live. I can relate to that bec i couldn't sing for almost 2yrs when i was in my depression moment. I just dont have the energy to do what i love. I thought i lost my voice completely. Now im in a better place mentally, my voice starts to come back and can sing again

The staccato hits me also really hard...I have constantly that feeling that she's choking.

Amazing analysis!

i get that same “scratch” when i belt too long and too quickly without warming properly

Great video! The loss of the legatto is indeed sad. It also seems like she never sings soft and airy nowadays. I can only assume it's all because of the nodules.

💯 agree. It’s the staccato thing vs legato that really does me in now. That loss of fluidity and connection is such a shame. It’s got to be the nodules that has caused that. And the lack of vibrato. In any case at least we have the prime years, back then she was sensational. Great video mate 👍

Incredible Video! Love it. ❤️

I really appreciate this video, you're amazing ❤️❤️

I love how you ended the video - that she is still with us. That despite the hate she is getting from other people, she is still with us. That's why I love her. She is the QUEEN of RESILIENCE.

I miss her agility and vibrato!! Excellent video always

What I love about your videos is that you always put so much study in the contents, which makes us feel "educated". Keep it up bro!

This is why I love her 😭❤️ and this is why I love your channel ❤️

I have nodules and i cant barely speak... It's hard not be able to say words i cant even raise my voice without cracking and always having allergies and sore throat because of mocuse and watch Mariah singing recording and giving Interviews like she does. Makes me appreciated her even more...

Your disclaimer about haters is so boss!

this was the video i was searching for! so in-depth, honest but respectful

i loved this video! great job ♥

She's a singing legend who gave us so many amazing songs and nobody can take that from her. Will always be a fan of her from the bottom of my heart. ♥️

Very good video, fair and supportive

She is happy now and as a lamb, that's what matters most to me.

Well done she’s still a legend

👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼 I totally agree with everything

Excellent analysis! Mariah Carey is one of my favorite artists (along with Christina Aguilera)! 😁😉👍🔥💥

Mariah Carey said nodules on vocal cords were the cause of her voice decline. Nodules on vocal cords are caused by overusing your voice over a long period of time or misusing your vocal cords over a long period of time. Even so, these nodules allowed Mariah Carey to sing over many octaves. she is still good, she gave everything in 30+years #Reminder for all!

People just don't understand how hard nodules are ! Sometimes you have it sometimes you don't

Aretha, Patty, Celine, Mariah, Whitney, their voice changed like older lady. It's shocking really! They even look like an older lady! How come?! 😨. Even Beyonce and Christina Aguilera can't hit the notes they usually hit and their fluidity changed drastically? They changed! They don't sounds like when I first heard them in the 90s. They're all still in their 20s right? I thought celebrities can't age. We don't expect athletes that were born in the 70s to have the exact same strength they have in their 20. But with singers people expect them to have the same voice and strength like 30 years ago?! Espescially Mariah, she has been attacked the most. People expect her to not only sound like when she was just 20 years old, but to also have the same appearance. She's in her 50s for god sake! Let us just appreciate her legendary voice and her music.

When your vocal cords are inflamed it is more difficult to hold notes, Mariah prefers to do stacato because they are shorter sounds, they dont need as much air and there is less chance of vocal cracking.

Great video!!

This video is amazing

I've been loving mariah since I'm 10 years which is around 2002, being a malaysian, during that time there's not much access to her performance. I only able to buy her Album/CDs most of the time. To me, as long as she's willing to stay in the industry, and performs for her fans, that shall be more than great. She got nothing else to prove, she is one of the living legend of our era that we should all appreciate. After all, it's all for entertainment, it doesn't always have to be so intense. Always be ready to forgive when she crack her voice or anything, she already gave us too much to love and appreciate. Long live for Queen Mariah.

I've noticed in my own voice that when I attack and force my performance too hard, too often, it wears out and wrecks the shit out of my vocal chords. When I keep it clean, more relaxed and allow the air to do the work, for long enough, and stay away from those major damagers, it eventually straightens the problem out and I sound much stronger/in control of my breath support. Crowds of people and expectations you put up in your mind can greatly affect your performance in terrible ways. Taking care of yourself and getting out of your own mind are essential, and I recognize Mariah as someone with major anxiety problems that can play it off really well- most of the time- because I am that type as well.

This was an amazing video.. and you made me realize what I don’t like not.. it’s like that beautiful Mariah riffing when it’s all together.. I

Great vid btw!

The most notable change, era wise was after 2013... 2014-2017 her voice was really dark also (divorce/bad team/stella 😡)... 2018 to now her voice sounds better it’s looks and sounds like she’s really trying to care for her voice better now

I think her using staccato is a stylish choice, MIAM and Caution World Tour had some fluid runs

it's a miracle that she still can sing like this in her age, she's a fuckin human and singing for almost 30 years or more, her voice has definitely changed compare to her voice way back then but she still sings better than most of the girls on the charts today

Great video! I'm just wondering why when it comes to Mimi, the world seems to be so critical whereas other artists receive understanding.

I think Mariah is and always will be #1 To be fair, it isn't necessarily a guarantee as singers age, just the most likely outcome. Cyndi Lauper barely lost anything at all as she aged.

Omg I'm early yassss!❤️

I noticed the change when power ballads became more frequent in number. It used to be in the 90s as I remember them, power ballads were for stage performances and special songs. 1 or 2 tracks on a song. It seems that for a while I want to say in the mid thousands everyone everywhere needed to hear a power ballad and every artist wanted to deliver one. I feel like that’s what she’s trying to do. I love her voice and her style, but I really appreciate her early ballads. It’s a great video, you have studied Mariah and her style greatly.

I personally think the note separation is intentional. I think she likes that style better with the sound of her voice.

10:04 Mariah in Jamaica 🇯🇲 was FIRE! 😭❤❤❤❤❤❤👌🏾

Yes. Thank you! Finally somebody recognizes that she is still a real artist, one that sings, writes and produces her music, a true living legend. However you left out on the possible reasons of her "scratchiness" menopause. Women are very hormonal, most of their functions are regulated by hormones (men too but is less dependant on sexual hormones compared to women) the low production of estrogen can lead to dry brittle hair, change in skin texture if it's oily or not, it also takes a toll on the voice, it becomes raspier, chords less elastic and muscle constriction may even be augmented because of lower lubrication, decreased cellular regeneration, makes them feel more tired also and nervousness can be increased because their mood becomes more volatile, not to mention the fact that Menopause is the slap in the face for women to know that they are really already aging so it takes a huge toll on their psyche, self worth, etc it a transition period difficult to comprehend even for them and may be alarming in some cases. Because of her nodules she is also prone to fast weight gain because when they are swollen the fastest way to bring them back down is with the use corticosteroids which in long term dosages can make you gain weight, loose sleep, dry mouth and overall a bad self image. She is very conscious about her body, people has fat shamed her unnecessarily so when on stage when she has gained weight she seems uncomfortable. It's easy to know is because of steroids and the reason is that when she is heavier her voice is clearer, you don't get unintended polyphonic sounds (unlike E=MC2 era, where she was super skinny but anything above C5 had a background whistle, watch her performances at the X factor UK 2009 where she sang I stay in love and Hero. During the bridges you completely hear a high pitched unintended whistle) she has better support and overall agility but because of her body she skips a lot, her face swells weirdly also, that is called "Full Moon face" and is a side effect of steroids and probable first symptoms of Cushing Syndrome which is a very delicate health condition brought up by the excesive use of exogenous steroids, the Adrenal glands know there is enough Cortisol in the body so they stop producing it basically shutting down affecting many chemical reactions in the body and can easily cause death, also this is variable, sometimes less steroids do more damage in a cycle than other days so it's really tricky however is her only option when the nodules really act up. So those to things would complete your video and make it even better.

Mariah is human I love her and This video 🥰❤️

I observed, her voice changes every after concert tours she did. Her voice changed after the Daydream Tour, the Adventures of Mimi Tour, and the 2015 residency shows. Her singing styles also changes in between those tours.

I agree that she is still trying to use her voice in the same ways she always had. With all of her amazing vocal showcases and monumental live performances forever accessible online - there is no need for Mariah to continue to perform those songs, especially since they no longer seem to be comfortable for her. As a life long fan, I would love for Mariah to leave her catalog alone .. long enough for the world to miss it, rather than compare it. Instead, I would just like to see her continue to focus on evolving and being inspired by new ideas. Truth is - selfishly - I want as much art out of Mariah as I can possibly receive while she is with us because that woman is ALWAYS in her PRIME … I don’t need her voice being used up BY HER OWN CATALOG. I need that voice being forever inspired by its own present abilities and nuances. Most of all, I need for Mariah to stay connected to her instrument.

I’ll put a positive spin on it. How damn impressive is it that she was such a great vocalist in her prime that she can’t even sing her old songs the same way? That means her peak vocal performances were THAT complex and otherworldly. It’s not like there’s a plethora of vocalist that can sing her old songs either.

Enjoyed your vid! 👍🏼 As a fan of her earlier work - one of finest vocalist in popular music EVER. I noticed that her higher belt notes in latter years appears to be lack of overtone and I believe she is trying to compensate by directing her sound to a more frontal resonance (which sounded, to me, more nasal). However this strategy can be counterproductive as it makes the voice to appear to have clarity but it leaves her voice sounding unstable and constricted. She is still an exceptional vocal extraordinaire and musician 💓 “We’re not worthy!”

So objective amazing video

Just curious do you have any qualifications in music? How do you know so much x

"Let`s respect and appreciate her when she´s still with us"....Directly to my heart and thoughts. She`s still one of the greatest singers of all times. Haters RESPECT her and Lambs appreciate and support her more.

Excelente video... Totalmente de acuerdo y muy bien explicado 💙💃🏼🥂

It amazing how you get all this information by comparing direct mix on past and phone mic on most current mariah

The voice is amazing, I don't hear or see a difference... She still sounds the same to me all her life, sounds perfect and beautiful 😘💓 xoxo

I know this is a pretty unpopular opinion, but I prefer her current voice than her 90s-00s one. I love the huskiness and deeper tone she has now. She may have lost range, but I don't mind it really.

Nice!! Can u do a video of Demi's changing voice

great video, i really enjoyed the content of the analysis. i dont really get how you came to the conclusion that her technique hasn't deteriorated though, when basically every comparison and point you made throughout the analysis you made showed exactly that - that her sound has gone from being open, fluid and sustainable to the opposite. of course the top of her belting range being gone can be due to age and the voice lowering, but age doesn't account for the overly heavy and pushed approach to her singing that has crept in all the down to the lower end of her mid range. like 10:34 is a pretty low belt, but the sound is so heavy and pushed, with rasp creeping in. that, and the loss of fluidity in singing, with her phrasing going from being smooth and connected to being rather chopped up nowadays, would point towards a change in technique for the worse. i'm saying all this as the biggest mariah fan, and not to discredit her in any way - i just wish people would enjoy her singing for what it is now (which is still great with many good moments) rather than always trying to convince themselves her technique is something that it just isn't anymore.