Flashback Friday: "Without You"/"Never Forget You" - Mariah Carey (1994)

Okay, so this Flashback Friday, I want to talk about something that Billboard used to do that was annoying as hell. They took a single and the b-side of a single and encompassed it into one entry on a Billboard chart, leaving me with today's pick, Mariah Carey's "Without You"/"Never Forget You". Really, Billboard? You're putting me through all this? Well, it had better be worth it.

I guess it is ultimately worth it with Mariah Carey at the reins. She was one of the biggest pop stars of the 90's, and it's easy to see why. Her commanding voice and accessible music style make for a knockout combination Billboard-wise. But is she really the flawless superstar that people make her out to be? Yes. Yes she is.

Both of these songs showcase Mariah's raw, powerful presence in her vocals, which is really where she excelled. You always hear a Mariah Carey song with the expectation for her to just belt it out. And belt she does, immaculately.

So I won't hear anything from people who think that Mariah didn't deserve the notoriety she got. She most certainly did, and I think it's evident if you listen to any one of her songs. I'm in heaven listening to Mariah Carey, and that's a fact.

So, what about these two songs in particular? I think "Without You" is probably one of Carey's best, letting her voice take centre stage and just letting loose with it. It's an amazing vocal performance. "Never Forget You" is good as well, but I don't think the performance is particularly noteworthy, at least not for Mariah. However, to serve as the vocal powerhouse of the 90's is not an easy task, and Mariah still does it well in both of these sons. God bless her soul.