PLAYLISTS
Ranked: “Here For It All” by Mariah Carey
It’s officially been one month since Mariah Carey released her 16th studio album, “Here For It All.” While I am in the
15 flows: Remembering Lisa “Left Eye” Lopes
Lisa “Left-Eye” Lopes tragically passed away in a car accident in Honduras just one month before her 31st birthday, which would have been
Playlist: Etta James Essentials
Etta James was one of the greatest singers of the 20th century. Beyond her signature “At Last”, she was a musical chameleon
Janet Jackson: The Deep Cuts Playlist
In celebration of 40 years of Janet Jackson as a recording artist, our team compiled a playlist of our favorite Janet “deep
IN 1997
Finding the Free Xone: Janet lets go on The Velvet Rope
October 7, 1997. In the fall of 1997, Janet Jackson released her most introspective album to date, aptly titled The Velvet Rope. Representing the velvet rope that separates the “VIPs” from those who “are not,” the album title symbolizes the “need to feel special” that all people have, according to Ms. Jackson. “It is this need,” she says, “that can bring out the best in us, yet the worst in us,” and “created the Velvet Rope.” With this album, Janet Jackson let the
Wicked: For Good – Ranking Every Song in the Soundtrack
Spoilers ahead. The album itself contains heavy spoilers if you haven’t seen the movie. The wait is over. The Wicked Witch of
Review: “West End Girl” by Lily Allen
Welcome back, Lily Allen. I mean no shade when I say this, but is it 2025 or 2007? Listening to a Lily
Through It All, Mariah Carey is Still “Here For It All”
First Listen: “Here For It All” I was stunned. Before me was an 80-foot-wide, 50-foot-tall glass window overlooking Central Park, a stage
97-Hour Review: On “eternal sunshine,” Ariana Grande proves herself
Upon the release of the lead single “yes, and?,” I wrote that Ariana Grande was selling herself short by successfully emulating her
Someone’s Favorite Daughter: A Different Type of Mariah Carey Album Ranking
It’s tiiiime again, it seems, to reevaluate my Mariah Carey album ranking. Following the release of her 16th set, many publications have done listicles ranking thee D-I-V-A’s incomparable discography. I’ll be doing it
Mariah Carey and the Catalyst of “Caution”
There comes a time in every iconic music superstar’s career when they must accept they have transitioned from icon to legend. Some do so obnoxiously, others are a little more graceful about it.
Big Purr: The Debut of Toni Braxton
Toni Braxton: The Debut It All Started With a Purr. Not quite the kind of vocal purr that Eartha Kitt famously once possessed. This purr was vastly different: vaguely androgynous, with a fry
FOR THE NOSTALGIA
Anastacia’s Freak Of Nature Was A Turning Point
Anastacia was already an international sensation by the time I got my hands on her sophomore album Freak Of Nature, which came out in
“#Beautiful,” Mariah Carey’s Summer Hit That Got Away
With a musical catalog as expansive as Mariah Carey’s, casual listeners will surely come across a multitude of hits they’ll know by heart. But
Aretha Franklin’s Young, Gifted and Black Turns 50
I was around 8 or 9 when I got my copy of Aretha Franklin’s Young, Gifted and Black. It arrived via one of the
Ranked: Britney Spears’ “Oops!… I Did It Again”
“Oops!… I did it again, I played with your heart, got lost in the game…” –Britney Spears The title track and stratospheric lead single
VH1 Divas Live: A Life-Changing Show
I was recently at a friend’s house for game night, and upon finally finding the lost remote and taking over music (as I regularly
Celebrating Aretha Franklin’s Aretha Live At Fillmore West
“She was afraid she didn’t belong there,” Aretha Franklin’s producer Jerry Wexler told David Ritz in Respect: The Life of Aretha Franklin. That was
What You See Is What You Sweat: Aretha Franklin’s New Jack Swing and A Miss
What You See Is What You Sweat isn’t at the forefront of the Aretha Franklin canon. In fact, the 1991 album helps bring up
Mariah Carey, Master of “Bringin’ On the Heartbreak”
For over three decades, Mariah Carey has cranked out record-breaking number-one hits that set towering standards and were masterclasses in vocal expertise. Besides gifting
No Pretender: Mariah Carey’s “Dreamlover” Proved Her Passion for Hip-Hop and House
After silencing doubters and naysayers with her 1992 “MTV Unplugged” show and proving her commercial prowess when her live recording of “I’ll Be There”
Mariah Carey’s ‘Caution,’ Ranked.
CAUTION, RELEASED NOVEMBER 16, 2018 Since its release in November 2018, Mariah Carey’s fifteenth studio album Caution almost hasn’t aged. (Just like the Queen who created
The Electrifying Aretha Franklin: Aretha’s Sophomore Album
Most people have never heard Aretha Franklin’s sophomore album, 1962’s The Electrifying Aretha Franklin. The same goes for her debut album, 1961’s Aretha With
ABOUT THE 97
THE 97 ZINE
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THE 97 ZINE, Issue 1 - "Me. I Am Mariah... The Elusive Chanteuse"
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THE 97 ZINE, Issue 2 - "Damita Jo"
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