PLAYLISTS
The Diana Ross Essentials Playlist
The Boss March is definitely Diva Month. After celebrating the Queen of Soul Aretha Franklin‘s birthday yesterday, we celebrate the birth of another
Songs About Divorce, Week 3
“I Don’t Believe You” by P!nk marks her second appearance on the Songs About Divorce playlist. However, on this song, from 2008’s
15 Reasons Mariah Carey is Pop’s Most Underrated Songwriter
Mariah Carey is pop music’s most criminally underrated songwriter. Though she was inducted into the Songwriter’s Hall of Fame in 2022, it
Playlist: If Destiny’s Child released an album this year…
Since the release of “Nuclear” in January 2013, the ladies of Destiny’s Child have been reminding music fans that their sisterhood is as
IN 1997
I Wanna Be Your Babydoll: The longings of a Butterfly
In the video for “Butterfly,” Mariah Carey emulated the imagery and storyline of Tennessee Williams’ Baby Doll. However, the inspiration didn’t stop there. On the album Butterfly, she included a song titled “Babydoll” as well. Perhaps the best example of her yearning for the intangible on Butterfly, “Babydoll” is a song where Mariah longs for intimacy. “Babydoll” is one of many great examples of Mariah the lyricist going beyond the typical expectations of a song by telling a story with enough detail that it could be transformed
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
Mariah Carey and the Tale of the “Oh Santa” Twins
Merry Christmas II You In 2010, Mariah Carey was pregnant with her twins, Monroe and Moroccan, and decided that creating two human lives wasn’t
How Fame became Lady Gaga’s Monster
NOVEMBER 23, 2009 Believe it or not, Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta, better known as Lady Gaga to the world has been making her little
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
Teenage Dream: Celebrating Katy Perry’s Pop Confection
August 24, 2010 Rewind back to summer 2010 when Katy Perry was back with a new album, Teenage Dream, and once again on top of
Janet Jackson: The Naked Truth
Janet Jackson’s career had been the golden standard up until one very famous performance, with another very famous singer, during the most famous sporting
Mariah Carey’s “Fantasy” is Still Just as Sweet
The year was 1995. Mariah Carey was only five years into her career, soaring off the success of her blockbuster selling album, Music Box
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
Aretha Franklin’s ‘Sweet Passion’ Yielded Mixed Results
Very little has been written about Aretha Franklin’s 1977 album Sweet Passion. Of the three most significant written accounts of Aretha’s life, none of
Maxwell’s blackSUMMERS’night (2016) – Retrospective
In 2009, Maxwell made a triumphant and long-awaited return to music with BLACKsummers’night, his first album in 8 years. The melancholic lead single “Pretty
‘Stripped’ Is Christina Aguilera’s Magnum Opus
The story of the rebellious and angsty young adult in music is a tale as old as time. They get their record deal, start
M!ssundaztood: How P!nk Defined Herself by Defying Expectation
November 20, 2001, Enter M!ssundaztood Alecia “P!nk” Moore hit the scene in 2000 with Can’t Take Me Home, her debut album that was largely a pop-tinged R&B
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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