PLAYLISTS
Songs About Divorce, Week 2
Last week, I listed four songs that looked at divorce from four very different perspectives. To recap, there was Christina Aguilera’s “I’m
Journey to Freedom, Week 3: Love
For this week’s Journey to Freedom challenge, Michelle Williams challenges us to “celebrate a mindful moment of self-love.” Self-love, Michelle says, is
Journey to Freedom, Week 1: Freedom
In preparation of the release of her fourth solo album, Journey to Freedom, Michelle Williams is hosting a contest via her official
Playlist: 97 Minutes of Christmas, Vol. 4
This Christmas season, the staff of THE 97 will be sharing their favorite holiday songs via our new 97 Minutes of Christmas Playlist
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
‘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
Music Box: Mariah Carey’s first Diamond Moment
By 1993 Mariah Carey had established herself as the Pop “It” girl in the United States. With six #1 singles on the Billboard Hot
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
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
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
“Miss You Most,” Mariah Carey’s Searing Seasonal Offering
Every year, on the first of November, while children are coming down from their sugar highs and parents are recouping from hours of tricking
Nippy is 60: Whitney Houston’s Greatest Live Performances
Whitney Elizabeth Houston lived a life that was akin to a Greek tragedy. The world watched her reach dizzying heights and stunning lows. In
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
Top 5: Janet Jackson’s “Damita Jo”
On March 30, 2004, Janet Jackson released “Damita Jo,” her eighth studio album. Plagued by backlash and blacklisting following her infamous Super Bowl wardrobe
Snowflakes: A Very Toni Braxton Christmas
Toni Braxton is one of the most recognisable names and voices in R&B music. In 2001, after some turmoil with her record label and
Who is Jill Scott? A Timeless Treasure.
JULY 18, 2000 Jill Scott’s debut album, entitled Who Is Jill Scott?: Words and Sounds, Vol. 1, opens with the song “Do You Remember.” She
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THE 97 ZINE
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THE 97 ZINE, Issue 1 - "Me. I Am Mariah... The Elusive Chanteuse"
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