Never forget "Loverboy"

New York — Thousands gathered Sunday morning at former Tower Records stores around the United States to commemorate the 10th anniversary of the tragic release of Mariah Carey's catastrophic "Glitter" album.

In New York, dozens stood still in silence, some crying as they listened to "Loverboy,""Never Too Far," and "Don't Stop (Funkin' 4 Jamaica)" played out on the loudspeakers.

"They were a truly horrible, horrible collection of songs," said former Sony Music Entertainment head Tommy Mottola, who, along with his wife Thalia and current American Idol judge Jennifer Lopez, helped lead the commemoration on the 10th anniversary of the CD's release.

The solemn ceremony at the site of the last Tower Records store to close in New York City came with almost no security presence permeating the area one block north of the Lincoln Center on Manhattan's West Side.

At the ceremony, Mottola and his wife stood behind bullet-proof protection. Lopez, who had a hit album at the time, sang her No. 1 single "I'm Real," which contained a sample of Yellow Magic Orchestra's "Firecracker" that Carey originally wanted to use for Glitter's first single, "Loverboy."

"I think the sample was a more natural fit for my song," Lopez said after her performance. "I'm glad I got to it first before Mariah did."

At the former Landmark Plaza Tower Records Store in Alexandria, Virginia, people put up a makeshift shrine to good music with a banner that read "Never Forget" spelled out with shredded copies of the CD.

In Washington, D.C., music fans were a little more positive as they chanted "It gets better" and listened to "We Belong Together," the smash hit from Carey's 2005 comeback album, "The Emancipation Of Mimi."

Former Tower Records President Michael Solomon said the choice of former Tower Records stores as a place to congregate and remember "that fateful day in 2001" was appropriately symbolic.

"The music industry in general suffered a terrible blow that day," said Solomon. "And I believe it's directly related to the demise of Tower Records."

"Glitter" debuted and peaked at No. 7 on the Billboard Hot 200 Albums chart in the U.S. on September 11, 2001. It also performed underwhelmingly in other countries, except Japan, where it reached No. 1. It received generally bad reviews from music critics. The album's dismal performance and the critical drubbing of the film of the same title for which it was recorded are widely believed to have caused Carey to go into downward spiral and have a nervous breakdown.

Mariah Carey: Bumped from watercooler

Los Angeles, CA -- Pop diva Mariah Carey is said to be extremely upset that no one is talking about the births of her twins this weekend because of the announcement that Osama bin Laden has been killed by a U.S. military operation in Pakistan.

The death of bin Laden, which was confirmed by an official statement from U.S. President Barack Obama late Sunday night, immediately became a trending topic on Twitter and set the entire blogosphere ablaze with discourses on its significance and effect on the ongoing war against terrorism.

An anonymous source close to Carey said the "We Belong Together" singer was visibly miffed after hearing about bin Laden's death, which many people consider to be a historic moment and likely to seal Obama's second term in office.

"Mariah's delivery of her babies was supposed to be what everyone's talking about around the watercooler on Monday, but instead it's all about bin Laden," said the source. "This is 2001 all over again."

In 2001, the release of Carey's album, "Glitter," was largely ignored by the masses because of the 9/11 terrorist attacks orchestrated by bin Laden. The album subsequently flopped and resulted in a career slump for the singer.

"Mariah just can't catch a break with this bin Laden guy," the source added. "They seem to be metaphysically connected somehow."

Carey's representative, Cindi Berger, confirmed the births of the twins - a girl and a boy - to The Associated Press. The singer gave birth Saturday (Apr. 30) at 12:07 p.m. EDT at an undisclosed hospital in Los Angeles. Berger said the baby girl was born first, weighing 5 pounds, 3 ounces, and was 18 inches long; her brother was next, at 5 pounds 6 ounces, and was 19 inches.

Berger said Carey is already eager to work on a new album, which is expected to focus on the trials and hardships of motherhood.

Mariah Carey: Mammograms of an imperfect boob job?

Los Angeles, CA -- U.S. pop star Mariah Carey's twelfth studio album, "Memoirs Of An Imperfect Angel," will be marketed under a different title in the Arab emirate of Qatar.

Island Def Jam Music Group chairman L. A. Reid said they decided to take the proactive measure after reports have surfaced that the Supreme Moral Council of Qatar has denounced Carey's new album because of the overt references to Western religion in its title.

"We just want Mariah's album to reach as many fans as possible so we are willing to compromise," said Reid. "We certainly don't want to offend anyone."

The record label launched an international contest for the pop singer's fans to help them pick out a new album title, which has to match the cover they have already chosen. The cover features Carey, aided by state-of-the-art wind machines, in three seductive poses wearing a skimpy white cheesecloth. The contest is open to members of Carey's online official fanclub, mariahcarey.com.

"It was Mariah's idea, actually. She loves her fans and wants to involve them every which way she can," Reid said.

The contest is still ongoing, but Reid said they are already partial to "These Are My Boobs," "Three Times A Mimi, " and "The Milking Of Mimi."

"I love those three. They really represent where Ms. Carey is at this point in her career," Reid said. "Of course, in the end, it will be up to Mariah."

The new album is due to be released internationally on August 25, 2009.

Mariah Carey: Not obsessed about Iran

New York, NY -- In a rare display of political candor, US pop star Mariah Carey has implored the global community to "just leave Iran and Mahmoud Ahmadinejad alone."

Calling in to the Today show and speaking with weatherman Al Roker, the 39-year-old singer expressed her exasperation over the non-stop, obsessive worrying over Iran and the election fraud that allegedly occurred there recently.

"I really don't understand what everyone's freakin' about," Carey said. "It's just an election, people. Chill out."

The pop star, who is due to release a new studio album in August, said she can empathize with the Iranian President-elect, whom she called an "imperfect angel," referring to the title of her new release.

"When I hit No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 for the 18th time last year, everyone was like, 'Oh she cheated and bought her hits', and I was like, 'Whatever, get over it.'," Carey said.

The singer advised Ahmadinejad to hang in there and "not let the detractors take away what's rightfully yours," urging him to listen to her earlier hits "Hero" and "Can't Take That Away" for inspiration.

"Those songs really pick me up whenever I feel like the entire world is coming down on me, and not in a good way," she said, chuckling.

Carey closed her brief phone interview with Roker with a message to all the Iranian people: "I love you all, my little Persian lambs. Don't forget to buy my album, 'Memoirs Of An Imperfect Angel.' And, um, hang in there!"