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Mariah Carey Struggles to Hit High Notes at Elusive Chanteuse Tour Debut in Japan, Fans Pan Her Performance

Mariah Carey gave her all — but for some fans, her all wasn’t enough. As seen in numerous YouTube videos circulating online, the “#Beautiful” singer struggled to reach some of her usual high notes during the launch of her Elusive Chanteuse Show tour in Tokyo, Japan, on Saturday, Oct. 4.

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The songstress appears to have had trouble with the vocals for hits including “Hero” and “Vision of Love.” At one point during the latter, she opted to speak-sing the lyrics after failing to hit her mark; other videos show her struggling with the microphone stand during “We Belong Together.”

Related: PHOTOS: Mariah and Nick in happier times

Fans panned her performance online, posting videos with titles like “Vision of love?” and “Mariah Carey Vocal Malfunction.” Others shared their critique in the comments section of the clips, writing, “This is beyond disappointing,” and “This is like watching a bird with a broken wing trying to fly.” 

mariah carey performing in tokyo

Some defended her, though, citing her recent separation from husband Nick Cannon. “Guys, I know she didn’t sound that good, but let’s not forget that she just [split from] Nick,” one user wrote on YouTube. “She must have had a hard time.”

Related: PHOTOS: Flashback! Mariah Carey's 2001 Us Weekly cover

Another fan said it was natural for her voice to have changed since she first sang “Vision of Love” in 1990. “It’s OK. She’s human…You’re human, you’re not supernatural,” user ilyas aksabaev wrote. “I’ve seen other videos of this tour and they are great. One small part does not mean she did bad. She did great overall.”

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