On this day in 2005, Mariah Carey held the #1 and #2 spots on the Hot 100 with “We Belong Together” and “Shake It Off.” By the time 2005 rolled around, Mariah Carey had gone from being the most successful music artist of the 1990s to not having had a genuine hit in 5 years apart from a guest spot on a Busta Rhymes track. If expectations for her 2005 release The Emancipation Of Mimi were shaky, it was with good reason. Little did anyone know that Carey would release her biggest and most influential song in a decade with “We Belong Together.”

Mariah Carey thought she had completed her album, The Emancipation of Mimi, but L.A. Reid sent her to work with Jermaine Dupri some more because he felt the album lacked a big record. One of the songs that came out of that time was “We Belong Together.” After hearing Carey sing the song, Reid said, “That’s the one we’re looking for.”

Second

“We Belong Together” was released as the second single from The Emancipation of Mimi, and the track found Carey continuing her habit of fusing pop and urban music in a way that created its own genre. Lisa Lopes of TLC famously credits Carey with creating ‘hip-pop,’ but the ballad style of “We Belong Together” gave hip-pop a new twist.

As Pop Journalism‘s Robert Ballantyne wrote in naming it the top song of 2005, on the surface “We Belong Together” seems like a trademark Mariah ballad. There’s a piano intro, a plaintive melody and vocal, and lyrics about a man Mariah can’t get over. But as Ballantyne points out, “at the eight-second mark, all preconceptions get thrown out the window when that hip-hop beat kicks in.” The song is fueled by an 808-styled kick and hi-hat, thus integrating the sleek syncopations of hip-hop styled R&B.

Add in the lyrical references to Bobby Womack and Babyface, and Mariah’s rapid-fire vocal part (which Michael Slezak of Entertainment Weekly says is “so devastating you get the urge to create turmoil in your own relationship just to have an excuse to play this track”), and “We Belong Together” perhaps becomes the single that best combines Mariah’s gifts as a music artist. Kalefah Sanneh writes in New York Times that the song “seems simpler than it is,” and Johnny Loftus of the Metro Times Detroit notes the “classic sensibility” of the song and states it makes for “perfect pop/R&B songwriting.” It’s also, as Sal Cinquemani of Slant says, “as innovative as Mariah’s been in years.”

Jon Caramanica of the New York Times pointed out that Mariah “learned how to game the system with songs that appear to have multiple tempos all at once, languorous vocals set against steady beats” so that she had “slow records masquerading as fast.” Rivers Cuomo of the rock band Weezer noted something similar when he talked to Pitchfork about “We Belong Together” being one of his favorite songs of 2005. Cuomo noted that the song has a lot of lyrics and the vocal feels conversational, yet “there’s a great, catchy melody there.”

In naming it one of the best songs of the decade, Popdose noted that Mariah and producer Jermaine Dupri “found a midway point” between classic R&B and a contemporary feel. Stylus called Carey’s performance “evocative,” Rich Juzwiak has called the song “ingenius,” and musician Matt Nathanson dubbed it “a perfect song” to VH1. It’s no wonder Carey won the Grammy for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance for the song, and “We Belong Together” won the Grammy for Best R&B Song and was nominated for the overall Song of the Year.

Success

Great and innovative songs can be overlooked, though, especially by artists who haven’t had the favor of radio and consumers in years. This wasn’t the case with “We Belong Together.” It became huge in 2005 and spent 14 weeks total at #1 on the Hot 100. Media sources ranging from New York Times, Metro Times Detroit, Boston Globe, and Chicago Tribune ran articles anointing “We Belong Together” the song of the summer in 2005, and it became a record-breaker.

“We Belong Together” broke the BDS record for audience impressions at radio multiple times. It became the most-listened to song ever in a week, a record it would hold until 2013 when it was surpassed by Robin Thicke’s “Blurred Lines.” “We Belong Together” would end up spending 16 weeks at the top of the Hot 100 Airplay chart. Billboard named it the Song of the Decade. As Stylus said in naming “We Belong Together” one of the best singles of the year, when the song came on the radio, “none of us dared to change the station.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zLUMsb8vOxU

Influence

Another mark of a great single is often its influence. After the ascension of “We Belong Together,” critics began noting songs that were created in the same mold (i.e. pairing a pop ballad sensibility with a hip-hop beat). Slant magazine mentioned songs by artists ranging from Jessica Simpson to Christina Milian to Ne-Yo being in the “now-popular ‘We Belong Together’ mold.” Katharine McPhee told VH1 her own song “Each Other” reminds her of “We Belong Together,” and Amazon.com said Paula DeAnda’s top 20 hit “Walk Away” is “like a lost track” from [The Emancipation of Mimi].

Perhaps the most direct evidence of the influence “We Belong Together” came from co-writer Johnta Austin. Austin told Billboard that he was called by Jimmy Iovine to create a song “in the same lane of ‘We Belong Together’” for Mary J. Blige. The result was perhaps the biggest hit of Mary J Blige’s career: “Be Without You.” Cinquemani was thus correct when he wrote for Slant, if not for “We Belong Together,” “there wouldn’t be [Mary J. Blige’s] “’Be Without You.’” Rivers Cuomo has even acknowledged that “We Belong Together” was a big inspiration for Weezer’s 2008 song “Heart Songs.” Whether or not “We Belong Together” was the first song of its kind, it’s obvious that its success led to the creation of similar songs. However none that followed have been able to match the success of Carey’s song.

It seems pretty clear that “We Belong Together” is not only a quality single and a popular one, but that it led to a mini-trend in music. As Cinquemani stated in naming it one of the best singles of 2005, “Mariah’s finally got her own anthem.”

Please vote for your favorite #1 to Infinity article:

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In October, Columbia Records released “One Sweet Day” as the second single from the album. The song is a collaboration between Mariah and the R&B group Boyz II Men, who had achieved a lot of success and collected hits in the early 90s with sweeping ballads such as “End of the Road” and “I’ll Make Love to You.”

Mariah had an idea in mind for the song, which she discussed with her writing and producing partner Walter Afanasieff, and the theme was the pain for the death of a loved one. When she first decided to arrange a meeting with the group, she had already completed the first verse and the chorus and when she played them what she had, Nathan Morris was very surprised. Boyz II Men had recently lost their road manager and Nathan had started writing a song that fit perfectly, both lyrically and melodically, with what Mariah and Walter Afanasieff had begun to write. “One Sweet Day” basically was born by merging the two songs together, it was almost as if the collaboration was just meant to be.

Its universal theme and the uplifting message resonated with the public and made the song the biggest hit of Mariah’s career. Not only did the song debut at #1 upon its commercial release in November, but it remained at the top of the Hot 100 for 16 consecutive weeks, from December 2, 1995 to March 16, 1996. A record that many songs have come close to almost match but not break, as recently as this year. “One Sweet Day” topped the Pop, Adult Top 40 and Adult Contemporary charts and the CD Single was certified 2x Platinum for sales of over 2 million copies. In 2000 Billboard declared it the Song of the Decade (a feat Mariah would achieve once again 10 years later), while Mariah herself was crowned as the Artist of the Decade.

The music video documents the recording process of the song. Mariah has explained that they decided to film it while recording because they were afraid of conflicting schedules that wouldn’t have allowed them to get together for the video shoot.

That is, in fact, one of the reasons why they haven’t performed the song together more often since its release. They first sang it at Mariah Carey’s Madison Square Garden concert in October 1995, which was broadcasted on TV. “One Sweet Day” was also the powerful opening performance at the 1996 Grammy Awards, where it was nominated for Record of the Year and Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals (among the 6 nominations Mariah received that year).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=brrDOl3Uew0

Later performances have been at the BET Christmas Special in 2001 and a surprise appearence during the final American stop of Carey’s The Adventures of Mimi Tour in 2006 at Anaheim, which was filmed and later released on DVD. In general, both Mariah and Boyz II Men avoid performing the song on their respective tours, despite being their biggest hit single, which has probably contributed to the song’s decrease in popularity with the public over the years. However, the song continues to be recognised in singing competitions such as American Idol and X-Factor, where it has been performed by the constestants on specific themed weeks.

Mariah’s fans usually feel attached to “One Sweet Day” because of its lyrics or because of nostalgic sentiments, both for personal experiences of loss or simply as a celebration of what the song has meant for Mariah Carey’s career. Many tend to prefer the two versions that were included in the CD Single: the acapella version or the Chucky’s remix, which feature different vocal arrangements and smooth out the production of the original, giving it a sweeter vibe instead of the epic/full sound of the album version.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eSTLAswlWGM

While it would have been nice for it to have gotten more critical recognition, if only for what this superstar collaboration meant in the musical landscape of the 1990s, “One Sweet Day” will always be remembered for having made history with its commercial achievements and for that it is worthy of being celebrated in this important moment of Mariah Carey’s incredible career.

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Despite alienating some of her loyal fans with this move, “Honey” was still a hit single. It debuted at #1 on the Hot 100, giving Mariah the distinction of being the only artist to achieve this feat with more than one single (it was her 3rd time) and continued her streak of Platinum-certified singles for sales of 1 million copies.

As part of our retrospective series on the iconic Butterfly album last year, we’ve already discussed “Honey” in depth in its various aspects: the revamping of Mariah’s musical identity, the symbolic value of the music video and the metamorphosis the original track went through with its remixes.

It’d be redundant for us to propose the same lecture over and over, so we’ll just invite you to check those pieces out to reminisce and celebrate this pivotal moment in Mariah Carey’s career with us in light of the 25th Anniversary of her legendary career.

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Walter Afanasieff and Mariah created some of her greatest songs, and “My All” marked one of their final collaborations. Due to Carey’s separation from then-husband Tommy Mottola, Afanasieff was stuck in the middle and ended up leaning towards Mottola after the divorce, ending their more than half-decade musical partnership.

The ballad was written at Carey’s upstate New York mansion and recorded both in New York and at Afansieff’s San Francisco studio. He credits a steel acoustic guitar sound on a new keyboard, the Trinity, with helping to spark the creative process for the song. According to Carey:

I had gone to Puerto Rico and was influenced by Latin music at that moment. When I came back, the melody was in my head. It was at a melancholy point in my life and the song reflects the yearning that was going on in me. It was like being in a situation but you want to break free and you can’t, so you’re confined yet you’re releasing those emotions through the lyrics and the actual act of singing. That’s why I think a lot of people felt very strongly about that song, because the emotion is clear when you listen to it.

She sings passionately and longingly of a lost love for which she’d give anything and everything to spend another night with. Structurally, the song was compared to something Toni Braxton might sing at the time, most notably “Unbreak My Heart,” and was declared by Entertainment Weekly “the best Babyface track Babyface never produced.”

The music video was appropriately shot in Puerto Rico. Completely black and white, it was one of the few music videos directed by late famed photographer Herb Ritts (also responsible for Mark Wahlberg’s Calvin Klein campaign and Janet Jackson’s “Love Will Never Do Without You” video). The video caters to Ritts’ love of both black and white and Greek imagery, at times recalling the Botticelli painting The Birth Of Venus. Throughout the video, Mariah sings across a body of water to a lighthouse, which is revealed to be the dwelling of the man she is singing to. Flashbacks show their night of passion in the lighthouse while her pleas become more full-voiced and soulful throughout the song.

“My All” is an example of a classic Mariah song that was then reworked to appeal to her ever-growing range of fans with various spectrums of musical interests. Once the track was released as the 3rd single from Butterfly in the US in the spring of 1998, she went back into the studio to re-record her vocals and craft dance remixes with David Morales, a Hip-Hop remix with Jermaine Dupri, and even a Spanish version of the song, “Mi Todo.” There were also additional remixes that compliment the Spanish feel of the song created by Full Crew, but they were limited to a release outside the US and do not feature any new vocals.

The Morales remixes put Mariah right into the clubs, where she was already established as a queen of the dance floor with her previous dance remixes. The “Def Club Mix” is more house oriented with the synths, while the “‘My’ Mix” is more club oriented with a harder hitting beat and percussion, and also shares many elements with the “Classic Club Mix”. The music video was re-edited to accompany some of the dance remixes, but the only one that is still accessible is the ETV Bonus Mix.

Jermaine Dupri’s Hip-Hop remix, known as “My All/Stay Awhile” features Lord Tariq and Peter Gunz and incorporates Loose Ends’ “Stay A Little While, Child.” It is the first of many remixes Mariah would create by incorporating and interpolating another song into the lyrics and theme of the song (“Thank God I Found You”, “I Still Believe” and “Heartbreaker” all followed in this trend). A new music video was shot to accompany the remix, and directed by frequent Carey director Diane Martel. It features Carey and all affiliated with the remix at a house party, using a grainy effect to create the impression that it’s a home movie.

Over the years “My All” has become a mainstay in Carey’s repertoire. Aside from the barrage of live performances that helped promote the song (including Saturday Night Live, The Rosie O’Donnell Show, Pavarotti & Friends, The Soul Train Lady of Soul Awards, Top of The Pops, and VH1 Divas Live [see bottom]) she has performed it during every tour she has embarked on since it’s release. Even last year (2014), she delivered a show stopping rendition in Manila during The Elusive Chanteuse Show Tour.

On a personal note, “My All” holds a very special place in my heart. It was the first Mariah song I heard with a cognizant understanding that it was Mariah Carey. VH1 Divas Live was one of the first CDs I owned, and the performances Mariah put forth on that album sparked my interest in her 17 years ago. I was also very surprised when I finally heard the studio version years later and the pulsing percussion was nowhere to be found.

The post “I’m thinking of”… Mariah Carey’s 13th #1: “My All” appeared first on THE 97.

The lead single from her 3rd studio album, “Music Box,” premiered in July 1993. “Dreamlover” was co-written and co-produced with Dave Hall, a young producer from New York who made a name for himself for collaborating with Mary J. Blige on her acclaimed debut album What’s the 411?

In an interview with Billboard’s Fred Bronson, Carey explained that she wanted to “Do something that had a happy feeling, something that was more open and released.” The two of them decided to use a looped sample of The Emotions’ “Blind Alley” atop which Carey created the melody. The song came together very quickly: according to Dave Hall, they had the hook, melody, and instrumental completed in one night. Carey then started to write the lyrics.

When label head Tommy Mottola heard the original “Dreamlover,” he felt something was missing and decided to bring Carey’s frequent collaborator Walter Afanasieff in to tweak the instrumental. Afanasieff is credited as a co-producer on the song and he is responsible for smoothing out the drums and the addition of the Hammond B-3 organ in the instrumental.

“Dreamlover” started the trend for Carey’s lead singles to include samples and it’s a prime example of her balancing her Pop and R&B sensibilities effortlessly. The song was, in fact, seen as a return to the radio-friendly sound that characterized her debut record, but it still retained hints of the old-school influences Carey displayed on the Emotions album, thanks to the sample it incorporates.

Upon its release, “Dreamlover” was met with critical and commercial success, becoming Carey’s most successful single at that point. It debuted at #12 on CHR/Top 40 radio, a record she held on her own for 21 years until it was matched by Taylor Swift’s “Shake It Off” in 2014. It went on to top the Mainstream Top 40 chart (Carey’s 9th consecutive #1 single) and the Billboard Hot 100 for 8 weeks. The CD single was certified Platinum by the RIAA, the first of her singles to ship 1 million copies to retailers. The song was nominated for “Best Female Pop Vocal Performance” at the 1994 Grammy Awards as well.

The music video was directed by Diane Martel and filmed in upstate New York. It features Carey having fun swimming with her dog Jack (who made his debut cameo in this video), boarding a hot air balloon, and dancing around in a field. The carefree nature of the visuals matches the vibe of the song perfectly. As Carey sings and fantasizes about her dream lover, she is seen being happy and relaxed in a dreamy atmosphere.

“Dreamlover” was also the first single of Carey’s to be remixed by David Morales. The 10-minute-long house remix, “Def Club Mix” features new and powerful vocals over a thumping house beat. Carey had incorporated new vocals for the intro of the “Emotions” remixes, but this time she gave the remix a second life by re-doing the whole vocal track. This was also the beginning of a trend Carey would later extend to her Urban remixes as well and a tradition that she still likes to revamp occasionally. The remix version became her 3rd #1 hit on the Billboard Dance charts.

The “Dreamlover” CD single also included the smooth and sultry “Do You Think of Me” as a B-side. Carey wrote and produced this R&B-leaning song alongside Walter Afanasieff, Cory Rooney, and Mark Morales. This elusive track became a favorite among fans, who clamored for it to be added to streaming services. Carey finally obliged, adding it to her 2020 The Rarities album.

“Dreamlover” continues to be one of Carey’s most appreciated songs for its lighthearted and upbeat nature and its catchiness. It has been a staple in her concert setlist ever since the Music Box Tour in 1993. On The Adventures of Mimi Tour in 2006, Carey performed a new version of the song that incorporates elements of Mtume’s “Juicy Fruit” (the song Biggie sampled for the classic “Juicy”) into the original instrumental to a largely positive response from the fans.

“Dreamlover” occupies a profound place in Carey’s vast catalog for being a great representation of her legacy as a singer and a songwriter. It marked a creative turning point, laying the groundwork for the pioneering progress she would make with remixing and incorporating House and Hip-Hop into her music during the years that followed. For these reasons, and the song’s overall endearing quality, it has held a special place in the hearts of her fans around the world for decades.

Listen to Mariah Carey’s “Dreamlover” EP, buy the single, or album “Music Box”

The post No Pretender: Mariah Carey’s “Dreamlover” Proved Her Passion for Hip-Hop and House appeared first on THE 97.

September 21, 1999.

Almost exactly 16 years ago, Mariah Carey hit #1 with “Heartbreaker,” the lead single from her 7th studio album Rainbow; a track Pitchfork has referred to as an “untouchable roller-rink jam.”

The track is notable for featuring Jay-Z delivering a rap verse as the male counterpoint to the female protagonist, and it’s even more notable for being the first Hot 100 #1 by a solo singer to feature a guest rapper. It was Jay-Z’s first #1 on the Hot 100, and he was featured on the main version of “Heartbreaker” and not as an add-on for a remix. “Heartbreaker” was by no means the first song by a singer to feature a guest rapper (this was actually Mariah’s 11th song to do so), but its ascent to #1 was certainly a signpost for how music had shifted. By the late ’90s, urban music had become pop(ular) music, and Mariah Carey was a big reason why. After being seen as a pop princess for the first half of the ’90s, by the end of the decade Mariah had taken her music in a more urban direction. Mariah has said it was clear music was heading in that direction, and she hopped on the front of that train. Jody Rosen of Slate said the hybridization of styles in music was “an inevitability” but also something Carey “saw earlier than others.” Music critic Amy Linden wrote it as, “For better or worse, Mariah’s five-octave, pop/R&B stylings set the diva standard.”

The post Often Imitated, Never Duplicated: The influence of “Heartbreaker” by Mariah & Jay-Z appeared first on THE 97.

Okay, well maybe she doesn’t have an infinite amount – but she has 18, more than any other solo artist. As we mentioned last week, we’ll be doing a lot this year to celebrate Mariah Carey’s 25th anniversary in the music business. To coincide with our retrospective write ups of each of Mariah’s #1’s, we would like to solicit the opinions of YOU, the fans, to put together a definitive, fan-voted ranking of her #1 singles.

Each submission will also enter you into our contest to win a copy of the Mariah Carey #1 to Infinity vinyl, released in August. Additional runner-ups will win a digital download of Mariah’s new single, “Infinity,” when it becomes available on iTunes.

Please submit your ranking via the form below. Select your choice for each position in the ranking, from 1 through 18, #1 being your favorite, #18 being your least. Please also respond and tell us why your #1 choice is your favorite, and which other single you feel deserved to be #1 most. We may use some of your quotes in future posts, with credit, of course!

To be entered into our contest and help us announce our ranking in a timely fashion, please submit your responses no later than April 30, 2015. The decided ranking will dictate the order in which we will post our retrospectives on each #1, from #18 to #1. (However, our “Vision of Love” retrospective will still be posted first in honor of its 25th anniversary).

The post A Definitive Ranking of Mariah’s Infinite #1’s appeared first on THE 97.

To celebrate the residency, Epic is re-issuing her 1998 #1’s collection, which will now include all 18 #1 Hot 100 hits and 1 new track. The new album is coming out on May 18. Mariah released the artwork yesterday with the help of her fans around the world. The social media campaign bore the hashtag #RevealMariah and encouraged fans to share the news in order to reveal the cover bit by bit.

#1 to Infinity is the title of the new collection, Mariah herself announced the exclusive pre-order starting today on her website. The tracklist includes all of her 18 #1’s and the new single, “Infinity,” to be released on April 27 alongside its music video directed by Brett Ratner.

1. “Vision of Love” (4 weeks, 1990)
2. “Love Takes Time” (3 weeks, 1990)
3. “Someday” (MTV Unplugged version) (2 weeks, 1991)
4. “I Don’t Wanna Cry” (2 weeks, 1991)  
5. “Emotions” (3 weeks, 1991)  
6. “I’ll Be There” (featuring Trey Lorenz) (2 weeks, 1992)
7. “Dreamlover” (8 weeks, 1993) 
8. “Hero” (4 weeks, 1993) 
9. “Fantasy” (Bad Boy Fantasy version) (8 weeks, 1995) 
10. “One Sweet Day” (featuring Boyz II Men) (16 weeks,1995-1996) 
11. “Always Be My Baby” (2 weeks, 1996) 
12. “Honey” (3 weeks, 1997) 
13. “My All” (1 week, 1998) 
14. “Heartbreaker” (featuring Jay-Z) (2 weeks, 1999) 
15. “Thank God I Found You” (featuring Joe & 98 Degrees) (1 week, 2000) 
16. “We Belong Together” (14 weeks, 2005) 
17. “Don’t Forget About Us” (2 weeks, 2005) 
18. “Touch My Body” (2 weeks, 2008) 
19. “Infinity” (2015)

To celebrate this very exciting moment in Mariah’s career, we will be honoring her in a very special way here at EST. 1997. Beginning on April 27th, with the new single “Infinity,” we will posting reviews and retrospectives about each of her 18 #1 singles. Following our review of “Infinity” on April 27th, we will celebrate the 25th anniversary of Mariah’s iconic, industry-changing first single, “ever,” – “Vision of Love.” With an immaculately researched, in-detail post written by Jason, we will highlight the very significant impact of the song over the last 25 years featuring quotes from numerous singers and hip-hop stars.

Following “Vision of Love” we will move through reviewing the remainder of her #1’s, as well as share a number of “Mariah 25” playlists, highlighting different aspects of her music and career in the form of “Top 25” lists. We hope that Mariah’s lambs will enjoy this very special feature as we celebrate an artist without whom this site would not exist!

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