It was October 3, 1995 when Sony released Mariah Carey’s fourth studio album, Daydream.

Mariah was at the peak of her career in 1995: the Music Box album had broken her through a lot of international markets she hadn’t conquered before and Merry Christmas had become yet another success, destined to be a seasonal classic. It was only natural that the next album would be a big hit and that’s exactly what happened.

Daydream debuted at #1 upon its release and went on to sell more than 20 million copies Worldwide, earning a Diamond certification in the US for shipments of 10 million copies to retailers. Its singles were huge hits as well: between the fall of 1995 and the spring of 1996, Mariah spent 26 weeks at #1 on the Hot 100 with three of the four singles that were released from the album. “Fantasy” debuted at #1, and stayed for 8 weeks. “One Sweet Day” quickly followed; the iconic duet with Boyz II Men also debuted at #1 and became the longest running #1 hit in history – holding the pole position for 16 weeks. With no signs of slowing down, the third single, “Always Be My Baby,” helped Carey linger on at #1 for two more weeks to round out her total of 26. She was unstoppable.

Commercial success isn’t, however, what makes Daydream an iconic album. It’s the songs that make it an undeniable classic in Pop music. This is the album that helped freshen and revamp Mariah’s sound, while still maintaining all the ingredients that had made her a reliable force in the music industry. We have abundantly talked about the impact of “Fantasy” and its remix in honor of its 20th anniversary, for example, so we’ll just skip that and dedicate a bit more time to the rest of the tracks on this album, which are often, unfairly overlooked in the big picture.

Something that people don’t pay attention to is how the cover and title mirror the music for instance. There is no real proof that when Mariah started working on the album she had a specific concept in mind and she’s never discussed this, but she certainly chose a title that reflected the theme and sound of several songs. The album cover, shot by Steven Meisel, also captured her expression as if she were lost in her thoughts, daydreaming.

Many of the lyrical ideas on the album recall the concept of rêverie, reflection and imagination: “Fantasy” is obviously about imagining to be with someone, “One Sweet Day” is about the hope to be reunited one day with the “friends we’ve lost along the way;” on “Underneath the Stars” Mariah reminisces about a past romance and her feelings are “so heady and sublime,” on “Long Ago” she “[drowns] in thoughts of yesterday,” “Melt Away” deals with being so overwhelmed by love and passion to the point of almost falling into a trance, while “When I Saw You” recalls the first encounter with a lover “transcending space and time.”

These lyrics are also enhanced by the productions and arrangements, which make the listening experience even more ethereal. Once the funky beat of “Fantasy” is over, the pace of the album slows down, inviting us to lay down and dream with Mariah. “Underneath the Stars,” the second track, begins with a fluttering keyboard sound and Mariah’s sweet whispery vocals paint such a vivid scene in the listeners’ minds that it’s impossible to resist. The sweet 70s groove and the high notes in the background are a nod to Minnie Ripperton’s work, whom she’s cited as an influence.

“Open Arms,” a cover of the 1982 Journey single, starts with a gentle acapella intro before bursting into the power ballad sound of the original. The Gospel-tinged “I Am Free” complete with a organ sound throughout, is a spiritual reflection about the relief provided by faith. “Long Ago” has a “dark fairytale” songwriting style and Mariah’s vocals recall a state of inebriation caused by the memories. “Melt Away,” her second collaboration with Babyface, is a sultry R&B ballad where she displays the richness of her lower register. “Forever” opens with an almost Country riff, before revealing a 1950s chord progression and sentimental lyrics, made grand by the powerful vocal performance. The sparse Dance chords of the “Daydream Interlude” then reprise the theme introduced by “Fantasy” at the beginning of the record and pick the pace up a bit.

The album closes with “Looking In,” a self-reflective piano ballad about the contrast between Mariah Carey the person and the perception the public and media have of Mariah Carey. “The girl who lives inside the golden world” gives the listeners a glimpse into how she feels inside and how she deals with the scrutiny she’s under, promising that she’s not “disenchanted.” This was the first time Mariah had included such a personal song on one of her albums and it probably encouraged her to open up more about her emotions in her later work. The cryptic last line “they’ll never know the real me” is for the most part still true, 20 years later, because there’s always going to be some distance between the person and the public figure, and no matter how much we judge and speculate, there are some things only Mariah Carey can understand and know about herself.

“Looking In” is a statement veiled by the vulnerability of the harbored “adolescent fears” Mariah wrote about in the song. It’s not a coincidence that she genuinely teared up during her first and only live performance (so far) of the track in 2013, because its lyrics are deeply tied with her experiences. Besides, the “golden world” would often prove to be a daydream interrupted by the challenges she’s had to face in the real, cruel world.

In retrospect Daydream is probably her most recognisable album because it has everything that makes an album a Mariah Carey album: the sweet Pop records, the catchy hooks, the big ballads, the powerful vocals and that pinch of R&B influences thrown in for good measure. It was, however, the important first step toward her metamorphosis, a new phase of her career that would begin just two years after Daydream’s release; and probably the last time Carey managed to truly have mass appeal as an international superstar. That’s why millions of fans all over the world are going to celebrate this milestone today and cherish all the good childhood memories tied to the music. Happy Anniversary, Daydream!

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The year was 1995. Mariah Carey was undoubtedly one of the biggest pop stars on the planet, and the 90s it-girl. She debuted in 1990, and already amassed eight #1 hits in just 5 short years. Not a year went by without her having a #1. She even released a Christmas album, in 1994, that yielded a new Christmas classic, “All I Want For Christmas is You.” In the fall of 1995, Carey was once again poised for yet another slay session. This time, it was on a much larger scale.

She was also a married woman now, married to the head of her record label. Unfortunately, he was very controlling not only of her personal life but in regards to the sound of her music too. Her image, so far, was one that of a sugar-sweet, pop balladeer with a fantastic voice. Her songs were safe and all very “girl next door.” Her music had R&B and even semblances of hip-hop inspiration, but Mariah wanted more of that. Much more.

Rewind

Carey grew up on Long Island, in close proximity to New York City, during the 1980s. This was the time and place, the when and where, hip-hop exploded. She listened to stations like 107.5 WBLS and 103.5 KTU that helped introduce young New Yorkers to hip-hop. She also grew up on gospel, classic soul and R&B records from the 60s, 70s, and 80s. However, if you listened to her catalogue thus far, those influences were hinted at, but stifled. There were hints throughout (such as the sample on “Dreamlover”) of her love of hip-hop, but it was not allowed to flourish. Until 1995.

Well, maybe it wasn’t exactly “allowed,” but she did it anyway. For Daydream she enlisted Atlanta based hip-hop/R&B producer Jermaine Dupri to work on the album, yielding “Always Be My Baby,” but more significant was what she did with the album’s lead single, “Fantasy.”

For the album version of “Fantasy,” she worked yet again with “Dreamlover” producer Dave Hall (who had worked with Mary J. Blige and other big names in R&B and hip-hop). They created the perfect amalgamation of hip-hop, pop and R&B. Truly, it was Mariah’s “Fantasy.” The track samples The Tom Tom Club’s “Genius of Love,” which itself was a legend in the hip-hop community, for its significance in helping hip-hop become more mainstream.

Genius sample

“Genius of Love” was released in 1981 by the Tom Tom Club, and because of its beat and inclusion of “rap” style delivery, it was an immediate hit in hip-hop circles in New York. The beat was immediately put into use as a break beat, and then, a sample for hip-hop’s biggest, up-and-coming names: Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five (“It’s Nasty,” 1982) and Dr. Jeckyl and Mr. Hyde (“Genius Rap,” 1981). All three songs were competing hits, and helped hip-hop become more mainstream.

By sampling such an iconic hip-hop track, Mariah was able to connect with fans of both pop and hip-hop, and at the same time prove that she’s not just some girl trying to fit in with the latest trends. She really knew her shit, and sampling “Genius of Love” for “Fantasy” was proof of that. However, in case anyone had any doubts, she made one more important decision.

In 1995, Bad Boy Records was on the rise. Led by Sean “Puff Daddy” Combs, the label was a massive force in making hip-hop part of pop music through artists like the Notorious B.I.G. and Ma$e, among others. Unsurprisingly, Puffy eventually became a sought after producer… however, from the “pop world,” it was Mariah Carey who got to him first.

Remix Fantasy

For the “Fantasy” Remix, Mariah teamed up with Puff Daddy. They stripped the album version of its pop production, and make it more distinctly hip-hop in sound. She even (on her preferred version of the remix) removed the bubbly chorus from the original. Instead, they replaced it with the “I’m, in, heaven… with my boyfriend…” refrain interpolated from “Genius of Love.” The result was a sparsely produced, but unmistakably hip-hop track, with a melodically infectious and vocally jaw-dropping R&B-inspired pop vocal from the pop music “it girl” of the 1990s. The lyrics, penned by Carey of course, were relatable, catchy and the makings of yet another hit.

Me and Mariah…

And she didn’t stop there. Mariah had one last trick up her sleeve. This, perhaps, was the most controversial: she wanted to get Ol’ Dirty Bastard, of the Wu-Tang Clan, to feature on the track. And she did. In 2015, such a notion doesn’t seemed far-fetched (especially for Mariah, given the number of rappers she’s worked with now), But then, in 1995, it seemed damn near scandalous.

Her label, her husband… they gagged. But, somehow, they let it happen. All the soccer moms were probably taken aback quite a bit, too. However, fans of R&B, hip-hop and the like were floored. Never before had the genre (hip-hop) been embraced in such a big way by a “pop star.” And, that September, Mariah Carey and “Fantasy” forever changed the face of “pop music.”

It’s true, she didn’t invent the rap/sung collaboration, but she pioneered it and made it mainstream. She made it work. Dare we say, she “made it happen” – and it was an undeniable hit. The song was #1 everywhere, on every chart. It even became the first song by a female artist to ever debut at #1 on the Billboard Hot 100. Sure, Billboard did not credit O.D.B. but undoubtedly the remix helped keep the song at #1 for 8 weeks.

Legacy

Since 1995, there have been countless songs by pop and R&B singers, featuring guest appearances from hip-hop artists, and vice versa. Sure, we could sit here and name them all, but it’s unnecessary. You’d be hard pressed to turn on the radio today and not find an example of Mariah and O.D.B.’s impact.

Not many big names have attempted to cover the song, perhaps because of the near impossible-to-replicate vocal arrangements, but it’s formula has been copied time and time again. Still, one notable cover of the song does exist. At the 2012 BET Honors, Kelly Rowland performed “Fantasy” alongside Wu-Tang’s Raekwon – at Mariah’s request:

Twenty years later, “Fantasy” is a bonafide classic. It’s a favorite among fans, non-fans, of the Diva herself, her peers and those she has inspired. “Fantasy” is indeed the exemplary song that married pop/R&B and hip-hop and changed the musical landscape from then-on.  It has the perfect hip-hop sample. It has a quintessentially quotable verse from an iconic hip-hop artist And, it has an impeccable vocal performance from the Empress of the 1990s.

So, today, press play on “Fantasy” (the remix, Mariah would prefer). Strut around (or, roller skate, if you wish), try your best to sing along to those impossibly-high belts, do your best O.D.B. impression, and try your luck at some break dancing. When you’re done, come back here to watch the music videos. Or watch Mariah slay it live at Madison Square Garden in 1995. And, remember, hip-hop and Mariah, they “go back like babies and pacifiers” … “Ol’ Dirt Dog’s no liar”!

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Mariah Carey was a fan of the 1992 Kriss Kross hit “Jump” and wanted to work with the producer of the track, Jermaine Dupri. Carey got to collaborate with Dupri a few years later on two songs for her Daydream album: “Always Be My Baby” and “Long Ago.” In their sessions, Carey, Dupri, and Manuel Seal started by working on the drum programming, and as Seal started playing the keyboard Carey began singing a melody. Their back-and-forth would result in Carey’s 11th #1, “Always Be My Baby.” At the time it tied her with Madonna and Whitney Houston for the most #1 singles by a female artist, though over the next few years Carey would separate herself from the diva pack.

At first listen “Always Be My Baby” features a beautifully crafted, catchy melody and feels like the perfect song to play on a nice summer evening. Upon closer inspection, though, the song reveals itself to be about the singer mourning a lover she has let go. In naming it one of the best R&B songs on the 1990s, Complex mentioned the contrast between the lyric about a fractured relationship and the “joyous keyboard chords, the snapping beat, and Carey’s conviction that it will all work out.” That conviction helped Carey earn a Grammy nomination for R&B Vocal Performance, Female for the song despite “Always Be My Baby” not having yet been released as a single at the time voting took place.

Released as the third single from Carey’s Daydream album, “Always Be My Baby” debuted at #2 on the Hot 100 and eventually moved into the #1 position for 2 weeks. The song sold 1.2 million copies and was a huge hit at radio. In fact, it ended 1996 as the #1 Hot 100 Airplay song for the year, despite never topping the Hot 100 Airplay or Mainstream Top 40 charts. To this day “Always Be My Baby” consistently receives some of Carey’s best recurrent play.

Carey directed the video for the song, which features a story line of two children at camp escaping in the middle of the night to spend time together. There are also scenes of Carey and her friends having fun around a campfire. The setting perfectly captures the breezy nature of the track, and Bustle calls the video a “classic.” Complex named it one of the best R&B videos of the 1990s and noted that the video made them regret not going to summer camp.

At the time of the song’s release, Larry Flick of Billboard described the jam as a “bright and funky finger-snapper.” In the 20 years since that review, that quality is a large reason why “Always Be My Baby” has proven to be timeless. In a 2015 piece, the staff at Entertainment Weekly wrote Carey, “had us at the first ‘doo-doo-doo-dow” and in a reference to the lyrics of the song stated, “There’s no way we would ever try to shake her.” Jason Lipshutz of Billboard referenced the track’s “iconic vocal hook,” and Brittany Spanos of Rolling Stone called the song “ageless.” The strong song construction that weaves those elements together recalls the types of classic songs written in the Brill building and for Motown.

More proof of the timelessness of “Always Be My Baby” can be found in the diverse range of artists who have covered or sampled the song, and in the various ways the song has shown up on social media. Female descendants of Carey like Leona Lewis and Kelly Clarkson have sung the song live, and country singer Sam Hunt performed it on his first tour. Indie rock band Fang Island also performed the song on tour, and Beelzebubs, an a capella group out of Tufts University that has been on The Sing-Off and Glee, included the song as part of their shows in 2011. Current acts like Fifth Harmony and Austin Mahone have sampled the song in their own material. Zola Jesus has said “Always Be My Baby” is her go-to karaoke song because “that song is deep in me.” Former pop starlet Debbie Gibson and Survivor winner Kim Spradlin have posted clips of them singing to it in the car on Instagram.

“Always Be My Baby” may very well be Carey’s catchiest song, so it’s no wonder Vulture named it Carey’s best single and called it “essential, archetypal Mariah.”

Check back in October for more on “Always Be My Baby” and the 20th anniversary of its parent album, Daydream.

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Mariah Carey found huge success with her debut album, largely due to ballads that showcased her phenomenal voice. When it came time to release her follow-up album (Emotions), Carey had several goals in mind. One was to create an album that had more of a Motown influence, and another was to set-up a career with longevity. The first single from Carey’s second album was the title track “Emotions.” In an interview for the The Washington Post, Craig Seymour mentioned to Carey that “Emotions” was important in establishing her as more than a ballad singer, and in fact her lead singles for the next 10 years would be more uptempo in nature. Carey is a great crafter of pop songs and is responsible for many ’90s pop gems that also incorporate other styles of music.

Carey worked with C&C Music Factory (Robert Clivilles and David Cole) for some of the songs on her second album, including the title track. Separately Carey and Cole came up with a groove inspired by the group The Emotions, whose biggest hit was “Best Of My Love.” Some critics denounced “Emotions” for sounding a lot like “Best of My Love,” apparently missing the point of the title of Carey’s song; Carey and Cole intended the song as an homage. Carey, Clivilles, and Cole set the ’70s disco groove in a ’90s house framework, thus bridging styles and decades.

“Emotions” definitely helped listeners see (well, hear) Carey as more than a ballad singer, and in a way it helped create its own template for Carey; future singles like “Dreamlover” and “Fantasy” are also perfectly crafted songs that mix genres and are unabashedly romantic in their lyrical content. In regards to “Emotions” specifically, Stylus‘ Andrew Untergerger calls it one of the “most blissed-out, utterly delirious” love songs anyone produced in the ’90s. Devon Powers of Pop Matters calls the track “one of the strongest of her early work,” noting that “each verse is peppy and playful.” SoulBounce echoes that description in calling the song a “joyful romp.”

“Emotions” makes heavy use of Carey’s famous whistle notes, but this time there is real purpose; as Entertainment Weekly’s Arion Berger wrote, Carey’s whistle notes on the song make emotional sense as they convey that Carey is “too overwhelmed to put her passion into words.” In the rush of infatuation and at a loss for words, she has nowhere to go but up. And in fact, in a 1991 live MTV performance of the song, Carey would hit a note so high it made the Guinness Book of World Records. Not surprisingly “Emotions” would also earn Carey a Grammy nomination for Best Pop Vocal Performance, Female. In a 2015 piece, Entertainment Weekly staff called the vocal “Legendary.” Jennifer Still of Bustle commented about listeners, “Don’t pretend you don’t try it every single time.” It’s no wonder it’s nearly a Vine rite of passage to post a video attempting the feat.

The music video for “Emotions” was directed by Jeff Preiss and conveys the joyous feel of the song as Carey and her friends “romp’ around town. The video also features color desaturation, presumably to give the video the raw feeling of a home movie.

Commercially “Emotions” was a big hit for Carey. The song went Gold, and it spent 3 weeks at #1. In getting to #1, the song helped Carey break a chart record as she become the first artist to have their first 5 singles hit #1 on the Hot 100. That record still stands.

Over 20 years since its release, the current generation of pop singers have shown the popularity of “Emotions” endures. Ariana Grande covered the song in a move that increased both her profile and her credibility as a singer. Jessie J performed the song several times, including at Rock in Rio in 2013, and also posted a video on Instagram of her lip syncing to the song. What it all proved in the end, though, is that no other singer has the combination of technical prowess and vocal presence of Carey.

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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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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.”

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Rewind back to 1970, for a moment. The Jackson 5 are on fire. They’ve already scored 3 number one hits, and show no signs of changing that pace. Berry Gordy, the head of Motown Records, decides to take a risk, and depart from the upbeat bubblegum soul the group has been successful with, and crafts them a ballad. “I’ll Be There” quickly becomes another number one for the group, proving that they can achieve success with more than one sound.

Back to Mariah. She chose the Jackson 5’s “I’ll Be There”, which she chose to maintain as a duet and incorporated back-up singer Trey Lorenz as her singing partner for their show-stopping rendition. The two trade lines back and forth throughout, showcasing each their soulful vocal abilities. Trey momentarily steals the show with a falsetto high note that could be mistaken for a lower range Mariah whistle note, but Mariah retains central attention throughout.

In a rare occurrence at the time, the fans demanded the single release, and the label didn’t expect it. While covers are not strangers to the Hot 100’s crowning position, a live cover, with no accompanying studio version topping the chart is an extreme rarity. It is also only the eighth song to top the chart as performed by two different acts, joining songs such as “The Loco-Motion,” “When A Man Loves A Woman” and “You Keep Me Hangin’ On” which also hold the honor. While the song was a return to form for Carey after the underperformance of “Make It Happen,” it also marked Carey’s breakthrough outside of North America. The song cracked the top 20 of the charts in a number of European markets and would begin a trend of European interest in Carey’s non-composed recordings.

Over the years she has frequently incorporated the song into set lists for tours and live televised appearances, most notably performing it at the memorial service for Michael Jackson. She also gained two Grammy nominations for her performance, but in a noticeable trend at the Grammys, found herself leaving empty-handed. Despite the lack of a Grammy, the song remains one of her most well-known covers worldwide and helped propel her to yet another level of superstardom.

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After the trifecta of “Vision of Love”, “Love Takes Time” and “Someday” all soaring to number one from her debut album, Mariah Carey finished out the US promotion of her first body of work with the slow-burning, intense-climaxing “I Don’t Wanna Cry.” The song went on to be Carey’s fourth consecutive number one single, and made Carey the first artist since the Jackson 5 to have their first four singles hit number one in the United States.

I Don’t Wanna

Carey has stated in a currently un-receipt-able MTV interview that she is not a fan of “I Don’t Wanna Cry.” Like many of the songs on her debut she campaigned to co-produce it and was shot down by her label, Columbia Records. Perhaps as a result, there were apparent clashes in the studio between her and the producer/co-writer. That producer and co-writer, is the now-legendary Narada Michael Walden.

He was responsible for helping revive one of Carey’s idols, Aretha Franklin’s career. Together in mid-80’s Aretha & Narada unleashed “Freeway Of Love” and Franklin’s second/most recent number one “I Knew You Were Waiting (For Me)” (a duet with another Carey favorite, George Michael). Walden’s place in music is also cemented for his work with Whitney Houston. Narada is responsible for now-classics “How Will I Know”, “I Want To Dance with Somebody (Who Loves Me)”, and “So Emotional.” Considering Carey’s musical inspirations, pairing her with Walden’s seemed like a no-brainer at the time to the label. There have also been murmurs that Mariah would have preferred to continue working with Ben Marguiles. Mariah and Ben worked with exclusively on her demo tape and debut album up until this point.

Collaborating with Narada

Walden also provided additional production on Carey’s  debut single “Vision of Love”, as well as “There’s Got To Be A Way”. Despite the reports that they clashed in the studio, Narada recalled the situation to Fred Bronson in The Billboard Book of #1 Hits with a positive spin:

“Mariah is very astute in the studio, very picky. I don’t mean to make it sound like a negative; for her, it’s a positive, because she knows she wants to hear herself sound a certain way. For example, there’s a lick on ‘I Don’t Wanna Cry’ that I was really happy with, and I think at first she was, too. But after she lived with it, she wanted us to fix it. I don’t even know if we fixed it two or three times, but I had to fly the tape back to her in New York. She went in the studio, fixed that lick, and added other stuff onto it. I called her back and said, ‘Look, I used your new lick on that one thing because you like it, but the other stuff you’re adding on, you really don’t need.’ Then she gave in.

He also compared working with Mariah to his experience with George Michael. He remembers having to make both of them stop singing, because they would just go in and re-sing over and over again. However, he understands why she was so meticulous. It was her debut album, and “she really wanted it to be special (Bronson).”

A Standard Mariah Ballad

The song itself reads now reads like a standard Mariah ballad. It tells the story of love on the outs, and features an acoustic guitar-driven instrumentation. That guitar could be seen as a precursor to a few Toni Braxton hits (“Un-Break My Heart,” “Spanish Guitar”), as well as Carey’s own future #1 “My All” and album cut “Thanx 4 Nothin’.” She sings of her diminishing relationship as she flexes her vocal control. This all leads up to the song’s epic crescendo, where she vocally lets loose and drives home the song. It also lines up well with sounds of the time. “I Don’t Wanna Cry” could very easily have been a hit for the likes of Whitney Houston, had Mariah narrowed her musical expressions to strictly to songwriting.

Walden’s intention for working on “I Don’t Wanna Cry” with Carey was to evoke the nostalgia of slowed down, gut-wrenching moments in music such as Percy Sledge’s “When A Man Loves A Woman” and Chuck Jackson’s “I Don’t Want To Cry.” Pair that big-ballad mentality with Walden’s at-the-time signature drums, and the result was destined to reach the heights it did. Critical reception for “I Don’t Wanna Cry” was overall positive, most notably being called the best track on her debut by a reviewer from Rolling Stone.

Video And Live

The video for “I Don’t Wanna Cry” features Carey lamenting her wavering love in and around a midwestern home and in the presumed property prominently featuring a maize. There were several alternating versions of the video that floated around over the years. Carey performed the song live while on her Daydream Tour in 1996. To the knowledge of most she only performed the song again upon the inception of her #1 To Infinity show in Las Vegas, where she sings it during every show.

Legacy

“I Don’t Wanna Cry” may hold a less-than-dignified place in Carey’s mind. In the hearts of the fans it may not rank as high as hits such as “Honey,” “Vision Of Love,” and “We Belong Together.” Historians of music may find themselves sweeping it under the floor. Regardless, the detractors can only take so much from this song. It reached number one, planting Carey in a historical position next to the Jackson 5. Plus, it captivated the attention of the radio-driven US population, even if only for two weeks.

Stream Mariah Carey’s “I Don’t Wanna Cry”

Read our other pieces exploring Mariah’s historic number one records.

The post “I Don’t Wanna Cry” … the ballad of Mariah Carey’s historical fourth #1 appeared first on THE 97.

In 2008, leading her first album in 3 years, E=MC², Mariah Carey released the slinky “Touch My Body.” The song Entertainment Weekly called “deliciously sexy” would be another record breaker for Carey. It became her 18th #1 on the Hot 100, the most for any solo artist. “Touch My Body” sold 286,000 downloads, the most digital singles ever sold in a week by a female up to that point. At the time Gawker’s Rich Juzwiak commented that the song was “so ubiquitous that it’s kind of hard to imagine what radio was like before it.” Carey wrote and produced the song with the famous team of The-Dream and Tricky, as well as Cristyle Johnson. She has said they were influenced by old-school hip-hop.

Critical Acclaim

Billboard noted Carey’s use of “harmonic layers.” Slant described Carey’s vocal as “coquettish.” Then, of course, there was that great melody. Billboard noted the song has “a chorus as catchy as a winter sniffle.” Meanwhile, Entertainment Weekly highlighted a piano cover of the song and noted Carey’s gift for melody. “Touch My Body” was also another example that showed how Carey had been a leader in merging pop and urban music. As Newsday writer Glenn Gamboa noted, the single has “street-wise touches” but also elements of “balladry.” Perhaps most succinctly, Blender summarized the single as, “A pop genius making genius pop.”

The lyrics of “Touch My Body” found Carey at her most cheeky and overtly sexy. The song features notable pop culture references (to YouTube and Wendy Williams). Perhaps most notably, Carey warns her potential lover that if he publicizes their romance “I will hunt you down.” Jamieson Cox of Time referred to it all as “relaxed silliness.”

Video

The video for “Touch My Body” was directed by Brett Ratner. It famously features 30 Rock‘s Jack McBrayer as an IT worker who comes to Carey’s aid. Though it’s not in the way he fantasizes. The humorous video features several instances of Carey winking her eye at her diva image. The opening scene has Carey answering her door in nothing but an open robe and lingerie. That would seem to be a nod to the criticisms that Carey doesn’t wear much clothing. A later scene shows Carey walking a unicorn. ‘Unicorn’ is a word press had joked would be a likely Carey album title due to its girly, one-word nature.

“I will hunt you down”

The “Touch My Body” video hit #1 on TRL. It was one of the most streamed videos of 2008. It even landed on the top 10 for the year at MTV.com and the 2nd most watched video on Yahoo Music. The video won a BET Award and landed Carey an MTV Video Music Award nomination for Female Video. It was also named one of the best music videos of the 2000s by Complex Magazine.

Legacy

“Touch My Body” managed to leave a strong mark on pop culture impact, too. In addition to the memorable video and its impact, R. Kelly and Aretha Franklin each paid tribute to the track. Kelly released an unofficial remix of the song. Meanwhile, Franklin performed the song in a few concerts. Madonna, who’s never been a fan of Mariah or her music, mentioned in interviews that she liked the song and worked out to the track. TV personality Gayle King called it a favorite of hers and sang “Touch My Body” during a dare on Rachel Ray’s talk show in May 2008. Jay Leno featured someone performing the song in one of his Jaywalk segments. Ross the Intern from the show sang it in one of his video blogs.

“Touch My Body” may not go down as one of Carey’s most enduring #1s like “Fantasy” or “Hero.” However, it showcased her unwavering ability to tap into the masses and was a strong addition to her legacy.

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“Thank God I Found You” was the second single from the album (released in January of 2000) and followed in the footsteps of lead single “Heartbreaker” – it became yet another #1 hit for the diva, her 15th. It also secured Mariah her 11th straight year of #1 singles – she had had one every year from 1990 until 2000. Of equal significance, the song was also the final track on Rainbow and follows the title track (interlude). In that interlude she sings, “I know there is a rainbow for me to follow to get beyond my sorrow, thunder precedes a sunlight, and I’ll be alright, if I can find that rainbow’s end.” The love ballad follows, symbolizing finding true love at the end of a stormy time.

#? of The #1’s

Otherwise, the song kind of falls short. Most fans agree that it is their least favorite in Carey’s long list of #1’s. It is an unremarkable ballad, with an unsurprisingly impressive vocal from Carey. The song features vocals from R&B crooner Joe and pop boy band 98 Degrees. Although the combination is still worth note – it is one that would have only happened in 1999.

The late 90s and early 2000s were an interesting time for Pop music. Of course, commercially, it was perhaps the industry’s golden years. Music sold like hot cakes and pop-tarts like Britney, Backstreet Boys, *NSYNC, etc. took over the scene. At the same time, big-voiced divas like Mariah, Whitney and Celine still had a stronghold on radio. Crossover R&B solo acts like Brandy and R. Kelly, or groups like Destiny’s Child and Next flourished too. “Thank God I Found You” by Mariah Carey, Joe and 98 Degrees encapsulates this moment in Pop music history better than perhaps any other song. It’s a vocal diva, an R&B male, and a pop boy band singing a clichéd piano-driven love ballad. What better sonic time capsule of the late 90s can you ask for?

The Classic Mariah Carey Remix Treatment

Well, Mariah has an answer for that question, too. There was another genre untouched by “Thank God I Found You” – a favorite of Mariah’s – hip-hop. The song’s R&B remix is actually a re-interpretation of Keith Sweat’s 1988 single “Make It Last Forever.” More or less, it is a cover, with a retooled instrumental (helmed by DJ Clue). Some alterations to the lyric to include “thank god I found you” references – and a rap from hip-hop icon Nas. Since 1995, Mariah had been an innovator, known for her ability effortlessly combine pop, R&B and hip-hop in her songs and remixes. The “Make It Last Remix” of “Thank God I Found You” is no different. Collaborating with Nas (and again with Joe) for this cover-of-a-quiet-storm-R&B-ballad-as-a-remix-of-a-pop-ballad-featuring-an-iconic-rapper is distinctly, uniquely Mariah. None of her peers dared. The original may have been long ignored by fans and even by the diva herself. However, its remix made “Thank God I Found You” last forever indeed.

Photo Credit: The Mariah Network

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