"#Beautiful" | ||||
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Single by Mariah Carey featuring Miguel | ||||
from the album Me. I Am Mariah... The Elusive Chanteuse | ||||
Released | May 6, 2013 | |||
Recorded | 2013 | |||
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Genre | ||||
Length | 3:22 | |||
Label | Island Def Jam | |||
Songwriter(s) |
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Mariah Carey singles chronology | ||||
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Miguel singles chronology | ||||
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Music video | ||||
"#Beautiful (Explicit Version)" on YouTube |
"#Beautiful" is a song recorded by American singers Mariah Carey and Miguel. It was released as the lead single from Carey's fourteenth studio album, Me. I Am Mariah... The Elusive Chanteuse (2014). "#Beautiful" was written by Carey,Miguel,Nathan Perez,Brooke Davis,Mac Robinson,and Brian Keith Warfield,with Carey,Miguel and Perez producing the song. Released on May 6,2013,Carey and Miguel did not reveal that they had collaborated on the song,until April 25,2013,when Carey revealed the title in a 25-second teaser video during season twelve of American Idol . It was also on Idol,on May 9,that Carey premiered the official music video for "#Beautiful",before uploading an alternative edit to her VEVO account,that is set to the explicit version of the song.
"#Beautiful" is a mid-tempo and stripped down R&B track. It received generally positive reviews from music critics,many of whom were complimentary of Carey's decision to collaborate with Miguel. After garnering an audience impression of 31 million in its first two days of radio airplay,the song debuted at number 44 on the US Radio Songs chart. Carey taped a performance of the song along with a medley of her greatest hits on May 15,2013;the taping aired the following day on the Season 12 finale episode of American Idol.
"#Beautiful" peaked at number 15 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and at number three on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart in the United States. It received a double Platinum certification from the Recording Industry Association of America and is her thirteenth single which shipped over a million copies. It also peaked at number six on the Australian Singles Chart and has also received a platinum certification by the Australian Recording Industry Association and gold certification from Recorded Music NZ.
"#Beautiful" was written and produced by Mariah Carey and Miguel. [1] Rumors that Carey and Miguel had collaborated on a song together began when the pair were tweeting to each other on April 3,2013,when Carey tweeted to Miguel praising his Saturday Night Live performance. [3] She also revealed that they had crossed paths in a recording studio. On April 18,2013,Carey revealed that she had finished mixing the lead single from her upcoming fourteenth studio album. [3] On April 21,2013,sound mixer Fletcher Allison revealed that he had been on set of a music video directed by Joseph Kahn which involved Carey and Miguel;the tweet was later deleted. [3] The deleted tweet read "Working on a Mariah Carey and Miguel video for the man Joseph Kahn ... Wouldn't trade this for 1,000 Coachellas". [3] Miguel refused to confirm if the collaboration between himself and Carey was true or not. When asked by an interviewer what he thought a collaboration with Carey would sound like,if the rumors were true,he responded with "I think it would sound beautiful. I think it's a great juxtaposition". He continued to reveal that he has admired Carey for a very long time and admired her as an artist,saying "I mean I fell in love with Mariah Carey when she walked out of the pool in [the 'Honey' video in 1997]. That 'Honey' video,that was it. And I've had a huge crush on her ever since. And,so,if we ever do have a chance,you know all respect to [Carey's husband] Nick [Cannon],all love. I think I have a huge crush more on her as a musician,and I think it would be really great". [3]
"I'm always looking for something that I haven't seen before," he told Billboard. "[Also] something that's going to make an impact [by] using simple elements but creatively so it makes people think a bit."
On April 25, 2013, Carey premiered a 25-second teaser video on American Idol . [5] Over a guitar lick, the video revealed that Miguel would appear as a featured artist and that the song would be called "#Beautiful", accompanied by a message which read "The new era begins". [5] Other aspects of the teaser showed a motorbike and Carey giggling. [6] The song premiered on May 6, 2013, [7] and was released for digital download on the US iTunes store the next day. [8] It officially impacted US Mainstream and Rhythmic radio on May 7, 2013. [9] On the day of its premiere on May 6, 2013, Clear Channel Media and Entertainment launched the single with a day-long world premiere event across more than 230 Clear Channel radio stations nationwide. Beginning 7am, "#Beautiful" played at the top of each hour until 11pm on Top 40, Rhythmic, AC, Hot AC and Urban stations. [10]
The artwork for "#Beautiful" was released on May 3, 2013. It features Carey stroking her face with her eyes closed and Miguel peering back over his shoulder at her through Aviator sunglasses. [11] Sam Lansky for Idolator wrote that the release of the artwork confirmed that the song truly is called "#Beautiful" (hashtag beautiful), not "Beautiful", which is #dark (hashtag dark) and #depressing (hashtag depressing)." [12] He expressed disappointment at how the pictures of Carey and Miguel are from the music video teaser and is not something new or different, writing that is displays Carey running her hands up her neck and messing about with her hair. [12] Lansky was also critical of the artwork's font, writing "And the same old font that she's been using for a decade? And a butterfly icon replacing an ampersand? No. No, Mariah. Branding is one thing, but you are due for an upgrade". [12] He concluded his review of the artwork by saying that the bar is set low because of one of Carey's previous single, "Triumphant (Get 'Em)", failing to achieve commercial success, and that if "#Beautiful" was revealed to be a good song, he would forgive her. [12]
"#Beautiful" is a mid-tempo and stripped down pop, R&B and soul music song which lasts for a duration of three minutes and 22 seconds. [1] [8] [2] [13] Carey's "big vocals" combined with Miguel's "signature eclectic rock and roll sound" results in "#Beautiful" having an old school vibe to it reminiscent of the Stax Records/Motown Records era, [14] according to a reviewer for The Honesty Hour. [15] The instrumental of the song begins with a "simple, twangy guitar lick"; Brian Mansfield for USA Today compared the opening to something that Steve Cropper may have created for American singer Carla Thomas "back in the day". [14] It features a prominent an "immediately embeddable" and "creeping" guitar line with "cracking" percussion and bass line which "screams" Motown, according to Jason Lipshutz for Billboard . [1] [2]
The song opens with a verse performed by Miguel, which begins with the lyrics "Hop on the back of my bike, let the cool wind blow through your hair". [2] At first, it does not appear to sound as though it is a song by Carey, as Miguel performs the first 90 seconds. [14] Carey and Miguel embark on a motorbike cruise at sunset, as he sings about her beauty in the lyrics "let the moonlight kiss your skin". [1] After the first 90 seconds, Carey assumes the lead artist role and performs the rest of "#Beautiful". [14] Carey responds with "I like when you run red lights, don't stop till you thrill me", which Randall Roberts for Los Angeles Times thought would alarm mothers and police officers. [1] After Carey sings the line "Take me anywhere", she releases a little giggle. [1] "#Beautiful" ends with a textured layering of both Carey's and Miguel's vocals which gradually fade as the song draws to a close. [1]
'"#Beautiful" received positive reviews from music critics. Randall Roberts for the Los Angeles Times wrote that when he read that another music critic Maura Johnston had declared "#Beautiful" as 2013's "song of the summer" on the day its premiere, he was dismissive of the claim, and did not feel it was necessary to rush to listen to the song. [1] He expressed "skepticism and dread" at the thought, as he felt that a song with a hashtag in the title, the song being called "#Beautiful", which he feels is an over used word, Roberts branded the song as "Silly, trendy and typical" before listening to it. [1] He further wrote that when he put his headphones into his computer, he was worried that Carey would sing the word "hashtag" in the lyrics, but after listening to the song in its entirety, he proclaimed it as a "perfect pop song". [1] He was complimentary of the songs instrumental and production, and described it as "seductive". [1] Roberts also wrote that although Carey does not enter the song until a third of the way through, she matches Miguel's "glorious tone with the confidence of someone who knows she can lift her verse to equal whatever comes her way" with a "glorious tone". [1] A reviewer for Rap-Up wrote that "#Beautiful" is perfect for the summer. [16]
Jenna Hally Rubenstein for MTV Buzzworthy wrote that the song features "Miguel's soothing R&B pipes and Mariah's 1991-sounding ethereal vocals" and continued to compliment the songs overall appeal. [17] Brian Mansfield for USA Today felt that the Stax/Motown influence is what makes "#Beautiful" "such a winner", as it represents Carey's return to form in an altogether unexpected way. [14] Jordan Sargent for Spin praised the song, writing that "#Beautiful" is what summer is made of. [18] A reviewer for Idolator called the song a "nod to old-school R&B" and wrote that Carey takes advantage of Twitter and the appeal of it by including a hashtag in the song's title. [13] Carrie Battan for Pitchfork Media was critical of the use of the hashtag in the song's title, but applauded it for featuring Miguel, [19] and said that the song had "the finger-snapping R&B throwback charm that sounds primed for repeat play through the summer". [20] Aisha Harris of Slate also said "#Beautiful" could be one of the hits of the summer, calling it "a breezy duet" that "is pure pop, and it sounds great." At the 2013 Teen Choice Awards, "#Beautiful" was nominated in the category of Best R&B Hip/Hip Song. [21]
Carey stated that there are 5 official remixes for "#Beautiful". The first remix has a new guest verse by rapper A$AP Rocky. [22] The second remix is in spanglish and is titled "#Hermosa". [23] The third remix is a dance remix by Louie Vega. [24] The fourth remix features Young Jeezy. It has a reworked beat by DJ Mustard and features brand new re-recorded vocals by Carey. [25] The fifth and final remix is another dance remix, this time by Sidney Samson. [26] On July 23, 2013, Carey played a snippet of a 6th remix of the song, stating: "I re-sang new vocals for a hot new dance remix that is coming your way very very soon, and I wanted to play a little snippet, which is for laughs, very old school moments, here we go!". [27]
"#Beautiful" debuted at number four on the US Bubbling Under Hot 100 chart on Thursday May 9, 2013. [29] The following week, after airplay and digital sales were counted from the previous week, "#Beautiful" made its debut on the Billboard Hot 100 chart at number 24, the highest debut of the week. It has since peaked at 15, becoming Carey's 33rd Top 20 Hit, and being one of only 5 to miss the Top 10. It also gave Miguel his 3rd Top 20 hit, after Power Trip (2013) and Adorn (2012). [30] "#Beautiful" debuted on the Adult Contemporary chart at number 23 and on the Adult Pop Songs chart at number 35. [28] On the Hot Digital Songs chart, "#Beautiful" debuted at number 10 with first week digital download sales of 114,000. [30] It is Carey's eighth top 10 single on the chart, and is her first song to do so since her 2009 single "Obsessed", which peaked at number seven. [30] According to Nielsen SoundScan, "#Beautiful" had sold 1.5 million copies in the United States as of July 2017. [31]
On the R&B charts, it debuted at number 39 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart for the week ending May 18, 2013, due to strong airplay in its first two days of release. [32] and jumped to number seven the following week. [32] On the R&B Songs chart, "#Beautiful" debuted at number 16 for the week ending May 18, 2013, and rose to number two the following week, barred by Justin Timberlake's and Jay-Z's song "Suit & Tie". [33] It also debuted at number two on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Digital Songs chart, being held off of the top spot by Macklemore and Ryan Lewis ' song "Can't Hold Us", featuring Ray Dalton. [34] It debuted at number 22 on the Pop Songs chart. [28] It is Carey's third-highest debut on the chart, behind "Dreamlover", which holds the record for the highest debut at number 12, and "Endless Love" at number 20. [28] With this, Carey ups her tally to 30 entries on the chart and is tied in second place with Britney Spears; only Rihanna has more entries with 35. [28] It is the second chart entry for Miguel, whose first song on the chart, "Adorn", peaked at number 35 in December 2012. [28] "#Beautiful" entered the Rhythmic Top 40 at number 22. Carey extends her record for the most chart entries with 37; Rihanna is in second place with 35. [28]
In Europe, the song debuted in Ireland, where it entered the singles chart at number 86 on May 9, 2013. [35] On May 11, 2013, "#Beautiful" debuted at number 68 in the Netherlands. [36] In the United Kingdom, the song debuted at number nine on the UK R&B Chart on May 12, 2013, [37] and rose to number four the following week. [38] It remained at number four in its third week. [39] It debuted at number 39 on the UK Singles Chart on May 12, 2013, [40] and climbed to number 27 the following week. [41] In its third week, it rose three positions to number 24. [42] It has peaked at number 23 on the UK Digital Chart. [43] In New Zealand the song has reached the top ten and peaked at number 10 on the New Zealand Singles Chart. [44]
The music video for "#Beautiful" was directed by Joseph Kahn, who previously directed the music video for Carey's "Boy (I Need You)" (2003). It was filmed on April 21 and 22, 2013. The video was supposed to have its world premiere on American Idol on May 8, 2013, however, the release date was pushed back to May 9, 2013, instead. [2] It was made available to view on Vevo and YouTube immediately after its television debut. [2] The video has a simple production and it lasts for 3 minutes and 22 seconds where Carey appears wearing a short yellow dress with a jump read shoe line done by the French designer Christian Louboutin. [45] [46] Shortly before its launch, Khan posted on his Twitter: "The video is really simple. Had not much time to produce it. But Mariah is beautiful. Taste of simplicity." [47] In May 2013, Carey released the video with images of the backstage [48] and by May 27 Carey uploaded the explicit version of the song through her VEVO account titled "#Beautiful (Explicit Version)". [49]
The video starts with Carey riding on the back of Miguel's bike as he asks her through the lyrics of the song to hop on the back of your bike. Images are interspersed with scenes of Carey running her hands through the air while she and Miguel ride into the sunset. Carey makes various movements with her body around a barn, while Miguel sits in a red convertible. [50] Mariah is then illuminated by the headlights, and Miguel is dazzled by her beauty.
Sam Lansky of Idolator commented that "the clip is not complicated, it's basically an opportunity for Mariah look amazing, what she does! Her body is sexy and she seems to have about half her age in a superior culture". [51] Malachi of The Honesty Hour commented on the work: "Carey felt all over herself for most of the video" and "Miguel seemed very soft in his biker gear, too. still said that video is a great addition to the single". [52] Jason Lipshutz of Billboard described the clip as "flirtatious", noting that it only provides a platform different from Mimi to be a diva, "Carey rotates with a short yellow dress for him [Miguel], the brightness of the headlights provide a spotlight for the singer improvised. [53] James Robertson of the British newspaper Daily Mirror commented that "the song could have been written about stuffed animals or how cement – Mariah Carey would have still found a way to make the music video sexy. [54]
A brand new video for the Spanglish version of the song, "#Hermosa", was filmed on June 17, 2013, in Capri, Italy. [55] It was released on July 1, 2013, via Carey's official VEVO account. [56] [57] On July 7, 2013, Carey filmed a third video, this time for the song's remix featuring Young Jeezy. It was directed by Nick Cannon in New York City. While on set, Carey had an injury. In an interview, Cannon stated: "She was in this nice, beautiful gown, heels on and everything, and was kind of on this platform and reached and slipped and fell on her whole side, It was pretty serious. Not only did she dislocate her shoulder, she actually cracked a rib, and chipped her shoulder bone......She's such a trooper, like I was gonna rush her to the hospital, [but] she was like "you get back in there and finish the video"....and then after they put the shoulder back in place and bandaged her all up, she came back to the [set] early in the morning and finished out everything....So, she was like this better be a good video after all this pain I went through". [58] [59] On July 23, 2013, Carey stated: "We finished editing the #Beautiful remix video with Jeezy". Carey's physical therapist Samantha also gave an insight on Carey's condition: "When I started working with MC about two weeks ago, I was actually really surprised that she had even done the Central Park show because of how serious these injuries are. I was amazed that she actually went on stage. If people could actually see it, they'd understand the severity of what's going on. Despite that, she's been recovering nicely and we're focusing on helping her recover as quickly as possible. But if any of you know what an injury is, it's a long road to recovery. We're dealing right now with a dislocated shoulder, fractured rib, nerve injury...But MC's a navy seal, like I told her, she's a navy seal and she's really good at smiling through the pain... Like anyone else, it's gonna take some time to heal but she's strong and she will be back. She will be back!". [27]
Carey taped a performance of "#Beautiful" along with a medley of her greatest hits on May 15, 2013. The medley included Carey's debut "Vision of Love", as well as other songs such as "Make it Happen", "We Belong Together", "My All", and "Hero". The taping aired the following day (May 16) during the American Idol Season 12 finale episode. [60] Many critics commented on Carey's vocal performance on the finale of the American Idol season. Lisa Timmons of Idolator said he had a good authority from a credible source who attended the performance of Carey, who undoubtedly was live. [61] A writer from People magazine said that "it was a vibration and yes, the vocal acrobatics of singer and current judge reality show was pre-recorded. [62] Carey also opened the 2013 Good Morning America Summer Concert Series on May 24, 2013, where she performed "#Beautiful" as part of her set list along with number-one hits "Always Be My Baby" and "We Belong Together". [5] [15]
Carey performed the song with Miguel on June 2, 2013, at Hot 97's Summer Jam XX festival. [63] She performed the remix of the song with Young Jeezy and Miguel on June 30, 2013, at the BET Awards. [64] The singer pre-taped her performance of the song along with "Hero" and "America The Beautiful" on June 27, 2013, for the Macy's Fourth of July Spectacular, which aired on NBC on July 4. [65] On July 13, 2013, Carey performed "#Beautiful" at the Major League Baseball All-Star Charity concert for Sandy Relief at Central Park in New York City. The other songs that Carey performed were "Hero", "My All", and "Looking In", a song from her fifth studio album released in 1995, Daydream , which she had never sung live before. Carey had to drop "We Belong Together" from the setlist due to painful breathing and fractured ribs, result of an accident a few days back. Additionally, due to her dislocated shoulder, the singer wore three bedazzled, fur-and feather-draped slings, two that matched her white outfit, and one that matched her black outfit; the slings were designed by Gucci. [66] [67]
Credits adapted from the liner notes of Me. I Am Mariah... The Elusive Chanteuse. [72]
Recording
Personnel
Weekly charts | Year-end charts
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Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
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Australia (ARIA) [112] | Platinum | 70,000^ |
New Zealand (RMNZ) [113] | Gold | 7,500* |
United Kingdom (BPI) [114] | Silver | 200,000‡ |
United States (RIAA) [115] | 2× Platinum | 2,000,000‡ |
Streaming | ||
Denmark (IFPI Danmark) [116] | Gold | 900,000† |
* Sales figures based on certification alone. |
Country | Date | Format | Version | Label |
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United States | May 7, 2013 | Digital download [8] | Original | |
Rhythmic radio [9] | ||||
May 20, 2013 | Digital download | Explicit [117] | ||
May 21, 2013 [118] | Mainstream radio | Original | ||
June 27, 2013 [119] | Digital download | Remix featuring ASAP Rocky | ||
July 1, 2013 | Remix featuring Young Jeezy [120] | |||
"#Hermosa" – Spanglish version [121] |
"We Belong Together" is a song by American singer-songwriter Mariah Carey from her tenth studio album, The Emancipation of Mimi (2005). The song was released on March 15, 2005, through Island Records, as the second single from the album. "We Belong Together" was written by Carey, Jermaine Dupri, Manuel Seal, and Johntá Austin and produced by the former three. Since the song interpolates lyrics from Bobby Womack's "If You Think You're Lonely Now" (1981) and the Deele's "Two Occasions" (1987), the songwriters of those respective songs are credited. "We Belong Together" is built on a simple piano arrangement with an understated backbeat. The lyrics chronicle a woman's desperation for her former lover to return.
"Heartbreaker" is a song by American singer-songwriter Mariah Carey featuring American rapper Jay-Z for her seventh studio album Rainbow (1999). It was released on August 23, 1999, by Columbia Records as the lead single from Rainbow. The song was written by the artists and produced by Carey and DJ Clue, with additional writers being credited for the hook being built around a sample from "Attack of the Name Game" by Stacy Lattisaw. "Heartbreaker" pushed Carey even further into the R&B and hip hop market, becoming her second commercial single to feature a rapper. Lyrically, the song describes lovesickness towards an unfaithful partner.
"Loverboy" is a song by American singer and songwriter Mariah Carey. It was released on June 19, 2001, by Virgin Records America as the lead single from her eighth studio album Glitter, the soundtrack to the 2001 film of the same name. Written and produced by Carey, Larry Blackmon, Thomas Jenkins and Clark Kent, "Loverboy" is built around a sample from "Candy" by the funk band Cameo, who are also featured on the track. Lyrically, the song finds Carey fantasizing about her loverboy, a man that will fulfill her physical and sexual desires. The recording was accompanied by an official remix, titled "Loverboy Remix", featuring guest artists Ludacris, Da Brat, Shawnna and Twenty II.
"I Know What You Want" is a song by American rapper Busta Rhymes and singer Mariah Carey, featuring verses from Rhymes' group Flipmode Squad: Spliff Star, Baby Sham, Rah Digga, and Rampage. Produced by Rick Rock, it was released on February 24, 2003 as the second single from Rhymes' sixth album It Ain't Safe No More..., released on November 26, 2002.
American singer Mariah Carey has released 88 official singles, 22 promotional singles, and has made 30 guest appearances. Her self-titled debut album in 1990 yielded four number-one singles on the Billboard Hot 100, the first being "Vision of Love", a song credited with revolutionizing the usage of distinguished vocal stylings, predominantly the practice of melisma, and effectively influencing virtually every female R&B performer since the 1990s. Subsequent singles "Emotions" (1991) and Carey's cover of the Jackson 5 track "I'll Be There" (1992) continued the singer's streak of US number-one singles, with the latter becoming her fourth chart-topper in Canada and first in the Netherlands. With the release of Carey's third studio album, Music Box (1993), the singer's international popularity surged upon release of "Hero" and the album's third single, her cover of Harry Nilsson's "Without You", which became the singer's first number-one single in several countries across Europe.
"All I Want for Christmas Is You" is a song by American singer Mariah Carey from her fourth studio album and first holiday album, Merry Christmas (1994). Written and produced by Carey and Walter Afanasieff, the song was released as the lead single from the album on October 29, 1994, by Columbia Records. The track is an uptempo love song that includes bell chimes, backing vocals, and synthesizers. It has received critical acclaim, with The New Yorker describing it as "one of the few worthy modern additions to the holiday canon". The song has become a Christmas standard, with a significant rise in popularity every December.
"Anytime You Need a Friend" is a song by American singer and songwriter Mariah Carey. The song was written and produced by Carey and Walter Afanasieff, for her third studio album, Music Box (1993). It was released on May 24, 1994, through Columbia Records, as the fifth and final single from the album. The song is influenced by pop, R&B and gospel genres. While the album focused heavily on pop oriented and radio friendly material, "Anytime You Need a Friend" deviated from the formula, finishing as the only gospel-infused song on Music Box. Lyrically, the song's protagonist tells her love interest that anytime he may need a friend, she will be there unconditionally for him. Throughout the song's bridge and climax, critics noted the lyrics altering from those of a friend, to those of a lover.
"Emotions" is a song recorded by American singer-songwriter Mariah Carey for her second studio album of the same name (1991). It was written and produced by Carey, Robert Clivillés, and David Cole of C+C Music Factory and released as the album's lead single on August 13, 1991 by Columbia Records. The song's lyrics has its protagonist going through a variety of emotions from high to low, up to the point where she declares, "You got me feeling emotions." Musically, it is a gospel and R&B song heavily influenced by 1970s disco music and showcases Carey's upper range and extensive use of the whistle register. Jeff Preiss directed the song's music video.
"My All" is a song by American singer-songwriter Mariah Carey from her sixth studio album, Butterfly (1997). It was released as the album's fifth single overall and second commercial single on April 21, 1998, by Columbia Records. The song was written and produced by Carey and Walter Afanasieff. "My All" is built around Latin guitar chord melodies, and makes subtle use of Latin percussion throughout the first chorus, before taking on a more conventional R&B-style beat. Carey was inspired to write the song and use Latin inspired melodies after a trip to Puerto Rico, where she was influenced by the culture. The song's lyrics tell of a lonely woman declaring she would give "her all" to have just one more night with her estranged lover. It is the first song Carey wrote for the Butterfly album.
"Fantasy" is a song by the American singer-songwriter Mariah Carey. It was released on August 23, 1995, by Columbia Records as the lead single from her fifth album, Daydream (1995). The track was written and produced by Carey and Dave Hall. It samples Tom Tom Club's 1981 song "Genius of Love". The lyrics describe a woman who is in love with a man, and how every time she sees him she starts fantasizing about an impossible relationship with him. The remix for the song features rap verses from Ol' Dirty Bastard, something Carey arranged to assist in her crossover into the hip-hop market and credited for introducing R&B and hip hop collaboration into mainstream pop culture, and for popularizing rap as a featuring act.
"Honey" is a song by American singer and songwriter Mariah Carey from her sixth studio album, Butterfly (1997). It was released as the lead single from Butterfly on July 29, 1997, by Columbia Records. The song was written and produced by Carey, Sean Combs, Kamaal "Q-Tip" Fareed and Steven "Stevie J" Jordan. The song samples "Hey DJ" by World-Famous Supreme Team and "The Body Rock" by the Treacherous Three. "Honey" was a redefining song in Carey's career, pushing her further into the hip hop scene.
"Shake It Off" is a song recorded by American singer-songwriter Mariah Carey for her tenth studio album, The Emancipation of Mimi (2005). It was written and produced by Carey along with Jermaine Dupri, Bryan-Michael Cox, and Johntá Austin. The song was serviced to radio on July 11, 2005, by Island and Mercury Records as the album's third single in the United States, while "Get Your Number" served as the album's third single elsewhere. Described by Dupri as "ghetto," the track is a R&B song that makes use of pop and hip hop influences and a simple, sparse production. Lyrically, the song follows Carey as she moves on from her relationship with an unfaithful lover, packing her things and breaking up with him over an answering machine.
"Don't Forget About Us" is a song by American R&B singer and songwriter Mariah Carey. It was written by Carey, Jermaine Dupri, Bryan-Michael Cox and Johntá Austin, and produced by Carey, Dupri and Cox. On October 10, 2005, it was released as the lead single from the reissue of her tenth studio album, The Emancipation of Mimi:Ultra Platinum Edition (2005). The song is influenced by R&B and hip hop soul music genres, and lyrically chronicles the emotions felt by the protagonist after the loss of their relationship. Carey explained that the true meaning of the song is to be interpreted by the listener, therefore not disclosing its entire meaning publicly.
"I Still Believe" is a song written and composed by Antonina Armato and Giuseppe Cantarelli, and originally recorded by pop singer Brenda K. Starr for her eponymous second studio album, Brenda K. Starr (1987). It is a ballad in which the singer is confident she and her former boyfriend will be together again one day. It is Starr's biggest hit in the United States, reaching the top-twenty on the Billboard Hot 100 and being considered her signature song. "I Still Believe" was covered by American singer Mariah Carey, a former backup singer for Starr before she achieved success, for her #1's album in 1998 and released as a single in 1999. It was also recorded by Cantopop singer Sandy Lam in 1989.
"Touch My Body" is a song by American singer and songwriter Mariah Carey, released as the lead single from her eleventh studio album, E=MC² (2008), on February 12, 2008, by Island Records. Carey co-produced the song with Tricky Stewart, and they co-wrote it with Crystal "Cri$tyle" Johnson and Terius "The-Dream" Nash. The song's lyrics feature a double message, with the first describing sexual fantasies with her lover, while also jokingly warning him against recording or releasing information regarding their rendezvous.
"Bye Bye" is a song recorded by American singer and songwriter Mariah Carey for her eleventh studio album E=MC² (2008). She co-wrote the song with its producers Mikkel S. Eriksen, Tor Erik Hermansen and Johntá Austin. The pop and R&B track features a piano and keyboard-driven melody. Lyrically, it is a dialogue in between Carey and her deceased father throughout the verses, and a universal salute to departed loved ones on the chorus. The song was released as the second single from E=MC² on April 22, 2008, by Island Records.
"Oh Santa!" is a song by American singer and songwriter Mariah Carey from her second Christmas album and thirteenth studio album, Merry Christmas II You (2010). Carey wrote and produced the song in collaboration with Jermaine Dupri and Bryan-Michael Cox. It was released as the lead single from the album on October 1, 2010 by Island Def Jam Records. It is an up-tempo R&B song about Carey making a plea for Santa Claus to bring back her partner in time for the Christmas holidays. It received a positive response from music critics, with many praising its composition and style.
"You're Mine (Eternal)" is a song by American singer and songwriter Mariah Carey included on her fourteenth studio album, Me. I Am Mariah... The Elusive Chanteuse (2014). It premiered on February 12, 2014, as the third single from the album. It was written and produced by Carey with Rodney Jerkins. An R&B song, the lyrics revolve around the singer reminiscing about a past lover. Critical response to the song was positive: Carey's breathy vocal style and use of the whistle register at the climax earned praise from critics. It also drew several comparisons to one of Carey's previous singles, "We Belong Together" (2005).
Me. I Am Mariah... The Elusive Chanteuse is the fourteenth studio album by American singer-songwriter Mariah Carey, released on May 6, 2014, on Def Jam Recordings. The record had been in development since 2011; during its production, Carey hired collaborator Randy Jackson to manage her career, before firing and replacing him with another frequent collaborator, Jermaine Dupri. The album consists of guest appearances from Nas, Miguel, Wale, and Fabolous, in addition to Carey's twins Moroccan and Monroe. On the deluxe edition of the album, R. Kelly and Mary J. Blige respectively make appearances on remixes of two songs, "Betcha Gon’ Know" and "It's a Wrap", taken from Carey's twelfth studio album Memoirs of an Imperfect Angel (2009). These remixes were originally intended to appear on Carey's cancelled remix album, Angel's Advocate (2010).
"Big Energy" is a song by American rapper Latto. It was released through Streamcut and RCA Records on September 24, 2021, as the lead single from Latto's second studio album, 777 (2022). It was written by Latto, A1 LaFlare, Jaucquez Lowe, Randall Hammers, Theron Thomas, Dr. Luke, and Vaughn Oliver, with the latter two handling the production. Adrian Belew, Chris Frantz, Steven Stanley, and Tina Weymouth received songwriting credits since the song samples Tom Tom Club's 1981 song "Genius of Love". "Big Energy" has been described as pop and funk-rap.