"Can't Let Go" | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Single by Mariah Carey | ||||
from the album Emotions | ||||
B-side |
| |||
Released | November 1991 | |||
Recorded | 1991 | |||
Studio |
| |||
Genre | ||||
Length | 4:27 (album version)
| |||
Label | Columbia | |||
Composer(s) |
| |||
Lyricist(s) | Mariah Carey | |||
Producer(s) |
| |||
Mariah Carey singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
Music video | ||||
"Can't Let Go" on YouTube |
"Can't Let Go" is a song recorded by American singer-songwriter Mariah Carey for her second studio album, Emotions (1991). Columbia Records released it as the album's second single in November 1991. Featuring synthesizers and drum programming, "Can't Let Go" is a breakup song in the form of an R&B and pop slow jam. The lyrics, written by Carey, are about post-breakup sadness. She composed the music and produced the song with Walter Afanasieff, who had previously worked on her 1990 single "Love Takes Time". Carey's vocal range spans more than three octaves; her delivery is predominately breathy and in a low register, with whistle notes in the song's introduction and ending.
Music critics considered "Can't Let Go" a vocal showcase for Carey but gave the composition mixed reviews. In the United States, "Can't Let Go" received significant airplay across adult contemporary, contemporary hit, and urban contemporary radio formats. It peaked at number two on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and ended her streak of five consecutive number one songs dating to her debut, "Vision of Love". "Can't Let Go" also became her lowest-charting single in Australia, New Zealand, and the Netherlands, at the time. Elsewhere, the song peaked within the top ten on sales and airplay charts in Canada and at number twenty in the United Kingdom. The Recording Industry Association of America certified it gold.
Jim Sonzero directed the black and white music video, which depicts Carey singing alone in an empty house. She performed "Can't Let Go" on several American and British television programs such as MTV Unplugged , Saturday Night Live , and Top of the Pops . Carey sang it during her 2006 concert tour The Adventures of Mimi and the Las Vegas residencies The Butterfly Returns and The Celebration of Mimi. "Can't Let Go" is featured on her compilation albums Greatest Hits (2001) and The Ballads (2008).
After its release in June 1990, [1] American singer Mariah Carey's eponymous debut album sold over seven million copies and four of its singles reached number one on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart. [2] She resumed work with Walter Afanasieff in late 1990 for her second album Emotions (1991); he had produced the Mariah Carey single "Love Takes Time" earlier that year. [3] One of their first collaborations, "Can't Let Go", was recorded in 1991 after a demo received approval from Columbia Records executives. [4]
Columbia issued Emotions on September 17, 1991, with "Can't Let Go" as the third track. [1] [5] The song garnered unsolicited airplay from American urban contemporary radio stations after the album's release. [6] Columbia released it as a single in the United States in November 1991. [6] [7] "Can't Let Go" was the second single from Emotions, following the title track "Emotions". [8] Unlike the latter, "Can't Let Go" was only distributed as a cassette single and seven-inch vinyl single in the United States instead of additional maxi cassette, twelve-inch vinyl, and compact disc configurations. [9] Sony Music Japan released a mini CD single on December 5, 1991. [10] The B-side for most formats was dance track "To Be Around You", an album cut from Emotions. [11] [12] "Can't Let Go" was later included on Carey's compilation albums Greatest Hits (2001) and The Ballads (2008). [13]
Musically, "Can't Let Go" is an R&B and pop song in the form of a slow jam. [7] [14] Carey wrote the lyrics herself and composed the music with Afanasieff. [5] The lyrics of "Can't Let Go", a breakup song, [15] are about sadness after the end of a relationship: [16] "Do you know the way it feels when all you have just dies?" [17] Referring to the line "Every night I see you in my dreams", author Andrew Chan said the song is about "how the one who's been left behind turns the void into something graspable" [18] and French professor Beverly J. Evans stated it is indirectly influenced by the dream vision in the medieval poem Roman de la Rose . [19] According to John Martinucci of the Gavin Report , Carey evokes "feelings of a unity that's been cast away without resolution". [6] Sociology professor Thomas J. Scheff said the lyrics "My world is gone" and "But still you remain on my mind" show that the relationship in the song is defined by how a lover thinks they lack a future without the other who has moved on. [20]
"Can't Let Go" opens with a minute of synthesizer and guitar instrumentation interspersed with faint notes from Carey in the whistle register. [18] Chan thought this conjured "a sensation of space and distance" [18] and biographer Chris Nickson remarked it resembled a hymn. [21] Carey uses a nasal vocal delivery for the first word of the phrase "There you are" in the opening verse. Music professor Richard Rischar identified this as an example of the unique timbre patterns typically heard in ballads by Black artists. [22] Arranged in gospel-influenced harmonies, [7] Carey's vocals span three octaves and seven semitones from the low note of F3 to the high note of C7. [23] She remains in a low vocal register with a breathy delivery before concluding with a whistle note at the end of the song. [18] [21] [24]
According to official sheet music published by Hal Leonard, "Can't Let Go" has a moderate tempo of 80 beats per minute. [23] The album version lasts four minutes and twenty-seven seconds [25] and the edited single is three minutes and forty-nine seconds long. [7] Complemented by drum programming, synthesizers feature prominently throughout the track. [14] Assisted by Bruce Calder, Craig Silvey, Manny LaCarrubba, M. T. Silvia, and Lolly Grodner, Dana Jon Chappelle engineered "Can't Let Go" at Skywalker Sound in Marin County, California; The Plant Recording Studios in Sausalito, California; and Right Track Recording in New York City. After Afanasieff and Carey produced the song, Chappelle conducted mixing at Right Track Recording and Bob Ludwig mastered it at New York City's Masterdisk. "Can't Let Go" features guitars played by Michael Landau, keyboards and synthesizers from Afanasieff, and programming by Afanasieff, Ren Klyce, and Gary Cirimelli. [5]
Critics considered the composition moody and compared it to songs by other artists. [14] [26] [27] Billboard contributor Sal Cinquemani viewed it as a rewrite of "Make It Last Forever", a 1987 track by Keith Sweat. [14] Boston Phoenix writer Amy Linden said the production recalls "any '80s black pop song"; [28] Nickson said the song "could easily have been written in any decade from the fifties onward". [21] As with "Emotions" and "Make It Happen", the other singles from Emotions, "Can't Let Go" was the subject of a lawsuit. [29] Songwriters Sharon Taber and Randy Gonzales filed a claim in the United States District Court for the Central District of California against Carey, Afanasieff, and several music businesses in March 1992. They alleged the composition of the chorus in "Can't Let Go" is the same as that in their 1990 song "Right Before My Eyes". [30] The defendants rejected the accusation and the case was dropped in a 1996 confidential settlement ahead of an impending trial. [29] [30]
Review scores | |
---|---|
Source | Rating |
Accrington Observer | [31] |
Entertainment Weekly | B+ [32] |
Stereogum | 6/10 [33] |
Carey's vocal performance was a topic of critical commentary. Tampa Tribune writer Wayne Garcia thought her breathy delivery helped make "Can't Let Go" worthwhile. [34] According to Chuck Campbell of The Knoxville News-Sentinel , Carey "glides on the sweeping beauty" of the song. [35] Writing in The Times , David Sinclair said the whistle notes showcased her vocal abilities successfully. [36] Randy Clark and Bryan DeVaney from Cash Box commented: "Her voice still has that crystal-clear sound that has hypnotized listeners of all sorts." [37] Parry Gettelman of the Orlando Sentinel and Rashod D. Ollison of The Baltimore Sun deemed her singing histrionic. [38] [39]
The composition received mixed reviews. Diane Rufer and Ron Fell of the Gavin Report said it depicts heartbreak effectively. [40] New York Times writer Jon Caramanica and Peter Piatkowski in PopMatters called the song beautiful. [41] Billboard contributor Princess Gabbara cited it as an example of Carey and Afanasieff's musical chemistry. [42] According to Entertainment Weekly 's Whitney Pastorek, "something in the structure creates these places where it could jump off and go in a different direction, sprout another tune, but then it zigs where it seems like it should zag". [32] Differing in The Washington Post , Mike Joyce called the track "tiresome and predictable". [43] Chan considered the lyrics marred by clichés [44] and Siân Pattenden of Smash Hits said it sounds suitable for an advertisement. [45]
Carey's first five singles from "Vision of Love" to "Emotions" topped the Billboard Hot 100 Singles chart in the United States. "Can't Let Go" ended the streak when it peaked at number two on January 25, 1992. As of 2018 [update] , it is Carey's sixteenth-best performing song on the Hot 100. [46] On the comparative Top 100 Pop Singles chart published by Cash Box, "Can't Let Go" became Carey's sixth consecutive number one song. [47] A success across multiple radio formats, "Can't Let Go" reached number one on each of the adult contemporary airplay charts published by Billboard, Gavin Report, and Radio & Records magazines; [48] [49] [50] the pop airplay charts by Gavin Report and Radio & Records; [50] [51] and the urban contemporary airplay chart by Radio & Records. [50] The Recording Industry Association of America awarded "Can't Let Go" a gold certification in 2022, which denotes 500,000 units based on digital downloads and on-demand streams. [52]
"Can't Let Go" achieved less success outside the United States. In Canada, the single peaked at number three on the airplay chart produced by RPM and number seven on the sales chart published by The Record . [53] [54] It reached the top twenty in the United Kingdom (No. 20) and on national airplay charts in Sweden and Norway (Nos. 20 and 14, respectively). [55] [56] On the pan-European sales chart compiled by Music & Media , "Can't Let Go" achieved a top ranking of sixty-nine. [57] With peak positions of number twenty-one in New Zealand and number sixty-three in Australia, the single became her lowest-charting in those countries at the time. [58] [59] This recurred in the Netherlands as "Can't Let Go" reached number seventy-seven on the Single Top 100. [60]
Jim Sonzero directed the song's accompanying music video, his first work with Carey. [61] Filmed in black and white and composed of fewer than one hundred shots, [62] the video features Carey looking despondent while wearing a black halter top with diamonds. [24] She is situated in a house with flowers and letters. Nixon considered this style effective given the breakup nature of the song. [61] Christine Werthman of Billboard described the video as simple and KQED's Emmanuel Hapsis thought it was boring. [24] [63] Music journalist Rip Rense considered Carey's scenes "self-consciously artsy". [62] Following its release in late 1991, [64] the video was included on Carey's 1992 album MTV Unplugged +3 . [65]
Carey performed "Can't Let Go" on several occasions. In 1991 and 1992, she sang it on American television shows such as MTV Unplugged , [65] Soul Train , [66] and Saturday Night Live . [67] Carey promoted the song to a British audience on Top of the Pops . [68] She included "Can't Let Go" in the setlist of her 2006 Adventures of Mimi tour as part of a ballad medley. [39] Carey performed the track during her Las Vegas concert residencies The Butterfly Returns (2018–2020) and The Celebration of Mimi (2024). [69] [70] She appeared on rapper Rick Ross's song "Can't Say No" on his 2015 album Black Market , which samples "Can't Let Go". [71]
|
|
Recording
Personnel
|
|
"I'll Be There" is the first single released from Third Album by The Jackson 5. It was written by Berry Gordy, Hal Davis, Bob West, and Willie Hutch.
"Forever" is a rock and roll and pop song recorded by American singer Mariah Carey for her fifth studio album, Daydream (1995). Columbia Records released it to American radio stations for airplay on June 18, 1996, as the album's fifth single. The lyrics, written by Carey, are about one's continued affection despite the end of a romantic relationship. She composed the music and produced the song with Walter Afanasieff. Described by critics as referencing American music of the 1950s and 1960s, "Forever" is a doo-wop-influenced sentimental ballad in the form of a waltz. Its composition includes keyboards, guitars, and programming.
"Butterfly" is a song recorded by American singer Mariah Carey for her sixth studio album Butterfly (1997). Columbia Records released it as the second single from the album in September 1997. Written by Carey from the perspective of her husband, Columbia executive Tommy Mottola, the lyrics are about what she wished he would have told her amid their separation. Carey worked with Walter Afanasieff to produce the song and compose its music, which features keyboards, synthesizers, and programmed drums. She adopts a restrained vocal style that gradually evolves from whispers at the beginning to chest voice near its conclusion. A pop, gospel, and R&B ballad, "Butterfly" was originally conceived as the house record "Fly Away". Carey co-produced the latter with David Morales; it appears on both the album and as the single's B-side.
"Anytime You Need a Friend" is a song by American singer-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.
"Make It Happen" is a song by American singer-songwriter Mariah Carey. Written and produced by Carey and C+C Music Factory's David Cole and Robert Clivillés. It was released on April 4, 1992, by Columbia Records as the third and final single from her second studio album, Emotions (1991). The pop-, R&B-, and dance-influenced track incorporates traces of gospel in its bridge and crescendo. Described by author Chris Nickson as Carey's most personal and inspirational song, it tells of her personal struggles prior to her rise to fame, and how her faith in God helped sustain her.
“If It's Over” is a song written by American singer-songwriters Mariah Carey and Carole King, with the former and Walter Afanasieff helming its production. It was originally released on September 17, 1991, on Carey's second studio album, Emotions. Lyrically, the song tells of a romance that has withered, and finds the protagonist asking her lover, “if it's over, let me go”. Several months after the release of Emotions, Carey performed the song during her appearance on the television show MTV Unplugged.
"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.
"I Don't Wanna Cry" is a song recorded by American singer Mariah Carey for her first album Mariah Carey (1990). Written by Carey and producer Narada Michael Walden, Columbia Records released it as the album's fourth single in March 1991. A Latin soul–influenced pop ballad, the torch song describes the end of romance. It features drums, guitars, digital synthesizers, and a classic song structure with highly delineated section roles. Modulations occur between these segments that emphasize the singer's emotions. Varying from whispering to belting, Carey's vocal range spans more than two octaves.
"Someday" is a song by American singer-songwriter Mariah Carey from her self-titled debut studio album (1990). It is a dance-pop, new jack swing and R&B song. Prior to Carey signing a record contract, she and producer Ben Margulies had written and produced a four-track demo which included "Someday". After signing a contract with Columbia Records, Carey began work on her debut album and she reached out to Ric Wake to ask if he would produce the song, to which he agreed. The composition of the demo recording was changed during the recording process, most notably replacing the horns with a guitar, which Carey disapproved of.
"Love Takes Time" is a song recorded by American singer Mariah Carey for her eponymous debut studio album (1990). Written by Carey and Ben Margulies, while produced by Walter Afanasieff, the song was released as the second single from the album on August 22, 1990, by Columbia Records. An adult contemporary-influenced ballad, the song follows its protagonist lamenting the loss of a lover and confesses that "love takes time" to heal and that her feelings for her ex-lover remain.
"Vision of Love" is the debut single by American singer-songwriter Mariah Carey, recorded for her eponymous debut studio album (1990). It was written by Carey and Ben Margulies. After being featured on Carey's demo tape for Columbia Records, the song was re-recorded and produced by Rhett Lawrence and Narada Michael Walden. The song features a slow-dance theme tempo and backing vocals sung by Carey, and introduces her usage of the whistle register. The lyrics of the song represent her past life filled with "alienation" and how she had dreamed of achieving her triumph over adversity up to the moment when it finally came to fruition as the "vision of love" that she had always believed in, despite everything that she has had to deal with in life. The song was released as the lead single from Mariah Carey on May 15, 1990, by Columbia Records.
"Dreamlover" is a song recorded by American singer-songwriter and record producer Mariah Carey, released on July 27, 1993 by Columbia Records, as the lead single from the singer's third studio album, Music Box (1993). Its lyrics were written by Carey, with music composed by Carey and Dave Hall, and was produced by Carey, Walter Afanasieff and Hall. The song incorporates a sample of the hook from "Blind Alley" by the Emotions—previously used in "Ain't No Half-Steppin'" (1988) by Big Daddy Kane—into its melody and instrumentation. "Dreamlover" marked a more pronounced attempt on Carey's part to incorporate hip hop into her music, as was seen in her decision to work with Hall, who had previously produced What's the 411? (1992) by Mary J. Blige. This was partly in light of the mixed reception to her previous studio effort Emotions (1991), which featured gospel and 1960s soul influences. Lyrically, the song pictures a protagonist calling for a perfect lover, her "dreamlover," to whisk her away into the night and not "disillusion" her like others in the past.
"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.
"Hero" is a song by American singer-songwriter and record producer Mariah Carey released on October 18, 1993, via Columbia Records as the second single from her third studio album, Music Box (1993). The song was written and produced by Carey and Walter Afanasieff. While writing the song, Carey did not connect to its style or sound, therefore forfeiting it to Gloria Estefan, who was intended to sing it for the soundtrack of the film of the same name (1992). However, after being convinced by Sony executive Tommy Mottola to keep it for herself, she changed some of the lyrics to more precisely fit her personality. Lyrically, the song is regarded as one of Carey's most inspirational and personal ballads, with its protagonist declaring that even though people may feel discouraged or down at times, in reality, they are "heroes" if they look inside themselves and see their own inner strength; in time, it will help them "find the way".
"One Sweet Day" is a song by American singer-songwriter Mariah Carey and American vocal group Boyz II Men. The song was released on November 14, 1995, as the second single from the former's fifth studio album, Daydream (1995) by Columbia Records. The artists co-wrote the song with Walter Afanasieff, who co-produced it with Carey. Lyrically, the song speaks about the death of a loved one, how the protagonist took their presence for granted and misses them, and finally about seeing the person in heaven. The artists wrote the song about specific people in their lives, being inspired by sufferers of the AIDS epidemic, which was globally prevalent at the time.
"Honey" is a song by American singer-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.
Emotions is the second studio album by American singer-songwriter Mariah Carey. It was released on September 17, 1991, by Columbia Records. The album deviated from the formula of Carey's 1990 self-titled debut album, as she had more creative control over the material she produced and recorded. Additionally, Emotions features influences from a range of different genres, as well as 1950s, 1960s and 1970s balladry infusion. On the record, Carey worked with a variety of producers and writers, including Walter Afanasieff, the only holdover from her previous effort. Additionally, Carey wrote and produced the album's material with Robert Clivillés and David Cole from C+C Music Factory and Carole King, with whom she wrote one song.
Music Box is the third studio album by American singer-songwriter Mariah Carey. It was released by Columbia Records on August 31, 1993. The album comprises ballads primarily written by Carey and Walter Afanasieff, with whom she had previously worked on Emotions (1991), and a few urban dance tracks. During the course of the album's development, Carey wanted to broaden her audience, choosing a more pop/R&B oriented sound. During this time frame, she experimented with different musical instruments, leading the album's sound away from her more contemporary previous two efforts.
MTV Unplugged is a live EP by American singer-songwriter Mariah Carey, released in the United States on June 2, 1992, by Columbia Records. Following the success of Carey's previous two albums and the growing critical commentary on her lack of concert tours and unsubstantial televised performances, Sony organized a live performance show at the Kaufman Astoria Studios, New York on March 16, 1992. The show, titled MTV Unplugged, originally aired on MTV to help promote Carey's second album Emotions, as well as help shun critics who deemed Carey a possible studio artist. However, after its success, the show was released to the public as an EP, with an accompanying VHS titled MTV Unplugged +3.
"Never Forget You" is a song recorded by American singer-songwriter Mariah Carey for her third studio album, Music Box (1993). Carey co-wrote the slow jam with Babyface and the pair produced it with Daryl Simmons. Columbia Records released the song on January 21, 1994, as the B-side to "Without You" and promoted it to American urban contemporary radio stations as the album's fourth single. The lyrics lament the end of a romance. Strings, synthesizers, and percussion characterize the composition; Jermaine Dupri altered them for remixes.
|
|