"Fantasy" | ||||
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Single by Mariah Carey | ||||
from the album Daydream | ||||
B-side | "Fantasy" (Bad Boy) featuring O.D.B | |||
Released | August 23, 1995 | |||
Genre | ||||
Length | 4:04 | |||
Label | Columbia | |||
Composer(s) |
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Lyricist(s) |
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Producer(s) |
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Mariah Carey singles chronology | ||||
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Music video | ||||
"Fantasy" on YouTube |
"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.
"Fantasy" received critical acclaim, with reviewers praising in its production, lyrics, Carey's vocal performance and musical progression. The song became a global success, topping the charts in Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and the United States, and reaching the top-ten in thirteen countries. In the US, "Fantasy" became the first song by a female artist, and second overall to debut atop the Billboard Hot 100, topping the chart for eight consecutive weeks. Additionally, it became Carey's ninth number one on the chart.
Carey sang "Fantasy" live on several television and award show appearances around the world. She performed the song at the 23rd American Music Awards, held on January 29, 1996. Additionally, it was performed live on British music chart program Top of the Pops and on French television. "Fantasy" was part of the set-lists on several of Carey's succeeding tours, making its debut during the album's accompanying set of concerts, the Daydream World Tour and is featured on her compilation albums, #1's (1998), Greatest Hits (2001), The Remixes (2003), Playlist: The Very Best of Mariah Carey (2010) and #1 to Infinity (2015).
The cover of the single was shot by top fashion photographer Steven Meisel. Its parent album Daydream uses a cropped version of the single cover. Carey directed the music video for "Fantasy", making it her directorial debut. She created the video's concept and chose the filming location. After being disappointed with the final result in many of her previous videos, Carey decided to single-handedly direct the video. The video features her rollerblading through Playland Amusement Park in Rye, New York, singing and enjoying herself. The video concludes with Carey dancing atop the sunroof of a Hummer, with many others present and enjoying the music and celebration.
With Daydream, Carey began incorporating urban R&B and hip hop into her music, something very noticeable in "Fantasy". [4] After Carey began writing songs for her new album Daydream, she decided to include the hook from the Tom Tom Club song "Genius of Love" into an up-tempo song. Afterwards, Carey and Hall began incorporating the sample into the lyrics and melody she had already produced. [4] Carey described how the idea to sample the song became a reality:
I was listening to the radio and heard 'Genius of Love', and I hadn't heard it in a long time. It reminded me of growing up and listening to the radio and that feeling the song gave me seemed to go with the melody and basic idea I had for "Fantasy". I initially told Dave about the idea, and we did it. We called up the Tom Tom Club and they were really into it. [4]
Carey recalled how the writers of the song were really intrigued by the idea of Carey sampling the song, and immediately signed over the rights. After Carey presented Hall with the sample, the chorus and beat, he developed a familiar groove that he felt would "highlight Carey's voice." After they completed the song, Carey's husband and Columbia CEO Tommy Mottola listened to "Fantasy" and agreed to include it on the album. The cover of the single was shot by top fashion photographer Steven Meisel. A cropped version of the photograph was used as the album cover as well. [4] Hall described his experience with writing the song with Carey:
[It] was a fun song to do. Mariah brought me 'Genius of Love' and I laid some strings on it and put it into a groove I felt really fit and highlighted her voice. And that song didn't take us but a minute to do, because she really busted that out within two days. We did a rough copy and let Tommy Mottola hear it and he loved it, so all we had to do was bring it back in and mix it. [4]
"Fantasy" is an up-tempo song with contemporary R&B and dance-pop genres within its composition, which blends elements of funk music, hip hop, and bubblegum pop. [3] [5] "Fantasy" moves at a "moderate dance tempo" of 104 beats per minute. [6] The remix, which features rap verses from O.D.B., also incorporates hip-hop into the bridge. The song uses heavy bass and percussion, as well as a sample from "Genius of Love" by Tom Tom Club. [3] Carey's vocal range spans three octaves from the low note of E3 to the high note of E6. [6] The song contains choral lyrics written by Carey, who also developed the song's melody and original beat. Instrumentation and production was performed by Dave Hall, while co-arranging and producing the track as well. [3] The members of the Tom Tom Club, Tina Weymouth, Chris Frantz, Steven Stanley and Adrian Belew are all credited as writers due to the inclusion of the music sample they wrote. [3]
Review scores | |
---|---|
Source | Rating |
AllMusic | [7] |
Christgau's Consumer Guide | [8] |
Entertainment Weekly (1995) | C [9] |
Entertainment Weekly (2017) | A+ [10] |
Stereogum | 10/10 [11] |
Upon its release, "Fantasy" garnered acclaim from contemporary music critics, who praised her songwriting and use of sampling. [12] Bill Lamb from About.com was very positive on the song, calling it "truly inspiring" and a "career high water mark" for Carey. [13] Stephen Thomas Erlewine from AllMusic also praised the song, saying "Carey continues to perfect her craft and that she has earned her status as an R&B/pop diva." [5] Stephen Holden from The New York Times gave the song praise, writing "with 'Fantasy', Ms. Carey glides confidently into the territory where gospel-flavored pop-soul meets light hip-hop and recorded some of the most gorgeously spun choral music to be found on a contemporary album." Additionally, he claimed "Fantasy" held some of the album's best moments, writing "she continues to make pop music as deliciously enticing as the best moments of "Fantasy". [14] Slant Magazine ranked the song at number sixty on their "Best Singles of the '90s" list, writing it is "escapism perfected, [a] summer bubblegum gem with a sweet, flawless vocal line driven by a diva in her prime." [15]
Publication | Accolade | Rank | Ref. |
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Forbes | The 50 Best Songs of the 1990s | 28 | |
PureWow | The 53 Best ‘90s Songs of All Time | 14 | |
Slant Magazine | The 100 Best Singles of the 1990s | 61 | |
Time Out | The 50 Best ’90s Songs | 46 |
Publication | Accolade | Rank | Ref. |
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Esquire | The 50 Best Songs of the ’90s | 2 | |
Pitchfork | The 250 Best Songs of the 1990s | 1 |
"Fantasy" was Carey's ninth No. 1 single on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart. It was also the first single, by a female artist, to debut atop the chart, and only the second single to do so after "You Are Not Alone" by Michael Jackson. [3] It debuted at No. 1 due to strong airplay, being popular among radio listeners, and initial sales of 229,000 copies—the highest sales of a single, at the time, since Whitney Houston's "I Will Always Love You (1993). [22] "Fantasy" spent eight straight weeks at the top of the American chart, from September 30-November 18, 1995; at the time, the song was Carey's longest stay at the top, after her earlier single "Dreamlover" (1993). [3] The single replaced "Gangsta's Paradise" by Coolio, but was replaced by Whitney Houston's "Exhale (Shoop Shoop)", which also debuted atop the Hot 100. [23] [24] "Fantasy" spent 25 weeks within the top 40, and was equally as successful on other Billboard formats, including the R&B and dance charts. [3] The song debuted at No. 11 on Billboard Mainstream R&B/Hip-Hop chart, setting a record at the time for the chart's highest debut, which would eventually be surpassed by Drake's "Nice for What" (2018). [25] Strong sales led to "Fantasy" being certified sextuple-platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), [26] Carey's first single to do so. "Fantasy" was the second best-selling single of 1995 in the US, with sales of 1,500,000. [27] It was ranked No. 7 on the Hot 100 year-end charts for 1995, and No. 49 on the 1996 year-end charts. [28] [29] "Fantasy" ranked at No. 15 on the Hot 100's decade-end chart for the 1990s. [30]
In Australia, the song topped the mainstream chart, and was certified triple-platinum by the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA). [31] The song also topped the charts in New Zealand, where it was certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of New Zealand (RIANZ). [32] In Canada, the song debuted on the RPM Singles Chart at No. 95 on the RPM issue dated October 2, 1995, [33] and reached the top of the chart on November 20, 1995. [34] It was present on the chart for a total of 20 weeks, [35] and No. 18 on the RPM Year-end chart for 1995. [36] "Fantasy" also reached the Top 10 in most of the countries of its release, including across Europe, and the Top 20 on the Oricon chart in Japan. [37] It peaked within the Top 5 of Belgium (Wallonia), Finland, France and the UK, and in the Top 10 in Belgium (Flanders), the Netherlands, Ireland, Norway and Switzerland. "Fantasy" was certified silver in France and platinum in the UK, by the Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique (SNEP) and British Phonographic Industry (BPI), respectively; [38] per the Official Charts Company, the single has sold over 400,000 copies in the UK. [39]
Carey worked with producer Sean Combs (better known as Diddy, Puffy, Puff Daddy, P. Diddy, etc.), through his label Bad Boy Records, on an official "Bad Boy Remix" for "Fantasy". [40] While Columbia Records had been allowing Carey more leniency with the musicians and producers she was working with, they became hesitant when she featured O.D.B. in the remix for "Fantasy". [41] They feared the sudden change was completely left field for her music, and worried it would jeopardize the album's success. [41] Finally, the Bad Boy remix used guest raps from O.D.B. and background vocals by Puff Daddy. Some of the song's R&B elements were removed for the remix, while the bassline and "Genius of Love" sample were emphasized and the bridge from the original version was used as the chorus. [40] There is a version omitting Ol' Dirty Bastard's verses. [40] The "Bad Boy Fantasy Remix", combines the chorus from the original version and the chorus of the Bad Boy Remix together, removing Ol' Dirty Bastard's vocals from his 2nd verse. [40]
Carey re-recorded vocals for club remixes of the song by David Morales, titled "Daydream Interlude (Fantasy Sweet Dub Mix)." [42] The Bad Boy remix garnered positive reviews from music critics. Ken Tucker from Entertainment Weekly praised the song, claiming its one of the few tracks where Carey "defines herself." [43] Additionally, he complimented the song, writing "At her best, as she is on this clipped, spunky track, Carey is a disco diva for the '90s, a worthy successor to trailblazing women like Donna Summer and Vicki Sue Robinson, R&B singers with an affinity for the endless groove. Disco? No wonder most rock critics can't get behind her. Party on, Mariah." [43] Carey has stated that the Bad Boy remix contributed to over half of the sales of "Fantasy". [44]
On September 24, 2021, American rapper Latto released "Big Energy", which interpolates "Genius of Love", as "Fantasy" did. On March 28, 2022, Latto released the "Big Energy" remix, which features Mariah Carey herself, along with DJ Khaled, which interpolates "Fantasy".
The single's music video was the first that Carey directed entirely on her own. Carey had been open about the fact that she had not been happy with some of her previous music videos. [4] She therefore decided to single-handedly direct the video, so the outcome would be to her exact choosing. Carey said her inspiration for the video was to give off a "free and open feeling," trying to portray the freedom she had finally achieved in being allowed to direct her first video. [45] The video for "Fantasy" debuted on September 7, 1995, at the 1995 MTV Video Music Awards. The video begins with Carey rollerblading in front of the boardwalk entrance at Playland amusement park, located in Rye, New York, and riding the Dragon Coaster, the park's signature wooden coaster. [4] The video continues with various snippets of Carey until the end of the second verse. Afterwards, the video switches to a night time scene that involves people dancing in the parking lot and on top cars. [4]
I'd done a lot of videos and wasn't always a hundred percent thrilled. For the most part, I was never thrilled with the results, so I figured I would give directing a shot. It was a pretty simple concept. Most of the scenes were featured at the amusement park, at a late-night outdoor celebration. I was really happy to be able to include O.D.B. in the remix video. [4]
Following in their actions, Carey joins in the festivities and hops atop a car and begins singing and dancing to the strong bass and R&B beat playing from the stereos. The video also contains a scene involving a lovable young girl who tries to emulate Carey and whose character reappears in the video for Carey's single "Shake It Off" (2005). [4] The video shoot took place in mid-August 1995. [46] In the official video for the song's remix, O.D.B. makes a few cameo appearances with a clown, as well as on the Boardwalk during additional scenes with Carey. [4]
On August 21, 2020, the music video of both versions was re-released in a remastered form, in HD quality. [47] Exactly a year later it was uploaded in 4K resolution. [48]
"Fantasy" was performed at the 23rd Annual American Music Awards, where Carey won two of the top awards. [45] For the performance, Carey wore a long black trench coat and matching boots, pants and blouse, and was backed by three background vocalists. Additionally, Carey sang "Fantasy" on the British music chart program Top of the Pops , during a promotional stop in the United Kingdom on September 12, 1995. During its taping, she wore a blue blouse and black jumper. Two days later, Carey appeared on French television where she performed the song alongside several male and female dancers. Carey donned a mid-waist baring white blouse and black leather pants and matching heeled boots. Trey Lorenz and two female back up vocalists were also featured on stage during the show's taping. Aside from live television appearances, the song was performed on several legs of Carey's tours. [49]
"Fantasy" was performed at every show on her Daydream World Tour (1996) set to the album version. The performance was tuned similarly to Carey's recital at the American Music Awards, featuring a similar outfit, dance routines and set up.[ citation needed ] The remix version was performed on her Butterfly World Tour (1998), Rainbow World Tour (2000), Charmbracelet World Tour: An Intimate Evening with Mariah Carey (2003–2004), The Adventures of Mimi Tour (2006), The Elusive Chanteuse Show (2014) and Caution World Tour (2019), each of which featured a varying synopsis. [49] In 1998, it became the first time Carey performed the remix version in concert, placing a large projection screen on to the stage, and featuring snippets and cuts of Ol' Dirty Bastard throughout the video. Additionally, Carey was dressed in blue jeans and a white blouse, and danced several chair routines with several male dancers.[ citation needed ] During the Charmbracelet Tour and Rainbow Tour, the shows segment was similar to her previous tour.[ citation needed ] The song was featured on the select set-list on three of Carey's live taped shows, Fantasy: Mariah Carey at Madison Square Garden, The Adventures of Mimi , and Around the World . [50]
In the mid-1990s Ms. Carey pioneered a subgenre that some people call the thug-love duet. Nowadays clean-cut pop stars are expected to collaborate with roughneck rappers, but when Ms. Carey teamed up with Ol' Dirty Bastard, of the Wu-Tang Clan, for the 1995 hit "Fantasy (Remix)," it was a surprise, and a smash. [51]
"Fantasy" exemplified how a music sample could be transformed "into a fully realized pop masterpiece". [52] Due to the success and influence of the song, Carey is credited for introducing R&B and hip hop collaboration into mainstream pop culture, and for popularizing rap as a featuring act through her post-1995 songs. Sasha Frere-Jones, editor of The New Yorker commented in referencing to the song's remix,
"It became standard for R&B/hip-hop stars like Missy Elliott and Beyoncé, to combine melodies with rapped verses. And young white pop stars—including Britney Spears, 'N Sync, and Christina Aguilera—have spent much of the past ten years making pop music that is unmistakably R&B". [53]
Moreover, Jones concludes that "Her idea of pairing a female songbird with the leading male MCs of hip-hop changed R&B and, eventually, all of pop. Although now anyone is free to use this idea, the success of "Mimi" [ref. to The Emancipation of Mimi, her tenth studio album released almost a decade after "Fantasy"] suggests that it still belongs to Carey." [53]
John Norris of MTV News has stated that the remix was "responsible for, I would argue, an entire wave of music that we've seen since and that is the R&B-hip-hop collaboration. You could argue that the 'Fantasy' remix was the single most important recording that she's ever made." Norris echoed the sentiments of TLC's Lisa Lopes, who told MTV that it's because of Mariah that we have "Hip-Pop." [54] Judnick Mayard, writer of TheFader, wrote that in regarding of R&B and hip hop collaboration, "The champion of this movement is Mariah Carey." Mayard also expressed that "To this day ODB and Mariah may still be the best and most random hip hop collaboration of all time", citing that due to the record "Fantasy", "R&B and Hip Hop were the best of step siblings." [55]
The song has been featured in multiple films and television shows. In the 1998 film Rush Hour , the character Soo Yong sings the song while it plays on the car radio, shortly before her kidnapping. [56] In 2011, the experimental metal band Iwrestledabearonce used the song at the beginning and end of the video "You Know That Ain't Them Dogs' Real Voices". Indie artist Grimes has called "Fantasy" one of her favorite songs of all-time and has said Mariah is the reason there is a Grimes. [57] In 2019, Carey released a video of her doing a dance to the 'Bad Boy Fantasy' mix on TikTok, thus leading the dance to become another famous TikTok dance challenge, preceding the Obsessed Challenge earlier in the year. [58] [59] A remixed version of the song, with additional vocals from Jodie Comer, [60] features prominently as part of the score and the plot for the 2021 film Free Guy ; [61] in the film, Jodie Comer's character Molotov Girl catches the attention of Ryan Reynolds's character Guy as she is singing the song, thus catalyzing the rest of the story. Reynolds, who produced and starred in the film, stated that, "I am a huge Mariah Carey fan [...] It really was one of those weird things that happened naturally. I write to music anyway, and I initially put a song in the script by The Outfield called "Your Love". It’s an old '80s tune. It's great, but it just didn’t have that epic scale I was looking for. And then "Fantasy" just came on my playlist and everything clicked in". [62] "Fantasy" was also included on the 2021 edition of Rolling Stone magazine's list of "The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time" at number 419. [63]
Upon release, "Fantasy" also won many prestigious awards throughout the music industry in 1995 and 1996. At the Blockbuster Entertainment Awards, the song won the award for "Favorite Single." [64] Additionally, the song was awarded the "Pop Award" honor at the 1996 annual American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP). Carey won the "Dance Record of the Year" award at the "National Dance Music Awards" in 1996. [64] "Fantasy" won two awards at the 1996 "Winter Music Conference National Dance Music Awards," for "Favorite Single" and "Dance Record of the Year." The song won a Broadcast Music Incorporated (BMI) "Pop Song of the Year" award in 1997, as well as the "Favorite Single" award at the annual "Archer Awards." [64] The song also was nominated for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance at the 38th Grammy Awards. [65]
Worldwide CD single [66]
UK #1/US CD maxi-single [67] [68]
UK CD maxi-single #2 [69]
| 2× 12-inch vinyl [70]
Fantasy EP [71]
|
Credits adapted from the Daydream liner notes. [72]
|
|
Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
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Australia (ARIA) [31] | 3× Platinum | 210,000‡ |
France (SNEP) [152] | Gold | 250,000* |
Japan (RIAJ) [153] | Platinum | 100,000^ |
New Zealand (RMNZ) [154] | 3× Platinum | 90,000‡ |
United Kingdom (BPI) [38] | 2× Platinum | 1,200,000‡ |
United States (RIAA) [26] | 6× Platinum | 6,000,000‡ |
* Sales figures based on certification alone. |
Region | Date | Format | Label | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|
United States | August 23, 1995 | Radio airplay | [155] | |
United Kingdom | September 11, 1995 | [156] | ||
Canada | September 12, 1995 | CD | [157] | |
United States |
| [158] [159] | ||
Japan | September 21, 1995 | Mini CD | Sony Music Japan | [160] |
Various | August 14, 2020 |
| Columbia | [161] |
United States | February 18, 2022 | 12-inch vinyl (Urban Outfitters exclusive) | [162] |
"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.
Daydream is the fifth studio album by American singer-songwriter Mariah Carey, released on September 26, 1995, by Columbia Records. The follow-up to her internationally successful studio album Music Box (1993), and the holiday album Merry Christmas (1994), Daydream differed from her previous releases by leaning increasingly towards urban music. Throughout the project, Carey collaborated with Walter Afanasieff, with whom she wrote and produced most of her previous albums. With Daydream, Carey took more control over the musical direction as well as the album's composition. Carey considered the album to be the beginning of her musical and vocal transition, a change that would become more evident in her sixth studio album Butterfly (1997). During the album's production, Carey endured many creative differences with her label and then-husband Tommy Mottola. On Daydream, Carey collaborated with Jermaine Dupri, Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds, and R&B group Boyz II Men. With Afanasieff's assistance and the addition of a few contemporary producers, she was able to make a subtle transition into the contemporary R&B market, after previously only pursuing pop, adult contemporary and traditional R&B music.
"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.
"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.
"Loverboy" is a song by American singer-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.
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.
"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.
"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.
"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.
"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.
"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.
"Always Be My Baby" is a song by American singer-songwriter Mariah Carey from her fifth studio album, Daydream (1995). Written by Carey, Jermaine Dupri and Manuel Seal, and produced by Carey and Dupri, It was released by Columbia Records on February 20, 1996, as the album's third single in the United States and fourth single internationally. A midtempo pop and R&B ballad, "Always Be My Baby" describes the attachment the singer feels towards an estranged lover, while confidently asserting that they will eventually reunite. Described by critics as both a love song and a breakup song, its composition is characterized by piano keyboards, drums, acoustic guitars, and layered background vocals.
"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.
"Endless Love" is a song written by Lionel Richie and originally recorded as a duet between Richie and singer/actress Diana Ross. In this ballad, the singers declare their "endless love" for one another. It was covered by Luther Vandross with R&B-pop singer Mariah Carey, and also by country music singer Shania Twain. Billboard has named the original version as the greatest song duet of all time.
"Open Arms" is a song by American rock band Journey. It was released as a single from the Heavy Metal soundtrack and their 1981 album, Escape. Co-written by band members Steve Perry and Jonathan Cain, the song is a power ballad whose lyrics attempt to renew a drifting relationship. It is one of the band's most recognizable radio hits and their biggest US Billboard Hot 100 hit, reaching number two in February 1982 and holding that position for six weeks. It also reached number two in Canada.
"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.
"You're Mine (Eternal)" is a song by American singer-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).
"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.
"Fantasy" drew acclaim from music critics for Carey's songwriting and sampling of the Tom Tom Club's 1981 track
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: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)Mariah Carey's new single "Fantasy" was being rush released to radio stations Wednesday via satellite to counter a slew of pirated versions that stations around the country have been playing. Columbia Records said it was forced to release a week early to halt the "avalanche" of bootlegs.
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