"Sweetheart" is a song originally recorded by American singer Rainy Davis. It was written by Davis and Pete Warner, and produced with Dorothy Kessler. The track was released in 1986 by independent record label SuperTronics as a single from Davis's 1987 studio album Sweetheart. A freestyle, hip hop pop, and synth-funk song, "Sweetheart" appeared on R&B and dance music-based record charts in the United States.
American singer Mariah Carey recorded a cover version with American rapper Jermaine Dupri (credited as JD) for his debut album, Life in 1472 (1998), and her first greatest hits album, #1's (1998). So So Def and Columbia Records released it as the third single from the former album on September 7, 1998. Carey was inspired to create a remake of "Sweetheart" as she liked listening to the song as a teenage girl. Critics categorized the cover as a dance, hip-hop, and R&B song, and its instrumental features synths and bass runs. The lyrics describe a woman's desire for a person with whom to share a romance.
"Sweetheart" was promoted with a music video directed by Hype Williams in Spain. Although American and British music magazines predicted it would experience success on major record charts, its performance in those countries was restricted to the US Billboard Bubbling Under Hot 100 and UK club charts due to the absence of a commercial release. It fared better in mainland Europe, where it charted in the top twenty on Dutch, German, and Swiss record charts. In reviewing "Sweetheart", music critics focused on Carey's vocal performance, Dupri's rapping style, and the cover's perceived sexual nature.
"Sweetheart" | ||||
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Single by Rainy Davis | ||||
from the album Sweetheart | ||||
Released | 1986 | |||
Genre | ||||
Length | 6:56 | |||
Label | SuperTronics | |||
Songwriter(s) |
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Producer(s) |
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Rainy Davis singles chronology | ||||
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"Sweetheart" is a freestyle, [1] hip hop pop, [2] and synth-funk [3] song recorded by American singer Rainy Davis from her debut album, Sweetheart (1987). [4] Davis and Pete Warner wrote the lyrics, composed the melody, and produced it with Dorothy Kessler. It was mixed by Tony Humphries. [5] SuperTronics, a Brooklyn-based independent record label, issued the song in early 1986. [6] [7] A representative from the label stated that the release was part of a strategy to expand beyond promoting songs made for dance clubs by finding and issuing ones suitable for radio airplay. [7] The radio edit has a runtime of three minutes and forty-seven seconds, and the 12-inch vinyl single is six minutes and fifty-six seconds long. [8] [9]
"Sweetheart" appeared on R&B and dance music-based record charts in the United States. According to a 2020 Billboard article, it experienced minor success on the former. [3] The song peaked at numbers twenty-three, twenty-four, and twenty-seven, respectively, on charts published by Cash Box , Billboard, and Radio & Records magazines. [10] [11] [12] Reflecting on its commercial performance, a writer for the Hartford Advocate newspaper described it as a "huge club/dance hit". [2] In 1986, "Sweetheart" ranked at number thirty-two on Billboard's year-end 12-inch Singles Sales chart. [13]
Critics commented on the song's production and Davis's vocals. Upon its single release in 1986, Billboard published several reviews. The magazine as a whole described it as "rhythmically intricate", [9] dance writer Brian Chin favored the song's "unpressured beat and nice overall polish", [6] and R&B writer Nelson George compared Davis's vocals to those of Lisa Lisa on Lisa Lisa and Cult Jam's "I Wonder If I Take You Home". [2] Writing for the Hartford Advocate in 1987, George Lane named it the best song on Sweetheart for its restrained production which he thought showcased her voice well. [4]
Chart (Publisher) | Peak position |
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12-inch Singles Sales ( Billboard ) [11] | 13 |
Club Play ( Billboard ) [11] | 42 |
Hot Black Singles ( Billboard ) [11] | 24 |
12-inch Dance Singles ( Cash Box ) [14] | 15 |
Black Contemporary ( Cash Box ) [10] | 23 |
Black/Urban ( Radio & Records ) [12] | 27 |
Chart (Publisher) | Peak position |
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12 Inch Singles Sales (Billboard) [13] | 32 |
"Sweetheart" | ||||
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Single by Jermaine Dupri and Mariah Carey | ||||
from the album Life in 1472 and #1's | ||||
Released | September 7, 1998 | |||
Genre | ||||
Length | 4:22 | |||
Label | ||||
Songwriter(s) |
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Producer(s) | ||||
Jermaine Dupri singles chronology | ||||
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Mariah Carey singles chronology | ||||
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Music video | ||||
"Sweetheart" on YouTube |
According to Carey,after divorcing Sony Music CEO Tommy Mottola following the release of her sixth studio album Butterfly (1997),she negotiated an exit from Columbia Records. The earliest release from the multi-year deal was her greatest hits album, #1's . [15] As Columbia planned to release it for the 1998 Christmas shopping season,Carey did not want the album's release to come across as purely commercial. She included four new songs,one of which was a cover of "Sweetheart". [16] Carey felt that covering a song she liked as a teenager in school would be appreciated by other young girls. She conceptualized the remake with Dupri, [17] with whom she had collaborated on songs such as "Always Be My Baby". [18] The duet was announced in February 1998 to be included on his debut studio album Life in 1472 , [19] which was released that July. [20] In November,it appeared as the first song on #1's. [21]
The single version of "Sweetheart" is four minutes and twenty-two seconds long. [1] Commentators classified it as a dance, [22] hip-hop, [1] and R&B song. [23] It also contains elements of electro-funk and pop music. [24] [25] Dana Jon Chappelle and Brian Frye recorded the cover at KrossWire Studio in Atlanta,Georgia,and The Hit Factory and Right Track Recording in New York. Trey Lorenz,Melonie Daniels,and MaryAnn Tatum provided background vocals. The song was produced by Dupri and Carey,mixed by Dupri and Phil Tan at Silent Sound Studios in Atlanta,and mastered by Bernie Grundman. [26] [27] In a 2018 interview regarding his production discography,Dupri named "Sweetheart" the song he most wished to redo as he "would have made it a little more ghetto". [28]
The lyrics of the song describe a woman's desire for a person with whom to share a romance. Carey yearns,"Baby,won't you be my sweetheart / And we could share a storybook romance",to which Dupri responds through ad-libs and a rapped verse. [1] [29] [25] Synths and bass runs are featured prominently throughout the song. [3] [30] They disappear during the bridge as Carey sings,"A full moon is waiting in the twilight". [3] An explicit introduction in the album version of the song on Life in 1472,in which Carey talks to Dupri on the phone about "fucking",is omitted in subsequent releases. [31]
"Sweetheart" was promoted as the third single from Life in 1472 and the lead single from #1's. [32] [33] [34] So So Def and Columbia Records released it to American urban contemporary radio stations on September 7,1998, [35] followed by rhythmic contemporary stations eight days later. [36] A commercial release in the United States scheduled for September 29 was retracted for unspecified reasons and instead distributed for free with the purchase of #1's. [37] [38] Spin reported that DreamWorks and Arista Records were concerned that the song might cannibalize sales of their impending release,Carey's duet with Whitney Houston,"When You Believe". [39]
Dupri,Carl-So-Lowe,Lil Jon,Mark Picchiotti,and Eddie Arroyo produced remixes that appeared on several releases. [40] In the United Kingdom,Columbia issued a promotional 12-inch vinyl of the Picchiotti mixes. [41] [42] Sony Music Taiwan released a commercial CD maxi single subtitled "The Story" on October 14,1998, [43] followed by Sony Music Japan on November 6,1998. [44] CD and CD maxi singles were issued in Belgium on November 2,1998. [45] The Lil Jon remix was later included on an enhanced CD of Carey's 1999 single "Heartbreaker". [46] The song appears on some of Carey's subsequent compilation albums such as Greatest Hits (2001) and The Remixes (2003). [47] [48] In September 2020,as part of her campaign anticipating The Rarities ,a digital extended play of "Sweetheart" was released. [49]
Critics commented on Carey's vocal performance and Dupri's rapping,many praising Carey's restrained singing style. [lower-alpha 1] Writing for the Popular Music and Society journal,Vincent Stephens thought this helped make "Sweetheart" one of her best R&B songs. [23] According to Ron Rollins of the Dayton Daily News ,it demonstrates her confidence in her vocal abilities. [50] Other reviewers commented on how well Dupri's rapping complemented Carey's singing,and some argued that the song was more a showcase for Carey than Dupri. [1] [52] The Baltimore Sun 's J. D. Considine said "Carey's effortless carnality makes Jermaine Dupri's sex-obsessed rap seem almost silly". [53] In contrast, Time 's Christopher John Farley felt the two complemented each other well. [18] Andrew Unterbeger of Billboard echoed similar comments in a 2020 retrospective review. [3] The incorporation of hip-hop elements in "Sweetheart" was also analyzed;in the view of Boston Globe writer Joan Anderman,they come across as sanitized. [29]
The song's sensuality was another topic of commentary. Critics described Carey's vocals as sexy [lower-alpha 2] and likened her personality in "Sweetheart" to that of a vixen,a dirtier version of Lisa Lisa,and a submissive Barbie doll. [lower-alpha 3] A few argued the song was well-suited to erotic dancing,deemed "booty-bouncing" and a strip club anthem. [lower-alpha 4] Others gauged how explicit the song's lyrics were:Richard Harrington of The Washington Post opined it was more toned-down than other songs on Life in 1472; The Philadelphia Inquirer 's Tom Moon felt was more explicit than most songs discussing sex. [57] [58] In The Indianapolis Star ,Scott L. Miley said Carey's romantic advances were "unflattering". [59]
Music magazines predicted "Sweetheart" would thrive on record charts. British publication Music Week described it as the song on Life in 1472 most suited to commercial success. [60] In the United States,Billboard thought it would be the most-played song on pop and R&B radio stations in late 1998. [1] Following its radio release,eligibility for the US Billboard Hot 100 chart was changed to include non-commercial releases and airplay data from R&B stations. [61] In the first week of the rule change on December 5,1998,it entered the Bubbling Under Hot 100 at number twenty-five and remained on the chart for one week. [62] Writing for Complex in 2013,David Drake said that the song underperformed compared to Carey's 1998 standards [lower-alpha 5] and questioned Sony's decision to cancel the September 29 commercial release. [64] Internationally,"Sweetheart" peaked within the top twenty of record charts in Germany,Switzerland,and the Netherlands. [65] [66] [67] Remixes peaked at number sixteen on the UK Record Mirror Club Chart published by Music Week. [68]
The song was promoted with a music video directed by Hype Williams. [69] Like with many music videos for other songs by Carey such as "Honey" (1997),the video for "Sweetheart" features an exotic setting. [70] It was shot at the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao,Spain,in August 1998. [32] As with other media projects filmed there,the Guggenheim was chosen for its unique appearance; [71] Williams persuaded Carey to travel there after showing her pictures of the building. [72] Williams had often used a fisheye lens to produce perspective distortion in past music videos,but he did not use it for "Sweetheart" because the Guggenheim,an example of architecture in the deconstructivist style,is inherently distorted. [73]
"Sweetheart" depicts Dupri dancing on top of the museum, [69] while Carey twirls in a dress to reveal her underwear and rides on the back of a motorcycle with her lover. [74] She wears a metal mesh outfit that matches the museum's motif. [75] The Morning Call 's Paul Willistein called the video "even hotter" than the song itself [76] and The Advertiser felt it would not have been filmed if Carey were still married due to the "sexy,fleshy" visuals. [77] In her book Experiencing Music Video,scholar Carol Vernallis wrote that the Guggenheim represents a departure from the typical iconography of R&B music videos. [78] Irene Nero stated that the video contributed to the museum's perceived celebrity-like status for its many depictions in media. [79]
Credits adapted from the liner notes of Life in 1472 and #1's. [26] [27]
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Jermaine Dupri Mauldin is an American record producer, rapper, singer, songwriter, and record executive. Raised in Atlanta as the son of Columbia Records executive Michael Mauldin, he began his career in music production at the age of nine. He discovered the teen hip hop duo Kris Kross in 1991. Dupri wrote and produced their 1992 single "Jump," which peaked atop the Billboard Hot 100 and was named the 23rd most successful song of that decade. He established his own record label, So So Def Recordings in a joint venture with Columbia the following year.
"It's Like That" is a song by American singer and songwriter Mariah Carey from her tenth studio album, The Emancipation of Mimi (2005). Written by Carey, Jermaine Dupri, Manuel Seal, and Johntá Austin, and produced by Carey, Dupri, and Seal, the song borrows the hook "It's Like That Y'all" from the Run–D.M.C. tracks "Hollis Crew" and "Here We Go (Live)". Several other tracks were contenders for the album's lead single. However, plans were changed when Island Def Jam Music head L.A. Reid suggested to Carey she record a few more strong songs to ensure the album's success, thus "It's Like That" was written and chosen as the album's lead single, being released on January 25, 2005.
"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.
"Breakdown" is a song recorded by American singer Mariah Carey for her sixth studio album, Butterfly (1997). In the lyrics, she describes the aftermath of a partner ending their love for the other and the trouble of hiding the pain it caused. The track features rapping by Krayzie Bone and Wish Bone, members of the group Bone Thugs-n-Harmony. Before they wrote and performed their raps, Carey composed the music with Stevie J and penned her lyrics. The latter pair produced "Breakdown" with Sean "Puffy" Combs. An R&B, hip hop, and hip hop soul song, "Breakdown" features keyboards, synthesized drums, and background vocals prominently. Columbia Records released it to American rhythmic contemporary radio stations in January 1998 as the third single from Butterfly.
"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, 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.
"Can't Let Go" is a song recorded by American singer and 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.
The Remixes is the first remix album by American singer and songwriter Mariah Carey, released on June 25, 2003, by Columbia Records. It is primarily a collection of remixes of some of Carey's songs: disc one is compiled of club mixes, while disc two contains Carey's hip hop collaborations and remixes.
"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.
#1's is the first greatest hits album by American singer-songwriter Mariah Carey, released by Columbia Records on November 16, 1998. The album contained Carey's then thirteen number-one singles on the Billboard Hot 100, as well as four new songs. In Japan, the album also included her popular single, "All I Want for Christmas Is You", which was Carey's biggest selling single there.
"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.
"Always Be My Baby" is a song by American singer-songwriter Mariah Carey from her fifth studio album, Daydream (1995). Written 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 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.
Denise Lorraine "Rainy" Davis is an American singer and songwriter. Out of four Billboard charted singles, Rainy Davis is known best for her song "Sweetheart". The single was originally released on the New York–based independent label Supertronics Records. However, after the song became a hit in the clubs, then on urban radio and eventually crossing over to pop radio, Columbia Records A&R exec Joe McEwen offered Davis a production-artist deal for worldwide physical distribution, which included buying her previous contract from Supertronics. She went on to record two albums for Columbia and received numerous awards for her contributions to hit songs over the years.
"Never Forget You" is a song recorded by American singer and 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.
"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.
Life in 1472 is the debut studio album by American producer and rapper Jermaine Dupri, released via So So Def in the United States on July 21, 1998. 1472 refers to J + D, and 72. It produced the singles "Money Ain't a Thang", "Sweetheart", "The Party Continues", and "Going Home with Me". Life In 1472 spent two weeks at number one on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart, while breaking the top 5 on the Billboard 200 and selling 162,000 copies in its first week. The album was certified Gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) on August 19, 1998. A platinum certification followed on September 2, 1998.
This is the discography of record producer and rapper Jermaine Dupri. He has released two solo studio albums, and four compilation albums.