The Remixes is the first remix album by American singer-songwriter Mariah Carey, released on June 25, 2003, by Columbia Records. It mainly compiles remixed versions of Carey's songs, featuring club mixes on the first disc and hip-hop collaborations and remixes on the second.
The Remixes is a two-disc compilation album by Carey that blends various genres, including dance, pop, and R&B. The first disc is oriented toward the dancefloor, featuring club remixes that draw from disco, house, gospel, electronica, and techno, while the second disc highlights Carey's hip-hop collaborations, some of which are original versions rather than remixes. Among the notable tracks is "I Know What You Want", a duet with Busta Rhymes originally released on his album It Ain't Safe No More..., as well as two remixes that were previously exclusive to the Japanese market: the So So Def remix of "The One" and "Miss You" featuring Jadakiss, both initially recorded during the Charmbracelet era. Licensing for the album involved material from three of Carey's record labels—Columbia, Virgin, and Island—as well as J Records for "I Know What You Want."
Upon release, The Remixes received mixed critical reactions. Some reviewers regarded it as a more compelling offering than a standard greatest hits compilation, praising the new interpretations and the scope of styles represented across both discs. Others, however, perceived it as a calculated commercial move aimed at repackaging old material. The dance-oriented first disc drew divided opinions: while some critics felt that the production, particularly from David Morales, remained fresh and complemented Carey's vocals, others found the beats repetitive or dated, questioning the creative value of the remix process. The hip-hop disc was equally polarizing. Some applauded the synergy between Carey and her guest rappers, highlighting songs like "Breakdown", "Fantasy", and "Loverboy" as standout examples of cross-genre chemistry, while others criticized the features as underwhelming or ineffective. Reviewers generally agreed that the album catered more to long-time fans than to casual listeners, with some noting that the remixes lacked the energy or substance to stand on their own. Still, certain tracks were praised for making bold departures from their original versions, and Carey's decision to re-record her vocals for many of the remixes was viewed by some as a mark of dedication.
Commercially, the album debuted at number 26 on the Billboard 200 with over 40,000 units sold in its first week—lower than her ninth studio album Charmbracelet, but a stronger showing than her previous compilation Greatest Hits. Despite spending only five weeks on the main album chart, it found greater success on the genre-specific Top Electronic Albums chart, where it held the number one position for two months. By April 2005, U.S. sales had reached over 200,000 copies, climbing to nearly 290,000 by 2018. In October 2019, the album was certified Gold by the RIAA, a milestone adjusted for its double-disc format, which counts each disc toward certification thresholds. Internationally, The Remixes reached the top forty in markets including New Zealand, South Korea, and the United Kingdom.
Background and release
Following the demise of her marriage with Sony Music CEO Tommy Mottola after the release of her sixth studio album Butterfly (1997), American singer Mariah Carey negotiated her exit from record label Columbia in exchange for the release of four albums: #1's (1998; her first greatest hits album), Rainbow (1999; her seventh studio album), Greatest Hits (2001; her second greatest hits album), and The Remixes (2003; her first remix album).[1] By the time of the latter's release, Mottola had resigned from Sony Music and Carey was consequently more creatively involved in the album than Greatest Hits,[2] for which she admitted not knowing of its impending release in 2001.[3] In a 2003 interview with the Scripps Howard News Service, Carey summed up The Remixes' release as "a contractual Sony thing".[4] However, Carey told The Hollywood Reporter she had always wanted to put out a remix album and reflected positively about its tracklist.[5]
The Remixes received a staggered release worldwide as a cassette and compact disc.[6]Sony Music Japan International released the album in Japan on June 25, 2003, to correspond with Carey's Charmbracelet World Tour dates in that country.[7] While a United States release was scheduled for the previous day,[8] Columbia Records delayed the album multiple times to July 1,[9] August 5,[10] and September 2,[11] before releasing it on October 14.[12] Elsewhere, The Remixes was released on October 6 in the United Kingdom,[13] October 14 in Taiwan,[14] October 21 in Canada,[15] October 24 in South Korea,[6] and November 3 in Australia.[16]
Five of the tracks on disc two - "Breakdown" (1997), "Sweetheart" (1998), "Crybaby" (1999), "Miss You" and "I Know What You Want" - are not remixes at all. All three of Carey's record labels - Columbia Records, Virgin Records and Island Records - agreed to license tracks for the album, while "I Know What You Want" was licensed from J Records.
Music critics opined on the release of a remix album and the remixes themselves. Kevin C. Johnson of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch considered a remix album better than another greatest hits compilation,[26] the Malay Mail's Yushaimi Yahaya said it was "a commercial strategy to sell old songs",[18] and R. S. Murthi of the New Straits Times felt it indicated Carey was "desperate to boost flagging sales".[22] Reviewing for Slant Magazine, Sal Cinquemani thought Carey's enthusiasm for the project disproved the latter's notions.[25] He viewed the album as suited to dedicated fans rather than general audiences, as did Yahaya and Billboard's Michael Paoletta.[25][18][12] Apart from "Emotions", Scott Iwasaki of the Deseret News considered the remixes "just as boring as the originals".[20] In contrast, Johnson felt the remixes enhanced Carey's songs as they "lacked flavor" in their original forms.[26] Tom Harrison of The Province said some songs make "radical departures" from the originals.[23]AllMusic's William Ruhlmann agreed, stating, "in many cases, the songs as initially heard are virtually unrecognizable".[19]
Reviewers wrote about both the dance and hip-hop discs. Derek Ali of the Dayton Daily News described the first as monotonous[17] and The Denver Post's Elana Ashanti Jefferson questioned whether "the remix process entailed adding stale house beats and club sirens."[27] Cinquemani thought some songs sound dated but praised Carey for re-recording her vocals.[25] In contrast, Paoletta felt David Morales's production on disc one "remains fresh and alive"[12] and New York Times music critic Kelefa Sanneh considered it complementary of Carey's voice. Sanneh thought disc two songs remixed by Jermaine Dupri were of lesser quality and chose "Breakdown" and "Miss You" as highlights for the dynamic between Carey and rappers.[28] Jefferson thought the "vast pool of talent and influence" that went into producing tracks on disc two made the album worth more than one listen.[27] Referencing the samples and rappers present, Ali chose "Fantasy", "Thank God I Found You", and "Loverboy" as highlights from disc two[17] while Johnson selected "Loverboy", "My All/Stay Awhile", "Breakdown", and "Always Be My Baby".[26] Murthi disagreed, writing that the rappers failed to enhance the songs.[22]
Commercial performance
The Remixes sold 40,687 copies in its first week of release in the United States.[29] It debuted and peaked at number twenty-six on the Billboard 200 albums chart, lower than the number three peak of her previous album Charmbracelet but higher than her prior compilation album Greatest Hits, which peaked at number fifty-two. The album spent a total of five weeks on the chart, the lowest of Carey's career at the time.[30] It experienced greater success on the genre-specific Top Electronic Albums chart, where it spent two months at number one.[31] By April 2005, The Remixes had sold 205,000 units in the United States according to Nielsen SoundScan.[32] In November 2018, the album reached 289,000 sales.[33] The Recording Industry Association of America certified it gold in October 2019.[34] As a double album over 100 minutes long, it achieved Gold status after it sold 250,000 equivalent units instead of the standard 500,000 because its discs are counted separately for certification purposes.[35]
Elsewhere, The Remixes peaked within the top forty of national album charts in New Zealand, South Korea, and the United Kingdom.[36][6][37]
J The Japanese edition omits "The One" So So Def Remix and "I Know What You Want" and instead includes "All I Want for Christmas Is You" So So Def Remix featuring Jermaine Dupri and Lil' Bow Wow[7]
"Heartbreaker/If You Should Ever Be Lonely" interpolates "If You Should Ever Be Lonely", written by Val Young and Frederick Jenkins
"My All/Stay Awhile" So So Def Remix contains a replayed portion of "Stay a Little While, Child", written by Carl McIntosh, Jane Eugene, and Steve Nichol[40]
↑ "マライア・キャリーのアルバム売り上げランキング"[Mariah Carey's Album Sales Ranking] (in Japanese). Oricon. Archived from the original on November 12, 2012. Retrieved January 22, 2022.
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