Emotions (Mariah Carey song)
"Emotions" | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Single by Mariah Carey | ||||
from the album Emotions | ||||
B-side |
| |||
Released | August 13, 1991 | |||
Recorded | March 1991 | |||
Genre | ||||
Length | 4:08 | |||
Label | Columbia | |||
Composer(s) |
| |||
Lyricist(s) | Mariah Carey | |||
Producer(s) |
| |||
Mariah Carey singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
Music video | ||||
"Emotions" on YouTube |
"Emotions" is a song recorded by American singer-songwriter
"Emotions" received positive reviews from music critics, who mainly praised Carey's vocal performance. The song became Carey's fifth consecutive number one song in the United States, topping the Billboard Hot 100 for three weeks, making her the first (and till date) the only act to have their first five singles top the chart. Internationally, it was a moderate success, topping the Canadian Singles Chart, and reaching the top 10 in Greece, Netherlands, and New Zealand. It received a nomination for the Grammy Award for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance at the 34th Annual ceremony.
Background
Carey was sent to work with the C+C Music Factory and they composed the song "You're So Cold", which became the first choice for the album's first single. However, a second session with the production team had them feeling in a lighter mood when "Emotions" was created and finally decided upon as the lead single.
Composition
"Emotions" is a "new-disco" song[4] with a "moderate dance tempo" of 116 beats per minute.[5] Carey's vocal range spans four octaves and four semitones on the track, from C3 to E7, with the highest note being sung with arpeggios.[5]
It was later publicly revealed that the track borrowed from Maurice White's "Best of My Love", written for the band The Emotions. This situation led to an out-of-court settlement between both sides.[6]
Music videos and remixes
The single's music video, directed by
Canadian rapper
Reception
Critical reception
Review scores | |
---|---|
Source | Rating |
Entertainment Weekly | A−[9] |
The Reporter | [10] |
Stereogum | 8/10[11] |
"Emotions" received positive reviews from critics.
A reviewer from Los Angeles Times wrote that this song's producers somewhat perk up this song but he noted that the song can't match the quality of any C+C material.[17] Pan-European magazine Music & Media said it "is a good display of Carey's impressive vocal gymnastics. A fashionable co-production by Cole and Clivilles (C&C Music Factory) is paired to a gospel-tinged pop groove."[18] Music Week's reviewer called it a "dynamic gospel/R&B-inflected house track".[19] Rolling Stone writer Rob Tannenbaum also said, "they (producers) back Carey with pumping house keyboards and shamelessly recycle the chords of Cheryl Lynn's 'Got to Be Real' and the Emotions' 'Best of My Love' to construct the bubbly new-disco 'Emotions.'"[4] Sun Sentinel magazine editor Deborah Wiler wrote that "the unimaginative first single, Emotions, sounds suspiciously like the `77 hit Best of My Love (by the Emotions)."[20]
Accolades
"Emotions" was nominated for the 1992
Chart performance
"Emotions" became Carey's fifth consecutive number one hit on the US Billboard
Outside the United States, it was Carey's most successful single since "Vision of Love" (1990), the lead single from her debut album. It topped the charts in Canada, becoming Carey's third chart-topper in the country. It also reached the top-five in Greece and New Zealand, and became her first single to reach the United Kingdom top 20 since her debut. It was a modest hit in Australia, where it just missed the top ten, but its success in Europe was limited.
Live performances
Carey performed "Emotions" live for the first time at the 1991 MTV Video Music Awards, backed by several male and female back up vocalists.[23] Following the award show appearance, she sang "Emotions" on The Arsenio Hall Show, airing on September 23, 1991.[24] Carey opened every show with "Emotions" during her Music Box Tour in 1993, Daydream World Tour in 1996, Butterfly World Tour in 1998, and Rainbow World Tour in 2000. However, she omitted the second verse in it when performing the song during the Rainbow World Tour. On New Year's Eve 2009, Carey sang "Emotions" on the first night of her Angels Advocate Tour (2009–2010). It was the first time she had sung Emotions live in almost 10 years since the Rainbow World Tour (2000).
She sang "Emotions" on her
On December 31, 2016, Carey attempted to sing "Emotions" during a live performance in
Track listings
|
|
Credits and personnel
Credits adapted from the liner notes of Emotions.[31]
Recording
- Recorded at Right Track Recording and Axis Studios, NYC.
- Mixed at Axis Studios, NYC.
Personnel
- Lyrics – Mariah Carey
- Music – Mariah Carey, David Cole, Robert Clivillés
- Production – Mariah Carey, David Cole, Robert Clivillés
- Programming – Alan Friedman (for YIPE!)
- Engineers – Acar S. Key, Bruce Miller
- Mixing – Bob Miller
- Keyboards – David Cole
- Drums – Robert Clivillés
- Vocal arrangement – Mariah Carey, David Cole
- Background vocals – Mariah Carey, Trey Lorenz, David Cole
Charts and certifications
|
|
Release history
Region | Date | Format(s) | Label(s) | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|
United States | August 14, 1991 |
|
Columbia | |
Japan | September 12, 1991 | Mini CD
|
Sony Music Japan
|
|
United Kingdom | September 23, 1991 |
|
Columbia | |
United States | October 15, 1991 | CD | ||
October 29, 1991 |
|
|||
March 5, 2002 | CD (reissue) |
See also
- List of Billboard Hot 100 number-one singles of 1991
References
- Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Mainstream: Singles" (PDF). Music Week. September 28, 1991. p. 12. Retrieved October 4, 2020.
- ^ Breihan, Tom (November 15, 2022). "Mariah Carey - "Vision of Love". The Number Ones: Twenty Chart-Topping Hits That Reveal the History of Pop Music. New York: Hachette Book Group. p. 198.
- ^ a b Tannenbaum, Rob (November 14, 1991). "Mariah Carey: Emotions". Rolling Stone. Wenner Media. Archived from the original on March 20, 2014. Retrieved March 19, 2011.
- ^ ISBN 978-1-4234-1996-9.
- ^ Friedman, Roger (March 25, 2015). "Mariah Carey Accused of Plagiarism". Fox News. Retrieved January 28, 2020.
- ^ Tanzer, Myles (June 29, 2018). "Drake Sampled Mariah Carey's "Emotions" On Scorpion". The Fader. Retrieved June 29, 2018.
- ^ Wass, Mike (July 31, 2020). "Mariah Carey Drops "Emotions" & "Make It Happen" Remix EPs". Idolator. Retrieved July 31, 2020.
- EBSCOhost 90217085.
- Newspapers.com.
- ^ Breihan, Tom (December 17, 2021). "The Number Ones: Mariah Carey's "Emotions"". Stereogum. Retrieved February 23, 2023.
- ^ Bill Lamb. "Review Of Mariah Carey's 'Emotions'". About.com Entertainment. Archived from the original on March 5, 2012.
- ^ Ashley S. Battel. "Emotions – Mariah Carey – Songs, Reviews, Credits, Awards – AllMusic". AllMusic.
- ^ Flick, Larry (August 24, 1991). "Single Reviews" (PDF). Billboard. p. 65. Retrieved October 22, 2020.
- ^ Henderson, Alex; DeVaney, Bryan (August 31, 1991). "Music Reviews: Singles" (PDF). Cashbox. p. 5. Retrieved October 31, 2020.
- ^ DeKnock, Jan (September 26, 1991). "Mariah Carey – Emotions". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved April 8, 2018.
- ^ "FALL ALBUM SPECIAL : Sappy Songs Underwhelm Carey's 'Emotions' : ** MARIAH CAREY". Los Angeles Times. September 15, 1991.
- ^ "New Releases: Singles" (PDF). Music & Media. September 21, 1991. p. 18. Retrieved October 20, 2020.
- ^ "Mainstream: Singles" (PDF). Music Week. September 28, 1991. p. 12. Retrieved October 4, 2020.
- ^ "Carey's 'Emotions' Enjoyable, But Fall Short Of Potential". tribunedigital-sunsentinel. Archived from the original on August 13, 2012. Retrieved August 1, 2013.
- ^ "Mariah Carey | Artist | www.grammy.com". The Recording Academy. February 15, 2019.
- ^ "Women and the Grammy for "Producer of the Year, Non-Classical"". Tape Op. Retrieved March 29, 2021.
- ^ Shapiro 2001, p. 60
- ^ Shapiro 2001, p. 62
- ^ Caramanica, Jon (May 7, 2015). "Review: Mariah Carey and Her Can't-Look-Away Debut in Las Vegas". The New York Times. Retrieved February 11, 2018.
- ^ "Mariah Carey's Rep Says 'Rockin' Eve' Producers 'Set Her Up to Fail'". Billboard. Retrieved January 1, 2017.
- ^ "Mariah Carey's disastrous New Year's Eve performance is a fitting end to 2016". Washington Post. Retrieved January 1, 2017.
- ^ Healy, Patrick (January 2017). "Mariah Carey's New Year's Eve Nightmare in Times Square". The New York Times. Retrieved January 1, 2017.
- ^ "Dick Clark Productions Calls Mariah Carey's 'Rockin Eve' Sabotage Claim "Outrageous" & "Absurd"". Deadline.com. January 2, 2017. Retrieved January 2, 2017.
- ^ "Emotions – EP by Mariah Carey". iTunes. Retrieved February 3, 2021.
- ^ Emotions (liner notes). Mariah Carey. Columbia Records. 1991. B000026HS0.
{{cite AV media notes}}
: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link) - ^ "Mariah Carey – Emotions". ARIA Top 50 Singles. Retrieved May 20, 2015.
- ^ "Mariah Carey – Emotions" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved May 20, 2015.
- ^ "Top RPM Singles: Issue 1666." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved May 20, 2015.
- ^ "Top RPM Adult Contemporary: Issue 1649." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved May 31, 2015.
- ^ "Top RPM Dance/Urban: Issue 1673." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved April 14, 2019.
- ^ ISBN 1-896594-13-1.
- ^ "Hits of the World" (PDF). Billboard. Retrieved May 31, 2015.
- ^ "EDR Top 25" (PDF). Music & Media. November 2, 1991. Retrieved August 24, 2021.
- ^ "Carey Claims Crown". Music & Media. September 25, 1993. p. 30.
- ^ "Mariah Carey – Emotions" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved April 14, 2019.
- ^ "National Airplay". Music & Media. November 23, 1991. p. 26.
- ^ "Top 10 Sales in Europe" (PDF). Music & Media. November 2, 1991. Retrieved March 22, 2018.
- ^ "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Emotion". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved May 20, 2015.
- ^ マライア・キャリーのアルバム売り上げランキング (in Japanese). Oricon. Archived from the original on December 6, 2013. Retrieved May 20, 2015.
- ^ "Nederlandse Top 40 – week 42, 1991" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved May 20, 2015.
- ^ "Mariah Carey – Emotions" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved May 20, 2015.
- ^ "Mariah Carey – Emotions". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved May 20, 2015.
- ^ "National Airplay" (PDF). Music & Media. October 12, 1991. p. 28.
- ^ "Discos más populares en Latinoamérica". El Siglo de Torreón (in Spanish): 42. November 1, 1991. Retrieved August 6, 2022.
- ^ "Mariah Carey – Emotions". Singles Top 100. Retrieved May 20, 2015.
- ^ "National Airplay". Music & Media. October 18, 1991. p. 38.
- ^ "National Airplay" (PDF). Music & Media. October 12, 1991. p. 28.
- ^ "Mariah Carey: Artist Chart History". Official Charts Company. Retrieved May 20, 2015.
- ^ "The Club Chart". Record Mirror Update. Music Week. October 19, 1991. p. 8.
- ^ "Top 60 Dance Singles" (PDF). Music Week. October 12, 1991. p. 26. Retrieved September 28, 2020.
- ^ "National Airplay". Music & Media. November 2, 1991. p. 37.
- ^ "Mariah Carey Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved May 20, 2015.
- ^ "Mariah Carey Chart History (Adult Contemporary)". Billboard. Retrieved May 20, 2015.
- ^ "Mariah Carey Chart History (Dance Club Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved May 20, 2015.
- ^ "Mariah Carey Chart History (Dance Singles Sales)". Billboard. Retrieved April 23, 2022.
- ^ "Mariah Carey Chart History (Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved May 20, 2015.
- ProQuest 1506001201.
- ProQuest 1506002326.
- OL 1105653M.
- ^ "Top 100 R&B Singles". Cash Box. October 26, 1991. p. 9 – via Internet Archive.
- ^ "Top 30 Dance Singles". Cash Box. December 7, 1991. p. 9 – via Internet Archive.
- ^ "Adult Contemporary". Gavin Report. October 11, 1991. p. 28.
- ^ "Top 40". Gavin Report. October 11, 1991. p. 10.
- ^ "Crossover Chart". Gavin Report. October 11, 1991. p. 20.
- ^ "Urban Contemporary". Gavin Report. October 11, 1991. p. 18.
- ^ ProQuest 1017246639.
- ^ "South Korean International Download Singles (Week 22, 2015)". Gaon Chart. Retrieved December 24, 2021.
- ^ Gavin Ryan (2011). Australia's Music Charts 1988–2010. Mt. Martha, VIC, Australia: Moonlight Publishing.
- ^ "RPM 100 Hit Tracks of 1991". RPM. December 21, 1991. Archived from the original on December 8, 2015. Retrieved May 20, 2015.
- ^ "RPM 100 Adult Contemporary Tracks of 1991". RPM. December 21, 1991. Archived from the original on May 21, 2015. Retrieved May 20, 2015.
- ^ "RPM Dance Tracks of 1991". RPM. December 21, 1991. Archived from the original on December 8, 2015. Retrieved May 31, 2015.
- ISBN 1-896594-10-7.
- ^ "EHR Year-End Top 100". Music & Media. December 21, 1991. p. 20.
- ^ "Jaarlijsten 1991" (in Dutch). Stichting Nederlandse Top 40. Retrieved May 20, 2015.
- ProQuest 1286414097.
- ProQuest 1286415000.
- ^ "Adult Contemporary Top 100". Gavin Report. December 13, 1991. p. 27.
- ProQuest 1017254722.
- ProQuest 1017249395.
- ProQuest 1286414287.
- ^ "Top 40 Top 100". Gavin Report. December 13, 1991. p. 24.
- ProQuest 1017251946.
- ^ "Urban Top 100". Gavin Report. December 13, 1991. p. 26.
- ^ "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 2019 Singles" (PDF). Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved March 22, 2021.
- ISBN 978-1-877443-00-8.
- ^ Copsey, Rob (November 14, 2018). "Mariah Carey's Top 40 biggest singles on the Official Chart". Official Charts Company. Retrieved November 14, 2018.
- ^ a b "American single certifications – Mariah Carey – Emotions". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved December 26, 2022.
- ProQuest 1505939712.
- ^ "エモーションズ" ["Emotions"] (in Japanese). Oricon. Retrieved December 26, 2022.
- ^ "Mariah Carey "Emotions"". Music Week. September 21, 1991. p. 1.
- ProQuest 1505997939.
- ProQuest 1506000843.
- ^ "Mariah Carey: "Emotions" (Single)". Sony Music Store. Archived from the original on September 22, 2003.
Works cited
- Shapiro, Marc (2001). Mariah Carey: The Unauthorized Biography. ISBN 978-1-55022-444-3.