Number 1 to Infinity

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For the concert residency, see #1 to Infinity (concert residency).

The correct title of this article is #1 to Infinity. The substitution of the # is due to technical restrictions.
 #1 to Infinity
Greatest hits album by
Mariah Carey
ReleasedMay 18, 2015
Recorded1989–2007; 2015
Genre
Length79:39
Label
Producer
Mariah Carey chronology
Me. I Am Mariah... The Elusive Chanteuse
(2014) 		 #1 to Infinity
(2015) 		Caution
(2018)
Singles from #1 to Infinity
  1. "Infinity"
    Released: April 27, 2015

#1 to Infinity is the sixth

Live! with Kelly and Michael
.

Background

Following the release of

Sony Music Entertainment, meaning that #1 to Infinity would be her first album since her seventh studio album Rainbow in 1999 to be released with Sony.[2]

Following the release of Rainbow, Carey left Sony and signed an $80 million, four-album contract with EMI's Virgin Records, wishing to sever all ties with Sony and its chairman, her former husband Tommy Mottola.[2] Halperin and Hampp believe that following a prolonged period of absence from Sony and re-signing with them is a positive situation for Carey: "Doug Morris, current chairman/CEO of Sony Music, brought Carey to Island Def Jam in 2003 when he was running Universal Music Group. Reid, then head of Island Def Jam, oversaw her Mimi-powered 2005 comeback. Joey Arbagey, a collaborator of Carey's during the making of the six-times platinum The Emancipation of Mimi, is now executive vp A&R at Epic."[2] Furthermore, Carey released seven studio albums, a live EP and four compilation/greatest hits albums with Sony, which have sold a total of 54 million units[3] in the US combined. Although Halperin and Hampp note that "Carey's legacy is undisputed, her recent stumbles have not gone unnoticed," with regard to her divorce from Nick Cannon, the low sales of Me. I Am Mariah… The Elusive Chanteuse and its failure to garner a top-ten single on the Billboard Hot 100 and hiring and firing three managers: Dupri, Randy Jackson and Kevin Giles (the last of whom Carey has kept as a consultant). As a result, several record labels were reluctant to offer Carey a contract.[2] According to Billboard, many other critics felt that reuniting with Reid is Carey's best chance of re-establishing herself on the charts.[2]

Content

In January 2015, Carey announced that she would re-release

Touch My Body" (2008).[4] The North American track listing of #1 to Infinity features Carey's then eighteen US number-one singles on the Billboard Hot 100 and one new recording called "Infinity".[5] Instead of including the original studio version of her third number one "Someday" (1991), the live recording from her MTV Unplugged EP (1992) features instead. Carey explains in the liner notes of #1 to Infinity that she felt the studio version was overproduced.[6] The Bad Boy Fantasy remix of her ninth number one "Fantasy" featuring Ol' Dirty Bastard was included instead of the original solo version. Carey describes the remix as a "turning point" in her career.[6]

"Someday", "I Don't Wanna Cry" and "Thank God I Found You" were omitted from the international track listing. They were replaced with Carey's cover of Badfinger's song "Without You" (number one in New Zealand,[7] the United Kingdom,[8] and several European territories[7]), her "Endless Love" duet with Luther Vandross (number one in New Zealand[9]) and "Against All Odds" featuring Westlife (number one in the United Kingdom[8]). "Thank God I Found You" was also omitted from the Japanese track listing, and replaced with "All I Want for Christmas Is You", which remains her best-selling single in the country.[10][11] For the album artwork, Carey launched a social media campaign on April 12, 2015, whereby fans had to share a link to her website in order to reveal the cover which was concealed by a curtain. Using the hashtag "RevealMariah", the more shares the link received, the quicker the cover was revealed.[12][13] Fans unlocked the final image a day later on April 13.[14]

Singles

"Infinity" was released as the only single from the album, and was the only new recording to be included on the track list.

Taylor Parks and Ilsey Juber.[6] Lyrically, the song is about Carey freeing herself and emancipation,[18] however many critics speculated that the lyrics were specifically about her separation from her second husband, Nick Cannon.[15][17][19][20] In response, Carey said that the song was not a reflection of her personal life, but even if it was, she would not publicly confirm who it was written about.[18] Critical response to the song was positive, with many critics praising Carey's vocals and her comical songwriting, specifically with regard to the reference about Fritos.[16][21] "Infinity" reached number 82 on the Billboard Hot 100, becoming her forty-seventh entry since her debut in 1990.[22]

Promotion

Main article: Number 1 to Infinity (concert residency)

On January 15, 2015, Carey appeared on

Disney World.[30]

Reception

Jamieson Cox, from Time, wrote that "if you needed a reminder of just how thoroughly Mariah Carey dominated the 90s, or a refresher on the staggering force of the numbers she’s put up throughout her career, #1 To Infinity will do just fine", but also pointing out that most of the songs were released from 1990 to 1995, just 20% of Carey's entire recording career, as well as criticizing the lack of material released from 2005 onwards; "in 2015, we're as far away from 'We Belong Together' as that song was from 'Fantasy', and that lost decade is the root of this compilation’s greatest tragedy [...] the great majority of the fine work Carey’s done in the last decade might as well not exist". Nonetheless, he praised the compilation for highlighting "the sheer athleticism and skill that propelled Carey’s early work. She took very simple songs—both in terms of arrangements and theme—rooted in pop, gospel, and R&B and turned them into feats of strength, granting them dynamism and drama with a voice that juggled power, clarity, and agility with ease".[31]

Commercial performance

#1 to Infinity debuted at number 29 on the US

UK R&B Albums Chart, the compilation reached number 1.[42] Similarly, the album peaked at number 18 on the Australian Albums Chart,[43] but reached number 2 on the Urban Albums Chart.[44]

Track listing

#1 to Infinity – Standard edition
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
1."
Taylor Parks
  • Ilsey Juber
    • Carey
    • Hudson
    		3:58
    Total length:79:39
    #1 to Infinity – Japanese physical edition
    No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
    15."We Belong Together"
    • Carey
    • Dupri
    • Seal
    • Austin
    • Bristol
    • Edmonds
    • DeWayne
    • Womack
    • Moten
    • Sully
    • Carey
    • Dupri
    • Seal
    		3:22
    16."Don't Forget About Us"
    • Carey
    • Dupri
    • Austin
    • Cox
    • Carey
    • Dupri
    • Seal
    		3:53
    17."Touch My Body"
    • Carey
    • Johnson
    • Stewart
    • Nash
    • Carey
    • Stewart
    		3:27
    18."All I Want for Christmas Is You"
    • Carey
    • Afanasieff
    • Carey
    • Afanasieff
    		4:01
    19."Infinity"
    • Carey
    • Hudson
    • Renea
    • Parks
    • Juber
    • Carey
    • Hudson
    		3:58
    Total length:79:23


    #1 to Infinity – International edition
    No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
    3."Emotions"
    • Carey
    • Cole
    • Clivillés
    • Carey
    • Cole
    • Clivillés
    		4:08
    4."I'll Be There" (featuring Trey Lorenz)
    • Gordy
    • West
    • Davis
    • Hutch
    • Carey
    • Afanasieff
    		4:24
    5."Dreamlover"
    • Carey
    • Hall
    • Carey
    • Hall
    • Afanasieff
    		3:53
    6."Hero"
    • Carey
    • Afanasieff
    • Carey
    • Afanasieff
    		4:17
    7."Without You"
    • Carey
    • Afanasieff
    		3:36
    8."Endless Love" (with Luther Vandross)Lionel RichieAfanasieff4:20
    9."Fantasy (Bad Boy Fantasy Remix)" (featuring Ol' Dirty Bastard)
    • Carey
    • Hall
    • Frantz
    • Weymouth
    • Belew
    • Stanley
    • Carey
    • Hall
    		4:53
    10."One Sweet Day" (with Boyz II Men)
    • Carey
    • Afanasieff
    • McCary
    • Morris
    • Morris
    • Stockman
    • Carey
    • Afanasieff
    		4:41
    11."Always Be My Baby"
    • Carey
    • Dupri
    • Seal
    • Carey
    • Dupri
    • Seal
    		4:18
    12."Honey"
    • Carey
    • Combs
    • Fareed
    • Jordan
    • Hague
    • Robinson
    • Price
    • McLaren
    • Carey
    • Combs
    • Stevie J
    • The Ummah
    		4:59
    13."My All"
    • Carey
    • Afanasieff
    • Carey
    • Afanasieff
    		3:51
    14."Heartbreaker" (featuring Jay-Z)
    • Carey
    • Walden
    • Carter
    • Ellis
    • Chase
    • Cohen
    • Carey
    • DJ Clue
    		4:46
    15."Against All Odds" (featuring Westlife)Phil Collins
    		3:21
    16."We Belong Together"
    • Carey
    • Dupri
    • Seal
    • Austin
    • Bristol
    • Edmonds
    • DeWayne
    • Womack
    • Moten
    • Sully
    • Carey
    • Dupri
    • Seal
    		3:22
    17."Don't Forget About Us"
    • Carey
    • Dupri
    • Austin
    • Cox
    • Carey
    • Dupri
    • Dox
    		3:53
    18."Touch My Body"
    • Carey
    • Johnson
    • Stewart
    • Nash
    • Carey
    • Stewart
    		3:27
    19."Infinity"
    • Carey
    • Hudson
    • Renea
    • Parks
    • Juber
    • Carey
    • Hudson
    		3:58
    Total length:77:26

    Notes

    Sample credits

    Charts

    Certifications and sales

    Region Certification Certified units/sales
    United Kingdom (BPI)[65] Gold 100,000‡
    United States — 86,000[66]

    ‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

    Release history

    Country Date Format Label Ref
    Germany May 15, 2015
    Sony
    		 [67]
    United Kingdom Digital download [68]
    France May 18, 2015
    • CD
    • digital download
    		 [69]
    Spain Digital download [70]
    United Kingdom CD [71]
    United States
    • CD
    • digital download
    		[72]
    Italy May 19, 2015 Sony [73][74]
    Spain CD [75]
    Australia May 22, 2015
    • CD
    • digital download
    		 [76][77]
    Japan June 25, 2015 CD [78]
    United States August 28, 2015 Vinyl
    • Epic
    • Columbia
    • Legacy
    		 [79]

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    External links

    Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Number_1_to_Infinity&oldid=1176550443"