Side Effects (Mariah Carey song)
"Side Effects" | |
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Song by Mariah Carey featuring Young Jeezy | |
from the album E=MC² | |
Recorded | Honeysouth Studios, Miami |
Genre | R&B |
Length | 4:22 |
Label | Island Def Jam |
Songwriter(s) |
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Producer(s) |
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"Side Effects" is a song by American singer and songwriter
Background
Tommy was a deeply controlling husband who left Carey feeling confined to the house (where she obsessively over-decorated). He aggressively dictated every aspect of her career, from the music to her sexless clothes to her holographic public persona, taught as she was 'to say as little as possible, don't be yourself'." | ||
—Silvia Patterson, The Daily Telegraph.[1]
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In 1988, Carey moved to Manhattan, New York to pursue a career in music.
Referring to Columbia, Carey said in an interview "That company, made a billion dollars from the raggedy girl he met at that party."
It was '97 and I was leaving my marriage [to Tommy Mottola]. which encompassed my life. I was writing the song 'Butterfly' wishing that that's what he would say to me. There's a part that goes, 'I have learned that beauty/has to flourish in the light/wild horses run unbridled/or their spirit dies/you have given me the courage/to be all that I can/and I truly feel ...[sings] and I truly feel your heart will lead you back to me when you're ready to land.' At that point I really believed that I was going to go back to the marriage – I didn't think I was going to leave forever. But then the things that happened to me during that time caused me to not go back. Had it been, 'Go be yourself, you've been with me since you were a kid, let's separate for a while,' I probably would've.[13]"
"Butterfly" became what Carey later described as her "favorite and most heartfelt ballad."[12] Its lyrics were very personal, linking to her personal life and relationship with Mottola.[12] Carey wrote "Butterfly" for Mottola, hoping he would say its contents to her, and choose to do what was best for her. She described it as "the best ballad she had ever written" and credited it as the epitome of Butterfly.[12]
Production and composition
"Side Effects" was written by Carey, Scott Storch, Crystal Johnson and featured artist Young Jeezy. It was produced by Carey for Maroon Entertainment and by Storch on behalf of Tuff Jew Productions/Hustla Foundation. Copyright is held by Rye Songs which is administered by Songs of Universal (BMI)/Scott Storch Music/TVT Publishing (ASCAP)/C-Style Ink/Slide That Music/EMI-April Songs (ASCAP)/YJ Music (BMI). The track was recorded by Brian Garten at Honeysouth Studios in Miami, Florida, and mixed by Fabian Marasciullo at The Hit Factory, also in Miami. Carey and Johnson performed the background vocals.[14]
It is an R&B song with elements of electro.[15][16][17] Lyrically, Carey is recounting a past relationship which fell into "violent times", and how she still deals with the effects of what she experienced.[17][18] Carey begins with the line "I was a girl/ You were ‘the man'/ I was too young to understand/ I was naïve /Believing everything you told me."[16] Although Carey never mentions Mottola's name, many critics believed that she was addressing him directly in the lines "Shining like a chandelier/ That decorated every room inside/ The private hell we built", "Sleeping with the enemy, aware that he was smothering every last part of me" and "Said you were strong/ Protecting me/ Then I found out that you were weak/ Keepin' me there, under your thumb/ Cause you were scared that I'd become much/ More than you could handle."[16][17][19][20] After confessing that she would "[wake] up scared some nights, still dreaming about the violent times," Carey decides to walk away from the relationship, and declares "but I still live with the side effects".[19] J. Freedom De Luc of The Washington Post likened the "echoing" repetition of "Side effects" to that of Rihanna's on her 2007 single "Umbrella".[19] In an interview with Jennifer Vineyard of MTV News, Carey explained why she felt compelled to write the song:
'I wrote it because it was necessary for me to write it,' Mariah said of her most personal, and angriest, song to date. Fans might be surprised at her references to 'the hell that we built' and the 'violent times,' but Mariah thinks this song is for 'anyone who’s been in an abusive relationship.' 'You know what? I’ve been through too much at this point,' she said. 'I want happiness and I want pure and real love, but the side effects of what other relationships have put me through cause me to be kind of on the defensive a lot of the time. And if somebody isn’t mature or caring and loving and open-hearted enough to understand that, then it’s tough, but this is a song for people who need that.' Mariah hopes that this song helps people feel 'a little bit stronger.'[21]
Reception
Live performances
On July 31, 2008, Carey performed a free concert at the
Charts
Chart (2008) | Peak position |
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US Pop 100 (Billboard)[26] | 93 |
References
- ^ a b Patterson, Silvia (March 17, 2008). "Maraih Carey: Come In And Smell The Perfume". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved August 8, 2008.
- ^ a b Nickson 1998, p. 33
- ^ a b Nickson 1998, p. 40
- ^ a b c Nickson 1998, p. 43
- ^ Cane, Clay (June 12, 2010). "Mariah Celebrates Twenty Years". BET. Retrieved September 13, 2015.
- ^ Shapiro 2001, pp. 70
- ^ Shapiro 2001, pp. 91
- ^ a b Shapiro 2001, pp. 98
- ^ Nickson 1998, p. 83
- ^ Shapiro 2001, pp. 93
- ^ Shapiro 2001, pp. 109
- ^ a b c d Nickson 1998, p. 167
- ^ Sischy, Ingrid (2007-09-20). "Mariah Carey: The Naked Truth From The World's Biggest Diva". Interview. pp. 156–165.
- ^ Carey, Mariah (2008). E=MC² (Liner Notes). Island Records (Compact Disc). Mariah Carey. New York City, New York.
- ^ a b Daniel, Jayanthi (April 16, 2008). "Mariah Carey Solves Equation". The New York Sun. Retrieved September 11, 2015.
- ^ Fox News. Retrieved September 11, 2015.
- ^ a b c d Guerra, Joey (April 15, 2008). "Mariah Gets Equation Right With 'E=MC²'". Retrieved September 11, 2015.
- ^ a b Sawdey, Evan (May 1, 2008). "Mariah Carey: E=MC² Reviews". PopMatters. Retrieved September 11, 2015.
- ^ a b c d Freedom De Lac, J (April 15, 2008). "Mariah Sticks to Known Equation". The Washington Post. Retrieved September 11, 2015.
- ^ a b Ratliff, Ben (April 16, 2008). "New CDs". The New York Times. Retrieved September 11, 2015.
- ^ Vineyard, Jennifer (April 9, 2008). "Mariah Carey Leads A Track-By-Track Tour Of E=MC², Which She Calls '100 Percent Of Me'". MTV News. Retrieved September 11, 2015.
- ^ Macpherson, Alex (April 16, 2008). "Mariah Carey: E=MC²". The Guardian. Retrieved September 11, 2015.
- ^ Levine, Nick (April 27, 2008). "Mariah Carey: E=MC²". Digital Spy. Retrieved September 11, 2015.
- ^ LA Times. Retrieved September 13, 2015.
- ^ Bychawski, Adam (August 1, 2008). "Mariah Carey gives free concert at Hollywood mall". NME. Retrieved September 13, 2015.
- ^ "Mariah Carey Awards". AllMusic. 2008. Retrieved September 7, 2015.
Sources
- Nickson, Chris (1998). Mariah Carey revisited: her story. ISBN 978-0-312-19512-0.
- Shapiro, Marc (2001). Mariah Carey: The Unauthorized Biography. ISBN 978-1-55022-444-3.