"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.
"Emotions" | ||||
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US CD/vinyl variant of the standard artwork | ||||
Single by Mariah Carey | ||||
from the album Emotions | ||||
B-side |
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Released | August 13, 1991 | |||
Recorded | March 1991 | |||
Genre | ||||
Length | 4:08 | |||
Label | Columbia | |||
Composer(s) | ||||
Lyricist(s) | Mariah Carey | |||
Producer(s) |
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Mariah Carey singles chronology | ||||
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Music video | ||||
"Emotions" on YouTube |
"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
editCarey 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
edit"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
editThe single's music video, directed by Jeff Preiss, features Carey and friends with exotic animals while partying and having fun around town in New York City. The video was desaturated but still maintains various color tints, which change from brown to red to blue and so forth. On July 31, 2020, the music video was re-released in a remastered form, in HD quality.[citation needed] David Cole and Robert Clivillés created the main remix of "Emotions", known as "Emotions" (12" Club Mix). Although Carey did not re-record her vocals for it, she added a new gospel-style intro before the song's dance portion. This new intro was used when she performed "Emotions" on MTV Unplugged in 1992, as well as at some later concerts. A music video was created using the 12" club mix, but only slight changes in editing differentiate it from the video for the original version. The remix was later featured on Carey's 2003 remix album The Remixes.
Canadian rapper Drake sampled the song's 12" Club Mix version in the song "Emotionless" from his 2018 album Scorpion.[7] On July 31, 2020, along with the celebration of the 30th anniversary of her debut studio album Mariah Carey, as well as Carey celebrating 30 years in the music industry, she released the song as a five track extended play, titled Emotions EP, which contains some remixes from both the US and European CD maxi singles.[8]
Reception
editCritical reception
editReview scores | |
---|---|
Source | Rating |
Entertainment Weekly | A−[9] |
The Reporter | |
Stereogum | 8/10[11] |
"Emotions" received positive reviews from critics. About.com's Bill Lamb called the high notes as the pros of the album itself and that it stands with Mariah's best.[12] AllMusic editor Ashley S. Battel highlighted the song and wrote that it is upbeat and it serves to send the listener on a musical journey filled with varying emotions.[13] Billboard editor Larry Flick said, "Although the heat generated by her multiplatinum debut album has barely cooled, Carey previews her sophomore set with a dance /pop ditty that will remind some of the Emotions' "Best of my Love". Expect instant multiformat attention."[14] Henderson and DeVaney from Cashbox described it as "a happy, perky soul/pop number bearing a resemblance to the music the group The Emotions embraced during the 1970s".[15] Chicago Tribune editor Jan DeKnock wrote "just listen to those incredibly high notes on the title cut and current single 'Emotions.'"[16]
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
edit"Emotions" was nominated for the 1992 Grammy Award for Best Pop Vocal Performance, Female, losing to "Something to Talk About" by Bonnie Raitt. It won a BMI R&B Award, continuing Carey's unbroken streak of wins for this award. Carey was also nominated for Producer of the Year (non-classical),[21] becoming the second woman to achieve this honor.[22]
Chart performance
edit"Emotions" became Carey's fifth consecutive number one hit on the US Billboard Hot 100, giving her the distinction of being the first (and, to date, only) act to have their first five singles make number 1 on the Hot 100, breaking the 21-year record previously held by The Jackson 5. It reached number 1 in its seventh week and spent three weeks at the top, from October 12 to 26, 1991. It replaced "Good Vibrations" by Marky Mark and the Funky Bunch featuring Loleatta Holloway and was replaced by Karyn White's "Romantic". It remained in the top 40 for 20 weeks and was one of four singles from Carey on the Hot 100's 1991 year-end chart, ranking 22. The song topped the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart and became her second number one single on the Hot Dance Club Play chart. The RIAA certified it Platinum in 2019.
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
editCarey 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 The Elusive Chanteuse Show tour in 2014, as well as in her first annual Christmas show at the Beacon Theatre in New York City, All I Want For Christmas Is You, A Night of Joy & Festivity (2014). The song was also featured in Carey's Las Vegas residency, #1 to Infinity.[25] For the performance, Carey entered the stage singing the MTV Unplugged version of the song, while Las Vegas showgirls danced on the stage.
On December 31, 2016, Carey attempted to sing "Emotions" during a live performance in Times Square for the television special Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve, but the performance was afflicted by technical issues that prevented her from hearing her backing track. Carey's management claimed that the producers of the program had refused to acknowledge the issue prior to her performance and had "set her up to fail," but these claims were denied by Dick Clark Productions.[26][27][28][29] The song was also featured in Carey's Las Vegas residency, The Butterfly Returns. For the Caution World Tour in 2019, the song was part of a medley alongside "You Don't Know What To Do".
Track listings
edit
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Credits and personnel
editCredits 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
edit
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Release history
editRegion | Date | Format(s) | Label(s) | Ref. |
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United States | August 14, 1991 | Columbia | ||
Japan | September 12, 1991 | Mini CD | Sony Music Japan | |
United Kingdom | September 23, 1991 |
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Columbia | |
United States | October 15, 1991 | CD | ||
October 29, 1991 |
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March 5, 2002 | CD (reissue) | |||
Canada | March 4, 2003 |
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ Hunt, Dennis (September 15, 1991). "Sappy Songs Underwhelm Carey's Emotions". Calendar. Los Angeles Times. p. 58 – via 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.
- ^ a b Mariah Carey: Original Keys for Singers. Hal Leonard. 2007. pp. 49–56. 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.
- ^ Greenblatt, Leah (September 20, 2013). "Chart Flashback 1991". Entertainment Weekly. p. 150. EBSCOhost 90217085.
- ^ Kowalski, Joe (September 19, 1991). "It's Top of the Pops: Week 2". The Reporter. p. B4 – via 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.
- ^ a b Lwin, Nanda (2000). Top 40 Hits: The Essential Chart Guide. Music Data Canada. p. 59. 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.
- ^ Radio Luxembourg Singles, 17 November 1991
- ^ "Nederlandse Top 40 – week 42, 1991" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved May 20, 2015.
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- ^ "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 – dorobek wykonawcy na LP3" (in Polish). LP3. Retrieved August 8, 2024.
- ^ "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.
- ^ "Top 60 Dance Singles" (PDF). Music Week. October 12, 1991. p. 26. Retrieved September 28, 2020.
- ^ "Top 50 Network Singles". Melody Maker. November 16, 1991. p. 30.
- ^ "The Club Chart". Record Mirror Update. Music Week. October 19, 1991. p. 8.
- ^ "Playlist Chart". Music Week. February 8, 1992. p. 20.
- ^ "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.
- ^ "Top 40 Radio Monitor". Billboard. October 19, 1991. p. 87. ProQuest 1506001201.
- ^ "Top POS Singles Sales". Billboard. November 16, 1991. p. 90. ProQuest 1506002326.
- ^ "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.
- ^ Lwin, Nanda (1997). Canada's Top Hits of the Year 1975–1996. Music Data Canada. p. 106. 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.
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- ^ "Urban Top 100". Gavin Report. December 13, 1991. p. 26.
- ^ "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 2019 Singles" (PDF). Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved March 22, 2021.
- ^ Dean Scapolo (2007). The Complete New Zealand Music Charts 1966–2006. RIANZ. 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.
- ^ "Hot 100 Singles". Billboard. January 19, 1991. p. 72. ProQuest 1505939712.
- ^ "エモーションズ" ["Emotions"] (in Japanese). Oricon. Retrieved December 26, 2022.
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- ^ "'Emotions' (2 Tracks)". CDPlus.com. Archived from the original on March 1, 2004.
Works cited
edit- Shapiro, Marc (2001). Mariah Carey: The Unauthorized Biography. ECW Press. ISBN 978-1-55022-444-3.