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Breakdown (Mariah Carey song)

April 21, 2024

"Breakdown" is a song recorded by American singer Mariah Carey for her sixth studio album, Butterfly (1997). In the lyrics, she describes the aftermath of a partner ending their love for the other and the trouble of hiding the pain it caused. The track features rapping by Krayzie Bone and Wish Bone, members of the group Bone Thugs-n-Harmony. Before they wrote and performed their raps, Carey composed the music with Stevie J and penned her lyrics. The latter pair produced "Breakdown" with Sean "Puffy" Combs. An R&B, hip hop, and hip hop soul song, "Breakdown" features keyboards, synthesized drums, and background vocals prominently. Columbia Records released it to American rhythmic contemporary radio stations in January 1998 as the third single from Butterfly.

"Breakdown"
Single by Mariah Carey featuring Bone Thugs-n-Harmony
from the album Butterfly
A-side"My All"
ReleasedJanuary 1998
Recorded1997
Studio
Genre
Length
  • 4:44 (album)
  • 4:15 (single)
LabelColumbia
Composer(s)
Lyricist(s)
Producer(s)
Mariah Carey singles chronology
"Butterfly"
(1997) 		"Breakdown"
(1998) 		"The Roof (Back in Time)"
(1998)
Bone Thugs-n-Harmony singles chronology
"If I Could Teach the World"
(1997) 		"Breakdown"
(1998) 		"Ghetto Cowboy"
(1999)
Music video
"Breakdown" on YouTube

Critics judged "Breakdown" in relation to Carey's previous work and considered the collaboration with Bone-Thugs-n-Harmony successful. Some perceived it to be about the recent separation from her husband Tommy Mottola, which she denied. Carey publicly criticized Columbia for a perceived longstanding anti-R&B bias against her music after it did not release the song to retail outlets in the United States. "Breakdown" was thus initially ineligible to appear on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. It was later issued as a double A-side with "My All" and reached number four on Hot R&B Singles. "Breakdown" experienced consistent airplay on American urban contemporary radio stations and it became Carey's longest-running title on Hot R&B Airplay until 2005. Elsewhere, "Breakdown" peaked at number four in New Zealand and number thirty-eight in Australia.

Carey directed the music video with previous collaborator Diane Martel. It presents her in various roles at a casino such as a showgirl and cabaret performer; the latter received comparisons to Liza Minnelli. "Breakdown" received heavy rotation on the television channels BET and MTV and was issued as a video single. Clips accompanied Carey's live performances of the song during the 1998 Butterfly World Tour. Retrospectively, "Breakdown" is regarded as a turning point in Carey's musical direction toward hip hop and as one of the best songs of her career.

Background edit

In the early 1990s, American singer Mariah Carey was known for middle of the road music.[a] Stronger contemporary R&B influences became apparent in her music with "Dreamlover", a song from her 1993 album Music Box.[2] Carey's fifth album, Daydream (1995), contained elements of hip hop.[3] After receiving the best critical reviews of her career up to that point[4] and separating from her husband Tommy Mottola,[b] the head of her record label Columbia,[7] Carey felt confident to incorporate hip hop overtly in her follow-up album Butterfly (1997).[8]

Experiencing creative freedom,[9] Carey recorded Butterfly from January to August 1997.[10] During this time, she became enamored with "Notorious Thugs" by The Notorious B.I.G. and Bone Thugs-n-Harmony,[11] a song produced by Stevie J and Sean "Puffy" Combs.[12] Carey expressed interest in collaborating with Bone Thugs-n-Harmony to Stevie J, and they began studying the rap group's discography.[13] He and Combs had already worked with Carey on another Butterfly track, "Honey".[13][14] In 1995, Combs had produced the hip hop remix of Carey's song "Fantasy" featuring Wu-Tang Clan rapper Ol' Dirty Bastard.[15][16]

Composition edit

 
 
"Breakdown" features rapping by two members of the group Bone-Thugs-n-Harmony, Krayzie Bone (left) and Wish Bone.
 
"Breakdown"
A sample of the last chorus, featuring the song's instrumentation and vocal arrangement
Problems playing this file? See media help.

Situated among ballads (e.g. "Butterfly") and uptempo songs ("Honey"), "Breakdown" occupies a musical middle ground on Butterfly.[17] It is an R&B,[17] hip hop,[18] and hip hop soul song[19] driven by a slow groove.[20] The album version lasts four minutes and forty-four seconds[21] and the single is four minutes and fifteen seconds long.[22] Carey wrote her lyrics after the composing with Stevie J, who played keyboards and programmed additional keyboard and drum sounds electronically.[13][23] She recorded her vocals before Bone-Thugs-n-Harmony members Krayzie Bone and Wish Bone did:[13] "I wanted to do a song in their style, so that when they came into the studio to hear it, they would know immediately that I had been totally influenced by them."[24] After Bone-Thugs-n-Harmony's manager informed them that Carey was interested in collaborating, the group was reluctant as they did not comprehend her level of fame.[25]

Columbia chartered a plane to Cleveland, Ohio, to bring the group members to record in New York City.[26] Upon their arrival, Krayzie Bone and Wish Bone were given cannabis which they passed out from after becoming intoxicated.[27] Awakened by their manager, the group members were receptive to "Breakdown" because it sounded similar to their previous work.[13] According to Wish Bone, "She had a blueprint laid out for us, and then me and Krayzie started coming up with little things to add to the hook. It really wasn't nothing for us to do our verses because that's what we do."[26] Layzie Bone initially stayed back, but joined the session at Carey's request after the record label sent a second plane.[27] Carey, Stevie J, and Combs produced "Breakdown"; Dana Jon Chappelle and Ian Dalsemer conducted engineering at The Hit Factory and Daddy's House[c] studios.[23] Tony Maserati managed the mixing at The Hit Factory and Herb Powers Jr. mastered it at Powers House of Sound in New York.[23] She was initially apprehensive about the outcome: "After I did it, I was like 'Wow, this sounds really different for me. What did I just do?' And I was like, 'Did I do wrong?'"[29]

"Breakdown" concerns concealing heartbreak after a romantic relationship ended due to rejection.[30][31][32] Some of Carey's lyrics, such as "Well I guess I'm trying to be nonchalant about it / And I'm going to extremes to prove I'm fine without you", are directed at the former partner.[33] Others posit questions about how to move on: "So what do you do when / Somebody you're so devoted to / Suddenly just stops loving you?"[34] The lyrics have a dark tone,[35] and chirping birds in the background elicit an optimistic aura.[31] Some critics thought the song detailed the end of Carey's marriage with Mottola.[d] Others felt the perceived references were not as clear.[38][39] Carey told The Boston Globe it is a representation of her admiration for Bone-Thugs-n-Harmony's rapping style.[24]

The song structure of "Breakdown" contains two verses and a chorus sung by Carey, two raps by Wish Bone, and two raps by Krayzie Bone.[23] Bone Thugs-n-Harmony harmonize their rapping in staccato-saturated couplets.[40][41] Influenced by reggae and doo-wop,[35][42] they rap in a fast-paced aggressive manner.[19][40] Carey speeds up her vocals to match them,[43] singing in double-time.[44] New York Times writer Jon Pareles perceived this delivery as showcasing she is torn between feeling despair and detachment.[43] Carey incorporates melisma in her vocals and produces vamps.[22][45] At times half-whispering,[46] she adopts a restrained delivery until belting near the end of the song to express her true emotional state.[47][48] Departing from her practice of having a male singer like Trey Lorenz add background vocals in a low register that complement the lead, Carey provides them herself on "Breakdown".[49] They are featured prominently throughout the track and, according to Grey Cavitt of the Waco Tribune-Herald, "threaten to bring about the psychological break promised by the title".[50]

Release edit

"Breakdown" is the sixth track on Butterfly, which Sony Music issued on September 10, 1997.[51] Upon the album's release, American newspaper critics deemed "Breakdown" a potentially successful single.[e] R&B radio stations in the country began playing it in late 1997 amid a lukewarm response to the album's second single, "Butterfly".[f] After "Breakdown" received over 600 spins without promotion,[59] Columbia released the song to American rhythmic contemporary radio stations in January 1998.[22][57] It was the third single from Butterfly, following "Honey" and "Butterfly".[55]

After "Breakdown" failed to garner crossover success on contemporary hit radio, Columbia did not release it for sale in the United States.[57] At the time, Billboard Hot 100 chart rules stipulated that songs required retail releases to appear and that airplay from R&B radio stations was not a factor.[60] During an interview in late 1998, Carey said Columbia had a peculiar pattern of not releasing her heavily R&B material as commercial singles since her 1990 debut: "I'll always be upset 'Breakdown' never got its shot."[61]

Columbia released "Breakdown" in the United States as a double A-side with the album's fifth single, "My All", on April 21, 1998.[55][57][62] The songs were issued together in many formats: 7-inch vinyl, 12-inch vinyl, cassette, maxi cassette, CD, and maxi CD.[63][g] In Japan, "Breakdown" is the B-side to the "My All" mini CD single released on May 30, 1998.[64] It was released independently of "My All" in Oceania.[65][66] Some formats include a remix of "Breakdown" with additional rapping by Bone Thugs-n-Harmony.[67] This version, with contributions from Layzie Bone, also appears on the group's 1998 compilation album, The Collection.[68] "Breakdown" is present on Carey's 2003 remix album, The Remixes, in its original form.[69] Columbia and Legacy Recordings released a digital extended play with the three versions of the song as part of the MC30 campaign marking three decades of Carey's career on August 28, 2020.[70][71]

Critical reception edit

Critics evaluated the effectiveness of "Breakdown" as a departure from Carey's previous work. Billy Tyus described it as innovative in the Herald & Review,[72] and Daily Herald writer Mark Guarino considered the lyrics surprisingly serious.[73] Paul Willistein of The Morning Call and author Chris Nickson believed "Breakdown" demonstrated artistic freedom successfully.[74][75] Carey's restrained vocals made the song as high-quality as her traditional ballads according to Vulture's Lindsey Weber.[76] In contrast, several critics thought the composition lacked cohesiveness.[h] Writing in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Dave Tianen said Carey's "vocals get smothered beneath a rancid glop of synths, samples, raps and choruses".[80] Nicole M. Campbell of The Santa Clarita Valley Signal credited these sentiments to the number of producers, which she considered excessive.[81]

The song received comparisons to others in its genre. According to Billboard, "Breakdown" eclipses them because "the rhymes are tightly sewn into the track's primary vocal arrangement and are crucial to the evolution of the song's lyric".[22] Conversely, Dave Ferman of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram felt it contributed to a pattern of nondescript R&B collaborations in the mid-1990s.[82][i] Critics contrasted "Breakdown" with "Tha Crossroads".[j] According to Eric Henderson of Slant Magazine, the hi-hats and bassline are repetitive to the point of laziness.[83] For Philadelphia Daily News writer Jonathan Takiff, its hip hop aspects acted as "freshening the soul-diva formula".[32] Others likened "Breakdown" to the music of En Vogue,[38] Mary J. Blige,[19] and Janet Jackson.[84]

Critics praised the pairing of Carey and Bone Thugs-n-Harmony.[k] Slant Magazine's Sal Cinquemani thought Carey wholly embraced her collaborators' appearance on the track.[48] According to Sonia Murray of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, she adopted their cadence without losing authenticity.[90] For New York Daily News writer Jim Farber, "instead of just co-opting their sound, her sweet tones give Bone Thugs' sound a new fluidity."[41] In contrast, The Scotsman's Sarah Dempster considered the collaboration confounding.[91] Richard Harrington of The Washington Post thought Bone Thugs-n-Harmony overshadowed Carey;[39] J. D. Considine of The Baltimore Sun said she adopted their style so effectively that the group's presence was almost unnecessary.[36]

Commercial performance edit

"Breakdown" experienced success on American urban contemporary radio stations.[92] It reached number nine on the airplay chart for that format published by Radio & Records in March 1998.[93] On the comparative Billboard Hot R&B Airplay chart, "Breakdown" peaked at number thirteen. It surpassed "One Sweet Day" (1995) to become Carey's longest-running song on the list (thirty weeks), a position it held until "We Belong Together" in 2005.[56] "Breakdown" reached number eighteen on Rhythmic Top 40, her lowest peak on that chart at the time.[94] Billboard originally listed Bone Thugs-n-Harmony as a featured artist, but credits Krayzie Bone and Wish Bone individually on their website.[56][95]

After the double A-side release with "My All", "Breakdown" debuted and peaked at number four on the Hot R&B Singles chart dated May 9, 1998.[96] Sales of 25,000 units at R&B music stores accounted for over ninety percent of its ranking and R&B airplay contributed less than ten percent. As the song's radio audience (6.5 million) was higher than that of "My All" (5.2 million), the single charted as "Breakdown"/"My All".[97][l] "Breakdown" did not appear alongside "My All" on the Hot 100 because it was not within the top seventy-five of Hot 100 Airplay at the time,[62] having peaked at number fifty-three in March 1998.[99] In 2022, the Recording Industry Association of America awarded "Breakdown" a gold certification, which denotes 500,000 units based on digital downloads and on-demand streams.[100][101]

The song's performance varied in other countries. "Breakdown" peaked at number four on the New Zealand singles chart, outperforming "Butterfly".[66][m] It continued a pattern of success for Bone Thugs-n-Harmony in the country; four of their last five singles had reached the top five.[66] The Recording Industry Association of New Zealand certified it gold, indicating shipments of 5,000 units.[102] In Australia, "Breakdown" reached number thirty-eight.[65] Although it was not officially released there,[n] the double A-side single "My All"/"Breakdown" appeared for one week on the UK Singles Chart at number ninety-eight.[104]

Music video edit

Carey and Diane Martel directed the music video for "Breakdown". Martel had previously directed videos for Carey's singles "Dreamlover" (1993) and "All I Want for Christmas Is You" (1994).[105] "Breakdown" showcases Carey in various roles at a Las Vegas casino.[106][107] Members of Bone Thugs-n-Harmony appear,[107] as do producer Jermaine Dupri and rapper Redman as a magician.[108] Visuals include Carey's butterfly tattoo and her jumping into poker chips that cover a bed.[107] In a cabaret scene, Carey wears a black sequin halter top on a bentwood chair.[109][107] Writers for The New York Times and Ottawa Citizen felt this paid homage to Liza Minnelli as Sally Bowles in Cabaret (1972).[109][110] In the academic journal Gender & Society, Rana A. Emerson cited the camera's focus on Carey's showgirl outfit in arguing that social standards regarding the attractiveness of female R&B singers are implied.[106]

The "Breakdown" music video was issued in late 1997.[105] It peaked within the top five on weekly airplay charts for MTV and BET television channels as measured by Broadcast Data Systems.[111][112] Columbia Music Video released "Breakdown" as a video single on VHS with "My All" on April 21, 1998.[113][114] It was later included on Carey's 1999 video album Around the World.[115] The video was shown during Carey's live performances of "Breakdown" on the Butterfly World Tour so Bone Thugs-n-Harmony could appear by proxy.[116] Carey again performed with a chair while singing the song on the first date of her 2006 concert tour The Adventures of Mimi.[117]

Legacy edit

Critics judge "Breakdown" as a turning point in Carey's musical direction toward hip hop.[o] "Breakdown" marked the first time she collaborated with rap artists on a song in its original form; she had previously employed them on remixes to her songs "Fantasy" (1995), "Always Be My Baby" (1996), and "Honey" (1997).[120] Bianca Betancourt gauged it as a "game-changing collaboration" in Harper's Bazaar,[121] and Vibe's Julianne Shepherd said Carey "transcend[ed] genre" with the song.[122] According to journalist Elaine Welteroth, "Breakdown" compelled African Americans to begin thinking of Carey as Black.[123] Scholar Alexander Ghedi Weheliye viewed its fusion of singing and rapping as a precursor to the popularity of this practice in hip hop music after 2010.[124] In his 2023 book Why Mariah Carey Matters, Andrew Chan argued that Carey advanced the style of R&B vocalists by adopting the flow of rappers.[125]

Retrospectively, Carey and her fans consider "Breakdown" one of the best songs in her catalog.[121] It has received a similar reception from critics.[p] Rich Juzwiak of Slant Magazine hailed "Breakdown" as Carey's best track in 2003,[34] and Alex Macpherson of The Guardian described it as "perhaps Carey's finest song" in 2020.[46] Writers for BET, Gold Derby, and the Honolulu Star-Advertiser considered "Breakdown" one of her best tracks that did not reach number one on the Hot 100.[18][126][127] In 2007, Carey and Bone-Thugs-n-Harmony collaborated again for the group's song "Lil' L.O.V.E.".[128]

Retrospective rankings of "Breakdown"
Publication List Year Rank Ref.
Billboard 100 Greatest Mariah Carey Songs 2020 18 [47]
Butterfly Tracklist Ranked 2022 5 [19]
Mariah Carey's 56 Best Collaborations with Rappers 2019 6 [129]
Cleveland.com All 76 Mariah Carey Singles Ranked 2020 11 [88]
Complex Stevie J's 10 Greatest Music Contributions 2014 Placed [130]
Dazed Mariah Carey's 10 Greatest Hip Hop Collaborations 2015 Placed [131]
Revolt Stevie J's 11 Most Classic Beats 2019 3 [132]
Vibe Butterfly Tracklist Ranked 2017 2 [40]
Vulture Mariah Carey's 25 Best Singles 2014 11 [76]

Credits and personnel edit

  • Mariah Carey – background vocals, composer, lyrics, producer, vocals
  • Dana Jon Chappelle – engineering
  • Sean "Puffy" Combs – producer
  • Ian Dalsemer – assistant engineering
  • Anthony Henderson – background vocals, lyrics, vocals
  • Steven Jordan – composer, keyboards, keyboard and drum programming, producer
  • Tony Maserati – mixing
  • Herb Powers Jr. – mastering
  • Charles Scruggs – background vocals, lyrics, vocals[23]

Charts and certifications edit

Notes edit

  1. ^ According to Norman Abjorensen, "middle of the road" is a radio format focusing on songs that are "generally strongly melodic and often features vocal harmony technique and light orchestral arrangements".[1]
  2. ^ Their separation occurred in late 1996,[5] and was disclosed publicly on May 30, 1997.[6]
  3. ^ Daddy's House was a recording studio owned by Sean Combs[28]
  4. ^ Such as J. D. Considine of The Baltimore Sun,[36] Michael Corcoran of the Austin American-Statesman,[35] and David Thigpen of Time[37]
  5. ^ Such as those from USA Today,[52] The Philadelphia Inquirer,[53] and the Springfield News-Leader[54]
  6. ^ "Butterfly" was released as the second single from Butterfly in 1997.[55] "Breakdown" debuted on the Billboard Hot R&B Airplay chart dated October 18, 1997, the same week as "Butterfly". The latter peaked at number twenty-seven and became Carey's third-lowest charting song on the chart at the time.[56] According to the New York Daily News, "Butterfly" received poor audience feedback.[57] A radio programmer told Billboard that they added "Breakdown" to their playlist instead of "Butterfly" to avoid playing multiple slow songs in a row.[58]
  7. ^ For comparison, when "Breakdown" debuted on the Hot R&B Singles chart dated May 9, 1998, none of the other ninety-nine songs on the chart had as many formats available.[63]
  8. ^ Such as Gary Graff of the San Francisco Chronicle,[77] Chuck Campbell of the Knoxville News Sentinel,[78] and Dave Ferman of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram[79]
  9. ^ Ferman felt that unlike R&B collaborations before the 1990s, in which "individual styles and good material blended to produce something that neither artist could have managed alone," the new "sound is an often unsatisfying fusion of slow to medium beats, with traces of '70s funk and a more streetwise sensibility than much ultra-successful '80s urban music had".[82]
  10. ^ Such as Jon O'Brien and Christine Werthman of Billboard[19][47]
  11. ^ Such as David Browne of Entertainment Weekly,[85] Thor Christensen of The Dallas Morning News,[42] Owen Myers of Pitchfork,[86] Kelefa Sanneh of The New York Times,[87] Troy L. Smith of Cleveland.com,[88] and Vincent Stephens in Popular Music and Society[89]
  12. ^ The release was credited to "My All"/"Breakdown" by the next week[98]
  13. ^ "Butterfly" peaked at number fifteen[66]
  14. ^ "The Roof (Back in Time)" was chosen as the third single from Butterfly in the United Kingdom in lieu of "Breakdown", but its release was ultimately cancelled. "My All" was issued independently of "Breakdown".[103]
  15. ^ Such as writers for NPR,[118] Slant Magazine,[119] and Vibe[40]
  16. ^ Such as those from Billboard,[47] Cleveland.com,[88] and Vulture[76]

References edit

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  2. ^ Nickson 1998, p. 3
  3. ^ Shapiro 2001, p. 92
  4. ^ Nickson 1998, p. 146
  5. ^ Shapiro 2001, p. 98
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Books edit

April 21, 2024
breakdown, mariah, carey, song, breakdown, song, recorded, american, singer, mariah, carey, sixth, studio, album, butterfly, 1997, lyrics, describes, aftermath, partner, ending, their, love, other, trouble, hiding, pain, caused, track, features, rapping, krayz. Breakdown is a song recorded by American singer Mariah Carey for her sixth studio album Butterfly 1997 In the lyrics she describes the aftermath of a partner ending their love for the other and the trouble of hiding the pain it caused The track features rapping by Krayzie Bone and Wish Bone members of the group Bone Thugs n Harmony Before they wrote and performed their raps Carey composed the music with Stevie J and penned her lyrics The latter pair produced Breakdown with Sean Puffy Combs An R amp B hip hop and hip hop soul song Breakdown features keyboards synthesized drums and background vocals prominently Columbia Records released it to American rhythmic contemporary radio stations in January 1998 as the third single from Butterfly Breakdown Single by Mariah Carey featuring Bone Thugs n Harmonyfrom the album ButterflyA side My All ReleasedJanuary 1998Recorded1997StudioThe Hit Factory New York City Daddy s House New York City GenreR amp B hip hop hip hop soulLength4 44 album 4 15 single LabelColumbiaComposer s Mariah Carey Steven JordanLyricist s Mariah Carey Anthony Henderson Charles ScruggsProducer s Mariah Carey Stevie J Sean Puffy CombsMariah Carey singles chronology Butterfly 1997 Breakdown 1998 The Roof Back in Time 1998 Bone Thugs n Harmony singles chronology If I Could Teach the World 1997 Breakdown 1998 Ghetto Cowboy 1999 Music video Breakdown on YouTube Critics judged Breakdown in relation to Carey s previous work and considered the collaboration with Bone Thugs n Harmony successful Some perceived it to be about the recent separation from her husband Tommy Mottola which she denied Carey publicly criticized Columbia for a perceived longstanding anti R amp B bias against her music after it did not release the song to retail outlets in the United States Breakdown was thus initially ineligible to appear on the Billboard Hot 100 chart It was later issued as a double A side with My All and reached number four on Hot R amp B Singles Breakdown experienced consistent airplay on American urban contemporary radio stations and it became Carey s longest running title on Hot R amp B Airplay until 2005 Elsewhere Breakdown peaked at number four in New Zealand and number thirty eight in Australia Carey directed the music video with previous collaborator Diane Martel It presents her in various roles at a casino such as a showgirl and cabaret performer the latter received comparisons to Liza Minnelli Breakdown received heavy rotation on the television channels BET and MTV and was issued as a video single Clips accompanied Carey s live performances of the song during the 1998 Butterfly World Tour Retrospectively Breakdown is regarded as a turning point in Carey s musical direction toward hip hop and as one of the best songs of her career Contents 1 Background 2 Composition 3 Release 4 Critical reception 5 Commercial performance 6 Music video 7 Legacy 8 Credits and personnel 9 Charts and certifications 10 Notes 11 References 11 1 BooksBackground editIn the early 1990s American singer Mariah Carey was known for middle of the road music a Stronger contemporary R amp B influences became apparent in her music with Dreamlover a song from her 1993 album Music Box 2 Carey s fifth album Daydream 1995 contained elements of hip hop 3 After receiving the best critical reviews of her career up to that point 4 and separating from her husband Tommy Mottola b the head of her record label Columbia 7 Carey felt confident to incorporate hip hop overtly in her follow up album Butterfly 1997 8 Experiencing creative freedom 9 Carey recorded Butterfly from January to August 1997 10 During this time she became enamored with Notorious Thugs by The Notorious B I G and Bone Thugs n Harmony 11 a song produced by Stevie J and Sean Puffy Combs 12 Carey expressed interest in collaborating with Bone Thugs n Harmony to Stevie J and they began studying the rap group s discography 13 He and Combs had already worked with Carey on another Butterfly track Honey 13 14 In 1995 Combs had produced the hip hop remix of Carey s song Fantasy featuring Wu Tang Clan rapper Ol Dirty Bastard 15 16 Composition edit nbsp nbsp Breakdown features rapping by two members of the group Bone Thugs n Harmony Krayzie Bone left and Wish Bone nbsp Breakdown source track A sample of the last chorus featuring the song s instrumentation and vocal arrangement Problems playing this file See media help Situated among ballads e g Butterfly and uptempo songs Honey Breakdown occupies a musical middle ground on Butterfly 17 It is an R amp B 17 hip hop 18 and hip hop soul song 19 driven by a slow groove 20 The album version lasts four minutes and forty four seconds 21 and the single is four minutes and fifteen seconds long 22 Carey wrote her lyrics after the composing with Stevie J who played keyboards and programmed additional keyboard and drum sounds electronically 13 23 She recorded her vocals before Bone Thugs n Harmony members Krayzie Bone and Wish Bone did 13 I wanted to do a song in their style so that when they came into the studio to hear it they would know immediately that I had been totally influenced by them 24 After Bone Thugs n Harmony s manager informed them that Carey was interested in collaborating the group was reluctant as they did not comprehend her level of fame 25 Columbia chartered a plane to Cleveland Ohio to bring the group members to record in New York City 26 Upon their arrival Krayzie Bone and Wish Bone were given cannabis which they passed out from after becoming intoxicated 27 Awakened by their manager the group members were receptive to Breakdown because it sounded similar to their previous work 13 According to Wish Bone She had a blueprint laid out for us and then me and Krayzie started coming up with little things to add to the hook It really wasn t nothing for us to do our verses because that s what we do 26 Layzie Bone initially stayed back but joined the session at Carey s request after the record label sent a second plane 27 Carey Stevie J and Combs produced Breakdown Dana Jon Chappelle and Ian Dalsemer conducted engineering at The Hit Factory and Daddy s House c studios 23 Tony Maserati managed the mixing at The Hit Factory and Herb Powers Jr mastered it at Powers House of Sound in New York 23 She was initially apprehensive about the outcome After I did it I was like Wow this sounds really different for me What did I just do And I was like Did I do wrong 29 Breakdown concerns concealing heartbreak after a romantic relationship ended due to rejection 30 31 32 Some of Carey s lyrics such as Well I guess I m trying to be nonchalant about it And I m going to extremes to prove I m fine without you are directed at the former partner 33 Others posit questions about how to move on So what do you do when Somebody you re so devoted to Suddenly just stops loving you 34 The lyrics have a dark tone 35 and chirping birds in the background elicit an optimistic aura 31 Some critics thought the song detailed the end of Carey s marriage with Mottola d Others felt the perceived references were not as clear 38 39 Carey told The Boston Globe it is a representation of her admiration for Bone Thugs n Harmony s rapping style 24 The song structure of Breakdown contains two verses and a chorus sung by Carey two raps by Wish Bone and two raps by Krayzie Bone 23 Bone Thugs n Harmony harmonize their rapping in staccato saturated couplets 40 41 Influenced by reggae and doo wop 35 42 they rap in a fast paced aggressive manner 19 40 Carey speeds up her vocals to match them 43 singing in double time 44 New York Times writer Jon Pareles perceived this delivery as showcasing she is torn between feeling despair and detachment 43 Carey incorporates melisma in her vocals and produces vamps 22 45 At times half whispering 46 she adopts a restrained delivery until belting near the end of the song to express her true emotional state 47 48 Departing from her practice of having a male singer like Trey Lorenz add background vocals in a low register that complement the lead Carey provides them herself on Breakdown 49 They are featured prominently throughout the track and according to Grey Cavitt of the Waco Tribune Herald threaten to bring about the psychological break promised by the title 50 Release edit Breakdown is the sixth track on Butterfly which Sony Music issued on September 10 1997 51 Upon the album s release American newspaper critics deemed Breakdown a potentially successful single e R amp B radio stations in the country began playing it in late 1997 amid a lukewarm response to the album s second single Butterfly f After Breakdown received over 600 spins without promotion 59 Columbia released the song to American rhythmic contemporary radio stations in January 1998 22 57 It was the third single from Butterfly following Honey and Butterfly 55 After Breakdown failed to garner crossover success on contemporary hit radio Columbia did not release it for sale in the United States 57 At the time Billboard Hot 100 chart rules stipulated that songs required retail releases to appear and that airplay from R amp B radio stations was not a factor 60 During an interview in late 1998 Carey said Columbia had a peculiar pattern of not releasing her heavily R amp B material as commercial singles since her 1990 debut I ll always be upset Breakdown never got its shot 61 Columbia released Breakdown in the United States as a double A side with the album s fifth single My All on April 21 1998 55 57 62 The songs were issued together in many formats 7 inch vinyl 12 inch vinyl cassette maxi cassette CD and maxi CD 63 g In Japan Breakdown is the B side to the My All mini CD single released on May 30 1998 64 It was released independently of My All in Oceania 65 66 Some formats include a remix of Breakdown with additional rapping by Bone Thugs n Harmony 67 This version with contributions from Layzie Bone also appears on the group s 1998 compilation album The Collection 68 Breakdown is present on Carey s 2003 remix album The Remixes in its original form 69 Columbia and Legacy Recordings released a digital extended play with the three versions of the song as part of the MC30 campaign marking three decades of Carey s career on August 28 2020 70 71 Critical reception editCritics evaluated the effectiveness of Breakdown as a departure from Carey s previous work Billy Tyus described it as innovative in the Herald amp Review 72 and Daily Herald writer Mark Guarino considered the lyrics surprisingly serious 73 Paul Willistein of The Morning Call and author Chris Nickson believed Breakdown demonstrated artistic freedom successfully 74 75 Carey s restrained vocals made the song as high quality as her traditional ballads according to Vulture s Lindsey Weber 76 In contrast several critics thought the composition lacked cohesiveness h Writing in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel Dave Tianen said Carey s vocals get smothered beneath a rancid glop of synths samples raps and choruses 80 Nicole M Campbell of The Santa Clarita Valley Signal credited these sentiments to the number of producers which she considered excessive 81 The song received comparisons to others in its genre According to Billboard Breakdown eclipses them because the rhymes are tightly sewn into the track s primary vocal arrangement and are crucial to the evolution of the song s lyric 22 Conversely Dave Ferman of the Fort Worth Star Telegram felt it contributed to a pattern of nondescript R amp B collaborations in the mid 1990s 82 i Critics contrasted Breakdown with Tha Crossroads j According to Eric Henderson of Slant Magazine the hi hats and bassline are repetitive to the point of laziness 83 For Philadelphia Daily News writer Jonathan Takiff its hip hop aspects acted as freshening the soul diva formula 32 Others likened Breakdown to the music of En Vogue 38 Mary J Blige 19 and Janet Jackson 84 Critics praised the pairing of Carey and Bone Thugs n Harmony k Slant Magazine s Sal Cinquemani thought Carey wholly embraced her collaborators appearance on the track 48 According to Sonia Murray of The Atlanta Journal Constitution she adopted their cadence without losing authenticity 90 For New York Daily News writer Jim Farber instead of just co opting their sound her sweet tones give Bone Thugs sound a new fluidity 41 In contrast The Scotsman s Sarah Dempster considered the collaboration confounding 91 Richard Harrington of The Washington Post thought Bone Thugs n Harmony overshadowed Carey 39 J D Considine of The Baltimore Sun said she adopted their style so effectively that the group s presence was almost unnecessary 36 Commercial performance edit Breakdown experienced success on American urban contemporary radio stations 92 It reached number nine on the airplay chart for that format published by Radio amp Records in March 1998 93 On the comparative Billboard Hot R amp B Airplay chart Breakdown peaked at number thirteen It surpassed One Sweet Day 1995 to become Carey s longest running song on the list thirty weeks a position it held until We Belong Together in 2005 56 Breakdown reached number eighteen on Rhythmic Top 40 her lowest peak on that chart at the time 94 Billboard originally listed Bone Thugs n Harmony as a featured artist but credits Krayzie Bone and Wish Bone individually on their website 56 95 After the double A side release with My All Breakdown debuted and peaked at number four on the Hot R amp B Singles chart dated May 9 1998 96 Sales of 25 000 units at R amp B music stores accounted for over ninety percent of its ranking and R amp B airplay contributed less than ten percent As the song s radio audience 6 5 million was higher than that of My All 5 2 million the single charted as Breakdown My All 97 l Breakdown did not appear alongside My All on the Hot 100 because it was not within the top seventy five of Hot 100 Airplay at the time 62 having peaked at number fifty three in March 1998 99 In 2022 the Recording Industry Association of America awarded Breakdown a gold certification which denotes 500 000 units based on digital downloads and on demand streams 100 101 The song s performance varied in other countries Breakdown peaked at number four on the New Zealand singles chart outperforming Butterfly 66 m It continued a pattern of success for Bone Thugs n Harmony in the country four of their last five singles had reached the top five 66 The Recording Industry Association of New Zealand certified it gold indicating shipments of 5 000 units 102 In Australia Breakdown reached number thirty eight 65 Although it was not officially released there n the double A side single My All Breakdown appeared for one week on the UK Singles Chart at number ninety eight 104 Music video editCarey and Diane Martel directed the music video for Breakdown Martel had previously directed videos for Carey s singles Dreamlover 1993 and All I Want for Christmas Is You 1994 105 Breakdown showcases Carey in various roles at a Las Vegas casino 106 107 Members of Bone Thugs n Harmony appear 107 as do producer Jermaine Dupri and rapper Redman as a magician 108 Visuals include Carey s butterfly tattoo and her jumping into poker chips that cover a bed 107 In a cabaret scene Carey wears a black sequin halter top on a bentwood chair 109 107 Writers for The New York Times and Ottawa Citizen felt this paid homage to Liza Minnelli as Sally Bowles in Cabaret 1972 109 110 In the academic journal Gender amp Society Rana A Emerson cited the camera s focus on Carey s showgirl outfit in arguing that social standards regarding the attractiveness of female R amp B singers are implied 106 The Breakdown music video was issued in late 1997 105 It peaked within the top five on weekly airplay charts for MTV and BET television channels as measured by Broadcast Data Systems 111 112 Columbia Music Video released Breakdown as a video single on VHS with My All on April 21 1998 113 114 It was later included on Carey s 1999 video album Around the World 115 The video was shown during Carey s live performances of Breakdown on the Butterfly World Tour so Bone Thugs n Harmony could appear by proxy 116 Carey again performed with a chair while singing the song on the first date of her 2006 concert tour The Adventures of Mimi 117 Legacy editCritics judge Breakdown as a turning point in Carey s musical direction toward hip hop o Breakdown marked the first time she collaborated with rap artists on a song in its original form she had previously employed them on remixes to her songs Fantasy 1995 Always Be My Baby 1996 and Honey 1997 120 Bianca Betancourt gauged it as a game changing collaboration in Harper s Bazaar 121 and Vibe s Julianne Shepherd said Carey transcend ed genre with the song 122 According to journalist Elaine Welteroth Breakdown compelled African Americans to begin thinking of Carey as Black 123 Scholar Alexander Ghedi Weheliye viewed its fusion of singing and rapping as a precursor to the popularity of this practice in hip hop music after 2010 124 In his 2023 book Why Mariah Carey Matters Andrew Chan argued that Carey advanced the style of R amp B vocalists by adopting the flow of rappers 125 Retrospectively Carey and her fans consider Breakdown one of the best songs in her catalog 121 It has received a similar reception from critics p Rich Juzwiak of Slant Magazine hailed Breakdown as Carey s best track in 2003 34 and Alex Macpherson of The Guardian described it as perhaps Carey s finest song in 2020 46 Writers for BET Gold Derby and the Honolulu Star Advertiser considered Breakdown one of her best tracks that did not reach number one on the Hot 100 18 126 127 In 2007 Carey and Bone Thugs n Harmony collaborated again for the group s song Lil L O V E 128 Retrospective rankings of Breakdown Publication List Year Rank Ref Billboard 100 Greatest Mariah Carey Songs 2020 18 47 Butterfly Tracklist Ranked 2022 5 19 Mariah Carey s 56 Best Collaborations with Rappers 2019 6 129 Cleveland com All 76 Mariah Carey Singles Ranked 2020 11 88 Complex Stevie J s 10 Greatest Music Contributions 2014 Placed 130 Dazed Mariah Carey s 10 Greatest Hip Hop Collaborations 2015 Placed 131 Revolt Stevie J s 11 Most Classic Beats 2019 3 132 Vibe Butterfly Tracklist Ranked 2017 2 40 Vulture Mariah Carey s 25 Best Singles 2014 11 76 Credits and personnel editMariah Carey background vocals composer lyrics producer vocals Dana Jon Chappelle engineering Sean Puffy Combs producer Ian Dalsemer assistant engineering Anthony Henderson background vocals lyrics vocals Steven Jordan composer keyboards keyboard and drum programming producer Tony Maserati mixing Herb Powers Jr mastering Charles Scruggs background vocals lyrics vocals 23 Charts and certifications edit1997 1998 weekly chart performance Chart Publisher Peak position Australia Singles ARIA 65 38 New Zealand Singles RIANZ 66 4 UK Singles OCC 104 Import only single with My All 98 US Hot 100 Airplay Billboard 99 53 US Hot R amp B Singles Billboard 96 with My All 4 US Hot R amp B Airplay Billboard 56 13 US Crossover Billboard 133 13 US Rhythmic Top 40 Billboard 94 18 US CHR Rhythmic Radio amp Records 134 13 US Urban Radio amp Records 93 9 1998 US year end chart performance Chart Publisher Position Hot R amp B Singles Billboard 135 with My All 24 Rhythmic Top 40 Billboard 136 71 CHR Rhythmic Radio amp Records 134 68 Urban Radio amp Records 93 71 List of certifications Country Organization Units Certification New Zealand RIANZ 102 5 000 Gold United States RIAA 100 500 000 Gold Notes edit According to Norman Abjorensen middle of the road is a radio format focusing on songs that are generally strongly melodic and often features vocal harmony technique and light orchestral arrangements 1 Their separation occurred in late 1996 5 and was disclosed publicly on May 30 1997 6 Daddy s House was a recording studio owned by Sean Combs 28 Such as J D Considine of The Baltimore Sun 36 Michael Corcoran of the Austin American Statesman 35 and David Thigpen of Time 37 Such as those from USA Today 52 The Philadelphia Inquirer 53 and the Springfield News Leader 54 Butterfly was released as the second single from Butterfly in 1997 55 Breakdown debuted on the Billboard Hot R amp B Airplay chart dated October 18 1997 the same week as Butterfly The latter peaked at number twenty seven and became Carey s third lowest charting song on the chart at the time 56 According to the New York Daily News Butterfly received poor audience feedback 57 A radio programmer told Billboard that they added Breakdown to their playlist instead of Butterfly to avoid playing multiple slow songs in a row 58 For comparison when Breakdown debuted on the Hot R amp B Singles chart dated May 9 1998 none of the other ninety nine songs on the chart had as many formats available 63 Such as Gary Graff of the San Francisco Chronicle 77 Chuck Campbell of the Knoxville News Sentinel 78 and Dave Ferman of the Fort Worth Star Telegram 79 Ferman felt that unlike R amp B collaborations before the 1990s in which individual styles and good material blended to produce something that neither artist could have managed alone the new sound is an often unsatisfying fusion of slow to medium beats with traces of 70s funk and a more streetwise sensibility than much ultra successful 80s urban music had 82 Such as Jon O Brien and Christine Werthman of Billboard 19 47 Such as David Browne of Entertainment Weekly 85 Thor Christensen of The Dallas Morning News 42 Owen Myers of Pitchfork 86 Kelefa Sanneh of The New York Times 87 Troy L Smith of Cleveland com 88 and Vincent Stephens in Popular Music and Society 89 The release was credited to My All Breakdown by the next week 98 Butterfly peaked at number fifteen 66 The Roof Back in Time was chosen as the third single from Butterfly in the United Kingdom in lieu of Breakdown but its release was ultimately cancelled My All was issued independently of Breakdown 103 Such as writers for NPR 118 Slant Magazine 119 and Vibe 40 Such as those from Billboard 47 Cleveland com 88 and Vulture 76 References edit Abjorensen 2017 p 337 Nickson 1998 p 3 Shapiro 2001 p 92 Nickson 1998 p 146 Shapiro 2001 p 98 Reilly Patrick M June 2 1997 Sony Official Mariah Carey Disclose Plans to Separate The Wall Street Journal Archived from the original on November 13 2022 Nickson 1998 pp 24 26 Shapiro 2001 p 109 Frank Alex November 28 2018 Forever Mariah An Interview with an Icon Pitchfork Archived from the original on November 7 2023 Nickson 1998 p 164 Chan 2023 p 78 Life After Death CD liner notes Puff Daddy Records Arista Records 1997 78612 73011 2 a b c d e Littles Jessica October 26 2020 20 Years Later The Secret History of Mariah Carey s Butterfly Album Essence Archived from the original on November 21 2022 Nickson 1998 p 163 Bronson 1997 p 841 Johnson Kevin C March 15 2019 6 Highs and 6 Lows on Mariah Carey s Roller Coaster Career St Louis Post Dispatch Archived from the original on December 30 2023 a b Nickson 1998 p 167 a b Goldstein Sjarif November 16 2016 Pop Queen Mariah Carey Set to Play 3 Shows in Honolulu Honolulu Star Advertiser Archived from the original on April 20 2021 a b c d e O Brien Jon September 16 2022 Mariah Carey s Butterfly at 25 All the Tracks Ranked Billboard Archived from the original on November 21 2022 Hal Leonard 1997 p 37 Mariah Carey Butterfly Sony Music Store Archived from the original on September 5 2002 a b c d Flick Larry ed January 24 1998 Singles Billboard p 57 ProQuest 1505960992 a b c d e Butterfly CD liner notes Columbia Records 1997 CK 67835 a b Morse Steve September 14 1997 With a New CD Carey Goes a Little Deeper The Boston Globe p F5 Archived from the original on November 21 2022 Retrieved March 8 2023 via Newspapers com Caramanica Jon Coscarelli Joe August 6 2023 50 Rappers 50 Interviews The New York Times p AR31 ProQuest 2860524569 a b Weiner Natalie April 12 2016 We Belong Together Mariah Carey s Collaborators Share Untold Stories Behind 8 Classics Billboard Archived from the original on November 9 2023 a b Murphy Keith November 5 2010 Full Clip Bone Thugs n Harmony Break Down Their Entire Catalogue Vibe Archived from the original on November 21 2022 Gilmore Mikal August 7 1997 Puff Daddy Rolling Stone p 52 ProQuest 220165879 Carey Mariah January 24 2017 Mariah Carey On the Record Fuse Interview Interviewed by Toure Fuse Event occurs at 8 54 9 02 Archived from the original on May 16 2023 via YouTube Jones Steve September 16 1997 Carey Soars and Dips on Butterfly USA Today p D8 ProQuest 408739343 a b Graham Charne September 24 2016 Mariah Carey s 9 Best Break Up Songs Billboard Archived from the original on November 21 2022 a b Takiff Jonathan September 17 1997 Diva luation Philadelphia Daily News p 41 Archived from the original on November 21 2022 Retrieved March 8 2023 via Newspapers com Wener Ben September 12 1997 Carey Blossoms in Butterfly Show The Orange County Register p 52 Archived from the original on November 8 2023 Retrieved November 14 2023 via NewspaperArchive a b Juzwiak Rich September 18 2003 Review Mariah Carey Butterfly Slant Magazine Archived from the original on November 21 2022 a b c Corcoran Michael September 16 1997 Mariah Carey Takes Flight on Butterfly Austin American Statesman pp E1 E3 Archived from the original on November 21 2022 Retrieved March 8 2023 via Newspapers com a b Considine J D September 16 1997 Butterfly Is Sweet as Honey The Baltimore Sun p 8E Archived from the original on November 21 2022 Retrieved March 8 2023 via Newspapers com Thigpen David September 15 1997 Music Butterflies Are Free Time Archived from the original on November 11 2023 a b Sullivan Caroline September 19 1997 This Week s Pop CD Releases The Guardian p 2 20 ProQuest 188045239 a b Harrington Richard September 14 1997 Divorce and the Divas The Washington Post Archived from the original on November 24 2022 a b c d Brown Preezy September 16 2017 20 Years Later Mariah Carey s Butterfly Tracklist Ranked Vibe Archived from the original on November 25 2022 a b Farber Jim September 14 1997 Vocal About Her Breakup Sunday Extra Daily News p 17 Archived from the original on November 21 2022 Retrieved March 8 2023 via Newspapers com a b Christensen Thor October 2 1997 Carey s Latest Album Disappoints The Republic The Dallas Morning News p B1 Archived from the original on November 21 2022 Retrieved March 8 2023 via Newspapers com a b Pareles Jon September 21 1997 A New Gentleness from a Pop Diva The New York Times Archived from the original on November 21 2022 Weheliye 2023 p 189 Easlea Daryl September 21 2011 Mariah Carey Butterfly Review BBC Music Archived from the original on September 23 2011 a b Macpherson Alex June 22 2020 Mariah Carey Where to Start in Her Back Catalogue The Guardian Archived from the original on March 30 2023 a b c d Werthman Christine et al October 5 2020 The 100 Greatest Mariah Carey Songs Staff Picks Billboard Archived from the original on May 19 2022 a b Cinquemani Sal et al May 15 2020 Every Mariah Carey Album Ranked Slant Magazine Archived from the original on November 8 2023 Weheliye 2023 p 190 Cavitt Grey September 20 1997 Mariah s Still Underusing Her Voice Waco Tribune Herald p 8B Archived from the original on November 8 2023 Retrieved November 9 2023 via Newspapers com バタフライ Butterfly in Japanese Sony Music Japan Archived from the original on October 6 2022 Williams Jeannie November 11 1997 Carey s On a Roll Since Going Solo USA Today p D2 ProQuest 408699285 Moon Tom September 21 1997 Mariah Carey The Philadelphia Inquirer p F10 Archived from the original on November 21 2022 Retrieved November 24 2022 via Newspapers com Marymont Mark September 28 1997 Carey s Butterfly Will Burn Up Cash Registers Springfield News Leader p 6G Archived from the original on November 21 2022 Retrieved November 24 2022 via Newspapers com a b c Shapiro 2001 p 156 a b c d Mariah Carey Chart History R amp B Hip Hop Airplay Billboard Archived from the original on November 21 2022 a b c d Farber Jim April 20 1998 Mariah Risking All Daily News p 34 Archived from the original on November 21 2022 Retrieved November 21 2022 via Newspapers com Hall Dana Coveney Janine February 7 1998 Slow Tempos Saturate R amp B Radio Billboard p 82 ProQuest 1505960625 Jones Stephen November 22 1997 Mariah Carey Moving On from the Ballads Music Week p 30 Mayfield Geoff Sandiford Waller Theda December 5 1998 A New Hot 100 Reflects Changes in Music Business Billboard p 129 ProQuest 1505960408 Smith Danyel November 1998 Higher and Higher Vibe p 96 via Internet Archive a b Sandiford Waller Theda May 9 1998 Hot 100 Singles Spotlight Billboard p 87 ProQuest 1506009300 a b Hot R amp B Singles Billboard May 9 1998 p 37 ProQuest 1506023445 マイ オール My All in Japanese Oricon Archived from the original on October 25 2023 a b c Mariah Carey feat Bone Thugs n Harmony Breakdown Hung Medien Archived from the original on November 25 2022 a b c d e Mariah Carey feat Bone Thugs n Harmony Breakdown Hung Medien Archived from the original on November 21 2022 Flick Larry May 2 1998 Columbia s Carey Reconnects with Her Dance Roots Billboard p 30 ProQuest 1506038454 The Collection 12 inch vinyl liner notes Ruthless Records 1998 492857 1 The Remixes CD liner notes Columbia Records 2003 COL 510754 2 Breakdown EP in Japanese Mora Archived from the original on November 8 2023 Shaffer Claire August 19 2020 Mariah Carey Announces The Rarities Collection of B Sides Unreleased Tracks Rolling Stone Archived from the original on April 16 2023 Tyus Billy September 19 1997 Butterfly Rides Wave of Emotion Herald amp Review p C10 Archived from the original on November 8 2023 Retrieved November 8 2023 via Newspapers com Guarino Mark October 31 1997 Carey s Butterfly Stretches Her Wings but Not Too Far Daily Herald p 6 11 Archived from the original on November 21 2022 Retrieved March 8 2023 via Newspapers com Willistein Paul September 27 1997 Disc Reviews The Morning Call p A62 Archived from the original on 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from the original on November 21 2022 Retrieved March 8 2023 via Newspapers com a b Ferman Dave September 21 1997 Gruesome Twosome s Are What s Ailing R amp B Fort Worth Star Telegram p H3 Archived from the original on November 21 2022 Retrieved March 8 2023 via Newspapers com Camp Alexa April 1 2005 Behind the Caterwaul A Mariah Carey Retrospective Slant Magazine Archived from the original on February 25 2023 Kot Greg September 19 1997 Mariah Carey Butterfly Columbia Chicago Tribune Archived from the original on October 31 2022 Browne David September 19 1997 Butterfly Entertainment Weekly Archived from the original on November 21 2022 Myers Owen et al September 28 2022 The 150 Best Albums of the 1990s Pitchfork Archived from the original on November 27 2023 Sanneh Kelefa October 20 2003 Disco Alive and Dancing The New York Times Archived from the original on January 22 2022 a b c Smith Troy L August 23 2020 All 76 Mariah Carey Singles Ranked Cleveland com Archived from the original on October 27 2022 Stephens Vincent June 2003 Rainbow Popular Music and Society 26 2 234 ProQuest 208071682 Murray Sonia September 18 1997 Carey Unfolds Her Wings with Spirited New Effort The Atlanta Journal Constitution p F4 Archived from the original on November 8 2023 Retrieved November 8 2023 via Newspapers com Dempster Sarah November 3 1998 Duets from Hell It Takes Two to Tangle The Scotsman p 17 ProQuest 326737639 Promis Jose F My All Review AllMusic Archived from the original on February 24 2023 a b c Records Reaching Top 15 Radio amp Records December 11 1998 p 60 ProQuest 1017322012 a b Mariah Carey Chart History Rhythmic Airplay Billboard Archived from the original on April 29 2022 Hot R amp B Airplay Billboard March 14 1998 p 38 ProQuest 1506059406 a b Mariah Carey Chart History Hot R amp B Hip Hop Songs Billboard Archived from the original on November 22 2022 Faison Datu May 9 1998 Datu Faison s Rhythm Section Billboard p 34 ProQuest 1506024492 Hot R amp B Singles Billboard May 16 1998 p 31 ProQuest 1506023377 a b Mariah Carey Chart History Radio Songs Billboard Archived from the original on November 22 2022 a b Gold amp Platinum Breakdown Recording Industry Association of America Archived from the original on March 27 2022 RIAA and GR amp F Certification Audit Requirements RIAA Digital Single Award PDF Recording Industry Association of America Archived PDF from the original on December 5 2022 a b Scapolo 2007 Drew Richard May 8 1998 Music Singles The Pink Paper p 16 ProQuest 2092379531 a b Mariah Carey Songs and Albums Full Official Chart History Official Charts Company Archived from the original on October 31 2022 a b Shapiro 2001 p 158 a b Emerson Rana A 2002 Where My Girls At Negotiating Black Womanhood in Music Videos Gender amp Society 16 1 115 135 123 doi 10 1177 0891243202016001007 JSTOR 3081879 S2CID 35432829 a b c d Hapsis Emmanuel August 12 2015 All 64 Mariah Carey Music Videos Ranked from Worst to Best KQED Archived from the original on November 21 2022 Krishnamurthy Sowmya May 13 2013 10 Mariah Carey Collabos That Will Never Get Old Vibe Archived from the original on November 24 2022 a b DeCaro Frank March 15 1998 Ever So Lively Even If Gone The New York Times Archived from the original on November 21 2022 Guly Christopher March 25 1998 Deadly Divas Ottawa Citizen p C12 Archived from the original on November 25 2022 Retrieved November 26 2022 via Newspapers com Video Monitor Billboard February 14 1998 p 95 ProQuest 1505992019 Video Monitor Billboard March 1 1998 p 133 ProQuest 1506050640 Mariah Carey Discography MTV Archived from the original on October 3 2001 My All Breakdown VHS Columbia Music Video 1998 38V 78446 Mariah Carey Around the World MTV Archived from the original on May 26 2002 Aoki Deb February 22 1998 Carey Needs More Song Less Style The Honolulu Advertiser p A24 Archived from the original on December 8 2022 Retrieved March 8 2023 via Newspapers com Vineyard Jennifer August 7 2006 Mariah Carey Tour Kickoff The Voice Outshines Costume Changes Video Clips MTV News Archived from the original on December 8 2023 Chan Andrew October 6 2020 Mariah Carey s Rarities Illuminate Pop Music s Evolution NPR Archived from the original on May 31 2022 Juzwiak Rich September 18 2003 Review Mariah Carey Butterfly Slant Magazine Archived from the original on November 21 2022 Nostro Lauren August 2 2012 A History of Mariah Carey s Collaborations with Rappers Complex Archived from the original on March 4 2022 a b Betancourt Bianca September 15 2022 With Butterfly Mariah Carey Became the Blueprint Harper s Bazaar Archived from the original on November 6 2022 Shepherd Julianne November 2007 The Ultimate Mariah Carey Vibe p 102 ProQuest 2771598742 Welteroth 2019 p 200 Weheliye 2023 p 58 Chan 2023 p 78 Reyes Jon n d Mariah Carey Singles That Deserved to Be No 1 But Didn t Get There BET slide 30 Archived from the original on November 27 2022 Montgomery Daniel March 27 2023 The 23 Best Mariah Carey Songs that Didn t Hit Number One Underrated Hits from the Elusive Chanteuse Gold Derby Retrieved November 15 2023 Crossley Hillary May 12 2007 Bone Thugs n Harmony Strength and Loyalty Billboard p 37 ProQuest 227261830 Scarano Ross et al April 25 2019 Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Mariah Carey 2019 BBMA Icon Billboard Archived from the original on April 12 2023 Ortiz Edwin November 2 2014 Stevie J s 10 Greatest Music Contributions Complex Archived from the original on November 21 2022 Jones Daisy April 28 2015 Mariah Carey s Greatest Hip Hop Collabs Dazed Archived from the original on March 22 2023 Thorpe Isha April 10 2019 11 of Stevie J s Most Classic Beats Revolt Archived from the original on November 21 2022 Crossover Airplay Top 40 Airplay Monitor March 13 1998 p 20 a b Records Reaching Top 15 Radio amp Records December 11 1998 p 44 ProQuest 1017326989 The Year in Music 1998 Billboard December 26 1998 p YE 51 ProQuest 1529171323 Most Played Rhythmic Top 40 Songs of 1998 Airplay Monitor December 25 1998 p 46 Books edit Abjorensen Norman 2017 Historical Dictionary of Popular Music Rowman amp Littlefield ISBN 978 1 5381 0214 5 Anon 1997 Butterfly Hal Leonard ISBN 0 7935 8986 X Bronson Fred 1997 The Billboard Book of Number One Hits 4th ed Billboard Books ISBN 0 8230 7641 5 OL 8118566M Chan Andrew 2023 Why Mariah Carey Matters University of Texas Press ISBN 978 1 4773 2507 0 Nickson Chris 1998 Mariah Carey Revisited Her Story St Martin s Griffin ISBN 0 312 19512 5 OL 363685M Scapolo Dean 2007 The Complete New Zealand Music Charts 1966 2006 Maurienne House ISBN 978 1 877443 00 8 Shapiro Marc 2001 Mariah Carey The Unauthorized Biography ECW Press ISBN 978 1 55022 444 3 Weheliye Alexander Ghedi 2023 Feenin R amp B Music and the Materiality of BlackFem Voices and Technology Duke University Press ISBN 978 1 4780 2729 4 Welteroth Elaine 2019 More Than Enough Claiming Space for Who You Are No Matter What They Say Viking Press ISBN 978 0 525 56159 0 Retrieved from https en 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