E=MC² (Mariah Carey album)
Encyclopedia
E=MC² is the eleventh studio album
by American singer-songwriter
Mariah Carey
, first released in the United States on April 15, 2008, by Island Records
. Carey began recording the album in late-2007 in Anguilla
, after writing and composing most of its material during and after her 2006 Adventures of Mimi Tour. Carey worked with several notable songwriters and producers during the course of the project, including Jermaine Dupri
, Bryan-Michael Cox, Stargate
, The-Dream
, Tricky Stewart, Scott Storch
and Danja.
The album revealed a more personal and intimate side of the singer, illustrated in its declarative theme of emancipation from her previous marriage, and from her personal and professional setbacks. Although it shared similar vocal production as well as an inclination to her signature pop and R&B ballads, the album also encompassed a variety of dance-oriented and uptempo styles; it was meant to be a continuation, or second part of her tenth album, The Emancipation of Mimi
. Carey collaborated with a number of artists on the album, including T-Pain
, Damian Marley
and Young Jeezy
. Though considered by critics very similar to the formula its predecessor had been built on, E=MC² included other genres Carey had never explored, such as reggae
, and her continued recording of gospel
-influenced hymns.
E=MC² was generally well received by music critics, with many complimenting Carey's broad genre influences, and musical and production styles on the album. Some critics, however, felt that the album was too similar to The Emancipation of Mimi, and didn't offer anything new from the formula. The album debuted at number one on the US Billboard 200
with opening week sales of 463,000 copies; the highest first-week sales of Carey's career. It opened inside the top-five on the albums chart in Australia, Canada, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, as well as the European chart. The album finished as the 26th best-selling album of 2008 throughout the globe, and as of July 2009, achieved worldwide sales of over 2.5 million copies worldwide.
Four singles were commission in promotion of the album. The album's lead single
, "Touch My Body
", became Carey's eighteenth chart topper on the Billboard Hot 100
, making Carey the solo artist with the most number one singles in United States history, surpassing the record held by Elvis Presley
. Additionally, it gave Carey her 79th week atop the chart, tying Presley for most weeks at number one. It achieved strong worldwide charting, peaking within the top five of the singles charts in Italy, Japan, New Zealand, Switzerland and the United Kingdom. "Bye Bye
" served as the album's second release. Although hailed by critics, and expected to have achieved large commercial success, the song stalled at number nineteen on the Hot 100, and managed to chart weakly internationally. Both the third and fourth singles, "I'll Be Lovin' U Long Time
" and "I Stay in Love
" failed to garner success in any prominent music market.
, head of her label, Columbia
. During the recording of Carey's third album, Music Box (1993), the pair became romantically involved, and wed by August 1993, only one month short of the album's release. Throughout the marriage, Mottola, both Carey's husband and boss, carefully manipulated and controlled her career, crafting her into the adult contemporary/pop singer he sought her to be. With each passing album, Carey's genre influences and production styles evolved, leading her farther into R&B
and hip-hop
territory. During the recording sessions for Daydream (1995), the pair had already began "fighting at the drop of a feather", due to his controlling nature on her and career. By 1997, the pair had already separated, and had divorced only the following year.
After a publicized emotional breakdown in 2001, and years of professional and personal struggles that followed, Carey signed a new record deal with Island Records
and released The Emancipation of Mimi
. The album became the best-selling album in the United States of 2005, and the second best-seller around the world, with over 12 million units sold. It earned a myriad of music industry awards, and brought Carey back to the top of pop music following her decline in 2001." After completing The Adventures of Mimi Tour
, Carey began working on material for her eleventh studio effort, the yet untitled E=MC². E=MC² was hailed as one of the most anticipated albums of 2008, with many critics weighing their opinions on whether Carey would be able to deliver significant success, following her achievements with The Emancipation of Mimi. With following releases, Carey began writing and producing the music she saw fit, and not anything to please older record executives. Throughout 2007, Carey recorded the album in a studio built into her private villa in Anguilla
, in the Caribbean
. She describe E=MC² as one of her most expressive albums, and one that she felt free on, and able to express herself through her music. In an interview with The Bryan Times, Carey spoke of her sentiments on the album "Its hard for me to sit here and talk about it without sounding like if I'm bragging if I'm in love with it, but I am I love with this album. I think that having the success with the last record allowed me to have more freedom...and just make records that I like. Its kind of a really fun record.
". As the release date drew near, the title was changed to E=MC², in reference to Carey's previous studio effort, The Emancipation of Mimi
(2005). The title signifies "(E) Emancipation
(=) of (MC) Mariah Carey (²) to the second power". It is a word play on Albert Einstein
's famous mass–energy equivalence formula and has been dubbed as the sequel and improved counterpart to Mimi. In his review of the album, Alex Macpherson from The Guardian
described his thoughts on its title, as well as its meaning:
Carey expressed how she considered Mimi the "main course", and felt that the new album would be treated as "dessert". In an interview with NME
, Carey described her choice on the album's title "Basically, I'm freer on this album than I've ever been. Some of the songs on the last album were cool but maybe not quite as neat as this album." When questioned is the title represented Carey's interest in physics, she jokingly added "Einstein's theory? Physics? Me? Hello! I even failed remedial math. I could not pass seventh grade math even in the lowest class with the worst kids." The album's similarity to its predecessor is not only found in the title and music, but also in its artwork. In the album's cover art, Carey holds almost the exact pose as from her last album, only with different lighting and wardrobe. It features a Black backdrop, with Carey completely naked, except for a large feathered shawl covering her body. Only her first name appears in large pink letters on the cover, with 'E=MC²' appearing in small white letters on the top. In describing the cover, Macpherson wrote "Carey is naked but for the world's largest feather boa, an accessory for which flocks of birds have surely given their lives."
felt that after experiencing strong success for the first time in the 2000s decade with Mimi, Carey tried to create E=MC² with the same formula, although possibly a little improved: "Having found that winning formula of coquettish club bangers, emotional ballads and frisky, mid-tempo coos, the diva with the golden tone has eschewed radical experimentalism here for stasis. 'E=MC²' is mostly more of the same, then, with the '2' representing something sequential rather than exponential. Meet the new Mariah, almost exactly the same as the old . . . 'Mimi'!"
", song Carey wrote and c-produced alongside Danja, and featuring a rap
verse from T-Pain
. Its melody is built on a heavy electronic beat, and incorporates whistles
and several studio-created synthesizers into its melody. Additionally, the song features the inclusion of auto-tune
and several vocal manipulators, which are used heavily on both Carey and T-Pain's vocals. Lyrically, the song finds Carey during a night out, migrating from several locations: from the car to the club, from the bar to the V.I.P, from the party to the after-party, and finally to the hotel. According to Brian Hiatt from VH1
, she "hops from "my car into the club ... from the bar to VIP ... from the party to the afterparty ... afterparty to hotel" with T-Pain, who urges her to "bounce, bounce, bounce."
The album's lead single
, "Touch My Body
", was written and produce by Carey, Christopher "Tricky" Stewart
and Terius "The Dream" Nash
. The song's hook
is built around a piano melody and "circular keyboard line", and features "a stuttering mid-tempo beat that's accented by finger snaps
and electronic synthesizers
" as its instrumentation. Lyrically, the song describes the protagonist revealing several bedroom fantasies in which she would like to engage in, asking her lover playfully to "touch her body". According to Ben Ratliff from The New York Times
, its a "questionably sexy striptease: a goofy-sleazy tryst vignette", with Carey singing "If there’s a camera up in here then I best not catch this flick on YouTube
."
"Cruise Control", featuring reggae
artist Damian Marley
, draws influence from R&B
and Reggae, and finds Carey adapting to the genre, by imitating Jamaican phrases, accents and styles of singing. "I Stay in Love
" was released as the fourth and final single from the album, and places fourth on its track-listing. Written by Carey and Bryan-Michael Cox, is a mid-tempo "beat-driven" and "piano-laced" ballad, that draws influence from pop
and R&B music genres. The song's instrumentation is derived from a piano melody, and is backed by a strong computerized drum-beat. Its lyrics find Carey as her most vulnerable; she describes old times she shared with her lover, and that even though "we said let go", and "inside she knows its over", she still "stays in love with him". Featuring American rapper Young Jeezy
, "Side Effects
" describes Carey's abusive relationship with Tommy Mottola
, her ex-husband. During the first verse, Carey discusses the pair's background, and how she was young and naive, and believed everything he preached to her. The lyrics read "Keepin' me there, under your thumb / Cause you were scared that I'd become much / More than you could handle," she confesses, and refers to herself as "Shining like a chandelier / That decorated every room inside / The private hell we built / And I dealt with it / Like a kid I wished / I could fly away." According to Freedom De Luc of The Washington Post
, on the song Carey uploads on Mottola, "'sleeping with the enemy, aware that he was smothering every last part of me.' She finally walked away, she sings, 'but I still live with the side effects.' Sarah Rodman from The Boston Globe
described it as "another look at her fractious marriage to Mottola", and wrote "Although the union ended in 1998, Carey is still suffering, including dreams of the 'violent times' and 'sleeping with the enemy'. Interestingly, her vocal approach here is almost emo, as she hits her rock-solid middle register and refuses to be held captive by the demons of her past." MTV News
writer Jennifer Vineyard described the song in detail:
"I'm That Chick
" is a song Carey wrote alongside Norwegian duo, Stargate
. Its a fast-paced song, which features a "care-free feel", and draws influence from soul
, pop
and disco music genres. The song incorporates a sample from Michael Jackson
's "Off the Wall
", and features a strong thumping bass-line and hand claps. Evan Sawdey of PopMatters
described it as a "late-night disco-bass groove", and highlighted its production as the album's finest. "I'll Be Lovin' U Long Time
", the albums' eventual third single, was written and produced by Carey and DJ Toomp
. The song was described as a "mid-tempo", "party jam", that draws influence from pop
, R&B
and soul
music genres. Critics elaborated on the song's "soul" influence, with Melissa Ruggieri from The News & Advance
described it as a "soul-thumper", while Digital Spy
s Nick Levine called it a "nod towards classic soul". The song's title is derived from the popular line, "me love you long time", from the 1987 war film, Full Metal Jacket
. Additionally, its hook
and instrumentation is derived from sampling Mark DeBarge
's Stay With Me
. Critics also noted how "I'll Be Lovin' U Long Time" "recalls" the melody riff and chord progression of the Hill Street Blues
s theme song. The song's main source of production comes from its "lush keyboard work", and Carey's usage of the "double voice", which she uses throughout the song's bridge
. Carey described the effect as "layering her voice", so that the bridge would sound like a "swooning bank of a hundred Mariahs".
"Bye Bye
" served as the album's thirteenth track, and also composed by Carey and Stargate. An "inspirational power ballad", it draws influence from R&B
and pop
music genres. The song is built on an understated and simple piano
-driven melody, that is decorated with a soft bass-line. Lyrically, the song was described by critics as a "larger than life anthem", and an "inspirational lighter-in-the-air ballad", and finds Carey remembering both her father, as well as any lost loved ones. While the verses are dedicated to him, the chorus was written in a third-person point of view, for her fans: "This is for my peoples who just lost somebody / Your best friend, your baby, your man or your lady / Put your hand way up high / We will never say bye / Mamas, daddies, sisters, brothers, friends and cousins / This is for my peoples who lost their grandmothers / Lift your hands to the sky / Because we won't ever say bye bye". While listing several forms of loss, Carey encourages to never let go, and always live with their memory, and put their hands if they ever lost someone, 'cause we won't ever say bye bye'. Serving as the album's closing number, "I Wish You Well" was compared to the closing number on Mimi, "Fly Like a Bird
". Similarly, "I Wish You Well" incorporates gospel
influence in to its melody of "rousing piano waltz", that "extends forgiveness to those who have wronged her in the past and is pretty much interchangeable with its predecessors." Extensively making use of Carey's whistle register
, the song references Mottola in another light than "Side Effects": "'I Wish You Well's' message to Mottola is similarly striking. Accompanied by a piano and some multi-tracked backing vocals, Carey sings: "Still bruised, still walk on eggshells / Same frightened child, hide to protect myself / But you can't manipulate me like before." She then prescribes Bible study and says, "I wish you well."
, which averages professional reviews into a numerical score. Stephen Thomas Erlewine
, senior editor of Allmusic, rated the album three out of five stars, and wrote "it's misleading to judge Mariah based on her new record of possessing the most number one singles, as she's not about longevity, she's about being permanently transient, a characteristic 'E=MC²' captures all too well." Billboard
s Gary Trust felt that on the album, Carey was in "pristine form", stating, "She's proclaimed emancipation before, but Mariah Carey's never sounded as free as she does on her 10th album. Carey's made a pop album with equal parts levity and gravity." Writing fir Entertainment Weekly
, Margeaux Watson graded E=MC² an 'A-', and described how the album's goal was to prove "her comeback was no fluke". She continued complimenting Carey's several collaborations, and wrote "the result is a largely enjoyable mix of flirtatious club jams, midtempo love songs, and emotional ballads anchored by hip-hop beats that handsomely showcase the singer's powerful vocal chops." Though Carey's voice had been criticized since her 2002 release, Charmbracelet
, for not being able to deliver the "gravity defying vocals" from the 1990s, Roger Friedman from Fox News
wrote "Her infamous eight-octave range has suffered a little wear and tear over the years, but Carey still can flutter from great highs to mellow lows like no one else." Alex Macpherson from The Guardian
gave the album four out of five stars, heavily describing Carey's vocal state throughout the album: "Carey's voice has been mocked, bizarrely, as being a triumph of technique over soul - an argument that fails to comprehend that technique and soul are intertwined, that technique primarily exists as a means to convey emotion - but she is on fine vocal form throughout 'E=MC²', whether belting out massive ballads, or layering her voice into a swooning bank of a hundred Mariahs." Macpherson concluded his review with, "When she sings elsewhere, "Them other regularities, they can't compare with MC," it is hard not to agree", referencing a lyric on "Migrate".
The Houston Chronicle
s Joey Guerra felt all of the album's tracks were strong, and wrote "Every track plays like a potential hit single, and that's exactly what fans will love about 'E=MC²'. Expect it to soundtrack much of the summer and beyond." Los Angeles Times
staff writer, Richard Cromelin, gave the album two out of four stars, noting its "alternatives to the glass-shattering flamboyance of her early '90s youth." He concluded in his mixed review of the album, "Of course, consistency isn't so important when an album is assembled as a series of singles rather than a cohesive work. Fortunately for Carey, the tabloid-tailored real-life back story on one side and the producer's craft on the other matter more than the art of singing in this particular fairy tale." Ben Ratliff of The New York Times
felt the album didn't level up to par with Carey's previous release, writing "Much of the record sounds like urban-radio imitations, without the peculiarities and effective hooks of 'Mimi'. Maybe emancipation isn’t a continuing procedure; maybe it only comes once." Writing for PopMatters
, Evan Sawdey rated E=MC² four out of ten stars, describing it as a "shallow imitation of its predecessor". Sawdey concluded his review on a mixed note, stating " the second act of Mariah’s comeback doesn’t wisely expand her sound: it instead succumbs to the blueprint so carefully laid out by its predecessor, a pointless remake that exists only because it has to. If you ever had a doubt as to its formulaic nature, you need to look no further than its title. Long live the Diva." Caryn Ganz from Rolling Stone
questioned why Carey limited her vocal abilities throughout the record, "nearly every song confines Carey to four-note verses, offering little room for her glorious range." Journalist Eric Henderson, writing for Slant Magazine
, graded the album three out of five stars, and concluding with, "Such are the rewards of an album like 'E=MC²', in which one does reach a solution, but not before Mariah bends over backward to show her work." The album finished in the top-ten of several "best of 2008" lists, ending at number four on an official poll held by Billboard, eight by the The Detroit News
, and number ten by The San Diego Union-Tribune
with 463,000 copies sold, making it the biggest opening week sales of her career, and also the biggest opening album in 2008 for a female artist, before matched by Taylor Swift
's Fearless
which sold 592,000 in its first week in November 2008. With six number one albums, Carey is now tied with Britney Spears
and Janet Jackson
in the United States for the third most number one albums for a female artist, behind Madonna
with seven and Barbra Streisand
's nine chart toppers. In its second week, the album remained at number one on the albums chart, with 182,000 copies sold. E=MC² became Carey's first album to spend two straight weeks at number one since 1995's Daydream, although The Emancipation of Mimi
(2005) spent two non-consecutive weeks at the top spot. On Billboards Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums
chart, E=MC² debuted at number one, and spent forty-seven weeks fluctuating with the top 100. The album was certified Platinum
by the Recording Industry Association of America
(RIAA) on July 8, 2008, denoting shipments of over one million units. According to Nielsen SoundScan
, stateside sales of the album stand at 1,300,000 copies as of June 15, 2009. In total, E=MC² spent twenty-seven weeks within the Billboard 200, and finished at number twenty-two on the Year-End chart. On the same day the album was released, Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa
proclaimed April 15 officially as "Mariah Carey day" in Los Angeles. It was in part of celebrating Carey's eighteenth number one single, "Touch My Body
". Also, from April 25 through April 27, 2008, the Empire State Building
was lit up in Carey's motif colors—lavender, pink, and white — in celebration of her achievements in the world of music. On the Canadian Albums Chart
, during the week dated May 3, 2008, E=MC² debuted at number one, with first-week sales of 19,000 copies. It became her first number one album in Canada since before 1999, as Rainbow
and The Emancipation of Mimi both opened at number two. The album spent seven weeks within the album's chart, and was eventually certified Platinum by the Canadian Recording Industry Association
(CRIA), denoting shipments of over 100,000 units.
E=MC² entered the Australian Albums Chart
on April 5, 2008, at number two. The album spent eight weeks in the albums chart, and was certified Gold by the Australian Recording Industry Association
(ARIA), denoting shipments of over 35,000 units. In France, the album debuted at its peak position of number six during the week dated April 19, 2008. E=MC² spent twenty weeks on the albums chart, and ended its run on August 30, 2008. On the Dutch Albums Chart
, it debuted at its peak position of number eleven on April 19, 2008. The album ended its eight week chart run on June 7, 2008. During the week dated April 28, 2008, E=MC² debuted at number ten on the New Zealand Albums Chart
, starting a ten week run on the chart. The album peaked within the top ten in several European countries, such as number five in Switzerland, seven in Germany and Ireland, eight in Austria and number nine in Italy. On the UK Albums Chart
, the album debuted at number three, selling 34,800 copies. This was her highest peak position in the United Kingdom since Butterfly (1997), which peaked at number two. After thirteen weeks on the chart, the album was certified Gold by the British Phonographic Industry
(BPI), denoting shipments of over 100,000 copies. On the European Top 100 Albums
, E=MC² debuted and peaked at number three, recording the highest debut of the week. Its debut places one spot higher than the start made by The Emancipation of Mimi in April 2005. It remained for seven weeks on the chart. In Japan, the album peaked at number seven on the Oricon
Overall Chart, and was certified Gold by the Recording Industry Association of Japan
(RIAJ) for shipments of over 150,000 copies. In Russia, the album has been certified Gold for having exceeded the 10,000 units sold. After only eight days of release, E=MC² was certified Gold in the Philippines, denoting shipments of over 15,000 units. The album was the 26th best-selling album worldwide in 2008, according to International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI). As of September 19, 2009, the album has sold over 2.5 million copies worldwide.
" was released as the lead single
from the album on February 12, 2008. The song received generally positive reviews from music critics, who complimented its hook and production, as well as its playful lyrics. "Touch My Body" reached the top position on the Hot 100 in its fourth week, and became Carey's eighteenth chart topper, selling 286,000 digital downloads. The song's opening week broke several records, first making Carey the solo artist with the most number one singles in United States history, surpassing the record held by Elvis Presley
. Additionally, it gave Carey her 79th week atop the Hot 100, tying her with Presley as the artist with the most weeks at number one in the Billboard chart history." The song also sold the highest amount of digital records in one week, surpassing Rihanna
's "Umbrella
" (2007), which sold 277,000 units. Internationally, the song achieved strong chart success, peaking within the top five on the charts in Italy, Japan, New Zealand, Switzerland and the United Kingdom. The song's music video was directed by film-maker Brett Ratner
, who had previously worked with Carey on five other music videos. It follows around a story revolving around a computer employees fantasy as he visits Carey's home. As he fixes her computer, he enters a fantasy in which the pair perform several activities together, including a pillow fight
, playing laser tag
, Guitar Hero
and slot car
s, and throw a frisbee
, all while showing off Carey's figure in several revealing outfits. "Bye Bye
" was announced as the second single from the album on April 15, 2008. The song received generally positive reviews from music critics, and was heavily speculated to have become Carey's 19th number-one single on the Billboard Hot 100
. Many reviewers complimented its simple and understated musical arrangement and personalized lyrics, while some felt the song was too simple for an artist of Carey's stature. The track only managed to reach a peak position of number nineteen on the Billboard Hot 100. Throughout other countries where it found release, the song achieved relatively weak charting, peaking within the top ten in New Zealand, and in the top-fifty in Canada, Ireland, Slovakia, and the United Kingdom. The song's accompanying music video was directed Justin Francis
on the island of Antigua
in the Caribbean
. Notably, Carey and Cannon began dating during their trip to the island, and later wed on April 30, 2008. The video features behind-the-scenes footage of the couple, Carey promoting the album in the United Kingdom, as well as photos of several of Carey's close friends, family and past collaborators such as Luciano Pavarotti
and Luther Vandross
.
The album's third single, "I'll Be Lovin' U Long Time
", was released on June 1, 2008. Many complimented the song's production and incorporation of the "Stay With me" sample, while others were unimpressed with the chorus in general. Chuck Taylor of Billboard
assured the song would endure strong success and radio appeal, and complimented its overall production, as well as Carey's voice: "[Its] a playful, beach-befitting groove, featuring a bright sample from DeBarge's "Stay With Me," lushly woven vocals and Carey's highs doting on fans with her sonic signature." In the United States, the song peaked at number fifty-eight, and at number twenty-seven in Japan. On the UK Singles Chart
, "I'll Be Lovin' U Long Time" peaked at number eighty-four, and spent only one week in the chart. The song was featured on the final scene of You Don't Mess with the Zohan
(2008), a film in which Carey made a cameo appearance. Its accompanying music video was shot over a three day interval in Hawaii, and makes usage of the islands scenery, as well as shots of Carey in several bikinis, while swimming with a dolphin. "I Stay in Love
" was released as the fourth and final single from the album on October 28, 2008. The song failed to chart on the Hot 100, though became Carey's fourteenth chart topper on the Hot Dance Club Play
. Additionally, it peaked at number ninety-five on the UK Singles Chart. The song's accompanying music video was filmed by Carey's husband, Nick Cannon
, and features Carey as a dancer in a Las Vegas show at the The Bellagio Hotel and Casino Resort
. Additionally, during the show and its preparations, Carey realizes that her ex-lover has found love with one of her fellow dancers, leading her to blow up the car her gave her, as well as its accompaniments in the Mojave Desert
.
Other Notable Songs
Though not released as singles, three of the album's songs managed to chart on Billboards Hot 100 and Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart due to high sales. "Migrate" peaked at number ninety-two on the Hot 100, and ninety-five on the R&B chart, while both "I'm That Chick" and "Side Effects" peaked at numbers eighty-two and ninety-three on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart.
, taking over for Janet Jackson
who caught the flu and was unable to perform. Hosted by Jonah Hill
, Carey performed both "Touch My Body", as well as live rendition of "Migrate" alongside T-Pain
. Following the set, Carey and her manager at the time, Benny Medina
, met with Lee Daniels
, who then offered Carey a role in his film adaptation of Precious
(2008), in which Carey would later star and earn acclaim for her acting. After reaching the top of the Billboard charts, the Empire State Building
was lit up in Carey's motif colors, white, pink and lavender, for the entire week. On March 25, 2008, Carey was featured as the special guest performer at The Hills
season premiere party, an event marking the start of a span of ten episodes airing in between season three
and four
. Carey, dressed in a black skirt and gold top, performed "Touch My Body", "I'm That Chick" and "We Belong Together", before exiting the stage to a standing ovation. After the performance, Carey received strong praise from the program's cast members, with Lauren Conrad
saying "I've always been a huge Mariah fan, and she's just so beautiful and talented', while Whitney Port
and Audrina Patridge
referred to Carey as "an amazing singer", while claiming to have listened to her music from a young age. On April 12, 2008, Carey made an appearance on The Oprah Winfrey Show
. Winfrey interviewed the singer on her weight loss, E=MC², and even showed footage of Carey in her New York apartment, showing off her lingerie closet. Following the interview, Carey, dressed in a purple and black ensemble, performed a live rendition of "Bye Bye" for the audience, with three background vocalists assisting her. Kevin Johnson from St. Louis Post-Dispatch
described the performance as "touching", and complimented the song's appeal.
On the seventh season
of the popular talent competition American Idol
, Carey was featured as a mentor for the top-seven week. Titled "Mariah Carey Week" and airing live on April 14, 2008, the contestants were to perform a song from Carey's catalog. After all seven contestants sang their individual songs, they all came together for a live rendition of Carey's 1996 collaboration with Boyz II Men
, "One Sweet Day
". Overall, critics noted how a Carey themed week would be extremely difficult for the performers, due to their vocally strenuous nature. Following their joint performance, Carey emerged onto the stage in a black mini-dress, and performed "Bye Bye" live, while backed by a trio of supporting vocalists. Tamara Jones of The Washington Post
jokingly commented on Carey's flailing hand movements during the performance, writing how she was "waving like a malevolent homecoming queen". Gil Kaufman fro MTV News complimented Carey's performance, commenting on her "barely there micro-dress" and writing how she "serenaded the audience with her homage to lost ones." The Calgary Sun
s Lindsey Ward described it as a "less-than-fab performance", although complimenting on Carey's leaner figure, "Oh, who am I kidding? She would look hot in a paper bag." On April 25, 2008, Carey opened the Good Morning America
"Summer Concert Series" with a live performance in Times Square
. Carey, wearing a pink mini-skirt, began the set with "Touch My Body" in front of thousands of fans. During the song, Carey's backing vocals began to malfunction, causing it to repeat phrases and play during her main vocal moments. In order to let the sound engineer know of the problem, she substituted part of the lyrics for "stop singing my part now baby", and completed the final chorus. She continued on with "I'm That Chick", and completed the three-song set-list with her follow-up single, "Bye Bye
". After marking the album's stateside launch with her appearance on Good Morning America, Carey took to Europe to perform on several programs. She began with an interview on the British radio station, BBC Radio 1
, and continued onto a live rendition of "Touch My Body" on both The Sunday Night Project
and The Paul O'Grady Show
.
Similarly, Carey performed the song live on the popular German talent show, Deutschland sucht den Superstar
(Germany searches for the superstar), in April 2008. On August 8, 2008, Carey performed a mash-up of the song at the 2008 Teen Choice Awards
. She began with her single at the time, "I'll Be Lovin' U Long Time
", and worked into the bridge of "Touch My Body", before reverting back to the former song. At the Fashion Rocks
ceremony in 2009, Carey performed "Touch My Body" and her current single, "Obsessed
", as well as the remix to her 1995 song "Fantasy
". During the set-list, Carey was accompanied by six men in black ties, who hoisted her into the air in front of over 6,000 people during "Obsessed", and rigorous dance routines throughout "Touch My Body". In promotion for E=MC² and the single, Carey was featured as a guest judge and musical act on the fifth season
of the popular British talent competition, The X Factor
. During that week, all the contestants would have to sing songs from Carey's catalog. Prior to her arrival, one of the show's judges Dannii Minogue
said "Could it get any more nerve-wracking for the contestants?", due to the general strenuous nature of Carey's songs. After several performances by the finalists, Carey performed "I Stay in Love", accompanied by three background vocalists. She received a standing ovation from the audience and judges, and continued backstage for a taped session with the contestants. At the end of the program, she performed her classic "Hero
" (1993), and was eventually joined by the finalists for the finale of the song. "Hero" was re-recorded by the 2008 UK X Factor finalists and released as a single, becoming the best-selling single of 2008. According to reports, the episode gained a large increase in viewers due to Carey's presence, and was able to surpass its long-time rival program, Strictly Come Dancing
, in the ratings. Carey made an appearance at the American Music Awards, held on November 23, 2008 at the Nokia Theatre. Wearing a long black gown, she performed the song after receiving an honorary award for her achievements in music. Chris Harris from MTV News described it as a "riveting performance".
in July, Carey further addressed her plans of a tour: "We're looking at November right now. Please don't hold me accountable if it turns out to be December 5 or December 7 or January 18!" When asked to described the tour's theme, Carey explained "I'm thinking elaborate. I like elaborate. We only do substantial. That's what my jeweler says. I haven't gotten the looks in mind just yet, but we're going to figure it out soon enough." Despite continued plans for a tour, and announcements made on The X Factor
in United Kingdom in November, the tour was suddenly cancelled by early December. Tabloids and critics began heavily speculating that Carey had become pregnant, and had abandoned plans for a tour as a result. Many claimed to have seen Carey visiting a famed gynecologist's office in Los Angeles. Additionally, Carey's newly slimmed figure began to change, as she stopped her exercise routines and gained weight. Though Carey had eventually announced that she was pregnant with twins on November 28, 2010, over two years later, she admitted she had indeed been pregnant during that time period, and suffered a miscarriage. For that reason, she cancelled the tour, and lost the child only two months later.
1 British, Japanese, New Zealand and Australian bonus track.
2 French and Japanese bonus track.
Studio album
A studio album is an album made up of tracks recorded in the controlled environment of a recording studio. A studio album contains newly written and recorded or previously unreleased or remixed material, distinguishing itself from a compilation or reissue album of previously recorded material, or...
by American singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriters are musicians who write, compose and sing their own musical material including lyrics and melodies. As opposed to contemporary popular music singers who write their own songs, the term singer-songwriter describes a distinct form of artistry, closely associated with the...
Mariah Carey
Mariah Carey
Mariah Carey is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, and actress. She made her recording debut with the release of her eponymous studio album in 1990, under the guidance of Columbia Records executive Tommy Mottola, whom she later married in 1993...
, first released in the United States on April 15, 2008, by Island Records
Island Records
Island Records is a record label that was founded by Chris Blackwell in Jamaica. It was based in the United Kingdom for many years and is now owned by Universal Music Group...
. Carey began recording the album in late-2007 in Anguilla
Anguilla
Anguilla is a British overseas territory and overseas territory of the European Union in the Caribbean. It is one of the most northerly of the Leeward Islands in the Lesser Antilles, lying east of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands and directly north of Saint Martin...
, after writing and composing most of its material during and after her 2006 Adventures of Mimi Tour. Carey worked with several notable songwriters and producers during the course of the project, including Jermaine Dupri
Jermaine Dupri
Jermaine Dupri Mauldin , known as Jermaine Dupri or JD, is an American record producer, songwriter and rapper.- Early life and career :...
, Bryan-Michael Cox, Stargate
Stargate (production team)
This is a list of songs written and produced by the Norwegian production team Stargate.-Produced singles:-1999:5ive - Invincible*05. "Two Sides to Every Story"*06. "You Make Me a Better Man"Noora Noor - Curious*01. "Curious"...
, The-Dream
The-Dream
Terius Youngdell Nash , better known by his stage name The-Dream, is an American singer-songwriter and record producer. He is known for co-writing "Umbrella" for Rihanna and "Single Ladies " for Beyoncé, as well as for his three solo albums, Love Hate, Love vs...
, Tricky Stewart, Scott Storch
Scott Storch
Scott Storch is an American record producer. He produces a variety of music, particularly hip hop, reggaeton, and R&B. His label, Storch Music Company responsible for signing Brooke Hogan and Nox...
and Danja.
The album revealed a more personal and intimate side of the singer, illustrated in its declarative theme of emancipation from her previous marriage, and from her personal and professional setbacks. Although it shared similar vocal production as well as an inclination to her signature pop and R&B ballads, the album also encompassed a variety of dance-oriented and uptempo styles; it was meant to be a continuation, or second part of her tenth album, The Emancipation of Mimi
The Emancipation of Mimi
The Emancipation of Mimi is the tenth studio album by American recording artist Mariah Carey, released in the United States on April 12, 2005, by Island Records. Following the relatively poor critical and commercial responses to her albums, Glitter and Charmbracelet , The Emancipation of Mimi...
. Carey collaborated with a number of artists on the album, including T-Pain
T-Pain
Faheem Rasheed Najm , better known by his stage name T-Pain, is an American singer-songwriter, rapper, record producer, and actor, currently signed to Young Money Entertainment. His debut album, Rappa Ternt Sanga, was released in 2005. In 2007, T-Pain released his second studio album Epiphany,...
, Damian Marley
Damian Marley
Damian "Jr. Gong" Marley is a Jamaican reggae artist who has won three Grammy awards. Damian is the youngest son of Bob Marley....
and Young Jeezy
Young Jeezy
Jay Wayne Jenkins , better known by his stage name Young Jeezy, is an American rapper. He is the member of the hip hop group United Streets Dopeboyz of America and a former member of BMF...
. Though considered by critics very similar to the formula its predecessor had been built on, E=MC² included other genres Carey had never explored, such as reggae
Reggae
Reggae is a music genre first developed in Jamaica in the late 1960s. While sometimes used in a broader sense to refer to most types of Jamaican music, the term reggae more properly denotes a particular music style that originated following on the development of ska and rocksteady.Reggae is based...
, and her continued recording of gospel
Gospel music
Gospel music is music that is written to express either personal, spiritual or a communal belief regarding Christian life, as well as to give a Christian alternative to mainstream secular music....
-influenced hymns.
E=MC² was generally well received by music critics, with many complimenting Carey's broad genre influences, and musical and production styles on the album. Some critics, however, felt that the album was too similar to The Emancipation of Mimi, and didn't offer anything new from the formula. The album debuted at number one on the US Billboard 200
Billboard 200
The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...
with opening week sales of 463,000 copies; the highest first-week sales of Carey's career. It opened inside the top-five on the albums chart in Australia, Canada, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, as well as the European chart. The album finished as the 26th best-selling album of 2008 throughout the globe, and as of July 2009, achieved worldwide sales of over 2.5 million copies worldwide.
Four singles were commission in promotion of the album. The album's lead single
Lead single
A lead single is usually the first single released by a musician or a band before the release of its home album.During the era of the grammophone record, all music arrived in the marketplace as what is now termed a single, one potential hit song backed by an additional song of generally less...
, "Touch My Body
Touch My Body
"Touch My Body" is a song by American singer-songwriter Mariah Carey, taken from her eleventh studio album, E=MC² . It was written and produced by Carey, along with Christopher "Tricky" Stewart, Crystal "Cri$tyle" Johnson and Terius "The Dream" Nash, and was released as the album's lead single on...
", became Carey's eighteenth chart topper on the Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
, making Carey the solo artist with the most number one singles in United States history, surpassing the record held by Elvis Presley
Elvis Presley
Elvis Aaron Presley was one of the most popular American singers of the 20th century. A cultural icon, he is widely known by the single name Elvis. He is often referred to as the "King of Rock and Roll" or simply "the King"....
. Additionally, it gave Carey her 79th week atop the chart, tying Presley for most weeks at number one. It achieved strong worldwide charting, peaking within the top five of the singles charts in Italy, Japan, New Zealand, Switzerland and the United Kingdom. "Bye Bye
Bye Bye (Mariah Carey song)
"Bye Bye" is a song by American singer-songwriter Mariah Carey, taken from her eleventh studio album, E=MC² . It was written by Carey, Mikkel S. Eriksen, Tor Erik Hermansen and Johntá Austin, and produced by the former three. It was released as the album's second single on April 15, 2008, in the...
" served as the album's second release. Although hailed by critics, and expected to have achieved large commercial success, the song stalled at number nineteen on the Hot 100, and managed to chart weakly internationally. Both the third and fourth singles, "I'll Be Lovin' U Long Time
I'll Be Lovin' U Long Time
"I'll Be Lovin' U Long Time" is a song by American singer-songwriter Mariah Carey, taken from her eleventh studio album, E=MC² . It was written by Carey, Aldrin Davis, Crystal Johnson and Clifford Harris, and produced by the former two...
" and "I Stay in Love
I Stay in Love
"I Stay in Love" is a song by American singer-songwriter Mariah Carey, taken from her eleventh studio album, E=MC² . It was written by Carey, Bryan-Michael Cox, Adonis Shropshire and Kendrick Dean, and produced by the former two. "I Stay in Love" was released through Island Records on October 28,...
" failed to garner success in any prominent music market.
Background and recording
Throughout the early part of Carey's career, she had been married to Tommy MottolaTommy Mottola
Thomas Daniel "Tommy" Mottola is an American music executive, co-owner of Casablanca Records in a joint venture with the Universal Music Group. He is the ex-husband of Mariah Carey and is married to Mexican singer Thalía...
, head of her label, Columbia
Columbia Records
Columbia Records is an American record label, owned by Japan's Sony Music Entertainment, operating under the Columbia Music Group with Aware Records. It was founded in 1888, evolving from an earlier enterprise, the American Graphophone Company — successor to the Volta Graphophone Company...
. During the recording of Carey's third album, Music Box (1993), the pair became romantically involved, and wed by August 1993, only one month short of the album's release. Throughout the marriage, Mottola, both Carey's husband and boss, carefully manipulated and controlled her career, crafting her into the adult contemporary/pop singer he sought her to be. With each passing album, Carey's genre influences and production styles evolved, leading her farther into R&B
Contemporary R&B
Contemporary R&B is a music genre that combines elements of hip hop, soul, R&B and funk.Although the abbreviation “R&B” originates from traditional rhythm and blues music, today the term R&B is most often used to describe a style of African American music originating after the demise of disco in...
and hip-hop
Hip hop music
Hip hop music, also called hip-hop, rap music or hip-hop music, is a musical genre consisting of a stylized rhythmic music that commonly accompanies rapping, a rhythmic and rhyming speech that is chanted...
territory. During the recording sessions for Daydream (1995), the pair had already began "fighting at the drop of a feather", due to his controlling nature on her and career. By 1997, the pair had already separated, and had divorced only the following year.
After a publicized emotional breakdown in 2001, and years of professional and personal struggles that followed, Carey signed a new record deal with Island Records
Island Records
Island Records is a record label that was founded by Chris Blackwell in Jamaica. It was based in the United Kingdom for many years and is now owned by Universal Music Group...
and released The Emancipation of Mimi
The Emancipation of Mimi
The Emancipation of Mimi is the tenth studio album by American recording artist Mariah Carey, released in the United States on April 12, 2005, by Island Records. Following the relatively poor critical and commercial responses to her albums, Glitter and Charmbracelet , The Emancipation of Mimi...
. The album became the best-selling album in the United States of 2005, and the second best-seller around the world, with over 12 million units sold. It earned a myriad of music industry awards, and brought Carey back to the top of pop music following her decline in 2001." After completing The Adventures of Mimi Tour
The Adventures of Mimi Tour
The Adventures of Mimi: The Voice, The Hits, The Tour was a 2006 concert tour of arenas by American R&B singer-songwriter Mariah Carey. It was one of a few tours in her then-sixteen year career and was named after a fan's "Carey-centric" diary of the same name...
, Carey began working on material for her eleventh studio effort, the yet untitled E=MC². E=MC² was hailed as one of the most anticipated albums of 2008, with many critics weighing their opinions on whether Carey would be able to deliver significant success, following her achievements with The Emancipation of Mimi. With following releases, Carey began writing and producing the music she saw fit, and not anything to please older record executives. Throughout 2007, Carey recorded the album in a studio built into her private villa in Anguilla
Anguilla
Anguilla is a British overseas territory and overseas territory of the European Union in the Caribbean. It is one of the most northerly of the Leeward Islands in the Lesser Antilles, lying east of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands and directly north of Saint Martin...
, in the Caribbean
Caribbean
The Caribbean is a crescent-shaped group of islands more than 2,000 miles long separating the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea, to the west and south, from the Atlantic Ocean, to the east and north...
. She describe E=MC² as one of her most expressive albums, and one that she felt free on, and able to express herself through her music. In an interview with The Bryan Times, Carey spoke of her sentiments on the album "Its hard for me to sit here and talk about it without sounding like if I'm bragging if I'm in love with it, but I am I love with this album. I think that having the success with the last record allowed me to have more freedom...and just make records that I like. Its kind of a really fun record.
Title and cover art
Prior to the its release, the album's working title had been That Chick, taken from a song on the album with a similar name, "I'm That ChickI'm That Chick
"I'm That Chick" is a song by American singer-songwriter Mariah Carey, included as a track on her eleventh studio album, E=MC² . Written by Carey, Mikkel S. Eriksen, Tor E. Hermansen, Johntá Austin, Rod Temperton, and produced by the former three, the song draws influence from from soul, pop and...
". As the release date drew near, the title was changed to E=MC², in reference to Carey's previous studio effort, The Emancipation of Mimi
The Emancipation of Mimi
The Emancipation of Mimi is the tenth studio album by American recording artist Mariah Carey, released in the United States on April 12, 2005, by Island Records. Following the relatively poor critical and commercial responses to her albums, Glitter and Charmbracelet , The Emancipation of Mimi...
(2005). The title signifies "(E) Emancipation
Emancipation
Emancipation means the act of setting an individual or social group free or making equal to citizens in a political society.Emancipation may also refer to:* Emancipation , a champion Australian thoroughbred racehorse foaled in 1979...
(=) of (MC) Mariah Carey (²) to the second power". It is a word play on Albert Einstein
Albert Einstein
Albert Einstein was a German-born theoretical physicist who developed the theory of general relativity, effecting a revolution in physics. For this achievement, Einstein is often regarded as the father of modern physics and one of the most prolific intellects in human history...
's famous mass–energy equivalence formula and has been dubbed as the sequel and improved counterpart to Mimi. In his review of the album, Alex Macpherson from The Guardian
The Guardian
The Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
described his thoughts on its title, as well as its meaning:
It is worth pondering what the title of Mariah Carey's 11th studio album could refer to. Emancipation, maybe, in a nod to her 2005 comeback album, The Emancipation of Mimi; or perhaps the energy of the original equation, a statement that Carey still has what it takes to party all night at the age of 38, even as she describes herself as "eternally 12". Then again, she could just be identifying herself alongside Einstein as a fellow genius. Either way, 'E=MC²' finds Carey loopier than ever, embracing her own larger-than-life image with gusto: Mariah Carey Squared indeed.
Carey expressed how she considered Mimi the "main course", and felt that the new album would be treated as "dessert". In an interview with NME
NME
The New Musical Express is a popular music publication in the United Kingdom, published weekly since March 1952. It started as a music newspaper, and gradually moved toward a magazine format during the 1980s, changing from newsprint in 1998. It was the first British paper to include a singles...
, Carey described her choice on the album's title "Basically, I'm freer on this album than I've ever been. Some of the songs on the last album were cool but maybe not quite as neat as this album." When questioned is the title represented Carey's interest in physics, she jokingly added "Einstein's theory? Physics? Me? Hello! I even failed remedial math. I could not pass seventh grade math even in the lowest class with the worst kids." The album's similarity to its predecessor is not only found in the title and music, but also in its artwork. In the album's cover art, Carey holds almost the exact pose as from her last album, only with different lighting and wardrobe. It features a Black backdrop, with Carey completely naked, except for a large feathered shawl covering her body. Only her first name appears in large pink letters on the cover, with 'E=MC²' appearing in small white letters on the top. In describing the cover, Macpherson wrote "Carey is naked but for the world's largest feather boa, an accessory for which flocks of birds have surely given their lives."
Style and structure
Music critics compared E=MC² heavily to Carey's previous album, The Emancipation of Mimi, and felt it followed the same formula of ballads and dance-able tracks. Freedom De Luc of The Washington PostThe Washington Post
The Washington Post is Washington, D.C.'s largest newspaper and its oldest still-existing paper, founded in 1877. Located in the capital of the United States, The Post has a particular emphasis on national politics. D.C., Maryland, and Virginia editions are printed for daily circulation...
felt that after experiencing strong success for the first time in the 2000s decade with Mimi, Carey tried to create E=MC² with the same formula, although possibly a little improved: "Having found that winning formula of coquettish club bangers, emotional ballads and frisky, mid-tempo coos, the diva with the golden tone has eschewed radical experimentalism here for stasis. 'E=MC²' is mostly more of the same, then, with the '2' representing something sequential rather than exponential. Meet the new Mariah, almost exactly the same as the old . . . 'Mimi'!"
Songs and lyrics
The first song on the album's track-list is "MigrateMigrate (song)
"Migrate" is a song by American singer-songwriter Mariah Carey, included as a track on her eleventh studio album, E=MC² . Written by Carey, Nathaniel Hills, Faheem Najim, and Balewa Muhammad, and produced by the former two, the song draws influence from pop and R&B music genres...
", song Carey wrote and c-produced alongside Danja, and featuring a rap
Rapping
Rapping refers to "spoken or chanted rhyming lyrics". The art form can be broken down into different components, as in the book How to Rap where it is separated into “content”, “flow” , and “delivery”...
verse from T-Pain
T-Pain
Faheem Rasheed Najm , better known by his stage name T-Pain, is an American singer-songwriter, rapper, record producer, and actor, currently signed to Young Money Entertainment. His debut album, Rappa Ternt Sanga, was released in 2005. In 2007, T-Pain released his second studio album Epiphany,...
. Its melody is built on a heavy electronic beat, and incorporates whistles
Whistles
Whistles is a clothing brand with 40 stores across Britain. It was founded in the early 1980s by Lucille and Richard Lewin.In January 2008, Jane Shepherdson, former Topshop director, signed a deal to purchase a 20 per cent stake in Whistles and was appointed the job of chief executive.-Style:In the...
and several studio-created synthesizers into its melody. Additionally, the song features the inclusion of auto-tune
Auto-Tune
Auto-Tune is a proprietary audio processor created by Antares Audio Technologies. Auto-Tune uses a phase vocoder to correct pitch in vocal and instrumental performances. It is used to disguise off-key inaccuracies and mistakes, and has allowed singers to perform apparently perfectly tuned vocal...
and several vocal manipulators, which are used heavily on both Carey and T-Pain's vocals. Lyrically, the song finds Carey during a night out, migrating from several locations: from the car to the club, from the bar to the V.I.P, from the party to the after-party, and finally to the hotel. According to Brian Hiatt from VH1
VH1
VH1 or Vh1 is an American cable television network based in New York City. Launched on January 1, 1985 in the old space of Turner Broadcasting's short-lived Cable Music Channel, the original purpose of the channel was to build on the success of MTV by playing music videos, but targeting a slightly...
, she "hops from "my car into the club ... from the bar to VIP ... from the party to the afterparty ... afterparty to hotel" with T-Pain, who urges her to "bounce, bounce, bounce."
The album's lead single
Lead single
A lead single is usually the first single released by a musician or a band before the release of its home album.During the era of the grammophone record, all music arrived in the marketplace as what is now termed a single, one potential hit song backed by an additional song of generally less...
, "Touch My Body
Touch My Body
"Touch My Body" is a song by American singer-songwriter Mariah Carey, taken from her eleventh studio album, E=MC² . It was written and produced by Carey, along with Christopher "Tricky" Stewart, Crystal "Cri$tyle" Johnson and Terius "The Dream" Nash, and was released as the album's lead single on...
", was written and produce by Carey, Christopher "Tricky" Stewart
Christopher Stewart (music producer)
Christopher "Tricky" Stewart is an American songwriter, music producer, music publisher, executive producer, recording industry executive and recording studio owner. In a career spanning 16 years, Stewart, at the helm of his company RedZone Entertainment, is responsible for over 25 million...
and Terius "The Dream" Nash
The-Dream
Terius Youngdell Nash , better known by his stage name The-Dream, is an American singer-songwriter and record producer. He is known for co-writing "Umbrella" for Rihanna and "Single Ladies " for Beyoncé, as well as for his three solo albums, Love Hate, Love vs...
. The song's hook
Hook (music)
A hook is a musical idea, often a short riff, passage, or phrase, that is used in popular music to make a song appealing and to "catch the ear of the listener". The term generally applies to popular music, especially rock music, hip hop, dance music, and pop. In these genres, the hook is often...
is built around a piano melody and "circular keyboard line", and features "a stuttering mid-tempo beat that's accented by finger snaps
Snap (fingers)
Snapping one's fingers is the act of creating a cracking/clicking sound with one's fingers. Primarily this is done by building tension between the thumb and another finger and then moving the other finger forcefully downward so it hits the palm of the same hand at a high speed...
and electronic synthesizers
Synthesizer
A synthesizer is an electronic instrument capable of producing sounds by generating electrical signals of different frequencies. These electrical signals are played through a loudspeaker or set of headphones...
" as its instrumentation. Lyrically, the song describes the protagonist revealing several bedroom fantasies in which she would like to engage in, asking her lover playfully to "touch her body". According to Ben Ratliff from The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
, its a "questionably sexy striptease: a goofy-sleazy tryst vignette", with Carey singing "If there’s a camera up in here then I best not catch this flick on YouTube
YouTube
YouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
."
"Cruise Control", featuring reggae
Reggae
Reggae is a music genre first developed in Jamaica in the late 1960s. While sometimes used in a broader sense to refer to most types of Jamaican music, the term reggae more properly denotes a particular music style that originated following on the development of ska and rocksteady.Reggae is based...
artist Damian Marley
Damian Marley
Damian "Jr. Gong" Marley is a Jamaican reggae artist who has won three Grammy awards. Damian is the youngest son of Bob Marley....
, draws influence from R&B
Contemporary R&B
Contemporary R&B is a music genre that combines elements of hip hop, soul, R&B and funk.Although the abbreviation “R&B” originates from traditional rhythm and blues music, today the term R&B is most often used to describe a style of African American music originating after the demise of disco in...
and Reggae, and finds Carey adapting to the genre, by imitating Jamaican phrases, accents and styles of singing. "I Stay in Love
I Stay in Love
"I Stay in Love" is a song by American singer-songwriter Mariah Carey, taken from her eleventh studio album, E=MC² . It was written by Carey, Bryan-Michael Cox, Adonis Shropshire and Kendrick Dean, and produced by the former two. "I Stay in Love" was released through Island Records on October 28,...
" was released as the fourth and final single from the album, and places fourth on its track-listing. Written by Carey and Bryan-Michael Cox, is a mid-tempo "beat-driven" and "piano-laced" ballad, that draws influence from pop
Pop music
Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...
and R&B music genres. The song's instrumentation is derived from a piano melody, and is backed by a strong computerized drum-beat. Its lyrics find Carey as her most vulnerable; she describes old times she shared with her lover, and that even though "we said let go", and "inside she knows its over", she still "stays in love with him". Featuring American rapper Young Jeezy
Young Jeezy
Jay Wayne Jenkins , better known by his stage name Young Jeezy, is an American rapper. He is the member of the hip hop group United Streets Dopeboyz of America and a former member of BMF...
, "Side Effects
Side Effects (song)
"Side Effects" is a song by American singer-songwriter Mariah Carey, included as a track on her eleventh studio album, E=MC² . Written by Carey, Scott Storch, Jay Jenkins and Crystal Johnson, and produced by the former two, the song draws influence from pop, hip-hop and R&B music genres...
" describes Carey's abusive relationship with Tommy Mottola
Tommy Mottola
Thomas Daniel "Tommy" Mottola is an American music executive, co-owner of Casablanca Records in a joint venture with the Universal Music Group. He is the ex-husband of Mariah Carey and is married to Mexican singer Thalía...
, her ex-husband. During the first verse, Carey discusses the pair's background, and how she was young and naive, and believed everything he preached to her. The lyrics read "Keepin' me there, under your thumb / Cause you were scared that I'd become much / More than you could handle," she confesses, and refers to herself as "Shining like a chandelier / That decorated every room inside / The private hell we built / And I dealt with it / Like a kid I wished / I could fly away." According to Freedom De Luc of The Washington Post
The Washington Post
The Washington Post is Washington, D.C.'s largest newspaper and its oldest still-existing paper, founded in 1877. Located in the capital of the United States, The Post has a particular emphasis on national politics. D.C., Maryland, and Virginia editions are printed for daily circulation...
, on the song Carey uploads on Mottola, "'sleeping with the enemy, aware that he was smothering every last part of me.' She finally walked away, she sings, 'but I still live with the side effects.' Sarah Rodman from The Boston Globe
The Boston Globe
The Boston Globe is an American daily newspaper based in Boston, Massachusetts. The Boston Globe has been owned by The New York Times Company since 1993...
described it as "another look at her fractious marriage to Mottola", and wrote "Although the union ended in 1998, Carey is still suffering, including dreams of the 'violent times' and 'sleeping with the enemy'. Interestingly, her vocal approach here is almost emo, as she hits her rock-solid middle register and refuses to be held captive by the demons of her past." MTV News
MTV News
MTV News is the news division of MTV, one of the first and most popular music television network in the U.S., as well as some of MTV's related channels around the world. MTV News began in the late 1980s with the program The Week In Rock, hosted by Kurt Loder, the first official MTV News correspondent...
writer Jennifer Vineyard described the song in detail:
[It] finally reveals a side of Mariah we don't see that often — her true self. The Mariah we usually see and hear is a glossy one. Psychologists might say her affect is 'off' — meaning her gestures and facial expressions don't match her mood. There's a reason for that, as she explains on 'Side Effects', which is the emotional abuse she says she suffered during her marriage to music mogul Tommy Mottola. Mariah, who is usually quite guarded, has alluded to the subject in songs like 'Petals', but never has she gone into such detail as she does on 'Side Effects', in which she refers to the marriage as a 'private hell that we built'. Even though it's been 11 years since they split up, she sings in a lower register that she's still 'wakin' up scared some nights ... dreaming about the violent times'. Her emotional scars left her 'a little protective ... a little defensive ... a little depressed', which makes her 'fake a smile' as she 'deal[s] with the side effects'. Even though it features Young Jeezy, it sounds like a rock power ballad.
"I'm That Chick
I'm That Chick
"I'm That Chick" is a song by American singer-songwriter Mariah Carey, included as a track on her eleventh studio album, E=MC² . Written by Carey, Mikkel S. Eriksen, Tor E. Hermansen, Johntá Austin, Rod Temperton, and produced by the former three, the song draws influence from from soul, pop and...
" is a song Carey wrote alongside Norwegian duo, Stargate
Stargate (production team)
This is a list of songs written and produced by the Norwegian production team Stargate.-Produced singles:-1999:5ive - Invincible*05. "Two Sides to Every Story"*06. "You Make Me a Better Man"Noora Noor - Curious*01. "Curious"...
. Its a fast-paced song, which features a "care-free feel", and draws influence from soul
Soul music
Soul music is a music genre originating in the United States combining elements of gospel music and rhythm and blues. According to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, soul is "music that arose out of the black experience in America through the transmutation of gospel and rhythm & blues into a form of...
, pop
Pop music
Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...
and disco music genres. The song incorporates a sample from Michael Jackson
Michael Jackson
Michael Joseph Jackson was an American recording artist, entertainer, and businessman. Referred to as the King of Pop, or by his initials MJ, Jackson is recognized as the most successful entertainer of all time by Guinness World Records...
's "Off the Wall
Off the Wall (song)
"Off the Wall" is the third single released from singer Michael Jackson's album Off the Wall.Released on February 2, 1980, the Rod Temperton-composed number became Jackson's third top 10 single from Off the Wall, which eventually spawned four top 10 singles; Jackson was the first person to...
", and features a strong thumping bass-line and hand claps. Evan Sawdey of PopMatters
PopMatters
PopMatters is an international webzine of cultural criticism that covers many aspects of popular culture. PopMatters publishes reviews, interviews, and detailed essays on most cultural products and expressions in areas such as music, television, films, books, video games, comics, sports, theater,...
described it as a "late-night disco-bass groove", and highlighted its production as the album's finest. "I'll Be Lovin' U Long Time
I'll Be Lovin' U Long Time
"I'll Be Lovin' U Long Time" is a song by American singer-songwriter Mariah Carey, taken from her eleventh studio album, E=MC² . It was written by Carey, Aldrin Davis, Crystal Johnson and Clifford Harris, and produced by the former two...
", the albums' eventual third single, was written and produced by Carey and DJ Toomp
DJ Toomp
Aldrin Davis, better known as DJ Toomp, is an award-winning American record producer and DJ who works in Atlanta, Georgia. In the late 1980s he was MC Shy-D's DJ and went on tour with him and the 2 Live Crew as they performed at various venues across the country with other artists such as N.W.A...
. The song was described as a "mid-tempo", "party jam", that draws influence from pop
Pop music
Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...
, R&B
Contemporary R&B
Contemporary R&B is a music genre that combines elements of hip hop, soul, R&B and funk.Although the abbreviation “R&B” originates from traditional rhythm and blues music, today the term R&B is most often used to describe a style of African American music originating after the demise of disco in...
and soul
Soul music
Soul music is a music genre originating in the United States combining elements of gospel music and rhythm and blues. According to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, soul is "music that arose out of the black experience in America through the transmutation of gospel and rhythm & blues into a form of...
music genres. Critics elaborated on the song's "soul" influence, with Melissa Ruggieri from The News & Advance
The News & Advance
The News & Advance is the daily newspaper of record in Lynchburg, Virginia. Its circulation is approximately 35,600 on weekdays, 35,000 on Saturdays and 41,200 on Sundays. Its primary circulation area consists of the city of Lynchburg and the surrounding counties of Amherst, Appomattox, Bedford,...
described it as a "soul-thumper", while Digital Spy
Digital Spy
Digital Spy is a British entertainment and media news website. According to Alexa Internet traffic statistics, as of February 2011, Digital Spy is the 93rd most popular website in the United Kingdom, with an overall Alexa ranking of 2,088....
s Nick Levine called it a "nod towards classic soul". The song's title is derived from the popular line, "me love you long time", from the 1987 war film, Full Metal Jacket
Full Metal Jacket
Full Metal Jacket is a 1987 war film produced and directed by Stanley Kubrick. It is an adaptation of the 1979 novel The Short-Timers by Gustav Hasford and stars Matthew Modine, Vincent D'Onofrio, R. Lee Ermey, Arliss Howard and Adam Baldwin. The film follows a platoon of U.S...
. Additionally, its hook
Hook (music)
A hook is a musical idea, often a short riff, passage, or phrase, that is used in popular music to make a song appealing and to "catch the ear of the listener". The term generally applies to popular music, especially rock music, hip hop, dance music, and pop. In these genres, the hook is often...
and instrumentation is derived from sampling Mark DeBarge
Mark DeBarge
Mark "Marty" DeBarge is an American R&B/soul singer-songwriter, trumpeter and flugelhorn player best known for his work as member of 1980s Motown singing family group DeBarge...
's Stay With Me
Stay with Me (DeBarge song)
"Stay With Me" is a song performed by popular Motown recording group DeBarge issued on their popular 1983 album, In a Special Way.-Song information:...
. Critics also noted how "I'll Be Lovin' U Long Time" "recalls" the melody riff and chord progression of the Hill Street Blues
Hill Street Blues
Hill Street Blues is an American serial police drama that was first aired on NBC in 1981 and ran for 146 episodes on primetime into 1987. Chronicling the lives of the staff of a single police precinct in an unnamed American city, the show received critical acclaim and its production innovations ...
s theme song. The song's main source of production comes from its "lush keyboard work", and Carey's usage of the "double voice", which she uses throughout the song's bridge
Bridge (music)
In music, especially western popular music, a bridge is a contrasting section which also prepares for the return of the original material section...
. Carey described the effect as "layering her voice", so that the bridge would sound like a "swooning bank of a hundred Mariahs".
"Bye Bye
Bye Bye (Mariah Carey song)
"Bye Bye" is a song by American singer-songwriter Mariah Carey, taken from her eleventh studio album, E=MC² . It was written by Carey, Mikkel S. Eriksen, Tor Erik Hermansen and Johntá Austin, and produced by the former three. It was released as the album's second single on April 15, 2008, in the...
" served as the album's thirteenth track, and also composed by Carey and Stargate. An "inspirational power ballad", it draws influence from R&B
Contemporary R&B
Contemporary R&B is a music genre that combines elements of hip hop, soul, R&B and funk.Although the abbreviation “R&B” originates from traditional rhythm and blues music, today the term R&B is most often used to describe a style of African American music originating after the demise of disco in...
and pop
Pop music
Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...
music genres. The song is built on an understated and simple piano
Piano
The piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
-driven melody, that is decorated with a soft bass-line. Lyrically, the song was described by critics as a "larger than life anthem", and an "inspirational lighter-in-the-air ballad", and finds Carey remembering both her father, as well as any lost loved ones. While the verses are dedicated to him, the chorus was written in a third-person point of view, for her fans: "This is for my peoples who just lost somebody / Your best friend, your baby, your man or your lady / Put your hand way up high / We will never say bye / Mamas, daddies, sisters, brothers, friends and cousins / This is for my peoples who lost their grandmothers / Lift your hands to the sky / Because we won't ever say bye bye". While listing several forms of loss, Carey encourages to never let go, and always live with their memory, and put their hands if they ever lost someone, 'cause we won't ever say bye bye'. Serving as the album's closing number, "I Wish You Well" was compared to the closing number on Mimi, "Fly Like a Bird
Fly like a Bird
"Fly Like a Bird" is a song by American singer-songwriter Mariah Carey, first released on April 3, 2006 by Island Records as a promotional single from her tenth studio album, The Emancipation of Mimi . Written and produced by Carey and James "Big Jim" Wright, the song draws influence from...
". Similarly, "I Wish You Well" incorporates gospel
Gospel music
Gospel music is music that is written to express either personal, spiritual or a communal belief regarding Christian life, as well as to give a Christian alternative to mainstream secular music....
influence in to its melody of "rousing piano waltz", that "extends forgiveness to those who have wronged her in the past and is pretty much interchangeable with its predecessors." Extensively making use of Carey's whistle register
Whistle register
The whistle register is the highest register of the human voice, lying above the modal register and falsetto register...
, the song references Mottola in another light than "Side Effects": "'I Wish You Well's' message to Mottola is similarly striking. Accompanied by a piano and some multi-tracked backing vocals, Carey sings: "Still bruised, still walk on eggshells / Same frightened child, hide to protect myself / But you can't manipulate me like before." She then prescribes Bible study and says, "I wish you well."
Critical reception
One of the major challenges of this album was a need for it to be of a consistent quality with her previous release, a record that brought Carey back to the top of pop music following her career decline in 2001. E=MC² was Carey's best-received album in years. It received a 64/100 (indicating "generally positive reviews") on the website MetacriticMetacritic
Metacritic.com is a website that collates reviews of music albums, games, movies, TV shows and DVDs. For each product, a numerical score from each review is obtained and the total is averaged. An excerpt of each review is provided along with a hyperlink to the source. Three colour codes of Green,...
, which averages professional reviews into a numerical score. Stephen Thomas Erlewine
Stephen Thomas Erlewine
Stephen Thomas Erlewine is a senior editor for Allmusic. He is the author of many artist biographies and record reviews for Allmusic, as well as a freelance writer, occasionally contributing liner notes. He is also frontman and guitarist for the Ann Arbor-based band Who Dat?Erlewine is the nephew...
, senior editor of Allmusic, rated the album three out of five stars, and wrote "it's misleading to judge Mariah based on her new record of possessing the most number one singles, as she's not about longevity, she's about being permanently transient, a characteristic 'E=MC²' captures all too well." Billboard
Billboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
s Gary Trust felt that on the album, Carey was in "pristine form", stating, "She's proclaimed emancipation before, but Mariah Carey's never sounded as free as she does on her 10th album. Carey's made a pop album with equal parts levity and gravity." Writing fir Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly is an American magazine, published by the Time division of Time Warner, that covers film, television, music, broadway theatre, books and popular culture...
, Margeaux Watson graded E=MC² an 'A-', and described how the album's goal was to prove "her comeback was no fluke". She continued complimenting Carey's several collaborations, and wrote "the result is a largely enjoyable mix of flirtatious club jams, midtempo love songs, and emotional ballads anchored by hip-hop beats that handsomely showcase the singer's powerful vocal chops." Though Carey's voice had been criticized since her 2002 release, Charmbracelet
Charmbracelet
Charmbracelet is the ninth studio album by American singer-songwriter Mariah Carey, released on December 3, 2002 through Island Records and MonarC Entertainment. The album was her first release since facing a breakdown following the release of her film Glitter and its accompanying...
, for not being able to deliver the "gravity defying vocals" from the 1990s, Roger Friedman from Fox News
Fox News Channel
Fox News Channel , often called Fox News, is a cable and satellite television news channel owned by the Fox Entertainment Group, a subsidiary of News Corporation...
wrote "Her infamous eight-octave range has suffered a little wear and tear over the years, but Carey still can flutter from great highs to mellow lows like no one else." Alex Macpherson from The Guardian
The Guardian
The Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
gave the album four out of five stars, heavily describing Carey's vocal state throughout the album: "Carey's voice has been mocked, bizarrely, as being a triumph of technique over soul - an argument that fails to comprehend that technique and soul are intertwined, that technique primarily exists as a means to convey emotion - but she is on fine vocal form throughout 'E=MC²', whether belting out massive ballads, or layering her voice into a swooning bank of a hundred Mariahs." Macpherson concluded his review with, "When she sings elsewhere, "Them other regularities, they can't compare with MC," it is hard not to agree", referencing a lyric on "Migrate".
The Houston Chronicle
Houston Chronicle
The Houston Chronicle is the largest daily newspaper in Texas, USA, headquartered in the Houston Chronicle Building in Downtown Houston. , it is the ninth-largest newspaper by circulation in the United States...
s Joey Guerra felt all of the album's tracks were strong, and wrote "Every track plays like a potential hit single, and that's exactly what fans will love about 'E=MC²'. Expect it to soundtrack much of the summer and beyond." Los Angeles Times
Los Angeles Times
The Los Angeles Times is a daily newspaper published in Los Angeles, California, since 1881. It was the second-largest metropolitan newspaper in circulation in the United States in 2008 and the fourth most widely distributed newspaper in the country....
staff writer, Richard Cromelin, gave the album two out of four stars, noting its "alternatives to the glass-shattering flamboyance of her early '90s youth." He concluded in his mixed review of the album, "Of course, consistency isn't so important when an album is assembled as a series of singles rather than a cohesive work. Fortunately for Carey, the tabloid-tailored real-life back story on one side and the producer's craft on the other matter more than the art of singing in this particular fairy tale." Ben Ratliff of The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
felt the album didn't level up to par with Carey's previous release, writing "Much of the record sounds like urban-radio imitations, without the peculiarities and effective hooks of 'Mimi'. Maybe emancipation isn’t a continuing procedure; maybe it only comes once." Writing for PopMatters
PopMatters
PopMatters is an international webzine of cultural criticism that covers many aspects of popular culture. PopMatters publishes reviews, interviews, and detailed essays on most cultural products and expressions in areas such as music, television, films, books, video games, comics, sports, theater,...
, Evan Sawdey rated E=MC² four out of ten stars, describing it as a "shallow imitation of its predecessor". Sawdey concluded his review on a mixed note, stating " the second act of Mariah’s comeback doesn’t wisely expand her sound: it instead succumbs to the blueprint so carefully laid out by its predecessor, a pointless remake that exists only because it has to. If you ever had a doubt as to its formulaic nature, you need to look no further than its title. Long live the Diva." Caryn Ganz from Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...
questioned why Carey limited her vocal abilities throughout the record, "nearly every song confines Carey to four-note verses, offering little room for her glorious range." Journalist Eric Henderson, writing for Slant Magazine
Slant Magazine
Slant Magazine is an online publication that features reviews of movies, music, TV, DVDs, theater, and video games, as well as interviews with actors, directors, and musicians. The site covers various film festivals like the New York Film Festival.- History :...
, graded the album three out of five stars, and concluding with, "Such are the rewards of an album like 'E=MC²', in which one does reach a solution, but not before Mariah bends over backward to show her work." The album finished in the top-ten of several "best of 2008" lists, ending at number four on an official poll held by Billboard, eight by the The Detroit News
The Detroit News
The Detroit News is one of the two major newspapers in the U.S. city of Detroit, Michigan. The paper began in 1873, when it rented space in the rival Free Press's building. The News absorbed the Detroit Tribune on February 1, 1919, the Detroit Journal on July 21, 1922, and on November 7, 1960,...
, and number ten by The San Diego Union-Tribune
The San Diego Union-Tribune
-Predecessors:The predecessor newspapers of the Union-Tribune were:* San Diego Sun, founded 1861 and merged with the Evening Tribune in 1939.* San Diego Union, founded October 10, 1868.* Evening Tribune, founded December 2, 1895.-Ownership:...
Commercial performance
E=MC² debuted at number one on the Billboard 200Billboard 200
The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...
with 463,000 copies sold, making it the biggest opening week sales of her career, and also the biggest opening album in 2008 for a female artist, before matched by Taylor Swift
Taylor Swift
Taylor Alison Swift is an American country pop singer-songwriter, musician and actress.In 2006, she released her debut single "Tim McGraw", then her self-titled debut album, which was subsequently certified multi-platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America...
's Fearless
Fearless (Taylor Swift album)
Fearless has been well-received by music professionals, with many praising Swift for her introspective lyrics, as well as her mature sound. According to the music review aggregator Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album has received an...
which sold 592,000 in its first week in November 2008. With six number one albums, Carey is now tied with Britney Spears
Britney Spears
Britney Jean Spears is an American recording artist and entertainer. Born in McComb, Mississippi, and raised in Kentwood, Louisiana, Spears began performing as a child, landing acting roles in stage productions and television shows. She signed with Jive Records in 1997 and released her debut album...
and Janet Jackson
Janet Jackson
Janet Damita Jo Jackson is an American recording artist and actress. Known for a series of sonically innovative, socially conscious and sexually provocative records, as well as elaborate stage shows, television and film roles, she has been a prominent figure in popular culture for over 25 years...
in the United States for the third most number one albums for a female artist, behind Madonna
Madonna (entertainer)
Madonna is an American singer-songwriter, actress and entrepreneur. Born in Bay City, Michigan, she moved to New York City in 1977 to pursue a career in modern dance. After performing in the music groups Breakfast Club and Emmy, she released her debut album in 1983...
with seven and Barbra Streisand
Barbra Streisand
Barbra Joan Streisand is an American singer, actress, film producer and director. She has won two Academy Awards, eight Grammy Awards, four Emmy Awards, a Special Tony Award, an American Film Institute award, a Peabody Award, and is one of the few entertainers who have won an Oscar, Emmy, Grammy,...
's nine chart toppers. In its second week, the album remained at number one on the albums chart, with 182,000 copies sold. E=MC² became Carey's first album to spend two straight weeks at number one since 1995's Daydream, although The Emancipation of Mimi
The Emancipation of Mimi
The Emancipation of Mimi is the tenth studio album by American recording artist Mariah Carey, released in the United States on April 12, 2005, by Island Records. Following the relatively poor critical and commercial responses to her albums, Glitter and Charmbracelet , The Emancipation of Mimi...
(2005) spent two non-consecutive weeks at the top spot. On Billboards Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums
Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums
Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums is a chart published by Billboard magazine that ranks R&B and hip hop albums based on sales compiled by Nielsen SoundScan. The name of the chart was changed from Top R&B Albums in 1999...
chart, E=MC² debuted at number one, and spent forty-seven weeks fluctuating with the top 100. The album was certified Platinum
RIAA certification
In the United States, the Recording Industry Association of America awards certification based on the number of albums and singles sold through retail and other ancillary markets. Other countries have similar awards...
by the Recording Industry Association of America
Recording Industry Association of America
The Recording Industry Association of America is a trade organization that represents the recording industry distributors in the United States...
(RIAA) on July 8, 2008, denoting shipments of over one million units. According to Nielsen SoundScan
Nielsen SoundScan
Nielsen SoundScan is an information and sales tracking system created by Mike Fine and Mike Shalett. Soundscan is the official method of tracking sales of music and music video products throughout the United States and Canada...
, stateside sales of the album stand at 1,300,000 copies as of June 15, 2009. In total, E=MC² spent twenty-seven weeks within the Billboard 200, and finished at number twenty-two on the Year-End chart. On the same day the album was released, Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa
Antonio Villaraigosa
Antonio Ramón Villaraigosa , born Antonio Ramón Villar, Jr., is the 41st and current Mayor of Los Angeles, California, the third Mexican American to have ever held office in the city of Los Angeles and the first in over 130 years. He is also the current president of the United States Conference of...
proclaimed April 15 officially as "Mariah Carey day" in Los Angeles. It was in part of celebrating Carey's eighteenth number one single, "Touch My Body
Touch My Body
"Touch My Body" is a song by American singer-songwriter Mariah Carey, taken from her eleventh studio album, E=MC² . It was written and produced by Carey, along with Christopher "Tricky" Stewart, Crystal "Cri$tyle" Johnson and Terius "The Dream" Nash, and was released as the album's lead single on...
". Also, from April 25 through April 27, 2008, the Empire State Building
Empire State Building
The Empire State Building is a 102-story landmark skyscraper and American cultural icon in New York City at the intersection of Fifth Avenue and West 34th Street. It has a roof height of 1,250 feet , and with its antenna spire included, it stands a total of 1,454 ft high. Its name is derived...
was lit up in Carey's motif colors—lavender, pink, and white — in celebration of her achievements in the world of music. On the Canadian Albums Chart
Canadian Albums Chart
The Canadian Albums Chart is the official album sales chart in Canada. It is compiled every Wednesday by U.S.-based music sales tracking company Nielsen Soundscan, and published every Thursday by Jam! Canoe and Billboard, along with its sister charts the Canadian Singles Chart and the Canadian BDS...
, during the week dated May 3, 2008, E=MC² debuted at number one, with first-week sales of 19,000 copies. It became her first number one album in Canada since before 1999, as Rainbow
Rainbow (Mariah Carey album)
Rainbow is the seventh studio album by American singer-songwriter Mariah Carey, released on November 2, 1999, by Columbia Records. The album followed the same pattern as Carey's previous album, Butterfly , in which she began her transition into the R&B market. Rainbow contains a mix of...
and The Emancipation of Mimi both opened at number two. The album spent seven weeks within the album's chart, and was eventually certified Platinum by the Canadian Recording Industry Association
Canadian Recording Industry Association
Music Canada is a Toronto-based, non-profit trade organization that was founded 9 April 1963 to represent the interests of companies that record, artists, manufacture, production, promotion and distribution of music in Canada...
(CRIA), denoting shipments of over 100,000 units.
E=MC² entered the Australian Albums Chart
ARIA Charts
The ARIA charts are the main Australian music sales charts, issued weekly by the Australian Recording Industry Association. The charts are a record of the highest selling singles and albums in various genres in Australia. ARIA commenced compiling its own charts in-house from the week ending 26 June...
on April 5, 2008, at number two. The album spent eight weeks in the albums chart, and was certified Gold by the Australian Recording Industry Association
Australian Recording Industry Association
The Australian Recording Industry Association is a trade group representing the Australian recording industry which was established in 1983 by six major record companies, EMI, Festival, CBS, RCA, WEA and Universal replacing the Association of Australian Record Manufacturers which was formed in 1956...
(ARIA), denoting shipments of over 35,000 units. In France, the album debuted at its peak position of number six during the week dated April 19, 2008. E=MC² spent twenty weeks on the albums chart, and ended its run on August 30, 2008. On the Dutch Albums Chart
MegaCharts
MegaCharts is responsible for the composition and exploitation of a broad collection of official charts in the Netherlands, of which the Mega Top 50 and the Mega Album Top 100 are the most known ones. Mega Charts also provides information to the Stichting Nederlandse Top 40, of which the Dutch Top...
, it debuted at its peak position of number eleven on April 19, 2008. The album ended its eight week chart run on June 7, 2008. During the week dated April 28, 2008, E=MC² debuted at number ten on the New Zealand Albums Chart
Recording Industry Association of New Zealand
The Recording Industry Association of New Zealand is a non-profit trade association of record producers, distributors and recording artists who sell music in New Zealand...
, starting a ten week run on the chart. The album peaked within the top ten in several European countries, such as number five in Switzerland, seven in Germany and Ireland, eight in Austria and number nine in Italy. On the UK Albums Chart
UK Albums Chart
The UK Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales in the United Kingdom. It is compiled every week by The Official Charts Company and broadcast on a Sunday on BBC Radio 1 , and published in Music Week magazine and on the OCC website .To qualify for the UK albums chart...
, the album debuted at number three, selling 34,800 copies. This was her highest peak position in the United Kingdom since Butterfly (1997), which peaked at number two. After thirteen weeks on the chart, the album was certified Gold by the British Phonographic Industry
British Phonographic Industry
The British Phonographic Industry is the British record industry's trade association.-Structure:Its membership comprises hundreds of music companies including all four "major" record companies , associate members such as manufacturers and distributors, and hundreds of independent music companies...
(BPI), denoting shipments of over 100,000 copies. On the European Top 100 Albums
European Top 100 Albums
The European Top 100 Albums chart is the European adaptation of the Billboard 200 albums chart. It was created in March 1984.The European Top 100 Albums, commonly referred to as Eurochart Top 100 Albums shows the sales of an act in 19 European countries based on IFPI data.The European Top 100...
, E=MC² debuted and peaked at number three, recording the highest debut of the week. Its debut places one spot higher than the start made by The Emancipation of Mimi in April 2005. It remained for seven weeks on the chart. In Japan, the album peaked at number seven on the Oricon
Oricon
, established in 1999, is the holding company at the head of a Japanese corporate group that supplies statistics and information on music and the music industry in Japan. It started as , which was founded by Sōkō Koike in November 1967 and became known for its music charts. Oricon Inc...
Overall Chart, and was certified Gold by the Recording Industry Association of Japan
Recording Industry Association of Japan
The Recording Industry Association of Japan is an industry trade group composed of Japanese corporations involved the music industry...
(RIAJ) for shipments of over 150,000 copies. In Russia, the album has been certified Gold for having exceeded the 10,000 units sold. After only eight days of release, E=MC² was certified Gold in the Philippines, denoting shipments of over 15,000 units. The album was the 26th best-selling album worldwide in 2008, according to International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI). As of September 19, 2009, the album has sold over 2.5 million copies worldwide.
Singles
"Touch My BodyTouch My Body
"Touch My Body" is a song by American singer-songwriter Mariah Carey, taken from her eleventh studio album, E=MC² . It was written and produced by Carey, along with Christopher "Tricky" Stewart, Crystal "Cri$tyle" Johnson and Terius "The Dream" Nash, and was released as the album's lead single on...
" was released as the lead single
Lead single
A lead single is usually the first single released by a musician or a band before the release of its home album.During the era of the grammophone record, all music arrived in the marketplace as what is now termed a single, one potential hit song backed by an additional song of generally less...
from the album on February 12, 2008. The song received generally positive reviews from music critics, who complimented its hook and production, as well as its playful lyrics. "Touch My Body" reached the top position on the Hot 100 in its fourth week, and became Carey's eighteenth chart topper, selling 286,000 digital downloads. The song's opening week broke several records, first making Carey the solo artist with the most number one singles in United States history, surpassing the record held by Elvis Presley
Elvis Presley
Elvis Aaron Presley was one of the most popular American singers of the 20th century. A cultural icon, he is widely known by the single name Elvis. He is often referred to as the "King of Rock and Roll" or simply "the King"....
. Additionally, it gave Carey her 79th week atop the Hot 100, tying her with Presley as the artist with the most weeks at number one in the Billboard chart history." The song also sold the highest amount of digital records in one week, surpassing Rihanna
Rihanna
Robyn Rihanna Fenty , better known as simply Rihanna, is a Barbadian recording artist. Born in Saint Michael, Barbados, Rihanna moved to the United States at the age of 16 to pursue a recording career under the guidance of record producer Evan Rogers...
's "Umbrella
Umbrella (song)
"Umbrella" is a song recorded by Barbadian singer Rihanna, featuring a rap verse by Jay-Z. The song was written by The-Dream, Christopher Stewart, Kuk Harrell and Jay-Z, and was produced by Stewart and The-Dream for Rihanna's third studio album, Good Girl Gone Bad...
" (2007), which sold 277,000 units. Internationally, the song achieved strong chart success, peaking within the top five on the charts in Italy, Japan, New Zealand, Switzerland and the United Kingdom. The song's music video was directed by film-maker Brett Ratner
Brett Ratner
Brett Ratner is an American film director, film producer and music video director. He is best known for directing the Rush Hour film series, The Family Man, Red Dragon, X-Men: The Last Stand, and Tower Heist. He was also a producer on the Fox drama series, Prison Break.- Early life :Ratner was...
, who had previously worked with Carey on five other music videos. It follows around a story revolving around a computer employees fantasy as he visits Carey's home. As he fixes her computer, he enters a fantasy in which the pair perform several activities together, including a pillow fight
Pillow fight
A pillow fight is a common game mostly played by young children in which they engage in mock physical conflict, utilizing pillows as weapons....
, playing laser tag
Laser tag
Laser tag is a team or individual sport or recreational activity where players attempt to score points by tagging targets, typically with a hand-held infrared-emitting targeting device. Infrared-sensitive targets are commonly worn by each player and are sometimes integrated within the arena in...
, Guitar Hero
Guitar Hero
Guitar Hero is a music video game developed by Harmonix Music Systems and published by RedOctane for the PlayStation 2 video game console. It is the first entry in the Guitar Hero series. Guitar Hero was released on November 8, 2005 in North America, April 7, 2006 in Europe and June 15, 2006 in...
and slot car
Slot car
A slot car is a powered miniature auto or other vehicle that is guided by a groove or slot in the track on which it runs. A pin or blade extends from the bottom of the car into the slot...
s, and throw a frisbee
Frisbee
A flying disc is a disc-shaped glider that is generally plastic and roughly in diameter, with a lip. The shape of the disc, an airfoil in cross-section, allows it to fly by generating lift as it moves through the air while rotating....
, all while showing off Carey's figure in several revealing outfits. "Bye Bye
Bye Bye (Mariah Carey song)
"Bye Bye" is a song by American singer-songwriter Mariah Carey, taken from her eleventh studio album, E=MC² . It was written by Carey, Mikkel S. Eriksen, Tor Erik Hermansen and Johntá Austin, and produced by the former three. It was released as the album's second single on April 15, 2008, in the...
" was announced as the second single from the album on April 15, 2008. The song received generally positive reviews from music critics, and was heavily speculated to have become Carey's 19th number-one single on the Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
. Many reviewers complimented its simple and understated musical arrangement and personalized lyrics, while some felt the song was too simple for an artist of Carey's stature. The track only managed to reach a peak position of number nineteen on the Billboard Hot 100. Throughout other countries where it found release, the song achieved relatively weak charting, peaking within the top ten in New Zealand, and in the top-fifty in Canada, Ireland, Slovakia, and the United Kingdom. The song's accompanying music video was directed Justin Francis
Justin Francis
Justin Francis is a New York-based director/photographer. He has directed music videos for Alicia Keys,Nickelback, Mariah Carey, Kelly Clarkson, Nicole Scherzinger, Modest Mouse, Amos Lee, Weezer, Jaguar Wright, Timbaland, Obie Trice, Cashis, Stat Quo, Kill Hannah, Young the Giant, Dropping...
on the island of Antigua
Antigua
Antigua , also known as Waladli, is an island in the West Indies, in the Leeward Islands in the Caribbean region, the main island of the country of Antigua and Barbuda. Antigua means "ancient" in Spanish and was named by Christopher Columbus after an icon in Seville Cathedral, Santa Maria de la...
in the Caribbean
Caribbean
The Caribbean is a crescent-shaped group of islands more than 2,000 miles long separating the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea, to the west and south, from the Atlantic Ocean, to the east and north...
. Notably, Carey and Cannon began dating during their trip to the island, and later wed on April 30, 2008. The video features behind-the-scenes footage of the couple, Carey promoting the album in the United Kingdom, as well as photos of several of Carey's close friends, family and past collaborators such as Luciano Pavarotti
Luciano Pavarotti
right|thumb|Luciano Pavarotti performing at the opening of the Constantine Palace in [[Strelna]], 31 May 2003. The concert was part of the celebrations for the 300th anniversary of [[St...
and Luther Vandross
Luther Vandross
Luther Ronzoni Vandross was an American singer-songwriter and record producer. During his career, Vandross sold over twenty-five million albums and won eight Grammy Awards including Best Male R&B Vocal Performance four times...
.
The album's third single, "I'll Be Lovin' U Long Time
I'll Be Lovin' U Long Time
"I'll Be Lovin' U Long Time" is a song by American singer-songwriter Mariah Carey, taken from her eleventh studio album, E=MC² . It was written by Carey, Aldrin Davis, Crystal Johnson and Clifford Harris, and produced by the former two...
", was released on June 1, 2008. Many complimented the song's production and incorporation of the "Stay With me" sample, while others were unimpressed with the chorus in general. Chuck Taylor of Billboard
Billboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
assured the song would endure strong success and radio appeal, and complimented its overall production, as well as Carey's voice: "[Its] a playful, beach-befitting groove, featuring a bright sample from DeBarge's "Stay With Me," lushly woven vocals and Carey's highs doting on fans with her sonic signature." In the United States, the song peaked at number fifty-eight, and at number twenty-seven in Japan. On the UK Singles Chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
, "I'll Be Lovin' U Long Time" peaked at number eighty-four, and spent only one week in the chart. The song was featured on the final scene of You Don't Mess with the Zohan
You Don't Mess with the Zohan
You Don't Mess with the Zohan is a 2008 American comedy film directed by Dennis Dugan, written by Carlito Cabardo, and produced by and starring Adam Sandler. This is the fourth film which has starred Sandler and has been directed by Dugan...
(2008), a film in which Carey made a cameo appearance. Its accompanying music video was shot over a three day interval in Hawaii, and makes usage of the islands scenery, as well as shots of Carey in several bikinis, while swimming with a dolphin. "I Stay in Love
I Stay in Love
"I Stay in Love" is a song by American singer-songwriter Mariah Carey, taken from her eleventh studio album, E=MC² . It was written by Carey, Bryan-Michael Cox, Adonis Shropshire and Kendrick Dean, and produced by the former two. "I Stay in Love" was released through Island Records on October 28,...
" was released as the fourth and final single from the album on October 28, 2008. The song failed to chart on the Hot 100, though became Carey's fourteenth chart topper on the Hot Dance Club Play
Hot Dance Club Play
The Hot Dance Club Songs chart is a weekly national survey of the songs that are most popular in U.S. dance clubs...
. Additionally, it peaked at number ninety-five on the UK Singles Chart. The song's accompanying music video was filmed by Carey's husband, Nick Cannon
Nick Cannon
Nicholas Scott "Nick" Cannon is an American actor, comedian, rapper, entrepreneur, record producer, radio, and television personality. On television, Cannon began as a teenage sketch comedian on All That before going on to host The Nick Cannon Show, Wild 'N Out, and America's Got Talent...
, and features Carey as a dancer in a Las Vegas show at the The Bellagio Hotel and Casino Resort
Bellagio (hotel and casino)
Bellagio is a hotel and casino located on the Las Vegas Strip in the Paradise area of unincorporated Clark County, Nevada, USA and a member of The Leading Hotels of the World. It is owned by MGM Resorts International and was built on the site of the demolished Dunes hotel and casino.Inspired by the...
. Additionally, during the show and its preparations, Carey realizes that her ex-lover has found love with one of her fellow dancers, leading her to blow up the car her gave her, as well as its accompaniments in the Mojave Desert
Mojave Desert
The Mojave Desert occupies a significant portion of southeastern California and smaller parts of central California, southern Nevada, southwestern Utah and northwestern Arizona, in the United States...
.
Other Notable Songs
Though not released as singles, three of the album's songs managed to chart on Billboards Hot 100 and Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart due to high sales. "Migrate" peaked at number ninety-two on the Hot 100, and ninety-five on the R&B chart, while both "I'm That Chick" and "Side Effects" peaked at numbers eighty-two and ninety-three on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart.
Promotion
Following the song's digital release, Carey promoted the song on several live televised appearances and programs throughout the world. Only days prior to being released digitally, Carey was announced as the musical guest on an episode of Saturday Night LiveSaturday Night Live
Saturday Night Live is a live American late-night television sketch comedy and variety show developed by Lorne Michaels and Dick Ebersol. The show premiered on NBC on October 11, 1975, under the original title of NBC's Saturday Night.The show's sketches often parody contemporary American culture...
, taking over for Janet Jackson
Janet Jackson
Janet Damita Jo Jackson is an American recording artist and actress. Known for a series of sonically innovative, socially conscious and sexually provocative records, as well as elaborate stage shows, television and film roles, she has been a prominent figure in popular culture for over 25 years...
who caught the flu and was unable to perform. Hosted by Jonah Hill
Jonah Hill
Jonah Hill Feldstein , known professionally as Jonah Hill, is an American actor, producer, screenwriter, and comedian. Hill is best known roles for his roles in Superbad, Knocked Up, and Get Him to the Greek. He made his theatrical debut in I Heart Huckabees, alongside Jason Schwartzman and Dustin...
, Carey performed both "Touch My Body", as well as live rendition of "Migrate" alongside T-Pain
T-Pain
Faheem Rasheed Najm , better known by his stage name T-Pain, is an American singer-songwriter, rapper, record producer, and actor, currently signed to Young Money Entertainment. His debut album, Rappa Ternt Sanga, was released in 2005. In 2007, T-Pain released his second studio album Epiphany,...
. Following the set, Carey and her manager at the time, Benny Medina
Benny Medina
Benny Medina is the CEO of The Medina Company and son of legendary Jazz drummer Ahmad "Benny" Medina. He has worked in the music business as a producer, talent manager and record executive...
, met with Lee Daniels
Lee Daniels
Lee Louis Daniels is an American actor, film producer, and director. He produced Monster's Ball and directed the film Precious, which received six Academy Award nominations, including Best Director; the film won two of the awards.-Early years:Daniels was born on Christmas Eve, 1959, in...
, who then offered Carey a role in his film adaptation of Precious
Precious (film)
Precious , is a 2009 American drama film directed by Lee Daniels. Precious is an adaptation by Geoffrey S. Fletcher of the 1996 novel Push by Sapphire. The film stars Gabourey Sidibe, Mo'Nique, and Paula Patton...
(2008), in which Carey would later star and earn acclaim for her acting. After reaching the top of the Billboard charts, the Empire State Building
Empire State Building
The Empire State Building is a 102-story landmark skyscraper and American cultural icon in New York City at the intersection of Fifth Avenue and West 34th Street. It has a roof height of 1,250 feet , and with its antenna spire included, it stands a total of 1,454 ft high. Its name is derived...
was lit up in Carey's motif colors, white, pink and lavender, for the entire week. On March 25, 2008, Carey was featured as the special guest performer at The Hills
The Hills
The Hills is a reality television series which originally aired on MTV from May 31, 2006 until July 13, 2010. The show uses a reality television format, following the personal lives of several young adults living in Los Angeles, California, but tends towards a narrative format more commonly found...
season premiere party, an event marking the start of a span of ten episodes airing in between season three
The Hills (season 3)
The third season of The Hills premiered on August 13, 2007 and concluded on May 12, 2008. The season focused mostly on the feud between Lauren Conrad and Heidi Montag which arose from Lauren's suspicion that Heidi and Spencer Pratt were responsible for rumors that she starred in a sex tape with ex...
and four
The Hills (season 4)
The fourth season of MTV's reality TV show The Hills premiered on August 18, 2008 and concluded on December 22, 2008. It continued to follow Lauren Conrad and her group of friends around LA and also paved the way for a spin off, The City, starring Whitney Port...
. Carey, dressed in a black skirt and gold top, performed "Touch My Body", "I'm That Chick" and "We Belong Together", before exiting the stage to a standing ovation. After the performance, Carey received strong praise from the program's cast members, with Lauren Conrad
Lauren Conrad
Lauren Katherine Conrad is an American television personality, celebutante, and fashion designer. She came to prominence with her starring roles on the MTV reality series Laguna Beach: The Real Orange County and its spin-off series, The Hills, which at one point followed her personal and...
saying "I've always been a huge Mariah fan, and she's just so beautiful and talented', while Whitney Port
Whitney Port
Whitney Eve Port is an American television personality, clothing designer, and author. She is known for being one of the main cast members on the former MTV reality series The Hills...
and Audrina Patridge
Audrina Patridge
Audrina Cathleen Patridge is an American reality television personality, actress, and model. She is known for being one of the four original primary cast members featured on the MTV reality series The Hills. She has also starred in the films Sorority Row and Into The Blue 2...
referred to Carey as "an amazing singer", while claiming to have listened to her music from a young age. On April 12, 2008, Carey made an appearance on The Oprah Winfrey Show
The Oprah Winfrey Show
The Oprah Winfrey Show is an American syndicated talk show hosted and produced by its namesake Oprah Winfrey. It ran nationally for 25 seasons beginning in 1986, before concluding in 2011. It is the highest-rated talk show in American television history....
. Winfrey interviewed the singer on her weight loss, E=MC², and even showed footage of Carey in her New York apartment, showing off her lingerie closet. Following the interview, Carey, dressed in a purple and black ensemble, performed a live rendition of "Bye Bye" for the audience, with three background vocalists assisting her. Kevin Johnson from St. Louis Post-Dispatch
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
The St. Louis Post-Dispatch is the major city-wide newspaper in St. Louis, Missouri. Although written to serve Greater St. Louis, the Post-Dispatch is one of the largest newspapers in the Midwestern United States, and is available and read as far west as Kansas City, Missouri, as far south as...
described the performance as "touching", and complimented the song's appeal.
On the seventh season
American Idol (season 7)
The seventh season of American Idol, the annual reality show and singing competition, began on January 15, 2008 and concluded on May 21, 2008. Ryan Seacrest continued to host the show with Simon Cowell, Paula Abdul, and Randy Jackson returning as judges...
of the popular talent competition American Idol
American Idol
American Idol, titled American Idol: The Search for a Superstar for the first season, is a reality television singing competition created by Simon Fuller and produced by FremantleMedia North America and 19 Entertainment...
, Carey was featured as a mentor for the top-seven week. Titled "Mariah Carey Week" and airing live on April 14, 2008, the contestants were to perform a song from Carey's catalog. After all seven contestants sang their individual songs, they all came together for a live rendition of Carey's 1996 collaboration with Boyz II Men
Boyz II Men
Boyz II Men is an American R&B vocal group best known for emotional ballads and a cappella harmonies. They are the most successful R&B group of all time, having sold more than albums worldwide. In the 1990s, Boyz II Men found fame on Motown Records as a quartet, but original member Michael McCary...
, "One Sweet Day
One Sweet Day
"One Sweet Day" is a song by American singer-songwriter Mariah Carey and R&B group Boyz II Men. The song was written by Carey, Walter Afanasieff and the members of Boyz II Men: Wanya Morris, Shawn Stockman, Nathan Morris, and Michael McCary. "One Sweet Day" was produced by Carey and Afanasieff for...
". Overall, critics noted how a Carey themed week would be extremely difficult for the performers, due to their vocally strenuous nature. Following their joint performance, Carey emerged onto the stage in a black mini-dress, and performed "Bye Bye" live, while backed by a trio of supporting vocalists. Tamara Jones of The Washington Post
The Washington Post
The Washington Post is Washington, D.C.'s largest newspaper and its oldest still-existing paper, founded in 1877. Located in the capital of the United States, The Post has a particular emphasis on national politics. D.C., Maryland, and Virginia editions are printed for daily circulation...
jokingly commented on Carey's flailing hand movements during the performance, writing how she was "waving like a malevolent homecoming queen". Gil Kaufman fro MTV News complimented Carey's performance, commenting on her "barely there micro-dress" and writing how she "serenaded the audience with her homage to lost ones." The Calgary Sun
Calgary Sun
The Calgary Sun is a daily newspaper published in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. It is a division of Sun Media, a Quebecor company.First published in 1980, the tabloid-format daily replaced the long-running broadsheet newspaper, The Albertan soon after it was acquired by the publishers of the Toronto...
s Lindsey Ward described it as a "less-than-fab performance", although complimenting on Carey's leaner figure, "Oh, who am I kidding? She would look hot in a paper bag." On April 25, 2008, Carey opened the Good Morning America
Good Morning America
Good Morning America is an American morning news and talk show that is broadcast on the ABC television network; it debuted on November 3, 1975. The weekday program airs for two hours; a third hour aired between 2007 and 2008 exclusively on ABC News Now...
"Summer Concert Series" with a live performance in Times Square
Times Square
Times Square is a major commercial intersection in the borough of Manhattan in New York City, at the junction of Broadway and Seventh Avenue and stretching from West 42nd to West 47th Streets...
. Carey, wearing a pink mini-skirt, began the set with "Touch My Body" in front of thousands of fans. During the song, Carey's backing vocals began to malfunction, causing it to repeat phrases and play during her main vocal moments. In order to let the sound engineer know of the problem, she substituted part of the lyrics for "stop singing my part now baby", and completed the final chorus. She continued on with "I'm That Chick", and completed the three-song set-list with her follow-up single, "Bye Bye
Bye Bye (Mariah Carey song)
"Bye Bye" is a song by American singer-songwriter Mariah Carey, taken from her eleventh studio album, E=MC² . It was written by Carey, Mikkel S. Eriksen, Tor Erik Hermansen and Johntá Austin, and produced by the former three. It was released as the album's second single on April 15, 2008, in the...
". After marking the album's stateside launch with her appearance on Good Morning America, Carey took to Europe to perform on several programs. She began with an interview on the British radio station, BBC Radio 1
BBC Radio 1
BBC Radio 1 is a British national radio station operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation which also broadcasts internationally, specialising in current popular music and chart hits throughout the day. Radio 1 provides alternative genres after 7:00pm including electronic dance, hip hop, rock...
, and continued onto a live rendition of "Touch My Body" on both The Sunday Night Project
The Sunday Night Project
The Sunday Night Project was a British comedy-variety show by Princess Productions that first aired on Channel 4 in February 2005 under the title The Friday Night Project...
and The Paul O'Grady Show
The Paul O'Grady Show
The Paul O'Grady Show was a BAFTA award-winning British comedy chat show hosted by Birkenhead-born comedian Paul O'Grady. The format was originally devised by Granada Television and was broadcast on ITV before moving to Channel 4...
.
Similarly, Carey performed the song live on the popular German talent show, Deutschland sucht den Superstar
Deutschland sucht den Superstar
Deutschland sucht den Superstar is a German reality talent show, also commonly known by its initials DSDS. Part of the Idol franchise, it was created by English media mogul Simon Fuller as a spin-off from the British show Pop Idol, of which two series were broadcast between the years of 2001 and...
(Germany searches for the superstar), in April 2008. On August 8, 2008, Carey performed a mash-up of the song at the 2008 Teen Choice Awards
Teen Choice Awards
The Teen Choice Awards, are an annual awards show that air on the Fox cable channel, that honor the year's biggest biggest achievements in music, movies, sports, television, fashion and more, voted by teen viewers aged 14 through 17. Winners receive an authentic full size surfboard designed with...
. She began with her single at the time, "I'll Be Lovin' U Long Time
I'll Be Lovin' U Long Time
"I'll Be Lovin' U Long Time" is a song by American singer-songwriter Mariah Carey, taken from her eleventh studio album, E=MC² . It was written by Carey, Aldrin Davis, Crystal Johnson and Clifford Harris, and produced by the former two...
", and worked into the bridge of "Touch My Body", before reverting back to the former song. At the Fashion Rocks
Fashion Rocks
Fashion Rocks was an annual international charity fundraiser event which features fashions by the world's top designers being presented to live performances by popular music acts.The inaugural event was held at the Royal Albert Hall on October 15, 2003...
ceremony in 2009, Carey performed "Touch My Body" and her current single, "Obsessed
Obsessed (song)
"Obsessed" is a song by American singer-songwriter Mariah Carey, taken from her twelfth studio album, Memoirs of an Imperfect Angel . It was written and produced by Carey, Christopher "Tricky" Stewart and Terius "The-Dream" Nash, and was released as the album's lead single on June 16, 2009...
", as well as the remix to her 1995 song "Fantasy
Fantasy (Mariah Carey song)
"Fantasy" is a song by American singer-songwriter Mariah Carey. It was released on September 12, 1995 by Columbia Records as the lead single for her fifth studio album, Daydream . The song was written by Carey and Dave Hall, both serving as primary producers alongside Sean Combs...
". During the set-list, Carey was accompanied by six men in black ties, who hoisted her into the air in front of over 6,000 people during "Obsessed", and rigorous dance routines throughout "Touch My Body". In promotion for E=MC² and the single, Carey was featured as a guest judge and musical act on the fifth season
The X Factor (UK series 5)
The fifth UK series of The X Factor was broadcast on ITV in 2008. The series started on 16 August and was won by Alexandra Burke on 13 December, with new judge Cheryl Cole emerging as the winning mentor. Auditions in front of producers were held in April/May, with callbacks in front of the judges...
of the popular British talent competition, The X Factor
The X Factor (UK)
The X Factor is a British television music competition to find new singing talent. Created by Simon Cowell, it began in September 2004 and is contested by aspiring singers drawn from public auditions. It is the originator of the international X Factor franchise. The seven series of the show to date...
. During that week, all the contestants would have to sing songs from Carey's catalog. Prior to her arrival, one of the show's judges Dannii Minogue
Dannii Minogue
Danielle Jane "Dannii" Minogue is an Australian singer-songwriter, actress, television personality, radio personality, fashion designer and model...
said "Could it get any more nerve-wracking for the contestants?", due to the general strenuous nature of Carey's songs. After several performances by the finalists, Carey performed "I Stay in Love", accompanied by three background vocalists. She received a standing ovation from the audience and judges, and continued backstage for a taped session with the contestants. At the end of the program, she performed her classic "Hero
Hero (Mariah Carey song)
"Hero" is a song by American singer-songwriter Mariah Carey. It was released on October 19, 1993 by Columbia Records as the second single from Carey's third studio album, Music Box . Originally intended for Gloria Estefan, the song was written and produced by Carey and Walter Afanasieff...
" (1993), and was eventually joined by the finalists for the finale of the song. "Hero" was re-recorded by the 2008 UK X Factor finalists and released as a single, becoming the best-selling single of 2008. According to reports, the episode gained a large increase in viewers due to Carey's presence, and was able to surpass its long-time rival program, Strictly Come Dancing
Strictly Come Dancing
Strictly Come Dancing is a British television show, featuring celebrities with professional dance partners competing in Ballroom and Latin dances. The title of the show suggests a continuation of the long-running series Come Dancing, with an allusion to the film Strictly Ballroom...
, in the ratings. Carey made an appearance at the American Music Awards, held on November 23, 2008 at the Nokia Theatre. Wearing a long black gown, she performed the song after receiving an honorary award for her achievements in music. Chris Harris from MTV News described it as a "riveting performance".
Tour
Since the album's release in early April, Carey had said publicly that she planned on embarking on a large worldwide tour in support of E=MC². In an interview with Billboard on March 28, 2008, Carey explained "It's come up, and I'm probably going to do it, but I don't know exactly how we're going to do it or when. I'm thinking probably September. But I think it's important to tour with this album, because there are so many songs that I really want to sing live, that I really enjoy." Months later, in an interview with MTV NewsMTV News
MTV News is the news division of MTV, one of the first and most popular music television network in the U.S., as well as some of MTV's related channels around the world. MTV News began in the late 1980s with the program The Week In Rock, hosted by Kurt Loder, the first official MTV News correspondent...
in July, Carey further addressed her plans of a tour: "We're looking at November right now. Please don't hold me accountable if it turns out to be December 5 or December 7 or January 18!" When asked to described the tour's theme, Carey explained "I'm thinking elaborate. I like elaborate. We only do substantial. That's what my jeweler says. I haven't gotten the looks in mind just yet, but we're going to figure it out soon enough." Despite continued plans for a tour, and announcements made on The X Factor
The X Factor (UK)
The X Factor is a British television music competition to find new singing talent. Created by Simon Cowell, it began in September 2004 and is contested by aspiring singers drawn from public auditions. It is the originator of the international X Factor franchise. The seven series of the show to date...
in United Kingdom in November, the tour was suddenly cancelled by early December. Tabloids and critics began heavily speculating that Carey had become pregnant, and had abandoned plans for a tour as a result. Many claimed to have seen Carey visiting a famed gynecologist's office in Los Angeles. Additionally, Carey's newly slimmed figure began to change, as she stopped her exercise routines and gained weight. Though Carey had eventually announced that she was pregnant with twins on November 28, 2010, over two years later, she admitted she had indeed been pregnant during that time period, and suffered a miscarriage. For that reason, she cancelled the tour, and lost the child only two months later.
Track listing
Standard edition1 British, Japanese, New Zealand and Australian bonus track.
2 French and Japanese bonus track.
Personnel
Credits for E=MC² adapted from the album's liner notes.- Mariah CareyMariah CareyMariah Carey is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, and actress. She made her recording debut with the release of her eponymous studio album in 1990, under the guidance of Columbia Records executive Tommy Mottola, whom she later married in 1993...
– songwriterSongwriterA songwriter is an individual who writes both the lyrics and music to a song. Someone who solely writes lyrics may be called a lyricist, and someone who only writes music may be called a composer...
, producerRecord producerA record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
, executive producerExecutive producerAn executive producer is a producer who is not involved in any technical aspects of the film making or music process, but who is still responsible for the overall production...
, vocalsSingingSinging is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments...
, background vocalsBacking vocalistA backing vocalist or backing singer is a singer who provides vocal harmony with the lead vocalist or other backing vocalists... - Marcella Araica - audio mixingAudio mixing (recorded music)In audio recording, audio mixing is the process by which multiple recorded sounds are combined into one or more channels, most commonly two-channel stereo. In the process, the source signals' level, frequency content, dynamics, and panoramic position are manipulated and effects such as reverb may...
- Johntá AustinJohnta AustinJohntá Austin is an American singer-songwriter, who is currently signed to Jermaine Dupri's So So Def Recordings. He is commonly known for collaborating with Producers Bryan-Michael Cox, Jermaine Dupri & The Production Team StarGate. Austin was awarded two Grammy Awards for his work on the songs...
- songwriter - Miguel Bustamante - recording technician
- Bryan-Michael Cox - songwriting, producer
- Aldrin DavisDJ ToompAldrin Davis, better known as DJ Toomp, is an award-winning American record producer and DJ who works in Atlanta, Georgia. In the late 1980s he was MC Shy-D's DJ and went on tour with him and the 2 Live Crew as they performed at various venues across the country with other artists such as N.W.A...
- songwriter, producer - Kasseem Daoud DeanSwizz BeatzKasseem Dean , better known by his stage name, Swizz Beatz, is an American record producer, DJ, rapper and painter. At the age of 17, he gained attention in the hip-hop world through his friendship with rapper DMX. Grady Spivey and rapper Cassidy helped launch his label Full Surface Records...
- songwriter, producer - Kendrick Dean - songwriting
- Mark DeBargeMark DeBargeMark "Marty" DeBarge is an American R&B/soul singer-songwriter, trumpeter and flugelhorn player best known for his work as member of 1980s Motown singing family group DeBarge...
- songwriter - Jermaine DupriJermaine DupriJermaine Dupri Mauldin , known as Jermaine Dupri or JD, is an American record producer, songwriter and rapper.- Early life and career :...
- songwriter, producer, audio mixing - Mikkel S. EriksenStargate (production team)This is a list of songs written and produced by the Norwegian production team Stargate.-Produced singles:-1999:5ive - Invincible*05. "Two Sides to Every Story"*06. "You Make Me a Better Man"Noora Noor - Curious*01. "Curious"...
- songwriter, producer - Brian Garten - recording
- Shawntae HarrisDa BratShawntae Harris , better known as Da Brat, is an American rapper and actress. Her debut album, Funkdafied, sold one million copies, making her the first female rapper to have a platinum-selling album.-Early life:...
- vocals - Tor E. HermansenStargate (production team)This is a list of songs written and produced by the Norwegian production team Stargate.-Produced singles:-1999:5ive - Invincible*05. "Two Sides to Every Story"*06. "You Make Me a Better Man"Noora Noor - Curious*01. "Curious"...
- songwriter, producer - Floyd Nathaniel Hills - songwriter, producer
- John Horesco - recording
- Josh Houghkirk - recording technician
- Jay Wayne JenkinsYoung JeezyJay Wayne Jenkins , better known by his stage name Young Jeezy, is an American rapper. He is the member of the hip hop group United Streets Dopeboyz of America and a former member of BMF...
- songwriter, vocals - Crystal JohnsonCristyleCrystal Nicole Johnson, better known by her stage name Cristyle or sometimes credited as Cri$tyle is an American Grammy Award winning songwriter signed with So So Def/EMI Music.-Career:...
- songwriter, background vocals - Etterlene Jordan - songwriter
- Jaycen Joshua - audio mixing
- Damian MarleyDamian MarleyDamian "Jr. Gong" Marley is a Jamaican reggae artist who has won three Grammy awards. Damian is the youngest son of Bob Marley....
- songwriter, vocals - Balewa MuhammadThe ClutchThe Clutch is an American collective of songwriters responsible for a series of successful singles including Omarion's "Ice Box", Ciara's "Like a Boy", Timbaland's "The Way I Are", Britney Spears' "Radar" and Raven-Symone's "Double Dutch Bus".-History:...
- songwriter - Faheem Rasheed NajmT-PainFaheem Rasheed Najm , better known by his stage name T-Pain, is an American singer-songwriter, rapper, record producer, and actor, currently signed to Young Money Entertainment. His debut album, Rappa Ternt Sanga, was released in 2005. In 2007, T-Pain released his second studio album Epiphany,...
- songwriter, vocals - Terius Youngdell NashThe-DreamTerius Youngdell Nash , better known by his stage name The-Dream, is an American singer-songwriter and record producer. He is known for co-writing "Umbrella" for Rihanna and "Single Ladies " for Beyoncé, as well as for his three solo albums, Love Hate, Love vs...
- songwriter, producer - Dave Pensado - audio mixing
- James PoyserJames PoyserJames Poyser in Sheffield, England is a multi-Grammy winning songwriter, musician and multi-platinum producer.Poyser has written and produced songs for various legendary and award-winning artists including Erykah Badu, Mariah Carey, John Legend, Lauryn Hill, Common, Anthony Hamilton, D'Angelo,...
- songwriter, producer - Derrick Selby - recording
- Kelly Sheehan - recording technician
- Manuel SealManuel SealManuel Seal, Jr. is an American Hip-Hop/R&B record producer and songwriter.Formerly a contract songwriter and producer at Jermaine Dupri's So So Def Recordings, Manuel Seal, Jr...
- songwriting, producer - Adonis ShropshireAdonis ShropshireAdonis Shropshire or Adonis for short, is an award-winning American songwriter and record producer.He has written and or produced singles including: Mariah Carey's "I Stay In Love", Usher Raymond's "My Boo", P...
- songwriting - Christopher Stewart - songwriter, producer
- Scott StorchScott StorchScott Storch is an American record producer. He produces a variety of music, particularly hip hop, reggaeton, and R&B. His label, Storch Music Company responsible for signing Brooke Hogan and Nox...
- producer - Phil Tan - audio mixing
- Maryann Tatum - background vocals
- Rod TempertonRod TempertonRodney Lynn "Rod" Temperton is an English songwriter, record producer and musician most famous for writing a number of songs performed by Michael Jackson, including the title track of Jackson's Thriller, the biggest-selling album of all time.-Biography:As Temperton remembers music was in his bones...
- songwriter
Charts
| Chart | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australian Albums Chart ARIA Charts The ARIA charts are the main Australian music sales charts, issued weekly by the Australian Recording Industry Association. The charts are a record of the highest selling singles and albums in various genres in Australia. ARIA commenced compiling its own charts in-house from the week ending 26 June... |
2 |
| Austrian Albums Chart | 8 |
| Belgian Flanders Albums Chart Ultratop Ultratop is an organization which generates and publishes the official record charts in Belgium, and it is also the name of most of those charts... |
17 |
| Belgian Wallonia Albums Chart Ultratop Ultratop is an organization which generates and publishes the official record charts in Belgium, and it is also the name of most of those charts... |
25 |
| Canadian Albums Chart Canadian Albums Chart The Canadian Albums Chart is the official album sales chart in Canada. It is compiled every Wednesday by U.S.-based music sales tracking company Nielsen Soundscan, and published every Thursday by Jam! Canoe and Billboard, along with its sister charts the Canadian Singles Chart and the Canadian BDS... |
1 |
| Czech Republic Albums Chart | 19 |
| Danish Albums Chart Tracklisten Tracklisten is a Danish top 40 record chart that is presented every Thursday midnight at .The weekly Danish Singles Chart also known as Track Top-40 combines the 40 best selling tracks from legal music downloads and the sales of music singles on either CD or vinyl... |
18 |
| Dutch Albums Chart MegaCharts MegaCharts is responsible for the composition and exploitation of a broad collection of official charts in the Netherlands, of which the Mega Top 50 and the Mega Album Top 100 are the most known ones. Mega Charts also provides information to the Stichting Nederlandse Top 40, of which the Dutch Top... |
11 |
| European Albums Chart European Top 100 Albums The European Top 100 Albums chart is the European adaptation of the Billboard 200 albums chart. It was created in March 1984.The European Top 100 Albums, commonly referred to as Eurochart Top 100 Albums shows the sales of an act in 19 European countries based on IFPI data.The European Top 100... |
3 |
| French Albums Chart Syndicat National de l'Edition Phonographique The Syndicat national de l'édition phonographique is the inter-professional organization which protects the interests of the French record industry... |
6 |
| German Albums Chart Media Control Charts The official music charts in Germany are gathered and published by the company Media Control GfK International on behalf of Bundesverband Musikindustrie... |
7 |
| Irish Albums Chart Irish Albums Chart The Irish Albums Chart is the Irish music industry standard albums popularity chart issued weekly by the Irish Recorded Music Association and compiled on its behalf by Chart-Track. Chart rankings are based on sales, which are compiled through over-the-counter retail data captured electronically... |
7 |
| Italian Albums Chart Federation of the Italian Music Industry The Federation of the Italian Music Industry is an umbrella organization that keeps track of virtually all aspects of the music recording industry in Italy.... |
9 |
| Japanese Albums Chart Oricon , established in 1999, is the holding company at the head of a Japanese corporate group that supplies statistics and information on music and the music industry in Japan. It started as , which was founded by Sōkō Koike in November 1967 and became known for its music charts. Oricon Inc... |
7 |
| Mexican Albums Chart | 43 |
| New Zealand Albums Chart Recording Industry Association of New Zealand The Recording Industry Association of New Zealand is a non-profit trade association of record producers, distributors and recording artists who sell music in New Zealand... |
10 |
| Norwegian Albums Chart VG-lista VG-listen is a Norwegian record chart. It is weekly presented in the newspaper VG and the Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation program Topp 20. It is considered the primary Norwegian record chart, charting albums and singles from countries and continent around the world. The data is collected by... |
20 |
| Portuguese Albums Chart | 15 |
| Spanish Albums Chart | 16 |
| Swedish Albums Chart Sverigetopplistan Sverigetopplistan, earlier known as Topplistan and Hitlistan and other names, is since October 2007 the Swedish national record chart, based on sales data from Swedish Recording Industry Association .... |
22 |
| Swiss Albums Chart Swiss Music Charts The Swiss Music Charts are Switzerland's main music sales charts. The charts are a record of the highest-selling singles and albums in various genres in Switzerland.The Swiss Charts include:* Singles Top 75... |
5 |
| UK Albums Chart UK Albums Chart The UK Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales in the United Kingdom. It is compiled every week by The Official Charts Company and broadcast on a Sunday on BBC Radio 1 , and published in Music Week magazine and on the OCC website .To qualify for the UK albums chart... |
3 |
| US Billboard 200 Billboard 200 The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists... |
1 |
| US Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums is a chart published by Billboard magazine that ranks R&B and hip hop albums based on sales compiled by Nielsen SoundScan. The name of the chart was changed from Top R&B Albums in 1999... |
Certifications
| Country (Provider) | Certification (sales thresholds) |
|---|---|
| Australia (ARIA Australian Recording Industry Association The Australian Recording Industry Association is a trade group representing the Australian recording industry which was established in 1983 by six major record companies, EMI, Festival, CBS, RCA, WEA and Universal replacing the Association of Australian Record Manufacturers which was formed in 1956... ) |
Gold |
| Brazil (ABPD) | Gold |
| Canada (CRIA Cria A cria is the name for a baby camelid such as a llama, alpaca, vicuña, or guanaco. It comes from the Spanish word cría, meaning "baby". Its false cognate in English, crya , was coined by British sailors who explored Chile in the 18th century and were quick to describe the camelids onomatopoeically... ) |
Platinum |
| Japan (RIAJ) | Gold |
| Philippines (PARI) | Gold |
| Russia (NFPP) | Gold |
| United Kingdom (BPI British Phonographic Industry The British Phonographic Industry is the British record industry's trade association.-Structure:Its membership comprises hundreds of music companies including all four "major" record companies , associate members such as manufacturers and distributors, and hundreds of independent music companies... ) |
Gold |
| United States (RIAA) | Platinum |
Year-end charts
| Charts (2008) | Position |
|---|---|
| UK Albums Chart | 134 |
| US Billboard 200 | 22 |
| Worldwide | 26 |
Singles
| Year | Single | Peak chart positions | Certifications | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US Billboard Hot 100 The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday... |
US R&B Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, is a chart released weekly by Billboard in the United States.The chart, initiated in 1942, is used to track the success of popular music songs in urban, or primarily African American, venues. Dominated over the years at various times by jazz, rhythm and blues, doo-wop, soul,... |
AUS ARIA Charts The ARIA charts are the main Australian music sales charts, issued weekly by the Australian Recording Industry Association. The charts are a record of the highest selling singles and albums in various genres in Australia. ARIA commenced compiling its own charts in-house from the week ending 26 June... |
CAN Canadian Hot 100 The Canadian Hot 100 is a music singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine which ranks songs in Canada. The chart debuted in the Billboard issue dated June 16, 2007 and was made available for the first time via their online services on June 7, 2007... |
FRA Syndicat National de l'Edition Phonographique The Syndicat national de l'édition phonographique is the inter-professional organization which protects the interests of the French record industry... |
GER Media Control Charts The official music charts in Germany are gathered and published by the company Media Control GfK International on behalf of Bundesverband Musikindustrie... |
NL Dutch Top 40 The Dutch Top 40 is a weekly music chart, which started as the "Veronica Top 40", because the offshore radio station Radio Veronica was the first to introduce it. It remained "The Veronica Top 40" until 1974, when the station was forced to stop broadcasting... |
NZ Recording Industry Association of New Zealand The Recording Industry Association of New Zealand is a non-profit trade association of record producers, distributors and recording artists who sell music in New Zealand... |
SWI Swiss Music Charts The Swiss Music Charts are Switzerland's main music sales charts. The charts are a record of the highest-selling singles and albums in various genres in Switzerland.The Swiss Charts include:* Singles Top 75... |
UK UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ... |
|||
| 2008 | "Touch My Body Touch My Body "Touch My Body" is a song by American singer-songwriter Mariah Carey, taken from her eleventh studio album, E=MC² . It was written and produced by Carey, along with Christopher "Tricky" Stewart, Crystal "Cri$tyle" Johnson and Terius "The Dream" Nash, and was released as the album's lead single on... " |
1 | 2 | 17 | 2 | 16 | 6 | 14 | 3 | 3 | 5 |
|
| "Bye Bye Bye Bye (Mariah Carey song) "Bye Bye" is a song by American singer-songwriter Mariah Carey, taken from her eleventh studio album, E=MC² . It was written by Carey, Mikkel S. Eriksen, Tor Erik Hermansen and Johntá Austin, and produced by the former three. It was released as the album's second single on April 15, 2008, in the... " |
19 | 33 | 53 | 34 | — | 70 | — | 7 | — | 30 | ||
| "I'll Be Lovin' U Long Time I'll Be Lovin' U Long Time "I'll Be Lovin' U Long Time" is a song by American singer-songwriter Mariah Carey, taken from her eleventh studio album, E=MC² . It was written by Carey, Aldrin Davis, Crystal Johnson and Clifford Harris, and produced by the former two... " |
58 | 36 | — | 69 | — | — | — | — | — | 84 | ||
| "I Stay in Love I Stay in Love "I Stay in Love" is a song by American singer-songwriter Mariah Carey, taken from her eleventh studio album, E=MC² . It was written by Carey, Bryan-Michael Cox, Adonis Shropshire and Kendrick Dean, and produced by the former two. "I Stay in Love" was released through Island Records on October 28,... " |
— | 81 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 95 | ||
| "—" denotes a title that did not chart or was not released in that territory. | ||||||||||||
Release history
| Country | Release (Standard Edition) | Format | Label |
|---|---|---|---|
| Austria | April 4, 2008 | CD, digital download Music download A music download is the transferral of music from an Internet-facing computer or website to a user's local computer. This term encompasses both legal downloads and downloads of copyright material without permission or payment... |
The Island Def Jam Music Group The Island Def Jam Music Group The Island Def Jam Motown Music Group, formerly The Island Def Jam Music Group, is an umbrella label formed in 1999 when Universal Music Group merged two of its daughter companies, Island Records and Def Jam Recordings, to create a label group. In 2011, Motown Records was split from the Universal... |
| Italy | |||
| Belgium | April 11, 2008 | ||
| Germany | Universal Music Group Universal Music Group Universal Music Group is an American music group, the largest of the "big four" record companies by its commanding market share and its multitude of global operations... |
||
| Ireland | The Island Def Jam Music Group | ||
| Norway | |||
| Australia | April 14, 2008 | ||
| France | |||
| New Zealand | |||
| United Kingdom | Mercury Records Mercury Records Mercury Records is a record label operating as a standalone company in the UK and as part of the Island Def Jam Motown Music Group in the US; both are subsidiaries of Universal Music Group. There is also a Mercury Records in Australia, which is a local artist and repertoire division of Universal... |
||
| Canada | April 15, 2008 | Universal Music Group | |
| Japan | The Island Def Jam Music Group | ||
| Mexico | |||
| United States |