Honey (Mariah Carey song)
Encyclopedia
"Honey" is a song by American singer-songwriter
Mariah Carey
from her sixth studio album, Butterfly. It was released as the lead single from the album on August 26, 1997 by Columbia Records
. The song was written by Carey, Puff Daddy
, Q-Tip
and Stevie J
, all of whom served as the song's producers as well. Due to the song's use of two samples: "Hey DJ
" by the World's Famous Supreme Team, and "The Body Rock" by the Treacherous Three
, additional writers are credited. "Honey" was a re-defining song in Carey's career, pushing her farther into hip-hop
than she had gone before. The song's lyrics describe the feeling the protagonist feels towards her lover, and compares the sensation to honey, and its overbearing sweetness.
The song was praised by contemporary music critics, who called Carey's musical transition "genuine". The song experienced strong success in the United States, becoming Carey's third single to debut atop the Billboard
Hot 100
, a feat that has yet to be duplicated. The song stayed at number one for three weeks, before its descent down the chart. "Honey" also reached number one in Canada, and reached the top ten in Australia, New Zealand, Spain, Sweden, and the United Kingdom. In other most European countries, the song charted outside the top ten, not matching the success of Carey's previous singles.
"Honey" was nominated for two Grammy Award
s at the 1998 ceremony, for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance
and Best R&B Song
. The song did not win either nomination, a typical trend of Carey's nominations at the Grammys. Carey performed "Honey" at the 1998 World Music Awards
, Top of the Pops
and on Japanese television. Additionally, it was performed throughout Carey's supporting concert tour, the Butterfly World Tour
, which played throughout 1998. Carey included the song in the set-list of various live shows and future tours, where she would sing both the original and remix versions.
"Honey" is well known for its accompanying music video, which presented a more sexual and less conservative image of Carey than had been previously seen. The video features Carey being held hostage in a mansion, which she soon after escapes in a James Bond
themed video. Subsequent scenes sequence Carey escaping her assailants on a watercraft
, dancing aboard a ship with sailors, and frolicking on a beautiful island with her lover. The video garnered much controversy, as many comparisons were made in between the video and the rumors of Carey's failing marriage. While Carey denied the comparisons were anything more than coincidence, many close friends including Walter Afanasieff
, Carey's writing partner, felt they were more than obvious.
". Due to rumors of Puffy's overbearing nature, Carey recorded her vocals separately, until she gave him a few demos to choose from. Puffy explained why Carey recorded her vocals separately, and his feelings regarding having worked with her:
Puffy expressed his respect for Mariah and her craft, mentioning that she re-did her vocals many times until she felt they were perfect. After they had the vocals, Carey and Puffy began working on the song's hook and incorporating the music samples and blending them into the bridge and chorus. After the song was completed, Combs was very confident with the song, calling it "slammin, but because of its heavy hip-hop influence, he felt only cautiously optimistic about the song's commercial success. On a more personal note, "Honey" served as Carey's first single after her separation from estranged husband, Tommy Mottola
, who also lead her current record label, Columbia.
and contemporary R&B
beats. The song is set in the signature common time, and is written in the key of E major. It features a basic chord progression of A-F-1. Carey's vocal range in the song spans from the note of E3 to the high note of B5; with the piano and guitar pieces range from G3 to G5. The song's remix featured rap
leads from The Lox
and Mase
, with some vocals rapped by Combs himself. The track was very different than anything Carey had ever recorded, and was described as "street Hip-Hop music, with a booming bass." The song's melody was driven by Q-Tip
's drum
programming and Stevie J
's keyboard
notes. Combs's production gave the song a "light and airy" effect, further distancing it from Carey's contemporary sound
. "Honey" featured musical samples
from Treacherous Three
's "The Body Rock", and "Hey DJ
" from the World's Famous Supreme Team. The track united hip-hop and R&B with traces of pop music and was described as a "[song with a] catchy chorus, combining hip-hop and R&B into something that simply wasn't going to be denied by anyone, and offering a powerful start to a record." According to author Chris Nickson, "Honey" revealed a more confident and independent side to Carey that had never been presented in her previous work. The song truly embodied a more mature and confident woman, with sultrier lyrics and a thumping hip-hop beat to accompany it.
from Entertainment Weekly
described the importance the song held for Carey's musical transition. He wrote "You're prepared for a song on which Carey finally breaks free of her adult-contemporary chains and gets down." He felt "Honey" sounded as "anyone striking out on his or her own — caught between old and new habits and taking cautious baby steps into the future." Browne also commented that Carey showed a commendable vocal restraint in the song, "showing some admirable restraint, she nestles herself into the downy-soft beats of "Honey." Author Chris Nickson felt the single's importance was "well beyond its chart placing" and that the single was one of the most important songs in Carey's career, enabling her to transition into R&B and hip-hop. Nickson commented that before, Carey was seen as a pop singer with R&B tendencies, but "Honey" changed that idea, giving the singer "hip-hop credibility", and forced naysayers to "take another look." Rich Juzwiak from Slant
complimented the song, calling it "awakening, both sensually and musically." Juzwiak concluded the review writing "Honey exemplifies the abrupt gear shifting that appreciating Mariah the artist requires. Its new pop brilliance doesn't always come easy, where detecting it depends on the audience's newfound ability to apply Carey's pop life to her pop music." "Honey" was nominated for two Grammy Award
s at the 1998 ceremony, for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance
and Best R&B Song
. The song did not win either nomination, a typical trend of Carey's nominations at the Grammys.
"Honey" won many prestigious awards throughout the music industry in 1995 and 1996. The song was nominated at the 1998 Grammy Awards
for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance
and Best R&B Song
. Additionally, the song won the BMI
Pop Award for "Songwriter".
and Whitney Houston
. It replaced "Mo Money Mo Problems
" by The Notorious B.I.G.
featuring Puff Daddy
and Mase
, and it was replaced by Boyz II Men
's "4 Seasons of Loneliness
". At this point, Carey was tied with The Supremes
for fourth most US number ones, behind Michael Jackson
with thirteen, and Elvis Presley
and The Beatles
with 17 and 20, respectively. "Honey" was certified platinum
by the Recording Industry Association of America
(RIAA), denoting shipments of over one million units. The song stalled at number two on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs
, spending 21 weeks in the chart. "Honey" finished number 32 on the Billboard end of year chart for 1997. In Canada, the song debuted on the RPM Singles Chart
at forty-eight on the RPM issue dated August 18, 1997, and reached the top of the chart on September 22, 1997. It was present on the chart for a total of 20 weeks, and ranked 18 on the RPM Year-end chart for 1997.
The song debuted on the UK Singles Chart
on September 6, 1997 at its peak of number three, and spent a total of eight weeks in the chart. "Honey" is Carey's 15th best-selling single in the United Kingdom as of 2009, with estimated sales of over 165,000. In Australia, "Honey" peaked at number eight on the charts, spending a total of 19 weeks in the chart. It was certified gold by the Australian Recording Industry Association
(ARIA), denoting shipments of over 35,000 units. In New Zealand, the song peaked at number three, and stayed in the chart for 14 weeks. The song's success in most other worldwide markets was moderate, with it not reaching the same peaks as Carey's previous singles. While "Honey" peaked at number 12 in Finland, it fell dropped out of the chart the next week, spending a total of only one week in the chart. In Sweden, the song performed well, peaking at number eight and staying within the chart for ten weeks. In Austria and France, "Honey" peaked at number 39, spending one and four weeks on the charts, respectively. The song peaked at number 29 and 30 in Belgium Flanders and Wallonia.
-filmed video's concept was created by Carey with Paul Hunter
filling in as the director. Serving a James Bond
theme, Carey was cast as "the very sexy agent M", a woman who escapes a large mansion in which she has been held captive. Carey said of the video that "I don't really think the video is overtly sexual, but for me-I mean people used to think I was the nineties version of Mary Poppins!"
The video premiered on MTV
and BET
on July 30, 1997 and was shot in Puerto Rico
in July 1997. The video begins with Carey, playing as "Agent M", being held hostage in a large mansion. The captors are played by Eddie Griffin
, Frank Sivero
, who continue to taunt Carey over her capture and eventual death. After a series of dialogue, Carey escapes her Griffin's character and dives into a swimming pool from the mansion's roof. After an ensemble change, Carey dons a swimsuit and escapes the island via a watercraft. The video's antagonists continue their pursuit of Carey throughout a large body of water, until she arrives aboard a large ship. It is unclear if both scenes are happening separately or side by side. Throughout most of the video, Carey is seen posing on a large sailboat, while wearing a white bikini. After boarding the ship, Carey begins dancing and is soon joined by a group of male sailors. After a sequence of dance light dance routines, Carey is seen on an island with her lover, male model David Fumero
, and her real life dog, Jack. They frolic together on the island, while Carey happily enjoys her romance.
During the time of the video's release, Carey and Mottola were in the midst of their divorce and this led to many speculation on the video's message. Tabloids and critics were linking the video's theme to Carey's marriage, writing how Mottola would lock Carey in their mansion. While Carey denied the allegations, many found it to be very obvious. Carey's writing partner of six years, Afanasieff, felt the video was undeniably about Mottola. While speculation about the video grew, Carey continued to deny any intention of portraying her marriage in the video. In an interview, Carey said that "Tommy loves the video, he says it's my best video yet."
The song's Bad Boy remix featured a different music video as well. It features the same concept, however not emphasizing on the kidnapping and escape. The video begins with Carey diving into the pool, and driving a watercraft. As she reaches a point far into the body of water, she is offered a rope lift from a helicopter. After she accepts and ascends the line, Carey boards the aircraft alongside its pilots, Puffy and the members of Bad Boy Entertainment
. Other scenes sequence Carey dancing with Puffy in a golden indoor tunnel. As the video concludes, more staff from the helicopter join Carey in the golden entryway, as they dance an enjoy themselves.
(2003). The former is similar to the original version, with the addition of a new spoken intro from Carey in which she states, "I thought I told you, we won't stop." The string chords present in the original "Honey" are entirely excised from the Bad Boy remix, and it features rapping verses by The Lox
and Mase (who did the bridge on the original version). The rap from Mase entirely replaces the second chorus of the song, while the Lox's parts replaces a section of the song's bridge. The song's main remix, "Honey" (Bad Boy remix), has an accompanying music video, with additional sequences directed by Paul Hunter. Much of the footage from the video is from the original, with few new scenes featuring Carey with Puffy, Mase and the Lox in a long golden tunnel flowing with water ("The Honey Tunnel"). During Mase's rap, Carey is rescued by them (rather than joining the sailors on the boat) when he lowers a rope into the ocean from his helicopter.
Another major hip-hop mix of the song was released: "Honey" (So So Def mix), produced by Jermaine Dupri
and featuring rap verses from him and Da Brat
. Carey re-recorded some of her vocals, but most lyrical and melodic structures were kept similar to the album version. The song uses a new sample from "It's Great to Be Here" (originally performed by The Jackson 5
), but it does not use "The Body Rock" melody from the album version and Bad Boy remix. The So So Def remix does use the sample of "Hey DJ", but in a different manner: both the album and Bad Boy remixes use the piano riff
from "Hey DJ", while the So So Def remix uses the line "Hey JD, won't you play that song, keep them dancing, dancing all night." David Morales
created several dance remixes of the song, the most notable being "Honey" (Classic mix), and variations of this include "Honey" (Def Club mix), "Honey" (Rascal dub), and "Honey" (Boss Anthem mix). These give songwriting credit to the writers of "The Body Rock", although this is not sampled. Morales is also credited as a songwriter for the remixes, although they are close to the original melodic and lyrical structure of the original song.
of a ship. Dancers similar to the video joined Carey on stage as she performed the song. Carey performed "Honey" at the 1998 World Music Awards. The performance garnered her a standing ovation, and featured many male dancers, all donning sailor costumes. After the second verse, a large projection of the Bad Boy remix video played while pre-recorded rap verses from Puffy played. A live performance of the song was taped via satellite and aired live in Japan, featuring similar costumes and themes as the others. Carey performed the song throughout her Butterfly World Tour (1998), which served as the accompanying tour for Butterfly. During her live routine of the song, various male dancers donned in similar sailor outfits joined Carey on stage. Serving as an intro to the song, Carey re-enacts the hostage from the video, and formulates her escape. The song's performance in Taipei, Taiwan was used as the official act of the song on Carey's 1998 concert DVD, Around the World, which featured live tapings from Japan, Taiwan, Australia and the US.
For her Rainbow World Tour
(2000), the beginning of the original video served as the acts intro. As the music began playing, Carey emerged wearing a mini sailor suit and a matching headpiece. During the set, many male dancers joined Carey on stage, and re-enacted a similar performance than that of her previous tour. "Honey" was performed during Carey's following tour, the Charmbracelet World Tour
(2002–2003). The performances of the song throughout the tour were altered from those in 1997–98. The act began with the video intro like before, however the dancers featured, no longer bared any resemblance to the video. Male and female dancers joined, performing traditional and exotic dance routines. Carey dons a blue one piece mini skirt, and joins with some light dance moves. Carey continued performing the song throughout her 2006 tour, The Adventures of Mimi
. The performance did not include any video intro, but did introduce a four-piece of male dancers dressed in sailor outfits. Carey wore a pair of black leggings, accompanied by a sparkling mini-bra. During the performance in Madison Square Garden
, Carey was joined with Sean "Diddy" Combs
(previously known as Puffy) on stage after the second verse. During her Angels Advocate Tour
(2010) performance of the song, Carey donned a sparkling mini-Herve Leger
gown, with a faux-fur snug jacket. During the song, male and female dancers joined her on stage, and performed up-tempo dance routines.
US CD Maxi Single
RU CD Maxi Single
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...
from her sixth studio album, Butterfly. It was released as the lead single from the album on August 26, 1997 by Columbia Records
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...
. The song was written by Carey, Puff Daddy
Sean Combs
Sean John Combs , also known by his stage names Diddy and P. Diddy, is an American rapper, singer, record producer, actor, and entrepreneur. He has won three Grammy Awards and two MTV Video Music Awards, and his clothing line earned a Council of Fashion Designers of America award. He was originally...
, Q-Tip
Q-Tip (rapper)
Kamaal Ibn John Fareed , better known by his stage name Q-Tip, is an American hip hop artist, producer, singer, and actor from St. Albans, Queens, New York, part of the critically acclaimed group A Tribe Called Quest...
and Stevie J
Stevie J
--MSGOLDBERG1 23:09, 23 November 2011 Stevie J. is an American musician, singer, record producer and songwriter. This upstate New Yorker is the leader of the Bad Boy Entertainment Hitmen roster of in-house producers and writers during the 90s and thus worked often with the label's owner Sean...
, all of whom served as the song's producers as well. Due to the song's use of two samples: "Hey DJ
Hey DJ
"Hey! DJ" is a song by the World's Famous Supreme Team. Writing is credited to Larry Price, Malcolm McLaren, Ronald Larkins Jr. and Stephen Hague. Released on 12" in 1984 on Island Records, there were three mixes included...
" by the World's Famous Supreme Team, and "The Body Rock" by the Treacherous Three
Treacherous Three
The Treacherous Three was a pioneering hip hop group that was formed in 1978 and consisted of DJ Easy Lee, Kool Moe Dee, L.A. Sunshine, Special K and Spoonie Gee , with occasional contributions from DJ Dano B, DJ Reggie Reg and DJ Crazy Eddie...
, additional writers are credited. "Honey" was a re-defining song in Carey's career, pushing her farther into hip-hop
Hip hop
Hip hop is a form of musical expression and artistic culture that originated in African-American and Latino communities during the 1970s in New York City, specifically the Bronx. DJ Afrika Bambaataa outlined the four pillars of hip hop culture: MCing, DJing, breaking and graffiti writing...
than she had gone before. The song's lyrics describe the feeling the protagonist feels towards her lover, and compares the sensation to honey, and its overbearing sweetness.
The song was praised by contemporary music critics, who called Carey's musical transition "genuine". The song experienced strong success in the United States, becoming Carey's third single to debut atop the 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...
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...
, a feat that has yet to be duplicated. The song stayed at number one for three weeks, before its descent down the chart. "Honey" also reached number one in Canada, and reached the top ten in Australia, New Zealand, Spain, Sweden, and the United Kingdom. In other most European countries, the song charted outside the top ten, not matching the success of Carey's previous singles.
"Honey" was nominated for two Grammy Award
Grammy Award
A Grammy Award — or Grammy — is an accolade by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to recognize outstanding achievement in the music industry...
s at the 1998 ceremony, for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance
Grammy Award for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance
The Grammy Award for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance was an honor presented at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards, to female recording artists for quality R&B songs...
and Best R&B Song
Grammy Award for Best R&B Song
The Grammy Award for Best R&B Song has been awarded since 1959. From 1969 to 2000 it was known as the Grammy Award for Best Rhythm & Blues Song, from 1962 to 1968 it was known as Best Rhythm & Blues Recording, and from 1959-1961 as Best Rhythm & Blues Performance...
. The song did not win either nomination, a typical trend of Carey's nominations at the Grammys. Carey performed "Honey" at the 1998 World Music Awards
World Music Awards
The World Music Awards is an international awards show founded in 1989 that annually honors recording artists based on worldwide sales figures provided by the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry . John Martinotti is an executive producer and co-founder of the show...
, Top of the Pops
Top of the Pops
Top of the Pops, also known as TOTP, is a British music chart television programme, made by the BBC and originally broadcast weekly from 1 January 1964 to 30 July 2006. After 25 December 2006 it became a radio program, now hosted by Tony Blackburn...
and on Japanese television. Additionally, it was performed throughout Carey's supporting concert tour, the Butterfly World Tour
Butterfly World Tour
Butterfly World Tour is the third concert tour by American singer-songwriter Mariah Carey. The tour promoted Carey's album at the time, Butterfly , and included songs from several of her previous albums. The tour visited Asia, Australia and the United States, with rehearsals taking place in...
, which played throughout 1998. Carey included the song in the set-list of various live shows and future tours, where she would sing both the original and remix versions.
"Honey" is well known for its accompanying music video, which presented a more sexual and less conservative image of Carey than had been previously seen. The video features Carey being held hostage in a mansion, which she soon after escapes in a James Bond
James Bond
James Bond, code name 007, is a fictional character created in 1953 by writer Ian Fleming, who featured him in twelve novels and two short story collections. There have been a six other authors who wrote authorised Bond novels or novelizations after Fleming's death in 1964: Kingsley Amis,...
themed video. Subsequent scenes sequence Carey escaping her assailants on a watercraft
Watercraft
A watercraft is a vessel or craft designed to move across or through water. The name is derived from the term "craft" which was used to describe all types of water going vessels...
, dancing aboard a ship with sailors, and frolicking on a beautiful island with her lover. The video garnered much controversy, as many comparisons were made in between the video and the rumors of Carey's failing marriage. While Carey denied the comparisons were anything more than coincidence, many close friends including Walter Afanasieff
Walter Afanasieff
Walter Afanasieff is a multiple Grammy-award-winning record producer and songwriter. He is best known for his long association with Mariah Carey, for whom he was producer and co-writer for several years, beginning in 1990...
, Carey's writing partner, felt they were more than obvious.
Background and recording
After the success of her urban crossover album Daydream, Carey began ushering more control over the creative aspects of her career. In doing so, she began pursuing a more hip-hop oriented sound, something much different than anything she had ever recorded. However, she was still writing ballads with Afanasieff, but began looking for more hip-hop/R&B producers to helm part of her new project. The song was recorded in February 1997. After Carey began working on the song with Q-Tip, they brought the lyrics, samples and melody over to Puff Daddy, who as a producer, had just earned his second number one single on the Hot 100 with "Mo Money Mo ProblemsMo Money Mo Problems
"Mo Money Mo Problems" is a single by Notorious B.I.G., the second single from his album Life After Death. Released posthumously, the single topped the Billboard Hot 100 for two weeks in 1997, replacing "I'll Be Missing You" from the chart, Puff Daddy's song about Notorious B.I.G's death...
". Due to rumors of Puffy's overbearing nature, Carey recorded her vocals separately, until she gave him a few demos to choose from. Puffy explained why Carey recorded her vocals separately, and his feelings regarding having worked with her:
A lot of people feel I'm overbearing, so I wasn't allowed in the studio when she did her vocals.I'm trying to work on that, I'm such a perfectionist, sometimes I don't give people the chance to breathe. So I've been banned from a lot of studios. Mariah [recorded "Honey"] until she thought it was perfect, like a hundred times. She gave me like a hundred tracks to choose from.
Puffy expressed his respect for Mariah and her craft, mentioning that she re-did her vocals many times until she felt they were perfect. After they had the vocals, Carey and Puffy began working on the song's hook and incorporating the music samples and blending them into the bridge and chorus. After the song was completed, Combs was very confident with the song, calling it "slammin, but because of its heavy hip-hop influence, he felt only cautiously optimistic about the song's commercial success. On a more personal note, "Honey" served as Carey's first single after her separation from estranged husband, 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...
, who also lead her current record label, Columbia.
Composition
"Honey" is an up-tempo song, that blends hip hopHip 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...
and contemporary 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...
beats. The song is set in the signature common time, and is written in the key of E major. It features a basic chord progression of A-F-1. Carey's vocal range in the song spans from the note of E3 to the high note of B5; with the piano and guitar pieces range from G3 to G5. The song's remix featured 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”...
leads from The Lox
The LOX
The Lox are an American hip hop group composed of Jadakiss, Sheek Louch, and Styles P. They were originally signed to Sean Combs' Bad Boy Records before joining Ruff Ryders Entertainment, and are now a part of their own label, D-Block Records-Early career:...
and Mase
Mase
Mason Durell Betha , better known by stage name Mase who was previously known as Murda Ma$e, is an American rapper, songwriter, actor and inspirational speaker...
, with some vocals rapped by Combs himself. The track was very different than anything Carey had ever recorded, and was described as "street Hip-Hop music, with a booming bass." The song's melody was driven by Q-Tip
Q-Tip (rapper)
Kamaal Ibn John Fareed , better known by his stage name Q-Tip, is an American hip hop artist, producer, singer, and actor from St. Albans, Queens, New York, part of the critically acclaimed group A Tribe Called Quest...
's drum
Drum
The drum is a member of the percussion group of musical instruments, which is technically classified as the membranophones. Drums consist of at least one membrane, called a drumhead or drum skin, that is stretched over a shell and struck, either directly with the player's hands, or with a...
programming and Stevie J
Stevie J
--MSGOLDBERG1 23:09, 23 November 2011 Stevie J. is an American musician, singer, record producer and songwriter. This upstate New Yorker is the leader of the Bad Boy Entertainment Hitmen roster of in-house producers and writers during the 90s and thus worked often with the label's owner Sean...
's keyboard
Musical keyboard
A musical keyboard is the set of adjacent depressible levers or keys on a musical instrument, particularly the piano. Keyboards typically contain keys for playing the twelve notes of the Western musical scale, with a combination of larger, longer keys and smaller, shorter keys that repeats at the...
notes. Combs's production gave the song a "light and airy" effect, further distancing it from Carey's contemporary sound
Contemporary classical music
Contemporary classical music can be understood as belonging to the period that started in the mid-1970s with the retreat of modernism. However, the term may also be employed in a broader sense to refer to all post-1945 modern musical forms.-Categorization:...
. "Honey" featured musical samples
Sampling (music)
In music, sampling is the act of taking a portion, or sample, of one sound recording and reusing it as an instrument or a different sound recording of a song or piece. Sampling was originally developed by experimental musicians working with musique concrète and electroacoustic music, who physically...
from Treacherous Three
Treacherous Three
The Treacherous Three was a pioneering hip hop group that was formed in 1978 and consisted of DJ Easy Lee, Kool Moe Dee, L.A. Sunshine, Special K and Spoonie Gee , with occasional contributions from DJ Dano B, DJ Reggie Reg and DJ Crazy Eddie...
's "The Body Rock", and "Hey DJ
Hey DJ
"Hey! DJ" is a song by the World's Famous Supreme Team. Writing is credited to Larry Price, Malcolm McLaren, Ronald Larkins Jr. and Stephen Hague. Released on 12" in 1984 on Island Records, there were three mixes included...
" from the World's Famous Supreme Team. The track united hip-hop and R&B with traces of pop music and was described as a "[song with a] catchy chorus, combining hip-hop and R&B into something that simply wasn't going to be denied by anyone, and offering a powerful start to a record." According to author Chris Nickson, "Honey" revealed a more confident and independent side to Carey that had never been presented in her previous work. The song truly embodied a more mature and confident woman, with sultrier lyrics and a thumping hip-hop beat to accompany it.
Critical reception
"Honey" garnered generally favorable response from contemporary music critics. David BrowneDavid Browne
David Browne is an American journalist and author. He was the resident music critic at Entertainment Weekly between 1990 and 2006. He was an editor at Music & Sound Output magazine and a music critic at the New York Daily News before EW...
from 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...
described the importance the song held for Carey's musical transition. He wrote "You're prepared for a song on which Carey finally breaks free of her adult-contemporary chains and gets down." He felt "Honey" sounded as "anyone striking out on his or her own — caught between old and new habits and taking cautious baby steps into the future." Browne also commented that Carey showed a commendable vocal restraint in the song, "showing some admirable restraint, she nestles herself into the downy-soft beats of "Honey." Author Chris Nickson felt the single's importance was "well beyond its chart placing" and that the single was one of the most important songs in Carey's career, enabling her to transition into R&B and hip-hop. Nickson commented that before, Carey was seen as a pop singer with R&B tendencies, but "Honey" changed that idea, giving the singer "hip-hop credibility", and forced naysayers to "take another look." Rich Juzwiak from Slant
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 :...
complimented the song, calling it "awakening, both sensually and musically." Juzwiak concluded the review writing "Honey exemplifies the abrupt gear shifting that appreciating Mariah the artist requires. Its new pop brilliance doesn't always come easy, where detecting it depends on the audience's newfound ability to apply Carey's pop life to her pop music." "Honey" was nominated for two Grammy Award
Grammy Award
A Grammy Award — or Grammy — is an accolade by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to recognize outstanding achievement in the music industry...
s at the 1998 ceremony, for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance
Grammy Award for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance
The Grammy Award for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance was an honor presented at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards, to female recording artists for quality R&B songs...
and Best R&B Song
Grammy Award for Best R&B Song
The Grammy Award for Best R&B Song has been awarded since 1959. From 1969 to 2000 it was known as the Grammy Award for Best Rhythm & Blues Song, from 1962 to 1968 it was known as Best Rhythm & Blues Recording, and from 1959-1961 as Best Rhythm & Blues Performance...
. The song did not win either nomination, a typical trend of Carey's nominations at the Grammys.
"Honey" won many prestigious awards throughout the music industry in 1995 and 1996. The song was nominated at the 1998 Grammy Awards
Grammy Award
A Grammy Award — or Grammy — is an accolade by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to recognize outstanding achievement in the music industry...
for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance
Grammy Award for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance
The Grammy Award for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance was an honor presented at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards, to female recording artists for quality R&B songs...
and Best R&B Song
Grammy Award for Best R&B Song
The Grammy Award for Best R&B Song has been awarded since 1959. From 1969 to 2000 it was known as the Grammy Award for Best Rhythm & Blues Song, from 1962 to 1968 it was known as Best Rhythm & Blues Recording, and from 1959-1961 as Best Rhythm & Blues Performance...
. Additionally, the song won the BMI
Broadcast Music Incorporated
Broadcast Music, Inc. is one of three United States performing rights organizations, along with ASCAP and SESAC. It collects license fees on behalf of songwriters, composers, and music publishers and distributes them as royalties to those members whose works have been performed...
Pop Award for "Songwriter".
Chart performance
"Honey" became Carey's third single to debut atop the Billboard Hot 100; the most debuts of any artist to this day. Additionally, the song became her 12th chart topper, breaking the fifth place record she had shared with MadonnaMadonna (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...
and Whitney Houston
Whitney Houston
Whitney Elizabeth Houston is an American singer, actress, producer and a former model. Houston is the most awarded female act of all time, according to Guinness World Records, and her list of awards include 1 Emmy Award, 6 Grammy Awards, 30 Billboard Music Awards, 22 American Music Awards, among...
. It replaced "Mo Money Mo Problems
Mo Money Mo Problems
"Mo Money Mo Problems" is a single by Notorious B.I.G., the second single from his album Life After Death. Released posthumously, the single topped the Billboard Hot 100 for two weeks in 1997, replacing "I'll Be Missing You" from the chart, Puff Daddy's song about Notorious B.I.G's death...
" by The Notorious B.I.G.
The Notorious B.I.G.
Christopher George Latore Wallace , best known as The Notorious B.I.G., was an American rapper. He was also known as Biggie Smalls , Big Poppa, and The Black Frank White .Wallace was raised in the Brooklyn borough...
featuring Puff Daddy
Sean Combs
Sean John Combs , also known by his stage names Diddy and P. Diddy, is an American rapper, singer, record producer, actor, and entrepreneur. He has won three Grammy Awards and two MTV Video Music Awards, and his clothing line earned a Council of Fashion Designers of America award. He was originally...
and Mase
Mase
Mason Durell Betha , better known by stage name Mase who was previously known as Murda Ma$e, is an American rapper, songwriter, actor and inspirational speaker...
, and it was replaced by 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...
's "4 Seasons of Loneliness
4 Seasons of Loneliness
"4 Seasons of Loneliness" is a R&B/pop ballad recorded by Philadelphia-based vocal quartet Boyz II Men. Written and produced by Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, the song was issued as the first single from the Evolution album in 1997....
". At this point, Carey was tied with The Supremes
The Supremes
The Supremes, an American female singing group, were the premier act of Motown Records during the 1960s.Originally founded as The Primettes in Detroit, Michigan, in 1959, The Supremes' repertoire included doo-wop, pop, soul, Broadway show tunes, psychedelic soul, and disco...
for fourth most US number ones, behind 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...
with thirteen, and 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"....
and The Beatles
The Beatles
The Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr...
with 17 and 20, respectively. "Honey" 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), denoting shipments of over one million units. The song stalled at number two on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs
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,...
, spending 21 weeks in the chart. "Honey" finished number 32 on the Billboard end of year chart for 1997. In Canada, the song debuted on the RPM Singles Chart
RPM (magazine)
RPM was a Canadian music industry publication that featured song and album charts for Canada. The publication was founded by Walt Grealis in February 1964, supported through its existence by record label owner Stan Klees. RPM ceased publication in November 2000.RPM stood for "Records, Promotion,...
at forty-eight on the RPM issue dated August 18, 1997, and reached the top of the chart on September 22, 1997. It was present on the chart for a total of 20 weeks, and ranked 18 on the RPM Year-end chart for 1997.
The song debuted 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 ...
on September 6, 1997 at its peak of number three, and spent a total of eight weeks in the chart. "Honey" is Carey's 15th best-selling single in the United Kingdom as of 2009, with estimated sales of over 165,000. In Australia, "Honey" peaked at number eight on the charts, spending a total of 19 weeks in the chart. It 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 New Zealand, the song peaked at number three, and stayed in the chart for 14 weeks. The song's success in most other worldwide markets was moderate, with it not reaching the same peaks as Carey's previous singles. While "Honey" peaked at number 12 in Finland, it fell dropped out of the chart the next week, spending a total of only one week in the chart. In Sweden, the song performed well, peaking at number eight and staying within the chart for ten weeks. In Austria and France, "Honey" peaked at number 39, spending one and four weeks on the charts, respectively. The song peaked at number 29 and 30 in Belgium Flanders and Wallonia.
Music video
Aside from the attention surrounding the song, the music video garnered much speculation. For the first time in her career, Carey was featured provocatively dressed, giving viewers a "taste of the freer Mariah". The Puerto RicoPuerto Rico
Puerto Rico , officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico , is an unincorporated territory of the United States, located in the northeastern Caribbean, east of the Dominican Republic and west of both the United States Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands.Puerto Rico comprises an...
-filmed video's concept was created by Carey with Paul Hunter
Paul Hunter (director)
Paul Hunter is a music video director known for his high-budget, visually distinctive videos for popular music singles. He has directed over 100 music videos, many television advertisements and was nominated for an Emmy for Nike's Freestyle commercial...
filling in as the director. Serving a James Bond
James Bond
James Bond, code name 007, is a fictional character created in 1953 by writer Ian Fleming, who featured him in twelve novels and two short story collections. There have been a six other authors who wrote authorised Bond novels or novelizations after Fleming's death in 1964: Kingsley Amis,...
theme, Carey was cast as "the very sexy agent M", a woman who escapes a large mansion in which she has been held captive. Carey said of the video that "I don't really think the video is overtly sexual, but for me-I mean people used to think I was the nineties version of Mary Poppins!"
The video premiered on MTV
MTV
MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
and BET
Black Entertainment Television
Black Entertainment Television is an American, Viacom-owned cable network based in Washington, D.C.. Currently viewed in more than 90 million homes worldwide, it is the most prominent television network targeting young Black-American audiences. The network was launched on January 25, 1980, by its...
on July 30, 1997 and was shot in Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico , officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico , is an unincorporated territory of the United States, located in the northeastern Caribbean, east of the Dominican Republic and west of both the United States Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands.Puerto Rico comprises an...
in July 1997. The video begins with Carey, playing as "Agent M", being held hostage in a large mansion. The captors are played by Eddie Griffin
Eddie Griffin
Edward James "Eddie" Griffin, Jr. is an American actor and comedian. He is best known for his sitcom, Malcolm & Eddie along with co-star, Malcolm-Jamal Warner, and his role in the 2002 comedy film Undercover Brother as the film’s title character.-Early life:Griffin was born in Kansas City,...
, Frank Sivero
Frank Sivero
Frank Sivero is a Sicilian-American character actor, perhaps best known for playing the roles of Genco Abbandando in Mario Puzo's and Francis Ford Coppola's The Godfather Part II and Frankie Carbone in Martin Scorsese's Goodfellas.Sivero was born Francesco LoGiudice in Siculiana, Sicily, Italy,...
, who continue to taunt Carey over her capture and eventual death. After a series of dialogue, Carey escapes her Griffin's character and dives into a swimming pool from the mansion's roof. After an ensemble change, Carey dons a swimsuit and escapes the island via a watercraft. The video's antagonists continue their pursuit of Carey throughout a large body of water, until she arrives aboard a large ship. It is unclear if both scenes are happening separately or side by side. Throughout most of the video, Carey is seen posing on a large sailboat, while wearing a white bikini. After boarding the ship, Carey begins dancing and is soon joined by a group of male sailors. After a sequence of dance light dance routines, Carey is seen on an island with her lover, male model David Fumero
David Fumero
David Fumero is a Cuban American actor and former male fashion model. Fumero is best known for his role as Cristian Vega on One Life to Live.-Personal life:...
, and her real life dog, Jack. They frolic together on the island, while Carey happily enjoys her romance.
During the time of the video's release, Carey and Mottola were in the midst of their divorce and this led to many speculation on the video's message. Tabloids and critics were linking the video's theme to Carey's marriage, writing how Mottola would lock Carey in their mansion. While Carey denied the allegations, many found it to be very obvious. Carey's writing partner of six years, Afanasieff, felt the video was undeniably about Mottola. While speculation about the video grew, Carey continued to deny any intention of portraying her marriage in the video. In an interview, Carey said that "Tommy loves the video, he says it's my best video yet."
The song's Bad Boy remix featured a different music video as well. It features the same concept, however not emphasizing on the kidnapping and escape. The video begins with Carey diving into the pool, and driving a watercraft. As she reaches a point far into the body of water, she is offered a rope lift from a helicopter. After she accepts and ascends the line, Carey boards the aircraft alongside its pilots, Puffy and the members of Bad Boy Entertainment
Bad Boy Records
Bad Boy Records is a record label founded in 1993 by producer/rapper/entrepreneur Sean "Diddy" Combs. Today it operates as a subsidiary of Warner Music Group, and is distributed by Atlantic Records.-Beginnings:...
. Other scenes sequence Carey dancing with Puffy in a golden indoor tunnel. As the video concludes, more staff from the helicopter join Carey in the golden entryway, as they dance an enjoy themselves.
Remixes
Several remixes were commissioned for "Honey", most notably the Bad Boy remix and the Classic mix, the latter of which appears on Carey's remix compilation The RemixesThe Remixes (Mariah Carey album)
The Remixes is the first remix album by American singer Mariah Carey, released in the United States on October 14, 2003 by Columbia Records...
(2003). The former is similar to the original version, with the addition of a new spoken intro from Carey in which she states, "I thought I told you, we won't stop." The string chords present in the original "Honey" are entirely excised from the Bad Boy remix, and it features rapping verses by The Lox
The LOX
The Lox are an American hip hop group composed of Jadakiss, Sheek Louch, and Styles P. They were originally signed to Sean Combs' Bad Boy Records before joining Ruff Ryders Entertainment, and are now a part of their own label, D-Block Records-Early career:...
and Mase (who did the bridge on the original version). The rap from Mase entirely replaces the second chorus of the song, while the Lox's parts replaces a section of the song's bridge. The song's main remix, "Honey" (Bad Boy remix), has an accompanying music video, with additional sequences directed by Paul Hunter. Much of the footage from the video is from the original, with few new scenes featuring Carey with Puffy, Mase and the Lox in a long golden tunnel flowing with water ("The Honey Tunnel"). During Mase's rap, Carey is rescued by them (rather than joining the sailors on the boat) when he lowers a rope into the ocean from his helicopter.
Another major hip-hop mix of the song was released: "Honey" (So So Def mix), produced by 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 :...
and featuring rap verses from him and Da Brat
Da Brat
Shawntae 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:...
. Carey re-recorded some of her vocals, but most lyrical and melodic structures were kept similar to the album version. The song uses a new sample from "It's Great to Be Here" (originally performed by The Jackson 5
The Jackson 5
The Jackson 5 , later known as The Jacksons, were an American popular music family group from Gary, Indiana...
), but it does not use "The Body Rock" melody from the album version and Bad Boy remix. The So So Def remix does use the sample of "Hey DJ", but in a different manner: both the album and Bad Boy remixes use the piano riff
Ostinato
In music, an ostinato is a motif or phrase, which is persistently repeated in the same musical voice. An ostinato is always a succession of equal sounds, wherein each note always has the same weight or stress. The repeating idea may be a rhythmic pattern, part of a tune, or a complete melody in...
from "Hey DJ", while the So So Def remix uses the line "Hey JD, won't you play that song, keep them dancing, dancing all night." David Morales
David Morales
David Morales is an internationally acclaimed Grammy-winning house music DJ and producer. In addition to his production and DJ work, Morales is one of the most prolific remixers of all time, transforming many pop music songs into club-friendly dance tracks...
created several dance remixes of the song, the most notable being "Honey" (Classic mix), and variations of this include "Honey" (Def Club mix), "Honey" (Rascal dub), and "Honey" (Boss Anthem mix). These give songwriting credit to the writers of "The Body Rock", although this is not sampled. Morales is also credited as a songwriter for the remixes, although they are close to the original melodic and lyrical structure of the original song.
Live performances
"Honey" was performed on various live television appearances as well as most of Carey's present and future tours. Carey first performed a mash-up of the song and the Bad Boy remix live on the British music chart program Top of the Pops in 1997. The performance incorporated themes from both videos, in which Carey was dressed in the same white bikini from the music video. Additionally, the stage was set up to resemble the deckDeck (ship)
A deck is a permanent covering over a compartment or a hull of a ship. On a boat or ship, the primary deck is the horizontal structure which forms the 'roof' for the hull, which both strengthens the hull and serves as the primary working surface...
of a ship. Dancers similar to the video joined Carey on stage as she performed the song. Carey performed "Honey" at the 1998 World Music Awards. The performance garnered her a standing ovation, and featured many male dancers, all donning sailor costumes. After the second verse, a large projection of the Bad Boy remix video played while pre-recorded rap verses from Puffy played. A live performance of the song was taped via satellite and aired live in Japan, featuring similar costumes and themes as the others. Carey performed the song throughout her Butterfly World Tour (1998), which served as the accompanying tour for Butterfly. During her live routine of the song, various male dancers donned in similar sailor outfits joined Carey on stage. Serving as an intro to the song, Carey re-enacts the hostage from the video, and formulates her escape. The song's performance in Taipei, Taiwan was used as the official act of the song on Carey's 1998 concert DVD, Around the World, which featured live tapings from Japan, Taiwan, Australia and the US.
For her Rainbow World Tour
Rainbow World Tour
The Rainbow World Tour was a worldwide arena concert tour in the year 2000 by American R&B artist Mariah Carey.-History:Carey had released her ninth album Rainbow in November 1999 and decided to go on tour to promote it. Unlike her previous outing, the Butterfly World Tour, marked Carey's first...
(2000), the beginning of the original video served as the acts intro. As the music began playing, Carey emerged wearing a mini sailor suit and a matching headpiece. During the set, many male dancers joined Carey on stage, and re-enacted a similar performance than that of her previous tour. "Honey" was performed during Carey's following tour, the Charmbracelet World Tour
Charmbracelet World Tour: An Intimate Evening with Mariah Carey
Charmbracelet World Tour: An Intimate Evening with Mariah Carey is the name of Mariah Carey's 2003–04 worldwide concert tour. It takes its name from Carey's 2002 album Charmbracelet, which had been released six months earlier.-History:...
(2002–2003). The performances of the song throughout the tour were altered from those in 1997–98. The act began with the video intro like before, however the dancers featured, no longer bared any resemblance to the video. Male and female dancers joined, performing traditional and exotic dance routines. Carey dons a blue one piece mini skirt, and joins with some light dance moves. Carey continued performing the song throughout her 2006 tour, The Adventures of Mimi
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...
. The performance did not include any video intro, but did introduce a four-piece of male dancers dressed in sailor outfits. Carey wore a pair of black leggings, accompanied by a sparkling mini-bra. During the performance in Madison Square Garden
Madison Square Garden
Madison Square Garden, often abbreviated as MSG and known colloquially as The Garden, is a multi-purpose indoor arena in the New York City borough of Manhattan and located at 8th Avenue, between 31st and 33rd Streets, situated on top of Pennsylvania Station.Opened on February 11, 1968, it is the...
, Carey was joined with Sean "Diddy" Combs
Sean Combs
Sean John Combs , also known by his stage names Diddy and P. Diddy, is an American rapper, singer, record producer, actor, and entrepreneur. He has won three Grammy Awards and two MTV Video Music Awards, and his clothing line earned a Council of Fashion Designers of America award. He was originally...
(previously known as Puffy) on stage after the second verse. During her Angels Advocate Tour
Angels Advocate Tour
The Angels Advocate Tour is the seventh concert tour by American R&B singer Mariah Carey, in support of her twelfth studio album, Memoirs of an Imperfect Angel. The tour visited North America, also Egypt, Brazil and Singapore...
(2010) performance of the song, Carey donned a sparkling mini-Herve Leger
Herve Leger
Herve Leger, sometimes written as Hervé Léger , is a French fashion house founded by the designer currently known as Hervé L. Leroux.-History:Herve Leger was founded in 1985 by the designer currently known as Hervé L. Leroux...
gown, with a faux-fur snug jacket. During the song, male and female dancers joined her on stage, and performed up-tempo dance routines.
Formats and track listing
CD Single- "Honey" (LP Version) – 4:59
- "Honey" (Bad Boy Remix) – 5:32
US CD Maxi Single
- "Honey" (LP Version) – 4:59
- "Honey" (Bad Boy Remix) – 5:32
- "Honey" (Classic Mix) – 8:05
- "Honey" (So So Def Mix) – 5:11
- "Honey" (Classic Instrumental) – 7:32
RU CD Maxi Single
- "Honey" (LP Version) – 4:59
- "Honey" (Bad Boy Remix) – 5:32
- "Honey" (Classic Mix) – 8:05
- "Honey" (So So Def Mix) – 5:11
Credits and personnel
Credits adapted from the Butterfly liner notes.- Mariah Carey – 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...
, songwritingSongwriterA 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...
, co-producing - Puff Daddy – songwriting, co-producing
- Stevie J. – songwriting, co-producing
- Q-Tip – songwriting, co-producing
- Bobby Robinson – songwriting
- Stephen Hague – songwriting
- Ronald Larkins – songwriting
- Malcolm McLaren – songwriting
- Larry Price – songwriting
Peak positions
| Chart (1997) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australian Singles 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... |
8 |
| Austrian Singles Chart Ö3 Austria Top 40 Ö3 Austria Top 40 is the name of the official Austrian singles chart, as well as the radio show which presents it, aired Fridays on Hitradio Ö3. The show presents the Austrian singles, ringtones and downloads chart. It premiered on 26 November 1968 as Disc Parade and was presented by Ernst Grissemann... |
39 |
| Belgian Flanders Singles 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... |
30 |
| Belgian Wallonia Singles 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... |
29 |
| Canadian Singles Chart Canadian Singles Chart The Canadian Singles Chart is currently compiled by the U.S.-based music sales tracking company, Nielsen SoundScan . The chart is compiled every Wednesday, and is published by Jam! Canoe on Thursdays.... |
1 |
| Dutch Singles Chart 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... |
8 |
| Dutch Singles Chart (Alternative) | 15 |
| Finnish Singles Chart | 12 |
| French Singles 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... |
39 |
| German Singles 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... |
38 |
| Irish Singles Chart Irish Singles Chart The Irish Singles Chart is Ireland's music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by the Irish Recorded Music Association and compiled on behalf of the IRMA by Chart-Track. Chart rankings are based on sales, which are compiled through over-the-counter retail data captured... |
19 |
| Italian Singles 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.... |
10 |
| Japanese Singles 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... |
39 |
| New Zealand Singles 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... |
3 |
| Spanish Singles Chart | 4 |
| Swedish Singles 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 .... |
8 |
| Swiss Singles 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... |
23 |
| 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 ... |
3 |
| US 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... |
1 |
| US Billboard Hot Dance Club Play | 1 |
| US Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs 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,... |
2 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100 Singles Sales | 1 |
End of year charts
| End of year chart (1997) | Position |
|---|---|
| Australian Singles Chart | 50 |
| Canadian RPM Singles Chart | 18 |
| Dutch Singles Chart | 105 |
| Italian Singles Chart | 84 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100 | 32 |
Sales and certifications
| Provider | Certification |
|---|---|
| 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 |
| United States (RIAA 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... ) |
Platinum |