These Are Mariah Carey's Most Personal Songs
.jpg)
Mariah Carey released her self-titled debut album in 1990 and scored four number one hits. She would eventually rack up 19 in total, the most for any solo artist on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. Carey became a superstar singer whose voice is widely considered one of the best in popular music. She dominated the 90s, earning a number one song in every year of the decade.
However, in addition to her vocal range, Carey also has talent as a songwriter. Carey has co-written every song on her albums except for her covers and her duet with Whitney Houston, "When You Believe." She even co-wrote the modern Christmas classic, "All I Want For Christmas Is You." Carey has often pulled from personal experiences and wrote songs that are autobiographical.
Here are eight of Mariah Carey's most personal songs.
8 Looking In
When Mariah Carey married Tommy Mottola in 1993, it was one of the biggest show business weddings in history. The glamour of the event, however, wasn't at all what actual married life was like for Carey. In various interviews and her 2020 memoir, Carey describes married life as incredibly stifling. Carey has said she felt like a prisoner in her own home and accused Mottola of emotional abuse. Carey poured her unhappiness into this song, which was the final track from her 1995 album "Daydream."
7 Close My Eyes
Carey performed her first full concert in 1993 for an NBC special. The show came during Carey's commercial peak with her blockbuster album "Music Box." After the taping the show, Carey came up with the first verse of this song while she was taking a bath. Years later, when she was leaving her first marriage, Carey came across the song and finished writing it. The song was finally released on her 1997 album "Butterfly." It is an autobiographical song that deals with the traumas Carey experienced as a child.
6 Petals
This song was included on Carey's 1999 album "Rainbow." Although Carey has confirmed it is about people who are no longer part of her life, its exact subjects have never been revealed. Fans have speculated that the first verse is about Carey's sister Alison, while the second verse is believed to be about Mottola's two children from his first marriage. The "Valentine" in the final verse is believed to be Mottola himself. Carey performed this song on her "Rainbow Tour" and was emotional while singing it.
5 Sunflowers for Alfred Roy
In the aftermath of Carey's career setback with Glitter, she found out her father was ill with cancer. Carey was by his side during the ordeal and visited him often. She spoke with her father about their misunderstandings toward each other and cleared everything up. Carey even said that she discovered her father's pride in her music career, something she didn't believe he cared about. When recording her next album, "Charmbracelet," Carey wrote this song for her father.
4 Side Effects
Carey has been open about the hard time she had in her first marriage. When she released "The Emancipation of Mimi" in 2005, Carey made a career comeback. Her music was successful in a way it had not been since the late 90s. It felt like Carey finally escaped the grasp Mottola allegedly had on her. However, on her next album, Carey would reveal that those dark days still haunt her. This song is from the perspective of Carey after escaping the relationship, confessing she still feels the side effects from the pain.
3 I Wish You Well
Throughout her life, Carey has dealt with those who mistreated her. In her memoir, Carey described difficult situations with her mother, siblings, and other kids who bullied her. When she became a big star, she endured a painful marriage and a judgmental public who misunderstood her. One thing Carey always kept close to her, however, was her spirituality. This gospel track quotes Bible verses and talks about forgiving those who mistreated you. The song says that the best way to handle such situations is to wish the person well.
2 Supernatural
In 2008, Carey married Nick Cannon. The two were together for several years and had twins in 2011. Carey had a very difficult pregnancy and spoke about her experience in interviews. When working on her album "Me. I Am Mariah... The Elusive Chanteuse," Carey decided to write a song for her children. She not only wrote the song for them, but featured them singing on the track as well. It adds an extra personal layer to the track that makes it even more sentimental. It also makes it more special for Carey and her twins.
1 Portrait
In 2018, Carey released her album "Caution," which ended up being her most critically acclaimed work. The working title of the album was "Portrait," after this song. However, Carey changed the title to "Caution," as it better suited the album's overall vibe. This song still made it onto the track list, however, appearing as the album's final track. It's a personal and introspective song that finds Carey reflecting on her difficult experiences. In the song, she talks about how she's still her childhood self deep down.
ncG1vNJzZmivp6x7tbTErZ%2Bippeoe6S7zGiroZ2jmnqivsRmpJqqmZa1bq%2FAq5yyq12ivLTAjKmcq6ufo66tedKopaCrXw%3D%3D