Honey (Mariah Carey song)
"Honey" is a song by American singer and songwriter Mariah Carey from her sixth studio album, Butterfly (1997). It was released as the lead single from Butterfly on July 29, 1997, by Columbia Records. The song was written and produced by Carey, Sean Combs, Kamaal "Q-Tip" Fareed and Steven "Stevie J" Jordan. The song samples "Hey DJ" by World-Famous Supreme Team and "The Body Rock" by the Treacherous Three. "Honey" was a redefining song in Carey's career, pushing her further into the hip hop scene.
"Honey"
"Honey" (Bad Boy Remix)
July 29, 1997
1997
The Hit Factory (New York City)
5:00
- Mariah Carey
- Sean Combs
- Kamaal Fareed
- Steven Jordan
- Stephen Hague
- Bobby Robinson
- Ronald Larkins
- Larry Price
- Malcolm McLaren
Mariah Carey
- Sean "Puffy" Combs
- The Ummah
- Stevie J
- Mariah Carey
"Honey" was acclaimed by music critics, who called Carey's musical transition "genuine". "Honey" was successful in the United States, becoming Carey's third single to debut atop the Billboard Hot 100, setting the record for most singles to debut at number one, a record she held for 23 years, until it was broken by Ariana Grande. It stayed at number one for three consecutive weeks. "Honey" also topped the charts in Canada and reached the top-ten in Australia, New Zealand, Hungary, Poland, Spain, Sweden and the United Kingdom. The song was nominated in two categories at the 40th Annual Grammy Awards, for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance[4] and Best R&B Song.[5] Carey included the song in the setlist 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 suggestive and less conservative image of Carey than had been previously seen. The video features Carey being held hostage in a mansion, which she escapes in a James Bond–themed plot. Subsequent scenes see 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 coverage, as many comparisons were made 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 long-time writing partner, felt they were more than obvious.
Composition[edit]
"Honey" is an up-tempo song, that blends hip hop and R&B genres.[1] 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.[9] Carey's vocal range in the song spans from the low note of C3 to the high note of B♭5; with the piano and guitar pieces ranging from G♭3 to G♭5.[9] The track was very different from anything Carey had ever recorded, and was described as "street Hip-Hop music, with a booming bass."[1] 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.[1] "Honey" is built around a bassline sample from Treacherous Three's "The Body Rock" and a piano motif reprised from "Hey DJ" by The World's Famous Supreme Team.[1] 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."[1] 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.[6]
The song's Bad Boy Remix features rap leads from Jadakiss and Styles P of The LOX (Sheek Louch, the third member, appears in the music video) and Mase, with some vocals rapped by Combs himself. The song's So So Def Remix features rap leads from Jermaine Dupri and Da Brat.
Chart performance[edit]
"Honey" was Carey's third single to debut atop the Billboard Hot 100. Additionally, the song became her 12th chart-topper, breaking the fifth place record she had shared with Madonna and Whitney Houston.[16] 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".[16] 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.[16] "Honey" was certified double-platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), denoting shipments of over two million units.[17] The song stalled at number two on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs (behind "You Make Me Wanna..." by Usher), spending 22 weeks in the chart.[18] "Honey" finished number 32 on the Billboard end of year chart for 1997.[19] In Canada, the song debuted on the RPM Singles Chart at forty-eight on the RPM issue dated August 18, 1997,[20] and reached the top of the chart on September 22, 1997.[21] It was present on the chart for a total of 20 weeks,[22] and ranked 18 on the RPM Year-end chart for 1997.[23]
The song debuted on the UK Singles Chart on September 6, 1997, at its peak of number three, becoming Carey’s 13th top ten single, and spent a total of eight weeks in the chart.[24] "Honey" is Carey's 15th best-selling single in the United Kingdom as of 2010, with estimated sales of over 200,000.[25] 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.[26] 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.
Credits are adapted from the Butterfly liner notes.[38]