Dreamlover (song)

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"Dreamlover"
A 23-second sample from "Dreamlover"'s second chorus. The snippet demonstrates the use of the sampled hook and loop during the chorus and bridge.
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"Dreamlover" is a mid-tempo pop [7] and R&B track with hip hop influences. [8] The song begins at a moderate pace of 100 beats per minute before moving to a "pop-rock groove" of the same tempo after the introduction. It has the sequence of Fmaj7–Gm7–Fmaj7–Gm7 as its chord progression. Carey's vocal range spans three octaves and seven semitones from the low note of F3 to the high note of C7. [11]

The song was written and produced by Carey and Hall, with additional work done by Afanasieff, who added a slightly altered instrumentation. [9] "Dreamlover" samples the hook and a musical loop from "Blind Alley" by R&B group The Emotions. The sampling provides a "backbone" for the instrumentation and production, as well as being inter-looped in the bridge. [9] Carey uses a whistle register to introduce the first verse.

In his review, Jozen Cummings from PopMatters described the song as "pure, frothy pop." [12] Cummings felt Afanasieff's usage of the Hammond B3 organ added "an old school vibe" to "Dreamlover", as it harmonizes with the "extremely catchy musical hook." [12] Cummings describes the theme of the lyrics:

"... the lyric is a description of, and a call for, the mythic Dreamlover; someone to take her away, to 'rescue' her. Fluffy-seeming stuff, to be sure (and possibly cringe-inducing for some folk), but very possibly also an expression of the simplest of romantic dreams: to find the 'right' person; someone who makes you feel taken care of, loved, safe." [12]

Cummings called the second verse's first lines "Don't want another pretender / To disillusion me one more time / Whispering words of forever / Playing with my mind" an "interesting mix of innocence and very grown-up cynicism and world-weariness." [12] Wayne Robins from Newsday compared the vocals to "Motown and Philly soul singing," while praising Afansieff's inclusion of the Hammond B-3 for the way the "riffs provide a nice organic contrast to the synthesizers that dominate the record." [13]

Critical reception

"Dreamlover"
Mariahcareysingle dreamlover.jpg
Single by Mariah Carey
from the album Music Box
B-side "Do You Think of Me"
"Someday"
ReleasedJuly 23, 1993
Genre
Length3:53
Label Columbia
Composer(s)
Lyricist(s) Mariah Carey
Producer(s)
Mariah Carey singles chronology
"If It's Over"
(1992)		"Dreamlover"
(1993)		"Hero"
(1993)
Music video
"Dreamlover" on YouTube
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [14]
Stereogum 8/10 [15]
Sunday Sun 7/10 [16]

"Dreamlover" received universal acclaim from critics, [17] many of whom praised its production, the sampling of the hook, and the vocals. In reference to the common criticism that Carey over-sings and over-uses her upper registers, Cummings wrote "truth is, she is never crass in the use of her amazing instrument. On 'Dreamlover', especially, she keeps a close, tasteful rein on the acrobatics." [12] Ron Wynn from AllMusic called it personal and intense. He enjoyed Carey's more mature vocal style on the album, as well as the usage of the hook and the instrumentation. [18] J. D. Considine from The Baltimore Sun called its melody "breezy", [19] while The Buffalo News's reviewer described it as "a sassy, pop rocker with a dance beat". [20] Larry Flick from Billboard said it is "direct, unfussy, and profoundly pretty". He added, "The production is elegant but appealingly simplistic. Mariah's openhearted singing is up front, where it belongs, with a funky snare and kick-drum just a subtle half-step behind. The gliding, devotional pledge culminates in a lovely vocals-only tagline." [21] Troy J. Augusto from Cash Box named it Pick of the Week, stating that Carey "tones down the vocal histronics[sic] here, her seductive, captivating voice flowing smoothly and beautifully on this sprite, sparsely produced love song". [22] David Browne from Entertainment Weekly felt the singer's soft singing and lack of volume was hurtful to the song, saying she "lost herself." [23] He thought the hook was catchy, but overly familiar. [23] In 2018, the magazine noted the track's "glorious, frolicking-in-cutoffs groove." [24] Blogger Roger Friedman from Fox News named "Dreamlover" and "Vision of Love" Carey's best, calling them "the original hits." [25]

Dave Sholin from the Gavin Report said that the song is "a pop delight." [26] In his weekly UK chart commentary, James Masterton noted, "This new track debuts strongly then, and being far more catchy and original than most Mariah Carey material may well breach the Top 10 at least." [27] Chris Roberts from Melody Maker praised Carey, who "sings with consummate power, grace and range over a Janet-swing lagoon of a track, both languorous and sassy." [28] Alan Jones from Music Week gave it four out of five and also named it Pick of the Week, deeming it as "an ultra-commercial, hook-laden and impeccably sung confection" that "starts with a supersonic screech and ends with an a capella tag." He added further, "In between, Carey exercises more restraint than usual in the vocal gymnastics department to great effect, proving that sometimes less is more." [29] Jeff Silberman from The Network Forty described it as "a delicious midtempo pop gem, bolstered by in-the-pocket instrumentation, Carey's pristine vocals and a velvet production sound". [30] A reviewer from People Magazine felt that "with its appealing girlish playfulness, it’s the kind of breezy pop she excels at." [31] Tom Moon from The Philadelphia Inquirer called the song "irresistibly bubbly". [32] The Plain Dealer noted that it "starts out with one of those upper-register vocal runs that can make dogs howl and shatter glassware in neighboring states." [33] In a retrospective review, Pop Rescue stated that Carey's vocals "are confident, strong, and also perfectly partnered to this chilled out track", adding it as "wonderful" song. [34] While reviewing Butterfly (1997), Rich Juzwiak of Slant Magazine praised the song's incorporation of the "Blind Alley" hook, saying it was done "as sweetly as possible." [35]

Entertainment Weekly listed the song as one of "The 100 Greatest Moments in Rock Music: The 90s"; it was their top pick for 1993. [36] "Dreamlover" received a Grammy Award nomination for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance. [37]

Chart performance

"Dreamlover" was Carey's seventh number one single on the US Billboard Hot 100, topping the chart in its sixth week and stayed there for eight consecutive weeks (September 5 to October 30, 1993)—her longest stay at the time. [38] It replaced "Can't Help Falling in Love" by UB40, and was later replaced by Meat Loaf's "I'd Do Anything for Love (But I Won't Do That)." It spent 26 weeks in the top 40 and was ranked number eight on the Hot 100 1993 Year-End Charts and 20 on the Decade-End Charts. [39] [40] The song was certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) on September 22, 1993, denoting shipments of over one million units throughout the United States. [41] It sold 935,000 units domestically. [42] "Dreamlover" holds the joint title of the highest debuting song on the Billboard Pop Songs chart, entering the chart at number 12 on the week dated August 14, 1993, being tied by Taylor Swift's "Shake It Off" in 2014. [43] In Canada, "Dreamlover" became Carey's fifth number one single on the Canadian RPM Singles Chart, debuting at number 60 on the chart during the week of August 14, 1993. [44] Three weeks later, the song reached the chart's number one position; it spent six consecutive weeks at the top and a total of 21 weeks on the singles chart. [45] [46] On the RPM Year-End Charts, "Dreamlover" finished at number two. [47]

"Dreamlover" entered the Australian Singles Chart at number 41 during the week of August 23, 1993, eventually reaching a peak of number seven and spending a total of 21 consecutive weeks on the chart. The song was certified gold by the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA), denoting shipments of over 35,000 units throughout the country. [48] [49] In New Zealand, "Dreamlover" reached a peak position of number two on the New Zealand Singles Chart and spent sixteen weeks fluctuating on the chart. The Recording Industry Association of New Zealand (RIANZ) certified the song gold for shipments of 7,500 units in the country. [50] [51] On the Dutch Top 40, "Dreamlover" debuted at number 36 during the week of August 28, 1993. After attaining a peak of number nine, the song dropped off the top 40 after a chart run of 13 weeks. [52] On the yearly charts, the song finished at number 69. [53] In Switzerland the song peaked at number thirteen and spent sixteen weeks on the singles chart. [54] On the UK Singles Chart, "Dreamlover" reached its peak position of number nine during the week of September 4, 1993. [55] It spent a total of ten weeks on the chart, exiting on October 23, 1993. [56] Sales in the United Kingdom are estimated at 150,000 units. [57]

Music video and remixes

The accompanying music video for "Dreamlover" was directed by Diane Martel and filmed in Copake, New York in June 1993. [58] It was published on Mariah Carey's official YouTube channel in November 2009. The video has amassed more than 35 million views as of September 2021. [59] It features scenes of Carey swimming in a small pond by a waterfall, boarding a colorful hot air balloon, and dancing alongside several shirtless male dancers. [7] As the video begins, Carey is swimming underwater while wearing clothing. She is soon gasping for air and climbing into a flower bed above. As she frolics and rolls in a field, scenes of Carey boarding a hot air balloon are intercut. [7] Her dog Jack makes an appearance, as he follows her through the field and pond. After a short interval of dancing alongside several male dancers, Carey leaves with her dog as the video concludes. [7] After filming the video, Carey revealed that the water was so cold that she refused to swim until the director, Martel, dived in first. Author Chris Nickson felt the video captured the song's soft and relaxed nature: "The casual feel, almost like clips from home movies edited together, captured the song's off-the-shoulder airiness." [7] The video received heavy rotation on several music video channels, which added to the song's chart performance. [7]

"Dreamlover" marked the first time Carey was given creative control over remixing her songs. She enlisted David Morales to create the Def Club Mix; it was the first of Carey's remixes to use re-recorded vocals. [7] An officially-released live version of "Dreamlover", derived from the television special Here Is Mariah Carey (1993), is available. "Dreamlover" B-side track ("Do You Think of Me") was written and produced by Carey, Afanasieff, Cory Rooney, and Mark Morales. [7] Kelefa Sanneh from The New York Times complimented the remix, writing "[It] is a revelation: after a long percussion break, he isolates a few of Ms. Carey's ad-libs; her ultrafalsetto vocals sound spookier than all of Basement Jaxx's sound effects combined." [60]

On August 7, 2020, along with the celebration of the 30th-anniversary of her debut studio album Mariah Carey (1990), as well as Carey celebrating 30 years in the music industry, the song was released as an eleven-track extended play, titled Dreamlover EP, which contains the remixes from the US CD maxi-single, as well as previously unreleased remixes, including 'Def Club Mix Edit', 'Def Club Mix Edit 2005', 'Theo's Club Joint' and 'Bam Jam Soul'. Her live performances at Madison Square Garden for the TV special Fantasy: Mariah Carey at Madison Square Garden (1995), and at Proctor's Theatre for the TV special Here Is Mariah Carey (1993), were also included on the EP. [61]

Live performances

Mariah Carey performing "Dreamlover" on The Adventures of Mimi Tour in 2006 Mariah Carey Dreamlover Adventures of Mimi.jpg
Mariah Carey performing "Dreamlover" on The Adventures of Mimi Tour in 2006

Carey performed "Dreamlover" on several telecasts in the United States and throughout Europe. She performed the song live on The Arsenio Hall Show with "Hero" as a two-piece set-list. [7] Carey performed "Dreamlover" at British music program Top of the Pops, the Dutch program Platendaagse, and the Japanese program Music Fair . [7] In a promotional effort for her seventh studio album Rainbow, Carey filmed a FOX special titled The Mariah Carey Homecoming Special, a mini-concert filmed at her old high school in Huntington, New York. It was aired on December 21, 1999. [62] "Dreamlover" served as one of the opening numbers. The song was performed on June 1, 2003, at The Today Show as part of a three-song set alongside "Yours" and "Bringin' On the Heartbreak" as a promotion for Carey's 2002 album, Charmbracelet. [63]

Track listing and formats

Credits and personnel

These credits were adapted from the Music Box liner notes. [70]

"Dreamlover" was recorded at Right Track Studios, New York, and mixed at Sony Music Studios, New York.

Charts

Certifications and sales

RegionCertification Certified units/sales
Australia (ARIA) [134] 6× Platinum420,000‡
Canada (Music Canada) [135] Gold40,000‡
New Zealand (RMNZ) [136] Gold15,000‡
United Kingdom—150,000 [57]
United States (RIAA) [41] Platinum1,000,000 [42]

‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

Release history

Release dates and formats for "Dreamlover"
RegionDateFormat(s)Label(s)Ref.
United StatesJuly 23, 1993
  • 7-inch vinyl
  • cassette
  • CD
Columbia [41] [137]
August 2, 1993 Radio airplay [138]
United KingdomAugust 9, 1993 [139]
JapanAugust 21, 1993Mini CD Sony Music Japan [140]
CanadaSeptember 21, 1993Maxi CDColumbia [141]
VariousAugust 7, 2020EP
 [142]

See also

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<i>Music Box</i> (Mariah Carey album) 1993 studio album by Mariah Carey

Music Box is the third studio album by American singer-songwriter Mariah Carey. It was released by Columbia Records on August 31, 1993. The album comprises ballads primarily written by Carey and Walter Afanasieff, with whom she had previously worked on Emotions (1991), and a few urban dance tracks. During the course of the album's development, Carey wanted to broaden her audience, choosing a more pop/R&B oriented sound. During this time frame, she experimented with different musical instruments, leading the album's sound away from her more contemporary previous two efforts.

<i>MTV Unplugged</i> (Mariah Carey EP) 1992 live EP by Mariah Carey

MTV Unplugged is a live EP by American singer-songwriter Mariah Carey, released in the United States on June 2, 1992, by Columbia Records. Following the success of Carey's previous two albums and the growing critical commentary on her lack of concert tours and unsubstantial televised performances, Sony organized a live performance show at the Kaufman Astoria Studios, New York on March 16, 1992. The show, titled MTV Unplugged, originally aired on MTV to help promote Carey's second album Emotions, as well as help shun critics who deemed Carey a possible studio artist. However, after its success, the show was released to the public as an EP, with an accompanying VHS titled MTV Unplugged +3.

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