Mariah Carey Genius Level: The Full Interview on Her Iconic Hits & Songwriting Process
Genius2018-11-16
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894K views|5 years ago
💫 Short Summary
In a recent interview, Mariah Carey discusses the deeply personal and therapeutic process of writing her songs, the meaning behind her lyrics, and the creation of her albums, providing a behind-the-scenes look at her music career.Mariah Carey discusses her songwriting process and the significance of her song 'Close My Eyes', mentions her upcoming album 'Caution', and offers advice to young female songwriters to prioritize writing their own songs and holding onto their publishing rights.
✨ Highlights
📊 Transcript
✦
Mariah Carey talks about her song 'Outside' being about her experience as a biracial person and not feeling like she fits in with the norm.
31:49The song is deeply personal and about not having someone to connect with who understands her experience.
People with different backgrounds have also found the song relatable in their own situations.
✦
Mariah Carey discusses the inspiration behind the song 'Looking In' and the real her.
34:47The song is about her smiling through tears and hiding her insecurities.
Mariah Carey wrote the song in 15 minutes as a therapeutic moment for herself.
The lyrics are a reflection of her most honest and deep feelings.
✦
Mariah Carey talks about the impact and legacy of her song 'All I Want for Christmas Is You'.
39:35The song has become a Christmas standard that people play as the holiday season approaches.
Mariah Carey credits Tommy for suggesting she do a Christmas album, but she wrote the song from the perspective of someone who didn't grow up with a lot of money.
She wanted to make the record sound classic and timeless.
✦
Mariah Carey discusses the importance of the album 'The Emancipation of Mimi' in her career and the song 'Fly Like a Bird'.
44:46The album was a response to the perceived downfall of 'Glitter' and the less successful 'Charmbracelet'.
Mariah Carey worked with Pharrell and Jermaine Dupri on the album.
The song 'Fly Like a Bird' was written with Big Jim, who passed away.
✦
Mariah Carey talks about the inspiration behind the song '8th Grade' and the raw emotion captured in the track.
52:23The song is about a tumultuous time in her life, feeling insecure and melancholy.
The title '8th Grade' reflects the rawness and unmanufactured feeling of that moment.
✦
Mariah Carey discusses her approach to writing and the influence of hip-hop on her music.
58:29She values the impact of her lyrics on others, even if they don't fully understand her specific meanings.
Mariah Carey acknowledges her love for hip-hop and how she incorporated a reference to her own song 'Breakdown' in a new track.
She was flattered by Drake's use of her sample in his song 'Emotionless'.
✦
Mariah Carey discusses the song 'Close My Eyes' and its significance as a snapshot of her life.
01:01:54'Close My Eyes' is a personal and obscure sounding record.
Carey started writing the song, stopped, and then picked it up again.
The song reflects a lot of truths about her life.
People have told Carey that the song helped them get through serious abusive situations.
✦
Mariah Carey expresses pride in 'Close My Eyes' as a songwriter, despite it not being her most famous or well-known song.
01:02:53The song is a meaningful snapshot of her life.
People have shared that the song helped them through difficult situations.
✦
Mariah Carey believes the favorite song is up to the fans to decide, and mentions 'portrait' from the upcoming album 'Caution' as a song she is looking forward to seeing the reaction to.
01:03:39The favorite song is subjective and can span different periods of time.
Carey is curious to see how fans will react to the song 'portrait' from the album 'Caution'.
✦
Mariah Carey's advice to young female songwriters is to not let anyone dissuade them from writing their own songs and to hold onto their publishing rights.
01:04:37Don't let anyone discourage you from writing your own songs.
Hold onto your publishing rights.
Encouragement to express yourself and write your own songs.
00:00[Music]
00:15 there was a moment when I was able to
00:17 say if I do this I don't want to be
00:21 forced to do other people's material
00:22 please incorporate that into your
00:24 fabulous contract and then you know
00:26 we'll take it from there
00:31[Applause]
00:36[Music]
00:42[Music]
00:46 I'm an easy to make some noise for the
00:48 one the only
00:51[Music]
01:06[Music]
01:10 thank you you've accomplished so much in
01:13 your career I mean we're talking about
01:14 over 200 million records so the Grammy
01:17 Awards five Grammys 18 number-one
01:19 singles all of the accolades um is
01:21 amazing and we celebrate you for that
01:23 but at the core of that you know
01:26 everything starts with with with a song
01:28 with a lyric with the songwriting
01:30 process and we want to celebrate Mariah
01:32 Carey the songwriter thank you so much
01:36 it's so great to hear that to feel the
01:39 acknowledgment of the songwriting
01:40 because often times people put that as a
01:42 secondary thing and for me it's always
01:44 been like the top of the gifts that I
01:47 could ever be congratulations on your
01:52 nomination to the to the songwriter Hall
01:54 of Fame thank you it's just amazing so
01:57 it feels like the universe smell like
01:58 the stars are really aligning for this
02:00 conversation um I want to go back to the
02:03 beginning with you because you were
02:05 around music it's been well-documented
02:07 your whole life your mom is the singer
02:09 and was a vocal coach so music was
02:11 always the thing that was in your life
02:12 but I was wondering when was the first
02:15 time that you note that you stopped and
02:17 know this great songwriting you know
02:22 what's so interesting that no one has
02:23 ever asked me that question before so
02:25 that's kind of big because I've been
02:27 asked a lot of questions I used to think
02:34 that when you heard the person on the
02:37 radio that they wrote the song that it
02:39 was always their song so I didn't
02:42 understand it it took a while for me to
02:44 understand like no not everybody writes
02:46 their own songs I didn't I didn't get it
02:49 and then like I guess later on when I
02:53 was like 12 or 13 I started doing demos
02:55 for people as I was like a you know just
02:57 a demo not just a demo sing a demo
02:59 singing is an art right we love that but
03:01 I started doing that and then I realized
03:04 that I didn't really like some of those
03:05 songs that I was singing but it didn't
03:07 matter because it was they were paying
03:09 me to be there so I was like hey little
03:10 just sing me nice song whatever and
03:12 that's well at 12 years old you you that
03:14 was my firt like I did background vocals
03:16 for my mom's friend's son who's now
03:19 passed away but I did that wasn't my
03:20 first paying back you'll get paid at 12
03:24 yeah I walk to the session but yeah you
03:29 ain't walk in the sessions no more
03:30 that's for sure I would I would so so at
03:36 12 years old you you first really
03:38 started to kind of notice I would notice
03:41 the material and be like okay I don't I
03:43 feel like this could be better but I
03:45 didn't understand like okay like I had
03:47 always been writing like I wrote poetry
03:49 when I was little oh I would I would
03:51 write poetry and little things and make
03:53 up melodies and I didn't realize like Oh
03:55 put that together and I'm gonna be
03:58 writing songs and so I guess what
04:01 happened was as I grew up I started
04:04 writing I would you know I'm really
04:06 terrible on piano like I'm the worst but
04:08 I've written some of my biggest songs on
04:10 the piano but you know playing so it's
04:13 kind of like I don't do it in front of
04:14 people that can actually play right do
04:19 you remember the first song you wrote
04:21 funny you should ask me that um I
04:26 remember the first poem that I don't
04:29 know if it was the first one but it was
04:31 it was more of a poem than a song was
04:32 called a dream you know shockingly but I
04:39 remember it and I actually still have it
04:40 on the wall it's framed it was in Rocky
04:42 rose room with a little rainbow on there
04:44 I didn't really go too far beyond that
04:48 no there there was no me I didn't I
04:50 never wrote a melody to mo it was so
04:53 dreams and rainbows was also you know
04:55 always a theme from a long time I was
04:57 always looking for the positivity and
04:59 things we're gonna find all the
05:01 positivity oh yeah actually one of the
05:05 songs and thank you that was it wasn't
05:07 the first song I ever wrote cuz there
05:09 were some other songs that I that I
05:10 wrote before I could collaborate with
05:13 people I had to do the music and and
05:17 record music and stuff too so I work
05:18 with some different people with that but
05:20 one of the songs from my first album
05:21 called alone in love I had started
05:25 I had started working on that like years
05:28 before and then it evolved
05:30 it's amazing the the the journey of a
05:33 song before we actually even get the
05:34 area on the radio and and hopefully we
05:37 get a lot of stories like that tonight
05:38 because that's really what we want to
05:39 get in so um in 2015 you know varieties
05:44 this you said you said that sweet in
05:48 2015 about listening to your demo now
05:52 playing hypnotized my teenage ephemeral
05:54 version and now I don't know where it is
05:56 I got to find it again but that song was
05:59 the best song on that demo that envision
06:01 of love were my favorite songs on that
06:03 demo and I I don't know where it is now
06:08 and they were like the label was like
06:10 it's too hard and be and now I realize
06:13 why because it was kind of like a sparse
06:15 record with just chords and and like the
06:18 I like to be and it was a pretty melody
06:21 kind of like a minor like haunting kind
06:24 of a sound and I would have loved it on
06:27 the first album but but so you don't
06:32 know where it is now because you had in
06:33 a 2015 what I'm getting that is yeah
06:35 sweet things like that now play it and
06:37 then we get jealous like why can't we
06:39 play it so it's been a rocky road for
06:41 those three years so I'm pretty sure
06:43 someone swiped that demo but I don't
06:47 know I don't know we'll find it again
06:50 we'll find it actually that would have
06:53 been a great idea to redo that song or
06:56 just put the demo out for this album but
06:57 who knows what we'll find it I wanted to
07:00 ask you one thing because you know the
07:03 labs also are part-time detectives he on
07:09 it online a few years ago there was this
07:13 Mariah demo that leaked and nobody knew
07:17 if it was real and pressing play no it's
07:22 not and people have been I don't think
07:24 it was me you know we're talking about
07:26 no I just don't think I did anything
07:28 like I don't think that that was you
07:30 were a rubber well we didn't exactly
07:32 have time to sit there and do that I was
07:34 do you know when I was making my demos
07:35 it was like kind of like we had to do
07:38 things
07:38 in the moment like I didn't have the
07:40 money or the time to be messing around
07:43 making videos and pressing play and like
07:46 meandering about and I didn't yeah but
07:50 we found a little piece on the end if I
07:52 could play you this can you say I knew
07:54 we were gonna get into this type of a
07:56 moment I knew it I actually thought this
07:59 upstairs I was like they're gonna hit me
08:00 with a secret video I'm gonna have to
08:01 look at it I just confirmed if you must
08:06 this is the most important thing we
08:08 could talk about all the same let's see
08:16 this is this is vanishing I believe
08:23[Music]
08:29 okay that's kind yes that's the demo
08:37 okay shame it sounds like the demo yeah
08:43 I haven't heard the demo in forever but
08:46 I liked the demo we like the demo I
08:49 don't know if I still like it I don't
08:51 know what I don't know what I like all
08:53 right listen
08:54 see I told you I got shot at night right
08:55 so we've got the problem case closed
08:59 mags all right you know I read you know
09:03 we did a lot of research for this
09:05 interview and one of your early
09:07 interviews at the start of your career
09:09 you had talked about this process that
09:11 you had of keeping a tape recorder by
09:13 your bedside where you would record
09:15 melodies and you know you would get
09:17 ideas and you would just put it down on
09:19 the tape recorder and I wonder has your
09:22 process changed much from that like you
09:24 know now we got little smartphones and
09:26 voice notes and stuff like what's your
09:28 process like for songwriting like you're
09:30 just like chilling in the kitchen and
09:31 you get an idea so what's the process
09:33 for you I mean it's sort of like I'll
09:38 have to stop everything I'm doing and go
09:40 and record the melody and yeah it used
09:44 to be a little tape recorder by the bed
09:46 and then it was I would call myself on
09:48 the phone and just record it and now
09:51 it's it's voice notes but I mean
09:53 sometimes I'll just stop myself from
09:55 getting too much of an idea I'm like I
09:57 can't do this
09:58 learn how to wait and let me just record
09:59 this part and then and then just stop
10:01 because I'm afraid it's too much of a
10:05 thing to get into if I'm not gonna
10:06 finish the whole thing sometimes I'd
10:08 rather work with like I like working
10:11 with people that I feel are just great
10:13 musicians like great piano players so I
10:16 can articulate something to them and
10:19 they can kind of like be a vessel that I
10:24 can work through like on this album I
10:26 work with Daniel Moore I know we're
10:27 gonna get there but Daniel Moore is my
10:30 musical director and he and I wrote a
10:33 song called portrait for this album and
10:36 yeah I'm looking forward to being able
10:39 to for you guys to hear it cuz it's a
10:41 very personal
10:42 and we got together we had never written
10:46 before and we got in the studio and we
10:49 just sat at the piano because he's so
10:51 good that I was just like I was just
10:54 pushing like in terms of the chords and
10:57 where we were going melodically and just
10:59 in terms of song structure just to make
11:01 it different than things I had done
11:02 before but to keep it in the vein that I
11:04 was what I was hearing so it's like
11:07 having that is such a luxury to me you
11:10 know I mean because a lot of stuff when
11:11 I first started writing was with maybe
11:14 not someone that wasn't necessarily a
11:16 piano player they might have been a
11:17 drummer and they second it like they
11:19 played keys as a second thing and then I
11:21 would kind of like it would take a long
11:23 time for me to articulate what I was
11:25 hearing do you know what I'm trying to
11:27 say I don't I don't know if I just went
11:28 on an unnecessary tan oh we're here
11:31 first of all the tangents are necessary
11:35 because no no you you really you really
11:37 said wait this is my next question
11:39 because you know songwriting is a very
11:41 personal thing and a very sacred thing I
11:46 would imagine so but at what point was
11:49 the next question do you decide in the
11:51 process to invite others and so you know
11:53 if you worked with some also legendary
11:55 artist which is songwriting as well and
11:57 collaborated so at what point do those
11:59 collaborations start to happen um you
12:02 know it really depends on the moment on
12:04 the song sometimes people will say let's
12:06 write together let's write together and
12:07 it he just kind of made a moment pop
12:11 into my mind when I was working on the
12:12 album rainbow great thank you
12:19 Diane Warren said to me you know because
12:22 she she's her own like she's we love
12:25 Diane which but it's no we do but she
12:29 she will make sure you know like look my
12:31 songs frickin great song like he got a
12:33 live it and so and I love her I really
12:36 do she's one in a million and she was
12:39 like let's get together and let's work
12:40 so I had written a song called can't
12:42 take that away Mariah's theme
12:45 yes he's got the rainbow tour book right
12:48 there and I went to her place in Malibu
12:52 and sang her the basically most of where
12:55 what I was hearing and then we kind of
12:58 like we finished writing it together so
13:01 sometimes I'll bring an idea to somebody
13:03 that I know is gonna have some input and
13:05 some you know bring something else to
13:08 the table and but that was very much my
13:12 experience that I was going through at
13:13 the time that song you know it was like
13:15 they you know they can say anything they
13:17 want to say it was I was going through
13:19 like trying to get I will let the lamb
13:21 when we finish that for me
13:23 I was I was leaving uh you know we're
13:26 back at Sony we love sony Sony is great
13:28 but at that time I had to break free
13:31 from that and so it was kind of like an
13:34 anthem for that and then they were like
13:36 you know they didn't really support that
13:38 one but you know we still like it you
13:42 gotta love it we love it they gotta love
13:43 it oh you know it's great first of all
13:46 it's is it's really a dream to be here
13:48 because you know I think so often we
13:50 talk about your voice yeah iconic style
13:53 yeah influence and very rarely do we
13:55 talk about songwriting and I know the
13:57 the the nomination for the Songwriters
14:00 Hall of Fame just happened but you know
14:04 we were kind of formulating this even
14:06 before we knew that was coming down so
14:08 again like the stars are aligning but my
14:10 question is do you feel like you get
14:12 enough credit as a songwriter and if
14:14 edit and if not why not because I want
14:17 to get to the stigma of what it is okay
14:22 wait get to the stigma that do you feel
14:27 you get we gonna get to that that we got
14:29 a whole section section we actually have
14:33 one we're gonna get to outside we gonna
14:36 get to looking at our profit issues
14:40 but do you feel like you get the credit
14:42 that you deserve as a songwriter well I
14:46 mean look I don't think a lot of first
14:48 of all the average person who's not a
14:50 fan or doesn't follow what I do or
14:52 whatever they'll be like oh you you
14:55 write songs you know they just don't
14:56 know because it's not something that I'm
14:58 not seen sitting behind a piano or
15:01 strumming a guitar and for the most part
15:04 so they're like you know I mean I've had
15:07 those moments but that's not really what
15:09 people associate me with so I feel like
15:11 I can't expect people to know it would
15:15 make me happy it makes me extremely
15:17 happy when people say you know a song
15:20 has affected their lives something that
15:23 I've written that's come from a very
15:24 personal place has affected or impacted
15:26 upon somebody else in in an important
15:29 way you know what I mean everybody has
15:35 their favorite and you have is this
15:38 amazing cuz you have such a clear vision
15:39 for yourself and and as I'm sitting here
15:41 just talking you in these few moments it
15:43 seems that you've always had a clear
15:45 vision for yourself since since the
15:46 teenager um was it hard like first
15:50 getting signed like was there moments
15:52 when maybe the label tried to have songs
15:55 delivered to you and you had to you know
15:57 give number no no honestly okay so when
16:03 I got signed we know I was very young
16:05 and I didn't really I didn't know what
16:09 was going about the music business I
16:11 don't accept that I wanted to be a part
16:12 of it but there was there was a moment
16:17 when I was able to say if I do this I
16:21 don't want to be forced to do other
16:22 people's material so you you know please
16:26 incorporate that into your fabulous
16:28 contract and then you know we'll take it
16:30 from there but that was the one thing
16:34 that I should have said so many other
16:35 things but I didn't that was the one
16:37 thing but at least I still own my
16:39 catalogue and you know what I mean
16:44 you know did this one song and forgive
16:50 me cuz I know you talking about this
16:51 song for years and years and years but
16:53 it's such an iconic song one of your
16:54 many number ones here oh I just wanna
16:59 hit just the taste just to taste can we
17:01 here just just the taste
17:03[Music]
17:09[Music]
17:18 it's a little emotional a little
17:20 emotional because we're so long I was
17:22 like okay I cuz I didn't take me long
17:24 time to write this song it wasn't like a
17:26 whole thing
17:28 not long because anyway honestly it
17:33 wasn't it the first part of it was a
17:35 gift I was we were talking about about
17:38 this movie starring Dustin Hoffman
17:40 called heroes go hero
17:42 yeah and then I'm not gonna get into a
17:46 long drawn-out thing about anybody or
17:48 anything but Tommy Mottola was there and
17:52 and and to his credit he was like yeah
17:59 they want you they want Gloria to do
18:02 this song and Luther's doing a song
18:03 there were a few people that were doing
18:04 me yes and and then they explained the
18:09 top what the movie was about I walked
18:11 out of the room went went to another
18:14 room came not gonna go into every detail
18:16 but I started having a with the words to
18:22 hero and it just right from that moment
18:26 I went back in the room and I was like
18:27 okay here's what I'm hearing and I said
18:29 I sang it to Walter and I was like this
18:31 is how it goes and then Tommy was like I
18:35 think you need to keep that one for
18:36 yourself don't give that away so so
18:41 thank God I did but um I also because I
18:45 he didn't say that until maybe like a
18:48 little bit after we developed a song a
18:49 bit more and I'm always thinking like
18:52 because I was thinking of somebody else
18:54 I wasn't like trying to write it in all
18:56 kinds of like like too high of a key or
18:58 make it too intricate and then it just
19:00 became the simplicity of it was part of
19:03 the appeal
19:04 I think this amazing and it's not you
19:06 said it came together very quickly and
19:08 here we are really 25 years we don't
19:12 know numbers we don't we don't we don't
19:13 we don't we don't we don't what I'm
19:15 getting at we don't and my math is
19:17 horrible what the sort of point I don't
19:21 quite recall exactly when it was
19:26 but we really talk about the time this
19:29 is amazing I want to get into it so
19:33 another session in the interview and
19:34 again we're giving you all your flowers
19:36 tonight I'm and I saw you look over
19:39 there I'm in figured those guys I love
19:42 those
19:43 peony I picked them out you did they're
19:45 beautiful I'm just happy there's some
19:49 flowers here okay hip hop look I'm a hip
19:55 hop baby we're the hip-hop generation
19:56 and I think we really take for granted
19:59 now especially with streaming there was
20:01 a time when Rock was rock n roll pop
20:04 music was pop music R&B was R&B hip hop
20:06 was hip hop and you didn't blur those
20:08 lines and you couldn't blur those lines
20:09 I remember certain radio stations
20:12 wouldn't play hip-hop you know we always
20:14 got a credit people like DJ you know
20:17 Rajee Diddy
20:19 Trackmasters mary j blige where I carry
20:24 you made it cool for rappers to jump on
20:29 our beat raps on top tracks you you were
20:34 one of the pioneers of this and allowing
20:38 them to be themselves like music was
20:40 trying to figure out how to blend
20:41 hip-hop with pop and R&B and couldn't do
20:43 it and and I feel like those Mariah
20:46 Carey tracks are really important for
20:47 just the evolution of hip-hop I feel
20:49 like you had a vision where did that
20:51 come from because it wasn't normal it
20:53 wasn't the thing to do at the time well
20:56 first of all thank you that's a very
20:58 that's very flattering I was just trying
21:00 to express myself I grew up in New York
21:04 here in New York and remember just you
21:09 know listening to the same records
21:11 everybody grew up listening to that
21:13 couldn't help if you listen to the radio
21:15 you heard all these all these incredible
21:18 hip-hop records and I wanted to
21:22 incorporate those beats into records
21:25 that I was making because that's what I
21:27 liked it was my personal taste it wasn't
21:30 like you know that I'm gonna try to be
21:31 cool and it wasn't like that at all I
21:35 mean when we use the
21:36 genius of love sample for fantasy I was
21:39 a tri Playland and I was listening to
21:41 the radio and they had upstate New York
21:43 and they had genius of love was on the
21:46 radio and I was looking out and I was
21:47 like you know what I should use this and
21:50 and resample this so so we did that and
21:52 then eventually did the bad boy remix
21:54 and you know that's still one of my
21:57 favorites and but it was a struggle to
22:00 be able to be allowed to do that like it
22:03 wasn't like oh my gosh this is such a
22:06 great idea thanks we're gonna sell lots
22:08 of Records too because of this they were
22:09 like what is she doing they really
22:13 didn't understand and it just became a
22:15 thing and then even when you know I was
22:17 fortunate enough to have ol Dirty
22:19 Bastard on the record cuz I was a huge
22:20 fan may he rest in peace I was a huge
22:25 fan of 36 chambers and I was like come
22:27 on and so I was like so excited just
22:31 just stuff just literally like a fan
22:33 like I can't believe this is happening
22:35 but certain people were like I could do
22:38 that what is that what is he doing and
22:40 I'm like no no no no just trust me it's
22:44 we're good funny you should mention
22:47 fantasy I want to have a sing-along like
22:51 to here here we go the wig was his idea
23:04 the wig was his idea first of all recipe
23:07 so DBS he would have celebrated a
23:10 birthday um this week I'm actually his
23:13 birthday is tomorrow man so really just
23:14 doors and prayers to his family and his
23:17 back to see well it's act and I remember
23:20 running out to Macy's trying to get that
23:21 Hilfiger rugby it's funny that you
23:26 mention rye Playland because that's
23:27 where you shot the video Moriah one
23:30 thing also that people don't may not
23:33 know or may not give you credit for you
23:34 direct your videos if you look at this
23:36 just photo right there look at Moriah
23:37 behind the camera the record manager
23:40 what I did I did direct that video and
23:42 the best part of it was when oh D B was
23:45 there and he was like he wanted the wig
23:49 he made the stylist take him to the mall
23:51 and and get that wig and he kind of
23:54 caused a ruckus in the mall it was just
23:58 like you couldn't write this stuff like
24:01 it was just like classic moments right
24:04 no amazing um and you know one thing
24:07 that I took notice of again the video
24:09 direction you talked about hearing the
24:10 sample while you know at in and around
24:13 Robben Island as a video director does
24:16 that process start with the songwriting
24:18 process like when you're writing are you
24:20 already knowing like I know what the
24:21 video is gonna be I can see it in my
24:22 head is that seamless you know I think
24:25 for some people the videos are more
24:27 important almost than the music for me
24:29 it's always how does the song makes me
24:31 feel I started directing videos by
24:35 default because I wasn't allowed to work
24:39 with the people that I wanted to work
24:40 with no offense to anybody that I did
24:42 work with I just it was like anybody
24:44 that was pushing the limit with like
24:47 sensuality or you know we're gonna push
24:50 her in that direction they weren't
24:52 invited they just weren't invited to the
24:55 party so I had to like step in and do my
24:57 own homogenized version of what I really
25:00 wanted to be doing which I didn't
25:01 actually start doing until honey honey
25:03 was my favorite I'm gonna put you on the
25:09 spot real quick look don't be political
25:13 don't worry about it
25:14 but I mean you work with everybody jay-z
25:16 NAS the LOX Meister Bratz Missy Elliott
25:19 who is also nominated to song who's been
25:23 your favorite to work with say you know
25:27 what you didn't mention bone
25:28 thugs-n-harmony that was a moment - yeah
25:33 when they play because earlier we were I
25:35 was upstairs I'm not gonna lie I was
25:37 changing the ensemble and things and I
25:39 heard breakdown and I and I was
25:41 remembering I'm not gonna tell this
25:45 story because I want to save it for my
25:46 book but there is a very intense story
25:49 about when I when I first sang breakdown
25:52 and um and then you know we ended up
25:55 merging it with bone and and what they
25:58 were doing because obviously the song is
25:59 totally inspired by what they were doing
26:01 and their cadence
26:02 stuff like that so thank you so I still
26:08 believe your mix yes I enjoy that crazy
26:10 bone I'm sorry I'm responding to lammle
26:18 as always once again tonight we're
26:22 celebrating glitters number one yes you
26:26 also have this great job and credit to
26:28 the producers that you work with but you
26:30 know that the samples you know when you
26:32 talk about the genius a lot of sample no
26:35 you know what you're gonna kill I mean
26:38 when we talk about Stacey ladders so
26:39 it's a cute name game I have to give DJ
26:41 Clue credit for that one that that came
26:44 from clue and Stacey Lattisaw wait
26:51 that's what world famous Supreme Team
26:53 hey DJ for honey and then my personal
26:56 favorite I just want to hear my personal
26:59 favorite like you over another sample
27:02[Music]
27:12 the room that's my that is my favorite
27:16 is that your favorite yeah it's it is
27:20 like I like from that album I would say
27:23 that that because okay so I was driving
27:26 home to when I lived upstate New York
27:29 yeah I'm not gonna say I'm also I'm
27:32 writing my memoirs right now I'm writing
27:33 a book
27:34 so I'm trying not to give it all away
27:39 you know I could tell you but we'd be
27:42 here all night and I know everybody's
27:44 good
27:44 we also when I was I was driving upstate
27:48 and I was listening to the radio and I
27:49 was listening to shook ones and I was
27:51 like you know and then I I said I really
27:53 want I started singing the melody of the
27:55 the hook on top of the original mobb
27:58 deep version and so then I ended up in
28:02 the studio with tone and poke of
28:04 Trackmasters and told them I wanted to
28:06 do that part and then you know such as
28:09 such as such bridge and so and so and
28:12 then happy can rest in peace to prodigy
28:16 yes yeah the greatest problems of all
28:18 time
28:18 but I do have a question about this
28:20 particular lyric um first of all when I
28:23 hear shook ones right and again I'm just
28:25 from that era I want to fight like is
28:28 it's just like huh well it's it's got
28:29 like a yes I know what you're saying
28:31 there's like a foreboding thing about it
28:33 like it's dangerous the beat itself is
28:35 like sorry it's foreboding those um we
28:39 got a whole section about vocabularies
28:41 we get there I don't I don't I'm not
28:44 doing it to try and impress anybody
28:46 I literally have like I don't know I
28:49 don't even know how to explain it but
28:51 yes it has a darkness about it so how do
28:54 you get just me the way my mind works
28:56 and this is a credit to how your mind
28:58 works
28:58 this is poetic this Lou Gramm my
29:00 apprehension blew away I only wanted to
29:03 taste my sadness as she kissed me in the
29:05 dark yeah I wouldn't have heard more
29:07 deep and thought of those lyrics but you
29:09 did and it worked well
29:14 thank you you know what I always wish
29:16 that that had been a bigger record
29:18 because it was my favorite song and it's
29:21 just it makes me sad because I mean it
29:23 shouldn't make me sad because the fact
29:25 that everybody in this room pretty much
29:26 knows the song makes me very proud and
29:29 happy cuz I loved making the record I
29:32 loved everything about the video the
29:34 whole thing and working with mob deep
29:36 they actually got on this the remix and
29:39 so um but you're right it wouldn't it
29:41 doesn't feel like you're gonna write a
29:44 love song on top of it but the song is a
29:46 true story
29:47 and that's all I'm gonna say thank you
29:49 and good night I guess you got to get
29:53 the book y'all we anyway okay I want to
30:00 go outside all the hits all the number
30:02 ones or the award winning records that
30:04 we know we hear on the radio and we
30:06 stream millions and millions of times
30:07 there's these beautiful rent and deep
30:10 cuts a lot of times it's the last album
30:12 that you know the lamb the lambs like
30:14 where we really learn about you where we
30:17 really become connected somewhere I
30:20 carry um one of my favorites is outside
30:23 can we just
30:25[Applause]
30:26[Music]
30:28 let's play
30:34[Music]
30:40 beautiful it makes me so happy that
30:44 people actually even know this song
30:46 because this is like a I've never done
30:50 this in concert even when the butterfly
30:52 album was new like we never did it right
30:56 but it stands alone as his own thing is
30:59 kind of like you know it saved my life
31:03 to writing thank you for saying that
31:05 seriously and and and for me I mean my
31:10 mom and dad are here I'm biracial so
31:14 nice to meet you I'm biracial growing up
31:20 sometimes it was hard figuring out you
31:23 know I grew up fine but there are some
31:25 days when it was hard but you just quite
31:26 didn't fit in you know in one place or
31:28 the other and I remember you being one
31:31 of the first celebrities that I saw
31:33 openly talked about being biracial and
31:35 embracing all the size of you and
31:38 everything that made you and you know I
31:40 felt connected to you in that way and
31:42 then obviously hearing this song um for
31:45 you in writing this where did the
31:47 inspiration what place were you in when
31:49 you began writing this well I think the
31:54 whole butterfly album was like a certain
31:58 sense of freedom and then also like a
32:00 lot of yes definitely faith and a lot of
32:03 introspective moments and this was
32:06 completely about being biracial this is
32:08 from top to bottom that's what it was
32:10 about it was about not just being
32:12 biracial but being me and not feeling
32:15 like everybody else and needing somebody
32:19 and yet never having that person to
32:22 connect to and say oh they're the same
32:24 as as me oh wow like I'm okay like I'm
32:27 not some weird alien from another and
32:30 yet I am something but but it really was
32:34 me being like I don't even know what she
32:36 said but yeah I'm here for it
32:39 haha I am here for it but um yeah so so
32:45 outside I've met people that have
32:47 tattoos and say outside that have the
32:49 lyrics written or outside so anytime
32:50 people are have connected with that song
32:53 it's someone that kind of doesn't feel
32:54 like they fit in with what's considered
32:57 the norm and for me
33:00 it always had a lot to do with being
33:02 biracial because like I said ambiguous
33:05 without a sense of belonging to touch
33:07 that's how I felt I felt like I didn't
33:09 fit into the boxes that people cut out
33:12 for us to be put into so they can feel
33:14 more comfortable do you know what I mean
33:16 that's what I was in writing something
33:19 so personal though because different
33:21 people connect to this in different ways
33:23 you know anything that makes us
33:26 different and I think this is the beauty
33:28 of the song that is so personal but so
33:30 relatable even if you're not biracial
33:32 you know you may be you know gay or you
33:35 know you may be tall you may be short
33:36 you can you know whatever your different
33:39 is a lot of people have told me yes it's
33:41 helped them with when they were coming
33:43 out it's helped them you know feel like
33:45 they could you know what it is I think
33:47 everybody just needs somebody to kind of
33:50 say hey like I've been through that too
33:52 with whatever the situation is like I've
33:54 been through that and then you could
33:55 feel like okay it's not so far-fetched
33:57 that I exist did you intend for that to
34:00 happen or was it that you were just
34:02 writing something so deeply personal and
34:03 it just turned out that way yeah another
34:10 song that let's look we're not gonna
34:11 play but we're gonna show lyrics I want
34:12 to show lyrics to looking at you know
34:14 it's funny again because looking in is
34:18 the last song or daydream just just like
34:19 outside was the last song or butterfly
34:21 and I feel like again as a fan that's
34:23 really a payoff when you when you get an
34:24 album more than just a singles and
34:26 listen to an album and you really learn
34:27 about your favorite artists but these
34:30 lyrics um I'm not gonna sing it but it
34:34 seems as though I've always been
34:35 somebody outside looking in well here I
34:37 am for them to bleed but they can't take
34:39 my heart for me and they can't bring me
34:41 to my knees they will never know the
34:43 real me
34:47 who is the real Mariah well I mean if
34:51 you the verse before that go she smiles
34:53 through a thousand tears and harbors
34:55 adolescent fears she dreams of all that
34:58 she can never be she Wade's in
35:00 insecurity and hides herself inside of
35:02 me that but I'm not I'm not saying that
35:07 from a place of like oh my gosh look at
35:09 my deep lyrics I'm saying that what you
35:13 did and we're gonna get today but but
35:16 the truth is that song I wrote that one
35:18 in like 15 minutes when I was living
35:21 upstate New York in a very having huge
35:24 success but I'm not gonna talk about
35:27 this because I just don't want to hurt
35:29 anybody's feelings anymore we've all
35:31 been through enough but but the truth is
35:34 is like that needed to be written
35:37 I had to write that as like a
35:38 therapeutic moment for myself and yet
35:42 certain people got annoyed with me when
35:44 I wrote that because I was being honest
35:46 I was it was like the most honest I had
35:49 ever been in terms of like lyrically so
35:52 it just the melody the lyrics came out
35:54 of me and then of course we share credit
35:55 with people because we do and it is what
35:58 it is sometimes sometimes they fully
36:01 deserve it sometimes when it's such an
36:02 expression of you it's like okay and you
36:05 listen to a song and where else could
36:07 this come from
36:08 right no one else is conjuring that up
36:10 right you know but it it was it really
36:13 needed to be said from you know in terms
36:15 of my being able to exist I had to
36:18 breathe you know and I wasn't able to do
36:21 that in my in my life darling I couldn't
36:25 sing mary had a little lamb right now
36:27 I'm lucky I'm still awake I just had a
36:30 shot of espresso and here we are okay we
36:33 get really emotional right now
36:34 we'll be remiss if we didn't go can we
36:37 just hit one more emotional touchstone
36:40 please kind of can I hear one sweet day
36:42 please just a little bit just a little
36:43 bit
36:48 oh this is so nice thank you for having
36:54 me here
36:57[Applause]
36:59 I really appreciate it I want to talk
37:02 about this record in particular again
37:05 you hold so many records you've written
37:06 more number-one hits than any female
37:08 songwriter Ashley wore more than any
37:11 song right look the Beatles right shout
37:14 to the Beatles max Martin has his fair
37:16 share
37:17 number ones Mariah Carey like it's a
37:19 very exclusive club that has have
37:21 written these number one hits um you
37:23 have the most consecutive years with the
37:25 number one hit like you you hold so many
37:26 records you own boys two men hold the
37:28 record for the longest running number
37:29 one song in the Hot 100 but one sweet
37:32 day for 16 weeks tied shout out to Lewis
37:36 Vaughan see also streaming you know
37:38 things are changing but how much of that
37:41 is in your mind when you're writing
37:43 these records do you write one sweet day
37:45 and in this session and like oh this is
37:48 just gonna kill him why you know it's so
37:51 interesting the way that song came about
37:53 so I had written a little bit of the
37:56 song and I was like I really want to
37:58 work with boys two men on this I had the
37:59 concept and we reached out to them and
38:04 when we got together we sat down and
38:07 Nate had been writing something because
38:09 they had lost their road manager and so
38:12 it was the same concept and very similar
38:18 melodically to the point where we put
38:20 there's a remix that's very obscure that
38:23 I'm sure not everybody has heard but
38:25 there's a remix of it with a different
38:27 slightly different melody and lyric that
38:29 was what Nate was working on and we
38:31 pretty much put them together and ended
38:34 up shooting the video same day I mean
38:36 they were so massive at the time I was
38:38 like if we don't get this done at the
38:39 same day we're never gonna have a video
38:41 for this song so let's just do it and
38:43 and we weren't like oh it's gonna be
38:45 number one for so and so many days we
38:47 had no idea but I mean we we hoped it
38:49 would be big you know how important all
38:52 those records are to you a you know
38:55 holding on to sixteen weeks and again we
38:58 know that streaming has kind of changed
38:59 the game
39:00 and it's slightly different do you
39:02 really pay attention to that stuff what
39:03 it does well I feel like one sweet day
39:05 has its own moment no matter whatever
39:07 happens with streaming and everything
39:09 else it still did what it did and
39:11 continues to you know be a song that
39:14 people will tell me helped to change
39:15 their life or helped them cope with the
39:18 death of a loved one or something like
39:20 that so um you know I'm I'm still very
39:23 gonna be proud of that song I matter
39:25 what happens with streaming speaking of
39:30 the hot 100 speaking on Billboard we're
39:33 gonna have to go here there is there's
39:35 one song that no matter what every year
39:38 we'll hit that side Halloween passes
39:44 Thanksgiving starts to approach the
39:46 weather gets a little cold up yeah on
39:48 the East Coast and we're all playing
39:50 this
39:51[Music]
39:55[Applause]
39:57 but the background set
40:01[Music]
40:09 again we're giving all the flowers I
40:12 Mariah I think you've written the
40:14 Christmas standard for an entire
40:15 generation actually two three
40:18 generations like at a time when doing
40:20 Christmas records wasn't even cool like
40:23 artists would run from it like I'm not
40:26 doing a Christmas and Mariah you made
40:28 Christmas cool I love you but I can't
40:34 say credit for that
40:34 that Santa guy Christmas is the best see
40:38 I actually believe that then people will
40:41 ask me how do you write a holiday so I
40:43 have two Christmas albums not everybody
40:44 knows that yeah um and I love it I
40:48 genuinely love it that's the thing but I
40:50 will say that it was Tommy it come to me
40:55 and said you know I think you should do
40:56 a Christmas album and I was like really
40:58 like at this moment in my career so he
41:02 was right he was obviously he was right
41:04 I can never take that away from him um
41:07 but I did have to sit back and go what
41:10 do I really want to write about
41:10 Christmas like what are the things that
41:12 come to my mind and I got into it and
41:14 then I was like I'm just gonna write
41:15 from the place of that kid that didn't
41:17 grow up with any money that always
41:19 wanted to have the most festive
41:20 Christmas and somehow people I was
41:23 related to would come in and ruin the
41:26 holiday every year not all the people I
41:30 was related to just a select few all due
41:35 respect to everybody they're not festive
41:37 and it would ruin it and I was like you
41:40 know what I just want to do the most
41:41 festive thing I can do so when I grew up
41:43 I'm gonna make this the best holiday
41:45 ever
41:45 and I just I you know every year it's
41:49 just like I'm like look do not ruin
41:51 Christmas for me I will never forgive
41:53 you so I put everything into having a
41:57 festive holiday and that's what I put
41:59 into that song and I it's it amazes me
42:00 that people like ended up singing it
42:04 every year or we making it or doing but
42:12 but even the style of song I want to
42:14 give a nod to you because even watching
42:15 that video we played the sixties one you
42:18 know kind of gives like a Ronettes
42:20 mob or something like when you went to
42:22 like because you really took us back to
42:24 a place I feel like well when I made the
42:27 record um I was trying to make a classic
42:30 sounding record I didn't want to make it
42:33 sound like cuz it was the 90s but I
42:35 wasn't like okay I want this to be like
42:36 a real nineties record I wanted it to be
42:38 timeless and so that was the goal you
42:42 know what I mean and I feel like that's
42:47 the only reason that's one of the
42:48 reasons why it transcends different
42:50 things because a lot of people feel like
42:51 they think it's a it's a remake people
42:54 are like you know who was the original
42:55 person I did that song I'm like I guess
43:04 it should be flattering right you know
43:07 because that was my goal I didn't want
43:09 it to sound like something that was new
43:11 you know so um yeah we're gonna skip
43:18 ahead a lot I want to talk about the
43:19 emancipation of Mimi what an album ten
43:26 million copies worldwide we belong
43:28 together top to Hot 100 for 14 weeks
43:30 straight with all of your previous
43:33 success just thinking about this album
43:35 as a whole um what were the things
43:39 important to you like going in writing
43:41 this album did you approach it
43:43 differently than anything you had done
43:44 like where were you and your career and
43:46 kind of your writing process um well
43:50 here's the thing this came after the
43:54 album charm bracelet which not everybody
43:58 knows I mean I know I'm glad that some
44:03 people know I love subtle invitation I
44:05 love alibi those songs yours was a fun
44:09 one yes and and that came after glitter
44:15 justice with leather yah
44:17 justice for glitter today we celebrated
44:20 but when it came out on September 11
44:23 2001 of course I was one of the worst
44:25 days in history of course that said it
44:29 wasn't a time for a festive
44:32 or soundtrack or whatever you know
44:34 nobody was really thinking about that
44:36 and so fast forward to the fact that it
44:39 almost ruined my life but and I let it
44:43 because I had put so much into that you
44:46 know
44:46 forget the movie but the soundtrack I
44:48 really you know I think if there's some
44:50 really good songs on it
44:52 but I love lead the way never to fly but
44:59 an even love a boy for whatever it's
45:01 worth which would have been a different
45:04 song but then I'm not gonna get into
45:06 that story oh my gosh there's so many
45:12 stories so did you have masturbation to
45:18 me me what was there a little edge that
45:20 you had see you at that point what I'm
45:23 getting at is I was coming out of okay
45:25 so glitter was I was like people looked
45:28 at it like oh that's her downfall that's
45:29 it so then I signed with Universal Doug
45:33 Morris and I had this incredible meeting
45:35 and he was like you know I believe in
45:36 you such as such and I you know we we
45:40 did the charm bracelet album but I think
45:42 had they released different songs from
45:44 that album it would have done better but
45:47 you know everybody was like oh let's
45:49 have a sob story that's released through
45:51 the rain I wrote it I'm not hating on my
45:53 own song a little bit maybe but I'm not
45:55 I don't mean to and I do love um but I
46:02 you know with that album it was like
46:05 there was something to prove and then we
46:08 didn't really prove it because it wasn't
46:10 a big hit um and then I mean you know
46:13 what I still love that album I really do
46:16 there's some songs that I really love
46:18 but then when I was working on the
46:20 emancipation of Mimi it was much more
46:22 like let me just really really go deep
46:26 and and just try my best and not that I
46:29 didn't try my best friend charm bracelet
46:31 but it was like we for the first time I
46:33 work with with Pharrell and you know
46:36 everybody loved they were like say
46:38 something he's to be the first single
46:39 and then when la Reid came to the label
46:42 he was like did you work with Jermaine
46:45 yet I'm like
46:45 no we haven't gotten back together and
46:47 work together and then we got together
46:49 and because we had written always be my
46:51 baby fellas yeah we really do I love JD
46:57 he's like one of my favorite people
46:59 germanish and um and then the
47:02 emancipation of Mimi became this this
47:05 record that I still love so much to this
47:08 day and I also want to say rest in peace
47:11 to Big Jim right because we wrote fly
47:15 like a bird together and through the ups
47:17 and downs that we went through you know
47:21 he was a brilliant musician and so in
47:24 circle somebody said circles before yeah
47:27 sure right that was young genius that it
47:30 was 15 years old he did the beat for
47:31 that we would sing yeah your girl you
47:34 know scram Jones mm-hm that was Kanye
47:36 yeah yeah but we but these are all
47:39 different beats and things and music
47:40 that we worked on and then I had to
47:43 bring myself to the table so that I
47:46 become the through line on all of these
47:48 records because otherwise it's like
47:49 disjointed stuff otherwise it's like
47:51 you're working with a bunch of producers
47:53 and who is who's the artist
47:57 that's amazing
47:59 oh this that's what we alluded to
48:01 earlier and again I want to give you the
48:02 credit for this just this next part of
48:04 the interview I named this part of the
48:07 interview Mariah cab you Larry that is a
48:12 new one that I haven't heard yet if you
48:15 love it you could keep it if you can
48:16 hate it
48:17 I'm keeping it okay I give to you so
48:23 we're gonna flash quickly some lyrics on
48:25 the screen just some beautiful words
48:27 that we never hear in song and and I
48:29 want to give you credit for it um from
48:32 my all on the butterfly album emblazoned
48:36 amazing um let's go to heartbreaker from
48:39 rainbow light I've never said the word
48:42 is Cecily in my life and so singing this
48:44 and I thought about it when I used it I
48:46 was like you know what is that too much
48:48 did I go too far there another word
48:53 let's go to melt away
48:55 rhapsodize
48:57 then you do it again what did I do that
48:59 rhapsodize again I know I know I used it
49:03 twice these are the moments that I dread
49:05 when I'm writing and I'm like wait a
49:07 minute but I use that I'm gonna be like
49:09 an obscure song and I'm like but some of
49:10 the fans are gonna notice they're gonna
49:12 notice and then finally your 2014 album
49:16 me I'm Mariah the elusive chanteuse
49:21 what was it I'm trying not to look too
49:24 far that way because the lighting
49:25 directors gonna be like darling it's not
49:27 a good angle no just just just the album
49:29 side I didn't know what chanteuse oh the
49:33 elusive chanteuse I had to look it up
49:34 when the album came out before the
49:37 interview I was right um I think it's
49:41 amazing I think you know I'm spoken to
49:43 to fans who English wasn't their first
49:46 language and shouts and that who helped
49:50 me prep and research for this interview
49:52 has told me a story is that English
49:55 wasn't her first language and listening
49:57 to music and particularly Mariah Carey
49:58 records helps her you know like learn
50:02 English and we just don't hear these
50:05 words and there's so many words to
50:06 choose from when we hear the same words
50:07 and the same songs over and over again
50:09 and I think just the way you creativity
50:11 have just come up with these words that
50:13 we never hear where does that come from
50:14 like you challenge yourself to do that
50:16 does it just come on naturally honestly
50:18 sometimes the first thing I think of and
50:20 then I have to dial it down and be like
50:22 like I said like incessantly like with
50:25 heart breaker I mean it's such a poppy
50:26 that cute song and then you like but
50:29 incessantly did they really know what
50:31 that means and then I'm like you know
50:33 what I'm just gonna use it because if
50:34 you don't know then you know and I don't
50:40 even know like where it comes from
50:43 sometimes but it's just I think when I
50:45 was growing up my mom and dad had it
50:47 they would use words that I didn't know
50:49 what they meant and then I have to just
50:50 learn them and I mean I am NOT a scholar
50:53 by any shape of the amount start to be
50:55 imagination but I happen to like somehow
50:58 throw these words and songs every now
51:00 and then like somebody said to me about
51:02 trepidation in in with you and it just
51:07 came to me it's not like I'm like let me
51:09 look up a word occasionally I'll look
51:11 things up so I don't repeat myself over
51:13 and over again but it's funny cuz okay
51:15 rock and roll are seven years old my
51:17 babies dem kids and I bring them on face
51:21 sometimes and then I'm like well can you
51:23 learn the words of the song cuz I'll be
51:25 doing like always be my baby cuz even on
51:27 that and I'm part of you indefinitely
51:29 they don't know how to say that and then
51:32 they say to me cuz they like have their
51:34 own favorite songs and stuff and they're
51:36 let us say to me
51:37 your songs are too many words they're
51:39 hard to sing I'm like okay these days I
51:44 mean really how dare they when they
51:48 start answering to spelling bees and
51:49 they're gonna love it when it's analog
51:52[Laughter]
51:55 fax all right guys caution out November
52:01 16th Friday can we get into the new
52:03 album
52:05[Applause]
52:18 yay do the kids know the words to this
52:23 one
52:23 oh well unfortunately they figured it
52:26 out but what they what they have turned
52:29 it into is get a fun cow I need a phone
52:34 cat I never realized I needed a fun guy
52:35 well you gotta get one yeah but
52:38 Christmas all I want is yeah I don't
52:40 like to merge those two songs honestly I
52:42 was like you know what this is just I
52:44 wrote it with BBB and I love her I love
52:47 her amazing we were in the studio
52:49 together and it was just the vibe 1985
52:52 to the beat and 1985 yeah so we were in
52:55 the studio and it was just like the vibe
52:57 of the record was like you know it's not
52:58 that serious
52:59 like sometimes it's just about a fun
53:02 moment and you know what I mean so it
53:04 was it became my anthem for her time I
53:07 was like you know it was so stressed I
53:08 was like this is my song I'm putting it
53:10 out I don't care
53:11 so the f-bomb right on the first thing
53:13 let's go take that but it wasn't even
53:15 like a real like it wasn't even like
53:17 it's like the single it was like just a
53:18 firestarter and I was happy that people
53:20 liked it cuz I was like you know what
53:22 this isn't I'm not saying this is my
53:24 world's greatest song but you know what
53:26 sometimes you need to just say like how
53:27 about you
53:28[Music]
53:32 how did you approach writing this album
53:35 going into caution what were the things
53:36 that were important to you as a
53:37 songwriter really it was just getting
53:40 back in the studio is like such a safe
53:42 place for me and the right environment
53:45 like I've I had been outside of that
53:47 environment for too long and doing too
53:49 many superfluous things that I really
53:53 didn't need to be doing and and then I
53:55 was just so happy to be back in the
53:57 studio and I really wanted to
53:58 collaborate cuz you know occasionally or
54:01 sometimes like the thing is like let me
54:03 sit alone and really rack my brain and
54:05 and write these lyrics because I need to
54:07 express that as a full vision but then
54:11 one of my favorite things to do is
54:12 collaborate and go back and forth like
54:14 stayed here with you and be like how
54:16 about this how about that like really
54:17 have a dialogue about it and then come
54:19 up with an end result and so I did a lot
54:21 of that on this on this record
54:24 though um with you I was listening to
54:27 with you mm-hmm
54:28 and you know we talked about break down
54:31 I love this live I just want to hear
54:34 this line on with you I think it's such
54:36 a just an incredible there can we listen
54:38 to a little just a little bit of with
54:39 you
54:41[Music]
54:52 breakdown first of all it's amazing we
54:56 talked about break down a little bit
54:58 earlier reason why they accepted because
54:59 I had a breakdown question okay here I
55:01 love that is self-referential over like
55:05 you have such a catalogue that you can
55:07 start referring on see yourself was this
55:13 a real pick-up line and somebody tell
55:14 you did I need the team people say stuff
55:17 like that that was we made that okay so
55:19 I was in the studio I'm working with my
55:21 friend Prince Charles who I love we
55:24 wrote two songs actually three one of
55:26 them we didn't use this song called
55:28 angels cry didn't make the album but and
55:31 I have never talked about that until
55:32 this until this moment and maybe one day
55:36 I'll record it but anyway I was like
55:40 let's reference that because it just
55:43 made sense Linda to use breakdown in the
55:45 next line was kind of like you know I've
55:47 never done that but I don't know if I've
55:49 done it before if I referenced and
55:50 another song I don't think so yeah oh
55:53 you'll always be a part of me no matter
55:56 what you do and for the record can't
55:57 nobody say didn't give my all to you yes
55:59 I told you underneath the stars that you
56:02 belong to me it's obvious that we just
56:05 can't let go of us honey
56:10 tt-they some detectives um but it felt
56:14 good to you like just this moment that
56:16 you could just heart back on something
56:17 that was so special to you
56:18 it really did it well only I I knew that
56:21 like that the fans would get it that
56:23 people who knew I knew that I'd have to
56:25 point it out to other people like
56:27 perhaps sitting in the interview or
56:29 something but I knew that people who
56:31 really knew the songs and that's what
56:32 really matters to me the most would
56:34 would get it and would like it for that
56:36 reason
56:40 amazing song this song is it now yet I
56:50 got to hurt a little bit of that but
56:52 we're not playing anything
56:53 no no November 6 - I want to save some
56:57 of the excitement because we did all
56:59 these instant grass
57:02 I just hope that was a smart thing to do
57:05 okay I just want to talk about one that
57:08 eighth grade okay is a dumb song when I
57:10 saw it on the tracklist thing I'm like
57:12 what is this about
57:13 right eighth grade and you have this
57:16 lyric you sing something is telling me
57:18 you're ready am I wrong
57:20 maybe the lyrics are too heavy in my
57:22 song yeah how would you feel if you had
57:25 me then I was gone yeah well eighth
57:28 grade was a very tumultuous year for me
57:31 darling you know I dyed my hair orange
57:34 the year before and I was trying to grow
57:37 it out but with the text read it just
57:39 takes a while it just wasn't good but if
57:42 that feeling of insecurity and being
57:44 like you know melancholy about things
57:48 that was why I just made a rough title
57:51 of eighth grade what's called eighth
57:52 grade rough and then we just took the
57:54 rough where I was like should we keep it
57:56 playing rough or just go at eighth grade
57:57 so it's eighth grade because at that
57:59 moment in time there's a there's a
58:01 certain feeling that you just can't
58:03 manufacture that it's like when you're
58:06 growing up and it feels like the world's
58:08 gonna come to it and if the person that
58:10 you have feelings for doesn't feel the
58:12 same way and that's what that song is
58:14 about amazing and maybe the lyrics are
58:19 too heavy in my song I just thought it
58:20 was such a fitting line but today do you
58:23 sometimes feel like that like as a
58:25 writer like oh man this is just gonna go
58:27 over their heads I guess we kind of
58:28 talked about a little bit with them the
58:29 with you line breakdown reference but do
58:31 you feel it all they're not gonna get
58:33 this it's not that I ever feel like
58:36 people aren't gonna get this they might
58:37 not get what it means to me specifically
58:40 you know what I mean but it's not it's
58:42 not about that because if it affects
58:43 somebody else and they can apply it to
58:45 their life and that's the most important
58:48 thing okay yeah give it up and we talked
58:52 about hip hop and your love for hip hop
58:53 and and and I mean you are a part of hip
58:56 hop like Mariah Carey is no no you said
59:03 below came across something yeah yes
59:05 I feel like you know I got to visit you
59:10 in that Lane you played a little bit of
59:11 the album previous to this interview and
59:14 you had given a story of this was a beat
59:16 that you always wanted to use this was a
59:17 song that you always wanted to do like
59:20 forever
59:21 yes it was always one of my favorite
59:23 records and I still think it's one of
59:25 the best the best records out there at
59:28 that yes yes so you know when we wrote
59:35 the song that no no on top of it you
59:38 know for me that beat is just like you
59:40 can't deny it it's a feel-good record I
59:42 mean it's one of those ones that is
59:44 timeless but you know we did our little
59:47 thing on top of it and I'm glad
59:49 everybody's like oh you did big things
59:53 on top of it um and you know we talked
59:55 about your sample in your ear for
59:56 sampling earlier this year you were
59:59 sampled by by this artist that maybe you
01:00:01 guys are maybe somebody's heard this guy
01:00:03 named Drake sample also a kind of an
01:00:07 excuse of the obscure Cabul airy version
01:00:12 of emotions for his song emotion this
01:00:15 I'm assuming you had to clear the sample
01:00:20 when you first heard it though what did
01:00:23 you think when you heard the Drake
01:00:24 version of emotionless using your sample
01:00:26 under or what struck you well I heard it
01:00:28 over the phone at first and I was like
01:00:32 oh I'm surely gonna speed it up because
01:00:33 because of the Lauren you know nice for
01:00:37 what yeah I was like oh if I gonna end
01:00:39 up sent you know this is probably just a
01:00:41 little snippet of what they're gonna do
01:00:43 but no they ended up using pretty much
01:00:45 all of it so I was like okay well I'm so
01:00:49 glad they liked it it went to me to one
01:00:54 of the Scorpion had so many tracks on it
01:00:57 really wanted to stand out chassé I
01:00:59 think everybody was like surprised and
01:01:01 shocked cool I was very flattered by it
01:01:04 I was I feel like you got to get them
01:01:08 back now if you had to sample the Drake
01:01:10 song well riah go out of J's catalog
01:01:14 what's the UM the diss record that he be
01:01:18 you know the doctor back back to back I
01:01:21 would use back-to-back balasana okay so
01:01:23 this deep in the room again back to back
01:01:26 now somebody's gonna use that so oiled
01:01:29 no hold our soiled where's my camera if
01:01:32 you you if you sample back to back to
01:01:34 try to sing over it we know why you got
01:01:36 the idea of no we not accepted in the
01:01:38 back when Mariah's ready she might do it
01:01:41 just sit back and wait and control
01:01:43 yourself back to you but I know thank
01:01:45 you thank you but I love that record I
01:01:47 do love that record I'm a huge fan of
01:01:49 Drake's and I was very flattered and I
01:01:51 was honored that he that they used a
01:01:52 sample I just want to listen to your
01:01:54 hip-hop plays and I'm thinking about the
01:01:55 rule for super hard reggae are you
01:01:56 talking about back to back I amazing nas
01:02:01 great record um you know finally you
01:02:04 know I want to stop forever with you but
01:02:07 you know I want to kind of wine down a
01:02:09 little bit and and when you look at your
01:02:12 career thus far is there a song that
01:02:16 you're most proud to have written you
01:02:23 can't answer it for huh you know it's
01:02:25 you referenced so many of my favorite
01:02:28 songs that are like personal the only
01:02:31 song you didn't bring up that I love
01:02:34 underneath the stars
01:02:36 he's somebody said it's closed my eyes
01:02:39 was so it's really one of my it's it's
01:02:42 such a real what do you call it it's a
01:02:47 representation of like for years cuz I
01:02:49 started writing it and then I stopped
01:02:51 writing it and I picked it up again and
01:02:53 it's it's a lot of truths that I was
01:02:55 telling during that song and it's not
01:02:57 like oh wow what a great vocal
01:02:59 performance or anything like that and
01:03:00 it's kind of an obscure sounding record
01:03:02 but it's it's very much like a snapshot
01:03:06 of of me would you say that's the most
01:03:10 proud or you know one of the ones that
01:03:12 you want I don't know if that I mean it
01:03:14 makes you proud I'm proud of it as a
01:03:16 songwriter yes I'm proud of the fact
01:03:18 that that people have told me it's
01:03:20 helped them get through like really
01:03:21 serious abusive situations and stuff
01:03:24 like that people all across the world
01:03:26 but it's not like my most famous or
01:03:29 well-known song
01:03:31 me but it still matters to me okay yeah
01:03:33 what about what about your best if you
01:03:35 had the judges on from the best song you
01:03:37 ever write now are they wondering the
01:03:39 same is a little bit different is it
01:03:41 hard you I don't know you know what it's
01:03:46 it's like how do you measure that really
01:03:50 because songs they span different
01:03:53 periods of time and it's like I like
01:03:56 things like that can stand the test of
01:03:58 time will you'll be listening to it
01:03:59 years from now and it won't sound dated
01:04:02 you know what I mean
01:04:04 and so I would I would leave that up to
01:04:05 the fans to decide what the favorite
01:04:08 song you know what I mean probably one
01:04:10 of the piano vocal ballads everything
01:04:16 they're all amazing stream them all and
01:04:19 then caution when it comes out on Friday
01:04:21 yes on caution I'm very I'm curious to
01:04:25 see how fans are gonna react to portrait
01:04:27 that's one that I'm looking forward to
01:04:29 seeing yeah finally lastly I want to ask
01:04:36 you because I think it's such a great
01:04:37 example for songwriters and creatives in
01:04:41 general and particularly young women as
01:04:44 well and you know I think you have been
01:04:47 doing I think you kick down a lot of
01:04:48 doors blades a lot of trails if you had
01:04:51 to give any advice to young female
01:04:54 songwriters what would it be I would
01:04:57 love for somebody to be able to get
01:04:58 something out of this that can maybe
01:04:59 help them in their young career I would
01:05:01 say the most important thing is don't
01:05:03 let anyone dissuade you or say like you
01:05:06 know let somebody else write songs for
01:05:08 you you are a great singer you don't
01:05:10 need to you know write your songs
01:05:11 because people do that to a lot of young
01:05:14 singers so they can get and can be in
01:05:15 control of what they do and make the
01:05:17 money as you know placing songs for
01:05:20 their friends or themselves to make
01:05:21 their publishing just hold onto your
01:05:23 publishing and make sure if you want to
01:05:26 write that you take that opportunity to
01:05:28 express yourself and write your songs
01:05:30 cuz it you only get one chance to do
01:05:32 that that's amazing I swear I think if
01:05:36 that can help just one person right
01:05:38 there I feel like our job and what we
01:05:40 did here tonight is
01:05:42 we're good oh well right I want to thank
01:05:45 you for coming to Jean yes thank you so
01:05:48 much this is the incredible interview
01:05:50 thank you guys so much
01:05:53 seriously this was one of the best
01:05:56 events I've ever experienced Thank You
01:05:59 Ryan
01:06:00 Carrie everybody
01:06:02[Applause]
01:06:03[Music]
💫 FAQs about This YouTube Video
1. How did Mariah Carey's personal experiences as a biracial person influence her songwriting?
Mariah Carey's personal experiences as a biracial person heavily influenced her songwriting, creating music that reflects her journey of self-discovery and the need for connection in a world where she often felt like she didn't belong.
2. What is the significance of the song \"Outside\" to Mariah Carey and her fans?
The song 'Outside' holds great significance to Mariah Carey as it embodies her struggles with self-acceptance and the desire for belonging as a biracial individual. For her fans, the song represents a message of hope and understanding, resonating with anyone who has ever felt like an outsider.
3. How did Mariah Carey approach the creation of her Christmas album?
When Mariah Carey was suggested to create a Christmas album, she reflected on her own childhood experiences and the desire to have a festive holiday despite challenging family dynamics. This inspiration led to the creation of classic and timeless songs that have become a staple for generations during the holiday season.
4. What motivated Mariah Carey to write \"8th Grade\" and how does she describe the song's meaning?
Mariah Carey was inspired to write \"8th Grade\" by the tumultuous experiences of her own adolescence, capturing a raw and unmanufactured feeling that she felt at that time. The song reflects the universal theme of unrequited love and the insecurities that come with it, resonating with listeners who have navigated similar challenges in their own lives.
5. In what way did Mariah Carey express her need for collaboration and dialogue in the songwriting process for \"With You\"?
Mariah Carey emphasized her love for collaboration and dialogue in the songwriting process for \"With You,\" valuing the exchange of ideas and creativity that comes from working with others. She wanted the lyrics to express a sense of longing and desire, which she feels was successfully achieved through the collaborative effort.
6. What is one of Mariah Carey's most proud songs that she has written?
Mariah Carey mentions the song 'Close My Eyes' as one that she is proud of as a songwriter, and it has also helped people get through serious abusive situations.
7. How does Mariah Carey describe the song 'Close My Eyes'?
Mariah Carey describes the song 'Close My Eyes' as a representation of her life and a snapshot of the truths she was telling during that time.
8. Which song does Mariah Carey reference as one of her most proud and well-known ones?
Mariah Carey mentions that 'Close My Eyes' is not her most famous or well-known song, but it is one that she is proud of as a songwriter and has helped people globally.
9. What advice does Mariah Carey give to young female songwriters?
Mariah Carey advises young female songwriters not to let anyone dissuade them from writing their own songs and to hold onto their publishing rights, emphasizing the importance of expressing oneself through music.
10. How does Mariah Carey recommend songwriters to handle their publishing rights?
Mariah Carey encourages songwriters to hold onto their publishing rights and not let others control their music, stressing the significance of having the creative freedom to express oneself.
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