Daydream is Mariah's fifth studio album, released on October 3, 1995 through Columbia Records.[1] The album was recorded between November 1994 through August 1995.
Six singles were released from the album, three of which topped the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 and two (Fantasy and One Sweet Day) which debuted at number one. [2] The lead single "Fantasy" became the first single by a female artist to debut at number one on the US Billboard Hot 100 and went on to top the chart for eight weeks. [1] One Sweet Day topped the Billboard Hot 100 for sixteen weeks and became the longest-running number one single in Billboard history, holding the record for a total of 23 years.[3]
Background[]
Mariah started working on Daydream in late 1994. In December 1994, a snippet of Always Be My Baby can be heard during Mariah's MTV Christmas Special.[4][5]
On the surface, Daydream appeared to be more of the same stuff that had made her a superstar — a mixture of soulful ballads and pop-flavored dance numbers. But, perhaps inspired by the success of her first concerts and the nuances she gleaned from hearing herself in a live setting, the songs that she was fashioning with longtime collaborators Walter Afanasieff and David Hall had a more downbeat feel, and were more reflective, moody, and weary in tone. She seemed to be incorporating bits and pieces of hip-hop and rap that had, for the most part, been missing from her earlier albums. "I went into this phase of recording, recording, recording and doing it really fast," she told Time. "This time, I had more time, and I focused more on what I wanted to do." One of the early choices for Daydream, the slightly up-tempo pop ballad "Fantasy," incorporated part of Tom Tom Club's "Genius of Love" because she felt it fit in with what she was doing. Tommy readily approved the song but had to bite his tongue when Mariah excitedly announced that the remix of the proposed first single off the album would also be produced by rapper mogul Sean "Puffy" Combs, and that Ol' Dirty Bastard of the gangsta rap group Wu-Tang Clan did a rap over part of the song. Mottola knew the bottom-line value of rap. It was a commodity that sold, but it was not his favorite kind of music, and he shuddered at the prospect of even a small element of that raw street music making any inroads into the safe and profitable music of Mariah. "Everybody was like 'What, are you crazy?'" Mariah said in Entertainment Weekly. "They're very nervous about breaking the formula. It works to have me sing a ballad onstage in a long dress with my hair up." An unidentified Sony staffer came to Tommy Mottola's defense in Entertainment Weekly, "Tommy's looking at it from a business standpoint. Tommy's not saying, don't make black music. He's saying, don't go totally left of what you've already built."[6]
Cover art[]
The cover art for the Daydream album features a picture taken by Steven Meisel in 1995.[7] The pictures from this photoshoot have also been used for Fantasy's and Forever's song covers and the Daydream World Tour tourbook.[8]
Singles[]
The lead single, Fantasy was released on September 12, 1995.[9]
The second single, One Sweet Day was released on November 14, 1995.[10]
The third single "Open Arms" was released on December 5, 1995.[11]
The final single, "Always Be My Baby" was released on March 9, 1996.[12]
Promotional singles[]
Daydream had two promotional single. One being "Forever" which was released on March 10, 1996.[13] And the other being "Underneath the Stars" which was released on April 5, 1996.[14]
Tour[]
The Daydream World Tour was Mariah Carey’s second concert tour, beginning March 7, 1996 with a three-night booking in Tokyo, Japan (performing for nearly 150,000 people at the Tokyo Dome), and ending June 23, 1996 at London’s Wembley Arena. Prior to the tour, Mariah and her band had recorded a televised concert (and eventual VHS/DVD release) at New York’s Madison Square Garden on October 5, 1995, to prepare for the tour and to give American fans a taste of the show, as it notably skipped North America.
Mariah had confirmed that she would be embarking on the brief European leg of the Daydream World Tour during her 1996 World Music Awards acceptance speech in May 1996.[15]
- 03/07/1996 Tokyo @ Tokyo Dome
- 03/10/1996 Tokyo @ Tokyo Dome
- 03/14/1996 Tokyo @ Tokyo Dome
- 06/14/1996 Frankfurt @ Festhalle
- 06/17/1996 Rotterdam @ Ahoy
- 06/20/1996 Paris @ Bercy
- 06/23/1996 London @ Wembley Arena
Critical reception[]
Overall, Daydream won over the critics, even those who’d been harsh in the past. In People, David Hilbrand called it her “best album,” and noted that “Daydream vaults over its pop predecessors because the material is both funkier and mellower. Carey also has better control of her instrument—her voice evincing greater muscularity and agility.” He concluded that the remarkable thing about the record was that “Mariah makes it all sound so effortless.”[16]
Entertainment Weekly‘s Ken Tucker found the ballads “grandiose,” but found plenty to enjoy in “One Sweet Day,” “Always Be My Baby,” and “Forever.” To him, however, it was “Daydream Interlude (Fantasy Sweet Dub Mix)” where “the singer really defines herself. At her best, as she is on this clipped, spunky track, Carey is a disco diva for the ’90s, a worthy successor to women like Donna Summer and Vicki Sue Robinson, R&B singers with an affinity for the endless groove.”[17][16]
And the New York Times reviewer felt that Mariah’s “songwriting has taken a leap forward, becoming more relaxed, sexier, and less reliant on thudding clichés,” and called Daydream “subtly innovative.” It was obvious, the review stated, that Mariah was “struggling to develop a more personal lyrical voice. Whether or not she succeeds almost doesn’t matter so long as she continues to make pop music as deliciously enticing as the best moments of ‘Fantasy.’”[18][16]
In retrospective review, author Chris Nickson believed that Daydream changed the face of Mariah's music, turning it toward R&B, and a sound that was more contemporary than classic.[16] He also stated "it was a process that had begun with Music Box, albeit very tentatively. “Dreamlover” had dipped the tip of a toe into the water, and she’d obviously been pleased with the result. Daydream saw her up to her knees. It was a record that could appeal to a new audience, but without going so far as to lose the fans who’d fallen in love with her for her “classic” sound. But this wasn’t a case of hedging her bets. Her roots were in soul, gospel, even hip-hop, but also in pop. It all meant a lot to her, and out of it, Mariah was learning to create something that was uniquely hers. She was getting there, bit by bit; where she went from here would prove to be very interesting indeed."[19]
Commercial performance[]
Daydream debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 with 224,000 copies sold, making it the Mariah's third album to top the charts.[20] It also reached number one on Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart.[21] Daydream was the second best-selling album of 1996, and the eighteenth best-selling album on the 1990s decade in the US[22][23] In the United States, Daydream became Mariah's best selling album, being certified diamond by the RIAA (RIAA).[24]
Gallery[]
Daydream Platinum Party (1996)[]
Booklet[]
Track listing[]
| Japanese edition bonus track | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
| 13. | "Fantasy (Def Club Mix)" | Mariah Carey, Chris Frantz, Tina Weymouth | Mariah Carey, Chris Frantz, Tina Weymouth, Adrian Belew, Steven Stanley, Dave Hall | 3:45 |
| Latin American/Spain edition bonus track | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
| 13. | "El Amor Que Soñé" | Jonathan Cain, Steve Perry | Mariah Carey, Walter Afanasieff, | 3:32 |
References[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Wikipedia:Daydream (album) page - retrieved 8/16/20
- ↑ Only 41 songs have debuted at No. 1 in the history of the Billboard Hot 100 — here they all are Insider - retrieved 8/16/20
- ↑ Lil Nas X's 'Old Town Road' Breaks Record Set By 'One Sweet Day,' 'Despacito' Newsweek.com - retrieved 8/16/20
- ↑ Twitter:littlexkittenx Christmas Mariah in 1994 Always Be My Baby Snippet - retrieved 8/16/20
- ↑ RARE Mariah Carey 1994 MTV Christmas Special (Fan Interaction + Bill Bellamy) YouTube - retrieved 8/16/20
- ↑ Mariah Carey - Marc Shapiro - retrieved 8/16/20
- ↑ Mariah Carey Network: Daydream Photoshoot Pictures - retrieved 8/16/20
- ↑ Mariah Carey Network Daydream Tourbook Pictures - retrieved 8/16/20
- ↑ Wikipedia: Fantasy - retrieved 8/16/20
- ↑ Wikipedia:One Sweet Day - retrieved 8/16/20
- ↑ Wikipedia:Open Arms (Mariah Carey version) - retrieved 8/16/20
- ↑ Wikipedia: Always Be My Baby - retrieved 8/16/20
- ↑ Wikipedia: Forever (retrieved 8/16/20)
- ↑ Wikipedia: Underneath the Stars - retrieved 8/16/20
- ↑ Mariah Carey Acceptance Speech WORLD MUSIC AWARDS Monaco YouTube - retrieved 8/16/20
- ↑ 16.0 16.1 16.2 16.3 Mariah Carey Revisited: Daydream Reviews - retrieved 8/16/20
- ↑ Daydream Review by Ken Tucker Entertainment Weekly October 13, 1995 - retrieved 8/16/20
- ↑ POP MUSIC: Mariah Carey Glides into New Territory New York Times - retrieved 8/16/20
- ↑ Scribd: Mariah Carey Revisited by Chris Nickson - retrieved 8/16/20
- ↑ Mariah's Billboard 200 Charts - retrieved 8/16/20
- ↑ Billboard: Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums Mariah Carey- retrieved 8/16/20
- ↑ This Year is Music Billboard 200 Albums - retrieved 8/16/20
- ↑ METALLICA, BOYZ II MEN, BACKSTREET BOYS, GREEN DAY, NO DOUBT AMONG TOP-SELLING ARTISTS HONORED AT DIAMOND AWARDS - retrieved 8/16/20
- ↑ RIAA: Gold-Platinum Daydream Certification - retrieved 8/16/20
| Daydream | |
|---|---|
| October 3, 1995 • 46:29 • Columbia Records | |
| Songs | |
| Released | Always Be My Baby • Daydream Interlude (Fantasy Sweet Dub Mix) • Fantasy • Forever • I Am Free • Long Ago • Looking In • Melt Away • One Sweet Day • Open Arms • Underneath the Stars • When I Saw You |
| Bonus | El Amor Que Soñé • Fantasy (Def Club Mix) • Slipping Away |
| Artists | |
| Mariah Carey • Boyz II Men | |
| Tour | |
| Daydream World Tour | |