Emotions (Mariah Carey song)

"Emotions"
Single by Mariah Carey
from the album Emotions
B-side	"Vanishing" "Vision of Love"
Released	August 13, 1991 (1991-08-13)
Format	CD single, cassette single, 7" single, 12" single
Recorded	1991
Genre	Pop, R&B, dance-pop, disco
Length	4:09
Label	Columbia
Writer(s)	Mariah Carey, David Cole, Robert Clivillés
Producer	David Cole, Robert Clivillés, Mariah Carey
Certification	Gold (U.S., New Zealand)
Mariah Carey singles chronology
"There's Got to Be a Way" (1991) "Emotions" (1991) "Can't Let Go" (1991)

"Emotions" is a song written and produced by Mariah Carey, and David Cole and Robert Clivillés of the C+C Music Factory, and recorded for Carey's second album of the same name (1991). It was released as the album's first single in the third quarter of 1991 in the United States and in the fourth quarter elsewhere. This disco-influenced song has its protagonist going through a variety of emotions, from high to low, up to the point where she declares "you got me feeling emotions" and sings high notes.

Background

Carey was sent to work with the C+C Music Factory and they composed the song "You're So Cold", which became the first choice for the album's first single. However, a second session with the production team had them feeling in a lighter mood when "Emotions" was created and finally decided upon as the lead single.

Composition

"Emotions" is disco-influenced pop song and it is written in the key of C major. Carey usually prefers to transpose the key to B♭ major when performing live (one example of this is on MTV Unplugged). Carey's vocal range spans more than four octaves on the track, from C₃ to E₇. The song tested and challenged Carey's vocal range and is her first song to require the execution of multiple whistle notes. It starts on a falsetto note followed by a belted note. This is one of the reasons why many singers who try to emulate her vocal technique may use an incorrect vocal technique. The sheet music of the song has a 8va marking on the last part of the song.

Music videos and remixes

The single's music video, directed by Jeff Preiss, features Carey and friends with exotic animals experiencing emotions while partying and having fun around town in New York. The video was desaturated but still maintains various color tints, which change from brown to red to blue and so forth.

David Cole and Robert Clivillés created the main remix of "Emotions" known as "Emotions" (12" club mix). Although Carey did not re-record her vocals for it, she added a new gospel-style intro before the song's dance portion. This new intro was used when she performed "Emotions" on MTV Unplugged in 1992, as well as at some later concerts. A music video was created using the 12" club mix, but only slight changes in editing differentiate it from the video for the original version.

Response

"Emotions" was nominated for the 1992 Grammy Award for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance, losing to "Something to Talk About" by Bonnie Raitt. It won a BMI R&B Award, continuing Carey's unbroken streak of wins for this award.

"Emotions" became Carey's fifth consecutive number 1 hit on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100, giving her the distinction of being the first and to date only act to have their first five singles make number 1 on the Hot 100. (She had previously shared a record of four with The Jackson 5.) It reached number 1 in its seventh week and spent three weeks at the top, from October 6 to October 26, 1991. It replaced "Good Vibrations" by Marky Mark and the Funky Bunch featuring Loleatta Holloway, and was replaced by Karyn White's "Romantic". It remained in the top 40 for 20 weeks and was one of four singles from Carey on the Hot 100's 1991 year-end charts, ranking 22. The song topped the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart and became her second number 1 single on the Hot Dance Club Play chart. The RIAA certified it gold.

Outside the U.S., it was Carey's most successful single since "Vision of Love" (1990), the lead single from her debut album. It reached the top five in Canada and New Zealand, and became her first single to reach the United Kingdom top 20 since her debut. It was a modest hit in Australia, where it just missed the top ten, but its success in Europe was limited.

It was used for a 2009 Australian Idol advertisement.

On New Year's Eve, 2009, Carey sang Emotions on the first night of her 'Angels Advocate Tour'. It is the first time she has sang Emotions live in 10 years, since the Rainbow World Tour.

Track listings

Worldwide CD single

1. "Emotions"
2. "Vanishing"

U.S. CD maxi-single

1. "Emotions" (12" club mix)
2. "Emotions" (12" instrumental)
3. "Emotions" (album version)
4. "There's Got to Be a Way" (12" mix)
5. "There's Got to Be a Way" (vocal dub mix)

European maxi-single #1

1. "Emotions"
2. "Vanishing"
3. "Vision of Love"

European maxi-single #2

1. "Emotions" (C&C club mix)
2. "Emotions" (C&C 12" club no 1 mix)
3. "Emotions" (C&C dub-dub mix)

Official versions

1. "Emotions" (album version) - 4:11
2. "Emotions" (12" club mix) - 5:54
3. "Emotions" (12" instrumental) - 5:07
4. "Emotions" (12" acapella) - 2:29
5. "Emotions" (special motion edit) - 4:46
6. "Emotions" (special motion mix) - 5:17
7. "Emotions" (C+C radio mix) - 4:21
8. "Emotions" (C+C club mix) - 7:15
9. "Emotions" (C+C club no.1 mix) - 7:45
10. "Emotions" (C+C club mix edit) - 5:51
11. "Emotions" (C+C hardcore factory mix) - 8:16
12. "Emotions" (club mix) - 8:32

Charts

Peak positions

Chart (1991)	Peak position
Australian Singles Chart	11
Canadian Singles Chart	3
Dutch Singles Chart	12
German Singles Chart	39
Irish Singles Chart	27
Japanese Singles Chart	90
New Zealand Singles Chart	3
Swedish Singles Chart	30
UK Singles Chart	17
U.S. Billboard Hot 100	1
U.S. Billboard Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks	3
U.S. Billboard Hot Dance Club Play	1
U.S. Billboard Hot R&B Singles	1

Year-end charts

Chart (1991)	Position
U.S. Billboard Hot 100	22

Sales and certifications

Country (Provider)	Certification
Australia (ARIA)	Gold
New Zealand (RIANZ)	Gold
United States (RIAA)	Gold

Preceded by "Good Vibrations" by Marky Mark and the Funky Bunch featuring Loleatta Holloway	Billboard Hot 100 number-one single October 12, 1991 – October 26, 1991	Succeeded by "Romantic" by Karyn White
Preceded by "It's So Hard to Say Goodbye to Yesterday" by Boyz II Men	Billboard Hot R&B Singles number one single November 2, 1991	Succeeded by "Forever My Lady" by Jodeci
Preceded by "Move Any Mountain (Progen 91)" by The Shamen	Billboard Hot Dance Club Play number-one single November 30, 1991	Succeeded by "Change" by Lisa Stansfield

See also

• List of Hot 100 number-one singles of 1991 (U.S.)