I'm That Chick
| "I'm That Chick" | |
|---|---|
 "#MC30" single artwork | |
| Song by Mariah Carey | |
| from the album E=MC² | |
| Recorded |
|
| Genre | Disco |
| Length | 3:31 |
| Label | Island Def Jam |
| Songwriter(s) |
|
| Producer(s) |
|
"I'm That Chick" is a song by American singer and songwriter Mariah Carey from her eleventh studio album, E=MC² (2008). A disco track with influences of R&B, it was written by Carey, Johntá Austin and production duo Stargate (Mikkel S. Eriksen and Tor E. Hermansen). It contains elements of "Off the Wall" by Michael Jackson. Rod Temperton, the song's composer, received a songwriting credit for "I'm That Chick" as result.
The track was positively received amongst most music critics, many of whom called it the best song on the album and praised its disco composition. Carey performed "I'm That Chick" on The Hills season premiere party, the 2008 Fashion Rocks, Canadian Idol, and included it on the set-list of her eighth concert tour, The Elusive Chanteuse Show (2014), as also first co-headlining tour with Lionel Richie, All The Hits Tour (2017). It peaked at number 82 on the US Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart.
Recording and composition
[edit]"I'm That Chick" is a disco song with R&B influences[1][2] The Guardian's Alex Macpherson noted that the R&B element borrowed from 2008 trend in the genre of using a time signature of 4
4.[2] He thought that the disco style of the song was reminiscent of some of Carey's compositions in the beginning of her career, and believed that it was not a coincidence that Carey's album shares its name with one released by Giorgio Moroder, a disco and EDM DJ and producer, 1979.[3] Carey employs a "gritty" but "effortless" "feathery vocal approach" on the track, similar to that of Jackson's on "Off the Wall".[1][4]
Reception
[edit]Sarah Rodman of The Boston Globe declared "I'm That Chick" as the best track on the album.[4] PopMatters writer Evan Sawdey wrote "the few times that she is handed a truly effortless stunner on E=MC2, she absolutely knocks it out of the park" with regard to "I'm That Chick" and "Side Effects". He continued to write that the former "could very well be the disc’s highlight", but felt that Carey sounded like an unknown popstar.[1] However, Jayanthi Daniels of The New York Sun was critical of "I'm That Chick" as well as "Side Effects", describing them as "throwaway pop tracks" on a hip-hop album.[5] The Advocate's Sara Levy called described the track as "irresistible" and a "coy surprise",[6] while Nick Levine of Digital Spy similarly wrote that it is "irresistible disco candy."[7] Joey Guerra from the Houston Chronicle felt that the "Off the Wall" sample "breathed life" into the track, writing that the only things which are missing are "roller skates and short-shorts".[8] Eric Henderson of Slant Magazine gave a detailed evaluation of the song's composition, comparing it to Carey's 2001 soundtrack album Glitter and to Janet Jackson's 2008 song "Feedback":
'I'm That Chick' is a retro treatsicle in the best, most Glitter-iest sense. It's pinker than Pepto-Bismol and just as soothing, and for whatever reason, Mariah's fudged enunciation on the chorus turns 'I'm that chick you like' into 'I'll have chicken, lite.' The triumph of the song is that, when all of our dance-floor divas these days seem to throw one disco-descendant banger on their otherwise hip-hop-hybrid LPs almost out of obligation, 'I'm That Chick' doesn't feel even as tokenistic as Janet's 'Feedback' (which I like more, but only out of context).[9]
Live performances
[edit]
On March 25, 2008, Carey was featured as the special guest performer at The Hills season premiere party, an event marking the start of a span of ten episodes airing in between season three and four.[10] Carey performed "Touch My Body", "I'm That Chick" and "We Belong Together".[11] After the performance, Carey received strong praise from the program's cast members, with Lauren Conrad saying "I've always been a huge Mariah fan, and she's just so beautiful and talented', while Whitney Port and Audrina Patridge referred to Carey as "an amazing singer", while claiming to have listened to her music from a young age.[11]
On July 22, 2008, Carey was announced as one of the performers at the 2008 Fashion Rocks ceremony.[12] At the event on September 6, 2008, the event opened with a live performance of "Just Stand Up", a charity single in which Carey partook alongside other female artists including Carrie Underwood.[13] Carey later performed "I'm That Chick" alongside several male dancers, opening the song with a spontaneous a cappella of the track's chorus to positive critical response.[14] A writer from Marie Claire complimented the performance, describing the rendition as "true glamtastic Mariah style".[15] A few days later, Carey reprised her performance of "I'm That Chick" on Canadian Idol, along with "We Belong Together".[16] The track was included on the set-list Carey's The Elusive Chanteuse Show in 2014[17] and All the Hits Tour in 2017. It was also included in the setlist of the fourth leg of The Butterfly Returns in 2020 as part of the "Car Ride Medley".
Track listing
[edit]I'm That Chick – EP[18]
- "I'm That Chick" (Subkulcha Club Mix) — 6:54
- "I'm That Chick" (Subkulcha Radio Mix) — 4:00
Charts
[edit]| Chart (2008) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs (Billboard)[19] | 82 |
References
[edit]- ^ a b c Sawdey, Evan (May 1, 2008). "Mariah Carey: E=MC² Reviews". PopMatters. Archived from the original on January 7, 2009. Retrieved September 11, 2015.
- ^ a b Macpherson, Alex (April 16, 2008). "Mariah Carey: E=MC²". The Guardian. Archived from the original on April 30, 2019. Retrieved September 11, 2015.
- ^ Poe, Jim (May 29, 2014). "Giorgio Moroder: 10 groundbreaking tunes | Music". The Guardian. Archived from the original on March 8, 2017. Retrieved August 24, 2015.
- ^ a b Rodman, Sarah (April 12, 2008). "Continuing a Winning Formula". The Boston Globe. Archived from the original on May 3, 2012. Retrieved September 13, 2015.
- ^ Daniel, Jayanthi (April 16, 2008). "Mariah Carey Solves Equation". The New York Sun. Archived from the original on July 15, 2012. Retrieved September 11, 2015.
- ^ Levy, Sara (April 10, 2008). "Carey Finds Well Balanced Equation". The Advocate. Archived from the original on April 2, 2015. Retrieved September 13, 2015.
- ^ Levine, Nick (April 27, 2008). "Mariah Carey: E=MC²". Digital Spy. Archived from the original on September 21, 2012. Retrieved September 11, 2015.
- ^ Guerra, Joey (April 15, 2008). "Mariah Gets Equation Right With 'E=MC²'". Archived from the original on August 4, 2011. Retrieved September 11, 2015.
- ^ Henderson, Eric (April 10, 2008). "Mariah Carey: E=MC2 – Music Review – Slant Magazine". Slant Magazine. Archived from the original on June 15, 2013. Retrieved September 13, 2015.
- ^ Gamboa, Glenn (March 28, 2008). "Mariah Back On Top". The Morning Call. Tribune Company. Retrieved August 8, 2011.[dead link]
- ^ a b Reid, Shaheem (April 9, 2008). "Mariah Carey Serenades Crowd At 'Hills' Premiere Party". MTV News. Archived from the original on November 7, 2012. Retrieved May 10, 2011.
- ^ Walls, Jeanette (May 3, 2008). "Carey, Timberlake to Play Fashion Rocks". MSNBC. NBCUniversal. Archived from the original on October 4, 2012. Retrieved August 7, 2011.
- ^ Gardner, Elysa (September 8, 2008). "Going Off That Stylish Stage". USA Today. Archived from the original on November 7, 2012. Retrieved September 13, 2015.
- ^ "2008 Fashion Rocks: Show". Rap-Up. September 5, 2008. Archived from the original on September 25, 2015. Retrieved September 13, 2015.
- ^ "Fashion Rocks: Beyonce and JT Rock". Marie Claire. September 8, 2008. Archived from the original on March 18, 2012. Retrieved September 13, 2015.
- ^ Bell, Mike (September 11, 2008). "Theo Crowned the New Canadian Idol". Calgary Sun. Archived from the original on January 15, 2013. Retrieved September 13, 2015.
{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link) - ^ "Mariah Carey kicks off 'Elusive Chanteuse' show in Tokyo". Rap-Up. October 4, 2014. Archived from the original on January 27, 2022. Retrieved June 14, 2015.
- ^ "I'm That Chick – EP – Mariah Carey". Spotify. Archived from the original on September 20, 2024. Retrieved February 6, 2021.
- ^ "Mariah Carey Chart History (Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved September 16, 2017.