''Emotions'' is the second

studio album An album is a collection of audio recordings issued on compact disc (CD), Phonograph record, vinyl, audio tape, or another medium such as Digital distribution#Music, digital distribution. Albums of recorded sound were developed in the early ...

by American singer-songwriter

Mariah Carey Mariah Carey (; born March 27, 1969) is an American singer, songwriter, actress, and record producer. Referred to as the " Songbird Supreme", she is noted for her five-octave vocal range, melismatic singing style and signature use of the whi ...

. It was released on September 17, 1991, by

Columbia Records Columbia Records is an American record label owned by Sony Music, Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America, the North American division of Japanese Conglomerate (company), conglomerate Sony. It was founded on Janua ...

. The album deviated from the formula of Carey's 1990 self-titled debut album, as she had more creative control over the material she produced and recorded. Additionally, ''Emotions'' features influences from a range of genres such as

gospel Gospel originally meant the Christian message ("the gospel"), but in the 2nd century it came to be used also for the books in which the message was set out. In this sense a gospel can be defined as a loose-knit, episodic narrative of the words an ...

, R&B and 1950s, 1960s and 1970s balladry infusion. On the record, Carey worked with a variety of producers and writers, including

Walter Afanasieff Walter Afanasieff (born Vladimir Nikitich Afanasyev; February 10, 1958), formerly nicknamed Baby Love in the 1980s, is an American record producer and songwriter of Russian-Chinese descent. He was a collaborator with Mariah Carey on her first ...

, the only holdover from her previous effort. Additionally, Carey wrote and produced the album's material with

Robert Clivillés Robert Manuel Clivillés (; born July 30, 1964
from

David Cole from C+C Music Factory and

Carole King Carole King Klein (born Carol Joan Klein; February 9, 1942) is an American singer, songwriter, and musician who has been active since 1958, initially as one of the staff songwriters at 1650 Broadway and later as a solo artist. Regarded as one ...

, with whom she wrote one song. Upon its release, ''Emotions'' polarized the music critics, while some praised the album's production, Carey's vocals, while other found the lyricism standard, and a few criticized Carey for overusing the

whistle register The whistle register (also called the flute register or flageolet register) is the highest register of the human voice, lying above the modal register and falsetto register. This register has a specific physiological production that is different ...

. In retrospect, the album has been positively reviewed, with some contemporary music critics citing it amongst Carey's best works. Commercially, the album was a moderate success, failing to top the charts globally including the United States, where it debuted at number four on the ''Billboard'' 200, surprising many critics following the success of Carey's debut, which spent eleven weeks atop the chart. In other territories, the album reached the top 10 in eight countries, including Australia, Canada, and the United Kingdom. While selling far less than ''Mariah Carey'', ''Emotions'' was eventually certified 4× Platinum by the

Recording Industry Association of America The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) is a trade organization that represents the music recording industry in the United States. Its members consist of record labels and distributors that the RIAA says "create, manufacture, and/o ...

(RIAA), denoting shipments of four million copies throughout the country, with estimated sales standing at 3,595,000 copies. The album was particularly successful in Japan shipping over one million copies there, and has sold over eight million copies worldwide. Three singles were released to promote the album. The title track, the album's lead single, became Carey's fifth chart topper on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100, making her the only artist in history to have their first five singles reach the chart's summit. Additionally, it became Carey's third chart topper in Canada, and reached the top-ten in Greece and New Zealand. " Can't Let Go" was released as the second single from ''Emotions'' on October 23, 1991. Due to Columbia's removal of the single from stores in an attempt to boost the album's sales, "Can't Let Go" failed to become her sixth chart topper in the US, peaking at number two. European and worldwide success was very limited, reaching the top 20 in only Canada and the UK. Similarly, " Make It Happen" peaked at number five in the US, and achieved relatively weak international charting, prompting Columbia to halt promotion of the album.

Background

Following the success of Carey's

self-titled An eponym is a person, a place, or a thing after whom or which someone or something is, or is believed to be, named. The adjectives which are derived from the word eponym include ''eponymous'' and ''eponymic''. Usage of the word The term ''epon ...

debut album, critics wondered whether or not she would tour to promote the album in the major worldwide music markets. However, Carey expressed in several interviews that due to the strenuous nature and the sheer difficulty of her songs, she feared a tour with back-to-back shows would not be possible, aside from the long travel times and constant travel. With the extra time, Carey began writing and producing material for ''Emotions'' around the same time that her debut's third single, "

Someday Someday or Some Day may refer to: Film and television * ''Someday'' (1935 film), a British film directed by Michael Powell * ''Someday'' (2011 film), a Japanese film directed by Junji Sakamoto * ''Someday'' (2021 film), an Indian Hindi-langu ...

," was released in December 1990. During this time period in music, it was traditional for an artist to release a studio album every two years in their prime, allowing the singles to fully promote the album through airwaves, as well as television appearances. Additionally, after a tour that would usually follow, as the next album would be released and would gain new fans, they would search the artist's catalog, and purchase the previous album in hopes of learning of their older work.

Sony , commonly stylized as SONY, is a Japanese multinational conglomerate corporation headquartered in Minato, Tokyo, Japan. As a major technology company, it operates as one of the world's largest manufacturers of consumer and professional ...

, however, chose to market Carey in a different fashion, leaning towards the traditional form in the 1960s, where acts would release an LP every year. They felt that Carey's reputation of being a "studio worm" and a songwriter from a young age would be captivating enough to deliver a new album more often than most. As writing for the album came under way, Carey had a falling out with

Ben Margulies Ben Margulies is an American Grammy-nominated songwriter and an RIAA nine-time platinum-certified record producer, as well as a drummer, guitarist, pianist, and singer. He is best known for co-writing seven of the eleven songs on Mariah Carey's ...

, the man whom Carey had written seven of the eleven songs on Carey's debut with. Together, the duo had written and produced seven songs for Carey's demo tape which she handed to

Tommy Mottola Thomas Daniel Mottola (born July 14, 1948) is an American music executive, producer and author. Mottola is currently the Chairman of Mottola Media Group and was previously the Chairman and CEO of Sony Music Entertainment, parent of the Columb ...

. Their parting of ways was due to a contract Carey had signed prior to her signing with Columbia. Carey had agreed to split not only the songwriting royalties from the songs, but half of her earnings as well, something she never thought twice about while writing songs in his father's basement. However, when the time came to write music for ''Emotions'', Sony officials made it clear he would only be paid the fair amount given to co-writers on an album. Following the discussion, Margulies filed a lawsuit against Sony, claiming that under contract, he would be entitled to work with Carey, as well as reap extra benefits. After an almost one year lawsuit, the judge settled that Margulies was to earn ten percent of Carey's direct earnings from her record sales, not including an income from any other ventures. While settled, their relationship remained ruined, damaged by what Carey considered treachery. In an interview with Fred Bronson, Carey said the following regarding the contract: "I signed blindly. Later, I tried to make it right so we could continue...but he wouldn't accept it." After the settlement, Margulies spoke of his feelings on the matter, claiming he would hope to one day write again with Carey, placing most of the blame on the record label and concluding "Hopefully one day, art will prevail over business."

Recording

''Mariah Carey'' had originally been recorded in Margulies' father's basement, with old and minimal equipment. After being signed to Columbia, the songs that would be used for the album were re-mastered and re-recorded in professional studios. However, due to Sony's involvement in the project, they did not allow Carey to produce most of the album, hoping the aid of several famed record producers would be able to ensure Carey's already deemed "exquisite" songs would become popular. After the album's success however, Carey was allowed more freedom on ''Emotions'' than on her debut. Since she no longer had a working or personal relationship with Margulies, she chose to work with mostly different musicians than those of her previous effort, with the exception of

, the only holdover from ''Mariah Carey''. Even though he had only produced " Love Takes Time," the second single from the album, Carey felt a strong working chemistry with him, soon developing a unique form of songwriting alongside him. Aside from Afanasieff, Carey worked with

Robert Clivillés Robert Manuel Clivillés (; born July 30, 1964
from

David Cole from the dance-music influenced production duo, C+C Music Factory. Working with the duo was originally Mottola's suggestion, but after meeting the pair, Carey agreed and wrote four songs together with them. Additionally, aside from the three men, Carey worked with

, a female singer-songwriter who had been predominantly popular in the 1970s. However, unlike with C+C Music Factory, King approached Carey, hoping to work with her after hearing her perform live on ''

The Arsenio Hall Show ''The Arsenio Hall Show'' is an American syndicated late-night talk show created by and starring comedian Arsenio Hall. There have been two different incarnations of ''The Arsenio Hall Show''. The original series premiered on January 3, 1989, ...

''. During a conversation with Carey, King suggested that she cover "

(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman "(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman" is a 1967 single released by American soul singer Aretha Franklin on the Atlantic label. The words were written by Gerry Goffin from an idea by Atlantic producer Jerry Wexler, and the music was compo ...

," a song she had written with

Gerry Goffin Gerald Goffin (February 11, 1939 – June 19, 2014) was an American lyricist. Collaborating initially with his first wife, Carole King, he co-wrote many international pop hits of the early and mid-1960s, including the List of Billboard number-one ...

for

Aretha Franklin Aretha Louise Franklin ( ; March 25, 1942 – August 16, 2018) was an American singer, songwriter and pianist. Referred to as the " Queen of Soul", she has twice been placed ninth in ''Rolling Stone''s "100 Greatest Artists of All Time". With ...

. After giving it some thought, Carey declined the offer, feeling uncomfortable about recording a song she felt one of her musical influences performed so perfectly. Still determined on working with Carey, King flew to New York for one day, to try to create a ballad of some sort. The two ladies sat together by a piano over the course of the day, and by nightfall, had written and arranged a song titled "

If It's Over "If It's Over" is a song written by American singers and songwriters Mariah Carey and Carole King, with the former and Walter Afanasieff helming its production. It was originally released on September 17, 1991, on Carey's second studio album, '' ...

." After working with Carey, King said in an interview "I love her voice. She's very expressive. She gives a lot of meaning to what she sings." After recording "If It's Over," Carey expressed the musical connection she shared with Afanasieff, as well as the creative format in which she wrote and produced her music when with him, or working with C+C Music Factory. When working with Afanasieff, the duo would sit by a piano, and lead each other vocally and musically, until they would reach the right note and arrangement. During an interview in 1992, Afanasieff described how Carey would stand next to him, and begin singing different notes and tunes she was thinking of, while he would follow her with the piano. In doing so, he would help lead her to the right note and vice versa. Carey described their working relationship as "very unique," and felt it to be very similar to the form in which she had worked with Margulies. While similar, Carey's creative process with Cole and Clivillés proved different; they would bring her several different tapes and tunes, of which she would choose from. Afterwards, they would work on building the already created melody, and have Carey add and build onto it, as well as writing the lyrics and

key Key or The Key may refer to: Common meanings * Key (cryptography), a piece of information that controls the operation of a cryptography algorithm * Key (lock), device used to control access to places or facilities restricted by a lock * Key (map ...

Music and lyrics

The album's lead single " Emotions" borrowed heavily from 1970s disco, and flaunted Carey's upper range and extensive use of the

. The song's lyrics were described as "joyful" by author Chris Nickson, and told of a strong and deep emotion felt by the protagonist when with their lover. One of the album's more gospel infused songs, "And You Don't Remember," featured organ

chord changes In a musical composition, a chord progression or harmonic progression (informally chord changes, used as a plural) is a succession of chords. Chord progressions are the foundation of harmony in Western musical tradition from the common practice ...

and held minimal production to give the vocals a more "raw and sixties feel." It and the former song were part of a trio of tracks from the album that were meant to pay homage to

Motown Motown Records is an American record label owned by the Universal Music Group. It was founded by Berry Gordy Jr. as Tamla Records on June 7, 1958, and incorporated as Motown Record Corporation on April 14, 1960. Its name, a portmanteau of ''moto ...

ballad A ballad is a form of verse, often a narrative set to music. Ballads derive from the medieval French ''chanson balladée'' or ''ballade'', which were originally "dance songs". Ballads were particularly characteristic of the popular poetry and ...

s, with the inclusion of soft church

choir A choir ( ; also known as a chorale or chorus) is a musical ensemble of singers. Choral music, in turn, is the music written specifically for such an ensemble to perform. Choirs may perform music from the classical music repertoire, which ...

vocals, and sole

musical arrangement In music, an arrangement is a musical adaptation of an existing composition. Differences from the original composition may include reharmonization, melodic paraphrasing, orchestration, or formal development. Arranging differs from orchestr ...

by Carey. Its

lyrics Lyrics are words that make up a song, usually consisting of verses and choruses. The writer of lyrics is a lyricist. The words to an extended musical composition such as an opera are, however, usually known as a "libretto" and their writer, a ...

reflected the song's raw chorus, telling of girl that is promised the world by her boyfriend, and quickly forget about her and moves to the next one. After the heartbreak, the protagonist asks him "Don't You Remember" all those things he had promised her, and the things they had spoken and dreamed about doing together. " Can't Let Go," the album's second single, is a slow ballad, featuring sad and yearning lyrical content. The song's introduction featured minor chord changes, and drew influence from fifties balladry. For the duration of the first half of the song, Carey sings in her lower and huskier registers, eventually leading to the belted crescendo and

falsetto ''Falsetto'' (, ; Italian diminutive of , "false") is the vocal register occupying the frequency range just above the modal voice register and overlapping with it by approximately one octave. It is produced by the vibration of the ligamentous ed ...

and whistle finish. Of the ten tracks on the album, Carey felt her most autobiographical lyrics were featured on " Make It Happen," which told of Carey's poor and difficult teen life prior to being signed by Columbia. It continues telling of the importance of faith and prayer to God. Nickson described its instrumentation as "restrained" and "very Motownish," as well as noting its soft gospel infusion. Critically, the most anticipated song on the album was "

," Carey's collaboration with King. It was influenced by sixties and seventies gospel. According to Nickson, the song's instrumentation and basis was crucial to Carey's performance throughout the song. Additionally, he described its content and instrumentation:

As a song full of gospel and soulful influences, it allowed Mariah to really tear loose and show what she could do – which in reality was far more than the vocal gymnastics that seemed to comprise her reputation so far. From a deep rumble to a high wail, she covered five octaves wonderfully, as the power of the tune built. The backing vocals – which once again had those churchy harmonies – filled out the spare melody, as did the stately horns, which entered towards the end. The song was truly a vocal showcase for Mariah.

The next song on the album's track list, "You're So Cold," was originally intended to be the lead single from ''Emotions'', eventually being switched for the title track. The song's introduction features a piano and a capella vocal, working into its chorus. Chris Nickson wrote "The song sailed into the chorus, driven by the house-y piano work, the bubbly, snacking rhythm belying the angry lyrics, the upbeat tone of voice." As Nickson hinted at, its lyrics featured an angry message, calling out an unfaithful lover and asking how he could be "So Cold." "So Blessed" was a song Carey wrote with Afanasieff, infusing fifties style pop balladry into it. Carey's voice in the song is very restrained, as she stays within her lower registers throughout the duration of the track. "To Be Around You" was described by Nickson as "far more

staccato Staccato (; Italian for "detached") is a form of musical articulation. In modern notation, it signifies a note of shortened duration, separated from the note that may follow by silence. It has been described by theorists and has appeared in music ...

." Its production and melody was intended to pay tribute to " Got to Be Real" by Cheryl Lynn, as well as featuring spoken voices towards the end of the song. Nickson described "Till the End of Time" as a "gentle, almost lullaby melody." It was a love ballad, preparing the listener for the song's final track, "The Wind." The latter song featured the album's strongest

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a major ...

influence, and sampled a piano melody from Russell Freeman during the 1950s. After Afanasieff presented Carey with the melody he had discovered, it inspired her to write the

melody A melody (from Greek language, Greek μελῳδία, ''melōidía'', "singing, chanting"), also tune, voice or line, is a Linearity#Music, linear succession of musical tones that the listener perceives as a single entity. In its most liter ...

and lyrics, which told of a friend that perished in a drunk-driving accident. Musically, the album fulfilled its greatest challenge, according to critics. It had helped master Carey's usage and infusion of several genres which she had not tapped into during the recording of her debut.

Promotion

As with ''Mariah Carey'' the previous year, Carey did not embark on a tour to promote the album, due to the long travel times and strenuous schedules on her voice. However, while not touring the world, Carey promoted ''Emotions'' through an array of television and award show appearances, stateside and across Europe. Carey performed " Emotions" live for the first time at the 1991 MTV Video Music Awards, backed by several male and female back up vocalists. Following the award show appearance, she sang "Emotions" on both ''

'' and ''

Soul Train ''Soul Train'' is an American musical variety television show. It aired in syndication from October 2, 1971, to March 25, 2006. Across its 35-year history the show primarily featured performances by R&B, soul, and hip hop artists. The series w ...

''. In the United Kingdom, Carey performed the song on British music program and talk shows ''

Top of the Pops ''Top of the Pops'' (''TOTP'') is a British Record chart, music chart television programme, made by the BBC and originally broadcast weekly between 1January 1964 and 30 July 2006. The programme was the world's longest-running weekly music show ...

'', ''

Wogan ''Wogan'' is a British television talk show which was broadcast on BBC1 from 1982 until 1992, presented by Terry Wogan. It was usually broadcast live from the BBC Television Theatre in Shepherd's Bush, London, until 1991. It was then broadcast ...

'' and ''

Des O'Connor Tonight ''Des O'Connor Tonight'' is a British light entertainment variety show hosted by Des O'Connor. It was originally broadcast on BBC Two from 1977 until 1982, when it moved to ITV ITV or iTV may refer to: ITV *Independent Television (ITV), a Br ...

''. Additional European stops included ''Sondagstoppet'' in Sweden during mid-September 1991. All of the above-mentioned performances included " Can't Let Go" as a secondary performance in the night. "Can't Let Go" was sung on additional programs such as ''

Saturday Night Live ''Saturday Night Live'' (often abbreviated to ''SNL'') is an American late-night live television sketch comedy and variety show created by Lorne Michaels and developed by Dick Ebersol that airs on NBC and Peacock. Michaels currently serves a ...

'', a pre-filmed studio clip on ''

The Today Show ''Today'' (also called ''The Today Show'' or informally, ''NBC News Today'') is an American news and talk morning television show that airs weekdays from 7:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. on NBC. The program debuted on January 14, 1952. It was ...

''. While the album's final single " Make It Happen" was released only months after ''Emotions'' release, the song was not performed during the album's original chart run, however, its first live performance of the song was an acoustic version on the television show '' MTV Unplugged'' in 1992, which was later released on her EP of the same name (1992). On February 26, 1992, Carey performed "

" at the 34th annual

Grammy Award The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pres ...

, with a full orchestra and several back up singers. "If It's Over" was also performed on ''Saturday Night Live'' and ''

The Oprah Winfrey Show ''The Oprah Winfrey Show'', often referred to as ''The Oprah Show'' or simply ''Oprah'', is an American daytime broadcast syndication, syndicated talk show that aired nationally for 25 seasons from September 8, 1986, to May 25, 2011, in Chicag ...

''.

Singles

Three commercial singles were released from ''Emotions''. The album's lead single of the same name became Carey's fifth chart topper in the United States, making her the only act in history to have their first five singles reach the charts summit in the country. Additionally, " Emotions" topped the charts in Canada, reached the top five in Greece and New Zealand, and peaked within the top-twenty in Australia, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom. The song garnered positive critical response, with Bill Lamb from About.com rating it "among her best." Steve Morse from ''The Boston Globe'' called Carey's high registers in the song a "feeling of pure joy," whereas Jan DeKnock from the ''Chicago Tribune'' described Carey's voice as "breathtaking." The song's music video features different scenes of Carey singing and enjoying herself throughout a car ride by the countryside, as well as a small celebration with several dancers. The album's second release, " Can't Let Go," reached the number two position on the US ''Billboard'' Hot 100, failing to top the chart due to Columbia's retraction of the single to boost sales of the album. Aside from Canada, where it attained a peak of number three, "Can't Let Go" performed weakly across continental Europe, reaching the top twenty in only the UK. The song's corresponding video was filmed in black and white, and featured Carey's hair in a straightened style for the first time in her career. The video predominantly features close-up scenes of Carey by a small outdoor fountain, as well as blooming white roses. " Make It Happen" was released as the third and final single from ''Emotions'' on April 4, 1992. It peaked at number five in the United States, and as "Can't Let Go," charted weakly throughout Europe, coming in at number seven in Canada, number 17 in the UK, and numbers 35 and 47 in Australia and the Netherlands, respectively. The song was praised by critics; Morse called it "a clear slice of spiritual autobiography," and called the last chorus "glorious." Similarly, DeKnock called the song "upbeat and inspirational." The video filmed for "Make It Happen" featured Carey performing in front of an audience in a large cathedral-like church, alongside back-up singers and child dancers. These three singles have been involved in plagiarism controversies and each disputes has been settled out of court.

Reception

Critical reception

In a contemporary review, ''

Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first kno ...

'' critic Rob Tannenbaum found ''Emotions'' dependent on "commercial dance-pop" and Carey's indulgent vocal exercises, making it difficult for listeners to connect with the lyrics. "Carey has a remarkable vocal gift, but to date, unfortunately, her singing has been far more impressive than expressive," Tannenbaum wrote. Dennis Hunt from the ''

Los Angeles Times The ''Los Angeles Times'' (abbreviated as ''LA Times'') is a daily newspaper that started publishing in Los Angeles in 1881. Based in the LA-adjacent suburb of El Segundo since 2018, it is the sixth-largest newspaper by circulation in the Un ...

'' said Carey's "spectacular and impressive" voice was comparable to that of

Whitney Houston Whitney Elizabeth Houston (August 9, 1963 – February 11, 2012) was an American singer and actress. Nicknamed "The Voice", she is one of the bestselling music artists of all time, with sales of over 200 million records worldwide. Houston in ...

, but criticized the songwriting and production for "playing high on the angst scale." In ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...

'',

Stephen Holden Stephen Holden (born July 18, 1941) is an American writer, poet, and music and film critic. Biography Holden earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in English from Yale University in 1963. He worked as a photo editor, staff writer, and eventually be ...

believed the record showcased Carey's vocal strengths more effectively than her debut, but showed no improvement in writing lyrics, which Holden said "describe the rapturous highs and desperate lows of romance in blunt, strung-together pop clichés, with minimal rhyming." Arion Berger from ''

Entertainment Weekly ''Entertainment Weekly'' (sometimes abbreviated as ''EW'') is an American digital-only entertainment magazine based in New York City, published by Dotdash Meredith, that covers film, television, music, Broadway theatre, books, and popular cul ...

'' found the record "colder and more calculated" than Carey's debut, describing ''Emotions'' as "the hybrid progeny of a venerable tradition — the tradition of the R&B diva — and crass commercial instincts. It's gospel without soul, love songs without passion, pop without buoyancy." ''

Orlando Sentinel The ''Orlando Sentinel'' is the primary newspaper of Orlando, Florida, and the Central Florida region. It was founded in 1876 and is currently owned by Tribune Publishing Company. The ''Orlando Sentinel'' is owned by parent company, '' Tribune P ...

'' editor Parry Gettelman was also critical of Carey's vocal acrobatics, writing that the singer had become "so enamored of the ultra-high-frequency part of her range that I'm starting to suspect she may be an intergalactic spy trying to re- establish communications with the far-off Planet of Dogs." Steve Morse from ''

The Boston Globe ''The Boston Globe'' is an American daily newspaper founded and based in Boston, Massachusetts. The newspaper has won a total of 27 Pulitzer Prizes, and has a total circulation of close to 300,000 print and digital subscribers. ''The Boston Glob ...

'' was more enthusiastic in his review, deeming ''Emotions'' "a quantum leap in maturity and confidence" from her first album. He called the lyrics "remarkable," the ballads "unspeakably beautiful," and Carey's vocal and songwriting ability "unlimited."

Retrospective reception

In a retrospective review, '' Q'' hailed ''Emotions'' as "a technically perfect example of mainstream R&B," boasting Carey's shapely vocals and "the customary elegance of a multi-million dollar production."

AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databas ...

editor Ashley S. Battel called the record a "musical journey" and "strong follow-up" to Carey's first album that successfully replicated its predecessor's formula of "dance/R&B/ballads." Battel named " Emotions" and " Make It Happen" as the album's highlights. ''

The Harvard Crimson ''The Harvard Crimson'' is the student newspaper of Harvard University and was founded in 1873. Run entirely by Harvard College undergraduates, it served for many years as the only daily newspaper in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Beginning in the f ...

'' writer Sarrah Bushara noted that, "The counterpoint between the funk aesthetics of the bass and synthesizer and the classic R&B ethos of the piano and percussion is certainly attractive and masterful in its own compositional right". She added that,

"The pyrotechnics of her virtuosic vocals are balanced by more conservative elements in her songwriting. As radical as her vocal range is, all of the songs on this album seem to be grounded by a musical grammar of the old guard — of gospel, soul, R&B, and, in the evenness and control of her technique, even classical".

Bushara also agreed that "Not every song in the album was a hit — none as much as the eponymous first track — but Carey, to be sure, shines on each one".

Accolades

Throughout 1992, Carey, the album and its accompanying singles received recognition by the music industry in the form of several awards. At the 19th annual American Music Awards, Carey took home the award for Favorite Soul/R&B Female Artist. At the 3rd annual Billboard Music Awards, Carey took home two trophies for the album and "Emotions," Top Female Album Artist and Top Female Single. Additionally, Carey was nominated for two

at the 34th annual ceremony, for

Producer of the Year The Grammy Award for Producer of the Year, Non-Classical is an honor presented to record producers for quality non-classical music at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards. Honors in ...

and

Best Female Pop Vocal Performance The Grammy Award for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance was a Grammy Award recognizing superior vocal performance by a female in the pop category, the first of which was presented in 1959. It was discontinued after the 2011 Grammy season. The awar ...

, losing in both categories. All three of the album's singles were awarded BMI Pop Awards in 1993.

Commercial performance

North America

''Emotions'' debuted at number four on the US ''Billboard'' 200, with first-week sales of 129,000 units, surprising critics following the success of ''

'' (1990). In total, the album spent 27 weeks in the top twenty and a total of 54 weeks on the albums chart. Though it was her second consecutive top-ten album in the US, it became Carey's lowest-peaking album there until ''

Glitter Glitter is an assortment of small, reflective particles that come in a variety of shapes, sizes, and colors. Glitter particles reflect light at different angles, causing the surface to sparkle or shimmer. Glitter is similar to confetti, sparkle ...

'' (2001). ''Emotions'' was certified 4× Platinum by the

(RIAA), denoting shipments of four million copies within the United States. According to

Nielsen SoundScan Luminate (formerly Nielsen SoundScan, Nielsen Music Products, and MRC Data) is a provider of music sales data. Established by Mike Fine and Mike Shalett in 1991, data is collected weekly and made available every Sunday (for albums sales) and eve ...

, the album's stateside sales are estimated at 3,595,000. In Canada, ''Emotions'' debuted at number fourteen, on the Canadian ''RPM'' Albums Chart issue dated October 5, 1991. Four weeks later, on the issue date November 2, 1991, the album reached its peak position of number six, staying there for one week. At the end of the year, ''Emotions'' finished number 35 on the Year-End Albums Chart of 1991. To date, the album has been certified 4× Platinum by the Canadian Recording Industry Association (CRIA), denoting shipments of 400,000 units.

Europe

In the United Kingdom, on the

UK Albums Chart The Official Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales and (from March 2015) audio streaming in the United Kingdom. It was published for the first time on 22 July 1956 and is compiled every week by the Official Charts C ...

issue dated October 26, 1991, ''Emotions'' debuted at number ten, becoming Carey's second top-ten album in the country. In its seventeenth week, the album attained its peak position of number four, placing higher than Carey's debut reach of six. After charting in the United Kingdom for forty weeks, the album was certified Platinum by the

British Phonographic Industry British Phonographic Industry (BPI) is the British recorded music industry's Trade association. It runs the BRIT Awards, the Classic BRIT Awards, National Album Day, is home to the Mercury Prize, and co-owns the Official Charts Company with th ...

(BPI), denoting shipments of 300,000 units. In the Netherlands, the album made its debut on the charts at number 44. The following week, it moved up to number 21. On its third week, the album reached its peak at number nine, becoming Carey's second album to reach the top-ten in the Netherlands. In total, ''Emotions'' spent 35 weeks within the Dutch charts, being certified Platinum by the

Nederlandse Vereniging van Producenten en Importeurs van beeld- en geluidsdragers NVPI (Nederlandse Vereniging van Producenten en Importeurs van beeld - en geluidsdragers) ( en, The Dutch Association of Producers and Importers of image - and sound carriers) is the Dutch trade association of the entertainment industry. The NVPI ...

(NVPI), denoting shipments of 100,000 units. In France, though the album failed to chart there, ''Emotions'' received a gold certification from the

Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique The National Syndicate of Phonographic Publishing (french: Syndicat national de l'édition phonographique; SNEP) is the inter-professional organisation that protects the interests of the French record industry. Originally known under the acronym ...

(SNEP), denoting shipments of 100,000 units. In Sweden, ''Emotions'' debuted at number 26 on the

Swedish Albums Chart Sverigetopplistan (, lit. "the Sweden top list") is the Swedish national record chart, formerly known as Topplistan (1975–1997) and Hitlistan (1998–2007) and known by its current name since October 2007, based on sales data from the Swedish R ...

, peaking at number thirteen and spending a total of five weeks fluctuating in the chart. Following its exit from the chart, the album was certified Platinum by the

International Federation of the Phonographic Industry The International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI) is the organisation that represents the interests of the recording industry worldwide. It is a non-profit members' organisation registered in Switzerland and founded in Italy in 19 ...

(IFPI), denoting shipments of 100,000 units. On October 13, 1991, ''Emotions'' debuted at number sixteen on the

Swiss Albums Chart The Swiss Hitparade (german: link=no, Schweizer Hitparade) is Switzerland ). Swiss law does not designate a ''capital'' as such, but the federal parliament and government are installed in Bern, while other federal institutions, such as the ...

, attaining its peak position of fifteen the succeeding week. Following a run of nine weeks in the albums chart, the album was certified gold by the IFPI, denoting shipments of 50,000 units throughout the country. Elsewhere in Europe, the album reached the top-twenty in Finland; the top-forty in Austria and Spain; and the top-fifty in Germany.

Oceania and Japan

In Australia, the album debuted at number 96 on the ARIA Albums Chart during the week ending October 6, 1991, attaining its peak position of number eight four weeks later. The album spent thirty weeks in the top 100, being certified Platinum by the

Australian Recording Industry Association The Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) is a trade association representing the Australian recording industry which was established in the 1970s by six major record companies, EMI, Festival, CBS, RCA, WEA and Universal replacing th ...

(ARIA). During the week of October 17, 1991, ''Emotions'' debuted at its peak position of number six, spending a total of sixteen weeks on the

New Zealand Albums Chart The Official New Zealand Music Chart ( mi, Te Papa Tātai Waiata Matua o Aotearoa) is the weekly New Zealand top 40 singles and albums charts, issued weekly by Recorded Music NZ (formerly Recording Industry Association of New Zealand). The Music ...

. The

Recording Industry Association of New Zealand Recorded Music NZ (formerly the Recording Industry Association of New Zealand (RIANZ)) is a non-profit trade association of record producers, distributors and recording artists who sell recorded music in New Zealand. Membership of Recorded Mus ...

(RIANZ) certified the album Platinum, denoting shipments of 15,000 units within the country. In Japan, ''Emotions'' debuted at number three on the official

Oricon , established in 1999, is the holding company at the head of a Japanese corporate group that supplies statistics and information on music and the music industry in Japan and Western music. It started as, which was founded by Sōkō Koike in Nov ...

chart, eventually becoming Carey's first top-ten album in the country. According to

Sony Music Sony Music Entertainment (SME), also known as simply Sony Music, is an American multinational music company. Being owned by the parent conglomerate Sony Group Corporation, it is part of the Sony Music Group, which is owned by Sony Entertainment ...

, has shipped 1,000,000 copies throughout the country.

Worldwide

''Emotions'' has sold 8 million copies worldwide, short of the 15 million sold by her debut in 1990.

Track listing

Sample credits * "Can't Let Go" contains a sample of " Make It Last Forever" by

Keith Sweat Keith Sweat (born July 22, 1961) is an American singer, songwriter, record producer, and an early figure in the new jack swing musical movement. He is known for his collection of hits including "I Want Her", " Make It Last Forever", "I'll Give A ...

and Jacci McGhee (1987) * "Make It Happen" contains a sample of "I Want to Thank You" by

Alicia Myers Alicia Myers (born November 20, 1957) is an American R&B musician. Beginning her music career with the band Al Hudson & the Soul Partners, who later evolved into One Way, Myers went on to a moderately successful solo career in the early 1980s, ...

(1981) * "The Wind" contains a sample of "The Wind" by

Chet Baker Chesney Henry "Chet" Baker Jr. (December 23, 1929 – May 13, 1988) was an American jazz trumpeter and vocalist. He is known for major innovations in cool jazz that led him to be nicknamed the "Prince of Cool". Baker earned much attention and ...

and Russell Freeman (1954)

Personnel

Credits for ''Emotions'' adapted from

. *

– arranger, mixing, producer, vocal arrangement, vocals, background vocals *

– acoustic guitar, arranger,

bass Bass or Basses may refer to: Fish * Bass (fish), various saltwater and freshwater species Music * Bass (sound), describing low-frequency sound or one of several instruments in the bass range: ** Bass (instrument), including: ** Acoustic bass gui ...

, drums, horn arrangements, grand piano, keyboards, organ, organ (Hammond), percussion, piano, producer, programming,

strings String or strings may refer to: *String (structure), a long flexible structure made from threads twisted together, which is used to tie, bind, or hang other objects Arts, entertainment, and media Films * ''Strings'' (1991 film), a Canadian anim ...

synclavier The Synclavier is an early digital synthesizer, polyphonic digital sampling system, and music workstation manufactured by New England Digital Corporation of Norwich, Vermont. It was produced in various forms from the late 1970s into the early 1 ...

, synthesizer, synthesizer bass,

tambourine The tambourine is a musical instrument in the percussion family consisting of a frame, often of wood or plastic, with pairs of small metal jingles, called "zills". Classically the term tambourine denotes an instrument with a drumhead, though ...

vibraphone The vibraphone is a percussion instrument in the metallophone family. It consists of tuned metal bars and is typically played by using mallets to strike the bars. A person who plays the vibraphone is called a ''vibraphonist,'' ''vibraharpist,' ...

, vocal arrangement * Vernon "Ice" Black – guitar * Bruce Calder – assistant engineer * Dana Jon Chappelle – engineer, mixing * Gary Cirimelli – programming, synclavier *

Robert Clivillés Robert Manuel Clivillés (; born July 30, 1964
from

David Cole – arranger, background vocals, keyboard arrangements, keyboards, mixing, producer * Lew Del Gatto – baritone saxophone, horn arrangements * Josephine DiDonato – art direction * Phillip Dixon – photography * Cornell Dupree – guitar * Lawrence Feldman –

tenor saxophone The tenor saxophone is a medium-sized member of the saxophone family, a group of instruments invented by Adolphe Sax in the 1840s. The tenor and the alto are the two most commonly used saxophones. The tenor is pitched in the key of B (while th ...

* Alan Friedman – programming * Earl Gardner – trumpet * Lolly Grodner – assistant engineer * Carl James – bass guitar * Acar S. Key – engineer *

Ren Klyce Ren Klyce is a Japanese-American sound designer and sound mixer. He has been nominated for nine Academy Awards; six for Best Sound and three for Best Sound Editing. He is best known for his frequent collaborations with director David Fincher, ...

– programming, synclavier, synthesizer * Manny Lacarrubba – assistant engineer *

Michael Landau Michael Christopher Landau (born June 1, 1958) is an American musician, audio engineer, and record producer. He is a session musician and guitarist who has played on many albums since the early 1980s with Boz Scaggs, Minoru Niihara, Joni Mitch ...

– guitar *

Will Lee William Lee (born William Lubovsky; August 6, 1908 – December 7, 1982) was an American actor who appeared in numerous television and film roles, but was best known for playing Mr. Hooper, the original store proprietor of the eponymous Hooper' ...

– bass *

Trey Lorenz Trey Lorenz (born Lloyd Lorenz Smith; January 19, 1969) is an American R&B singer-songwriter and record producer. He was born in Florence, South Carolina and is a graduate of Wilson High School. Lorenz is best known for his duet with recording a ...

– background vocals *

Bob Ludwig Robert C. Ludwig (born c. 1945) is an American mastering engineer. He has mastered recordings on all the major recording formats for all the major record labels, and on projects by more than 1,300 artists including Led Zeppelin, Lou Reed, Qu ...

– mastering * Jon Mathias – engineer * Patrique McMillian – background vocals * Bruce Miller – engineer * Cindy Mizelle – background vocals *

– executive producer * Keith O'Quinn – trombone * Paul Pesco – guitar * Bob Rosa – mixing *

Craig Silvey Craig Silvey (born 1 January 1982) is an Australian novelist. Silvey has twice been named one of the Best Young Australian Novelists by ''The Sydney Morning Herald'' and has been shortlisted for the International Dublin Literary Award. His 200 ...

– assistant engineer * M.T. Silvia – assistant engineer *

Steve Smith Stephen, Steve, Stevie, or Steven Smith may refer to: Academics *Steve Smith (political scientist) (born 1952), British international relations theorist and senior university manager *Stephen Smith (journalist) (born 1956), American journalist, a ...

– drums * George Young – tenor saxophone

Charts

Weekly charts

Year-end charts

Certifications and sales

References

Works cited * * {{Authority control Mariah Carey albums 1991 albums Columbia Records albums Albums produced by Walter Afanasieff Albums produced by David Cole (record producer) Albums produced by Carole King Albums involved in plagiarism controversies