"Loverboy" is a song by American singer and 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 June 19, 2001, by
Virgin Records America
Virgin Records is a record label owned by Universal Music Group. It originally founded as a British independent record label in 1972 by entrepreneurs Richard Branson, Simon Draper, Nik Powell, and musician Tom Newman. It grew to be a worldwid ...
as the
lead single
A lead single (also known as a debut single) is the first single to be released from a studio album by an artist or a band, usually before the album itself is released and also occasionally on the same day of the album's release date.
Release s ...
from her eighth studio album ''
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 ...
'', the soundtrack to the
2001 film of the same name. Written and produced by Carey,
Larry Blackmon
Larry Ernest Blackmon (born May 24, 1956) is an American vocalist and musician who gained acclaim as the lead singer and founder frontman of the funk and R&B band Cameo.
Musical career
Starting the band "East Coast", Blackmon formed the "N ...
,
Thomas Jenkins and
Clark Kent
Superman is a superhero who appears in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character was created by writer Jerry Siegel and artist Joe Shuster, and debuted in the comic book ''Action Comics'' #1 (cover-dated June 1938 and publish ...
, "Loverboy" is built around a sample from "
Candy
Candy, also called sweets (British English) or lollies (Australian English
Australian English (AusE, AusEng, AuE, AuEng, en-AU) is the set of varieties of the English language native to Australia. It is the country's common language an ...
" by the funk band
Cameo, who are also featured on the track. Lyrically, the song finds Carey fantasizing about her loverboy, a man that will fulfill her physical and sexual desires. The recording was accompanied by an official remix, titled "Loverboy Remix", featuring guest artists
Ludacris
Christopher Brian Bridges (born September 11, 1977), known professionally as Ludacris (, homophonous with 'ludicrous' in American English), is an American rapper, actor, record producer and record executive.
Born in Champaign, Illinois, Ludac ...
,
Da Brat
Shawntae Harris-Dupart (born April 14, 1974), better known by her stage name Da Brat, is an American rapper. Born and raised in Chicago, Illinois, she began her career in 1992, the year she signed with So So Def Records. Her debut album ''Funkda ...
,
Shawnna
Rashawnna Guy (born January 3, 1978), better known by her stage name Shawnna, is an American rapper. She was the first female artist signed to Def Jam South through Ludacris' Disturbing tha Peace Records. She is a former member of the female Chi ...
and Twenty II.
The track was subject to controversy, following reports that
Jennifer Lopez
Jennifer Lynn Affleck (' Lopez; born July 24, 1969), also known as J.Lo, is an American singer, actress and dancer. In 1991, she began appearing as a Fly Girl dancer on the sketch comedy television series ''In Living Color'', where she rema ...
and
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 ...
(Carey's ex-husband) stole the idea of sampling the singer's original planned sample,
Yellow Magic Orchestra
Yellow Magic Orchestra (YMO for short) is a Japanese electronic music band formed in Tokyo in 1978 by Haruomi Hosono (bass, keyboards, vocals), Yukihiro Takahashi (drums, lead vocals) and Ryuichi Sakamoto (keyboards, vocals). The group is conside ...
's "
Firecracker
A firecracker (cracker, noise maker, banger) is a small explosive device primarily designed to produce a large amount of noise, especially in the form of a loud bang, usually for celebration or entertainment; any visual effect is incidental t ...
", over a month after Carey had signed for it. Since Carey's ''Glitter'' was to be released over a month after Lopez's album, she changed the song's melody to sample from "Candy" instead. Further controversy ensued following its release, as Carey was hospitalized for severe mental and physical exhaustion, following poorly received television appearances involving both the song and album.
After the song's release in the United States, "Loverboy" stalled on the ''
Billboard
A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertise ...
''
Hot 100
The ''Billboard'' Hot 100 is the music industry standard record chart in the United States for songs, published weekly by '' Billboard'' magazine. Chart rankings are based on sales (physical and digital), radio play, and online streaming ...
at number two due to weak radio airplay. The single jumped 58 spots on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 the week ending August 4, 2001, with sales driven by a Virgin promotion offering the CD for a bargain-priced 49 cents. "Loverboy" only spent 14 weeks on the chart. It also became Carey's first lead single to not reach number one. Though it peaked at number one in Croatia and reached the top 10 in Australia and Canada, the song failed to garner strong charting elsewhere, reaching the top 20 in Portugal, Italy and the United Kingdom.
"Loverboy" received generally mixed reviews from music critics; many called the song unoriginal and dated while others felt that the featured artists (primarily on the remix version) overpowered Carey and made the song disorganized. A music video, directed by
David LaChapelle
David LaChapelle (born March 11, 1963) is an American photographer, music video director and film director. He is best known for his work in fashion, photography, which often references art history and sometimes conveys social messages. His pho ...
, was shot for both versions of the song. The first version features Carey as a scantily-clad car girl, waving a flag as her loverboy finishes a race. The video for the remix version features similar footage, only including shots of the song's guests in race-cars during their verses. She performed "Loverboy" live on
The Sweet Sweet Fantasy Tour
The Sweet Sweet Fantasy Tour was the ninth concert tour by American singer-songwriter Mariah Carey. The tour was featured prominently in the singer's docu-series ''Mariah's World''.
Summary
The tour kicked off with a show at The SSE Hydro in Gl ...
in 2016, as well as her
Caution World Tour
Caution World Tour was the eleventh concert tour by American singer Mariah Carey. The tour consisted mostly of theaters and small to midsize arenas and with 35 dates in total included shows in North America, Europe, the Caribbean, and the Middl ...
in 2019.
In 2020, the original "Firecracker"-sampled version of "Loverboy" was included on Carey's eighth compilation album ''
The Rarities'' and was released as a limited edition
double a-side
The A-side and B-side are the two sides of phonograph records and cassettes; these terms have often been printed on the labels of two-sided music recordings. The A-side usually features a recording that its artist, producer, or record company ...
Japanese single in December 2020.
Background and release
Originally planned to be released at a later date, "Loverboy" was leaked to radio on June 1, 2001. As a result, Virgin Records pushed the release date in order to control the leak.
Following the release of "Loverboy", Carey embarked on a short promotional campaign for the song.
On July 18, 2001, Virgin scheduled Carey to do a day of interviews with radio stations. After she called in an hour late to
Q100 Q100 may be:
* Quran 100 the 100th chapter of the Islamic Holy book
* De Havilland Canada Dash 8 Q100 turboprop, now by Bombardier Aerospace
* Q100, a conventional notation for the 100-year flood, particularly in hydrology
Transportation
* Q100 ...
in Atlanta at 9:00 a.m. and the hosts informed Carey that she was late, the rest of the day's interviews were canceled. The next day, Carey made a surprise appearance on the
MTV
MTV (Originally an initialism of Music Television) is an American cable channel that launched on August 1, 1981. Based in New York City, it serves as the flagship property of the MTV Entertainment Group, part of Paramount Media Networks, a di ...
program ''
Total Request Live
''Total Request Live'' (known commonly as ''TRL'') was an American television program broadcast on MTV that premiered on September 14, 1998. TRL featured popular music videos played during its countdown, and was also used as a promotion tool by ...
'' (TRL).
As the show's host
Carson Daly
Carson Jones Daly (born June 22, 1973) is an American television host, radio personality, Television producer, producer, and celebrity, television personality. Prior to 2003, Daly was a VJ (media personality), VJ on MTV's ''Total Request Live'', ...
began taping following a commercial break, Carey came out onto the filming stage, pushing an ice cream cart while wearing a large men's shirt.
Seemingly anxious and exhilarated, Carey began giving out individual bars of ice cream to fans and guests on the program, while waving to the crowd down below on
Times Square
Times Square is a major commercial intersection, tourist destination, entertainment hub, and neighborhood in Midtown Manhattan, New York City. It is formed by the junction of Broadway, Seventh Avenue, and 42nd Street. Together with adjacent ...
, while diverging into a rambling monologue regarding therapy.
Carey then walked to Daly's platform and began a
striptease
A striptease is an erotic or exotic dance in which the performer gradually undresses, either partly or completely, in a seductive and sexually suggestive manner. The person who performs a striptease is commonly known as a "stripper" or an "ex ...
, in which she shed her shirt to reveal a tight yellow and green ensemble, leading him to exclaim "Mariah Carey has lost her mind!".
While she later revealed that Daly was aware of her presence in the building prior to her appearance, she admitted that he was meant to act surprised in order to provide a more dramatic effect for the program.
Carey's appearance on TRL garnered strong media attention, with many critics and newspapers citing her behavior as "troubled" and "erratic".
In the days following her appearance on TRL, Carey had begun displaying "erratic behavior" during a public record signing for the single at
Tower Records
Tower Records is an international retail franchise and online music store that was formerly based in Sacramento, California, United States. From 1960 until 2006, Tower operated retail stores in the United States, which closed when Tower Records ...
in New York.
As the appearance was filmed, she began rambling on several points, leading her to discuss radio-host
Howard Stern
Howard Allan Stern (born January 12, 1954) is an American radio and television personality, comedian, and author. He is best known for his radio show, ''The Howard Stern Show'', which gained popularity when it was nationally syndicated on terre ...
and how his form of humor on his program bothered her greatly.
At that point, Carey's publicist Cindi Berger grabbed the microphone from her hand and ordered the cameras to stop filming. A few days later, Carey began posting irregular voice notes and messages on her official website:
I'm trying to understand things in life right now and so I really don't feel that I should be doing music right now. What I'd like to do is just a take a little break or at least get one night of sleep without someone popping up about a video. All I really want is ojust be me and that's what I should have done in the first place ... I don't say this much but guess what, I don't take care of myself.
After the removal of the messages, Berger commented that Carey had been "obviously exhausted and not thinking clearly" when she posted the letters.
Two days later on July 26, she was suddenly hospitalized, citing "extreme exhaustion" and a "physical and emotional breakdown".
Following the heavy media coverage surrounding Carey's publicized breakdown and hospitalization,
Virgin Records
Virgin Records is a record label owned by Universal Music Group. It originally founded as a British independent record label in 1972 by entrepreneurs Richard Branson, Simon Draper, Nik Powell, and musician Tom Newman. It grew to be a worldwid ...
and
20th Century Fox
20th Century Studios, Inc. (previously known as 20th Century Fox) is an American film production company headquartered at the Fox Studio Lot in the Century City area of Los Angeles. As of 2019, it serves as a film production arm of Walt Dis ...
delayed the release of both the film's
soundtrack
A soundtrack is recorded music accompanying and synchronised to the images of a motion picture, drama, book, television program, radio program, or video game; a commercially released soundtrack album of music as featured in the soundtrack o ...
and
the film itself for three weeks: from August 21 to
September 11 and from August 31 to September 21, respectively.
Following Carey's absence from the public eye, as well as her abandonment of promotional appearances for the film and soundtrack, her unprecedented $100 million five-album record deal with
Virgin Records
Virgin Records is a record label owned by Universal Music Group. It originally founded as a British independent record label in 1972 by entrepreneurs Richard Branson, Simon Draper, Nik Powell, and musician Tom Newman. It grew to be a worldwid ...
(
EMI Records
EMI Records (formerly EMI Records Ltd.) is a multinational record label owned by Universal Music Group. It originally founded as a British flagship label by the music company of the same name in 1972, and launched in January 1973 as the succ ...
) was bought out for $50 million.
The decision was brought out due to the low sales of the project, as well as the negative publicity surrounding her breakdown.
Soon after, Carey flew to Capri, Italy for a period of five months, in which she began writing material for her new album, stemming from all the personal experiences she had endured throughout the past year.
Additionally, she founded her own label modelled after her initials,
MonarC Entertainment and signed a new three-album record deal with
Island Records
Island Records is a multinational record label owned by Universal Music Group. It was founded in 1959 by Chris Blackwell, Graeme Goodall, and Leslie Kong in Jamaica, and was eventually sold to PolyGram in 1989. Island and A&M Records, anoth ...
, valued at over $23 million.
In 2020, the original and previously unreleased version of "Loverboy" that sampled "
Firecracker
A firecracker (cracker, noise maker, banger) is a small explosive device primarily designed to produce a large amount of noise, especially in the form of a loud bang, usually for celebration or entertainment; any visual effect is incidental t ...
" was included on Carey's compilation album ''
The Rarities'' as part of the "#MC30" initiave. The latter was a campaign marking the 30th anniversary of Carey's self-titled debut
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 ...
, ''
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 ...
'' (1990), and coincides with her
memoir
A memoir (; , ) is any nonfiction narrative writing based in the author's personal memories. The assertions made in the work are thus understood to be factual. While memoir has historically been defined as a subcategory of biography or autobi ...
''
The Meaning of Mariah Carey
''The Meaning of Mariah Carey'' is a memoir by Mariah Carey, released on September 29, 2020. It was written with Michaela Angela Davis, and was published by Andy Cohen Books, an imprint of Henry Holt, as well as in an audiobook format read by C ...
'' (2020).
"Loverboy" (Firecracker – Original Version) was released as a limited edition double
a-side
The A-side and B-side are the two sides of phonograph records and cassettes; these terms have often been printed on the labels of two-sided music recordings. The A-side usually features a recording that its artist, producer, or record company ...
single with "
Here We Go Around Again
"Here We Go Around Again" (listed as "Here We Go Round Again" on Carey's demo tape) is a song recorded by American singer and songwriter Mariah Carey. It was released in Japan on December 11, 2020, as the third single from her eighth compilatio ...
", another song taken from ''The Rarities''.
Composition
"Loverboy"'s
hook
A hook is a tool consisting of a length of material, typically metal, that contains a portion that is curved or indented, such that it can be used to grab onto, connect, or otherwise attach itself onto another object. In a number of uses, one e ...
is built around a
sample
Sample or samples may refer to:
Base meaning
* Sample (statistics), a subset of a population – complete data set
* Sample (signal), a digital discrete sample of a continuous analog signal
* Sample (material), a specimen or small quantity of s ...
of "Candy", by
Cameo. Aside from borrowing from the melody, "Loverboy" features the members of Cameo, including group leader
Larry Blackmon
Larry Ernest Blackmon (born May 24, 1956) is an American vocalist and musician who gained acclaim as the lead singer and founder frontman of the funk and R&B band Cameo.
Musical career
Starting the band "East Coast", Blackmon formed the "N ...
, as vocalists on the track. According to Chuck Taylor from ''
Billboard
A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertise ...
'', "Loverboy" is reminiscent of several of Carey's previous
lead single
A lead single (also known as a debut single) is the first single to be released from a studio album by an artist or a band, usually before the album itself is released and also occasionally on the same day of the album's release date.
Release s ...
s, as they too were predominantly built around samples of older songs.
He described some of its background flourishes as "swirling harmonies overtop" and noted the inclusion of many shouts and
ad-libs
In music and other performing arts, the phrase (; from Latin for 'at one's pleasure' or 'as you desire'), often shortened to "ad lib" (as an adjective or adverb) or "ad-lib" (as a verb or noun), refers to various forms of improvisation.
The r ...
from Carey and Cameo.
Due to the song's heavy usage of the "Candy" sample and the heavy blend of instrumentation and vocals, he said that to his bewilderment, the song was "devoid of a standard hook".
''
NME
''New Musical Express'' (''NME'') is a British music, film, gaming, and culture website and brand. Founded as a newspaper in 1952, with the publication being referred to as a 'rock inkie', the NME would become a magazine that ended up as a f ...
''s Elios Therepio felt the idea of sampling "Candy" was genius "on paper", but once it was recorded, it suffered from various miscalculations.
He felt it did not match the success Carey's previous single, "
Fantasy
Fantasy is a genre of speculative fiction involving Magic (supernatural), magical elements, typically set in a fictional universe and sometimes inspired by mythology and folklore. Its roots are in oral traditions, which then became fantasy ...
" (which also recalled its melody from an older song), and criticized the inclusion of several over-the-top "keyboard and synth arrangements".
Regarding Carey's voice, aside from describing it as "obscured", Therepio expressed his difficulty in understanding her lyrical phrases, claiming it was weakened from "no-everyone-can-understand-what-you're-saying'-itis".
Gil Kaufman from
MTV News
MTV News is the news production division of MTV. The service is available in the US with localized versions on MTV's global network. In February 2016, MTV Networks confirmed it would refresh the MTV News brand in 2016, to compete with the likes ...
noted the inclusion of "bouncing funky bass
ndrock guitars",
while Roger Caitlin of the ''
Hartford Courant
The ''Hartford Courant'' is the largest daily newspaper in the U.S. state of Connecticut, and is considered to be the oldest continuously published newspaper in the United States. A morning newspaper serving most of the state north of New Haven ...
'' described how Carey was often reduced to "breathy background vocals" on "Loverboy".
Lyrically, the song finds Carey looking for her "loverboy" and a sugar-daddy who is going to "love her right". Therepio found it ironic how Carey was crooning for a sugar-daddy, when she had just left one (referring to her older ex-husband
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 ...
). Additionally, he felt Carey was molding her image from that of a balladeer, to a "pin-up image" of a pop star.
The song's lyrics are racy and feature the protagonist asking for her "loverboy" to fulfill her sexual desires: "Loverboy come on and love me / Give me more".
Sampling controversy
Throughout 2000, Carey had already been writing and recording material for ''Glitter''.
During this period, she developed the concept for the album's lead single, "Loverboy". Originally, Carey had sampled the melody and hook from the 1978
Yellow Magic Orchestra
Yellow Magic Orchestra (YMO for short) is a Japanese electronic music band formed in Tokyo in 1978 by Haruomi Hosono (bass, keyboards, vocals), Yukihiro Takahashi (drums, lead vocals) and Ryuichi Sakamoto (keyboards, vocals). The group is conside ...
song "
Firecracker
A firecracker (cracker, noise maker, banger) is a small explosive device primarily designed to produce a large amount of noise, especially in the form of a loud bang, usually for celebration or entertainment; any visual effect is incidental t ...
", using an
interpolation
In the mathematical field of numerical analysis, interpolation is a type of estimation, a method of constructing (finding) new data points based on the range of a discrete set of known data points.
In engineering and science, one often has a n ...
of it throughout the chorus and introduction.
In early theatrical trailers for ''Glitter'', the original version of "Loverboy" was still featured. As Carey had ended her contract with
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 ...
,
Jennifer Lopez
Jennifer Lynn Affleck (' Lopez; born July 24, 1969), also known as J.Lo, is an American singer, actress and dancer. In 1991, she began appearing as a Fly Girl dancer on the sketch comedy television series ''In Living Color'', where she rema ...
was signed by
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 ...
and had begun recording material for her album, ''
J.Lo
Jennifer Lynn Affleck (' Lopez; born July 24, 1969), also known as J.Lo, is an American singer, actress and dancer. In 1991, she began appearing as a Fly Girl dancer on the sketch comedy television series ''In Living Color'', where she rema ...
'' (2001).
According to
The Inc.'s
Irv Gotti
Irving Domingo Lorenzo Jr. (born June 26, 1970), professionally known as Irv Gotti, is an American DJ, music producer, record executive, and the CEO and co-founder of Murder Inc. Records. He is best known for producing multiple number-one rec ...
, Mottola, head of Columbia and Carey's ex-husband, knew of Carey's usage of the "Firecracker" sample and attempted to have Lopez use the same sample before her.
At the time, Carey had become increasingly paranoid over outside executives being informed about ''Glitter'', especially following news of Mottola's "theft" of the song.
When the music publishers for "Firecracker" were questioned, they admitted Carey had licensed usage of the sample first, and Lopez's team had signed for it over one month later, under Mottola's arrangement.
Following the scandal, Carey was not able to use the original sample, as Lopez's album was to be released far earlier than ''Glitter''.
She subsequently changed the composition of "Loverboy" and incorporated a new sample, "
Candy
Candy, also called sweets (British English) or lollies (Australian English
Australian English (AusE, AusEng, AuE, AuEng, en-AU) is the set of varieties of the English language native to Australia. It is the country's common language an ...
" by
Cameo.
The "Firecracker" sample was used by Lopez on her song "
I'm Real", from her album ''J.Lo''.
The original version of "Loverboy" with the "Firecracker" sample was later included on Carey's 2020 compilation album ''
The Rarities''.
Critical reception
"Loverboy" was met with generally mixed reviews from music critics; many were not impressed with the incorporation of the sample and felt the song did not lead Carey into any newer ground or innovation. Additionally, several reviewers were not impressed with Carey's concealed vocals and the song's complex production. Sarah Rodman of the ''
Boston Herald
The ''Boston Herald'' is an American daily newspaper whose primary market is Boston, Massachusetts, and its surrounding area. It was founded in 1846 and is one of the oldest daily newspapers in the United States. It has been awarded eight Pulit ...
'' described the song's production as a "traffic-jam" and wrote "'Loverboy' is another in an increasingly long line of glitzy, candy-coated, creatively stunted song." Writing for 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 ...
'', Natalie Nichols felt "Loverboy" was "predictable" and presented nothing new for Carey's audience. ''
USA Today
''USA Today'' (stylized in all uppercase) is an American daily middle-market newspaper and news broadcasting company. Founded by Al Neuharth on September 15, 1982, the newspaper operates from Gannett's corporate headquarters in Tysons, Virgini ...
''s Edna Gunderson wrote the song off as "skimpy", while Glenn Gamboa from ''
Newsday
''Newsday'' is an American daily newspaper that primarily serves Nassau and Suffolk counties on Long Island, although it is also sold throughout the New York metropolitan area. The slogan of the newspaper is "Newsday, Your Eye on LI", and f ...
'' described its overall reception as "lukewarm".
Harry Guerin from
Raidió Teilifís Éireann
Raidi (; ; also written Ragdi; born August, 1938) is a Tibetan politician of the People's Republic of China. He served as a vice chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress from 2003 to 2008, and the highest ranking Tibeta ...
outed the song as one of Carey's "finest moments" on ''Glitter'' and disagreed with criticism regarding the "overly-populated" musical background".
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
Stephen Thomas Erlewine
Stephen Thomas Erlewine (; born June 18, 1973) is an American music critic and senior editor for the online music database AllMusic. He is the author of many artist biographies and record reviews for AllMusic, as well as a freelance writer, occ ...
listed the song as the only "recommended" song from ''Glitter'', while Gil Kaufman of
MTV News
MTV News is the news production division of MTV. The service is available in the US with localized versions on MTV's global network. In February 2016, MTV Networks confirmed it would refresh the MTV News brand in 2016, to compete with the likes ...
called it a "fun, uptempo dance number".
Craig Seymour 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 ...
'' rated "Loverboy" a C−, criticizing its lyrical content and production.
An anonymous writer from ''
The Guardian
''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers ''The Observer'' and ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the Gu ...
'' felt the song had "no decipherable tune", due to the inclusion of electronic musical instruments and background shouts and ad-libs.
''Billboard''s Chuck Taylor described the song as "self-sabotage" and felt Carey was gambling her longevity. He described the production as a "mumbo jumbo of disparate elements" and wrote "the mighty may have fallen here".
Chart performance
![MariahRAH270519-57 (49620844098)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/61/MariahRAH270519-57_%2849620844098%29.jpg)
Prior to Virgin's release of "Loverboy", Carey halted all promotional appearances corresponding to the song. Citing an emotional breakdown and a subsequent hospitalization, Carey remained out of the public eye for several weeks.
After its release, "Loverboy" failed to garner strong charting on prominent international markets and received poor radio airplay throughout the United States.
"Loverboy" peaked atop the ''Billboard''s
Hot Singles Sales
This is a compendium of the best-selling music singles. The criterion for inclusion is to sell at least ten million copies worldwide. The singles listed here were cited by reliable sources from various media, such as digital journalism, news ...
chart for four consecutive weeks, though due to weak airplay, managed to reach number two on the
''Billboard'' Hot 100 with "
Bootylicious
"Bootylicious" is a song recorded by American group Destiny's Child for their third studio album ''Survivor (Destiny's Child album), Survivor'' (2001). It was written and produced by Rob Fusari, Beyoncé and Falonte Moore. The song contains a pro ...
" by
Destiny's Child
Destiny's Child was an American girl group whose final line-up comprised Beyoncé Knowles, Kelly Rowland, and Michelle Williams. The group began their musical career as Girl's Tyme, formed in 1990 in Houston, Texas. After years of limited ...
holding it back from the top position.
"Loverboy" finished as the best-selling single of 2001 in the United States, with sales of 571,000 units, falling short of the previous year's best-seller, which accumulated sales upwards of one million copies.
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) certified the song
Gold
Gold is a chemical element with the symbol Au (from la, aurum) and atomic number 79. This makes it one of the higher atomic number elements that occur naturally. It is a bright, slightly orange-yellow, dense, soft, malleable, and ductile met ...
.
In Canada, "Loverboy" peaked at number three on the singles chart and charted for a total of thirteen weeks.
Throughout Australasia and Europe, the song peaked outside the top 20 in most countries. "Loverboy" debuted at its peak position of number seven on the
Australian Singles Chart
The ARIA Charts are the main Australian music sales charts, issued weekly by the Australian Recording Industry Association. The charts are a record of the highest selling songs and albums in various genres in Australia. ARIA became the offici ...
, during the week of July 29, 2001.
The following week, the song began its decline and experienced a total chart trajectory of seven weeks.
The song was certified
Gold
Gold is a chemical element with the symbol Au (from la, aurum) and atomic number 79. This makes it one of the higher atomic number elements that occur naturally. It is a bright, slightly orange-yellow, dense, soft, malleable, and ductile met ...
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), denoting shipments of over 35,000 units.
On July 29, 2001, "Loverboy" debuted at number 65 on the
Ö3 Austria Top 40
Ö3 Austria Top 40 is the official Austrian singles chart, as well as the radio show which presents it, aired Tuesdays on Hitradio Ö3. The show presents the Austrian singles, ringtones and downloads chart. It premiered on 26 November 1968 as ...
chart, spending a total of three weeks in the chart.
The song achieved relatively weak charting in both the Flemish and Wallonian territories in Belgium, peaking at numbers 49 and 34, respectively.
Making its debut at its peak position of number 54, "Loverboy" charted for a total of nine weeks in France, before falling out on November 3, 2001.
On the
Dutch Top 40
The Dutch Top 40 ( nl, Nederlandse Top 40) is a weekly music chart compiled by ''Stichting Nederlandse Top 40''. It started as a radio program titled "Veronica Top 40", on the offshore station Radio Veronica in 1965. It remained "The Veronica ...
chart, the song made its debut at number 68.
The following week the song peaked at number 34, before dropping outside the top 40 three weeks later, ending its five-week run.
On July 26, 2001, "Loverboy" debuted at number 49 on the
Swedish Singles 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 ...
and reached a peak of number 44.
Similarly in Switzerland, the song peaked at number 66 and spent only four weeks fluctuating inside the chart.
On the
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart (currently titled Official Singles Chart, with the upper section more commonly known as the Official UK Top 40) is compiled by the Official Charts Company (OCC), on behalf of the British record industry, listing the top-s ...
, the song debuted at its peak of number 12.
The following week, the song dropped to number 29 on the chart, before dropping outside the top 40 two weeks later.
Remix
Aside from the regular version of the song, an official remix of "Loverboy" was included on ''Glitter''. The song's main remix, titled "Loverboy Remix", uses the same sample as the album version and retains all of Carey's original vocals. It has a different introduction, the singing and spoken parts of Cameo are greatly reduced (and are not credited), and additional raps are included by
Da Brat
Shawntae Harris-Dupart (born April 14, 1974), better known by her stage name Da Brat, is an American rapper. Born and raised in Chicago, Illinois, she began her career in 1992, the year she signed with So So Def Records. Her debut album ''Funkda ...
,
Ludacris
Christopher Brian Bridges (born September 11, 1977), known professionally as Ludacris (, homophonous with 'ludicrous' in American English), is an American rapper, actor, record producer and record executive.
Born in Champaign, Illinois, Ludac ...
,
Shawnna
Rashawnna Guy (born January 3, 1978), better known by her stage name Shawnna, is an American rapper. She was the first female artist signed to Def Jam South through Ludacris' Disturbing tha Peace Records. She is a former member of the female Chi ...
, and Twenty II. ''NME'' writer Elios Therepio rated the remix five out of ten stars and claimed the song to have been a much weaker lead single than Carey's "
Fantasy
Fantasy is a genre of speculative fiction involving Magic (supernatural), magical elements, typically set in a fictional universe and sometimes inspired by mythology and folklore. Its roots are in oral traditions, which then became fantasy ...
" (1995).
Jim Farber from ''
Daily News'' criticized Brat's verse, writing how it "cut right through" the production.
''
The Morning Call
''The Morning Call'' is a daily newspaper in Allentown, Pennsylvania. Founded in 1883, it is the second longest continuously published newspaper in the Lehigh Valley, after ''The Express-Times''. In 2020, the newspaper permanently closed its Al ...
''s Len Righi described the remix as "cloddish", while Jim Abbott from the ''
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 ...
'' felt the song's guests "upstaged" Carey.
Promotion
Music video
Two music videos, both directed by
David LaChapelle
David LaChapelle (born March 11, 1963) is an American photographer, music video director and film director. He is best known for his work in fashion, photography, which often references art history and sometimes conveys social messages. His pho ...
, were shot for the song and its accompanying remix and premiered on ''
Total Request Live
''Total Request Live'' (known commonly as ''TRL'') was an American television program broadcast on MTV that premiered on September 14, 1998. TRL featured popular music videos played during its countdown, and was also used as a promotion tool by ...
'' on June 8, 2001.
The videos introduced a less demure image of Carey, one that received negative backlash from critics. She appears in the video with a lighter hair color than she had sported in the past and wearing a series of revealing ensembles. Reviewers disregarded Carey's newer image, primarily her double-handkerchief bra, and likened her to younger pop singers such as
Britney Spears
Britney Jean Spears (born December 2, 1981) is an American singer. Often referred to as the " Princess of Pop", she is credited with influencing the revival of teen pop during the late 1990s and early 2000s. After appearing in stage productio ...
, which they felt cheapened the singer. The video begins with Cameo frontman Larry Blackmon driving all over a racetrack, while Carey, dressed in revealing clothing, is shown singing in various "car girl" positions at the track on a hot summer day. She flags down cars as the "
flag girl" and dances as a "tire girl" in a
kaleidoscope
A kaleidoscope () is an optical instrument with two or more reflecting surfaces (or mirrors) tilted to each other at an angle, so that one or more (parts of) objects on one end of these mirrors are shown as a regular symmetrical pattern when v ...
-inspired sequence, before jumping out of a
pop out cake
A pop out cake, popout cake, jump out cake, or surprise cake is a large object made to serve as a surprise for a celebratory occasion. Externally, such a construction appears to be an oversized cake, and sometimes actually is, at least in part. H ...
to the roars of the crowd below.
Several other scenes of Carey in a pink jumpsuit while riding on top of a race-car are shown, during which Blackmon continues the race. A video was also made for the remix and retains most of the shots of the original. In it, Ludacris and Shawnna can be seen rapping together as they ride in an old car, while Da Brat and Twenty II rap together in a more modern car without a hood.
The music video for "Loverboy" received generally negative reviews from critics, many of whom felt Carey was portrayed in an overtly sexual manner. A writer from ''The Guardian'' criticized the video, calling it "wacky" and describing Carey's choreography as "running amok".
Slant Magazine
''Slant Magazine'' is an American online publication that features reviews of movies, music, TV, DVDs, theater, and video games, as well as interviews with actors, directors, and musicians. The site covers various film festivals like the New York ...
's Sal Cinquemani felt the video was "brilliantly over-the-top", while an anonymous columnist from ''NME'' commented that it would cause male viewers to "play with themselves" after watching.
In a countdown of "The 5 Least Sexiest Music Videos", Priya Elan from ''NME'' included the video at number three, writing how the singer "spins with the mad-eyed grace of someone who hasn't been to sleep for 72 hours" (referring to Carey's mention of insomnia as a reason for her breakdown). Japiya Burns of ''
The Michigan Daily
''The Michigan Daily'' is the weekly student newspaper of the University of Michigan. Its first edition was published on September 29, 1890. The newspaper is financially and editorially independent of the University's administration and other stu ...
'' was critical of Carey's portrayal in the video, primarily her double-handkerchief bra. He felt that in doing so, Carey was cheapening herself and her image to resemble younger
pop singers such as
Britney Spears
Britney Jean Spears (born December 2, 1981) is an American singer. Often referred to as the " Princess of Pop", she is credited with influencing the revival of teen pop during the late 1990s and early 2000s. After appearing in stage productio ...
.
Live performances
At the time of its release, Carey did not perform "Loverboy" live. The first performance of the song came 5 months later at a private special concert for the US troops at
Camp Bondsteel
Camp Bondsteel is the operation headquarters of the Kosovo Force (KFOR) in Kosovo. It is located near Ferizaj in eastern Kosovo. It is the Regional Command-East headed by the United States Army (U.S. Army) and it is supported by troops from Gre ...
e in
Kosovo
Kosovo ( sq, Kosova or ; sr-Cyrl, Косово ), officially the Republic of Kosovo ( sq, Republika e Kosovës, links=no; sr, Република Косово, Republika Kosovo, links=no), is a partially recognised state in Southeast Euro ...
. Carey also performed her single at the time "
Never Too Far / Hero Medley", "
My All
"My All" is a song by American singer-songwriter Mariah Carey from her sixth studio album, ''Butterfly'' (1997). It was released as the album's fifth single overall and second commercial single on April 21, 1998, by Columbia Records. The song ...
", a snippet of "
Santa Claus Is Comin' to Town
"Santa Claus Is Comin' to Town" is a Christmas song featuring Santa Claus written by J. Fred Coots and Haven Gillespie. The earliest known recorded version of the song was by banjoist Harry Reser and his band on October 24, 1934. It was the ...
" and "
All I Want for Christmas Is You". 15 years later, it was performed again on Carey's
Sweet Sweet Fantasy Tour
The Sweet Sweet Fantasy Tour was the ninth concert tour by American singer-songwriter Mariah Carey. The tour was featured prominently in the singer's docu-series ''Mariah's World''.
Summary
The tour kicked off with a show at The SSE Hydro in G ...
in 2016, this time as part of the Car Ride medley. Three years later, it was also performed as part of the #JusticeForGlitter medley of Carey's
Caution World Tour
Caution World Tour was the eleventh concert tour by American singer Mariah Carey. The tour consisted mostly of theaters and small to midsize arenas and with 35 dates in total included shows in North America, Europe, the Caribbean, and the Middl ...
.
Formats and track listings
Australian CD single
# "Loverboy" (featuring
Cameo)
# "Loverboy" (Remix featuring
Da Brat
Shawntae Harris-Dupart (born April 14, 1974), better known by her stage name Da Brat, is an American rapper. Born and raised in Chicago, Illinois, she began her career in 1992, the year she signed with So So Def Records. Her debut album ''Funkda ...
and
Ludacris
Christopher Brian Bridges (born September 11, 1977), known professionally as Ludacris (, homophonous with 'ludicrous' in American English), is an American rapper, actor, record producer and record executive.
Born in Champaign, Illinois, Ludac ...
)
# "Loverboy" (Club of Love Remix)
# "Loverboy" (MJ Cole Remix)
# "Loverboy" (Dub of Love Remix)
Australian promo CD single
# "Loverboy" (featuring Cameo)
# "Loverboy" (David Morales Club of Love Mix)
# "Loverboy" (Remix featuring Da Brat and Ludacris)
# "Loverboy" (MJ Cole Main Mix Radio Edit)
# "Loverboy" (David Morales Drums Of Love Mix)
Japanese CD single
# "Loverboy" (featuring Cameo)
# "Loverboy" (Remix featuring Da Brat and Ludacris)
European CD maxi-single
# "Loverboy" (MJ Cole Remix)
# "Loverboy" (MJ Cole Radio Edit)
# "Loverboy" (MJ Cole London Dub Mix)
# "Loverboy" (MJ Cole Instrumental)
# "Loverboy" (Club of Love Remix)
# "Loverboy" (Club of Love Radio Edit)
# "Loverboy" (Dreamy Club of Love Radio Edit)
# "Loverboy" (Dub of Love Remix)
# "Loverboy" (Drums of Love)
European CD single
# "Loverboy" (featuring Cameo)
# "Loverboy" (Remix featuring Da Brat and Ludacris)
UK 12-inch vinyl single
# "Loverboy" (Drums of Love)
# "Loverboy" (Dub of Love Remix)
# "Loverboy" (MJ Cole London Dub Mix)
UK promo maxi-single
# "Loverboy" (featuring Cameo)
# "Loverboy" (MJ Cole Remix)
# "Loverboy" (Club of Love Remix)
US CD maxi-single
# "Loverboy" (featuring Cameo)
# "Loverboy" (Remix featuring Da Brat and Ludacris)
# "Loverboy" (MJ Cole Remix)
# "Loverboy" (MJ Cole Instrumental)
# "Loverboy" (MJ Cole London Dub Mix)
# "Loverboy" (Club of Love Remix)
# "Loverboy" (Dub of Love Remix)
# "Loverboy" (Drums of Love)
Japanese Limited Edition 2020 Cassette Single
# "
Here We Go Around Again
"Here We Go Around Again" (listed as "Here We Go Round Again" on Carey's demo tape) is a song recorded by American singer and songwriter Mariah Carey. It was released in Japan on December 11, 2020, as the third single from her eighth compilatio ...
"
# "Loverboy" (Firecracker – Original Version)
Credits and personnel
Credits for ''Glitter'' adapted from the album's liner notes.
*
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 ...
–
songwriting
A songwriter is a musician who professionally composes musical compositions or writes lyrics for songs, or both. The writer of the music for a song can be called a composer, although this term tends to be used mainly in the classical music gen ...
,
producer,
vocals
Singing is the act of creating musical sounds with the voice. A person who sings is called a singer, artist or vocalist (in jazz and/or popular music). Singers perform music (arias, recitatives, songs, etc.) that can be sung with or without ...
,
background vocals
A backing vocalist is a singer who provides vocal harmony with the lead vocalist or other backing vocalists. A backing vocalist may also sing alone as a lead-in to the main vocalist's entry or to sing a counter-melody. Backing vocalists are used ...
*
Da Brat
Shawntae Harris-Dupart (born April 14, 1974), better known by her stage name Da Brat, is an American rapper. Born and raised in Chicago, Illinois, she began her career in 1992, the year she signed with So So Def Records. Her debut album ''Funkda ...
– songwriting, vocals (remix only)
*
Larry Blackmon
Larry Ernest Blackmon (born May 24, 1956) is an American vocalist and musician who gained acclaim as the lead singer and founder frontman of the funk and R&B band Cameo.
Musical career
Starting the band "East Coast", Blackmon formed the "N ...
– songwriting
*
Tomi Jenkins – songwriting
*
Clark Kent
Superman is a superhero who appears in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character was created by writer Jerry Siegel and artist Joe Shuster, and debuted in the comic book ''Action Comics'' #1 (cover-dated June 1938 and publish ...
– producer
*Carl "Butch" Small –
percussion
A percussion instrument is a musical instrument that is sounded by being struck or scraped by a beater including attached or enclosed beaters or rattles struck, scraped or rubbed by hand or struck against another similar instrument. Exc ...
*Peter Novak –
engineer
Engineers, as practitioners of engineering, are professionals who invent, design, analyze, build and test machines, complex systems, structures, gadgets and materials to fulfill functional objectives and requirements while considering the l ...
*
Ludacris
Christopher Brian Bridges (born September 11, 1977), known professionally as Ludacris (, homophonous with 'ludicrous' in American English), is an American rapper, actor, record producer and record executive.
Born in Champaign, Illinois, Ludac ...
– songwriting, vocals (remix only)
*Andrew Felluss – engineer
*Ann Mincieli – engineer
*Anthony Kilhoffer – engineer
*Elliot Blakely – engineer
*Dana Jon Chappelle –
mixing
*Michael "Mikizza" Schlesinger – mixing
*Evren Göknar – Mastering Engineer
*
Cameo – vocals
*Mary Ann Tatum – background vocals
*
Shawnna
Rashawnna Guy (born January 3, 1978), better known by her stage name Shawnna, is an American rapper. She was the first female artist signed to Def Jam South through Ludacris' Disturbing tha Peace Records. She is a former member of the female Chi ...
– songwriting, vocals (remix only)
*Twenty II – songwriting, vocals (remix only)
Charts
Certifications and sales
Release history
See also
*
List of number-one R&B singles of 2001 (U.S.)
*
List of best-selling singles in the United States
This is a list of best-selling singles in the United States, some of which have been certified by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). In music, a single is a song considered commercially viable enough by the artist and record co ...
References
{{Authority control
2001 singles
2001 songs
Mariah Carey songs
Cameo (band) songs
Ludacris songs
Music videos directed by David LaChapelle
Sampling controversies
Songs written for films
Songs written by Larry Blackmon
Songs written by Mariah Carey
Virgin Records singles