Obsessed (Mariah Carey Song)
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"Obsessed" is a song by American singer and songwriter Mariah Carey from her twelfth studio
album An album is a collection of audio recordings issued on compact disc (CD), vinyl, audio tape, or another medium such as digital distribution. Albums of recorded sound were developed in the early 20th century as individual 78 rpm records co ...
, '' Memoirs of an Imperfect Angel'' (2009). The song was written and produced by Carey,
Tricky Stewart Christopher Alan "Tricky" Stewart (born January 4, 1974) is an American record producer, record executive, songwriter, and music publisher. In a career spanning over 30 years, Stewart has won 5 Grammys and is responsible for over 50 million rec ...
and
The-Dream Terius Youngdell Nash (born September 20, 1977), better known by his stage name The-Dream, is an American singer, songwriter, and record producer. His co-writing credits include songs with "Me Against the Music" (2003) for Britney Spears, " Rid ...
, and was released as the album's
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 ...
on June 16, 2009, by Island Records. The song draws musical influences from
contemporary R&B Contemporary R&B (or simply R&B) is a popular music genre that combines rhythm and blues with elements of pop, soul, funk, hip hop, and electronic music. The genre features a distinctive record production style, drum machine-backed rhy ...
and hip hop, and is built around a thumping bassline. Additionally, the song is accentuated by hand claps, while Carey's voice is processed with
Auto-Tune Auto-Tune (or autotune) is an audio processor introduced in 1996 by American company Antares Audio Technologies. Auto-Tune uses a proprietary device to measure and alter pitch in vocal and instrumental music recording and performances. Auto-Tu ...
. Lyrically, the song describes Carey's dilemma regarding constant claims of a prior relationship from rapper Eminem, although he is not specifically mentioned. "Obsessed" was well received by music critics who highlighted it as a stand-out track from ''Memoirs of an Imperfect Angel''. Many reviewers complimented its clever lyrics and strong beat, while others criticized the song's usage of Auto-Tune on Carey's vocals. At the time of the song's release, "Obsessed" was the center of controversy, as critics and the media suggested Carey was aiming it at Eminem, who had negatively referenced her several times in his songs. Eminem released a song called " The Warning" in response. "Obsessed" peaked at number seven on the US ''Billboard'' Hot 100, becoming Carey's 27th top-ten hit on the chart. In terms of total top-ten chart entries among all artists in the chart's history, Carey tied for fifth place after the song's peak, with Janet Jackson and Elton John. Internationally, the song was not released throughout parts of Europe, as Island Records decided to give priority to the album's second single, Carey's cover of Foreigner's hit "
I Want to Know What Love Is "I Want to Know What Love Is" is a power ballad by the British-American rock band Foreigner. It was released in November 1984 as the lead single from their fifth album, ''Agent Provocateur''. The song hit number one in both the United Kingdom ...
". "Obsessed" peaked within the top-ten in France and Italy; and in the top 20 in Australia, Belgium, Canada and Japan. The accompanying
music video A music video is a video of variable duration, that integrates a music song or a music album with imagery that is produced for promotional or musical artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a music marketing device ...
for "Obsessed" was directed by
Brett Ratner Brett Ratner (born March 28, 1969) is an American film director and producer. He directed the ''Rush Hour'' film series, '' The Family Man'', '' Red Dragon'', '' X-Men: The Last Stand'', and ''Tower Heist''. He is also a producer of several film ...
, who Carey has previously worked with on many of her videos. Throughout the video, Carey plays both herself and the character of the male stalker, dressed in a bellhop uniform, as well as a gray hoodie and sweatpants. Two videos were filmed for "Obsessed", one for the original version and one for the remixed version, which features rapper
Gucci Mane Radric Delantic Davis (born February 12, 1980), known professionally as Gucci Mane, is an American rapper and record executive. He helped pioneer the hip hop subgenre of trap music alongside fellow Atlanta-based rappers T.I. and Young Jeezy, ...
. The video was shot predominantly at the Plaza Hotel and on the streets of
New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the Un ...
. After several photographs of Carey dressed as the stalker were leaked, tabloids immediately compared Carey's costume to Eminem's usual attire. Carey performed the song live on the fourth season of '' America's Got Talent'', ''
Today Today (archaically to-day) may refer to: * Day of the present, the time that is perceived directly, often called ''now'' * Current era, present * The current calendar date Arts, entertainment, and media Films * ''Today'' (1930 film), a 1930 ...
'', and throughout her Angels Advocate Tour (2009–10). Both the song and video contain references to the 2004 film ''
Mean Girls ''Mean Girls'' is a 2004 American teen comedy film directed by Mark Waters and written by Tina Fey. The film stars Lindsay Lohan, Rachel McAdams, Lacey Chabert, Amanda Seyfried (in her film debut), Tim Meadows, Ana Gasteyer, Amy Poehler a ...
'', starring Lindsay Lohan.


Background

In 2008, Carey had suddenly cancelled a concert tour supporting her eleventh studio album, '' E=MC²''. There was heavy speculation in the media that Carey had become pregnant, and had abandoned the plans for a tour as a result. The singer had later admitted that she was pregnant during that time period, and had suffered a miscarriage, leading to the cancellation of the tour. Carey then opted to record a new album, that would be released during the summer of 2009. During the later stages of the project, Carey released the title, '' Memoirs of an Imperfect Angel'', that would serve as the singer's twelfth studio album. She explained how plans for a
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 ...
to be released were put on hold, because a new song she had written "needed to be heard". On June 9, 2009, she wrote on her official
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account: "Seriously, this is one of my favorite songs ever. I love the whole album. I'm completely immersed in it. I can't wait for you to hear it", and announced its title as "Obsessed". Later that week,
The-Dream Terius Youngdell Nash (born September 20, 1977), better known by his stage name The-Dream, is an American singer, songwriter, and record producer. His co-writing credits include songs with "Me Against the Music" (2003) for Britney Spears, " Rid ...
, who co-wrote the song with Carey, claimed that the song was definitely aimed at someone in particular, and that it would upset them greatly. The song was transmitted digitally to radio stations on June 16, 2009, for immediate airplay and made its debut on Chicago radio station B96 at 2:00 pm. An official remix of the song, featuring rapper
Gucci Mane Radric Delantic Davis (born February 12, 1980), known professionally as Gucci Mane, is an American rapper and record executive. He helped pioneer the hip hop subgenre of trap music alongside fellow Atlanta-based rappers T.I. and Young Jeezy, ...
, premiered on the same day.


Artwork

The single cover artwork for "Obsessed" features Carey leaning against a dirty concrete wall. She is shown wearing black underwear and a matching sheer top, with a black bra visible through the shirt. Carey's hair is featured in a long and wet style, cascading over her shoulders and right breast. The word "Obsessed" is written in large white letters over Carey's body. An anonymous writer for MTV described it as "wet and raunchy", while writing, "As you can see here the star has chosen a sexy shot to launch material from her next album. Mariah is shown busting out of a revealing black top and wearing black underwear."


Controversy


Background

In 2001, Carey decided to venture into the film industry with her debut acting role, '' Glitter''. It was a critical and commercial failure, which led to Carey's $100 million recording contract being bought out by
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 (musician), Tom Newman. It ...
, who paid her $49 million to part ways. Carey also had personal life conflicts and erratic behavior in public appearances, leading to the singer being hospitalized. During this period in Carey's personal life, American rapper Eminem claimed to date Carey for six months. After this Eminem referred to Carey in several of his songs in a negative light, feeling angered by her disowning their alleged relationship. The back-and-forth through songs continued with "Clown" on Carey's album ''
Charmbracelet ''Charmbracelet'' is the ninth studio album by American singer Mariah Carey, released on December 3, 2002, through MonarC Entertainment and Island Records. The album was Carey's first release since her breakdown following the release of her fi ...
'', her 2001 interview tapes being faked as voice recordings being played at Eminem's
Anger Management Tour The Anger Management Tour was a rap and rock music tour, founded and started in the fall of 2000 by Limp Bizkit, Papa Roach and, after the release of ''The Marshall Mathers LP'', Eminem. The first "Anger Management" outing took place in 2000. I ...
. After playing the excerpt, Eminem would pretend to be sick before launching into his song "Puke". On May 15, 2009, Eminem released his sixth studio album, ''
Relapse In internal medicine, relapse or recidivism is a recurrence of a past (typically medical) condition. For example, multiple sclerosis and malaria often exhibit peaks of activity and sometimes very long periods of dormancy, followed by relapse or ...
'', which included a song titled "Bagpipes from Baghdad" in which he addresses Mariah's denial that their relationship ever happened. In the lyrics Eminem expresses that he's not done talking about the subject: "I want another crack at ya" and "Nick Cannon better back the fuck up. I'm not playing, I want her back, you punk." After the song's release, Cannon went on his website, defending Carey and expressing his disgust at his comments. Following Cannon's comments, Eminem responded sarcastically. He clarified that the song was actually "wishing the couple the best", and that it was a misunderstanding. In an interview with
BBC Radio BBC Radio is an operational business division and service of the British Broadcasting Corporation (which has operated in the United Kingdom under the terms of a royal charter since 1927). The service provides national radio stations covering ...
, Eminem clarified that although contained a "harsh" line, he meant well. He later commented that he respected Cannon for his response, and that he expected him to stand up for his wife.


Aftermath

After Carey premiered "Obsessed" on June 16, 2009, the media frenzied and began speculating the song was targeting at Eminem, due to its lyrics and overall message. Following the song's accompanying music video, which featured Carey playing a role that resembled the rapper, critics considered it Carey's response to Eminem's "Bagpipes from Baghdad". Soon after both the song and video's release, the rapper released another song, titled " The Warning" on July 30, 2009, which he claimed to be a retaliation. The song's lyrics allude to his supposed relationship with the singer, the music video for "Obsessed", and pictures and proof he claims to have of the couple. The song begins "Only reason I dissed you in the first place is because you denied seeing me. Now I'm pissed off", before describing Carey's impersonation of him in her video, "Oh gee, is that supposed to be me in the video with the goatee?/ Wow Mariah, didn't expect ya to go balls out." Eminem continues describing a near-sexual encounter with the singer, threatening to release voice-mails and pictures he still has in his possession. Additionally, the song features a female's voice, unknown whether or not Carey's, where she calls herself Mary Poppins, as well as several intervals of her laughter. In the aftermath of the releases, Cannon was questioned regarding the inspiration of "Obsessed", and whether it was ever directed at Eminem:
She's Mariah Carey. She's not beefin', she's a vegetarian. People keep saying Obsessed'was directed at certain people. To be completely honest, she did the record 'cause she's a huge fan of this movie ''
Mean Girls ''Mean Girls'' is a 2004 American teen comedy film directed by Mark Waters and written by Tina Fey. The film stars Lindsay Lohan, Rachel McAdams, Lacey Chabert, Amanda Seyfried (in her film debut), Tim Meadows, Ana Gasteyer, Amy Poehler a ...
'', and there's a line in the movie where one of the girls is like, 'Why are you so obsessed with me?' She says that at the beginning of the song, and that's where the concept came from. But, you know, art imitates life.


Composition

"Obsessed" draws influences from the R&B and hip hop music genres. The song is built around a "thumping bass line", and features a "distorted wordless vocal
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 ...
" as its instrumentation. Additionally, the song is accentuated by hand claps, while Carey's voice is set with
auto-tune Auto-Tune (or autotune) is an audio processor introduced in 1996 by American company Antares Audio Technologies. Auto-Tune uses a proprietary device to measure and alter pitch in vocal and instrumental music recording and performances. Auto-Tu ...
. Joey Guerra of the ''
Houston Chronicle The ''Houston Chronicle'' is the largest daily newspaper in Houston, Texas, United States. , it is the third-largest newspaper by Sunday circulation in the United States, behind only ''The New York Times'' and the ''Los Angeles Times''. With i ...
'' described the song's production as "an auto-tune orgy of come-hither vocals and cutesy Mariah-isms." According to the sheet music published at Musicnotes.com by Sony/ATV Music Publishing, "Obsessed" is set in
common time The time signature (also known as meter signature, metre signature, or measure signature) is a notational convention used in Western musical notation to specify how many beats (pulses) are contained in each measure (bar), and which note val ...
with a tempo of 84
beats per minute Beat, beats or beating may refer to: Common uses * Patrol, or beat, a group of personnel assigned to monitor a specific area ** Beat (police), the territory that a police officer patrols ** Gay beat, an area frequented by gay men * Battery ...
. It is composed in the key of
C minor C minor is a minor scale based on C, consisting of the pitches C, D, E, F, G, A, and B. Its key signature consists of three flats. Its relative major is E major and its parallel major is C major. The C natural minor scale is: : Cha ...
, with Carey's vocal range spanning from the low-note of B2 to the high-note of C7. Written and produced by Carey,
The-Dream Terius Youngdell Nash (born September 20, 1977), better known by his stage name The-Dream, is an American singer, songwriter, and record producer. His co-writing credits include songs with "Me Against the Music" (2003) for Britney Spears, " Rid ...
and
Tricky Stewart Christopher Alan "Tricky" Stewart (born January 4, 1974) is an American record producer, record executive, songwriter, and music publisher. In a career spanning over 30 years, Stewart has won 5 Grammys and is responsible for over 50 million rec ...
, the song follows in the
chord progression 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 ...
of Bm7–Am7–Gmaj7. Lyrically, the song describes the protagonists dilemma regarding a stalker, and finds her asking him regarding his obsession. After the song's release, critics heavily compared its lyrics to Eminem, and suggested Carey alluded to him and his 'obsession' with her. "Obsessed" never mentions the rapper's name, although reviewers felt it to be very obvious. The song begins with "I was like, 'Why are you so obsessed with me?'", before the music begins. This line references the 2004 film
Mean Girls ''Mean Girls'' is a 2004 American teen comedy film directed by Mark Waters and written by Tina Fey. The film stars Lindsay Lohan, Rachel McAdams, Lacey Chabert, Amanda Seyfried (in her film debut), Tim Meadows, Ana Gasteyer, Amy Poehler a ...
. As the first verse begins, Carey describes the tracks' subjects constant lies: "All up in the blogs sayin' we met at a bar / When I don't even, know who you are / Sayin' you up in my house sayin' you up in my car / When you in L.A. and I'm at
Jermaine Jermaine ( ) is a masculine given name of Latin language, Latin origin, derived from the French given name , which is in turn derived from the Latin given name , meaning "brother". The masculine given name Jermaine was popularized in the 1970s b ...
's". Additionally, the song suggests the stalker is under the influence of drugs: It must be the
weed A weed is a plant considered undesirable in a particular situation, "a plant in the wrong place", or a plant growing where it is not wanted.Harlan, J. R., & deWet, J. M. (1965). Some thoughts about weeds. ''Economic botany'', ''19''(1), 16-24. ...
, it must be the E / 'Cause you be poppin', heard you get it poppin'." During the chorus, Carey confronts her stalker, asking: Why are you so obsessed with me / Boy I wanna know / Lying that your sexing with me / When everybody knows/ It's clear that you're upset with me / Oh, Oh, Oh, finally found a girl that you couldn't impress / last man on the earth still couldn't get this." During the song's second verse, critics complimented Carey's lyrics, highlighting phrases such as: You're a mom & pop, I'm a corporation / I'm the press conference, you're a conversation", "suggesting the rapper isn't a worthy suitor".


Critical reception

"Obsessed" received critical acclaim from
music critics Music journalism (or music criticism) is media criticism and reporting about music topics, including popular music, classical music, and traditional music. Journalists began writing about music in the eighteenth century, providing commentary on w ...
. While most reviewers complimented the song's lyrics and production, some criticized Carey for her usage of intentional
auto-tune Auto-Tune (or autotune) is an audio processor introduced in 1996 by American company Antares Audio Technologies. Auto-Tune uses a proprietary device to measure and alter pitch in vocal and instrumental music recording and performances. Auto-Tu ...
. Daniel Kreps from ''
Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first known for its ...
'' stated that "the biting mid-tempo track is already more musically and lyrically engrossing than '' E=MC²s singles." '' The A.V. Club''s Michaelangelo Matos complimented the song's clever lyrics, and called it a "wicked diss of an unnamed Eminem for spreading rumors about their involvement." Though criticizing '' Memoirs of an Imperfect Angel'' for being full of mid-tempo numbers, James Reed 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 ...
'' felt "Obsessed" "stood out of the goo", due to its witty lyrics and strong beat production. Monica Herrera of '' Billboard'' gave the song a positive review, describing it as a "gem of a diss record that coasts, even over its sputtering moans and synth jabs." Additionally, Herrera complimented Carey's lyrics, calling them "bity and funny". ''
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 cu ...
''s Leah Greenblatt described the track as a "brash synth kiss-off", while Alex Macpherson 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 ...
'' called it "jaunty" and "wisecracking". On "Obsessed", Sal Cinquemani from Slant Magazine felt the "attitude is sexy", while Jon Caramanica from ''
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 d ...
'' felt the song was a stand-out track from the album, which he felt was "dated". He described that although the entire album was produced by Carey, The-Dream and Tricky Stewart, which he described as "masters of compensation, helping elevate mediocre singers — like The-Dream himself or Rihanna, on '
Umbrella An umbrella or parasol is a folding canopy supported by wooden or metal ribs that is usually mounted on a wooden, metal, or plastic pole. It is designed to protect a person against rain or sunlight. The term ''umbrella'' is traditionally use ...
' — to something sublime", "Obsessed" sounded " Dr. Dre-esque, and felt it was a notable exception from the rest of ''Memoirs of an Imperfect Angel''. ''
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 U ...
''s Ann Powers described it as an "aggressive track", while Lauren Carter of the '' Boston Herald'' wrote "Carey's musical stiff-arm ends with some vocal acrobatics to let us know she's still got it. Expect to get 'Obsessed' this summer." MTV News rated the song as one of the contenders for the "best of the summer", writing "Mimi returns, this time with an Auto-Tuned kiss-off to wannabe lotharios (and Eminem?) that will probably be the soundtrack to a million summer hookups and just as many public-intoxication collars. Glossy, flossy and decidedly "urban", Mariah strikes back. Your radio has been warned.
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 databa ...
critic Stephen Thomas Erlewine chose the song as a "top pick" from ''Memoirs of an Imperfect Angel'', while Amos Barshad of ''The New York Times'' listed it as the fifth top song of the summer. In contrast, "Obsessed" received a mixed review from the ''Los Angeles Times'' writer, Todd Martens, who wrote that although "its feistier Mimi than heyre used to", she ultimately "has been molded to fit current trends" and that the single "again sells out the songbird to her producers." At the ASCAP 27th Annual Pop Music Awards, "Obsessed" won "Most Performed Song".


Commercial performance

"Obsessed" debuted at number 11 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100, with sales of 119,266 digital downloads, making it Carey's highest debut in over a decade, since " My All" (1998). This marked her 40th entry on the Hot 100, making her just the eighth woman in the chart's history to make 40 or more appearances. The song peaked at number seven on the Hot 100, making it her 27th and last top 10 hit, the second greatest number among female artists, and tying her achievements to those of Janet Jackson. The song stayed in the top 40 for 20 weeks, longer than her number-one hit " Touch My Body" (2008). In terms of total top 10 chart entries amongst all artists in the chart's history, Carey is now tied for fifth place with Jackson and Elton John. The song made an early debut at number 52 on the ''
Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs The Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart ranks the most popular R&B and hip hop songs in the United States and is published weekly by ''Billboard''. Rankings are based on a measure of radio airplay, sales data, and streaming activity. The chart had 100 p ...
'' chart and has since peaked at number 12, marking Carey's 40th chart entry and placing her in second place for most charted songs among women in the 1990s and 2000s (decade) (the first being Mary J. Blige). Carey made her 29th appearance on the Pop Songs/Mainstream Top 40 radio chart, with "Obsessed" debuting at number 39, and peaking at eight. The arrival extends her lead for the most overall chart entries in the tally's nearly 17-year history. She is now three titles ahead of the second-place Madonna (26). On August 11, 2009, it was announced that the single would be released as a
CD single A CD single (sometimes abbreviated to CDS) is a music single in the form of a compact disc. The standard in the Red Book for the term ''CD single'' is an 8 cm (3-inch) CD (or Mini CD). It now refers to any single recorded onto a CD of any si ...
at
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store locations in the United States, her first commercial single release physically since 2002 in the country. The CD single was released early at various Wal-Mart store locations, however selling enough copies an entire week before its release date to debut at number one on the Billboard
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, where it remained for four consecutive weeks on the chart. On July 31, 2019, "Obsessed" was certified 3× Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), denoting shipments of over three million units. This marked Carey's 12th platinum single, more than any other female artist in history. According to Nielsen SoundScan, "Obsessed" has sold over 1,742,000 copies in the United States as of July 2013. On the Canadian Hot 100, the song peaked at number 20, and spent only four weeks within the singles chart. Internationally, the song achieved moderate charting due to its limited release. It was not released commercially throughout Europe, in order to give way for the album's second single, Carey's cover of Foreigner's classic "
I Want to Know What Love Is "I Want to Know What Love Is" is a power ballad by the British-American rock band Foreigner. It was released in November 1984 as the lead single from their fifth album, ''Agent Provocateur''. The song hit number one in both the United Kingdom ...
". On July 26, 2009, the song debuted at number 26 on the Australian Singles Chart. "Obsessed" peaked at number 13 in the following weeks, placing higher than "Touch My Body" (#17 in 2008), and spent a total of 13 weeks on the chart. "Obsessed" 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 me ...
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 ...
(ARIA), denoting shipments of over 35,000 units. In France, "Obsessed" debuted at its peak position of number eight, during the week dated September 26, 2009. The song charted for a total of 23 weeks, before dropping out on February 27, 2010. Similarly, the song peaked at number six on the
Italian Singles Chart The Federazione Industria Musicale Italiana (FIMI) is an umbrella organization that keeps track of virtually all aspects of the music recording industry in Italy. It was established in 1992, when major corporate labels left the previously exist ...
on July 16, as well as number 61 on the Dutch Top 40 on September 5, 2009. On both the Japan Hot 100 and New Zealand Singles Chart, "Obsessed" peaked at numbers 16 and 21, while spending four weeks on both charts, respectively. In the United Kingdom, "Obsessed" was lined up to be released in August before the release of ''Memoirs of an Imperfect Angel'', but was pushed back several times and was ultimately cancelled in October, despite receiving heavy radio and video airplay. After the album was released, the song peaked at number 52 from downloads alone.


Remixes

On June 16, 2009, an accompanying remix featuring
rapper Rapping (also rhyming, spitting, emceeing or MCing) is a musical form of vocal delivery that incorporates "rhyme, rhythmic speech, and street vernacular". It is performed or chanted, usually over a backing beat or musical accompaniment. The ...
Gucci Mane Radric Delantic Davis (born February 12, 1980), known professionally as Gucci Mane, is an American rapper and record executive. He helped pioneer the hip hop subgenre of trap music alongside fellow Atlanta-based rappers T.I. and Young Jeezy, ...
was released alongside the original. The song kept to its original arrangement and vocals, only adding ad libs throughout the song, as well as adding a new intro and replacing the
bridge A bridge is a structure built to span a physical obstacle (such as a body of water, valley, road, or rail) without blocking the way underneath. It is constructed for the purpose of providing passage over the obstacle, which is usually somethi ...
with another verse by Mane. Two days before the remix's release, Jasmine Dotiwala, Carey's longtime friend tweeted regarding it, saying "Listening to 'Obsessed' remix on repeat, -guest rapper-cant tell u who it is but he put the G in Ghetto! Sick combo-hotness." In an interview with MTV News, Mane described the remix as his "biggest collaboration yet":
Shout-out to Mariah Carey and her whole squad and my boy Chris Lighty. He got me and Mariah together. I appreciate it. He put me on there as well as her. Both of them are smart for doing that. The song came out hard. Mariah knew I wanted to do a song with her. It finally happened, and it turned out hard. I just flew up there to New York, went in the studio with her. I flew right out and went back on the road. When I do a song with people, I like to really get in the studio with them so I could feel they swag and they could feel mine. The music comes out better.
Gucci Mane mentioned in his book, ''The Autobiography of Gucci Mane'', that Mariah Carey wanted him to fly out to New York City just to meet her, but when he got to the studio she wasn't there. Mane first thought that it was a waste of time and he could have easily done the song from Atlanta. He was ready to leave after finishing his verse on the song when Carey appeared and it seemed like she had been there the whole time waiting for him to finish. Carey loved Mane's verse and even asked for his advice on some of the other songs she had for her upcoming album. Aside from the primary remix, ''Memoirs of an Imperfect Angel'' included four additional remixes that were released on a separate CD along with the original. It was packaged in a separate sleeve, and included the remix featuring Mane, and versions done by Jump Smokers, Tim Cahill,
Seamus Haji Seamus may refer to: * Séamus, a male first name of Gaelic origin Film and television * Seamus (''Family Guy''), a character on the television series ''Family Guy'' * Seamus, a pigeon in '' Cats & Dogs: The Revenge of Kitty Galore'' * Seamus Mc ...
and Friscia & Lamboy.


Music video


Background and development

The song's music video was directed by
Brett Ratner Brett Ratner (born March 28, 1969) is an American film director and producer. He directed the ''Rush Hour'' film series, '' The Family Man'', '' Red Dragon'', '' X-Men: The Last Stand'', and ''Tower Heist''. He is also a producer of several film ...
, who had previously worked with Carey on six other music videos, and was shot from June 28 to 29, 2009. Throughout the video, Carey plays herself and a male stalker, dressed as both a bellhop and a man wearing a gray hoodie and sweatpants. Two videos were shot for "Obsessed", one for the original version, and one for the remixed version, which features
Gucci Mane Radric Delantic Davis (born February 12, 1980), known professionally as Gucci Mane, is an American rapper and record executive. He helped pioneer the hip hop subgenre of trap music alongside fellow Atlanta-based rappers T.I. and Young Jeezy, ...
. The video was shot predominantly at the Plaza Hotel, and on the streets of New York City. After several photographs of Carey dressed as the stalker were leaked, critics and bloggers immediately compared Carey's costume to Eminem's usual attire, and many wrote that aside from the goatee, the pair looked alike. Carey tweeted "I am ''not'' at any point in the video playing a specific person. I'm dressed as a 'stalker' in 3 different ensembles." Carey also revealed that the music video would reference several of her favorite films, such as ''
Mean Girls ''Mean Girls'' is a 2004 American teen comedy film directed by Mark Waters and written by Tina Fey. The film stars Lindsay Lohan, Rachel McAdams, Lacey Chabert, Amanda Seyfried (in her film debut), Tim Meadows, Ana Gasteyer, Amy Poehler a ...
'' (2004), with the line "Why are you so obsessed with me?", as well as '' The Devil Wears Prada'' (2006). In an interview with MTV News, Carey described going under-cover as the stalker role: "Well, we had a lot of people outside. I'm walking up to the Plaza otel and when I was dressed as Mariah Carey, there were a lot of people just standing there taking pictures, and the street was closed down, and it was a whole rigmarole. It is what it is. So, basically, I went into costume as the stalker, and I told my bodyguard, 'I don't want you to walk with me.' So, a friend of mine was there, and I was like, 'Let's walk together.'" After reports continued to speculate regarding the video's subject, Ratner explained that the main inspiration behind the video was the 1983 film, '' The King of Comedy''. On July 10, 2009, Carey announced through her Twitter account that the video would premiere on the talent competition program, '' America's Got Talent'', which was hosted by Cannon. The full version premiered two days later on ''
106 & Park ''106 & Park'' is an American hip hop and R&B music video show, set up in a countdown format, that was broadcast on weekdays at 6:00 pm ET/5:00 pm CT on BET; it aired on a one-day delay on BET International. It was the network's highest- rate ...
''. Carey was present at the show and discussed the making of the video.


Synopsis

The video begins with Carey at a photoshoot in a private room at the Plaza Hotel, speaking the line, "And I was like, why are you so obsessed with me?" Next, a Rolls-Royce Phantom is shown pulling up to the hotel, with Carey stepping out of the vehicle. As she gets out of the car, Carey dressed as a bellhop, assists her to the ramp where she is walking and greeting fans. The next scene finds Carey walking into the hotel, and waving to everyone, with the camera zooming to the bellhops face to reveal him intently staring at her. As the first verse begins, Carey is shown at the photo-shoot in the hotel, with a cameo by
Patrick Demarchelier Patrick Demarchelier (; 21 August 1943 – 31 March 2022) was a French fashion photographer. Early life and education Born near Paris in 1943 to a modest family, Demarchelier spent his childhood in Le Havre, Normandy, with his mother and four ...
as the photographer. The bellhop, now dressed in a gray hoodie and sweatpants, is shown holding a hair-blower at Carey, apparently assisting with the shoot. As the shoot continues, scenes of the bellhop are shown in his room, where he has dolls of Carey on the wall, as well as quilts with the cover of her 2005 album, ''
The Emancipation of Mimi ''The Emancipation of Mimi'' is the tenth studio album by American singer Mariah Carey, released through Island Records on April 12, 2005. The album was considered Carey's "comeback album" by critics and became her highest-selling release in t ...
''. The video progresses as Carey, now on the streets of New York, is walking towards the hotel. As she begins to notice the bellhop, dressed in the sweats, pursuing her, she turns around in haste and begins jolting back to the hotel while holding several shopping bags. Additionally, scenes of the stalker's home are shown again, this time more elaborately, with his walls covered with portraits of the singer, as well as album covers and lights around a large photo of her. As the video comes to an end, she waits for her limousine to arrive at the hotel. However, before she gets inside, she notices the stalker attempting to take a picture of her. She then looks directly into his camera and gives a smile. The video then shows him again, still attempting to take a picture, right before a bus hits him. Carey gasps in shock after witnessing the incident. The remix video for the song features the same story-line and footage, only showing inter-cut scenes of Carey dressed in a white ensemble, while laying on a vintage wooden table. As Gucci Mane stands next to her in a white suit, he pours her champagne and hands her the glass.


Reception

At the time of the video's release, several critics took notice of the similarities in Eminem's attire and Carey's stalker. Nick Levine from Digital Spy wrote: "It isn't quite as ridiculous as we were hoping, and Mariah's insisting the male stalker she plays isn't meant to be a 'specific person', but there's still plenty to enjoy in the 'Obsessed' video. There is a lot of MC cleavage, a not entirely convincing fake beard and a neat ''Mean Girls'' reference towards the end." '' Newsday''s Corris Little described it as "genius!" and continued, "Move over Eminem, I'm officially obsessed with Mariah Carey. Who isn't? She can sing, she's pretty and she has really fun music videos." A writer from the ''
Evening Standard The ''Evening Standard'', formerly ''The Standard'' (1827–1904), also known as the ''London Evening Standard'', is a local free daily newspaper in London, England, published Monday to Friday in tabloid format. In October 2009, after be ...
'' called the video "shocking", and felt that Carey's disguise was so convincing, she should assume the role more often if she wants to travel incognito. The ''
New York Post The ''New York Post'' (''NY Post'') is a conservative daily tabloid newspaper published in New York City. The ''Post'' also operates NYPost.com, the celebrity gossip site PageSix.com, and the entertainment site Decider.com. It was established ...
''s Jarett Wieselman described it as "human butterfly embrac ngher macho side", and concluded his review with "I'm guessing the video involves Mariah's butch bellhop becoming a little infatuated with the singer, or something. Basically it's another way to give her double the screentime – much like that Mariah-on-Mariah fight in 'Heartbreaker'!" '' New York Daily News'' writer Chris Baud joked about Eminem going one step further, writing: "It's great that Mariah seems to be having fun with this whole 'Miminem' thing, but we're afraid of the conflict going any further, because no one wants to see the next step: Eminem in drag." Jennifer Armstrong 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 cu ...
'' complimented Carey for "going after" Eminem, and concluded "I like Mariah with a sense of humor, and I love the idea of her turning the tables on the king of celebrity-mocking videos."


Live performances

Carey performed "Obsessed" on several televised appearances since its release. On August 5, 2009, Carey performed the song live for the first time on the fourth season of the talent competition, '' America's Got Talent''. Carey, appearing in jeans and a black top, was accompanied by several male dancers and three back-up singers. As she performed the song, the dancers hoisted her into the air several times, and carried her to several areas on the stage. During the performance, several white lights flashed, while monitors behind the dancers showed images of Carey and the video. Breanne Heldman from
E! Entertainment Television E! (an initialism for Entertainment Television) is an American basic cable channel which primarily focuses on pop culture, celebrity focused reality shows, and movies, owned by the NBCUniversal Television and Streaming division of NBCUnivers ...
criticized several aspects of the performance. She described the lighting as "anxiety inducing", and wrote, "That said, no one is doubting the singer's impressive set of pipes, but—frighteningly jarring lighting and quick edits aside—did she actually utilize them on 'America's Got Talent' last night?" Aside from questioning the singers live vocals, she also felt Carey seemed "robotic", and didn't show effort or interest in the performance. A reviewer from
Idolator An idolator is a practitioner of idolatry. Idolater or Idolator may also refer to: Books *''Os Idólatras'', 1968 Portuguese novel by Maria Judite de Carvalho Music * Idolator (website), an American music blog * ''Idolator'' (album), third album ...
also was critical on the performance, asking if there was "anything good about t. He claimed Carey was lip-syncing, and described it as "lackadaisical", and wrote, "the backup dancers’ moves would have probably received a big red 'X' from at least one of the judges." In the United States, on October 2, 2009, Carey began promotion of the album on ''
Today Today (archaically to-day) may refer to: * Day of the present, the time that is perceived directly, often called ''now'' * Current era, present * The current calendar date Arts, entertainment, and media Films * ''Today'' (1930 film), a 1930 ...
'', in the form of a four piece outdoor concert. Wearing a "black leather trench coat and accessorized with a glittery microphone", Carey performed "Obsessed", "I Want to Know What Love Is", " H.A.T.E.U." and her 1991 single, " Make It Happen". The performance of "Obsessed" featured similar choreography as on ''America's Got Talent'', in which Carey was carried around by her dancers several times. Carey performed "Obsessed" live on '' Lopez Tonight'' on December 16, 2009, alongside another song from the album, "It's A Wrap". At the Fashion Rocks ceremony in 2009, Carey performed "Touch My Body" and "Obsessed", as well as the remix to her 1995 song "
Fantasy Fantasy is a genre of speculative fiction involving 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 literature and d ...
". During the short
set list A set list, or setlist, is typically a handwritten or printed document created as an ordered list of songs, jokes, stories and other elements an artist intends to present during a specific performance. A setlist can be made of nearly any materi ...
, Carey was accompanied by six men in black tie and suits, who hoisted her into the air in front of over 6,000 people during "Obsessed", and rigorous dance routines throughout "Touch My Body". Following the release of ''Memoirs of an Imperfect Angel'', she held four concerts at the Pearl Concert Theater, where she included the song on the set-list. Similar to the performance at the Fashion Rocks ceremony, Carey was hoisted into the air several times by four to six male dancers, each of whom circled her with intricate dancing throughout the song. Carey featured similar choreography for the song during her Angels Advocate Tour (2009–10), where it was included throughout the entire span of the tour.


In popular culture

In the summer of 2019, the song became a viral
TikTok TikTok, known in China as Douyin (), is a short-form video hosting service owned by the Chinese company ByteDance. It hosts user-submitted videos, which can range in duration from 15 seconds to 10 minutes. TikTok is an international version o ...
challenge "which prompted endless comments, memes and even a response from Carey herself."


Track listings and formats

Digital download # "Obsessed" Digital download - remix # "Obsessed" (Remix feat.
Gucci Mane Radric Delantic Davis (born February 12, 1980), known professionally as Gucci Mane, is an American rapper and record executive. He helped pioneer the hip hop subgenre of trap music alongside fellow Atlanta-based rappers T.I. and Young Jeezy, ...
) US enhanced CD single # "Obsessed" # "Obsessed" (Remix feat. Gucci Mane) # "Obsessed" (Video) European CD single # "Obsessed" # "Obsessed" (Cahill Radio Edit) US 12-inch vinyl # "Obsessed" # "Obsessed" (Remix feat. Gucci Mane) # "Obsessed" # "Obsessed" (Remix feat. Gucci Mane) Obsessed (The Remixes) # "Obsessed" (Cahill Radio Mix) # "Obsessed" (Seamus Haji & Paul Emanuel Radio Edit) # "Obsessed" (Friscia And Lamboy Radio Mix) # "Obsessed" (Jump Smokers Radio Edit) # "Obsessed" (Cahill Club Mix) # "Obsessed" (Seamus Haji & Paul Emanuel Club Mix) # "Obsessed" (Friscia And Lamboy Club Mix) # "Obsessed" (Cahill Dub) # "Obsessed" (Seamus Haji & Paul Emanuel Dub) # "Obsessed" (Friscia And Lamboy Piano Dub) ''Memoirs of an Imperfect Angel'' bonus disc # "Obsessed" (Cahill Radio Mix) # "Obsessed" (Seamus Haji & Paul Emanuel Radio Edit) # "Obsessed" (Jump Smokers Radio Edit) # "Obsessed" (Friscia And Lamboy Radio Mix) # "Obsessed" (Video) # "Obsessed" (Remix feat. Gucci Mane)


Credits and personnel

Adapted from the ''Memoirs of an Imperfect Angel'' liner notes. * Mariah Carey
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 ...
* Terius Nash – songwriting, producer * Christopher Stewart – songwriting, producer * Victor Alexander – producer * Brian Garter – recording * Brian Thomas – recording * Jaysen-Joshua Fowler –
audio mixing Audio mixing is the process by which multiple sounds are combined into one or more channels. In the process, a source's volume level, frequency content, dynamics, and panoramic position are manipulated or enhanced. This practical, aesthetic, ...
* Dave Pensado – audio mixing * Bernie Grundman – mastering


Charts


Weekly charts


Monthly charts


Year-end charts


Certifications and sales


Release history


See also

*
List of number-one dance singles of 2009 (U.S.) These are the Billboard Hot Dance'' ''Club Play and Singles Sales number-one hits of 2009. The first number-one Dance Club Song of the year was "I Hate This Part" by American pop girl group The Pussycat Dolls, which spent two consecutive ...


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Obsessed (song) 2009 singles Gucci Mane songs Mariah Carey songs Music videos directed by Brett Ratner Songs written by Mariah Carey Songs written by Tricky Stewart Songs written by The-Dream Song recordings produced by Tricky Stewart 2009 songs Songs with feminist themes Diss tracks Songs about cross-dressing