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"The Roof (Back in Time)" is a song by American singer-songwriter
Mariah Carey Mariah Carey (; born March 27, 1969) is an American singer, songwriter, actress, and record producer. Referred to as the " Songbird Supreme", she is noted for her five-octave vocal range, melismatic singing style and signature use of the whi ...
, taken from her sixth
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 ...
, ''
Butterfly Butterflies are insects in the macrolepidopteran clade Rhopalocera from the Order (biology), order Lepidoptera, which also includes moths. Adult butterflies have large, often brightly coloured wings, and conspicuous, fluttering flight. The ...
'' (1997). It was released as the third single from the album in Europe, on March 16, 1998, by
Columbia Records Columbia Records is an American record label owned by Sony Music, Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America, the North American division of Japanese Conglomerate (company), conglomerate Sony. It was founded on Janua ...
. Similar to the treatments of "
Butterfly Butterflies are insects in the macrolepidopteran clade Rhopalocera from the Order (biology), order Lepidoptera, which also includes moths. Adult butterflies have large, often brightly coloured wings, and conspicuous, fluttering flight. The ...
" and "
Breakdown Breakdown may refer to: Breaking down *Breakdown (vehicle), failure of a motor vehicle in such a way that it cannot be operated *Chemical decomposition, also called chemical breakdown, the breakdown of a substance into simpler components *Decompo ...
", "The Roof" received a limited worldwide release due to Carey's conflict at the time with Sony. The song was written and produced by Carey and
Trackmasters The Trackmasters are an American hip hop production duo composed of music producers Poke (Jean-Claude Olivier) and Tone (Samuel Barnes), best known for their commercial hit records in the mid-late 1990s and early 2000s. Frank "Nitty" Pimentel joi ...
, and is built around a sample from "
Shook Ones (Part II) "Shook Ones (Part II)" is the lead single from Mobb Deep's 1995 album ''The Infamous, The Infamous...''. The song is a sequel to the group's 1994 promotional single "Shook Ones (song), Shook Ones", with similar lyrics, but less profanity. The orig ...
" (1995) by American hip hop duo
Mobb Deep Mobb Deep was an American hip hop duo from New York City. The duo consisted of rappers Prodigy and Havoc. They are considered to be among the principal progenitors of hardcore East Coast hip hopEdwards, Paul, 2009, ''How to Rap: The Art & Scien ...
. The song's lyrics recount an intimate roof-top encounter between lovers, and how the memory affects the protagonist. The extended remix features a
rap 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 ...
verse by Mobb Deep; both versions were praised by contemporary music critics. In the music video, Carey is seen in a limousine recounting an encounter she shared on a rainy night. Additionally, past scenes of the event are shown, with Carey caressing her lover at a roof-top party. During the video's climax, Carey opens the limousine's sunroof and stands in the rain, trying to recapture the moments she shared in the rain. Carey performed the song live during her
Butterfly World Tour The Butterfly World Tour was the third concert tour by American singer-songwriter Mariah Carey. The tour promoted Carey's album ''Butterfly'' (1997), and included songs from several of her previous albums. The tour visited Asia, Australia and t ...
in 1998. Due to the song's limited release, "The Roof" did not chart in most major music markets, with the exception of The Netherlands and the United Kingdom, where it peaked at numbers 63 and 87, respectively. In addition, "The Roof" was added to Carey's compilation album ''
The Ballads Ballad is a form of narrative poetry, often put to music, or a type of sentimental love song in modern popular music. Ballad or Ballade may also refer to: Music Genres and forms * Ballade (classical music), a musical setting of a literary ballad ...
'' (2009). In 2020, Carey revealed that the song was about her relationship with
New York Yankees The New York Yankees are an American professional baseball team based in the Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of the Bronx. The Yankees compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Amer ...
shortstop
Derek Jeter Derek Sanderson Jeter ( ; born June 26, 1974) is an American former professional baseball shortstop, businessman, and baseball executive. As a player, Jeter spent his entire 20-year Major League Baseball (MLB) career with the New York Yankees ...
, whom she first kissed on the roof of his apartment building. On April 14, 2022, Carey revealed a re-recorded and re-imagined version of the song, titled "The Roof (When I Feel the Need)" for her course on
MasterClass Yanka Industries, Inc., doing business as MasterClass, is an American online education subscription platform on which students can access tutorials and lectures pre-recorded by experts in various fields. The concept for MasterClass was conceiv ...
. The song features vocals from R&B singer
Brandy Brandy is a liquor produced by distilling wine. Brandy generally contains 35–60% alcohol by volume (70–120 US proof) and is typically consumed as an after-dinner digestif. Some brandies are aged in wooden casks. Others are coloured with ...
. The collaboration appears on the expanded edition of ''Butterfly'' for the album's 25th anniversary, released on September 16, 2022.


Composition

The song is a slow and sultry song, which blends hip-hop and
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 rhythm ...
genres. It incorporates drum notes, including heavy beats and grooves. The song's second version features a
rap 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 ...
version from Mobb Deep. The song samples the melody from "Shook Ones Part II" by Mobb Deep, incorporating it into chorus and bridge. As part of "layering the song," background vocals are featured throughout the chorus and sections of 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 ...
. It is set in the signature common time, and is written in the
key Key or The Key may refer to: Common meanings * Key (cryptography), a piece of information that controls the operation of a cryptography algorithm * Key (lock), device used to control access to places or facilities restricted by a lock * Key (map ...
of B-flat minor. It features a basic
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 A-F1. Carey's
vocal range Vocal range is the range of pitches that a human voice can phonate. A common application is within the context of singing, where it is used as a defining characteristic for classifying singing voices into voice types. It is also a topic of stud ...
in the song spans from the low
note Note, notes, or NOTE may refer to: Music and entertainment * Musical note, a pitched sound (or a symbol for a sound) in music * ''Notes'' (album), a 1987 album by Paul Bley and Paul Motian * ''Notes'', a common (yet unofficial) shortened version ...
of E3 to the high note of F5; the
piano The piano is a stringed keyboard instrument in which the strings are struck by wooden hammers that are coated with a softer material (modern hammers are covered with dense wool felt; some early pianos used leather). It is played using a keyboa ...
and
guitar The guitar is a fretted musical instrument that typically has six strings. It is usually held flat against the player's body and played by strumming or plucking the strings with the dominant hand, while simultaneously pressing selected stri ...
pieces range from F3 to G5 as well. The song contains lyrics written by Carey, who produced the song's melody and chorus as well. Aside from assisting with its chord progression,
Cory Rooney Mark Cory Rooney (born 1968) is an American record producer. He has written, produced, and developed various successful records for artists including Mariah Carey, Mary J. Blige, Jessica Simpson, Jennifer Lopez, Marc Anthony, Thalia, Michael Ja ...
co-arranged and produced the track as well. Author Chris Nickson felt the song was extremely important for Carey's musical transition, writing "Lyrically, this was some of her best work ever, the melody slinky and overtly sexy, confirmation – as if any was needed at this point! – that this was the new Mariah."


Critical reception

"The Roof" was acclaimed by contemporary music critics for its choice of vocal work, instrumentation, and lyrics. David Browne 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 ...
'' praised the song as well as Carey's choice of vocals, writing "Carey is still a vocal grandstander capable of turning all into a six-syllable word. Yet for most of the album she keeps her notorious octave-climbing chops at bay. Showing some admirable restraint, she nestles herself into the downy-soft beats of 'The Roof'." Rich Juzwiak from
Slant Slant can refer to: Bias *Bias or other non-objectivity in journalism, politics, academia or other fields Technical * Slant range, in telecommunications, the line-of-sight distance between two points which are not at the same level * Slant d ...
wrote "Little more than yearning, kissing, and remembering happens during the course of 'The Roof,' a rough-enough R&B revision of Mobb Deep's 'The Shook Ones.' But lyrically Mariah the writer is vivid, sometimes shockingly clever (rhyming 'liberated' with 'Moet' is a stroke of genius)."


Chart performance

"The Roof" was chosen as the third single from ''Butterfly'', receiving an airplay-only release. Because of conflict between Carey and her record label at the time,
Sony Music Entertainment Sony Music Entertainment (SME), also known as simply Sony Music, is an American multinational music company. Being owned by the parent conglomerate Sony Group Corporation, it is part of the Sony Music Group, which is owned by Sony Entertainment ...
, it was only given a commercial release in Europe, while "Breakdown" was released throughout Oceania. Although not officially released there, in the UK the song peaked at number 87 during May 1998, and first appeared on its R&B chart at the end of March. "The Roof" stayed in 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 ...
for two weeks, charting on import sales only, before falling outside the top 100. In the Netherlands, it performed weakly as well, peaking at number 63 while spending five weeks fluctuating in the
Single Top 100 The Dutch Single Top 100 or Single Top 100 is a Dutch chart, based on official physical single sales, legal downloads and since July 2013 streaming and composed by Dutch Charts. It is one of the three official charts, the other two being the Du ...
.


Music video

The music video for "The Roof" garnered critical acclaim, and was ranked 18th on
Slant Slant can refer to: Bias *Bias or other non-objectivity in journalism, politics, academia or other fields Technical * Slant range, in telecommunications, the line-of-sight distance between two points which are not at the same level * Slant d ...
's "100 Greatest Music Videos". Sal Ciquemani, from ''Slant'', gave the video a positive review, complimenting Carey's choice to pair the sultry song with a "sophisticated tale of a sexy rooftop encounter". The video re-tells a story of Carey reminiscing a past love and a night they shared together on a rainy roof-top. The video's setting revolves around a dark limousine, a decrepit NYC apartment, and a rainy roof-top, where "Carey is featured at her most vulnerable, with runny mascara and drenched in the cold rainy night." In the conclusion of his review of the video, Ciquemani wrote: "When Carey rises through the limo's sunroof and relishes the warm November rain, she's not drunk on the bubbly but on the memory of past delights." The video was directed by Carey and
Diane Martel Diane Martel (also known as Bucky Chrome) is an American music video director and choreographer. Awards Diane Martel was nominated for the Video of the Year for her work in "Blurred Lines" – Robin Thicke feat. Pharrell & T.I. in 2013. Film ...
during the spring of 1998. The music video begins with Carey sitting alone in a limousine, recalling a night she shared some time previous. As scenes of Carey reminiscing in the limo are shown, clips of her dressing in an old apartment are presented. Eventually, Carey joins a roof-top party one night, where she begins dancing and caressing her lover. As the passion between them grown, rain begins to fall, showering everyone atop the edifice. As these scenes end, Carey in the present opens the sun-roof of the limo and stands into the rainy night, trying to recapture those magical moments she shared on that rainy roof-top encounter. The video ends with a wet Carey lying in the back of the limousine, sad and lonely.


Live performances

"The Roof" has been performed few times throughout Carey's career. The song was performed during her
Butterfly World Tour The Butterfly World Tour was the third concert tour by American singer-songwriter Mariah Carey. The tour promoted Carey's album ''Butterfly'' (1997), and included songs from several of her previous albums. The tour visited Asia, Australia and t ...
in 1998. During the performances, live male and female dancers were present on stage, grooving and performing classic routines. Carey wore a short beige ensemble and performed light classical dances, alongside a male partner. The song was performed on select dates of Carey's 2014
The Elusive Chanteuse Show The Elusive Chanteuse Show was the two-legged and eighth headlining concert tour by American singer-songwriter Mariah Carey. It was launched in support of her fourteenth studio album, '' Me. I Am Mariah... The Elusive Chanteuse'' (2014). The to ...
tour. Carey would later perform a snippet of it acapella during her set at
Jimmy Kimmel Live! ''Jimmy Kimmel Live!'' is an American late-night talk show, created and hosted by Jimmy Kimmel, broadcast on American Broadcasting Company, ABC. The nightly hour-long show debuted on January 26, 2003, at Hollywood Masonic Temple in Hollywood, Los ...
while promoting '' #1 To Infinity'', later expressing to be happy at the fact the audience knew the lyrics to the song.


Formats and track listings

European maxi CD single #"The Roof (Back In Time)" (Album Version) – 5:15 #"The Roof (Back In Time)" (Mobb Deep Radio Edit) - 4:26 #"The Roof (Back In Time)" (Mobb Deep Extended Version) – 5:31 #"The Roof (Back In Time)" (Full Crews Club Mix) – 5:02 #"The Roof (Back In Time)" (Full Crew Mix) – 3:50 Digital EP #"The Roof (Back In Time)" (Mobb Deep Extended Version) – 5:31 #"The Roof (Back In Time)" (Mobb Deep Radio Edit) – 4:24 #"The Roof (Back In Time)" (Full Crew Radio Edit No Rap) – 3:59 #"The Roof (Back In Time)" (Full Crew Club Mix) – 5:02 #"The Roof (Back In Time)" (Full Crew Mix) – 5:03 #"The Roof (Back In Time)" (Morales Radio Mix) – 4:01 #"The Roof (Back In Time)" (Morales Funky Club Mix) – 8:34 #"The Roof (Back in Time)" (Morales After Hours Mix) – 9:13 #"The Roof (Back in Time)" (Morales Bass Man Mix) – 8:17


Remixes

;
David Morales David Morales (; born August 21, 1962) is an American disc jockey (DJ) and record producer. In addition to his production and DJ work, Morales is also a remixer. David Morales has remixed and produced over 500 releases for artists including Ma ...
Mixes *"The Roof (Back in Time)" (Morales Funky Club Mix) – 8:28 *"The Roof (Back in Time)" (Morales Radio Mix) – 4:00 *"The Roof (Back in Time)" (Morales Bass Man Mix) – 8:14 *"The Roof (Back in Time)" (Morales After Hours Mix) – 9:13 ;
Mobb Deep Mobb Deep was an American hip hop duo from New York City. The duo consisted of rappers Prodigy and Havoc. They are considered to be among the principal progenitors of hardcore East Coast hip hopEdwards, Paul, 2009, ''How to Rap: The Art & Scien ...
Mixes *"The Roof (Back in Time)" (Mobb Deep Extended Remix) – 5:31 *"The Roof (Back in Time)" (Mobb Deep Radio Edit) – 4:26 ;Full Crew Mixes *"The Roof (Back in Time)" (Full Crew Mix) – 4:58 *"The Roof (Back in Time)" (Full Crew Club Mix) – 5:02 *"The Roof (Back in Time)" (Full Crew Radio Edit) – 3:50


Credits and personnel

Credits adapted from ''Butterfly'' 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 ...
co-production,
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 ...
(music and lyrics), vocals, Background vocals * Jean Claude Oliver – songwriting (music and lyrics), vocals * Samuel Barnes – songwriting (music and lyrics), vocals *
Cory Rooney Mark Cory Rooney (born 1968) is an American record producer. He has written, produced, and developed various successful records for artists including Mariah Carey, Mary J. Blige, Jessica Simpson, Jennifer Lopez, Marc Anthony, Thalia, Michael Ja ...
mixing,
special effect Special effects (often abbreviated as SFX, F/X or simply FX) are illusions or visual tricks used in the theatre, film, television, video game, amusement park and simulator industries to simulate the imagined events in a story or virtual wor ...
s * Albert Johnson – songwriting (music) * Kejuan Waliek Muchita – songwriting (music) *
Kelly Price Kelly Cherelle Price (born April 4, 1973) is an American R&B and gospel singer. She started her singing career in 1992. Price originally garnered attention by singing backing vocals for Mariah Carey on multiple songs, including her ''Billboa ...
- background vocals


Charts


Release history


References


Bibliography

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Roof, The 1990s ballads 1998 singles Mariah Carey songs Mobb Deep songs Music videos directed by Diane Martel Music videos directed by Mariah Carey Contemporary R&B ballads Songs written by Mariah Carey Songs written by Cory Rooney Columbia Records singles 1997 songs Song recordings produced by Trackmasters Songs written by Samuel Barnes (songwriter) Songs written by Jean-Claude Olivier Sony Music singles