It's Like That (Mariah Carey song)

"It's Like That" is a song by American singer and songwriter Mariah Carey from her 10th studio album, ''The Emancipation of Mimi'' (2005). Written by Carey, Jermaine Dupri, Manuel Seal, and Johntá Austin, and produced by Carey, Dupri, and Seal, the song borrows the hook "It's Like That Y'all" from the Run–D.M.C. tracks "Hollis Crew" and "Here We Go (Live)". Several other tracks were contenders for the album's lead single. However, plans were changed when Island Def Jam Music head L.A. Reid suggested to Carey she record a few more strong songs to ensure the album's success, thus "It's Like That" was written and chosen as the album's lead single, being released on January 25, 2005.

"It's Like That" is a R&B song with hip hop instrumentation that features ad-libs by Fatman Scoop and the song's producer Jermaine Dupri, while its lyrics (and Carey's vocals) focus on celebration and freedom, with Carey's alter-ego "Mimi" being emancipated. The song received generally favorable reviews from music critics, most of whom noted its catchiness and carefree message. It was also nominated for a 2006 Grammy Award for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance. Commercially, the song charted well worldwide, becoming a top twenty hit in several countries, including the United States, while peaking inside the top-ten in over five other countries.

The song's accompanying music video, directed by Brett Ratner, was filmed as a two-part story with "We Belong Together". In the "It's Like That" video, Carey is shown at a masked party held at the home of her wealthy fiancé (played by Eric Roberts), who watches the party from upstairs but does not attend, when an ex-lover of hers (played by Wentworth Miller) appears. In the "We Belong Together" video, Carey and Robert's characters are getting ready to be married when Miller's character appears again, and Carey runs away with him. The song was heavily promoted by Carey in a number of places, including ''The Ellen DeGeneres Show'', '' Good Morning America'', BET, VH1 and more, while being performed on several of her concert tours.

Background

In 2001, Carey released her debut film ''Glitter'', which was met with an overwhelmingly negative response critically and commercially, followed by personal and professional struggles. Its accompanying soundtrack of the same name fared slightly better, spawning a top-five single in the United States and selling over three million units globally. After posting a personally expressive letter on her official site, Carey checked into a hospital in Connecticut because of an "emotional and physical breakdown". Following the events, Virgin Records bought out Carey's unprecedented $100 million USD recording contract. The company paid her $50 million to part ways. Carey flew to Capri, Italy, after her two-week hospitalization. During her five-month stay, she began to write a new studio album, using experiences she had gone through in recent months as inspirational themes.

After being signed by Island Records and starting her own imprint, MonarC Entertainment, Carey released her intended "comeback" album ''Charmbracelet'' (2002). However, the album failed to revive her career, receiving mixed reviews and failing to spawning a hit in the US, but sold considerably well. After enduring three years of "carping" from critics, Carey planned her return to music. On November 18, 2004, she revealed on her website that she would return to music and announced that the album would be called ''The Emancipation of Mimi'', stating, "For the first time in my life, I feel free and unashamed to be who I really am," she wrote. "I am celebrating that I've grown into a person and artist who no longer feels imprisoned by my insecurities ... I can now honestly say, 'This is me, the real me, take it or leave it'."

Release

Originally, "Stay the Night" was planned to be ''The Emancipation of Mimis lead single, with an online music forum based in the United Kingdom, announcing that it would be in stores on October 11, 2004, in the region. A few weeks later, it was removed from the release schedule, later re-appearing with a different date, November 15, 2004. Later, it was revealed that " Say Somethin'", featuring Pharrell Williams and Snoop Dogg, was supposed to be the album's first single, as reported by Jennifer Vineyard of MTV News, who also revealed that the song was originally supposed to go to radio by the end of November, but it was pushed back to January and would be accompanied by a video, according to Carey's label representative. However, both singles were not released as the first single.

Then, Island Records head L.A. Reid suggested Carey travel to Atlanta for a period of three days to work with Jermaine Dupri. When Reid heard the Dupri-helmed songs, Carey recalled, "He was like, 'Oh no! Now we've got to change the single, make these singles one and two'", and she agreed. "Nobody could tell me that 'Shake It Off' wasn't going to be my first single. It was my favorite song, just from the demo". Dupri had quickly sized up what he felt the album needed. "The records that I made are very melodic records, regardless of their hip-hop influence," Dupri said. "I think that's what she was missing." On January 7, 2005, "It's Like That" leaked online and it was rumoured to be the official first single. "It's Like That" aired first on Hot 97 in New York City; after the leak, over 40 stations begun playing the track. On January 15, 2005, Carey posted a sound clip of "It's Like That", on her official website. Ultimately, "It's Like That" was sent to mainstream and rhythmic radio on January 25, 2005.

Composition and lyrics

"It's Like That" was written by Mariah Carey, Jermaine Dupri, Manuel Seal and Johntá Austin, while Carey and Dupri produced the song, with additional co-production by Seal. The song also features Dupri and Fatman Scoop providing adlibs and rap in the intro and outro, respectively. It samples Run–D.M.C.'s hook "It's Like that Y'all" from their track "Hollis Crew" (1984). "It's Like That" is a hip-hop song, about Carey going to a club to relax and forget her troubles, refusing to give in to stress, strife and sadness. Sal Cinquemani of '' Slant Magazine'' went further, writing that in the song Carey arrives at the party "already shit-faced": "I came to have a party/Open off that Bacardi…Purple taking me higher/I'm lifted and I like it." As described by PopMatters's Jozen Cummings, "Hand claps and a playful whistle set the pulse for four bars. After Dupri’s ad-libs, the whistle drops out and allows Carey’s voice to lead the hand claps and throbbing bass, while the chorus spawns a chord progression with strings and piano."

During an interview for MTV, Mariah explained the meaning of the lines, "Them chickens is ash and I'm lotion," stating: "We were sitting around basically having jokes. ..We're like making up stupid stuff just to entertain ourselves at this point. Then Jermaine upricame back in the room and we're all sitting there going something about ash and lotion. We're not calling somebody ashy. We're actually saying, 'You are ash and we're lotion.' So basically, you are the antithesis of us. Basically I'm talking to the guy like, 'Them chickens is ash and I'm lotion. You need to get rid of them and I'm the antidote'."

Critical reception

The song received mostly favorable reviews from music critics. AllMusic's Stephen Thomas Erlewine picked the song as a highlight from ''The Emancipation of Mimi''. Caroline Sullivan of ''The Guardian'' wrote a positive review for the song, praising the "headbanging Fatman Scoop rap", also noting that "Carey is very much a presence, unfurling her three octaves judiciously." Keith Caulfield from '' Billboard'' magazine assured that "Mariah Carey finally returns with a certifiably hot track. It's Like That is a sparse, bass-heavy, beat-driven cut that is primed for radio and dancefloors". Tom Sinclair of ''Entertainment Weekly'' described the song as "almost as cool as Run-DMC song (which shares the same title), with Carey fantasizing about easing into a nightclub buzzed on Bacardi. 'No stress, no fights,' she sings, making it sound like a trip to a vacation spa." ''Vibe'' editor Dimitri Enrlich wrote that the song is an "aggressive, off kilter joint with harshly stiff beat", pointing out that it was going to solidify comeback to her MTV crowd."

Daniel Incognito of '' Sputnikmusic'' wrote that the song "offers another example of Carey taking the entire workload, and pulling it off with variety and a delicate touch." Jozen Cummings of ''PopMatters'' wrote a very positive reception, commenting that the song "is the perfect introduction for the rest of the album’s carefree feel," stating that the song "is able to go from catchy to infectious status." Adam Webb of ''BBC Music'' wrote the track "successfully re-writes Christina Aguilera's career blueprint, that even a typically bull-in-a-china-shop contribution from Fatman Scoop can't ruin it." ''The New York Times'' editor Jon Pareles

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