It's a Wrap

"It's a Wrap" is a song recorded by American singer and songwriter Mariah Carey for her twelfth studio album ''Memoirs of an Imperfect Angel'' (2009). It is a doo wop-inflected R&B breakup song with minimal instrumentation and features lyrics about dismissing a lover. The track samples " I Belong to You" by Love Unlimited, whose writer Barry White is credited on "It's a Wrap" in addition to Carey. She produced it with "Heatmyzer", her then-husband Nick Cannon, and previous collaborators Christopher "Tricky" Stewart and James "Big Jim" Wright. A remix features additional vocals by American singer Mary J. Blige.

Music critics varied on whether to categorize "It's a Wrap" among the best in her discography or classify it as a mediocre effort. Carey performed the song on the television program ''Lopez Tonight'' in 2009. She reprised it throughout the Angels Advocate Tour in 2010 and received positive reviews that highlighted her vocals and energy. In early2023, "It's a Wrap" went viral due to a TikTok dance challenge and was released on February 10 that year as part of a digital extended play. It peaked at number 24 on US Hot R&B Songs and entered charts in New Zealand and South Korea.

Background and release

Island Records released Mariah Carey's eleventh studio album '' E=MC²'' in April2008. It opened to her largest US first-week sales following appearances on ''American Idol'' and ''The Oprah Winfrey Show''. The lead single, "Touch My Body", become Carey's eighteenth numberone on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100. She married American entertainer Nick Cannon shortly thereafter and halted promotion to focus on her personal life.

In early2009, Carey began working on follow-up album ''Memoirs of an Imperfect Angel'' with "Touch My Body" producer Christopher "Tricky" Stewart and "Fly Like a Bird" producer James "Big Jim" Wright. Despite her marriage, Carey envisioned a women's empowerment theme with songs about not needing men in life. One day at their home studio, Carey came in humming a melody while Cannon was toying with chords and samples. His suggestion that they conceptualize "if I came home hella late and you kickin' me out the house" formed the basis for the song "It's a Wrap". It appears as the eighth track on the album between two others of a similar theme, "Standing O" and "Up Out My Face".

Carey is the sole artist on ''Memoirs of an Imperfect Angel'', which Island released on September 28,2009. In early2010, she announced that a follow-up project, '' Angels Advocate'', would feature remixes of tracks from the album as duets. American singer Mary J. Blige, whom Carey had long admired, appears as a featured artist on the remix to "It's a Wrap". Universal Music Group cancelled ''Angels Advocate'' for unknown reasons and the remix was included as a bonus track on the deluxe edition of Carey's fourteenth studio album '' Me. I Am Mariah... The Elusive Chanteuse'' (2014). The song subsequently debuted at number100 on the Gaon South Korea International Digital chart, which ranks the best-performing tracks by international artists based on streaming, downloads and background music sales.

2023 resurgence

In early2023, a sped-up edition of "It's a Wrap" became popular on social media with a viral dance challenge. Carey posted a TikTok video lip syncing to the version and encouraged her fans to follow. The clip received 10million views and its audio was used for 650,000 others. After the song's US streams increased 1,000 percent in one month, Def Jam Recordings issued a four-track digital extended play containing the album version, remix, sped-up version and a shortened edit on February 10,2023. Carey continued promoting the song with additional TikTok dance videos featuring her children and Kim Kardashian, which collectively received over 35million views.

Along with The Weeknd's " Die for You" and Lady Gaga's "Bloody Mary", "It's a Wrap" was one of several songs to appear on music charts in early2023 due to viral sped-up versions. After receiving 2,500downloads, it debuted at number22 on the US R&B/Hip-Hop Digital Song Sales chart dated February 25,2023. "It's a Wrap" entered at number24 on Hot R&B Songs the following week, aided by 3.6 million streams as calculated by Luminate. On March 6,2023, the sped-up version reached number36 on the New Zealand Hot Singles chart, which measures "the 40 fastest-moving tracks by sales, streams and airplay."

Composition and lyrics

Musically, "It's a Wrap" is an R&B song with doo wop inflections. It contains elements from " I Belong to You"(1974) by the female vocal trio Love Unlimited and samples the performance by Love Unlimited Orchestra. The composer and lyricist, Barry White, is credited as a writer on "It's a Wrap" in addition to Carey. She produced the song with Heatmyzer, Stewart and Wright. They integrate instrumentation sparsely in the arrangement. Stewart, Wright, Leon Bisquera and Monte Neuble play the keyboards and Hammond B3, Alex Al performs the bass guitar and Ronnie Gutierrez provides percussion.

Brian Garten and Brian "B-Luv" Thomas recorded "It's a Wrap" at Honeywest Studies in New York City and The Boom Boom Room in Burbank, California. Jaycen-Joshua Fowler and Dave Pensado mixed it at Larrabee Studios in Universal City, California, after which Brian Gardner conducted mastering at the Los Angeles-based Bernie Grundman Mastering. Luis Navarro aided during the recording process and Giancarlo Lina assisted in the mixing. The album version of "It's a Wrap" lasts three minutes and fifty-nine seconds and an edited version is approximately one minute shorter.

"It's a Wrap" is a breakup song that incorporates two verses, a pre-chorus, chorus and bridge. Its lyrics involve a hungover Carey decisively dismissing a lover from her life. After beginning the song with a wail, she sings with an open voice in a high-pitched tone. Carey describes both her inner thoughts ("I was oh, so acquiescent – but I learned my lesson") and outward feelings ("I should crack you right in your forehead"). She threatens to call Maury Povich and declares of the relationship: "When it's gone, it's gone".

The song received critical analysis. ''Chicago Tribune'' critic Greg Kot and Mesfin Fekadu of the Associated Press described Carey's vocals as containing grit and attitude, respectively. Writing in '' Between the Lines'', Chris Azzopardi dubbed "It's a Wrap" a "fierce-girl anthem" and ''The Boston Globe''s Sarah Rodman labeled it a "saucy kiss-off". Jon Caramanica of ''The New York Times'' and Michael Cragg of '' MusicOMH'' remarked the song recalls a girl group aura. '' The Gazette''s T'Cha Dunlevy felt the recording had a sense of swing and ''The Village Voice''s Clover Hope described it as retro.

In the remix, Blige adds an introduction coercing Carey to leave the relationship: "Why don't you just cut this guy loose? Tell him it's a wrap cos you're better than that. And you Mariah Carey. Remember?" News.com.au writer Cameron Adams thought the new lyrics resembled dialogue from Carey's 2001 film ''Glitter''. In an article for BET, Dominique Zonyeé felt the remix evokes "a women's-only club vibe".

Critical reception

Music critics judged "It's a Wrap" against other songs in Carey's catalog. Mesfin Fekadu of the Associated Press considered it a classic comparable to "Always Be My Baby", "Vision of Love" and "We Belong Together". In contrast, Cragg felt it lacked the nonchalant nature of "Fantasy" or "Honey". Adams derided the lyrics as some of the worst in Carey's career. Writing for ''Billboard'' in 2017, Everett Brothers deemed it "the most refreshingly creative song hehas written and performed in recent memory". The magazine placed the remix at number22 in their 2020 list of Carey's 100 best songs.

The song's composition and Carey's vocal performance were topics of commentary. For '' Time Out''s Kim Taylor Bennett, "It's a Wrap" sounds "slick and sophisticated but bland". Dunlevy perceived the production passé and Hope praised it as nostalgic. Kot thought the production augmented Carey's vocal delivery. According to Fekadu, the latter "is so sensuous and sweet, even the song's intended target will remain under her spell".

The remix received reviews regarding the dynamic between Blige and Carey. Devone Jones of ''PopMatters'' said it is successful because, rather than outsing each other, the pair have complementary charm. Zonyeé reckoned the duet superior to the original. ''Billboard''s Rania Aniftos considered the remix commanding; Brothers believed the delayed release stymied its effectiveness.

Live performances

Carey performed "It's a Wrap" on television and tour. On December 17,2009, she sang it during an episode of the US late-night talk show ''Lopez Tonight''. Carey reprised the track for the 2009–2010 Angels Advocate Tour in a choreographed routine with a male backup dancer acting as the man she dismisses. Her performances garnered positive feedback from American newspaper critics, who considered it a successful vocal showcase. Azzopardi felt "It's a Wrap" sounded better on stage and ''The Washington Post''s Chris Richards thought the live version gained a verve comparable to "Honey" and " Heartbreaker". Rodman remarked Carey "dug giddily" into the performance and ''The Press of Atlantic City''s Scott Cronick described it as a highlight.

Track listing

2023 digital EP
# "It's a Wrap" – 3:59
# "It's a Wrap (Sped Up)" – 2:44
# "It's a Wrap" (featuring Mary J. Blige) – 4:04
# "It's a Wrap (Edit)" – 3:01

Credits and personnel

Credits adapted from the liner notes of ''Memoirs of an Imperfect Angel'' unless otherwise noted.

Recording
*Recorded at The Boom Boom Room (Burbank, California) and Honeywest Studios (New York City)
*Mixed at Larrabee Studios (Universal City, California)
*Mastered at Bernie Grundman Mastering (Los Angeles)

Personnel
*Songwriting – Mariah Carey and Barry White
*Production – Carey, Heatmyzer, Christopher "Tricky" Stewart and James "Big Jim" Wright
*Recording – Brian Garten and Brian "B-Luv" Thomas
*Recording assistant – Luis Navarro
*Keys and Hammond B3 – Wright, Stewart, Leon Bisquera and Monte Neuble
*Bass guitar – Alex Al
*Percussion – Ronnie Gutierrez
*Mixing – Jaycen-Joshua Fowler and Dave Pensado
*Mixing (Sped Up, Edit versions) – Fowler, Pensado and Garten
*Mixing assistant – Giancarlo Lino
*Mastering – Brian Gardner

Weekly chart performance

Notes

References

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2009 songs
Mariah Carey songs
Song recordings produced by Tricky Stewart
Songs written by Mariah Carey
Songs written by Barry White