Never Forget You (Mariah Carey song) explained

Never Forget You
Cover:Mariah Carey - Never Forget You.jpg
Alt:CD single cover with Mariah Carey posing her arms
Border:yes
Type:single
Artist:Mariah Carey
Album:Music Box
A-Side:"Without You" (double A-side)
Studio:Right Track Recording (New York City)
Genre:
Length:3:45
Label:Columbia
Prev Title:Without You
Prev Year:1994
Next Title:Anytime You Need a Friend
Next Year:1994

"Never Forget You" is a song recorded by American singer and songwriter Mariah Carey for her third studio album, Music Box (1993). Carey co-wrote the slow jam with Babyface and the pair produced it with Daryl Simmons. Columbia Records released the song on January 21, 1994, as the B-side to "Without You" and promoted it to American urban contemporary radio stations as the album's fourth single. The lyrics lament the end of a romance. Strings, synthesizers, and percussion characterize the composition; Jermaine Dupri altered them for remixes.

Music critics deemed "Never Forget You" unremarkable and derivative. The song's level of emotion and Carey's vocal performance were further topics of commentary. "Never Forget You" peaked at numbers one and three on the US urban contemporary radio charts published by Radio & Records and Gavin Report, respectively. It also reached number three on Billboard Hot 100 Singles and number seven on Billboard Hot R&B Singles. Combined with "Without You", the single sold 600,000 copies in the US throughout 1994.

Background and release

After the 1992 release of her first extended play, MTV Unplugged, Mariah Carey began to work on her third studio album, Music Box (1993). She resumed recording with previous collaborators Walter Afanasieff, David Cole, and Robert Clivillés, and began new relationships with producers Dave Hall and Babyface. The latter was known for his traditional ballad productions.[1] According to author Marc Shapiro, this aligned with the album's intended musical identity of "leaning toward the basic R&B feel while not forgetting the orchestration and polish".

Columbia Records released Music Box on August 31, 1993.[2] The label promoted the sixth track, Carey–Babyface collaboration "Never Forget You", as the album's fourth single and provided it to American urban contemporary radio stations in January 1994. It is also the B-side to the third single, "Without You", which was released on January 21, 1994.[3] Columbia issued the song in several formats: 7-inch vinyl, 12-inch vinyl, cassette, maxi cassette, CD, and maxi CD. "Never Forget You" is Carey's first single without a music video. Billboard writer Andrew Hampp thought this indicates the release was inconsequential to her and Columbia.[4]

Composition and lyrics

"Never Forget You" is a pop and R&B slow jam. Carey and Babyface wrote the lyrics in which the narrator softly laments the end of a romance: "No, I'll never forget you / I'll never let you out of my heart / You will always be here with me / I'll hold on to your memories, baby."[5] The pair composed the music and then produced the song with Daryl Simmons. It features strings, synthesizers, and percussion prominently.[6] [7] Babyface plays the drums and keyboards and Koyo performs the bass. Carey and Babyface provide background vocals; the former's are overdubbed in the chorus.

Jim Zumpano, Dana Jon Chappelle, and Jim Caruana engineered the track at Right Track Recording in New York City, after which Mick Guzauski mixed it in Sony Music Studios. Like every song on Music Box, "Never Forget You" was mastered by Bob Ludwig at Gateway in Portland, Maine. According to sheet music published by Hal Leonard, the song is composed in time signature with a "moderately slow" tempo. It has a swung rhythm every sixteenth note and lasts for three minutes and 45 seconds. Carey biographer Chris Nickson felt that the waltz time evokes "an air of partners gliding around the dancefloor in memories".

Jermaine Dupri produced remixes of "Never Forget You" at KrossWire Studio in Atlanta, Georgia. Carey had wanted to collaborate with him after hearing his work on the 1992 Kris Kross single "Jump".[8] Phil Tan and Jamie Seyberth engineered the tracks and Dupri and Tan mixed them at Hollywood's Larrabee Sound Studios.

Critical reception

Music critics deemed "Never Forget You" forgettable and unoriginal. They compared it to Babyface's other compositions such as Boyz II Men's "End of the Road" (1992).[9] David Browne of Entertainment Weekly said "Never Forget You" squanders Babyface's abilities. New York Times writer Deborah Frost suggested it "seems designed to showcase his skills as a pop charmer rather than [Carey's]".[10]

Critics evaluated the song's level of emotion; several described it as genuine. Bill Speed and John Martinucci from the Gavin Report called it "a ballad that puts you into a sentimental mood before you can say 'I like this.[11] Toledo Blade writer Stewart Walker thought it showcased "Carey as one of those rare artists who can actually convey her feelings to her listeners".[12] In contrast, Dayton Daily News critic Dave Larsen derided "Never Forget You" as overblown[7] and Mike Joyce of The Washington Post felt that "even Aretha Franklin would be hard pressed to make an emotional statement" given the lyrics.[5]

Carey's vocal performance was another topic of commentary. Cleveland.com's Troy L. Smith considered it the song's highlight. Richmond Times-Dispatch writer Patrick McCarty said she "spirals to unnerving heights with volume and shrieks to spare";[6] Fort Worth Star-Telegram writer Dave Ferman reckoned her voice was more restrained than on songs from her previous albums.[13] Billboard writers Andrew Hampp and Princess Gabbara complimented Carey's harmonies with Babyface.[4] [14] According to Julianne Shepherd of Vibe, "her piercing vocals amplify [his] signature indelible melodies".[15]

Chart performance

Chart (Publisher)! scope="col"
WeekYear
Hot 100 Singles (Billboard)[16] [17]
316
Hot R&B Singles (Billboard)[18]
761
Top 100 R&B Singles (Cash Box)[19] [20] 535
Urban (Gavin Report)[21] 3
Urban (Radio & Records)[22] [23] 139
"Never Forget You" is one of the best-performing songs produced by Babyface in the 1990s.[24] Combined with "Without You", the single sold 600,000 copies in the United States throughout 1994.[25] An urban radio success, "Never Forget You" peaked at numbers one and three on charts published by Radio & Records and Gavin Report, respectively.[21] [22]

At the time of the single's release, Billboard allowed an A-side and B-side to chart together if both received radio airplay. "Never Forget You" received some spins from pop radio stations and charted with "Without You" on Hot 100 Singles beginning February 12, 1994.[26] The single peaked at number three in the week ending March 19, 1994.[16] It is Carey's 13th-best performing title on the chart [27] and remains her sole double-sided appearance.[16]

On Hot R&B Singles, "Never Forget You" debuted at number 94 in the February 5, 1994, Billboard issue.[28] "Without You" was listed with it from March 12, 1994, and the pair reached number seven in the week ending April 9, 1994.[18] The peaks on both the Hot R&B and Hot 100 charts were the second lowest of Carey's career at the time.[16] [18]

Track listings

1994 US maxi cassette/maxi CD single[29]

  1. "Never Forget You" (Radio Edit) – 3:35
  2. "Never Forget You" (Extended) – 5:17
  3. "Never Forget You" (Album Version) – 3:45
  4. "Never Forget You" (Instrumental) – 3:34
  5. "Without You" (Album Version) – 3:34

1994 US 12-inch vinyl single[30]

A1. "Never Forget You" (Extended) – 5:17

A2. "Never Forget You" (Radio Edit) – 3:35

A3. "Never Forget You" (Instrumental) – 3:34

B1. "Never Forget You" (Album Version) – 3:45

B2. "Without You" (Album Version) – 3:342020 MC30 digital EP[31] [32]

  1. "Never Forget You" (Radio Edit) – 3:35
  2. "Never Forget You" (Extended) – 5:17
  3. "Never Forget You" (Instrumental) – 3:34

Credits

Album version

Locations

Personnel

Dupri remixes

Locations

Personnel

References

Books

Notes and References

  1. Rischar. Richard. 2004. A Vision of Love: An Etiquette of Vocal Ornamentation in African-American Popular Ballads of the Early 1990s. American Music. 22. 3. 407–443 [415]. 10.2307/3592985. 3592985. 192988682. .
  2. Between the Bullets. Mayfield. Geoff. Billboard. 87. September 11, 1993. .
  3. Web site: Gold & Platinum – 'Without You'. Recording Industry Association of America. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20220327161359/https://www.riaa.com/gold-platinum/?tab_active=default-award&ar=Mariah+Carey&ti=Without+You. March 27, 2022.
  4. Hampp. Andrew. Mariah Carey's Music Box at 20: Classic Track-By-Track Review. August 31, 2013. Billboard. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20220428110402/https://www.billboard.com/music/music-news/mariah-careys-music-box-at-20-classic-track-by-track-review-5679999/. April 28, 2022.
  5. News: September 5, 1993. Big Voices Are Back: Carey, Braxton and Dayne. Joyce. Mike. limited. The Washington Post. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20230322182549/https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/lifestyle/style/1993/09/05/big-voices-are-back-carey-braxton-and-dayne/94209444-adaa-4b48-a68e-d30ddc171829/. March 22, 2023.
  6. News: McCarty. Patrick. September 9, 1993. Carey's Blessed With a Wonderful Voice, So Why the Mediocre Songs?. Richmond Times-Dispatch. D23. Newspapers.com. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20230708234523/https://www.newspapers.com/article/120681839/richmond-times-dispatch/. July 8, 2023.
  7. News: Larsen. Dave. September 10, 1993. Recordings On Review. Go!. Dayton Daily News. 16. Newspapers.com. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20230705174939/https://www.newspapers.com/article/121390761/dayton-daily-news/. July 5, 2023.
  8. How Mariah Carey Spun Her Daydream. Considine. J. D.. J. D. Considine. Musician. 86. January 1996. .
  9. News: Dean Ford. Lynn. September 20, 1993. Mariah Can Carey a Tune, but She Holds Back on New Disc. The Indianapolis Star. D4. Newspapers.com. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20230705174716/https://www.newspapers.com/article/120682062/the-indianapolis-star/. July 5, 2023.
  10. News: Frost. Deborah. A Powerful Voice Wrapped in a Glossy Corporate Package. limited. The New York Times. October 10, 1993. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20230705172129/https://www.nytimes.com/1993/10/10/archives/recordings-view-a-powerful-voice-wrapped-in-a-glossy-corporate.html. July 5, 2023.
  11. Bill. Speed. John. Martinucci. Gavin Urban – New Releases. Gavin Report. January 28, 1994. 20.
  12. News: Walker. Stewart. October 19, 1993. Gospel Style Fits Mariah Carey Well. The Citizens' Voice. Toledo Blade. 20. Newspapers.com. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20230705175350/https://www.newspapers.com/article/120923210/citizens-voice/. July 5, 2023.
  13. News: Ferman. Dave. September 3, 1993. There's a Little Less Wind in Mariah. Fort Worth Star-Telegram. E2. Newspapers.com. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20230312051730/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/120681372/fort-worth-star-telegram/. March 12, 2023.
  14. Gabbara. Princess. All the Tracks on Mariah Carey's Music Box, Ranked. August 31, 2018. Billboard. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20221208231435/https://www.billboard.com/music/pop/mariah-carey-music-box-anniversary-tracks-ranked-8473185/. December 8, 2022.
  15. The Ultimate Mariah Carey. Shepherd. Julianne. Vibe. 102. November 2007. .
  16. Mariah Carey Chart History (Billboard Hot 100). Billboard. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20221122014249/https://www.billboard.com/artist/mariah-carey/chart-history/hsb/. November 22, 2022.
  17. The Year in Music. Billboard. YE26, YE34. December 24, 1994. .
  18. Mariah Carey Chart History (Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs). Billboard. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20230206181838/https://www.billboard.com/artist/mariah-carey/chart-history/bsi/. February 6, 2023.
  19. April 16, 1994. Top 100 R&B Singles. Cash Box. 10. Internet Archive.
  20. December 31, 1994. Top 50 Urban Singles. Cash Box. 15. Internet Archive.
  21. Bill. Speed. John. Martinucci. April 8, 1994. Gavin Urban. Gavin Report. 14.
  22. December 16, 1994. Songs Reaching Top 15 in 1994. Radio & Records. 31. .
  23. December 16, 1994. The Top 94 of 1994. Radio & Records. 30. .
  24. Babyface: Still in the Game. Radio & Records. 41. May 29, 1998. .
  25. Best-Selling Records of 1994. Billboard. 57. January 21, 1995. .
  26. Hot 100 Singles Spotlight. McCabe. Kevin. Billboard. 119. February 12, 1994. .
  27. Corpuz. Kristin. Mariah Carey's Top 40 Biggest Billboard Hot 100 Hits. Billboard. March 27, 2018. subscription. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20221209020503/https://www.billboard.com/pro/mariah-carey-top-40-biggest-billboard-hot-100-hits/. December 9, 2022.
  28. Hot R&B Singles. Billboard. 18. February 5, 1994. .
  29. "Never Forget You" (maxi cassette single). Columbia Records. 1934. 44T 77418.
  30. "Never Forget You" (12-inch vinyl single). Columbia Records. 1994. XSS 77418.
  31. Web site: 'Never Forget You' EP – Album by Mariah Carey. Jaxsta. live. https://archive.today/20230708235818/https://jaxsta.com/release/12cbfbe5-0eb7-542a-a4be-3f19f9a13859/2ddedec4-413b-5e56-843f-88c39964b98c/overview. July 8, 2023.
  32. Web site: 'Never Forget You' EP. Japanese. Mora. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20230718231910/https://mora.jp/package/43000087/G010004428902P/. July 18, 2023.