| "Heartbreaker" | ||||
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_Mariah_Carey.png) | ||||
| Single byMariah Carey featuringJay-Z | ||||
| from the albumRainbow | ||||
| B-side | "If You Should Ever Be Lonely" | |||
| Released | August 23, 1999 (1999-08-23) | |||
| Recorded | 1999 | |||
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| Genre | ||||
| Length | 4:47 | |||
| Label | Columbia | |||
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| Mariah Carey singles chronology | ||||
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| Jay-Z singles chronology | ||||
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| Music videos | ||||
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"Heartbreaker" is a song by American singer-songwriterMariah Carey featuring American rapperJay-Z for her seventh studio albumRainbow (1999). It was released on August 23, 1999, byColumbia Records as thelead single fromRainbow. The song was written by the artists and produced by Carey andDJ Clue, with additional writers being credited for the hook being built around a sample from "Attack of the Name Game" byStacy Lattisaw. "Heartbreaker" pushed Carey even further into theR&B andhip hop market, becoming her second commercial single to feature a rapper. Lyrically, the song describeslovesickness towards an unfaithful partner.
"Heartbreaker" received mixed reviews frommusic critics, many of whom felt it was not original or innovative in terms of a creative step forward. Additionally, it was compared heavily to Carey's 1995hit single "Fantasy", which also built its hook from a sampled beat. "Heartbreaker" topped theCanadian Singles Chart and the USBillboard Hot 100, becoming Carey's 14th US chart-topper. The single topped theNew Zealand Singles Chart and was a top-five single in Croatia, France, Poland, Spain, and the United Kingdom.
Carey performed "Heartbreaker" live on several international television and award shows, as well as on her concert tours. The accompanyingmusic video for "Heartbreaker", directed byBrett Ratner, is one of themost expensive ever made, costing over US$2.5 million. The video features Carey and her friends visiting a film theater and catching her boyfriend (played byJerry O'Connell) on a date with another woman. Carey played herself and a brunette villainess named Bianca Storm, during a physical altercation scene between the two women. Due to contractual agreements at the time of its filming, Jay-Z was unable to make an appearance in the original music video, though he would appear in a recut version soon after. The video was inspired by several other films, includingGrease,Scarface andEnter the Dragon.
With her sixth studio effort,Butterfly (1997), Carey started infusinghip hop elements in her songs, working with different, and younger, producers and songwriters. After the album's success and the release of her firstcompilation album#1's (1998), Carey began to work on her seventh album,Rainbow (1999).[2] Her main focus on the album was to continue on the same path she began with onButterfly, producing a subtle combination between inspirational ballads and hip hop beats. "Heartbreaker" marked the first time in Carey's career that a rapper was included on alead single, followingOl' Dirty Bastard, who was featured on theBad Boy remix of "Fantasy" in 1995. While recording the album inCapri, Italy, Carey claimed to have spent most of the time developing what she felt to be a strong lead single.[4]
Originally, "Heartbreaker" was intended to be part of Carey's debut filmsoundtrack,Glitter, however, after the film's delay, it was included on her albumRainbow.[2] Prior to the song's radio release, Carey spoke of it in an interview: "It's pretty much [in] the classic style of myup-tempo classics like 'Fantasy' or 'Dreamlover,' [...] But it's kind of fun and has a new edge to it, I think, and definitely having Jay-Z takes it to a whole 'nother level. And [DJ] Clue makes it really fun and stuff."[5]
While developingRainbow, Carey had different ideas for the lead single.[6] After writing the song's core lyrics and producing the main idea and melody,DJ Clue, one of the earlier producers in the project, suggested to Carey the use and incorporation of the hook from "Attack of the Name Game" byStacy Lattisaw.[6] After agreeing to it, they incorporated Carey's lyrics and melody to the hook, and began recording the song. However, after completing "Heartbreaker", Carey felt it needed a strong male verse, hoping for a rising hip hop artist. She chose to work withJay-Z and began re-arranging the song as he wrote out his verse.[6] Jay-Z wrote his entire verse and helped produce some of the song's core instrumentals. In an interview withFred Bronson, Carey spoke of her experience working with Jay-Z:
"It's fun when you can find someone that you can relate to and that you respect. Jay-Z is someone I admire as a writer and as an artist. We could be sitting in the studio, and he can freestyle a rhyme that would be incredible just off the top of his head. He doesn't need a pen and paper. I equate that to a singer who can pick up the mike and riff and ad-lib over a song and take you to a totally new place."[6]
Aside from her work with Clue and Jay-Z, Carey's longtime friend and background singerTrey Lorenz also took part in the song's production. He provided the back-up vocals in the song, and took part in several small areas of the development ofRainbow.[6] When interviewed by Bronson, Carey spoke highly of Lorenz, "He's an amazing writer and singer, he's so influenced by the old school stuff, yet he's so current. He's known me since before my first album, and he's a great, loyal friend."[6] Aside from the use of the sample and Jay-Z's verses, "Heartbreaker" contains strong female-empowering lyrics, which Carey wrote as a sort of anthem, especially because she felt that she personally has been in a similar predicament in the past.[6]
"Heartbreaker" is a moderately slow,mid-tempopop,hip hop/R&B track.[3][2][7] According to the music sheet published at Musicnotes.com, the song is written in thekey ofD♭ major,[7] while the beat is set incommon time which moves at a moderate pace of 100beats per minute.[7][8] It has a sequence of D♭–B♭m–D♭ as itschord progression.[7] Carey's vocals in the song span from the note of D3 to the high note of C7.[7] The song has a "percolating beat" over which Carey sings withnasal, silken and declarative vocals.[9] The verses feature Carey's signaturemelismatic style, combined with rapid yet seamless transitions; for example, Carey starts the second verse already in mid-belt "It's a shame to be" while then going off into a whispering coo for "so euphoric and weak."[7]
Aside from background vocal stylings from Lorenz and other women, Carey added her own lowered vocals into the song, giving the impression of a "doubled voice." "Heartbreaker" samples the 1982 song "Attack of the Name Game" byStacy Lattisaw. The song's hook and loop were taken and incorporated into the melody of "Heartbreaker", as well as being used as its main instrumental components. The lyrics are constructed in the verse-pre-chorus-chorus form. Carey starts with thehook "Gimme your love, gimme your love," repeated eight times.[7] Carey repeats the chorus four times, ending the song with a final "Gimme your love, gimme your love."[7] Chuck Taylor fromBillboard described its instrumentation as a "persistent guitar lick" and wrote "There's an identifiable chorus here, and some semblance of verses, but more than anything, this song comes across as a blur of jumbled voices in the background (à laLauryn Hill), including Carey's own repetitive harmonies, which in this case sound more like a competition than a compliment."[10]
The song's main remix, titled Desert Storm Remix, features female rappersDa Brat andMissy "Misdemeanor" Elliott. It is the first of Carey's remixes that was produced byDesert Storm Records producer and rapperDJ Clue, who makes an introduction on the remix. The remix contains lyrical interpolations and an instrumental sample from "Ain't No Fun (If the Homies Can't Have None)" bySnoop Dogg. In an interview withMTV News, Carey spoke of the song's remix before its official release in August 1999: "And then the remix. I'm so excited about the remix. It's also gonna go on the album, and it features Missy Elliott and Da Brat, and it's kinda like a girl-power answer record, and it's to the loop of Snoop [Dogg]'s 'Ain't No Fun.' They're not ready for that one!".[11] A separate music video was filmed for the remix, shot in black and white and featuring a cameo appearance by Dogg. The Desert Storm Remix received mixed reviews from music critics.Stephen Thomas Erlewine chose the song as one of the top three cuts onRainbow, alongside the original.[12]Danyel Smith fromEntertainment Weekly called it "[an] overblown [...] miscalculation" and wrote "Missy Elliott's and Da Brat's bad sexual politics sink the tired 'Heartbreaker [Remix].'[13]Larry Flick fromBillboard, called the remix "muscular" and "street-savvy" and wrote "Missy Elliott and Da Brat lace rhymes into the track, which is enhanced by the sample from Snoop Dogg's 'Ain't No Fun (If The Homies Can't Have None)'."[14]
Additional remixes of "Heartbreaker" include a remix produced by Junior Vasquez that interpolates "If You Should Ever Be Lonely" by singerVal Young, as well as a live mashup of "Heartbreaker" and "Love Hangover" byDiana Ross, performed forVH1 Divas 2000: A Tribute to Diana Ross tribute for Ross. The latter remix was released for digital download and streaming in October 2020, when Carey released the "Heartbreaker" EP as part of her #MC30 EP series.
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [15] |
| Entertainment Weekly | F[16] |
| Peterborough Herald & Post | 2/5[17] |
| Stereogum | 7/10[18] |
"Heartbreaker" received mixed reviews from contemporary music critics, some of whom compared it heavily to Carey's previous lead singles. Dara Cook fromMTV called the song an "airy ditty" and wrote "[On the song] Mariah exudes as much sentiment as hollowed-out driftwood."[19] Cook continued onto the song's production, writing "By texturing it into the song, producers Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis have finally found productive use (other than song closing spectacle) for Mariah's high octave shriek."[19]AllMusic editorStephen Thomas Erlewine named "Heartbreaker" as one of his top three choices from the album.[12] Danyel Smith fromEntertainment Weekly called the song a "delectable confection" and wrote "she smartly uses Jay-Z's droll rap about a bratty girlfriend as tart counterpoint to her creamy tones," however calling it a recycled version of Carey's previous songs "Dreamlover" (1993) and "Fantasy" (1995).[13] Elysa Gardner from theLos Angeles Times called the song "breezy" and noted how Carey "brings a similarly light, sensuous touch" to "Heartbreaker". Additionally, Gardner complimented Jay-Z's rap verses, calling them "sly."[20]
Editor fromRolling Stone Arion Berger, called it "nasal, silken and declarative" while "riding the percolating beat."[9] Additionally, Berger also compared it to Carey's "Fantasy", for its similar usage of a sampled hook.[9] Tom Sinclair fromEntertainment Weekly reviewed the song individually, giving it an F. He called it a "rehash" of "Fantasy" and wrote "What self-respecting artist would have the gall to recycle the Tom Tom Club's 'Genius of Love' (the source of 'Fantasy') for a second time in four years? It's a given that pop will eat itself, but this sort of self-cannibalization should be illegal."[16] However, the sample used in "Heartbreaker (feat. Jay Z)" was not the same sample as the one used in "Fantasy". Chuck Taylor fromBillboard gave the song a mixed review, writing "Yes it's a hit, and her voice is in fine form, but 'Heartbreaker' is a disappointment in terms of what we know she's capable of writing."[10]
In the United States, "Heartbreaker" was released commercially on September 21, 1999.[21][22] "Heartbreaker" entered the chart at number sixty.[23] The song became Carey's fourteenth chart-topper in the US, spending two weeks atop theBillboardHot 100.[6][24] It extended Carey's lead as the female artist with the most number one singles in the country.[6] The only acts still ahead of Carey wereElvis Presley with seventeen (a record she surpassed in 2008 with "Touch My Body" becoming her eighteenth number one single) andthe Beatles with twenty. The song was certifiedGold by theRecording Industry Association of America (RIAA).[25] Additionally, "Heartbreaker" finished at number thirty-five on theBillboard Year-End of 1999. In Canada, the song peaked at number one on theCanadian Singles Chart, becoming Carey's tenth chart-topper in the country.[26]
In Australia, it entered theAustralian Singles Chart at number eleven, on the issue dated October 10, 1999.[27] The next week, the song ascended to its peak of number ten, where it stayed for one week, before fluctuating inside the chart for a total of seventeen weeks. "Heartbreaker" was certifiedplatinum by theAustralian Recording Industry Association (ARIA), denoting shipments of over 70,000 units within the country.[28] In New Zealand, "Heartbreaker" was met with strong success, debuting at number four on October 10, 1999, and topping the singles chart the following week. It spent a total of eleven weeks fluctuating in the singles chart, and was certified platinum by theRecording Industry Association of New Zealand (RIANZ), denoting shipments of over 15,000 units.[29][30]
In Europe, the song charted throughout several markets. In Austria, it debuted at number thirty-seven on the singles chart, eventually peaking at number seventeen. In total, "Heartbreaker" spent twelve weeks on the Austrian chart.[29] In the two Belgium territories, Wallonia and Flanders, the song peaked at numbers nine and twenty-seven, and spent nineteen and sixteen weeks on the chart, respectively.[31] In France, the song entered the singles chart at number seventy-seven on October 9, 1999.[32] Eventually, it peaked at number four, becoming Carey's highest-charting single there since "Without You" (1993), which peaked at number two.[32] The song charted for twenty-five weeks, and was certified gold by theSyndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique (SNEP), denoting shipments of over 400,000 units.[33] In Germany, "Heartbreaker" peaked at number nine, spending twenty weeks inside the singles chart.[34] On October 2, 1999, it entered the DutchSingle Top 100 at number sixteen, eventually peaking at number seven, and spending a total of eighteen weeks in the chart.[35] In Norway, the song's success was limited, only peaking at number fourteen and spending only four weeks charting in the countries chart.[36] "Heartbreaker" entered theSwedish Singles Chart at number thirty, on the issue dated October 7, 1999. It charted for a total of fourteen weeks, and attained a peak of number eighteen.[37] In Switzerland, it spent twenty-three consecutive weeks in the singles chart, attaining a peak position of number seven, where it stayed for two weeks.[38] On theUK Singles Chart, "Heartbreaker" debuted at its peak position of number five, during the week of November 6, 1999.[39] It spent a total of thirteen weeks charting inside the chart, exiting on January 9, 2000.[40]
The music video for "Heartbreaker" was filmed at theLos Angeles Theatre inDowntown Los Angeles on July 30–August 1, 1999. Directed byBrett Ratner, the music video began airing onMTV on August 16, 1999, following its premiere on the network'sMaking the Video series.[14] According to Carey, the goal for the video was to mirror the lyrical content of the song, as well as showing it from a female perspective. Additionally, the video was filmed in a comedic fashion, intended to remain something "fun and exciting."[41] The video became one of themost expensive ever made, costing over $2.5 million.[42] Due to its strong female empowering message and nature, the video remains "a fan favorite", according toMTV News.[43] Carey claimed that two films were used as inspirations,Grease andEnter the Dragon.[43] Prior to filming the video, it became clear that Jay-Z would be unable to appear in the video, due to a contractual agreement not allowing him to appear in a video for two weeks after he shot for "Girl's Best Friend", his track off the soundtrack to the filmBlue Streak. Jay-Z and Carey managed to film a scene for the video, which was briefly documented onMaking the Video, although the documentary edited Jay-Z out of the footage to focus on Carey in order to not violate the contractual agreement.[44] Carey then thought of creating the animated section in the video, which was quickly drawn and animated by Ratner's team.[44]
The video begins with a car driving up to a large film theater. Carey is riding in the passenger seat and was brought there by her female friends, who tell her that her boyfriend is insidecheating on her. She is reluctant, but backed by her friends' encouragement, agrees to confront him. After convincing her, they enter the theater and begin a series of small dance routines alongside some of the theater employees. As the second verse begins, Carey enters the film projection room. Carey and her friends sit behind her boyfriend (played byJerry O'Connell) and the woman he is cheating with. She resembles Carey, sporting a short brown wig and red clothing. During this scene, Jay-Z's rap verse is played, while an animated clip of Carey is projected onto the film screen. During Jay-Z's verse, Carey's friends begin throwing popcorn and other candies at O'Connell, prompting a small food fight in between them.
After the rap verse, O'Connell's date leaves her seat and walks toward the bathroom, prompting Carey to follow her during a short interlude in the song. Upon running into each other by the restroom, Carey confronts the woman, but the latter tries to slap Carey and the two begin to fight. The fight ends off-camera, and Carey heads back toward the film room. Meanwhile, a scene plays in the theater where Carey and her friends, wearing oversized bob wigs, dance around in a bedroom. Carey's friends continue to heckle O'Connell until she returns; as they halt their attack on him, Carey walks toward O'Connell's seat and acts as though she was his date. After he realizes who it is, Carey spills a large soda on his lap and bids him farewell.
At the end of the animated movie during Jay-Z's verse, Carey is shown with a sign with an announcement of an alternate video including an appearance from Jay-Z. This version of the video was released two weeks after the original. In place of the animated film, Jay-Z is shown rapping his verse in a Jacuzzi while Carey and a security guard appear behind.
In order to promote "Heartbreaker", Carey performed the song live on several television and award show appearances, as well as recorded her ownFox Broadcasting Company special.[41] TitledThe Mariah Carey Homecoming Special, it was a mini-concert filmed at Carey's old high school in Huntington, New York. The special aired on Fox on December 21, 1999, and featured Jay-Z live on stage for his verses.[41] Carey performed "Heartbreaker" and its accompanying remix at theMTV European Music Awards, held on November 11, 1999, in Dublin, Ireland. For the performance,Da Brat andMissy "Misdemeanor" Elliott both joined Carey on-stage. Additionally, the song was performed onThe Oprah Winfrey Show, which again featured the female duo live on stage, British music chart programTop of the Pops, French programVivement Dimanche, andThe Today Show.[45]
ForRainbow, Carey embarked on her fourth concert tour, titled theRainbow World Tour (2000).[citation needed] Throughout it, Carey performed the song live during every show. The synopsis behind each performance was a wrestling match in between Carey and Storm, where Carey would sing the remix and original versions of the song throughout each small interlude of the fight.[citation needed] Carey was brought out with boxing gloves to the stage, performing the remix version of the song. After she began wrestling and boxing with Storm, she defeated her, prompting her to begin the original version of the song.[citation needed] "Heartbreaker" featured a very different set up for Carey'sCharmbracelet World Tour: An Intimate Evening with Mariah Carey (2002–03).[citation needed] During the tour, Carey wore a sparkling,Swarovski bikini number, and performed both the remix and original versions back-to-back.[citation needed] Several male and female dancers were on stage during the performances, as well as different musicians and back-up vocalists.[citation needed] During Carey's following tour,The Adventures of Mimi Tour, "Heartbreaker" was once again performed at each of the shows.[citation needed] For the song's recital, Carey's donned a black bikini and matching silk cape, as well asChristian Louboutin platform pumps. Several male dancers were present on stage, wearing black overalls and jackets while performing heavy dance routines.[citation needed] For the show atMadison Square Garden in New York City, Carey was joined by bothDa Brat andJay-Z for the remix and original versions, respectively. During theAngels Advocate Tour, the song was paired withLove Hangover byDiana Ross, and performed in a mash-up, the same as she did inVH1 Divas in 2000.[citation needed] For theCaution World Tour, Carey performed both the remix and original versions of the song, albeit briefly interrupted by Storm attempting to pick a fight until being knocked out by Carey; with the backup dancers dragging her offstage.
US 7-inch vinyl single
US 12-inch vinyl single[46]
US & Benulux 2-track CD single[47]
US & South African CD maxi-single[48]
European 12-inch vinyl single[49]
Australian CD & European CD1 maxi-single[50]
European CD2 maxi-single
| UK Enhanced CD1 maxi-single[51]
UK Limited CD2 maxi-single
French CD maxi-single
Japanese CD maxi-single
Digital EP (Remixes)[52]
MC30 digital EP[53]
2023 12-inch vinyl single[54]
|
The Junior Vasquez Mixes
Credits are adapted from theRainbow liner notes.[1]
Weekly charts[edit] | Year-end charts[edit]
|
| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| Australia (ARIA)[124] | Platinum | 70,000^ |
| France (SNEP)[125] | Gold | 250,000* |
| New Zealand (RMNZ)[126] | Platinum | 30,000‡ |
| United Kingdom (BPI)[127] | Gold | 400,000‡ |
| United States (RIAA)[128] | 2× Platinum | 2,000,000‡ |
* Sales figures based on certification alone. | ||
| Region | Date | Format(s) | Label(s) | Ref(s). |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| United States | August 23, 1999 | Columbia | [129][130] | |
| August 24, 1999 | [131][132] | |||
| September 21, 1999 | [21][22] | |||
| Japan | September 22, 1999 | Maxi CD | SME | [21] |
| France | September 27, 1999 | 12-inch vinyl | Sony Music | |
| Germany |
| |||
| Australia | October 4, 1999 | Maxi CD | ||
| France | ||||
| France | October 12, 1999 | CD | ||
| United Kingdom | October 18, 1999 |
| Columbia | [136] |
| Belgium | October 25, 1999 | Maxi CD | Sony Music | |
| Various | October 9, 2020 | Legacy | ||
| February 17, 2023 | 12-inch vinyl (Urban Outfitters exclusive) | Sony Music | [54][138] |
['Heartbreaker'] hits retail Sept. 21.
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