| "Type Dangerous" | ||||
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| Single byMariah Carey | ||||
| from the albumHere for It All | ||||
| Released | June 6, 2025 (2025-06-06) | |||
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| Length | 2:55 | |||
| Label | Gamma | |||
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| Mariah Carey singles chronology | ||||
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| Music video | ||||
| "Type Dangerous" onYouTube | ||||
"Type Dangerous" is a song by American singer-songwriterMariah Carey. It was released on June 6, 2025, as the lead single from her sixteenth studio albumHere for It All (2025), through her own imprint, Mariah and a media company,Gamma. Carey co-wrote and co-produced the single alongsideAnderson .Paak, Jairus Mozee, Jason Pounds (billed asNWi in its production notes), and Daniel Moore. The song utilizes a sample fromEric B. & Rakim's 1986 track "Eric B. Is President". It is ahip hop soul andR&B song with elements ofsoul andpop music with anew jack swing foundation, featuring percussion-heavy production.
Lyrically, "Type Dangerous" finds Carey rap-singing about the attraction towards men who represent trouble - hence its title - yet the kind of danger she is willing to embrace. It was praised by music critics, who considered it one of the album's strongest tracks due to its lyrical sassiness and its sample. It performed moderately on the charts, reaching milestone achievements on US radio, while also becoming her 50th song to debut on theBillboard Hot 100. At the2025 MTV Video Music Awards, theJoseph Kahn-directed music video wonBest R&B Video, marking Carey's first competitive win. The song was sung live at the2025 BET Awards as part of a medley, as well as theAmazônia Live concert and her tourThe Celebration of Mimi (2025), both as the opening song.
On June 3, 2025, Carey teased the single through a short video on her social media, in which showed her listening to a track labeled "T:D_MC16.mp3," while sitting in a car which bore the license plate "MC16" which prompted speculation about her sixteenth studio album.[2][3] The single was announced to be titled "Type Dangerous" and was set for release three days after on June 6.[4]
In a press statement, Carey expressed excitement about the release, calling it the beginning of a new chapter and noting that she had spent significant time in the studio crafting new material.[5] The single marked her first new solo release since "In the Mix" in 2019,[6] and followed her 2018 albumCaution,[7][8] alongside a period focused on seasonal promotions and anniversary editions of her previous work, including an expanded reissue ofThe Emancipation of Mimi, released a few weeks prior in May 2025 to celebrate the album's 20th anniversary.[9][10][11]
"Type Dangerous" is ahip hop soul song written and produced by Carey alongsideAnderson Paak, Jairus Mozee, and Jason Pounds (credited asNWi in its production notes) and Daniel Moore.[12] It samplesEric B. & Rakim's 1986hip hop classic track, "Eric B. Is President", pairing its groove with percussion-driven production that blends elements ofnew jack swing,soul andpop music.[13] Eric Barrier and William Griffin - the songwriters of the sampled track - received co-writing credits.[12] Lyrically, the track struts with confidence as Carey rap-sings on it, expressing attraction toward someone who may be trouble but the kind she's willing to embrace.[14][11][15][16] Its bassline was compared to those of Anderson Paak song "Come Down" (2019) but as "a neutered version" byPaste magazine writer Andy Steiner.[17] Alexa Camp ofSlant Magazine described the single as a "midtempoR&B track", highlighting its lyrical boldness where Carey "refers to [her exTommy Mottola] as 'an evil king.'"[18] The lyrics continue to explore her interest on dangerous men, "even if they turn out to be massive losers: a computer nerd she catches stalking girls online; a construction worker dealing drugs on the side", notedThe Times journalist Will Hodgkinson.[19] In some parts of the lyrics, Carey is also self-referential, with the line "certified diamonds like the songs I wrote” alluding to herRIAA diamond-certified holiday hit single "All I Want for Christmas is You” and "Oh, yes, I want someone to rescue me" pointing to the chorus of her 1993 number-one single "Dreamlover", as noted byBillboard magazine.[20]
"Type Dangerous" received generally positive reviews from music critics, though opinions varied. Many critics picked it as a highlight from the album.[a] Andy Kellman ofAllMusic described it as "nostalgic hip-hop soul",[21] whileNME's Puah Ziwei called it a "sassy lead single", noting that "its hip-hop soul make things a little more interesting", thanks to its sample.[26] Similarly, Mark Chappelle wrote forAlbumism that the sample makes the song look "hot", while also noting the influence of hip-hop in many of her lead singles.[24] Writing forThe Arts Desk, Joe Mugg was favorable to Carey's "smooth R&B, modern in production style and ultra slick in musicianship."[27] Both writers fromThe Independent - Adam White and Roisin O'Connor - were enthusiastic over the song, naming it an "amusing kiss-off".[28] Emily Zemler fromRolling Stone highlighted it as a confident return, praising itscontemporary R&B production,[29] while Tim Chan of the same publication named it one of the "most radio-friendly hits on the album."[22] Ranking it as the fifth best song on the album,Billboard critic Heran Mamo highlighted that it "makes her sound right at home on the hip-hop beat, and her penchant for peppering in multisyllabic, 10-dollar words (“I don’t have time for the rigamarole“) might get the online generation to pick up a dictionary."[20] Melissa Ruggieri ofUSA Today also acknowledged the usage of the word "rigamarole" on it, noting "Carey deserves a song of the year Grammy for managing to rhyme 'hoes' with 'rigamarole'."[25] She also applauded the singer for exuding "R&B sass" in an "unapologetically" way.[25]
On the contrary, some reviewers were less enthusiastic. Rich Juzwiak, in hisPitchfork analysis, opined the song "flatlines in the hook", saying it was a 'meh' moment on the album.[30]Popmatters critic Peter Piatkowski founded to be "a bit forced", calling it "the most concerted effort to keep Carey relevant", also noting its "busy" production "makes it most likely to date quickly."[31] Alexa Camp ofSlant Magazine criticized Carey's vocals, which she considered "over-processed" and "nearly unrecognizable", also disapproving its lyrical content, where, in her words, "Carey seems stuck in her own past."[18]
| Organization | Year | Category | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MTV Video Music Awards | 2025 | Best R&B Video | Won | [32] |
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The song's music video is directed byJoseph Kahn and would premiere on June 13.[33][34] Ahead of the release, Kahn announced an "earth-shattering surprise" in the video.[35] The video was eventually delayed a day for editing purposes, and released on June 14.[36]
The video features Carey "working her way through a series of bachelors, dismissing them one after the next" in seven various acts, and features a guest appearance by American influencer andYouTuberMrBeast.[36] Carey dismisses various different "types" of men including Mr. Player, Mr. Danger, Mr. Traitor, Mr. Racer, Mr. Dealer, and then Mr. Beast, making them all disappear.[37]Billboard writer Ashley Iasimone opined the video captured Carey's "glamorous vibe and her humor".[38] The video containscomputer-generated imagery (CGI) and action scenes, and also featuredFaraday Future luxuryelectronic vehicles.[39] Camp also discussed the Joseph Kahn–directed video, which shows Carey dismissing successive "dangerous" suitors, framing the song's themes through playful yet incisive visuals.[40] At the2025 MTV Video Music Awards, "Type Dangerous" wonBest R&B, marking Carey's first win.[41]
On June 9, 2025, Carey performed "Type Dangerous" for the first time at the2025 BET Awards as part of a medley with "It's Like That", withRakim (whose song "Eric B. Is President" was sampled on the track) joining Carey on stage, andAnderson .Paak accompanying on drums.[42] "Type Dangerous" was also included in Carey's set at Capital'sSummertime Ball at Wembley Stadium on June 15, 2025.[43] It was also part of the setlist of her fifteenth concert tourThe Celebration of Mimi commencing in 2025 as the opening song.[44] On September 17, 2025, the song was also the first on herAmazônia Live set inAmazônia, Brazil.[45]
In the United States, "Type Dangerous" debuted (and peaked) at number 95 on theBillboard Hot 100, becoming Carey's 50th song on the chart. This also became her first new entry since her remix of "Oh Santa!" withJennifer Hudson andAriana Grande in 2020, her first non-holiday entry since "I Don't" withYG in 2017, and her first solo non-holiday entry in ten years since "Infinity" in 2015. The song also peaked at number 24 on the USHot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart.[46] It peaked at number one on theAdult R&B Songs chart, making it her first number one entry on the chart since "Fly Like a Bird" in 2006.[47]
"Type Dangerous" became Carey's most successful single on American radio stations in more than a decade. It is her highest-charting song onhot adult contemporary formats since "We Belong Together" in 2005,[48] her highest-charting song on theR&B/Hip-Hop Airplay chart since "Touch My Body" in 2008,[49] and her highest-charting song onrhythmic contemporary andpop outlets since "#Beautiful" in 2013.[50][48][51]Billboard reported on the commercial impact of the single, noting that it became Carey's 50th entry on theBillboard Hot 100, further cementing her legacy as one of the chart's most successful artists.[52]
Weekly charts[edit]
| Monthly charts[edit]
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| Region | Date | Format | Label | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Various | June 6, 2025 | Gamma | [68] | |
| United States | June 10, 2025 | Contemporary hit radio | [69] |
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