Emotions (album)

Infobox Album
Name = Emotions
Type = studio
Artist = Mariah Carey


Released = September 17 1991 (U.S.)
October 14, 1991 (U.K.)
Recorded = 1991
Genre = Pop, R&B, dance-pop
Length = 46:58
Label = Columbia
CK-47980
Producer = Tommy Mottola (executive), Walter Afanasieff, David Cole, Robert Clivillés, Mariah Carey
Reviews = *"about.com" Rating|3.5|5 [http://top40.about.com/od/reviews/gr/mcemotion.htm link]
*Allmusic Rating|4|5 [http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:8s120r8ac48p link]
*"Rolling Stone" Rating|2|5 [http://www.rollingstone.com/reviews/album/_/id/323012/mariahcarey?pageid=rs.ArtistDiscographyMainReleases&pageregion=mainRegion&rnd=1122737720579&has-player=true&version=6.0.12.872 link]
Last album = "Mariah Carey"
(1990)
This album = "Emotions"
(1991)
Next album = "MTV Unplugged"
(1992)
Misc = Singles
Name = Emotions
Type = studio
single 1 = Emotions
single 1 date = August 13, 1991
single 2 = Can't Let Go
single 2 date = October 23, 1991
single 3 = Make It Happen
single 3 date = April 4, 1992

"Emotions" is the second studio album by American singer Mariah Carey, released in the United States on September 17 1991 (see 1991 in music) by Columbia Records. It is primarily composed of strong ballads and dance music—written by Carey herself, Walter Afanasieff, Clivilles & Cole (of C+C Music Factory), and Carole King. The title track became Carey's fifth consecutive number one song on the Hot 100, making her the first artist to achive this feat. The album also generated two more top five singles. Contrary to her debut album, Carey co-wrote and co-produced the entire album, providing lyrics for all ten tracks. She was nominated for two Grammy Awards for Producer of the Year and Best Female Pop Vocal Performance. "Emotions" was eventually certified four times Platinum by the RIAA, selling over 4.1 million copies in the U.S. and 8 million copies worldwide.

Writing and recording

With the success of her debut album, Carey and top Sony/Columbia executives such as Tommy Mottola and Don Ienner realized it was time to decide her future plans. Carey was now given permission to produce (which had been denied for most of her first album) and the option to work with producers of her choice. She worked with Walter Afanasieff, Clivilles & Cole (of C+C Music Factory), and Carole King.

Promotion and reception

"Emotions" did not receive as substantial promotion as Carey's debut album, and Carey once again faced criticism when she refused to go on tour. In the wake of a recent scandal at the time involving Milli Vanilli, critics once again attacked Carey as they believed she was a "studio artist" who was unable to perform live, and that her famous high notes were nothing more than a creation of synthesized instruments in the studio. Carey later said she did not tour because she faced her own insecurities and a general lack of self confidence in performing for an audience. She explained her issues by stating that most artists overcome anxiety during their live performances before they get a record deal, but she did not have the same experience performing live.

The reviews for the album were mixed. Carey was mostly criticized for the abundance of high notes in her vocals on the album, especially those on the title track, where her vocal range is showcased more than on any of her previous songs. More characteristically, "Rolling Stone" magazine found her singing too showy, wrriting: "Carey has a remarkable vocal gift, but to date, unfortunately, her singing has been far more impressive than expressive". [ [http://www.rollingstone.com/reviews/album/_/id/323012/mariahcarey?pageid=rs.ArtistDiscographyMainReleases&pageregion=mainRegion http://www.rollingstone.com/reviews/album/_/id/323012/mariahcarey?pageid=rs.ArtistDiscographyMainReleases&pageregion=mainRegion] "Rollingstone.com" ] The album earned two 1992 Grammy Award nominations for "Producer of the Year" and "Best Female Pop Vocal Performance" (for "Emotions"), losing in both categories.

"Emotions" debuted and peaked at number four on the U.S. Billboard 200 with first-week sales of 129,000 copies, which surprised some following the huge success of "Mariah Carey". It spent twenty-seven weeks in the top twenty and a total of fifty-five on the Billboard 200. It became the first of four Carey studio albums not top the Billboard 200 and was her lowest-peaking album until "Glitter" (2001), but it was certified four times Platinum by the RIAA on January 30 2003. As of 2005 the album had sold 3.57 million copies in the U.S. according to Nielsen SoundScan, [ [http://www.mariahdaily.com/corantofiles/news-archive-1-2006.shtml U.S. Nielsen SoundScan sales from 1991 to December 2005] ] with an additional 0.6 million sold at Columbia House outlets. [ [http://64.233.179.104/search?q=cache:2imhVBtlmSEJ:lovepetcn.w5.zhaomu.com/bbs/read.php%3Ftid=1861 U.S. BMG Music Club and Columbia House sales as of February 2005] ] It performed better on the charts than her debut in the UK, peaking within the top five and spending four weeks more in the top seventy-five, with a total of forty weeks. The album was a success in Canada and Australia, but as in the U.S. it did not sell as well as "Mariah Carey". The album made the Canadian top five and the Australian top ten, and was certified two times Platinum in both countries. In Brazil it only received a Gold certification, and Carey's success was once again moderate across continental Europe. By 2007 "Emotions" had sold approximately 8 million copies worldwide. [ [http://www.mariahturkiye.net/muzik/album_emotions.htm MariahTurkiye.net - Müzik - Albümler - Emotions ] ] [ [http://www.mariah-carey-fan.com/albem.htm Mariah Carey Discography - Album Emotions ] ]

The singles from "Emotions" were not huge hits and, like her debut album, only the lead single was a success outside of the U.S. The first single, "Emotions", became Carey's fifth consecutive number-one single in the U.S., making Carey the only act in chart history to have their first five U.S. singles reach the top of the Billboard Hot 100. It also made the top five in Canada, but failed to go beyond the top twenty in the UK and Australia. "Can't Let Go" peaked at number two in the U.S., breaking Carey's streak of number-one singles, and it was a modest hit elsewhere: despite making the Canadian top ten, it barely reached the UK top twenty and missed the Australian top forty altogether. "Make It Happen" peaked at number five in the U.S. and became her first single to miss the Canadian top ten, but managed to peak within the UK top twenty and the Australian top forty. A fourth single, "Till the End of Time", was commissioned to radio in Costa Rica and Mexico in an attempt to boost sales of the album. Because the song received minimal airplay, and to make way for the release of the "MTV Unplugged" EP, it was not given further promotion as a single.

Track listing

# "Emotions" (Carey, David Cole, Robert Clivillés) - 4:08
# "And You Don't Remember" (Carey, Walter Afanasieff) - 4:27
# "Can't Let Go" (Carey, Walter Afanasieff) - 4:27
# "Make It Happen" (Carey, Cole, Clivillés) - 5:07
# "If It's Over" (Carey, Carole King) - 4:38
# "You're So Cold" (Carey, Cole, Clivillés) - 5:05
# "So Blessed" (Carey, Walter Afanasieff) - 4:13
# "To Be Around You" (Carey, Cole, Clivillés) - 4:37
# "Till the End of Time" (Carey, Walter Afanasieff) - 5:35
# "The Wind" (Carey, Russell Freeman) - 4:41

Production

*Produced By Walter Afanasieff, Mariah Carey, David Cole & Robert Clivlles
*Mixed By Dana Jon Chapelle, Mariah Carey & Bob Rosa
*Engineered By Bruce Calder, Dana Jon Chapelle, Lolly Grodner, Acar S. Key, John Mathias , Bruce Miller, Craig Silvery & M.T. Silvia
*Mastered By Bob Ludwig
*Executive Producer: Tommy Mottola

Credits

*Drums, Percussion: Walter Afansieff, Robert Clivilles, Steve Smith
*Bass: Will Lee, Carl James
*Synth Bass: Walter Afansieff
*Guitars: Vernon "Ice" Black, Cornell Dupree, Michael Landau, Paul Pesco
*Guitar Synth: Walter Afanasieff
*Keyboards, Piano, Organ, Synthesizers: Walter Afanasieff, David Cole, Ren Klyce
*Horns: Louis DelGatto, Lawrence Feldman, Earl Gardner, Keith O'Quinn, George Young
*Horns Arranged By Louis DelGatto

Charts

As of March 2007, the album sold over 8 million units worldwide, and was certified 4x Platinum in the United States

Notes