Emotions (Mariah Carey album)

Emotions
A brunette woman in a white low-cut minidress standing in front of a dark, sepia-toned desert-like background, hair flailing upward in the wind, the words "MARIAH CAREY" on the upper right hand side of the artwork and the word "EMOTIONS" vertically spelled out from the top down towards the bottom left hand side of the artwork.
Studio album by
Mariah Carey
ReleasedSeptember 17, 1991
Recorded1991
Studios
Genres
Length47:02
LabelColumbia
Producers
Mariah Carey chronology
Mariah Carey
(1990)		 Emotions
(1991)		 MTV Unplugged
(1992)
Singles from Emotions
  1. "Emotions"
    Released: August 1991
  2. "Can't Let Go"
    Released: November 1991
  3. "Make It Happen"
    Released: February 1992

Emotions is the second studio album by American singer-songwriter Mariah Carey. It was released on September 17, 1991, by Columbia Records. Carey had greater control over the creation of Emotions, leading to a deviation from the formula of her debut studio album, Mariah Carey (1990).

After the completion of her debut album, Carey immediately began writing songs for Emotions in 1990. She wrote the lyrics to every track herself and principally composed them with Walter Afanasieff—with whom she had worked on Mariah Carey—David Cole, and Robert Clivillés. One song, "If It's Over", was composed with Carole King. The synthesized R&B and dance-pop production of Emotions, influenced by soul, jazz, gospel, and disco, incorporates piano, keyboards, and electric guitar. Its songs range from upbeat dance tracks to slow, sentimental ballads. They primarily explore love and heartbreak, and, to a lesser extent, perseverance and grief.

Emotions was promoted through appearances on television and at award shows, though it did not receive as much marketing as Mariah Carey. Three singles supported the album, all of which reached the top five of the US Billboard Hot 100 Singles chart. The lead single, "Emotions", topped the chart for three weeks and made Carey the first artist to have her first five singles reach number one. The subsequent singles "Can't Let Go" and "Make It Happen" broke the streak, respectively peaking at numbers two and five. The album achieved top-ten peaks in various countries, namely Australia, Canada, Denmark, Japan, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, the United Kingdom, and the United States.

On release, music critics were ambivalent towards Emotions. Some reviewers praised its production and Carey's vocals. Less enthusiastic commentators deemed her songwriting dull and felt she was overusing her whistle register. Retrospective reviews of Emotions have been more positive, and critics have ranked it among her best albums. At the 34th Annual Grammy Awards, the album earned Carey two nominations: Producer of the Year and Best Female Pop Vocal Performance for the title track. The album has been certified platinum or higher across the Americas, Europe, and the Asia–Pacific region, and sold over eight million copies worldwide.

Background

Mariah Carey had become friends with many musicians throughout the late 1980s, including one who played drums for freestyle singer Brenda K. Starr. The drummer suggested that Carey apply as a backup singer for Starr. Starr was impressed by her vocal ability; one night, she took the backup singer to a record industry gala, attempting to convince a record label executive to listen to a demo tape Carey had created. Impressed by her vocals after listening to the tape on his drive home, Mottola returned to the event to find her. Carey had already left, believing it was just a waste of time. After tracking the vocalist down a week later, Mottola promptly signed Carey to the record label at the end of 1988.[1]

In June 1990, Carey released her debut studio album, Mariah Carey.[2] Her vocals received widespread praise, but some critics felt the album lacked a distinct musical identity.[3] Mariah Carey topped the US Billboard 200 for eleven consecutive weeks and has sold 15 million copies worldwide.[4][5] Its four singles eligible for the US Billboard Hot 100 Singles chart—"Vision of Love", "Love Takes Time", "Someday", and "I Don't Wanna Cry"—made Carey the second act to top the chart with her first four releases.[6] She also earned five nominations at the 33rd Annual Grammy Awards and won Best New Artist and Best Female Pop Vocal Performance for "Vision of Love".[7]

By 1991, Carey had become a prominent figure in the music industry. Following the success of Mariah Carey, fans speculated about a possible world tour. However, she was hesitant to do so, believing that the vocally demanding nature of her songs would prevent her from delivering a good performance. Instead, she chose to focus on creating her second album.[8]

Writing and recording

Carey in her early twenties smiling
A man with a blue, red, and white checkered shirt smiling
Carey (left) and Afanasieff (right) began writing Emotions after the release of Mariah Carey. Afanasieff was the only producer and composer Carey chose to keep working with.

Carey began writing her second studio album, Emotions, after releasing "Vision of Love" and concluding work on Mariah Carey.[9] Before this, she had fallen out with Ben Margulies, with whom she composed seven of the eleven tracks on her debut studio album.[10][11] The conflict arose reportedly due to a contract Carey had signed with Margulies before joining Columbia. Their agreement entitled him to nearly half of the income she earned from Mariah Carey, rather than only half of the music publishing royalties from the songs they had co-written, to which he was entitled.[10]

Executives at her record label decided to give Carey more creative control over Emotions; she had little control over the production of her previous album. Columbia president Don Ienner noticed that she had a "great feeling" of what would be "right and wrong" in creating an album. Mottola, meanwhile, believed that she desired to "do a lot more" and make the record "more stark". Since Carey no longer had a working relationship with Margulies, she decided to recruit new songwriters and producers. Among them were Robert Clivillés and David Cole of the dance music production duo C+C Music Factory. She also continued to work with Walter Afanasieff, who produced "Love Takes Time" for Mariah Carey. She chose to work with him because she felt serene and creative in his presence.[12]

Carey began writing songs with Afanasieff in late 1990, months before recording had begun. Afanasieff had been working as a producer on Michael Bolton's Time, Love & Tenderness (1991), using his free time for songwriting sessions with Carey.[13] Their writing process usually involved Afanasieff first developing an idea, which he played on the keyboard as either a chord progression or a short instrumental line. This would inspire Carey to create vocal melodies or lyrics, and Afanasieff would play instruments to what she was singing.[13] He would co-produce "And You Don't Remember", "Can't Let Go", "So Blessed", "Till the End of Time", "If It's Over", and "The Wind", and co-compose all but the latter two.[14] "The Wind", the only track on Emotions not composed by Carey, was originally a jazz instrumental composed by pianist Russ Freeman in the 1950s. Afanasieff discovered it on a record by pianist Keith Jarrett, and Carey was inspired to create a song out of it.[15]

A woman with curly blonde hair smiling
Carole King composed one track on Emotions, "If It's Over", with Carey.

Carey also worked with singer-songwriter Carole King for Emotions. Initially, King wanted Carey to record a rendition of Aretha Franklin's "(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman" (1967), co-written by King and Gerry Goffin. She declined, feeling that Franklin's version was "untouchable" and that there was nothing new she could add to it.[16] Instead, what arose from Carey and King's time in the studio was the sentimental ballad "If It's Over", which Carey described as a "true collaboration". The two exchanged musical ideas and Carey conceived lyrics until they formed what both deemed a "wonderful" song.[13][17]

On top of these collaborators, Mottola suggested enlisting Clivillés and Cole, since combining slow ballads with uptempo dance tracks on albums proved successful in contemporary music at the time.[15] They arrived at writing sessions with a collection of grooves, playing them for Carey to determine which could work as the base for songs.[15] One decision Clivillés and Cole made early on was not to focus overly on Carey's upper vocal range. While they acknowledged it would be difficult to ignore it completely, they wanted to focus on her vocal ability without risking criticism that her range was merely a gimmick.[15] Their collaborations produced four songs: "Emotions", "Make It Happen", "You're So Cold", and "To Be Around You". Cole played the keyboards, while Clivillés handled the drums. However, Clivillés co-composed only "Emotions" and "Make It Happen" alongside Carey and Cole, whereas "You're So Cold" and "To Be Around You" were composed solely by Carey and Cole.[18] By March 1991, Carey had an array of songs that she and Afanasieff played for the Columbia executives to decide which ones would be included on Emotions.[19]

Composition

Music and themes

Emotions is predominantly an R&B and dance-pop album that incorporates elements of soul, gospel, disco, and jazz.[20][21] Carey wanted the album to draw more heavily from Motown and gospel music, which her older sister and brother frequently played for her during her childhood.[15] Compared to Mariah Carey, Emotions features a leaner production, eschewing the arrangements that some critics, and Carey herself, deemed overblown or overproduced.[22][23] Most of the instrumentation on Emotions is synthesized; the arrangements of the songs mostly feature keyboards, drums, piano, and electric guitar.[14][24] It consists of two different styles of songs: slow, soulful ballads and upbeat dance tracks.[25][26]

The songs on Emotions were made to be radio-friendly and commercially accessible.[27][28] Love and romance are recurring themes; Carey explained that writing about love helps her connect with listeners and makes her emotions easier to convey, even if her inspiration stems from real-life experiences that are not always romantic. "Emotions", "To Be Around You", "So Blessed", and "Till the World Ends" explore the narrator's feelings of love and joy when she is with her partner.[a] In contrast, "And You Don't Remember", "Can't Let Go", "You're So Cold", and "If It's Over" portray Carey as a heartbroken lover or explore the deterioration of a romantic relationship.[31][33] Emotions also contains two songs that depart from these themes and were inspired by Carey's real-life experiences: "The Wind" reflects on the grief of losing a loved one, and "Make It Happen" focuses on perseverance and faith in the face of adversity.[31][34]

Carey's vocals on Emotions were influenced by those of Aretha Franklin, Stevie Wonder, Minnie Riperton, and Gladys Knight.[35] When recording the album, she and her collaborators focused more her voice than on production, in contrast to her debut album;[35] Dennis Hunt noted in the Los Angeles Times that Emotions relies more on conventional singing and less on vocal "showboating" than on her debut album. Carey sings in a high coloratura register and employs her whistle register extensively on "Emotions". Music critic Phyllis T. Garland wrote that no singer since Minnie Riperton had been able to reach such high notes. Carey uses her whistle register at times on "Can't Let Go" and "If It's Over", but sings primarily in a lower register on those songs.[b]

Songs

A black and white photo of four women smiling, standing in front of a bush
The album's title track pays homage to the Emotions, whose 1977 single "Best of My Love" was its musical inspiration.

The album opens with "Emotions", which has been described as a post-disco, R&B, and gospel song. Clivillés and Cole reworked the song into a house track for its club remix on the 12-inch vinyl single, incorporating an extended gospel-style introduction.[30][40] "Emotions" describes the overwhelming feelings of love the narrator experiences when she is with her lover.[30][41] Carey's vocal performance features melismatic runs and explores her lower register during the bridge before ascending into her whistle register. Near the end of the song, she performs a series of sustained whistle notes.[30] "Emotions" was influenced by "Best of My Love", a 1977 hit produced by Maurice White of Earth, Wind & Fire and performed by the Emotions, who also inspired the title of Carey's song.[42]

"And You Don't Remember", the second track on Emotions, incorporates prominent gospel influences through its organ chord progression, minimal production, and soft church choir vocals. Biographer Chris Nickson, in his book Mariah Carey Revisited: Her Story (1998), stated the song was produced to evoke the musical styles of the 1960s and 1970s, as was "Emotions".[18] A soulful, sentimental ballad, "And You Don't Remember" recounts the narrator's heartbreak after being deceived and abandoned by a former lover who makes empty promises before moving on to another relationship.[21][18] Influenced by 1950s balladry,[34] "Can't Let Go" is an R&B and pop slow jam that features synthesizers and drum programming.[43][44] It opens with faint notes from Carey in the whistle register. She remains in a low vocal register with a breathy delivery before concluding with a whistle note at the end of the song.[39][45] Its lyrics lament the end of a relationship.[46][31]

Nickson compared the restrained dance beat of "Make It Happen" to Motown music. Its autobiographical lyrics address the struggles Carey faced before being signed to Columbia and how her faith in God kept her going through it all.[47][34] Its chorus incorporates background vocals sung by Carey, Trey Lorenz and Patrique McMillan.[34][14] Some critics noticed similarities between "Make It Happen" and "I Want to Thank You" (1981) by Alicia Myers and "Keep On" (1982) by D Train.[22][48] The fifth track, "If It's Over", is a ballad infused with soul and gospel blues. The song draws influence from 1960s gospel music, leading critics to compare its sound to the music that brought Franklin great success.[34][49] Its backing vocals are similar to those of a church choir.[34] Carey sings in a lower register for most of "If It's Over" and briefly uses her whistle register.[23][37] Its instrumentation includes both baritone and tenor saxophone, tambourine, electric organ, trombone, and trumpet.[14] "If It's Over" sees the narrator pleading with a former lover to let her go if their romance has deteriorated.[28][35]

"You're So Cold" is an upbeat dance track featuring piano that gives the song a house-influenced sound.[50] It opens with a piano tremolo, followed by one of the lowest notes Carey recorded during her early career.[27] Its lyrics depict the narrator questioning why she loves a toxic man and calling him out for being "so cold".[26][51] "You're So Cold" was initially intended to be the lead single from Emotions, but was eventually swapped for the title track.[50] "So Blessed", the album's seventh track, is a soft gospel-influenced torch song that evokes 1950s and 1960s pop balladry; Carey sings over layers of Hammond organ and synthesized strings.[21][50][25] Carey's vocals on the love song are more restrained and joyful.[21][50][31] On "To Be Around You", Carey adopts a more staccato vocal delivery. It is an upbeat track that features house-driven keyboards, pays homage to Cheryl Lynn's 1978 hit "Got to Be Real", and features spoken voices at the end.[21][52] Its lyrics are about an attentive lover that the narrator enjoys being around.[52][29]

The ninth track on Emotions, "Till the End of Time", is an atmospheric love ballad with a melody that Nickson likened to a lullaby. Carey's hushed vocals gradually become more impassioned, reaching a climax during the song's bridge.[21][53] The album closes with "The Wind", an R&B and jazz ballad featuring a restrained vocal performance by Carey.[53][54] It is based on a composition of the same name by pianist Russ Freeman, thus he received a credit for composing track's music.[21][53] Inspired by the death of a friend in a drunk-driving accident, Carey described the song as "a reflection on a lot of the young people who are dying of different things today", citing AIDS and other tragedies as influences on its theme.[55]

Marketing

Artwork and release

Columbia Records issued Emotions in the United States on September 17, 1991,[21] and in Japan on October 4.[56] During this time, it was common practice for artists to release an album every two years. This would allow the first album to sell to its highest potential and for fans of the follow-up album to search the artist's catalog and discover their earlier works. Carey's record label decided to forgo this formula in favor of the 1960s method, in which acts would release an album or two yearly. Columbia's decision to release Emotions so soon was due to Carey "growing so much" from her debut album.[8] The cover photograph features Carey's face illuminated while her body is largely obscured by shadow. She poses with her head tilted back and mouth open; her hands rest around her knees. Slant Magazine's Sal Cinquemani interpreted the composition as "suggesting a struggle between chastity and sexual liberation, confinement and freedom".[27]

Live performances

Carey was reluctant to promote Emotions through public appearances, as she had been with Mariah Carey. However, unlike its predecessor, it received comparatively little marketing and promotional support.[57] Columbia also scaled back the album's pre-release promotion, instead relying on the success and publicity of her previous album to generate interest in Emotions.[58] Carey did not embark on a tour for the album due to stage fright.[59] Emotions was instead promoted through television and award-show appearances. She performed the title track for the first time at the 1991 MTV Video Music Awards in September.[30] Backed by male and female backing vocalists, Carey reached a G7, among the highest notes in the human vocal range.[60][61] She performed "Can't Let Go" and "If It's Over" on Saturday Night Live in November 1991, followed by performances of "Emotions" and "Can't Let Go" at the Soul Train Music Awards.[62][63]

In the United Kingdom, Carey performed "Emotions" live on Top of the Pops in October 1991, while "Can't Let Go" was featured via satellite in January 1992. Clips from the music videos for "Emotions" and "Make It Happen" also appeared as Top 40 Breaker clips in October 1991 and April 1992, respectively.[64] In March 1992, Sony organized a live performance at Kaufman Astoria Studios in New York for MTV Unplugged. Broadcast on MTV, the special promoted Emotions while demonstrating Carey's vocal abilities in response to critics who deemed her as a "manufactured" artist.[65][66] Alongside songs from Mariah Carey, she sang "Emotions", "If It's Over", "Make It Happen", and "Can't Let Go". Columbia subsequently released the performances as a live extended play on June 2.[67][68]

Singles

"Emotions" was released as the album's lead single in August 1991.[42][69] In the United States, the song registered Carey's highest debut on the Billboard Hot 100 Singles chart at the time, entering at thirty-five.[42] In its sixth week on the chart, it reached number one, where it remained for three weeks. "Emotions" became Carey's fifth consecutive number-one single on the Hot 100, extending a streak that began with her debut single, "Vision of Love". This made her the only artist to have her first five singles reach number one, breaking her tie with the Jackson 5.[70] "Emotions" also topped the charts in Canada,[71] and reached the top five in Greece and New Zealand.[72][73] Steve Morse of The Boston Globe described Carey's high register in the song as conveying a "feeling of pure joy",[35] while Jan DeKnock of the Chicago Tribune called her voice "breathtaking".[25] Directed by Jeff Preiss, its music video depicts Carey driving through New York City, where she encounters friends, dancers, and gospel singers along the way.[30][74]

"Can't Let Go" was issued as the second single from Emotions in November 1991.[75][76] After debuting at number forty-two, it stalled at number two on the Hot 100 in its eleventh week; it was held off the top spot by Color Me Badd's "All 4 Love". Its chart run was affected by Columbia's decision to withdraw the single from stores, which was intended to boost sales of the album.[30][77][78] The song peaked within the top ten on sales and airplay charts in Canada.[79][80] Tampa Tribune writer Wayne Garcia thought her breathy delivery helped make "Can't Let Go" worthwhile,[81] and David Sinclair of The Times said the whistle notes showcased her vocal abilities successfully.[82] Jim Sonzero directed the song's black-and-white music video, which depicts Carey looking despondent while wearing a black halter top with diamonds. She is situated in a house with flowers and letters.[83]

"Make It Happen" was released as the third and final single from Emotions in February 1992.[75][84] Entering the US Hot 100 at number seventy-four, the song peaked at number five in its eighth week on the chart.[85][86] It also reached number seven on Canada's Top Singles chart.[87] Jon Pareles, writing for The New York Times deemed it an "uplifting pop-gospel homily",[88] and Morse described it as "glorious" and a "clear slice of spiritual autobiography".[35] Its music video was directed by Marcus Nispel and filmed in a dusty, deserted church. A benefit event inside, titled "Save Our Church", features Carey as the main performer, leading a choir in song as she sings to the constant cheering and applause of the crowd.[89]

Critical reception

Initial reviews

Professional ratings
Contemporaneous
Review scores
SourceRating
Chicago TribuneStarStarStar[25]
Entertainment WeeklyC[90]
Lancaster New EraStarHalf star[91]
Los Angeles TimesStarStar[31]
Orlando SentinelStar[92]
Rolling Stone[c]StarStarStar[93]
Tampa TribuneStarHalf star[81]

On release, Emotions received mixed reviews from music critics.[94] Several reviewers welcomed its greater maturity and embraced Carey's development as an artist.[91][35][95] They viewed the album's production and songs as a progression from her debut; Christian Wright of New York Newsday considered the simpler arrangements effective.[d] Multiple journalists agreed that Emotions dispelled concerns that Carey might be a one-album wonder and that she would suffer a sophomore slump.[e] Conversely, The Winnipeg Sun writer John Kendle believed that, considering the significant success of her previous album, a sophomore slump was inevitable.[99]

Several commentators found Carey's lyricism on Emotions dull. Stephen Holden of The New York Times thought the album's songwriting was its only indication of immaturity; he stated that the tracks were marred by "blunt, strung-together" pop clichés and little rhyming.[23] The album's themes of love and heartbreak were panned by Houston Chronicle writer Marty Racine, The Courier Journal's Jeffrey Lee Puckett, and Los Angeles Times' Dennis Hunt, who considered them trite or uninteresting.[31][28][100] Both Entertainment Weekly's Arion Berger and Hunt criticized the lyrics as resembling unenlightened high school poetry; Hunt also considered them overripe and lacking subtlety or irony.[31][90] Other reviewers were more favorable: one for Lancaster New Era and David Bauder of the Associated Press believed that Carey had improved as a songwriter;[91][101] The Boston Globe's Steve Morse thought Carey's lyricism was remarkable.[35]

Carey's technical vocal ability on Emotions was praised. Jim Farber, writing for the New York Daily News, described it as "undeniably skillful" and likened her approach to Whitney Houston's during her rise to fame.[102] Racine praised Carey's control of her pitch and range,[28] and Holden deemed her pop–gospel vocals technically impressive and impassioned.[23] Rolling Stone's David Wild praised Carey for adding to the "natural soulfulness" of her voice,[93] and Steve Bloom from LNP called it "otherworldly" and felt that her upper register vocals warranted buying the album.[98] Reviewers who were more critical of her voice felt that she was singing without soul or was overusing her whistle register.[103][27] Berger described Emotions as "gospel without soul, love songs without passion, [and] pop without buoyancy",[90] and Rob Tannenbaum of Rolling Stone wrote that her singing was more "impressive than expressive".[20] Roger Catlin of the Hartford Courant and Gary Graff of the Detroit Free Press considered Carey's use of the whistle register unnecessary much of the time, although the latter acknowledged that it was "technically impressive".[104][105]

Accolades and retrospective reviews

Professional ratings
Retrospective
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusicStarStarStarStar[46]
Christgau's Consumer Guide(dud)[106]
Encyclopedia of Popular MusicStarStarStar[107]
The Rolling Stone Album GuideStarStarStar[108]

In 1992, Carey received nominations for Producer of the Year and Best Female Pop Vocal Performance for Emotions's title track at the 34th Annual Grammy Awards, but lost in both categories.[109][110] The album has received retrospective assessments from music critics in the years since its release. Sal Cinquemani of Slant Magazine praised her ability to "strike a balance of soul and pop" that was both technically impressive and emotionally sincere.[111] In a separate article, he described the album as an underrated entry in Carey's discography and noted that the autobiographical songs "Make It Happen" and "The Wind" foreshadowed the inspirational anthems and confessional songs that became recurring features of her later albums, respectively.[27]

While maintaining in 2025 that it was not a sophomore slump, Rolling Stone's Tim Chan felt it was among Carey's weaker albums, ranking it at 13th out of 16.[112] Barnell Anderson, writing in HotNewHipHop, called it an excellent display of her voice.[113] AllMusic writer Ashley S. Battel also wrote that it refuted any claims of a sophomore slump and praised the album for its dance, R&B, and gospel influences, which she believed could evoke a range of emotions in listeners.[46] Nickson credited Emotions with showing Carey's "remarkable" consistency and wrote that there was more "finesse in everything", including the writing, arrangements, and singing.[114] Classic Pop's Jon O'Brien deemed it Carey's "least essential listen" from her imperial phase, but said that it proved that she "wasn't interested in resting on her laurels" and that it showed that, while often marketed as traditional pop, she had "her fingers firmly on the contemporary pulse".[115]

Emotions has appeared on rankings of Carey's best albums: Cinquemani placed it at number two;[111] Anderson ranked it at number seven;[113] and Chan positioned it at number thirteen.[112]

Commercial performance

In the United States, Emotions entered the Billboard 200 at number four, selling 129,000 units in its first week. It was prevented from reaching the top spot by Guns N' Roses' Use Your Illusion II and Use Your Illusion, as well as Garth Brooks's Ropin' the Wind.[116][117] It spent fifty-four weeks on the chart and remained Carey's lowest-charting album on the Billboard 200 until Glitter (2001) peaked at number seven.[118] On the Top 200 Pop Albums chart published by Cash Box, Emotions peaked at number three.[119] It was certified quadruple platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America, which denotes shipments of four million copies in the United States.[120] As of September 2021, the album has sold 3.61 million copies in the country.[21] In Canada, Emotions debuted at number fourteen on the albums chart published by RPM.[121] It peaked at number six in its fourth week on the chart, where it remained for one week.[122] Emotions reached number five on The Record's albums chart.[123] The Canadian Recording Industry Association certified it quadruple platinum, which represents shipments of 400,000 units.[124]

Emotions opened at number ten on the UK Albums Chart.[125] It reached number four in its seventeenth week on the chart, surpassing her debut album's peak of six.[126] Emotions remained on the chart for forty weeks and was certified platinum by the British Phonographic Industry, denoting shipments of 300,000 units.[127][128] On the Dutch albums chart compiled by the Stichting Nederlandse Top 40, the record debuted at number forty-four. It reached its peak of number nine in its third week, where it remained for two weeks, and stayed on the chart for thirty-five weeks.[129] The Nederlandse Vereniging van Producenten en Importeurs van beeld- en geluidsdragers awarded it a platinum certification, which denotes shipments of 100,000 units.[130] On the albums charts in Sweden and Switzerland, Emotions opened at numbers twenty-six and sixteen, peaked at thirteen and fifteen, and charted for five and nine weeks, respectively.[131][132] The International Federation of the Phonographic Industry certified it platinum in Sweden and gold in Switzerland, indicating shipments of 100,000 and 50,000 units, respectively, in those countries.[133][134] It did not chart in France but was certified gold by the Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique, representing shipments of 100,000 units.[135]

Emotions debuted at number twelve on the albums chart published by the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA), peaking at number eight in its fourth week on the chart.[136] The ARIA certified it platinum, denoting shipments of 70,000 units.[137] In New Zealand, the album debuted at its peak of number six and was certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of New Zealand (now Recorded Music NZ), denoting shipments of 15,000 units in the country.[138][139] In Japan, Emotions debuted at number three on the official Oricon chart, becoming Carey's first top-ten album in the country. The album has sold over one million units in the country, and the Recording Industry Association of Japan certified it quadruple platinum.[140][141] Internationally, Emotions has sold over eight million copies.[115]

Track listing

All lyrics are written by Mariah Carey.[14]

No.TitleMusicProducer(s)Length
1."Emotions"
  • Carey
  • Clivillés
  • Cole
4:09
2."And You Don't Remember"
  • Carey
  • Afanasieff
4:26
3."Can't Let Go"
  • Carey
  • Afanasieff
  • Carey
  • Afanasieff
4:27
4."Make It Happen"
  • Carey
  • Cole
  • Clivillés
  • Carey
  • Clivillés
  • Cole
5:07
5."If It's Over"
  • Carey
  • Afanasieff
4:38
6."You're So Cold"
  • Carey
  • Cole
  • Carey
  • Clivillés
  • Cole
5:05
7."So Blessed"
  • Carey
  • Afanasieff
  • Carey
  • Afanasieff
4:13
8."To Be Around You"
  • Carey
  • Cole
  • Carey
  • Clivillés
  • Cole
4:37
9."Till the End of Time"
  • Carey
  • Afanasieff
  • Carey
  • Afanasieff
5:35
10."The Wind"Russell Freeman
  • Carey
  • Afanasieff
4:41
Total length:47:02

Sample credits

Personnel

Adapted from the album's liner notes[14]

  • Mariah Carey – producer, arranger, vocal arrangements, vocals
  • David Cole – producer, arranger, vocal arrangements, drum programming, audio mixing
  • Robert Clivillés – producer, arranger, drum programming, audio mixing
  • Walter Afanasieff – producer, arranger, drums and percussion arrangements, horn arrangements, vocal arrangements, programming, Synclavier/Akai programming
  • Alan Friedman – programming
  • Gary Cirimelli – Synclavier/Macintosh programming
  • Ren Klyce – Synclavier/Akai programming
  • Lewis Delgatto – horn arrangements
  • Acar S. Key – recording engineer
  • Bruce Miller – recording engineer
  • Dana Jon Chappelle – recording engineer, audio mixing
  • John Mathias – recording engineer
  • Tony Maserati – recording engineer
  • Bruce Calder – assistant recording engineer
  • Craig Silvey – assistant recording engineer
  • Lolly Grodner – assistant recording engineer
  • M. T. Silvia – assistant recording engineer
  • Manny LaCarrubba – assistant recording engineer
  • Bob Rosa – audio mixing
  • Bob Ludwig – mastering
  • Josephine DiDonato – art direction
  • Phillip Dixion – photography
  • Tommy Mottola – executive producer
  • Horizon Entertainment Management Group Inc. – management

Charts

Certifications and sales

Certifications and sales
Region CertificationCertified units/sales
Australia (ARIA)[137] Platinum 70,000^
Canada (Music Canada)[124] 4× Platinum 400,000^
France (SNEP)[135] Gold 100,000*
Japan (RIAJ)[177] 5× Platinum 1,000,000^
Netherlands (NVPI)[130] Platinum 100,000^
New Zealand (RMNZ)[178] Platinum 15,000^
Sweden (GLF)[179] Platinum 100,000^
Switzerland (IFPI Switzerland)[180] Gold 25,000^
United Kingdom (BPI)[127] Platinum 300,000^
United States (RIAA)[120] 4× Platinum 3,610,000[21]
Summaries
Worldwide — 8,000,000[181][141]

* Sales figures based on certification alone.
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

Notes

  1. ↑ Cited to multiple sources:[28][29][30][31][32]
  2. ↑ Cited to multiple sources:[31][36][37][38][23][39]
  3. ↑ From David Wild's review. Rob Tannenbaum gave the album two out of five stars.[20]
  4. ↑ Attributed to David Dishneau of the Associated Press,[95] David Hiltbrand of People,[70] and Christian Wright of New York Newsday[70]
  5. ↑ Attributed to Stephen Holden of The New York Times,[23] Paul Willistein of The Morning Call,[96] Neil Randall of Waterloo Region Record,[54] Michael Corcoran of Chicago Sun-Times,[97] and Steve Bloom of LNP.[98]

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