The Mariah Carey Discography Rate Pt.1 • FINISHED

vague

vague

This next cut is the most divisive track in the whole rate . . .


































The scores it received run the full gamut from 0 all the way to 11, and is the only song in the rate to receive both of those scores . . .


































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I'm in heaven
With my boyfriend, my laughing boyfriend
There's no beginning and there is no end
Feels like I'm dreaming, but I'm not sleeping

g4SwgHx.gif


#27
"Fantasy (Bad Boy Remix)"
featuring O.D.B.

Score: 8.274
High scores: 11×2 (@AdzBrown, @Lost In Japan.), 10×20 (@P'NutButter, @WhatKindOfKylie?, @Jimmyandroid, @GimmeWork, @Womanizer, @tylerc904, @Maria, @ohaimanabu, @Tigerlily, @soratami, @RUNAWAY, @godspeed, @ysev, @lalaclairi_ ,@Lapras, @Blond, @Posh Spears, @RainOnFire, @Oceandrive, @vague), 9.5×1 (@nikkysan)
Low scores: 0×1 (@londonrain), 2×1 (@Veeis), 3×1 (@abael)
My score: 10

5 ballots: #9 (tied), 9.4 avg.
10 ballots: #6 (tied), 9.45 avg.
15 ballots: #10, 9.233 avg.
20 ballots: #13, 9 avg.
25 ballots: #14, 8.76 avg.
30 ballots: #20, 8.657 avg.
35 ballots: #17, 8.591 avg.
40 ballots: #24, 8.305 avg.
45 ballots: #23, 8.338 avg.
50 ballots: #25, 8.294 avg.
55 ballots: #28, 8.176 avg.
60 ballots: #28, 8.245 avg.
61 ballots: #27, 8.274 avg.

And so the last remix standing finally falls. "Fantasy (Bad Boy Remix)" is, of course, the main remix of the lead single from Mariah's fifth studio album, "Daydream" . Its lyrics were written by Mariah, Chris Frantz, and Tina Weymouth; it was composed by Mariah, Dave Hall, Chris Frantz, Tina Weymouth, Adrian Belew, and Steven S. Stanley; arranged+produced by Mariah and Dave Hall; and remixed by Sean Combs. "Fantasy" famously samples melodies and lyrics from Tom Tom Club's 1981 single "Genius Of Love". The Bad Boy Remix version replaces the original album mix's chorus with its middle 8, which was adapted from "Genius Of Love". The Bad Boy Fantasy mix incorporates both versions' choruses as well as the remix's updated production and O.D.B.'s rap verses.

Upon its release, "Fantasy" became the first single by a female artist to debut at #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 - and only the second single overall to do so. The single's huge success was bolstered by this remix, with Mariah herself stating in a 1999 interview that over half of the single's sales originated from the Bad Boy Remix. The remix is often credited for introducing popstar/rapper collaborations to mainstream music; MTV's John Norris has even stated that the remix is "the single most important recording that she's ever made" due to the immense impact its success has had on pop culture.

I've said multiple times now that "#1's" was the only Mariah album I had for pretty uch all of my teens, so this has always been thee version of "Fantasy" for me. I've grown to love the original mix now as well, but hearing the original chorus for the first time was a huge shock and took a bit of time for me to get used to ddd. Now, I prefer that chorus, but I still adore this remix, too.​

—
​
@P'NutButter (10) — "Iconic in every way, trailblazing in fact!"

@WhatKindOfKylie? (10) — "Career defining and then some. The original Fantasy, is one of the 1990's most flawless dance songs, And this, the Bad Boy mix, showcase that the so called 'Mary Poppins' of Pop, had far more going to her than just those love songs. Epic - 'I'm in heaven' indeed Mariah!"

@Jimmyandroid (10) — "The remix that ushered in the second phase of her career. I think I first heard it when she managed to get this version on the #1s compilation and loved it just as much as the poppier version."

@ohaimanabu (10) — "The focus on the beat while retaining the original mix's chorus, WHEW! A nice option for those wanting more edge to the poppiness and less ODB."

@godspeed (10) — "This could have easily been my 11 but, for what it's worth, it's definitely in my Top 2. Let's keep it clear and simple: I love everything about this remix. Every damn little detail. The 'Genius of Love' sample is... well, for a lack of a better word, it's genius. It truly is because without changing the original song considerably, this sample brings a totally different feel to 'Fantasy,' allowing Mariah and more importantly Ol' Dirty Bastard to do whatever they want and have fun with it. And O.D.B. truly had fun on this one and brought us some LEGENDARY lyrics and bars such as 'Me and Mariah/Go back like babies with pacifiers.' His verse actually doesn't make any sense (it was recorded in so many takes so it's not that surprising) but it's simply one of the best things about this remix, if not the best. It is pure twisted and ridiculous genius. I could write an essay about this remix so I should probably stop there but I just want to finish on this note: the bridge is fuckin' legendary. 'What you gon' do when you get out of jail? I'm gon' do a remix.' I MEAN!!! LEGENDARY!!! I want this song to be played at my funeral, thank you very much."

@ysev (10) — "The remix of Fantasy is the blueprint for R&B/Pop songstresses and Rapper collaborations. The song changed an entire era of Pop music which gives it a very special relevancy within her discography. The contrast between her vocals and ODB's rap is such a great combination. I love how this version omits the Genius of Love sample during the verses which makes it sound grittier and makes the chorus pop even more. Using the bridge of the original song (which is simultaneously an interpolation of Genius of Love) as a chorus gives the remix a very cool and laid back vibe since it's much more chilled than the original power vocal chorus."

@Music Is Life (9) — "I prefer the original, and let me make it clear that it has nothing to do with O.D.B. and everything to do with the production. I feel like this one just sucks all the fun out of the original. Still, it's a bop."

@Imagineitwasus (9) — "So percussive and percolating, this makes me want to shake it."

@pop3blow2 (8.7) — "While not nearly as good as the original, this remix was creative & groundbreaking in many ways. It was actually not only pretty avant grade & groundbreaking for Mariah's direction, but really for the whole pop/with rap feature concept in pop music. Still, I'll take the original."

@bonnieetclyde (8.5) — "damn, I love hearing her vocals so clear like this without all the production around it, like on the original."

@DominoDancing (8.5) — "I like the dryer beat on this, but... ODB adds nothing? Overall I think this is the lesser version."

@BreatheBox (6.5) — "don't like the empty chorus ngl... the (Bad Boy Fantasy) version with the original chorus after the 'i'm in heaven' chorus is better that one gets a 8.2."

@abael (3) — "I was looking forward to this remix especially as Fantasy could most improve with a good remix. Too bad they made it awful."

@londonrain (0) — "KEEP. IT. ODB's rap is literally the worst feature I've ever heard on a Mariah song, and it's the only Mariah song I actively skip. It's particularly annoying because the actual song is so good but the mixing and the feature render it completely unlistenable for me."​

—


​
 
londonrain

londonrain

Staff member
The two best things about Fantasy are Mariah’s vocals and that sublime chorus. The remix removes the chorus and drowns her vocals in ODB’s shouting.

It baffles me that this so comfortably outpaced the other remixes. This was considered better than the R&B perfection that was the Always Be My Baby remix? Better than the out-and-out early nineties banger that is the Anytime You Need A Friend remix? Really?

I expected more from MisandryJustice.
 
londonrain

londonrain

Staff member
Adora Day said:
Also not sure about all the comments about it being groundbreaking that a pop star had a rapper on one of their songs? Hell even Kylie did it with Shocked a whole 5 years earlier?

Do we mean that a pop star had a *legitimate* rapper, rather than the likes of Jazzy P!!?
Click to expand...
It wasn’t common at the time for a pop smash in the US to feature a pairing of a well-known pop star and a well-known rapper. She wasn’t the first to include a rap feature but, given her profile at the time and the sound of her previous albums, it was certainly not a given that she would make a rap remix a key feature of the promo of a lead single (which also became the first single by a woman to debut at #1 on the Hot 100). The third single from the album was Always Be My Baby, which debuted at #2 and was also promoted with its remix (which featured a rap verse from Da Brat, again an established name in rap).

There was a definite upsurge in pop/rap collaborations later in the nineties and they’ve been a key part of American music since then, to the extent that the Grammys introduced a specific award for Best Rap/Sung Collaboration. This piece is one of the many that acknowledges its impact:

“MC, who has been vocal about maintaining creative control over her music from the beginning of her career, fought for this remix after being laughed at by her label. Mariah Carey grew up in ’90s New York, aka the mecca of hip hop, and knew the track would be a hit. She was right.

For me, the best part of this collaboration was that it was authentic. It was not done to be “cool,” as Mariah stated in an interview with V Magazine. Mariah has said that, as a biracial kid, she never quite felt like she fit into any category. These feelings influenced her music and her fight to prove that two genres of music didn’t have to be mutually exclusive. It goes without saying that Mariah Carey helped bring rap to a pop audience.”
 
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Adora Day

Adora Day

londonrain said:
It wasn’t common at the time for a pop smash in the US to feature a pairing of a well-known pop star and a well-known rapper. She wasn’t the first to include a rap feature but, given her profile at the time and the sound of her previous albums, it was certainly not a given that she would make a rap remix a key feature of the promo of a lead single (which also became the first single by a woman to debut at #1 on the Hot 100). The third single from the album was Always Be My Baby, which debuted at #2 and was also promoted with its remix (which featured a rap verse from Da Brat, again an established name in rap).

There was a definite upsurge in pop/rap collaborations later in the nineties and they’ve been a key part of American music since then, to the extent that the Grammys introduced a specific award for Best Rap/Sung Collaboration. This piece is one of the many that acknowledges its impact:

“MC, who has been vocal about maintaining creative control over her music from the beginning of her career, fought for this remix after being laughed at by her label. Mariah Carey grew up in ’90s New York, aka the mecca of hip hop, and knew the track would be a hit. She was right.

For me, the best part of this collaboration was that it was authentic. It was not done to be “cool,” as Mariah stated in an interview with V Magazine. Mariah has said that, as a biracial kid, she never quite felt like she fit into any category. These feelings influenced her music and her fight to prove that two genres of music didn’t have to be mutually exclusive. It goes without saying that Mariah Carey helped bring rap to a pop audience.”
Click to expand...
Brilliant response. Thank you I get it now.
 
Cowboystyle

Cowboystyle

Adora Day said:
Also not sure about all the comments about it being groundbreaking that a pop star had a rapper on one of their songs? Hell even Kylie did it with Shocked a whole 5 years earlier?

Do we mean that a pop star had a *legitimate* rapper, rather than the likes of Jazzy P!!?
Click to expand...
I feel very similar to you in that I grew up loving Mariah ballads and at the time (I'm guessing we were around the same age, I was 15/16 when Fantasy was released) did not appreciate these hip hop remixes much. Though I do believe Fantasy is one of Mariahs best ever songs and was almost my 11 (it just missed out to another song) so even this version is amazing.
 
Adora Day

Adora Day

Cowboystyle said:
I feel very similar to you in that I grew up loving Mariah ballads and at the time (I'm guessing we were around the same age, I was 15/16 when Fantasy was released) did not appreciate these hip hop remixes much. Though I do believe Fantasy is one of Mariahs best ever songs and was almost my 11 (it just missed out to another song) so even this version is amazing.
Click to expand...

Yeah I was 15 when Fantasy was released , just about to turn 16. I really began stanning for Mariah around Hero and the Music Box era (while Kylie was on a break in 93) and caught up on her previous albums. I was blown away with her voice and particularly loved the big ballads. I was disappointed in the direction she took from Rainbow onwards so never really got into her again after that. I appreciate that she did what she wanted to do but it wasn’t my taste and to be fair to her she probably couldn’t have continued much longer if she’d kept churning out ballads (hence the disappointing chart position of butterfly the single in the UK). The ballads / earlier pop stuff right up to the butterfly album were an amazing time and I still listen to those eras now. Even discounting everything else since, she’s probably in my top 5 artists ever.

Some people prefer, what I see as, her second phase of music, the R&B and HipHop stuff, and that’s great, that’s what makes these rates interesting - that we all have our own favourite Mariah. It doesn’t really matter where your faves end up - it doesn’t change your own scores does it? It doesn’t mean you’re wrong.

This has just been a fab trip down memory lane and looking forward to the rest!
 
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londonrain

londonrain

Staff member
I was a bit younger than you both when Fantasy was released and I thought the original was just sublime, but couldn't understand the appeal of the remix. Her later collaborations (the Always Be My Baby remix, Breakdown, The Beautiful Ones) were key to getting me into R&B and hip-hop and I'll always credit her with making me a full-on R&B stan. I feel like my musical tastes have more or less moved in sync with Mariah's over time but I'll always have a special place in my heart for her early albums. I think Rainbow was the first album on which I actually found a Mariah song I didn't like - every album before that to me was all killer, no filler.
 
GimmeWork

GimmeWork

As I've said before I prefer the original Fantasy but any version of that song is a 10 for me including this track which has been a staple on my work out mix for yrs...

And if we're talking best Mariah remixes.. these are my favorites:

This My All mix puts me in the best trance of my life!

 
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