Izdavač: Ostalo
Žanr: Pop, R&B
Poreklo: Strani izvođač

Original, made in Austria

Knjizica od 8 str.

Omot 4+ Cd 4+

Daydream is the fifth studio album by American singer-songwriter Mariah Carey, released on October 3, 1995, by Columbia Records. The follow-up to her internationally successful studio album Music Box (1993), and the holiday album Merry Christmas (1994), Daydream differed from her previous efforts by leaning increasingly towards hip hop and urban music. Throughout the project, Carey collaborated with Walter Afanasieff, with whom she wrote and produced most of her previous albums. With Daydream, Carey took more control over the musical direction as well as the album`s composition. Carey considered the album to be the beginning of her musical and vocal transition, a change that became more evident in her sixth studio album Butterfly (1997). During the album`s production, Carey endured many creative differences with her label and then-husband Tommy Mottola. On Daydream, Carey collaborated with Jermaine Dupri, Kenneth `Babyface` Edmonds, and R&B group Boyz II Men. With Afanasieff`s assistance and the addition of a few contemporary producers, she was able to make a subtle transition into the contemporary R&B market and away from adult contemporary.

Daydream received critical acclaim, with reviewers praising the album`s production, its sonic quality, and Carey`s musical progression. It became Carey`s best reviewed album up to that point and garnered six nominations at the 38th Grammy Awards, including for Album of the Year. Daydream became a global success, topping the charts in nine countries, and reaching the top five in almost every major music market. It was Carey`s second album to be certified Diamond by the RIAA. As of 2019, Daydream has sold over 20 million copies worldwide[3] and is one of the best-selling albums of all time.

Six singles were released from the album. Its lead single `Fantasy` became the first single by a female artist to debut at number one on the US Billboard Hot 100 and went on to top the chart for eight weeks, and became the second best-selling single of 1995 in the country. The second single `One Sweet Day` topped the Billboard Hot 100 for sixteen weeks and became the longest-running number-one single in Billboard`s history, holding the record for 23 years. Jointly, the singles from Daydream spent a combined six months at the top of the Hot 100. To promote the album, Carey embarked on the short but successful, Daydream World Tour, visiting Japan and Europe.
Background
Aside from being Carey`s second best-selling record worldwide, Daydream served as her most personal and directly influenced album at the time.[4] During the album`s recording, Carey grew as an artist, as well as a writer. For the first time in her career, Carey was able to make music that she truly related to, R&B and hip hop.[4] While Columbia allowed Carey more leniency with the music she recorded, they became hesitant when she featured Ol` Dirty Bastard in the remix for `Fantasy`.[5] They feared the sudden change was completely left field for her music, and worried it would jeopardize the album`s success.[5] In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, Carey openly spoke of her issues with Columbia: `Everybody was like `What, are you crazy?` They`re nervous about breaking the formula. It works to have me sing a ballad on stage in a long dress with my hair up.`[5]

While Carey`s new musical direction caused tension between her and Columbia, it began to severely strain her relationship with her husband at the time, Tommy Mottola.[6] Mottola had always been involved in Carey`s career, because he was the head of Sony Music, the parent company of her label. Since the time of Carey`s debut, Mottola had controlled nearly every aspect of her career, keeping her sound carefully regulated and insisting that she continue recording middle-of-the-road pop music, despite her interest in hip hop.[6]

What I tried to do is to put it, sort of, a texture on a lot of songs, like as a background part I did certain things, and you know I just meant to get a little more creative with it.

—Carey, in an interview with MTV, on her styling on Daydream[7]
Carey confessed that she never tried to change the situation because `[she] used to be insecure and cautious, and so [she] would listen to what the people said.`[4] However, the control Mottola exerted over her career soon `spilled into her personal life` once they were married, increasing the amount of conflict between the two.[6] Soon, it was obvious that their marriage was in shambles; as stated in a Vanity Fair article, `the couple began to argue at the drop of a hat.`[5] Carey was very involved in the project, more so than she had ever been on an album.[4] `I went into this phase of recording, recording, recording and doing it really fast,` she told Time. `This time, I had more time, and I focused more on what I wanted to do.`[8] As Carey`s career and work continued to reflect her views on how it should sound, her marriage to Mottola continued to `deteriorate`.[6]

Conception and composition
I had the melody idea for `Fantasy` and then I was listening to the radio and I heard `Genius of love,` and I hadn`t heard it in a long time. It reminded me of growing up and listening to the radio and the feeling the song gave me seemed to go along with the melody and the basic idea I had for `Fantasy`. I initially told Dave Hall about the idea and we did it.

—Carey, on her idea and inspiration for `Fantasy`, in an interview with Fred Bronson.[9]
One of the first songs that was recorded for the album was `Fantasy`. While Carey began developing new ideas for Daydream, she thought of the song `Genius of Love` by Tom Tom Club.[9] She had always been a fan of the song, and presented Dave Hall with the idea of sampling the song`s hook.[9] Hall incorporated a groove that he felt complimented Carey`s voice, while she composed some of the other beats and wrote the lyrics. Carey recorded a remix to the song as well, featuring hip-hop verses from O.D.B of the Wu-Tang Clan, as well as production from Puffy.[9] She spoke highly of the remix, complimenting Puffy and O.D.B, `He`s so known in the street, and he`s one of the best people out there...we kind of did what we both do and having O.D.B took it to another level. He was my ultimate choice, so I was really happy with the way it turned out.`[9] `One Sweet Day` was a song that Carey wrote with the R&B group Boyz II Men. After Carey`s friend and past collaborator David Cole died, she began writing and developing a song that would pay homage to him and all the friends and family her fans had lost along life`s journey.[10] Carey had the chorus and concept composed, and after meeting with Boyz II Men, they realized they too had a similar idea in development.[10] Together, using Carey`s chorus and idea, as well as the melody they had produced, they wrote and composed the song. It was produced by Afanasieff, who built on the song`s melody and added various grooves and beats.[10]

While the album`s development was underway, Carey expressed interest in working with Jermaine Dupri, whom she had been a fan of since his 1992 song, `Jump`.[11] Soon after, Carey, Dupri, and Manuel Seal began composing a song for the album, with Carey and Dupri becoming close friends and frequent collaborators on later albums. As Seal played the piano, Carey began humming and playing with certain notes in the B-section, until she came up with the chorus for `Always Be My Baby`.[11] After the rest of the song was written and composed, Carey recorded the song alongside longtime background singers Kelly Price, Shanrae Price, and Melonie Daniels. Together, they built `a wall of background voices` in which she would cover with her final belting notes.[11] The song featured a downbeat rhythm, while its composition was described as `sassy and soft R&B` which displayed a `sexy and slow jam`.[12] `Underneath the Stars` was the first song recorded for Daydream.[7] The song featured a "70s soul vibe` as well as synthetic record scratches, in order to the give the song an authentic `70s sound.[7] Carey felt the additions were simple steps taken to further display a contemporary R&B groove. Additionally, she felt the song paid homage to the style of Minnie Riperton, who was one of Carey`s biggest vocal influences growing up.[7] The song had a soft sound, and had `a lot [sic] of texture` and bass, showing a more creative side to Carey.[7]

[Underneath the Stars] has a real `70s vibe, we even put those scratches you hear on old records to give it that kind of flavor. [It] was a good place to start, because it got me into the head of making an album that was more R&B-more in the vibe of the Minnie Ripperton era, which has always been an inspiration to me.

—Carey, talking about the writing and inspiration behind `Underneath the Stars`.[7]
For the album, Carey covered the 1982 Journey song `Open Arms`. The song was of Carey`s personal choice, as well as her own idea.[7] Together with Afanasieff, they toned down the song`s arrangement, making it a bit glossy, especially in comparison to the `raw and powerful `One Sweet Day."[7] Additionally, with the help of her background singers, Carey added a touch of gospel to the song.[7] One of the more gospel-influenced songs on the album was `I Am Free`.[12] The song was created by Carey, Afanasieff and Loris Holland, with whom she had worked previously on Merry Christmas.[12] Carey began humming the melody with the lyrics she had already written, while Holland played the organ and Afanasieff worked on the song`s programming.,[12] giving the song a genuine and unforced gospel feel. The chorus was sophisticated and natural, with each following line `cascading onto one another`, something that would have proved difficult for a `less skilled vocalist`.[12] Carey started leaning away from the `standard Celine Dion ballad` and more towards R&B jams. However, she was not going to completely abandon the type of songs that made her famous.[12] For this reason, Carey wrote `When I Saw You` with Afanasieff, a song that would truly embody some of her earlier work, as well as show off her powerful vocals.[12] Returning to her R&B territory, Carey recorded `Long Ago`, the second song she wrote alongside Dupri and Seal which contains a strong hip hop background. Her vocals in the song were described as `sliding over the insistent bassline like silk.`[12]

`Melt Away` was a song Carey produced on her own, and co-wrote with Babyface.[13] The song`s writing and production were `superb`. with each verse gliding into its chorus.[13] According to Chris Nickson, `Underneath the Stars` was as `strong as any slow jam released in the nineties, and one that would find a lot of flavor late at night with dancers.`[13] Another song that brought back reminders of older decades was `Forever`. The throwback was featured through the chord changes and in the way the guitar arpeggios `stayed at the forefront of the music.`[13] The song displayed subtle vocals from Carey, as well as an undeniable richness.[13] `Daydream Interlude (Sweet Fantasy Dub Mix)` was one of the liveliest tracks on the album. The song was a club remix of `Fantasy`, which was tuned and remixed by famed house music producer David Morales.[13] The song was directed to be a dance-club song, further broadening Carey`s `musical horizon`.[13] The song incorporated Carey`s vocals, and added them to a thumping house beat, something he would do for many of her future singles.[13] `Looking In` was the final song on the album. Written in 15 minutes,[14] it was Carey`s most personal song at the time, one in which she let herself appear `naked` and `stripped down; it was written by her and Afanasieff.[15][16]

Personnel
Adapted from the Daydream liner notes.[68]

Mariah Carey – vocals, producer, writer, arranger, crowd noise
Walter Afanasieff – producer, arranger, programming, synthesizer, bass, keyboard instruments, drum programming
Babyface – keyboards, background vocals
Michael McCary – writing, vocals
Nathan Morris – writing, vocals
Wanya Morris – writing, vocals
Shawn Stockman – writing, vocals
Manuel Seal – piano, writing
Tristan Avakian – guitar
Melonie Daniels – crowd noise
Jermaine Dupri – producer, arranger, lead and backup vocals
Mick Guzauski – mixing
Dave Hall – producer, arranger, programming
Jay Healy – engineer, mixing
Loris Holland – organ, hammond organ
Dann Huff – guitar
Kurt Lundvall – engineer
David Morales – bass, arranger, keyboards, programming, producer
Kelly Price – crowd noise
Shanrae Price – crowd noise
Production

Mike Scott – engineer
Manuel Seal – producer, lead and backup vocals
Dan Shea – synthesizer, bass, keyboards, programming, moog synthesizer, drum programming, synthesizer bass
Andy Smith – engineer
David Sussman – engineer, mixing
Phil Tan – engineer
Steve Thornton – percussion
Dana Jon Chappelle – engineer
Terry Burrus – piano
Satoshi Tomiie – bass, keyboards, programming, synthesizer bass
Brian Vibberts – engineer
Gary Cirimelli – programming, digital programming
Randy Walker – programming
Acar Key – engineer
Frank Filipetti – engineer
Mark Krieg – 2nd engineer
Kirk Yano – additional tracking engineer
Mick Guzauski – mixing