Breakdown (song)

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"Breakdown"

Single by Mariah Carey featuring Bone Thugs-N-Harmony
from the album Butterfly
Released	1998
Format	CD single (Australia)
Genre	R&B/Hip hop
Length	4:43
Label	Sony
Writer(s)	Mariah Carey, Stevie J, Krayzie Bone, Wish Bone
Producer(s)	Mariah Carey, Stevie J, Puff Daddy
Chart positions
#38 (Australia)
Mariah Carey singles chronology
"Butterfly" (1997)	"Breakdown" (1998)	"The Roof (Back in Time)" (1998)
Bone Thugs-N-Harmony singles chronology
"Look into My Eyes" (1997)	"Breakdown" (1998)	"Ghetto Cowboy" (1999)

"Breakdown" is a song co-written by American singer Mariah Carey and Stevie J for Carey's seventh album Butterfly (1997). Co-produced by Carey, Stevie and Puff Daddy, it features raps by Bone Thugs-N-Harmony (with an emphasis on rapped parts from Krayzie Bone and Wish Bone). "Breakdown" was one of the first of Carey's album tracks to veer in a hip hop direction, and many were surprised when she contacted Bone Thugs-N-Harmony to record the song as she was considered more of a pop/adult contemporary singer at the time. Carey said at the time, "I told Bone Thugs n' Harmony I wanted to record something with them. Their reaction was something like, 'Okay...?' I think I shock people with the ideas I have, but I believe the result is okay."^[1] The protagonist of "Breakdown" puts up a brave front after separating from her lover, but breaks down and cries while home alone at night.

It was released as the album's third single in 1998 (see 1998 in music). Because of conflict between Carey and her record label at the time, Sony, it was only given a commercial release in Australia, where it performed modestly and remained in the top forty for three weeks. A remix of the song was promoted to U.S. radio stations, and it was later released in the U.S. as a double A-side with "My All", the album's fifth single. It appeared on Billboard's Hot 100 Airplay chart and reached the top twenty of the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay chart, but performed poorly on the Rhythmic Top 40 airplay chart.

The single's video was directed by Carey with the assistance of Diane Martel. It sees her take on the role of various "casino girl" roles, including the cabaret girl, showgirl, cowgirl and lucky charm, and members of Bone Thugs-N-Harmony make appearances in the video. A different edit of the song, titled "The Mo' Thugs" remix, features more raps from Bone Thugs-N-Harmony.

Carey mentioned in the liner notes of her hits compilation #1's (1998) that she intended the track to be included on a future "greatest hits" release. She suffered a physical and emotional breakdown in 2001, and consequently the song was not included on her compilation album Greatest Hits, released later that year. It featured on her remix collection The Remixes (2003). Carey commented in a 2006 interview with MTV Overdrive that "Breakdown", along with other songs from Butterfly, was one of her favorite of her songs.^[2]

[edit] Charts

Chart (1998)	Peak position
U.S. Billboard Hot 100 Airplay	53
U.S. Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks¹	4
U.S. Rhythmic Top 40	31
U.S. ARC Weekly Top 40	15
Australian ARIA Singles Chart	38