Underneath the Stars

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"Underneath the Stars"
"Underneath the Stars" cover
Single by Mariah Carey
from the album Daydream
Released 1996
Format Airplay only (U.S.)
Genre R&B
Length 3:33
Label Sony
Writer(s) Mariah Carey, Walter Afanasieff
Producer(s) Mariah Carey, Walter Afanasieff
Chart positions
Mariah Carey singles chronology
"Forever"
(1996)
"Underneath the Stars"
(1996)
"Honey"
(1997)

"Underneath the Stars" is a song written and produced by American singer Mariah Carey and Walter Afanasieff for Carey's sixth album, Daydream. The protagonist of this ballad recalls "drifting away" as she explored young love "underneath the stars", and Carey has been quoted as saying this was her favorite track on the album. The citation for this quote can be found on the bootleg concert album Out In Japan, circa 1996, where Mariah performs the single live because as she says, it is her favourite song from the album and lots of people in Japan have mentioned to her that it is their favourite too. It was released as the album's sixth and final single in 1996 (see 1996 in music).

Because Sony executives wanted to maintain Carey's record of hit singles and believed "Underneath the Stars" was not good enough to be a single, it was only given a promotional radio release in the U.S.[citation needed] It received sufficient airplay to appear on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay chart, peaking at number sixty-nine.

Although no video of the song has been released by Sony, former employees connected to Mottola have claimed that one exists but was shelved after Sony halted promotion of the single. Carey announced to her Daydream Tour audience in Rotterdam, Holland that her performance of the song that evening would be filmed for the music video. A remix (known as The Drifting Remix) was commissioned by The Trackmasters, and features Carey resinging her vocals over a darker and more urban beat.