Someday (Mariah Carey song)

"Someday"
A full length image of a woman looking over her shoulder
Single by Mariah Carey
from the album Mariah Carey
A-side "Someday"
B-side "Alone in Love"
Released November 15, 1990 (1990-11-15)
Format
Studio The Power Station
Genre Dance-pop
Length 4:06
Label Columbia
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s) Ric Wake
Mariah Carey singles chronology
"Love Takes Time"
(1990)		 "Someday"
(1990)		 "I Don't Wanna Cry"
(1991)

"Love Takes Time"
(1990)		 "Someday"
(1990)		 "I Don't Wanna Cry"
(1991)

"Someday" is a song by American singer and songwriter Mariah Carey from her self-titled debut studio album (1990). It is a dance-pop song with new jack swing influences. Prior to Carey signing a record contract, she and producer Ben Margulies had written and produced a four-track demo which included "Someday". After signing a contract with Columbia Records, Carey began work on her debut album and she reached out to Ric Wake to ask if he would produce the song, to which he agreed. The composition of the demo recording was changed during the recording process, most notably replacing the horns with a guitar, which Carey disapproved of.

"Someday" was released as the album's third single on November 15, 1990, in the United Kingdom and was released the following month in the United States with multiple remixes. The song was a critical and commercial success, being described as an album highlight and becoming Carey's third consecutive number-one single on the US Billboard Hot 100. "Someday" was subsequently included on many of Carey's compilation albums and greatest hits releases, including MTV Unplugged (1992), #1's (1998), Greatest Hits (2001), The Essential Mariah Carey (2011) and #1 To Infinity (2015).

Background

In 1988, an 18-year-old Mariah Carey moved out from her mother's house in Long Island and into an apartment in Manhattan. She had composed a four-track demo tape with her writing partner Ben Margulies while she was attending high school.[1] As 1988 progressed, Carey struggled to impress record executives with the tape and had failed in securing a record deal. She worked several jobs, including as a waitress and coat-checker, in order to pay for studio sessions with Margulies to make changes to the demo.[2] After several months, Carey befriended singer Brenda K. Starr, and soon became one of her back-up vocalists.[2] During recording sessions and rehearsals, Starr began to notice "glimpses" of Carey's "gifted" vocals. She thought that Carey was capable of achieving mainstream success and that she needed some guidance to break into the industry.[3]

One evening, Starr took Carey to a record industry gala with hope of convincing a record executive to listen to Carey's demo. Jerry L. Greenberg, the president of Atlantic Records, was interested in Carey; as she handed him the tape, Columbia Records executive Tommy Mottola grabbed it from him, and said that he would tend to "the project". Mottola left the event later that evening, and got into his limousine and listened to the tape. He quickly realized that he had found a talented vocalist, turned the car around and returned to the party to find Carey, but she had already left. After a week of tracking her down through Starr's management, Mottola got in touch with Carey and invited her to go to Columbia Records. After meeting with Carey and her mother Patricia for the first time, Mottola said, "When I heard and saw Mariah, there was absolutely no doubt that she was in every way destined for super-stardom." After a few brief meetings, Carey was signed to Columbia in December 1988.[4]

Recording

Prior to Carey signing her record deal with Columbia, she and Margulies had written and produced fourteen songs over a three-year period, seven of which made the final track listing of her self-titled debut studio album (1990), including "Someday".[1][5] "Someday" was one of the four songs which were on the demo tape handed to Mottola prior to her signing the contract. Carey explained the process behind the song's conception, saying that Margulies would play different notes on an electric keyboard with Carey directing him on chord changes, and provided the lyrics, chorus and melody. Producer Ric Wake later recalled that "Someday" was his favorite song from the beginning of recording sessions for the album, saying "I loved that song right from the beginning...Then Mariah called me one day and said 'I'd love to do it if you want to do it.' It was great, I'm glad she called me."[6]

"Someday" was recorded and mixed by Bob Cadway at The Power Station in New York City. In addition to be written by Carey and Margulies, they also arranged the song with Chris Toland. In addition to producing the track, Wake also carried out additional arrangement with Rich Tancredi. The drum programming was performed by Wake and Joe Franco, while Cadway played the guitars and Tancredi the keyboards. Carey performed all of her own background vocals.[7] Carey later revealed that "Someday" was one of her favorite songs on the demo and that she would "listen to it over and over again on the subway after the studio sessions".[8] However, Carey later expressed her disapproval of some of the new elements added during the production of Mariah Carey, such as the replacement of the horns on the demo in favor of an electric guitar.[9]

Release and remixes

"Someday" was released as the third single Mariah Carey as a CD single in the United Kingdom on November 15, 1990,[10] and as a maxi single in the United States on December 13, 1990.[11][12] Included on the maxi single are the 'New 7" Jackswing,' the 'New 7" Straight,' the 'New 12" Jackswing' and the 'Pianopercapella – New' mix, all of which were produced by Shep Pettibone, while "Alone in Love" was included as the B-side.[12] "Alone in Love" was also written by Carey and Margulies, and produced by Rhett Lawrence.[7] "Someday" has been included on many of Carey's compilation albums and greatest hits releases, including #1's (1998),[13] Greatest Hits (2001),[14] The Essential Mariah Carey (2011),[15] and #1 to Infinity (2015).[8]

MTV Unplugged version

Despite having released two highly successful albums, Mariah Carey and Emotions (1991), the singer had yet to embark on world tour because of stage-fright and the possible negative effects of singing vocally strenuous songs every night. Many critics were unconvinced with her reasoning, and accused her of manipulating her vocals in the studio. In response, Carey appeared on MTV Unplugged to perform a small selection of her songs live in 1992.[16] For her rendition of "Someday", she altered the arrangement and stripped it back to give it a rawer sound. This version was produced by Carey and Afanasieff and recorded live at the Kaufman Astoria Studios in New York City on March 16, 1992.[8] In the liner notes of #1 to Infinity, Carey expressed her dislike toward the original studio version on Mariah Carey and stated that she wished she could "delete some of the overproduction," which is why she decided to include the MTV Unplugged version on the compilation instead.[8] In addition to MTV Unplugged, the song was included on the set-list of Carey's Las Vegas residency show, Number 1 to Infinity (2015–17).[17]

Composition and critical reception

The fourth song on the track list of Mariah Carey, "Someday" is the album's first up-tempo track.[18][19] It is a dance-pop song with new jack swing influences, which lasts for a duration of four minutes, six seconds.[18][19] Lyrically, it is about how Carey is "gleefully" waiting for bad karma to come to her ex-boyfriend who "dumped" her, which can be heard in the lyrics "Cause I know you'll soon discover / you're needing me in spite of all the others."[19] AllMusic writer Ashley S. Battel said it is "energetic".[20] To mark twenty-five years since the release of Mariah Carey in June 1990, Billboard writer Trevor Anderson wrote a track-by-track review of the album in June 2015. He noted that, being the fourth track on the track listing, it is the album's first up-tempo song and that is "beats new life" into it as a result. However, he felt that some of the rhythmic arrangements and the electric guitar solo during the bridge prevented "Someday" from sounding timeless.[19]

Chart performance

In the United States, "Someday" became Carey's third consecutive number-one single on the Billboard Hot 100 following "Vision of Love" and "Love Takes Time".[19][21][22] "Someday" became her first song to top the Dance Club Songs chart on March 16, 1991,[23] and her second chart topper on the Radio Songs chart.[24] The track peaked at number three on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart and number five on the Adult Contemporary chart.[25][26] After three months of release, the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) certified the song gold, denoting shipments of more than 500,000 copies.[27] In 2015, Billboard writer Gary Trust compiled a list of Carey's twenty-five best performing songs based on their weekly performance; "Someday" ranks as the singer's eighth best performing track of her career on the Hot 100.[22] In Canada, "Someday" reached at number five on the main chart,[28] but peaked at number one on both the Top Singles and Adult Contemporary charts.[29][30] It also reached a peak of number four on the Dance chart.[31] Outside of North America, "Someday" reached the top fifteen in New Zealand,[32] the top forty in France and the United Kingdom,[33][34] and the top fifty in Australian and Belgium.[35][36]

Music video

The accompanying music video begins with Carey, revisiting her youth, wandering a high school corridor and standing inside a classroom of schoolchildren playing various musical instruments with inter-cutting clips of men playing on drums. Clips of a schoolgirl playing Carey are also shown, with Carey shadowing her movements, and her efforts to catch a schoolboy's attention who in turn persistently ignores her, choosing to mess about in the classroom and corridors with his friends instead. Towards the end of the video, groups of schoolchildren are shown dancing in the corridor as the boy she liked, now an adult, is following Carey around the school and trying to flirt with her, but Carey brushes him off. The official music video has achieved 3.3 million views on YouTube as of June 2017.

Formats and track listings

Credits and personnel

Credits adapted from the liner notes of Mariah Carey.[7] "Someday" remixes and alternate versions co-produced by Shep Pettibone with Ric Wake.[12]

Charts

Certifications

Region Certification Certified units/Sales
United States (RIAA)[53] Gold 500,000^

^shipments figures based on certification alone

See also

References

  1. 1 2 Nickson, Chris (November 25, 1998). Mariah Carey Revisited: An Unauthorised Biography. St. Martin's Press. p. 20. ISBN 0312195125.
  2. 1 2 Nickson, Chris (November 25, 1998). Mariah Carey Revisited: An Unauthorised Biography. St. Martin's Press. p. 22. ISBN 0312195125.
  3. ↑ Nickson, Chris (November 25, 1998). Mariah Carey Revisited: An Unauthorised Biography. St. Martin's Press. p. 23. ISBN 0312195125.
  4. ↑ Nickson, Chris (November 25, 1998). Mariah Carey Revisited: An Unauthorised Biography. St. Martin's Press. pp. 25–26. ISBN 0312195125.
  5. ↑ "The Pop-Gospel According To Mariah Carey". The New York Times. September 15, 1991. Archived from the original on April 27, 2017. Retrieved October 28, 2015.
  6. ↑ Nickson, Chris (November 25, 1998). Mariah Carey Revisited: An Unauthorised Biography. St. Martin's Press. p. 31. ISBN 0312195125.
  7. 1 2 3 Mariah Carey. Columbia Records (Liner notes). Mariah Carey. June 12, 1990. p. 0.
  8. 1 2 3 4 Number 1 to Infinity. Epic Records (Inlay cover). Mariah Carey. May 15, 2015. p. 23.
  9. ↑ Benjamin, Jeff (May 20, 2015). "18 things you didn't know about Mariah Carey's 18 number one singles". Fuse. Retrieved October 29, 2015.
  10. ↑ "Someday by Mariah Carey". Amazon.com. November 15, 1990. Archived from the original on April 27, 2017. Retrieved April 27, 2017.
  11. ↑ "Someday by Mariah Carey". Amazon.com. December 13, 1990. Archived from the original on April 27, 2017. Retrieved October 29, 2015.
  12. 1 2 3 4 "Mariah Carey – Someday". Discogs. November 15, 1990. Archived from the original on April 27, 2017. Retrieved April 27, 2017.
  13. ↑ #1's. Columbia Records (Liner notes). Mariah Carey. 1998. B00128K5LS.
  14. ↑ Greatest Hits. Columbia Records (Liner notes). Mariah Carey. 2001.
  15. ↑ The Essential Mariah Carey. Columbia Records (Liner notes). Mariah Carey. 2011.
  16. ↑ Bee, Kat (June 12, 2012). "Mariah Carey’s ‘MTV Unplugged’ Turns 20: Backtracking". Idolator. Retrieved October 29, 2015.
  17. ↑ Kennedy, Gerrick D. (May 7, 2015). "Mariah Carey in Vegas: 5 things we learned from her residency debut". LA Times. Retrieved April 27, 2017.
  18. 1 2 3 "Mariah Carey". iTunes Store. June 12, 1990. Retrieved October 24, 2015.
  19. 1 2 3 4 5 Anderson, Trevor (June 12, 2015). "Mariah Carey's Self-Titled Debut at 25: Classic Track-by-Track Review". Billboard. Retrieved October 23, 2015.
  20. ↑ Battel, Ashley S. "Mariah Carey". AllMusic. Retrieved October 29, 2015.
  21. ↑ "Mariah Carey Performs on Jimmy Kimmel". Rap-Up. May 19, 2015. Retrieved December 1, 2015.
  22. 1 2 Trust, Gary (June 26, 2014). "Mariah Carey's 25 Biggest Billboard Hits". Billboard. Retrieved October 29, 2015.
  23. ↑ Trust, Gary (October 12, 2012). "Mariah Carey Scores Sweet 16th No. 1 On Dance/Club Play Songs". Billboard. Retrieved January 24, 2015.
  24. ↑ "Radio Chart History". Billboard. Retrieved December 1, 2015.
  25. ↑ "Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs Chart History". Billboard. Retrieved December 1, 2015.
  26. ↑ "Adult Contemporary Chart History". Billboard. Retrieved December 1, 2015.
  27. ↑ "Gold and Platinum Searchable Database". Recording Industry Association of America. February 12, 1991. Retrieved December 1, 2015.
  28. 1 2 "Hits of the World" (PDF). The Record. March 13, 1991. p. 62. Retrieved December 1, 2015.
  29. 1 2 "Top RPM Singles: Issue 1468." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved May 20, 2015.
  30. 1 2 "Top RPM Adult Contemporary: Issue 1487." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved May 31, 2015.
  31. 1 2 "RPM 10 Dance". RPM. March 16, 1991. Retrieved May 31, 2015.
  32. 1 2 "Charts.org.nz – Mariah Carey – Someday". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved May 20, 2015.
  33. 1 2 "Lescharts.com – Mariah Carey – Someday" (in French). Les classement single. Retrieved May 20, 2015.
  34. 1 2 "Mariah Carey: Artist Chart History" Official Charts Company. Retrieved May 20, 2015.
  35. 1 2 "Australian-charts.com – Mariah Carey – Someday". ARIA Top 50 Singles. Retrieved May 20, 2015.
  36. 1 2 "Ultratop.be – Mariah Carey – Someday" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved May 20, 2015.
  37. ↑ "MTV Unplugged: Mariah Carey (Live)". iTunes Store. April 27, 1992. Retrieved April 27, 2017.
  38. ↑ "Mariah Carey – Someday 7"". Discogs. 1990. Archived from the original on April 27, 2017. Retrieved April 27, 2017.
  39. ↑ "Mariah Carey – Someday 12"". Discogs. 1990. Archived from the original on April 27, 2017. Retrieved April 27, 2017.
  40. ↑ "Hits of the World" (PDF). Billboard. Retrieved May 31, 2015.
  41. ↑ マライア・キャリーのアルバム売り上げランキング (in Japanese). Oricon. Archived from the original on November 8, 2013. Retrieved May 20, 2015.
  42. ↑ "Nederlandse Top 40 – week 6, 1991" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40 Retrieved May 20, 2015.
  43. ↑ "Dutchcharts.nl – Mariah Carey – Someday" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved May 20, 2015.
  44. ↑ "Mariah Carey – Chart history" Billboard Hot 100 for Mariah Carey. Retrieved May 20, 2015.
  45. ↑ "Mariah Carey – Chart history" Billboard Adult Contemporary for Mariah Carey. Retrieved May 20, 2015.
  46. ↑ "Mariah Carey – Chart history" Billboard Hot Dance Club Songs for Mariah Carey. Retrieved May 20, 2015.
  47. ↑ "Mariah Carey – Chart history" Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs for Mariah Carey. Retrieved May 20, 2015.
  48. ↑ "RPM 100 Hit Tracks of 1991". RPM. December 21, 1991. Retrieved May 20, 2015.
  49. ↑ "RPM 100 Adult Contemporary Tracks of 1991". RPM. December 21, 1991. Retrieved May 20, 2015.
  50. ↑ "RPM Dance Tracks of 1991". RPM. December 21, 1991. Retrieved May 31, 2015.
  51. ↑ "Jaarlijsten 1991" (in Dutch). Stichting Nederlandse Top 40. Retrieved May 20, 2015.
  52. 1 2 3 4 "The Year in Music: 1991" (PDF). Billboard. December 21, 1991. Retrieved May 20, 2015.
  53. ↑ "American single certifications – Mariah Carey – Someday". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved December 1, 2015. If necessary, click Advanced, then click Format, then select Single, then click SEARCH
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