Breakdown (Mariah Carey song): Difference between revisions
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{{short description|1998 single by Mariah Carey}} |
{{short description|1998 single by Mariah Carey}} |
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{{Use mdy dates|date=December 2017}} |
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{{Infobox song |
{{Infobox song |
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| name = Breakdown |
| name = Breakdown |
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| alt = "Breakdown" CD cover showing Mariah Carey in a feather headdress standing in front of a picture of Bone Thugs-n-Harmony on a wall |
| alt = "Breakdown" CD cover showing Mariah Carey in a feather headdress standing in front of a picture of Bone Thugs-n-Harmony on a wall |
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| type = single |
| type = single |
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| artist = [[Mariah Carey]] |
| artist = [[Mariah Carey]] featuring {{nowrap|[[Bone Thugs-n-Harmony]]}} |
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| album = [[Butterfly (Mariah Carey album)|Butterfly]] |
| album = [[Butterfly (Mariah Carey album)|Butterfly]] |
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| A-side = [[My All]] |
| A-side = [[My All]] |
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}} |
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"'''Breakdown'''" is a song recorded by American singer [[Mariah Carey]] for her sixth |
"'''Breakdown'''" is a song recorded by American singer [[Mariah Carey]] for her sixth studio album, ''[[Butterfly (Mariah Carey album)|Butterfly]]'' (1997). In the lyrics, she describes the aftermath of a partner ending their love for the other and the trouble of hiding the pain it caused. The track features rapping by [[Krayzie Bone]] and Wish Bone, members of the group [[Bone Thugs-n-Harmony]]. Before they wrote and performed their raps, Carey composed the music with [[Stevie J]] and penned her lyrics. The latter pair produced "Breakdown" with [[Sean "Puffy" Combs]]. An [[contemporary R&B|R&B]], [[hip hop]], and [[hip hop soul]] song, "Breakdown" features keyboards, synthesized drums, and background vocals prominently. [[Columbia Records]] released it to American [[rhythmic contemporary radio]] stations in January{{nbsp}}1998 as the third single from ''Butterfly''. |
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Critics judged "Breakdown" in relation to Carey's previous work and considered the collaboration with Bone-Thugs-n-Harmony successful. Some perceived it to be about the recent separation from her husband [[Tommy Mottola]], which she denied. Carey publicly criticized Columbia for a perceived longstanding anti-R&B bias against her music after it did not |
Critics judged "Breakdown" in relation to Carey's previous work and considered the collaboration with Bone-Thugs-n-Harmony successful. Some perceived it to be about the recent separation from her husband [[Tommy Mottola]], which she denied. Carey publicly criticized Columbia for a perceived longstanding anti-R&B bias against her music after it did not release the song to retail outlets in the United States. "Breakdown" was thus initially ineligible to appear on the [[Billboard Hot 100|''Billboard'' Hot 100]] chart. It was later issued as a [[double A-side]] with "[[My All]]" and reached number four on [[Hot R&B Singles]]. "Breakdown" experienced consistent airplay on American [[urban contemporary radio]] stations and it became Carey's longest-running title on [[Hot R&B Airplay]] until 2005. Elsewhere, "Breakdown" peaked at number four in New Zealand and number thirty-eight in Australia. |
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Carey directed the |
Carey directed the music video with previous collaborator [[Diane Martel]]. It presents her in various roles at a casino such as a showgirl and cabaret performer; the latter received comparisons to [[Liza Minnelli]]. "Breakdown" received heavy rotation on the television channels [[BET]] and [[MTV]] and was issued as a video single. Clips accompanied Carey's live performances of the song during the 1998 [[Butterfly World Tour]]. Retrospectively, "Breakdown" is regarded as a turning point in Carey's musical direction toward hip hop and as one of the best songs of her career. |
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== Background == |
== Background == |
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In the early 1990s, American singer [[Mariah Carey]] was known for [[middle of the road (music)|middle of the road]] music. Stronger [[contemporary R&B]] influences became apparent |
In the early 1990s, American singer [[Mariah Carey]] was known for [[middle of the road (music)|middle of the road]] music.{{efn|According to Norman Abjorensen, "middle of the road" is a [[radio format]] focusing on songs that are "generally strongly melodic and often features vocal harmony technique and light orchestral arrangements".<ref>{{harvnb|Abjorensen|2017|p=337}}</ref>}} Stronger [[contemporary R&B]] influences became apparent in her music with "[[Dreamlover (song)|Dreamlover]]", a song from her 1993 album ''[[Music Box (Mariah Carey album)|Music Box]]''.<ref>{{harvnb|Nickson|1998|p=3}}</ref> Carey's fifth album, ''[[Daydream (Mariah Carey album)|Daydream]]'' (1995), contained elements of [[hip hop]].<ref>{{harvnb|Shapiro|2001|p=92}}</ref> After receiving the best critical reviews of her career up to that point<ref>{{harvnb|Nickson|1998|p=146}}</ref> and separating from her husband [[Tommy Mottola]],{{efn|Their separation occurred in late 1996,<ref>{{harvnb|Shapiro|2001|p=98}}</ref> and was disclosed publicly on May 30, 1997.<ref>{{cite news|last=Reilly|first=Patrick M.|url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB865203574355965500|url-access=limited|title=Sony Official, Mariah Carey Disclose Plans to Separate|newspaper=[[The Wall Street Journal]]|date=June 2, 1997|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221113125400/https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB865203574355965500|archive-date=November 13, 2022}}</ref>}} the head of her record label [[Columbia Records|Columbia]],<ref>{{harvnb|Nickson|1998|pp=24, 26}}</ref> Carey felt confident to incorporate hip hop overtly in her follow-up album ''[[Butterfly (Mariah Carey album)|Butterfly]]'' (1997).<ref>{{harvnb|Shapiro|2001|p=109}}</ref> |
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Experiencing creative freedom,<ref>{{cite web|last=Frank|first=Alex|date=November 28, 2018|title=Forever Mariah: An Interview with an Icon|magazine=[[Pitchfork (website)|Pitchfork]]|url=https://pitchfork.com/features/interview/forever-mariah-an-interview-with-an-icon/|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231107043251/https://pitchfork.com/features/interview/forever-mariah-an-interview-with-an-icon/|archive-date=November 7, 2023}}</ref> Carey recorded ''Butterfly'' from January to August{{nbsp}}1997.<ref>{{harvnb|Nickson|1998|p=164}}</ref> During this time, she became enamored with |
Experiencing creative freedom,<ref>{{cite web|last=Frank|first=Alex|date=November 28, 2018|title=Forever Mariah: An Interview with an Icon|magazine=[[Pitchfork (website)|Pitchfork]]|url=https://pitchfork.com/features/interview/forever-mariah-an-interview-with-an-icon/|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231107043251/https://pitchfork.com/features/interview/forever-mariah-an-interview-with-an-icon/|archive-date=November 7, 2023}}</ref> Carey recorded ''Butterfly'' from January to August{{nbsp}}1997.<ref>{{harvnb|Nickson|1998|p=164}}</ref> During this time, she became enamored with "[[Notorious Thugs]]" by [[The Notorious B.I.G.]] and [[Bone Thugs-n-Harmony]],<ref>{{harvnb|Chan|2023|p=78}}</ref> a song produced by [[Stevie J]] and [[Sean "Puffy" Combs]].<ref>{{cite AV media notes|title=[[Life After Death]]|year=1997|type=CD [[liner notes]]|publisher=Puff Daddy Records. [[Arista Records]]|id=78612 73011 2}}</ref> Carey expressed interest in collaborating with Bone Thugs-n-Harmony to Stevie J, and they began studying [[Bone Thugs-n-Harmony discography|the rap group's discography]].<ref name="Littles"/> He and Combs had already worked with Carey on another ''Butterfly'' track, "[[Honey (Mariah Carey song)|Honey]]".<ref name="Littles"/><ref>{{harvnb|Nickson|1998|p=163}}</ref> In 1995, Combs had produced the hip hop remix of Carey's song "[[Fantasy (Mariah Carey song)|Fantasy]]" featuring [[Wu-Tang Clan]] rapper [[Ol' Dirty Bastard]].<ref>{{harvnb|Bronson|1997|p=841}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last=Johnson|first=Kevin C.|url=https://www.stltoday.com/news/local/6-highs-and-6-lows-of-mariah-careys-roller-coaster-career/collection_a6f4a4f6-f9ae-5dfb-a546-7d54147b3453.html|url-access=subscription|title=6 Highs and 6 Lows on Mariah Carey's Roller-Coaster Career|newspaper=[[St. Louis Post-Dispatch]]|date=March 15, 2019|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231230001400/https://www.stltoday.com/news/local/6-highs-and-6-lows-of-mariah-careys-roller-coaster-career/collection_a6f4a4f6-f9ae-5dfb-a546-7d54147b3453.html#11|archive-date=December 30, 2023}}</ref> |
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== Composition == |
== Composition == |
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| format = [[Ogg]] |
| format = [[Ogg]] |
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Situated among |
Situated among ballads (e.g. "[[Butterfly (Mariah Carey song)|Butterfly]]") and uptempo songs ("Honey"), "Breakdown" occupies a musical middle ground on ''Butterfly''.<ref name="Nickson167">{{harvnb|Nickson|1998|p=167}}</ref> It is an [[Contemporary R&B|R&B]],<ref name="Nickson167"/> [[hip hop]],<ref name="Goldstein">{{cite news|last=Goldstein|first=Sjarif|url=https://www.staradvertiser.com/2016/11/16/tgif/pop-queen-mariah-carey-set-to-play-3-shows-in-honolulu/|url-access=subscription|title=Pop Queen Mariah Carey Set to Play 3 Shows in Honolulu|newspaper=[[Honolulu Star-Advertiser]]|date=November 16, 2016|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210420174958/https://www.staradvertiser.com/2016/11/16/tgif/pop-queen-mariah-carey-set-to-play-3-shows-in-honolulu/|archive-date=April 20, 2021}}</ref> and [[hip hop soul]] song<ref name="O'Brien">{{cite magazine|last=O'Brien|first=Jon|url=https://www.billboard.com/lists/mariah-carey-butterfly-album-songs-ranked/breakdown|title=Mariah Carey's ''Butterfly'' at 25: All the Tracks Ranked|date=September 16, 2022|magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221121103423/https://www.billboard.com/lists/mariah-carey-butterfly-album-songs-ranked/breakdown|archive-date=November 21, 2022}}</ref> driven by a slow groove.<ref name="sheet">{{harvnb|Hal Leonard|1997|p=37}}</ref> The album version lasts four minutes and forty-four seconds<ref>{{cite web|url=http://thestore.sonymusic.com/thestore/selection.asp?SELECTION_ID=067835|title=Mariah Carey: ''Butterfly''|publisher=[[Sony Music|Sony Music Store]]|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20020905001210/http://thestore.sonymusic.com/thestore/selection.asp?SELECTION_ID=067835|archive-date=September 5, 2002}}</ref> and the single is four minutes and fifteen seconds long.<ref name="Flick"/> Carey wrote her lyrics after the composing with Stevie J, who played keyboards and programmed additional keyboard and drum sounds electronically.<ref name="Littles"/><ref name="Notes"/> She recorded her vocals before Bone-Thugs-n-Harmony members [[Krayzie Bone]] and Wish Bone did:<ref name="Littles">{{cite magazine|last=Littles|first=Jessica|date=October 26, 2020|title=20 Years Later: The Secret History of Mariah Carey's ''Butterfly'' Album|magazine=[[Essence (magazine)|Essence]]|url=https://www.essence.com/entertainment/mariah-carey-butterfly-album-history/|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221121193918/https://www.essence.com/entertainment/mariah-carey-butterfly-album-history/|archive-date=November 21, 2022}}</ref> "I wanted to do a song in their style, so that when they came into the studio to hear it, they would know immediately that I had been totally influenced by them."<ref name="Morse"/> After Bone-Thugs-n-Harmony's manager informed them that Carey was interested in collaborating, the group was reluctant as they did not comprehend her level of fame.<ref>{{cite news|title=50 Rappers, 50 Interviews|last1=Caramanica|first1=Jon|author-link1=Jon Caramanica|last2=Coscarelli|first2=Joe|newspaper=[[The New York Times]]|page=AR31|date=August 6, 2023|id={{ProQuest|2860524569}}}}</ref> |
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Columbia chartered a plane to [[Cleveland, Ohio]], to bring the group members to record in New York City |
Columbia chartered a plane to [[Cleveland, Ohio]], to bring the group members to record in New York City.<ref name="Weiner">{{cite magazine|last=Weiner|first=Natalie|date=April 12, 2016|title=We Belong Together: Mariah Carey's Collaborators Share Untold Stories Behind 8 Classics|magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]|url=https://www.billboard.com/music/rb-hip-hop/mariah-carey-songs-collaborations-history-stories-7272606/|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231109124009/https://www.billboard.com/music/rb-hip-hop/mariah-carey-songs-collaborations-history-stories-7272606/|archive-date=November 9, 2023}}</ref> Upon their arrival, Krayzie Bone and Wish Bone were given [[cannabis (drug)|cannabis]] which they [[Syncope (medicine)|passed out]] from after becoming intoxicated.<ref name="Murphy">{{cite magazine|last=Murphy|first=Keith|date=November 5, 2010|title=Full Clip: Bone Thugs-n-Harmony Break Down Their Entire Catalogue |magazine=[[Vibe (magazine)|Vibe]]|url=https://www.vibe.com/gallery/full-clip-bone-thugs-n-harmony-break-down-their-entire-catalogue/albumbutterfly/|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221121192414/https://www.vibe.com/gallery/full-clip-bone-thugs-n-harmony-break-down-their-entire-catalogue/albumbutterfly/|archive-date=November 21, 2022}}</ref> Awakened by their manager, the group members were receptive to "Breakdown" because it sounded similar to their previous work.<ref name="Littles"/> According to Wish Bone, "She had a blueprint laid out for us, and then me and Krayzie started coming up with little things to add to the hook. It really wasn't nothing for us to do our verses because that's what we do."<ref name="Weiner"/> [[Layzie Bone]] initially stayed back, but joined the session at Carey's request after the record label sent a second plane.<ref name="Murphy"/> Carey, Stevie J, and Combs produced "Breakdown"; Dana Jon Chappelle and Ian Dalsemer conducted engineering at [[The Hit Factory]] and Daddy's House{{efn|Daddy's House was a recording studio owned by Sean Combs<ref>{{cite magazine|title=Puff Daddy|last=Gilmore|first=Mikal|author-link=Mikal Gilmore|magazine=[[Rolling Stone]]|page=52|date=August 7, 1997|id={{ProQuest|220165879}}}}</ref>}} studios.<ref name="Notes"/> [[Tony Maserati]] managed the mixing at The Hit Factory and Herb Powers Jr. mastered it at Powers House of Sound in New York.<ref name="Notes"/> She was initially apprehensive about the outcome: "After I did it, I was like 'Wow, this sounds really different for me. What did I just do?' And I was like, 'Did I do wrong?{{' "}}<ref>{{Cite interview|title=Mariah Carey – On the Record – Fuse|last=Carey|first=Mariah|subject-link=Mariah Carey|interviewer=Touré|interviewer-link=Touré (journalist)|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=flIIZaIQXBE|date=January 24, 2017|time=8:54–9:02|publisher=[[Fuse (TV channel)|Fuse]]|via=[[YouTube]]|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230516185049/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=flIIZaIQXBE|archive-date=May 16, 2023}}</ref> |
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"Breakdown" concerns concealing heartbreak after a romantic relationship ended due to rejection.<ref>{{cite news|title=Carey Soars and Dips on ''Butterfly''|last=Jones|first=Steve|newspaper=[[USA Today]]|page=D8|date=September 16, 1997|id={{ProQuest|408739343}}}}</ref><ref name="Graham"/><ref name="Takiff"/> Some of Carey's lyrics, such as "Well I guess I'm trying to be nonchalant about it / And I'm going to extremes to prove I'm fine without you", are directed at the former partner.<ref>{{cite news|last=Wener|first=Ben|date=September 12, 1997|title=Carey Blossoms in ''Butterfly''|department=Show|newspaper=[[The Orange County Register]]|page=52|url=https://newspaperarchive.com/other-articles-clipping-sep-12-1997-3572575/|via=[[NewspaperArchive]]}}</ref> Others posit questions about how to move on: "So what do you do when / Somebody |
"Breakdown" concerns concealing heartbreak after a romantic relationship ended due to rejection.<ref>{{cite news|title=Carey Soars and Dips on ''Butterfly''|last=Jones|first=Steve|newspaper=[[USA Today]]|page=D8|date=September 16, 1997|id={{ProQuest|408739343}}}}</ref><ref name="Graham"/><ref name="Takiff"/> Some of Carey's lyrics, such as "Well I guess I'm trying to be nonchalant about it / And I'm going to extremes to prove I'm fine without you", are directed at the former partner.<ref>{{cite news|last=Wener|first=Ben|date=September 12, 1997|title=Carey Blossoms in ''Butterfly''|department=Show|newspaper=[[The Orange County Register]]|page=52|url=https://newspaperarchive.com/other-articles-clipping-sep-12-1997-3572575/|via=[[NewspaperArchive]]|access-date=November 14, 2023|archive-date=November 8, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231108221720/https://newspaperarchive.com/other-articles-clipping-sep-12-1997-3572575/|url-status=live}}</ref> Others posit questions about how to move on: "So what do you do when / Somebody you're so devoted to / Suddenly just stops loving you?"<ref name="Juzwiak">{{cite magazine|last=Juzwiak|first=Rich|url=https://www.slantmagazine.com/music/mariah-carey-butterfly/|title=Review: Mariah Carey, ''Butterfly''|date=September 18, 2003|magazine=[[Slant Magazine]]|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221121192408/https://www.slantmagazine.com/music/mariah-carey-butterfly/|archive-date=November 21, 2022}}</ref> The lyrics have a dark tone,<ref name="Corcoran">{{cite news|last=Corcoran|first=Michael|date=September 16, 1997|title=Mariah Carey Takes Flight on ''Butterfly''|newspaper=[[Austin American-Statesman]]|pages=E1, E3|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/113410572/austin-american-statesman/|via=[[Newspapers.com]]|access-date=March 8, 2023|archive-date=November 21, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221121083435/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/113410572/austin-american-statesman/|url-status=live}}</ref> and chirping birds in the background elicit an optimistic aura.<ref name="Graham">{{cite magazine|last=Graham|first=Charne|url=https://www.billboard.com/music/pop/mariah-carey-songs-best-break-up-hits-7518854/|title=Mariah Carey's 9 Best Break-Up Songs|date=September 24, 2016|magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221121103153/https://www.billboard.com/music/pop/mariah-carey-songs-best-break-up-hits-7518854/|archive-date=November 21, 2022}}</ref> Some critics thought the song detailed the end of Carey's marriage with Mottola.{{efn|Such as [[J. D. Considine]] of ''[[The Baltimore Sun]]'',<ref name="Considine"/> Michael Corcoran of the ''[[Austin American-Statesman]]'',<ref name="Corcoran"/> and David Thigpen of ''[[Time (magazine)|Time]]''<ref>{{cite magazine|last=Thigpen|first=David|url=https://content.time.com/time/subscriber/article/0,33009,987000-1,00.html|title=Music: Butterflies Are Free|date=September 15, 1997|magazine=[[Time (magazine)|Time]]|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231111202745/https://content.time.com/time/subscriber/article/0,33009,987000-1,00.html|archive-date=November 11, 2023}}</ref>}} Others felt the perceived references were not as clear.<ref name="Sullivan"/><ref name="Harrington"/> Carey told ''[[The Boston Globe]]'' it is a representation of her admiration for Bone-Thugs-n-Harmony's rapping style.<ref name="Morse">{{cite news|last=Morse|first=Steve|date=September 14, 1997|title=With a New CD, Carey Goes a Little Deeper|newspaper=[[The Boston Globe]]|page=F5|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/113410760/the-boston-globe/|via=[[Newspapers.com]]|access-date=March 8, 2023|archive-date=November 21, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221121083436/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/113410760/the-boston-globe/|url-status=live}}</ref> |
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The [[song structure]] of "Breakdown" contains two verses and a chorus sung by Carey, two raps by Wish Bone, and two raps by Krayzie Bone.<ref name="Notes"/> Bone Thugs-n-Harmony [[harmony|harmonize]] their rapping in [[staccato]]-saturated [[couplet]]s.<ref name="Brown"/><ref name="Vocal About">{{cite news |
The [[song structure]] of "Breakdown" contains two verses and a chorus sung by Carey, two raps by Wish Bone, and two raps by Krayzie Bone.<ref name="Notes"/> Bone Thugs-n-Harmony [[harmony|harmonize]] their rapping in [[staccato]]-saturated [[couplet]]s.<ref name="Brown"/><ref name="Vocal About">{{cite news|last=Farber|first=Jim|date=September 14, 1997|title=Vocal About Her Breakup|department=Sunday Extra|newspaper=[[Daily News (New York)|Daily News]]|page=17|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/113410546/daily-news/|via=[[Newspapers.com]]|access-date=March 8, 2023|archive-date=November 21, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221121083439/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/113410546/daily-news/|url-status=live}}</ref> Influenced by [[reggae]] and [[doo-wop]],<ref name="Corcoran"/><ref name="Christensen">{{cite news|last=Christensen|first=Thor|date=October 2, 1997|title=Carey's Latest Album Disappoints|newspaper=[[The Republic (Columbus, Indiana)|The Republic]]|agency=[[The Dallas Morning News]]|page=B1|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/113410787/the-republic/|via=[[Newspapers.com]]|access-date=March 8, 2023|archive-date=November 21, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221121083439/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/113410787/the-republic/|url-status=live}}</ref> they rap in a fast-paced aggressive manner.<ref name="O'Brien"/><ref name="Brown"/> Carey speeds up her vocals to match them,<ref name="Pareles"/> singing in [[double-time]].<ref>{{harvnb|Weheliye|2023|p=189}}</ref> ''[[New York Times]]'' writer [[Jon Pareles]] perceived this delivery as showcasing she is torn between feeling despair and detachment.<ref name="Pareles">{{cite news|last=Pareles|first=Jon|author-link=Jon Pareles|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1997/09/21/arts/recordings-view-a-new-gentleness-from-a-pop-diva.html|url-access=limited|title=A New Gentleness from a Pop Diva|newspaper=[[The New York Times]]|date=September 21, 1997|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221121083434/https://www.nytimes.com/1997/09/21/arts/recordings-view-a-new-gentleness-from-a-pop-diva.html|archive-date=November 21, 2022}}</ref> Carey incorporates [[melisma]] in her vocals and produces [[vamp (music)|vamps]].<ref name="Flick"/><ref>{{cite web|last=Easlea|first=Daryl|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/music/reviews/d2wx/|title=Mariah Carey ''Butterfly'' Review|date=September 21, 2011|publisher=[[BBC Music]]|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110923094926/http://www.bbc.co.uk/music/reviews/d2wx|archive-date=September 23, 2011}}</ref> At times half-whispering,<ref name="Macpherson"/> she adopts a restrained delivery until belting near the end of the song to express her true emotional state.<ref name="Werthman"/><ref name="Cinquemani">{{cite magazine|last=Cinquemani|first=Sal|display-authors=etal|date=May 15, 2020|title=Every Mariah Carey Album Ranked|magazine=[[Slant Magazine]]|url=https://www.slantmagazine.com/music/every-mariah-carey-album-ranked/|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231108222856/https://www.slantmagazine.com/music/every-mariah-carey-album-ranked/|archive-date=November 8, 2023}}</ref> Departing from her practice of having a male singer like [[Trey Lorenz]] add background vocals in a low register that complement the lead, Carey provides them herself on "Breakdown".<ref>{{harvnb|Weheliye|2023|p=190}}</ref> They are featured prominently throughout the track and, according to Grey Cavitt of the ''[[Waco Tribune-Herald]]'', "threaten to bring about the psychological break promised by the title".<ref>{{cite news|last=Cavitt|first=Grey|date=September 20, 1997|title=Mariah's Still Underusing Her Voice|newspaper=[[Waco Tribune-Herald]]|page=8B|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/waco-tribune-herald/131571609/|via=[[Newspapers.com]]|access-date=November 9, 2023|archive-date=November 8, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231108054241/https://www.newspapers.com/article/waco-tribune-herald/131571609/|url-status=live}}</ref> |
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== Release == |
== Release == |
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"Breakdown" is the sixth track on ''Butterfly'', which [[Sony Music]] issued on September 10, 1997.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.sonymusic.co.jp/artist/MariahCarey/discography/SRCS-8500|title=バタフライ|trans-title=''Butterfly''|language=ja|publisher=[[Sony Music Japan]]|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221006184049/https://www.sonymusic.co.jp/artist/MariahCarey/discography/SRCS-8500|archive-date=October 6, 2022}}</ref> Upon the album's release, American newspaper critics deemed "Breakdown" a |
"Breakdown" is the sixth track on ''Butterfly'', which [[Sony Music]] issued on September 10, 1997.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.sonymusic.co.jp/artist/MariahCarey/discography/SRCS-8500|title=バタフライ|trans-title=''Butterfly''|language=ja|publisher=[[Sony Music Japan]]|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221006184049/https://www.sonymusic.co.jp/artist/MariahCarey/discography/SRCS-8500|archive-date=October 6, 2022}}</ref> Upon the album's release, American newspaper critics deemed "Breakdown" a potentially successful single.{{efn|Such as those from ''[[USA Today]]'',<ref>{{cite news|title=Carey's On a Roll Since Going Solo|last=Williams|first=Jeannie|newspaper=[[USA Today]]|page=D2|date=November 11, 1997|id={{ProQuest|408699285}}}}</ref> ''[[The Philadelphia Inquirer]]'',<ref>{{cite news|last=Moon|first=Tom|date=September 21, 1997|title=Mariah Carey|newspaper=[[The Philadelphia Inquirer]]|page=F10|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/113410656/the-philadelphia-inquirer/|via=[[Newspapers.com]]|access-date=November 24, 2022|archive-date=November 21, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221121083438/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/113410656/the-philadelphia-inquirer/|url-status=live}}</ref> and the ''[[Springfield News-Leader]]''<ref>{{cite news|last=Marymont|first=Mark|date=September 28, 1997|title=Carey's ''Butterfly'' Will Burn Up Cash Registers|newspaper=[[Springfield News-Leader]]|page=6G|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/113410798/the-springfield-news-leader/|via=[[Newspapers.com]]|access-date=November 24, 2022|archive-date=November 21, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221121083440/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/113410798/the-springfield-news-leader/|url-status=live}}</ref>}} R&B radio stations in the country began playing it in late 1997 amid a lukewarm response to the album's second single, "[[Butterfly (Mariah Carey song)|Butterfly]]".{{efn|"Butterfly" was released as the second single from ''Butterfly'' in 1997.<ref name="Singles"/> "Breakdown" debuted on the ''Billboard'' Hot R&B Airplay chart dated October 18, 1997, the same week as "Butterfly". The latter peaked at number twenty-seven and became Carey's third-lowest charting song on the chart at the time.<ref name="randbair"/> According to the [[New York Daily News|New York ''Daily News'']], "Butterfly" received poor audience feedback.<ref name="Farber">{{cite news |last=Farber |first=Jim |date=April 20, 1998 |title=Mariah Risking 'All"' |newspaper=[[Daily News (New York)|Daily News]] |page=34 |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/113435137/daily-news/ |via=[[Newspapers.com]] |access-date=November 21, 2022 |archive-date=November 21, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221121220149/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/113435137/daily-news/ |url-status=live }}</ref> A [[radio programmer]] told ''Billboard'' that they added "Breakdown" to their playlist instead of "Butterfly" to avoid playing multiple slow songs in a row.<ref>{{cite magazine|last1=Hall|first1=Dana|last2=Coveney|first2=Janine|title=Slow Tempos Saturate R&B Radio|magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]|page=82|date=February 7, 1998|id={{ProQuest|1505960625}}}}</ref>}} After "Breakdown" received over 600 spins without promotion,<ref>{{cite magazine|last=Jones|first=Stephen|title=Mariah Carey: Moving On from the Ballads|magazine=[[Music Week]]|page=30|date=November 22, 1997}}</ref> Columbia released the song to American [[rhythmic contemporary]] radio stations in January{{nbsp}}1998.<ref name="Flick">{{cite magazine|title=Singles|editor-last=Flick|editor-first=Larry|editor-link=Larry Flick|magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]|page=57|date=January 24, 1998|id={{ProQuest|1505960992}}}}</ref><ref name="Farber"/> It was the third single from ''Butterfly'', following "Honey" and "Butterfly".<ref name="Singles"/> |
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After "Breakdown" failed to garner crossover success on [[contemporary hit radio]], Columbia did not release it for sale in the United States.<ref name="Farber"/> At the time, ''Billboard'' Hot 100 chart rules stipulated that songs required retail releases to appear and that airplay from R&B radio stations was not a factor.<ref>{{cite magazine|title=A New Hot 100 Reflects Changes in Music Business|last1=Mayfield|first1=Geoff|last2=Sandiford-Waller|first2=Theda|magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]|page=129|date=December 5, 1998|id={{ProQuest|1505960408}}}}</ref> During an interview in late 1998, Carey said Columbia had a peculiar pattern of not releasing her heavily R&B material as commercial singles since her 1990 debut: "I'll always be upset 'Breakdown' never got its shot."<ref>{{cite magazine|title=Higher and Higher|last=Smith|first=Danyel|author-link=Danyel Smith|magazine=[[Vibe (magazine)|Vibe]]|page=96|date=November 1998|url=https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_jisEAAAAMBAJ/page/n99/mode/2up|via=[[Internet Archive]]}}</ref> |
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Columbia |
Columbia released "Breakdown" in the United States as a [[double A-side]] with the album's fifth single, "[[My All]]", on April 21, 1998.<ref name="Singles">{{harvnb|Shapiro|2001|p=156}}</ref><ref name="Farber"/><ref name="Theda">{{cite magazine|title=Hot 100 Singles Spotlight|last=Sandiford-Waller|first=Theda|magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]|page=87|date=May 9, 1998|id={{ProQuest|1506009300}}}}</ref> The songs were issued together in many formats: [[7-inch vinyl]], [[12-inch vinyl]], [[cassette single|cassette]], [[Maxi single#Cassette maxi singles|maxi cassette]], [[CD single|CD]], and [[maxi CD]].<ref name="HRBS">{{cite magazine|title=Hot R&B Singles|magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]|page=37|date=May 9, 1998|id={{ProQuest|1506023445}}}}</ref>{{efn|For comparison, when "Breakdown" debuted on the Hot R&B Singles chart dated May 9, 1998, none of the other ninety-nine songs on the chart had as many formats available.<ref name="HRBS"/>}} In Japan, "Breakdown" is the [[B-side]] to the "My All" [[mini CD single]] released on May 30, 1998.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.oricon.co.jp/prof/163336/products/237864/1/|title=マイ・オール|trans-title=My All|language=ja|publisher=[[Oricon]]|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231025150006/https://www.oricon.co.jp/prof/163336/products/237864/1/|archive-date=October 25, 2023}}</ref> It was released independently of "My All" in Oceania.<ref name="AUS"/><ref name="NZ"/> Some formats include a remix of "Breakdown" with additional rapping by Bone Thugs-n-Harmony.<ref>{{cite magazine|title=Columbia's Carey Reconnects with Her Dance Roots|last=Flick|first=Larry|author-link=Larry Flick|magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]|page=30|date=May 2, 1998|id={{ProQuest|1506038454}}}}</ref> This version, with contributions from Layzie Bone, also appears on the group's 1998 compilation album, ''[[The Collection (Bone Thugs-N-Harmony album)|The Collection]]''.<ref>{{cite AV media notes|title=[[The Collection (Bone Thugs-N-Harmony album)|The Collection]]|year=1998|type=12-inch vinyl [[liner notes]]|publisher=[[Ruthless Records]]|id=492857 1}}</ref> "Breakdown" is present on Carey's 2003 remix album, ''[[The Remixes (Mariah Carey album)|The Remixes]]'', in its original form.<ref>{{cite AV media notes |date=2003 |title=The Remixes |type=CD liner notes |publisher=[[Columbia Records]] |id=COL 510754 2}}</ref> Columbia and [[Legacy Recordings]] released a digital [[extended play]] with the three versions of the song as part of the [[MC30]] campaign marking three decades of Carey's career on August 28, 2020.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://mora.jp/package/43000087/G010004433598S/|title='Breakdown' EP|language=ja|publisher=[[Mora (music store)|Mora]]|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231108220247/https://mora.jp/package/43000087/G010004433598S/|archive-date=November 8, 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine|title=Mariah Carey Announces ''The Rarities'' Collection of B-Sides, Unreleased Tracks|last=Shaffer|first=Claire|magazine=[[Rolling Stone]]|date=August 19, 2020|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/mariah-carey-the-rarities-1046592/|url-access=subscription|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230416192302/https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/mariah-carey-the-rarities-1046592/|archive-date=April 16, 2023}}</ref> |
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== Critical reception == |
== Critical reception == |
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Critics evaluated the effectiveness of "Breakdown" as a departure from Carey's previous work. Billy Tyus described it as innovative in the ''[[Herald & Review]]'',<ref>{{cite news|last=Tyus|first=Billy|date=September 19, 1997|title=''Butterfly'' Rides Wave of Emotion|newspaper=[[Herald & Review]]|page=C10|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/herald-and-review/113410878/|via=[[Newspapers.com]]}}</ref> and ''[[Daily Herald (Arlington Heights, Illinois)|Daily Herald]]'' writer Mark Guarino considered the lyrics |
Critics evaluated the effectiveness of "Breakdown" as a departure from Carey's previous work. Billy Tyus described it as innovative in the ''[[Herald & Review]]'',<ref>{{cite news|last=Tyus|first=Billy|date=September 19, 1997|title=''Butterfly'' Rides Wave of Emotion|newspaper=[[Herald & Review]]|page=C10|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/herald-and-review/113410878/|via=[[Newspapers.com]]|access-date=November 8, 2023|archive-date=November 8, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231108053750/https://www.newspapers.com/article/herald-and-review/113410878/|url-status=live}}</ref> and ''[[Daily Herald (Arlington Heights, Illinois)|Daily Herald]]'' writer Mark Guarino considered the lyrics surprisingly serious.<ref>{{cite news|last=Guarino|first=Mark|date=October 31, 1997|title=Carey's ''Butterfly'' Stretches Her Wings, but Not Too Far|newspaper=[[Daily Herald (Arlington Heights, Illinois)|Daily Herald]]|page=6{{hyphen}}11|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/113410814/the-daily-herald/|via=[[Newspapers.com]]|access-date=March 8, 2023|archive-date=November 21, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221121083432/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/113410814/the-daily-herald/|url-status=live}}</ref> Paul Willistein of ''[[The Morning Call]]'' and author [[Chris Nickson]] believed "Breakdown" demonstrated artistic freedom successfully.<ref>{{cite news|last=Willistein|first=Paul|date=September 27, 1997|title=Disc Reviews|newspaper=[[The Morning Call]]|page=A62|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/113410852/the-morning-call/|via=[[Newspapers.com]]|access-date=March 8, 2023|archive-date=November 21, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221121083443/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/113410852/the-morning-call/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{harvnb|Nickson|1998|p=168}}</ref> Carey's restrained vocals made the song as high-quality as her traditional ballads according to ''[[Vulture (website)|Vulture]]''{{'}}s Lindsey Weber.<ref name="Weber">{{cite news|last1=Weber|first1=Lindsey|last2=Dobbins|first2=Amanada|url=https://www.vulture.com/2014/05/these-are-mariah-careys-25-best-singles.html|title=These Are Mariah Carey's 25 Best Singles|work=[[Vulture (website)|Vulture]]|date=May 28, 2014|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231108220246/https://www.vulture.com/2014/05/these-are-mariah-careys-25-best-singles.html|archive-date=November 8, 2023}}</ref> In contrast, several critics thought the composition lacked cohesiveness.{{efn|Such as Gary Graff of the ''[[San Francisco Chronicle]]'',<ref name="Graff">{{cite news|last=Graff|first=Gary|date=September 14, 1997|title=Mariah Carey's Leaden Wings|department=Datebook|newspaper=[[San Francisco Chronicle]]|page=54|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/113410585/the-san-francisco-examiner/|via=[[Newspapers.com]]|access-date=March 8, 2023|archive-date=November 21, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221121083435/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/113410585/the-san-francisco-examiner/|url-status=live}}</ref> Chuck Campbell of the ''[[Knoxville News Sentinel]]'',<ref>{{cite news|last=Campbell|first=Chuck|date=September 26, 1997|title=Mariah Carey's Cooldown Continues|department=Detours|newspaper=[[Knoxville News Sentinel]]|page=10|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/113410595/the-knoxville-news-sentinel/|via=[[Newspapers.com]]|access-date=March 8, 2023|archive-date=November 21, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221121083440/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/113410595/the-knoxville-news-sentinel/|url-status=live}}</ref> and Dave Ferman of the ''[[Fort Worth Star-Telegram]]''<ref name="Ferman">{{cite news|last=Ferman|first=Dave|date=September 19, 1997|title=Mariah Carey: ''Butterfly''|department=Star Time|newspaper=[[Fort Worth Star-Telegram]]|page=14|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/113410513/fort-worth-star-telegram/|via=[[Newspapers.com]]|access-date=March 8, 2023|archive-date=November 21, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221121083434/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/113410513/fort-worth-star-telegram/|url-status=live}}</ref>}} Writing in the ''[[Milwaukee Journal Sentinel]]'', Dave Tianen said Carey's "vocals get smothered beneath a rancid glop of synths, samples, raps and choruses".<ref>{{cite news|title=Carey's ''Butterfly'' Showy but Thin|last=Tianen|first=Dave|newspaper=[[Milwaukee Journal Sentinel]]|page=8|date=September 16, 1997|id={{ProQuest|260585263}}}}</ref> Nicole M. Campbell of ''[[The Santa Clarita Valley Signal]]'' credited these sentiments to the number of producers, which she considered excessive.<ref>{{cite news|last=Campbell|first=Nicole M.|date=September 19, 1997|title=Mariah Carey ''Butterfly''|newspaper=[[The Santa Clarita Valley Signal]]|page=E12|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/113410677/the-signal/|via=[[Newspapers.com]]|access-date=March 8, 2023|archive-date=November 21, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221121083435/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/113410677/the-signal/|url-status=live}}</ref> |
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The song received comparisons to others in its genre. According to ''[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]'', "Breakdown" eclipses them because "the rhymes are tightly sewn into the track's primary vocal arrangement and are crucial to the evolution of the song's lyric".<ref name="Flick"/> Conversely, Dave Ferman of the ''[[Fort Worth Star-Telegram]]'' felt it contributed to a pattern of nondescript R&B collaborations in the mid-1990s.<ref name="Ferman 2">{{cite news|last=Ferman|first=Dave|date=September 21, 1997|title=Gruesome Twosome's Are What's Ailing R&B|newspaper=[[Fort Worth Star-Telegram]]|page=H3|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/113410928/fort-worth-star-telegram/|via=[[Newspapers.com]]}}</ref>{{efn|Ferman felt that unlike R&B collaborations before the 1990s, in which "individual styles and good material blended to produce something that neither artist could have managed alone," the new "sound is an often unsatisfying fusion of slow to medium beats, with traces of '70s funk and a more streetwise sensibility than much ultra-successful '80s urban music had".<ref name="Ferman 2"/>}} Critics contrasted "Breakdown" with "Tha Crossroads".{{efn|Such as Jon O'Brien and Christine Werthman of ''Billboard''<ref name="O'Brien"/><ref name="Werthman">{{cite magazine|last=Werthman|first=Christine|display-authors=etal|url=https://www.billboard.com/media/lists/mariah-carey-greatest-songs-top-100-9460564/|title=The 100 Greatest Mariah Carey Songs: Staff Picks|date=October 5, 2020|magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220519172808/https://www.billboard.com/media/lists/mariah-carey-greatest-songs-top-100-9460564/|archive-date=May 19, 2022}}</ref>}} According to Eric Henderson of ''[[Slant Magazine]]'', the [[hi-hats]] and [[bassline]] are |
The song received comparisons to others in its genre. According to ''[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]'', "Breakdown" eclipses them because "the rhymes are tightly sewn into the track's primary vocal arrangement and are crucial to the evolution of the song's lyric".<ref name="Flick"/> Conversely, Dave Ferman of the ''[[Fort Worth Star-Telegram]]'' felt it contributed to a pattern of nondescript R&B collaborations in the mid-1990s.<ref name="Ferman 2">{{cite news|last=Ferman|first=Dave|date=September 21, 1997|title=Gruesome Twosome's Are What's Ailing R&B|newspaper=[[Fort Worth Star-Telegram]]|page=H3|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/113410928/fort-worth-star-telegram/|via=[[Newspapers.com]]|access-date=March 8, 2023|archive-date=November 21, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221121083442/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/113410928/fort-worth-star-telegram/|url-status=live}}</ref>{{efn|Ferman felt that unlike R&B collaborations before the 1990s, in which "individual styles and good material blended to produce something that neither artist could have managed alone," the new "sound is an often unsatisfying fusion of slow to medium beats, with traces of '70s funk and a more streetwise sensibility than much ultra-successful '80s urban music had".<ref name="Ferman 2"/>}} Critics contrasted "Breakdown" with "Tha Crossroads".{{efn|Such as Jon O'Brien and Christine Werthman of ''Billboard''<ref name="O'Brien"/><ref name="Werthman">{{cite magazine|last=Werthman|first=Christine|display-authors=etal|url=https://www.billboard.com/media/lists/mariah-carey-greatest-songs-top-100-9460564/|title=The 100 Greatest Mariah Carey Songs: Staff Picks|date=October 5, 2020|magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220519172808/https://www.billboard.com/media/lists/mariah-carey-greatest-songs-top-100-9460564/|archive-date=May 19, 2022}}</ref>}} According to Eric Henderson of ''[[Slant Magazine]]'', the [[hi-hats]] and [[bassline]] are repetitive to the point of laziness.<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://www.slantmagazine.com/features/behind-the-caterwaul-a-mariah-carey-retrospective/|title=Behind the Caterwaul: A Mariah Carey Retrospective|last=Camp|first=Alexa|magazine=[[Slant Magazine]]|date=April 1, 2005|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230225020630/https://www.slantmagazine.com/features/behind-the-caterwaul-a-mariah-carey-retrospective/|archive-date=February 25, 2023}}</ref> For ''[[Philadelphia Daily News]]'' writer Jonathan Takiff, its hip hop aspects acted as "freshening the soul-diva formula".<ref name="Takiff">{{cite news|last=Takiff|first=Jonathan|date=September 17, 1997|title=Diva-luation|newspaper=[[Philadelphia Daily News]]|page=41|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/113410941/philadelphia-daily-news/|via=[[Newspapers.com]]|access-date=March 8, 2023|archive-date=November 21, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221121083445/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/113410941/philadelphia-daily-news/|url-status=live}}</ref> Others likened "Breakdown" to the music of [[En Vogue]],<ref name="Sullivan">{{cite news|title=This Week's Pop CD Releases|last=Sullivan|first=Caroline|newspaper=[[The Guardian]]|page=2{{hyphen}}20|date=September 19, 1997|id={{ProQuest|188045239}}}}</ref> [[Mary J. Blige]],<ref name="O'Brien"/> and [[Janet Jackson]].<ref>{{cite news|last=Kot|first=Greg|author-link=Greg Kot|url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-1997-09-19-9709190402-story.html|title=Mariah Carey – ''Butterfly'' (Columbia)|date=September 19, 1997|newspaper=[[Chicago Tribune]]|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221031195316/https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-1997-09-19-9709190402-story.html|archive-date=October 31, 2022}}</ref> |
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Critics praised the pairing of Carey and Bone Thugs-n-Harmony.{{efn|Such as David Browne of ''[[Entertainment Weekly]]'',<ref>{{cite magazine|last=Browne|first=David|author-link=David Browne (journalist)|url=https://ew.com/article/1997/09/19/butterfly-2/|title=''Butterfly''|date=September 19, 1997|magazine=[[Entertainment Weekly]]|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221121103043/https://ew.com/article/1997/09/19/butterfly-2/|archive-date=November 21, 2022}}</ref> Thor Christensen of ''[[The Dallas Morning News]]'',<ref name="Christensen"/> Owen Myers of ''[[Pitchfork (website)|Pitchfork]]'',<ref>{{cite web|last=Myers|first=Owen|display-authors=etal|url=https://pitchfork.com/features/lists-and-guides/the-best-albums-of-the-1990s/|title=The 150 Best Albums of the 1990s|date=September 28, 2022|website=[[Pitchfork (website)|Pitchfork]]|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231127160847/https://pitchfork.com/features/lists-and-guides/the-best-albums-of-the-1990s/|archive-date=November 27, 2023}}</ref> [[Kelefa Sanneh]] of ''[[The New York Times]]'',<ref>{{cite news|last=Sanneh|first=Kelefa|author-link=Kelefa Sanneh|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2003/10/20/arts/critic-s-choice-new-cd-s-disco-alive-and-dancing.html|url-access=limited|title=Disco, Alive and Dancing|newspaper=[[The New York Times]]|date=October 20, 2003|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220122081644/https://www.nytimes.com/2003/10/20/arts/critic-s-choice-new-cd-s-disco-alive-and-dancing.html|archive-date=January 22, 2022}}</ref> Troy L. Smith of [[Cleveland.com]],<ref name="Smith">{{cite news|last=Smith|first=Troy L.|url=https://www.cleveland.com/entertainment/2020/08/all-75-mariah-carey-singles-ranked-from-best-to-worst.html|title=All 76 Mariah Carey Singles Ranked|publisher=[[Cleveland.com]]|date=August 23, 2020|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221027200323/https://www.cleveland.com/entertainment/2020/08/all-75-mariah-carey-singles-ranked-from-best-to-worst.html|archive-date=October 27, 2022}}</ref> and Vincent Stephens in ''Popular Music and Society''<ref>{{cite journal|last=Stephens|first=Vincent|date=June 2003|title=''Rainbow''|journal=Popular Music and Society|volume=26|issue=2|page=234|id={{ProQuest|208071682}}}}</ref> }} |
Critics praised the pairing of Carey and Bone Thugs-n-Harmony.{{efn|Such as David Browne of ''[[Entertainment Weekly]]'',<ref>{{cite magazine|last=Browne|first=David|author-link=David Browne (journalist)|url=https://ew.com/article/1997/09/19/butterfly-2/|title=''Butterfly''|date=September 19, 1997|magazine=[[Entertainment Weekly]]|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221121103043/https://ew.com/article/1997/09/19/butterfly-2/|archive-date=November 21, 2022}}</ref> Thor Christensen of ''[[The Dallas Morning News]]'',<ref name="Christensen"/> Owen Myers of ''[[Pitchfork (website)|Pitchfork]]'',<ref>{{cite web|last=Myers|first=Owen|display-authors=etal|url=https://pitchfork.com/features/lists-and-guides/the-best-albums-of-the-1990s/|title=The 150 Best Albums of the 1990s|date=September 28, 2022|website=[[Pitchfork (website)|Pitchfork]]|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231127160847/https://pitchfork.com/features/lists-and-guides/the-best-albums-of-the-1990s/|archive-date=November 27, 2023}}</ref> [[Kelefa Sanneh]] of ''[[The New York Times]]'',<ref>{{cite news|last=Sanneh|first=Kelefa|author-link=Kelefa Sanneh|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2003/10/20/arts/critic-s-choice-new-cd-s-disco-alive-and-dancing.html|url-access=limited|title=Disco, Alive and Dancing|newspaper=[[The New York Times]]|date=October 20, 2003|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220122081644/https://www.nytimes.com/2003/10/20/arts/critic-s-choice-new-cd-s-disco-alive-and-dancing.html|archive-date=January 22, 2022}}</ref> Troy L. Smith of [[Cleveland.com]],<ref name="Smith">{{cite news|last=Smith|first=Troy L.|url=https://www.cleveland.com/entertainment/2020/08/all-75-mariah-carey-singles-ranked-from-best-to-worst.html|title=All 76 Mariah Carey Singles Ranked|publisher=[[Cleveland.com]]|date=August 23, 2020|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221027200323/https://www.cleveland.com/entertainment/2020/08/all-75-mariah-carey-singles-ranked-from-best-to-worst.html|archive-date=October 27, 2022}}</ref> and Vincent Stephens in ''Popular Music and Society''<ref>{{cite journal|last=Stephens|first=Vincent|date=June 2003|title=''Rainbow''|journal=Popular Music and Society|volume=26|issue=2|page=234|id={{ProQuest|208071682}}}}</ref> }} ''Slant Magazine''{{'}}s Sal Cinquemani thought Carey wholly embraced her collaborators' appearance on the track.<ref name="Cinquemani"/> According to Sonia Murray of ''[[The Atlanta Journal-Constitution]]'', she adopted their cadence without losing authenticity.<ref>{{cite news|last=Murray|first=Sonia|date=September 18, 1997|title=Carey Unfolds Her Wings with Spirited New Effort|newspaper=[[The Atlanta Journal-Constitution]]|page=F4|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-atlanta-journal/131569973/|via=[[Newspapers.com]]|access-date=November 8, 2023|archive-date=November 8, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231108053751/https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-atlanta-journal/131569973/|url-status=live}}</ref> For [[New York Daily News|New York ''Daily News'']] writer Jim Farber, "instead of just co-opting their sound, her sweet tones give Bone Thugs' sound a new fluidity."<ref name="Vocal About"/> In contrast, ''[[The Scotsman]]''{{'}}s Sarah Dempster considered the collaboration confounding.<ref>{{cite news|title=Duets from Hell: It Takes Two to Tangle|last=Dempster|first=Sarah|newspaper=[[The Scotsman]]|page=17|date=November 3, 1998|id={{ProQuest|326737639}}}}</ref> Richard Harrington of ''[[The Washington Post]]'' thought Bone Thugs-n-Harmony overshadowed Carey;<ref name="Harrington">{{cite news|last=Harrington|first=Richard|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/lifestyle/style/1997/09/14/divorce-and-the-divas/d32a2261-130a-49f0-a84f-9816c6fbb40a/|url-access=limited|title=Divorce and the Divas|newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]|date=September 14, 1997|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221124044131/https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/lifestyle/style/1997/09/14/divorce-and-the-divas/d32a2261-130a-49f0-a84f-9816c6fbb40a/|archive-date=November 24, 2022}}</ref> [[J. D. Considine]] of ''[[The Baltimore Sun]]'' said she adopted their style so effectively that the group's presence was almost unnecessary.<ref name="Considine">{{cite news|last=Considine|first=J. D.|author-link=J. D. Considine|date=September 16, 1997|title=''Butterfly'' Is Sweet as Honey|newspaper=[[The Baltimore Sun]]|page=8E|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/113410536/the-baltimore-sun/|via=[[Newspapers.com]]|access-date=March 8, 2023|archive-date=November 21, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221121083435/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/113410536/the-baltimore-sun/|url-status=live}}</ref> |
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== Commercial performance == |
== Commercial performance == |
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"Breakdown" experienced success on American [[urban contemporary radio]] stations.<ref>{{cite web|last=Promis|first=Jose F.|author-link=Promis (musician)|title='My All' Review|publisher=[[AllMusic]]|url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/my-all-mw0000256387|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230224042611/https://www.allmusic.com/album/my-all-mw0000256387|archive-date=February 24, 2023}}</ref> It reached number nine on the |
"Breakdown" experienced success on American [[urban contemporary radio]] stations.<ref>{{cite web|last=Promis|first=Jose F.|author-link=Promis (musician)|title='My All' Review|publisher=[[AllMusic]]|url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/my-all-mw0000256387|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230224042611/https://www.allmusic.com/album/my-all-mw0000256387|archive-date=February 24, 2023}}</ref> It reached number nine on the airplay chart for that format published by ''[[Radio & Records]]'' in March 1998.<ref name="Urban"/> On the comparative ''Billboard'' [[Hot R&B Airplay]] chart, "Breakdown" peaked at number thirteen. It surpassed "[[One Sweet Day]]" (1995) to become Carey's longest-running song on the list (thirty weeks), a position it held until "[[We Belong Together]]" in 2005.<ref name="randbair"/> "Breakdown" reached number eighteen on [[Rhythmic Top 40]], her lowest peak on that chart at the time.<ref name="Rhythmic"/> ''Billboard'' originally listed Bone Thugs-n-Harmony as a featured artist, but credits Krayzie Bone and Wish Bone individually on their website.<ref name="randbair"/><ref>{{cite magazine|title=Hot R&B Airplay|magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]|page=38|date=March 14, 1998|id={{ProQuest|1506059406}}}}</ref> |
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After the double A-side release with "My All", "Breakdown" debuted and peaked at number four on the [[Hot R&B Singles]] chart dated May 9, 1998.<ref name="BSI"/> Sales of 25,000 units at R&B music stores accounted for over ninety percent of its ranking and R&B airplay contributed less than ten percent. As the song's radio audience (6.5{{nbsp}}million) was higher than that of "My All" (5.2{{nbsp}}million), the single charted as "Breakdown"/"My All".<ref>{{cite magazine|title=Datu Faison's Rhythm Section|last=Faison|first=Datu|magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]|page=34|date=May 9, 1998|id={{ProQuest|1506024492}}}}</ref>{{efn|The release was credited to "My All"/"Breakdown" by the next week<ref>{{cite magazine|title=Hot R&B Singles|magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]|page=31|date=May 16, 1998|id={{ProQuest|1506023377}}}}</ref>}} "Breakdown" did not appear alongside "My All" on the Hot 100 because it was not within the top seventy-five of [[Hot 100 Airplay]] at the time,<ref name="Theda"/> having peaked at number fifty-three in March{{nbsp}}1998.<ref name="HSB"/> In 2022, the [[Recording Industry Association of America]] awarded "Breakdown" a |
After the double A-side release with "My All", "Breakdown" debuted and peaked at number four on the [[Hot R&B Singles]] chart dated May 9, 1998.<ref name="BSI"/> Sales of 25,000 units at R&B music stores accounted for over ninety percent of its ranking and R&B airplay contributed less than ten percent. As the song's radio audience (6.5{{nbsp}}million) was higher than that of "My All" (5.2{{nbsp}}million), the single charted as "Breakdown"/"My All".<ref>{{cite magazine|title=Datu Faison's Rhythm Section|last=Faison|first=Datu|magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]|page=34|date=May 9, 1998|id={{ProQuest|1506024492}}}}</ref>{{efn|The release was credited to "My All"/"Breakdown" by the next week<ref>{{cite magazine|title=Hot R&B Singles|magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]|page=31|date=May 16, 1998|id={{ProQuest|1506023377}}}}</ref>}} "Breakdown" did not appear alongside "My All" on the Hot 100 because it was not within the top seventy-five of [[Hot 100 Airplay]] at the time,<ref name="Theda"/> having peaked at number fifty-three in March{{nbsp}}1998.<ref name="HSB"/> In 2022, the [[Recording Industry Association of America]] awarded "Breakdown" a gold certification, which denotes 500,000 units based on digital downloads and on-demand streams.<ref name="RIAA">{{cite web|url=https://www.riaa.com/gold-platinum/?tab_active=default-award&ar=Mariah+Carey&ti=Breakdown&format=Single&type=|title=Gold & Platinum – 'Breakdown'|publisher=[[Recording Industry Association of America]]|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220327171909/https://www.riaa.com/gold-platinum/?tab_active=default-award&ar=Mariah+Carey&ti=Breakdown&format=Single&type=|archive-date=March 27, 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.riaa.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/DIGITAL-SINGLE-AWARD-RIAA-AND-GRF-CERTIFICATION-AUDIT-REQUIREMENTS.pdf|title=RIAA and GR&F Certification Audit Requirements – RIAA Digital Single Award|publisher=[[Recording Industry Association of America]]|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221205170017/https://www.riaa.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/DIGITAL-SINGLE-AWARD-RIAA-AND-GRF-CERTIFICATION-AUDIT-REQUIREMENTS.pdf|archive-date=December 5, 2022}}</ref> |
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The song's performance varied in other countries. "Breakdown" peaked at number four on the [[New Zealand singles chart]], outperforming "Butterfly".<ref name="NZ"/>{{efn|"Butterfly" peaked at number fifteen<ref name="NZ"/>}} It continued a pattern of success for Bone Thugs-n-Harmony in the country; four of their last five singles had reached the top five.<ref name="NZ">{{cite web|url=https://charts.nz/showitem.asp?interpret=Mariah+Carey+feat.+Bone+Thugs-n-Harmony&titel=Breakdown&cat=s|title=Mariah Carey feat. Bone Thugs-n-Harmony – 'Breakdown'|publisher=Hung Medien|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221121150833/https://charts.nz/showitem.asp?interpret=Mariah+Carey+feat.+Bone+Thugs-n-Harmony&titel=Breakdown&cat=s|archive-date=November 21, 2022}}</ref> The [[Recording Industry Association of New Zealand]] certified it |
The song's performance varied in other countries. "Breakdown" peaked at number four on the [[New Zealand singles chart]], outperforming "Butterfly".<ref name="NZ"/>{{efn|"Butterfly" peaked at number fifteen<ref name="NZ"/>}} It continued a pattern of success for Bone Thugs-n-Harmony in the country; four of their last five singles had reached the top five.<ref name="NZ">{{cite web|url=https://charts.nz/showitem.asp?interpret=Mariah+Carey+feat.+Bone+Thugs-n-Harmony&titel=Breakdown&cat=s|title=Mariah Carey feat. Bone Thugs-n-Harmony – 'Breakdown'|publisher=Hung Medien|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221121150833/https://charts.nz/showitem.asp?interpret=Mariah+Carey+feat.+Bone+Thugs-n-Harmony&titel=Breakdown&cat=s|archive-date=November 21, 2022}}</ref> The [[Recording Industry Association of New Zealand]] certified it gold, indicating shipments of 5,000 units.<ref name="Scapolo">{{harvnb|Scapolo|2007}}</ref> In Australia, "Breakdown" reached number thirty-eight.<ref name="AUS">{{cite web|url=https://australian-charts.com/showitem.asp?interpret=Mariah+Carey+feat.+Bone+Thugs-n-Harmony&titel=Breakdown&cat=s|title=Mariah Carey feat. Bone Thugs-n-Harmony – 'Breakdown'|publisher=Hung Medien|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221125013720/https://australian-charts.com/showitem.asp?interpret=Mariah+Carey+feat.+Bone+Thugs-n-Harmony&titel=Breakdown&cat=s|archive-date=November 25, 2022}}</ref> Although it was not officially released there,{{efn|"[[The Roof (Back in Time)]]" was chosen as the third single from ''Butterfly'' in the United Kingdom in lieu of "Breakdown", but its release was ultimately cancelled. "My All" was issued independently of "Breakdown".<ref>{{cite magazine|title=Music/Singles|last=Drew|first=Richard|magazine=[[The Pink Paper]]|page=16|date=May 8, 1998|id={{ProQuest|2092379531}}}}</ref>}} the double A-side single "My All"/"Breakdown" appeared for one week on the [[UK Singles Chart]] at number ninety-eight.<ref name="OCC"/> |
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== Music video == |
== Music video == |
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| ⚫ | Carey and [[Diane Martel]] directed the music video for "Breakdown". Martel had previously directed videos for Carey's singles "[[Dreamlover (song)|Dreamlover]]" (1993) and "[[All I Want for Christmas Is You]]" (1994).<ref name="Shapiro158">{{harvnb|Shapiro|2001|p=158}}</ref> "Breakdown" showcases Carey in various roles at a Las Vegas casino.<ref name="Emerson">{{cite journal|last=Emerson|first=Rana A.|date=2002|title='Where My Girls At?': Negotiating Black Womanhood in Music Videos|journal=[[Gender & Society]]|volume=16|issue=1|pages=115–135 [123]|doi=10.1177/0891243202016001007|jstor=3081879|s2cid=35432829 }}</ref><ref name="Hapsis"/> Members of Bone Thugs-n-Harmony appear,<ref name="Hapsis"/> as do producer [[Jermaine Dupri]] and rapper [[Redman (rapper)|Redman]] as a magician.<ref>{{cite magazine|last=Krishnamurthy|first=Sowmya|url=https://www.vibe.com/gallery/10-mariah-carey-collabos-will-never-get-old/|title=10 Mariah Carey Collabos That Will Never Get Old|magazine=[[Vibe (magazine)|Vibe]]|date=May 13, 2013|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221124235524/https://www.vibe.com/gallery/10-mariah-carey-collabos-will-never-get-old/|archive-date=November 24, 2022}}</ref> Visuals include Carey's butterfly tattoo and her jumping into poker chips that cover a bed.<ref name="Hapsis">{{cite news|last=Hapsis|first=Emmanuel|url=https://www.kqed.org/pop/17288/all-64-mariah-carey-music-videos-ranked-from-worst-to-best|title=All 64 Mariah Carey Music Videos, Ranked from Worst to Best|publisher=[[KQED Inc.|KQED]]|date=August 12, 2015|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221121192415/https://www.kqed.org/pop/17288/all-64-mariah-carey-music-videos-ranked-from-worst-to-best|archive-date=November 21, 2022}}</ref> In a [[cabaret]] scene, Carey wears a black sequin [[halter top]] on a [[bentwood]] chair.<ref name="DeCaro">{{cite news|last=DeCaro|first=Frank|author-link=Frank DeCaro|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1998/03/15/style/style-over-substance-ever-so-lively-even-if-gone.html|url-access=limited|title=Ever So Lively, Even If Gone|newspaper=[[The New York Times]]|date=March 15, 1998|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221121083432/https://www.nytimes.com/1998/03/15/style/style-over-substance-ever-so-lively-even-if-gone.html|archive-date=November 21, 2022}}</ref><ref name="Hapsis"/> Writers for ''[[The New York Times]]'' and ''[[Ottawa Citizen]]'' felt this paid homage to [[Liza Minnelli]] as [[Sally Bowles]] in ''[[Cabaret (1972 film)|Cabaret]]'' (1972).<ref name="DeCaro"/><ref name="Guly">{{cite news|last=Guly|first=Christopher|date=March 25, 1998|title=Deadly Divas|newspaper=[[Ottawa Citizen]]|page=C12|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/113620970/the-ottawa-citizen/|via=[[Newspapers.com]]|access-date=November 26, 2022|archive-date=November 25, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221125192916/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/113620970/the-ottawa-citizen/|url-status=live}}</ref> In the academic journal ''[[Gender & Society]]'', Rana A. Emerson cited the camera's focus on Carey's [[showgirl]] outfit in arguing that social standards regarding the attractiveness of female R&B singers are implied.<ref name="Emerson"/> |
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[[File:Mariah Carey Breakdown Music Video.png|thumb|upright=1.3|Carey's [[cabaret]] performance in the music video received comparisons to [[Liza Minelli]].<ref name="DeCaro"/><ref name="Guly"/>|alt=Mariah Carey performing cabaret with two background dancers]] |
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| ⚫ | Carey and [[Diane Martel]] directed the music video for "Breakdown". Martel had previously directed videos for Carey's singles "[[Dreamlover (song)|Dreamlover]]" (1993) and "[[All I Want for Christmas Is You]]" (1994).<ref name="Shapiro158">{{harvnb|Shapiro|2001|p=158}}</ref> "Breakdown" showcases Carey in various roles at a Las Vegas casino.<ref name="Emerson">{{cite journal|last=Emerson|first=Rana A.|date=2002|title='Where My Girls At?': Negotiating Black Womanhood in Music Videos|journal=[[Gender & Society]]|volume=16|issue=1|pages=115–135 [123]|doi=10.1177/0891243202016001007|jstor=3081879|s2cid=35432829 }}</ref><ref name="Hapsis"/> Members of Bone Thugs-n-Harmony appear,<ref name="Hapsis"/> as do producer [[Jermaine Dupri]] and rapper [[Redman (rapper)|Redman]] as a magician.<ref>{{cite magazine|last=Krishnamurthy|first=Sowmya|url=https://www.vibe.com/gallery/10-mariah-carey-collabos-will-never-get-old/|title=10 Mariah Carey Collabos That Will Never Get Old|magazine=[[Vibe (magazine)|Vibe]]|date=May 13, 2013|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221124235524/https://www.vibe.com/gallery/10-mariah-carey-collabos-will-never-get-old/|archive-date=November 24, 2022}}</ref> Visuals include Carey's butterfly tattoo and her jumping into |
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The "Breakdown" music video was issued in late 1997.<ref name="Shapiro158"/> It peaked within the top five on weekly airplay charts for [[MTV]] and [[BET]] television channels as measured by [[Broadcast Data Systems]].<ref>{{cite magazine|title=Video Monitor|magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]|page=95|date=February 14, 1998|id={{ProQuest|1505992019}}}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine|title=Video Monitor|magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]|page=133|date=March 1, 1998|id={{ProQuest|1506050640}}}}</ref> [[Columbia Music Video]] released "Breakdown" as a |
The "Breakdown" music video was issued in late 1997.<ref name="Shapiro158"/> It peaked within the top five on weekly airplay charts for [[MTV]] and [[BET]] television channels as measured by [[Broadcast Data Systems]].<ref>{{cite magazine|title=Video Monitor|magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]|page=95|date=February 14, 1998|id={{ProQuest|1505992019}}}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine|title=Video Monitor|magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]|page=133|date=March 1, 1998|id={{ProQuest|1506050640}}}}</ref> [[Columbia Music Video]] released "Breakdown" as a video single on [[VHS]] with "My All" on April 21, 1998.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.mtv.com/bands/az/carey_mariah/discography.jhtml|title=Mariah Carey Discography|publisher=[[MTV]]|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20011003213708/http://www.mtv.com/bands/az/carey_mariah/discography.jhtml|archive-date=October 3, 2001}}</ref><ref>"My All/Breakdown" (VHS). [[Columbia Music Video]]. 1998. 38V 78446.</ref> It was later included on Carey's 1999 video album ''[[Around the World (video)|Around the World]]''.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.mtv.com/bands/az/carey_mariah/145375/album.jhtml?exclude=single|title=Mariah Carey ''Around the World''|publisher=[[MTV]]|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20020526043602/http://www.mtv.com/bands/az/carey_mariah/145375/album.jhtml?exclude=single|archive-date=May 26, 2002}}</ref> The video was shown during Carey's live performances of "Breakdown" on the [[Butterfly World Tour]] so Bone Thugs-n-Harmony could appear by proxy.<ref>{{cite news|last=Aoki|first=Deb|date=February 22, 1998|title=Carey Needs More Song, Less Style|newspaper=[[The Honolulu Advertiser]]|page=A24|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/114283185/the-honolulu-advertiser/|via=[[Newspapers.com]]|access-date=March 8, 2023|archive-date=December 8, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221208050554/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/114283185/the-honolulu-advertiser/|url-status=live}}</ref> Carey again performed with a chair while singing the song on the first date of her 2006 concert tour [[The Adventures of Mimi]].<ref>{{cite web|last=Vineyard|first=Jennifer|url=https://www.mtv.com/news/4qck48/mariah-carey-tour-kickoff-the-voice-outshines-costume-changes-video-clips|title=Mariah Carey Tour Kickoff: The Voice Outshines Costume Changes, Video Clips|date=August 7, 2006|publisher=[[MTV News]]|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231208082858/https://www.mtv.com/news/4qck48/mariah-carey-tour-kickoff-the-voice-outshines-costume-changes-video-clips|archive-date=December 8, 2023}}</ref> |
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== Legacy == |
== Legacy == |
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Critics judge "Breakdown" as a turning point in Carey's musical direction toward hip hop.{{efn|Such as writers for [[NPR]],<ref>{{cite web|last=Chan|first=Andrew|date=October 6, 2020|title=Mariah Carey's ''Rarities'' Illuminate Pop Music's Evolution|publisher=[[NPR]]|url=https://www.npr.org/2020/10/06/920499351/mariah-careys-rarities-illuminate-pop-music-s-evolution|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220531222024/https://www.npr.org/2020/10/06/920499351/mariah-careys-rarities-illuminate-pop-music-s-evolution|archive-date=May 31, 2022}}</ref> ''[[Slant Magazine]]'',<ref>{{cite magazine|last=Juzwiak|first=Rich|date=September 18, 2003|title=Review: Mariah Carey, ''Butterfly''|magazine=[[Slant Magazine]]|url=https://www.slantmagazine.com/music/mariah-carey-butterfly/|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221121192408/https://www.slantmagazine.com/music/mariah-carey-butterfly/|archive-date=November 21, 2022}}</ref> and ''[[Vibe (magazine)|Vibe]]''<ref name="Brown">{{cite magazine|last=Brown|first=Preezy|date=September 16, 2017|title=20 Years Later: Mariah Carey's ''Butterfly'' Tracklist, Ranked|magazine=[[Vibe (magazine)|Vibe]]|url=https://www.vibe.com/features/editorial/mariah-carey-butterfly-ranked-tracklist-538478/|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221125011402/https://www.vibe.com/features/editorial/mariah-carey-butterfly-ranked-tracklist-538478/|archive-date=November 25, 2022}}</ref>}} |
Critics judge "Breakdown" as a turning point in Carey's musical direction toward hip hop.{{efn|Such as writers for [[NPR]],<ref>{{cite web|last=Chan|first=Andrew|date=October 6, 2020|title=Mariah Carey's ''Rarities'' Illuminate Pop Music's Evolution|publisher=[[NPR]]|url=https://www.npr.org/2020/10/06/920499351/mariah-careys-rarities-illuminate-pop-music-s-evolution|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220531222024/https://www.npr.org/2020/10/06/920499351/mariah-careys-rarities-illuminate-pop-music-s-evolution|archive-date=May 31, 2022}}</ref> ''[[Slant Magazine]]'',<ref>{{cite magazine|last=Juzwiak|first=Rich|date=September 18, 2003|title=Review: Mariah Carey, ''Butterfly''|magazine=[[Slant Magazine]]|url=https://www.slantmagazine.com/music/mariah-carey-butterfly/|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221121192408/https://www.slantmagazine.com/music/mariah-carey-butterfly/|archive-date=November 21, 2022}}</ref> and ''[[Vibe (magazine)|Vibe]]''<ref name="Brown">{{cite magazine|last=Brown|first=Preezy|date=September 16, 2017|title=20 Years Later: Mariah Carey's ''Butterfly'' Tracklist, Ranked|magazine=[[Vibe (magazine)|Vibe]]|url=https://www.vibe.com/features/editorial/mariah-carey-butterfly-ranked-tracklist-538478/|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221125011402/https://www.vibe.com/features/editorial/mariah-carey-butterfly-ranked-tracklist-538478/|archive-date=November 25, 2022}}</ref>}} "Breakdown" marked the first time she collaborated with rap artists on a song in its original form; she had previously employed them on remixes to her songs "Fantasy" (1995), "Always Be My Baby" (1996), and "Honey" (1997).<ref name="Nostro">{{cite magazine |last=Nostro |first=Lauren |date=August 2, 2012 |title=A History of Mariah Carey's Collaborations with Rappers |magazine=[[Complex (magazine)|Complex]] |url=https://www.complex.com/music/2012/08/a-history-of-mariah-careys-collaborations-with-rappers/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220304140038/https://www.complex.com/music/2012/08/a-history-of-mariah-careys-collaborations-with-rappers/ |archive-date=March 4, 2022}}</ref> Bianca Betancourt gauged it as a "game-changing collaboration" in ''[[Harper's Bazaar]]'',<ref name="Betancourt">{{cite magazine|last=Betancourt|first=Bianca|url=https://www.harpersbazaar.com/culture/art-books-music/a41174266/mariah-carey-butterfly-25-anniversary-interview/|title=With ''Butterfly'', Mariah Carey Became the Blueprint|date=September 15, 2022|magazine=[[Harper's Bazaar]]|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221106053125/https://www.harpersbazaar.com/culture/art-books-music/a41174266/mariah-carey-butterfly-25-anniversary-interview/|archive-date=November 6, 2022}}</ref> and ''[[Vibe (magazine)|Vibe]]''{{'}}s Julianne Shepherd said Carey "transcend[ed] genre" with the song.<ref>{{cite magazine|title=The Ultimate Mariah Carey|last=Shepherd|first=Julianne|magazine=[[Vibe (magazine)|Vibe]]|page=102|date=November 2007|id={{ProQuest|2771598742}}}}</ref> According to journalist [[Elaine Welteroth]], "Breakdown" compelled [[African Americans]] to begin thinking of Carey as Black.<ref>{{harvnb|Welteroth|2019|p=200}}</ref> Scholar Alexander Ghedi Weheliye viewed its fusion of singing and rapping as a precursor to the popularity of this practice in hip hop music after 2010.<ref>{{harvnb|Weheliye|2023|p=58}}</ref> In his 2023 book ''Why Mariah Carey Matters'', Andrew Chan argued that Carey advanced the style of R&B vocalists by adopting the [[flow (rapping)|flow]] of rappers.<ref>{{harvnb|Chan|2023|p=78}}</ref> |
||
Retrospectively, |
Retrospectively, Carey and her fans consider "Breakdown" one of the best songs in her catalog.<ref name="Betancourt"/> It has received a similar reception from critics.{{efn|Such as those from ''Billboard'',<ref name="Werthman"/> Cleveland.com,<ref name="Smith"/> and ''Vulture''<ref name="Weber"/>}} Rich Juzwiak of ''Slant Magazine'' hailed "Breakdown" as Carey's best track in 2003,<ref name="Juzwiak"/> and Alex Macpherson of ''[[The Guardian]]'' described it as "perhaps Carey's finest song" in 2020.<ref name="Macpherson">{{cite news|last=Macpherson|first=Alex|url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2020/jun/22/mariah-carey-where-to-start-in-her-back-catalogue|title=Mariah Carey: Where to Start in Her Back Catalogue|date=June 22, 2020|work=[[The Guardian]]|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230330124124/https://www.theguardian.com/music/2020/jun/22/mariah-carey-where-to-start-in-her-back-catalogue|archive-date=March 30, 2023}}</ref> Writers for [[BET]], [[Gold Derby]], and the ''[[Honolulu Star-Advertiser]]'' considered "Breakdown" one of her best tracks that did not reach number one on the Hot 100.<ref name="Goldstein"/><ref>{{cite web|last=Reyes|first=Jon|title=Mariah Carey Singles That Deserved to Be No. 1 (But Didn't Get There)|publisher=[[BET]]|date=n.d.|url=https://www.bet.com/photo-gallery/xo3w9v/mariah-carey-singles-that-deserved-to-be-no-1-but-didn-t-get-there/bzdi2z|at=slide 30|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221127183112/https://www.bet.com/photo-gallery/xo3w9v/mariah-carey-singles-that-deserved-to-be-no-1-but-didn-t-get-there/bzdi2z|archive-date=November 27, 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last=Montgomery|first=Daniel|title=The 23 Best Mariah Carey Songs that Didn't Hit Number-One: Underrated Hits from the Elusive Chanteuse|publisher=[[Gold Derby]]|date=March 27, 2023|url=https://www.goldderby.com/feature/best-mariah-carey-songs-number-one-1203741993/|access-date=November 15, 2023}}</ref> In 2007, Carey and {{nobreak|Bone-Thugs-n-Harmony}} collaborated again for the group's song "[[Lil' L.O.V.E.]]".<ref>{{cite magazine|title=Bone-Thugs-n-Harmony: ''Strength and Loyalty''|last=Crossley|first=Hillary|magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]|page=37|date=May 12, 2007|id={{ProQuest|227261830}}}}</ref> |
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{| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;" |
{| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;" |
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| Line 128: | Line 128: | ||
!scope="col"|Year |
!scope="col"|Year |
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!scope="col"|Rank |
!scope="col"|Rank |
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!scope="col"|{{abbr|Ref.|Reference}} |
!scope="col" class="unsortable"|{{abbr|Ref.|Reference}} |
||
|- |
|- |
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!scope="row" rowspan="3"|''[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]'' |
!scope="row" rowspan="3"|''[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]'' |
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| Line 184: | Line 184: | ||
== Credits and personnel == |
== Credits and personnel == |
||
* [[Mariah Carey]] – background vocals, composer, lyrics, |
* [[Mariah Carey]] – background vocals, composer, lyrics, producer, vocals |
||
* Dana Jon Chappelle – |
* Dana Jon Chappelle – engineering |
||
* [[Sean "Puffy" Combs]] – producer |
* [[Sean "Puffy" Combs]] – producer |
||
* Ian Dalsemer – assistant engineering |
* Ian Dalsemer – assistant engineering |
||
* [[Krayzie Bone|Anthony Henderson]] – background vocals, lyrics, vocals |
* [[Krayzie Bone|Anthony Henderson]] – background vocals, lyrics, vocals |
||
* [[Stevie J|Steven Jordan]] – composer, keyboards, keyboard and drum programming, producer |
* [[Stevie J|Steven Jordan]] – composer, keyboards, keyboard and drum programming, producer |
||
* [[Tony Maserati]] – |
* [[Tony Maserati]] – mixing |
||
* Herb Powers Jr. – |
* Herb Powers Jr. – mastering |
||
* Charles Scruggs – background vocals, lyrics, vocals<ref name="Notes">{{cite AV media notes|title=[[Butterfly (Mariah Carey album)|Butterfly]]|year=1997|type=CD [[liner notes]]|publisher=[[Columbia Records]]|id=CK 67835}}</ref> |
* Charles Scruggs – background vocals, lyrics, vocals<ref name="Notes">{{cite AV media notes|title=[[Butterfly (Mariah Carey album)|Butterfly]]|year=1997|type=CD [[liner notes]]|publisher=[[Columbia Records]]|id=CK 67835}}</ref> |
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| Line 203: | Line 203: | ||
!Peak <br>position |
!Peak <br>position |
||
|- |
|- |
||
!scope="row"|Australia [[ARIA Charts|Singles]] ([[Australian Recording Industry Association|ARIA]])<ref name="AUS"/> |
!scope="row"|Australia [[ARIA Charts|Singles]] ([[Australian Recording Industry Association|ARIA]])<ref name="AUS"/> |
||
|38 |
|38 |
||
|- |
|- |
||
!scope="row"|New Zealand [[Official New Zealand Music Chart|Singles]] ([[RIANZ]])<ref name="NZ"/> |
!scope="row"|New Zealand [[Official New Zealand Music Chart|Singles]] ([[RIANZ]])<ref name="NZ"/> |
||
|4 |
|4 |
||
|- |
|- |
||
!scope="row"|UK [[UK Single Chart|Singles]] ([[Official Charts Company|OCC]])<ref name="OCC">{{cite web|title=Mariah Carey Songs and Albums – Full Official Chart History|url=https://www.officialcharts.com/artist/25943/mariah-carey/|publisher=[[Official Charts Company]]|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221031075349/https://www.officialcharts.com/artist/25943/mariah-carey/|archive-date=October 31, 2022}}</ref><br/> |
!scope="row"|UK [[UK Single Chart|Singles]] ([[Official Charts Company|OCC]])<ref name="OCC">{{cite web|title=Mariah Carey Songs and Albums – Full Official Chart History|url=https://www.officialcharts.com/artist/25943/mariah-carey/|publisher=[[Official Charts Company]]|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221031075349/https://www.officialcharts.com/artist/25943/mariah-carey/|archive-date=October 31, 2022}}</ref><br/>''Import-only single; with "My All"'' |
||
|98 |
|98 |
||
|- |
|- |
||
!scope="row"|US [[Hot 100 Airplay]] (''[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]'')<ref name="HSB">{{cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/artist/mariah-carey/chart-history/hsb/|title=Mariah Carey Chart History (Radio Songs)|magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221122014249/https://www.billboard.com/artist/mariah-carey/chart-history/hsb/|archive-date=November 22, 2022}}</ref> |
!scope="row"|US [[Hot 100 Airplay]] (''[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]'')<ref name="HSB">{{cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/artist/mariah-carey/chart-history/hsb/|title=Mariah Carey Chart History (Radio Songs)|magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221122014249/https://www.billboard.com/artist/mariah-carey/chart-history/hsb/|archive-date=November 22, 2022}}</ref> |
||
|53 |
|53 |
||
|- |
|- |
||
!scope="row"|US [[Hot R&B Singles]] (''[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]'')<ref name="BSI">{{cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/artist/mariah-carey/chart-history/bsi/|title=Mariah Carey Chart History (Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs)|magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221122221551/https://www.billboard.com/artist/mariah-carey/chart-history/bsi/|archive-date=November 22, 2022}}</ref><br/> |
!scope="row"|US [[Hot R&B Singles]] (''[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]'')<ref name="BSI">{{cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/artist/mariah-carey/chart-history/bsi/|title=Mariah Carey Chart History (Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs)|magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221122221551/https://www.billboard.com/artist/mariah-carey/chart-history/bsi/|archive-date=November 22, 2022}}</ref><br/>''with "My All"'' |
||
|4 |
|4 |
||
|- |
|- |
||
!scope="row"|US [[Hot R&B Airplay]] (''[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]'')<ref name="randbair">{{cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/artist/mariah-carey/chart-history/rbm/|title=Mariah Carey Chart History (R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay)|magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221121091723/https://www.billboard.com/artist/mariah-carey/chart-history/rbm/|archive-date=November 21, 2022}}</ref> |
!scope="row"|US [[Hot R&B Airplay]] (''[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]'')<ref name="randbair">{{cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/artist/mariah-carey/chart-history/rbm/|title=Mariah Carey Chart History (R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay)|magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221121091723/https://www.billboard.com/artist/mariah-carey/chart-history/rbm/|archive-date=November 21, 2022}}</ref> |
||
|13 |
|13 |
||
|- |
|- |
||
!scope="row"|US Crossover (''[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]'')<ref>{{cite magazine|date=March 13, 1998|title=Crossover Airplay|magazine=[[Top 40 Airplay Monitor]]|page=20}}</ref> |
!scope="row"|US Crossover (''[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]'')<ref>{{cite magazine|date=March 13, 1998|title=Crossover Airplay|magazine=[[Top 40 Airplay Monitor]]|page=20}}</ref> |
||
|13 |
|13 |
||
|- |
|- |
||
!scope="row"|US [[Rhythmic Top 40]] (''[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]'')<ref name="Rhythmic">{{cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/artist/mariah-carey/chart-history/tfc/|title=Mariah Carey Chart History (Rhythmic Airplay)|magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220429050750/https://www.billboard.com/artist/mariah-carey/chart-history/tfc/|archive-date=April 29, 2022}}</ref> |
!scope="row"|US [[Rhythmic Top 40]] (''[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]'')<ref name="Rhythmic">{{cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/artist/mariah-carey/chart-history/tfc/|title=Mariah Carey Chart History (Rhythmic Airplay)|magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220429050750/https://www.billboard.com/artist/mariah-carey/chart-history/tfc/|archive-date=April 29, 2022}}</ref> |
||
|18 |
|18 |
||
|- |
|- |
||
!scope="row"|US {{abbr|CHR|Contemporary hit radio}}/Rhythmic (''[[Radio & Records]]'')<ref name="CHR/Rhythmic">{{cite magazine|date=December 11, 1998|title=Records Reaching Top 15|magazine=[[Radio & Records]]|page=44|id={{ProQuest|1017326989}}}}</ref> |
!scope="row"|US {{abbr|CHR|Contemporary hit radio}}/Rhythmic (''[[Radio & Records]]'')<ref name="CHR/Rhythmic">{{cite magazine|date=December 11, 1998|title=Records Reaching Top 15|magazine=[[Radio & Records]]|page=44|id={{ProQuest|1017326989}}}}</ref> |
||
|13 |
|13 |
||
|- |
|- |
||
!scope="row"|US Urban (''[[Radio & Records]]'')<ref name="Urban">{{cite magazine|date=December 11, 1998|title=Records Reaching Top 15|magazine=[[Radio & Records]]|page=60|id={{ProQuest|1017322012}}}}</ref> |
!scope="row"|US Urban (''[[Radio & Records]]'')<ref name="Urban">{{cite magazine|date=December 11, 1998|title=Records Reaching Top 15|magazine=[[Radio & Records]]|page=60|id={{ProQuest|1017322012}}}}</ref> |
||
|9 |
|9 |
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|} |
|} |
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| Line 240: | Line 240: | ||
!Position |
!Position |
||
|- |
|- |
||
!scope="row"|[[Hot R&B Singles]] (''[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]'')<ref>{{cite magazine|title=The Year in Music 1998|magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]|page=YE{{hyphen}}51|date=December 26, 1998|id={{ProQuest|1529171323}}}}</ref><br/> |
!scope="row"|[[Hot R&B Singles]] (''[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]'')<ref>{{cite magazine|title=The Year in Music 1998|magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]|page=YE{{hyphen}}51|date=December 26, 1998|id={{ProQuest|1529171323}}}}</ref><br/>''with "My All"'' |
||
|24 |
|24 |
||
|- |
|- |
||
!scope="row"|[[Rhythmic Top 40]] (''[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]'')<ref name="RT4">{{cite magazine|date=December 25, 1998|title=Most Played Rhythmic Top 40 Songs of 1998|magazine=[[Airplay Monitor]]|page=46}}</ref> |
!scope="row"|[[Rhythmic Top 40]] (''[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]'')<ref name="RT4">{{cite magazine|date=December 25, 1998|title=Most Played Rhythmic Top 40 Songs of 1998|magazine=[[Airplay Monitor]]|page=46}}</ref> |
||
|71 |
|71 |
||
|- |
|- |
||
!scope="row"|CHR/Rhythmic (''[[Radio & Records]]'')<ref name="CHR/Rhythmic"/> |
!scope="row"|CHR/Rhythmic (''[[Radio & Records]]'')<ref name="CHR/Rhythmic"/> |
||
|68 |
|68 |
||
|- |
|- |
||
!scope="row"|Urban (''[[Radio & Records]]'')<ref name="Urban"/> |
!scope="row"|Urban (''[[Radio & Records]]'')<ref name="Urban"/> |
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|71 |
|71 |
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|} |
|} |
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| Line 275: | Line 275: | ||
{{col-begin}} |
{{col-begin}} |
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{{col-2}} |
{{col-2}} |
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* {{Cite book |
|||
| last=Abjorensen |
|||
| first=Norman |
|||
| title=Historical Dictionary of Popular Music |
|||
| year=2017 |
|||
| publisher=[[Rowman & Littlefield]] |
|||
| isbn=978-1-5381-0214-5 |
|||
}} |
|||
* {{Cite book |
* {{Cite book |
||
| author = Anon. |
| author = Anon. |
||
| Line 308: | Line 316: | ||
| title = Mariah Carey Revisited: Her Story |
| title = Mariah Carey Revisited: Her Story |
||
| year = 1998 |
| year = 1998 |
||
| publisher = [[St. Martin's |
| publisher = [[St. Martin's Griffin]] |
||
| isbn = 0-312-19512-5 |
| isbn = 0-312-19512-5 |
||
| ol = 363685M |
| ol = 363685M |
||
}} |
}} |
||
| ⚫ | |||
* {{Cite book |
* {{Cite book |
||
| last = Scapolo |
| last = Scapolo |
||
| Line 320: | Line 329: | ||
| isbn = 978-1-877443-00-8 |
| isbn = 978-1-877443-00-8 |
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}} |
}} |
||
| ⚫ | |||
* {{Cite book |
* {{Cite book |
||
| last = Shapiro |
| last = Shapiro |
||
Latest revision as of 19:42, 27 June 2024
| "Breakdown" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Single by Mariah Carey featuring Bone Thugs-n-Harmony | ||||
| from the album Butterfly | ||||
| A-side | "My All" | |||
| Released | January 1998 | |||
| Recorded | 1997 | |||
| Studio |
| |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length |
| |||
| Label | Columbia | |||
| Composer(s) | ||||
| Lyricist(s) |
| |||
| Producer(s) |
| |||
| Mariah Carey singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Bone Thugs-n-Harmony singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Music video | ||||
| "Breakdown" on YouTube | ||||
"Breakdown" is a song recorded by American singer Mariah Carey for her sixth studio album, Butterfly (1997). In the lyrics, she describes the aftermath of a partner ending their love for the other and the trouble of hiding the pain it caused. The track features rapping by Krayzie Bone and Wish Bone, members of the group Bone Thugs-n-Harmony. Before they wrote and performed their raps, Carey composed the music with Stevie J and penned her lyrics. The latter pair produced "Breakdown" with Sean "Puffy" Combs. An R&B, hip hop, and hip hop soul song, "Breakdown" features keyboards, synthesized drums, and background vocals prominently. Columbia Records released it to American rhythmic contemporary radio stations in January 1998 as the third single from Butterfly.
Critics judged "Breakdown" in relation to Carey's previous work and considered the collaboration with Bone-Thugs-n-Harmony successful. Some perceived it to be about the recent separation from her husband Tommy Mottola, which she denied. Carey publicly criticized Columbia for a perceived longstanding anti-R&B bias against her music after it did not release the song to retail outlets in the United States. "Breakdown" was thus initially ineligible to appear on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. It was later issued as a double A-side with "My All" and reached number four on Hot R&B Singles. "Breakdown" experienced consistent airplay on American urban contemporary radio stations and it became Carey's longest-running title on Hot R&B Airplay until 2005. Elsewhere, "Breakdown" peaked at number four in New Zealand and number thirty-eight in Australia.
Carey directed the music video with previous collaborator Diane Martel. It presents her in various roles at a casino such as a showgirl and cabaret performer; the latter received comparisons to Liza Minnelli. "Breakdown" received heavy rotation on the television channels BET and MTV and was issued as a video single. Clips accompanied Carey's live performances of the song during the 1998 Butterfly World Tour. Retrospectively, "Breakdown" is regarded as a turning point in Carey's musical direction toward hip hop and as one of the best songs of her career.
Background
[edit]In the early 1990s, American singer Mariah Carey was known for middle of the road music.[a] Stronger contemporary R&B influences became apparent in her music with "Dreamlover", a song from her 1993 album Music Box.[2] Carey's fifth album, Daydream (1995), contained elements of hip hop.[3] After receiving the best critical reviews of her career up to that point[4] and separating from her husband Tommy Mottola,[b] the head of her record label Columbia,[7] Carey felt confident to incorporate hip hop overtly in her follow-up album Butterfly (1997).[8]
Experiencing creative freedom,[9] Carey recorded Butterfly from January to August 1997.[10] During this time, she became enamored with "Notorious Thugs" by The Notorious B.I.G. and Bone Thugs-n-Harmony,[11] a song produced by Stevie J and Sean "Puffy" Combs.[12] Carey expressed interest in collaborating with Bone Thugs-n-Harmony to Stevie J, and they began studying the rap group's discography.[13] He and Combs had already worked with Carey on another Butterfly track, "Honey".[13][14] In 1995, Combs had produced the hip hop remix of Carey's song "Fantasy" featuring Wu-Tang Clan rapper Ol' Dirty Bastard.[15][16]
Composition
[edit].jpg)
.jpg)
"Breakdown" features rapping by two members of the group Bone-Thugs-n-Harmony, Krayzie Bone (left) and Wish Bone.
Situated among ballads (e.g. "Butterfly") and uptempo songs ("Honey"), "Breakdown" occupies a musical middle ground on Butterfly.[17] It is an R&B,[17] hip hop,[18] and hip hop soul song[19] driven by a slow groove.[20] The album version lasts four minutes and forty-four seconds[21] and the single is four minutes and fifteen seconds long.[22] Carey wrote her lyrics after the composing with Stevie J, who played keyboards and programmed additional keyboard and drum sounds electronically.[13][23] She recorded her vocals before Bone-Thugs-n-Harmony members Krayzie Bone and Wish Bone did:[13] "I wanted to do a song in their style, so that when they came into the studio to hear it, they would know immediately that I had been totally influenced by them."[24] After Bone-Thugs-n-Harmony's manager informed them that Carey was interested in collaborating, the group was reluctant as they did not comprehend her level of fame.[25]
Columbia chartered a plane to Cleveland, Ohio, to bring the group members to record in New York City.[26] Upon their arrival, Krayzie Bone and Wish Bone were given cannabis which they passed out from after becoming intoxicated.[27] Awakened by their manager, the group members were receptive to "Breakdown" because it sounded similar to their previous work.[13] According to Wish Bone, "She had a blueprint laid out for us, and then me and Krayzie started coming up with little things to add to the hook. It really wasn't nothing for us to do our verses because that's what we do."[26] Layzie Bone initially stayed back, but joined the session at Carey's request after the record label sent a second plane.[27] Carey, Stevie J, and Combs produced "Breakdown"; Dana Jon Chappelle and Ian Dalsemer conducted engineering at The Hit Factory and Daddy's House[c] studios.[23] Tony Maserati managed the mixing at The Hit Factory and Herb Powers Jr. mastered it at Powers House of Sound in New York.[23] She was initially apprehensive about the outcome: "After I did it, I was like 'Wow, this sounds really different for me. What did I just do?' And I was like, 'Did I do wrong?'"[29]
"Breakdown" concerns concealing heartbreak after a romantic relationship ended due to rejection.[30][31][32] Some of Carey's lyrics, such as "Well I guess I'm trying to be nonchalant about it / And I'm going to extremes to prove I'm fine without you", are directed at the former partner.[33] Others posit questions about how to move on: "So what do you do when / Somebody you're so devoted to / Suddenly just stops loving you?"[34] The lyrics have a dark tone,[35] and chirping birds in the background elicit an optimistic aura.[31] Some critics thought the song detailed the end of Carey's marriage with Mottola.[d] Others felt the perceived references were not as clear.[38][39] Carey told The Boston Globe it is a representation of her admiration for Bone-Thugs-n-Harmony's rapping style.[24]
The song structure of "Breakdown" contains two verses and a chorus sung by Carey, two raps by Wish Bone, and two raps by Krayzie Bone.[23] Bone Thugs-n-Harmony harmonize their rapping in staccato-saturated couplets.[40][41] Influenced by reggae and doo-wop,[35][42] they rap in a fast-paced aggressive manner.[19][40] Carey speeds up her vocals to match them,[43] singing in double-time.[44] New York Times writer Jon Pareles perceived this delivery as showcasing she is torn between feeling despair and detachment.[43] Carey incorporates melisma in her vocals and produces vamps.[22][45] At times half-whispering,[46] she adopts a restrained delivery until belting near the end of the song to express her true emotional state.[47][48] Departing from her practice of having a male singer like Trey Lorenz add background vocals in a low register that complement the lead, Carey provides them herself on "Breakdown".[49] They are featured prominently throughout the track and, according to Grey Cavitt of the Waco Tribune-Herald, "threaten to bring about the psychological break promised by the title".[50]
Release
[edit]"Breakdown" is the sixth track on Butterfly, which Sony Music issued on September 10, 1997.[51] Upon the album's release, American newspaper critics deemed "Breakdown" a potentially successful single.[e] R&B radio stations in the country began playing it in late 1997 amid a lukewarm response to the album's second single, "Butterfly".[f] After "Breakdown" received over 600 spins without promotion,[59] Columbia released the song to American rhythmic contemporary radio stations in January 1998.[22][57] It was the third single from Butterfly, following "Honey" and "Butterfly".[55]
After "Breakdown" failed to garner crossover success on contemporary hit radio, Columbia did not release it for sale in the United States.[57] At the time, Billboard Hot 100 chart rules stipulated that songs required retail releases to appear and that airplay from R&B radio stations was not a factor.[60] During an interview in late 1998, Carey said Columbia had a peculiar pattern of not releasing her heavily R&B material as commercial singles since her 1990 debut: "I'll always be upset 'Breakdown' never got its shot."[61]
Columbia released "Breakdown" in the United States as a double A-side with the album's fifth single, "My All", on April 21, 1998.[55][57][62] The songs were issued together in many formats: 7-inch vinyl, 12-inch vinyl, cassette, maxi cassette, CD, and maxi CD.[63][g] In Japan, "Breakdown" is the B-side to the "My All" mini CD single released on May 30, 1998.[64] It was released independently of "My All" in Oceania.[65][66] Some formats include a remix of "Breakdown" with additional rapping by Bone Thugs-n-Harmony.[67] This version, with contributions from Layzie Bone, also appears on the group's 1998 compilation album, The Collection.[68] "Breakdown" is present on Carey's 2003 remix album, The Remixes, in its original form.[69] Columbia and Legacy Recordings released a digital extended play with the three versions of the song as part of the MC30 campaign marking three decades of Carey's career on August 28, 2020.[70][71]
Critical reception
[edit]Critics evaluated the effectiveness of "Breakdown" as a departure from Carey's previous work. Billy Tyus described it as innovative in the Herald & Review,[72] and Daily Herald writer Mark Guarino considered the lyrics surprisingly serious.[73] Paul Willistein of The Morning Call and author Chris Nickson believed "Breakdown" demonstrated artistic freedom successfully.[74][75] Carey's restrained vocals made the song as high-quality as her traditional ballads according to Vulture's Lindsey Weber.[76] In contrast, several critics thought the composition lacked cohesiveness.[h] Writing in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Dave Tianen said Carey's "vocals get smothered beneath a rancid glop of synths, samples, raps and choruses".[80] Nicole M. Campbell of The Santa Clarita Valley Signal credited these sentiments to the number of producers, which she considered excessive.[81]
The song received comparisons to others in its genre. According to Billboard, "Breakdown" eclipses them because "the rhymes are tightly sewn into the track's primary vocal arrangement and are crucial to the evolution of the song's lyric".[22] Conversely, Dave Ferman of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram felt it contributed to a pattern of nondescript R&B collaborations in the mid-1990s.[82][i] Critics contrasted "Breakdown" with "Tha Crossroads".[j] According to Eric Henderson of Slant Magazine, the hi-hats and bassline are repetitive to the point of laziness.[83] For Philadelphia Daily News writer Jonathan Takiff, its hip hop aspects acted as "freshening the soul-diva formula".[32] Others likened "Breakdown" to the music of En Vogue,[38] Mary J. Blige,[19] and Janet Jackson.[84]
Critics praised the pairing of Carey and Bone Thugs-n-Harmony.[k] Slant Magazine's Sal Cinquemani thought Carey wholly embraced her collaborators' appearance on the track.[48] According to Sonia Murray of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, she adopted their cadence without losing authenticity.[90] For New York Daily News writer Jim Farber, "instead of just co-opting their sound, her sweet tones give Bone Thugs' sound a new fluidity."[41] In contrast, The Scotsman's Sarah Dempster considered the collaboration confounding.[91] Richard Harrington of The Washington Post thought Bone Thugs-n-Harmony overshadowed Carey;[39] J. D. Considine of The Baltimore Sun said she adopted their style so effectively that the group's presence was almost unnecessary.[36]
Commercial performance
[edit]"Breakdown" experienced success on American urban contemporary radio stations.[92] It reached number nine on the airplay chart for that format published by Radio & Records in March 1998.[93] On the comparative Billboard Hot R&B Airplay chart, "Breakdown" peaked at number thirteen. It surpassed "One Sweet Day" (1995) to become Carey's longest-running song on the list (thirty weeks), a position it held until "We Belong Together" in 2005.[56] "Breakdown" reached number eighteen on Rhythmic Top 40, her lowest peak on that chart at the time.[94] Billboard originally listed Bone Thugs-n-Harmony as a featured artist, but credits Krayzie Bone and Wish Bone individually on their website.[56][95]
After the double A-side release with "My All", "Breakdown" debuted and peaked at number four on the Hot R&B Singles chart dated May 9, 1998.[96] Sales of 25,000 units at R&B music stores accounted for over ninety percent of its ranking and R&B airplay contributed less than ten percent. As the song's radio audience (6.5 million) was higher than that of "My All" (5.2 million), the single charted as "Breakdown"/"My All".[97][l] "Breakdown" did not appear alongside "My All" on the Hot 100 because it was not within the top seventy-five of Hot 100 Airplay at the time,[62] having peaked at number fifty-three in March 1998.[99] In 2022, the Recording Industry Association of America awarded "Breakdown" a gold certification, which denotes 500,000 units based on digital downloads and on-demand streams.[100][101]
The song's performance varied in other countries. "Breakdown" peaked at number four on the New Zealand singles chart, outperforming "Butterfly".[66][m] It continued a pattern of success for Bone Thugs-n-Harmony in the country; four of their last five singles had reached the top five.[66] The Recording Industry Association of New Zealand certified it gold, indicating shipments of 5,000 units.[102] In Australia, "Breakdown" reached number thirty-eight.[65] Although it was not officially released there,[n] the double A-side single "My All"/"Breakdown" appeared for one week on the UK Singles Chart at number ninety-eight.[104]
Music video
[edit]Carey and Diane Martel directed the music video for "Breakdown". Martel had previously directed videos for Carey's singles "Dreamlover" (1993) and "All I Want for Christmas Is You" (1994).[105] "Breakdown" showcases Carey in various roles at a Las Vegas casino.[106][107] Members of Bone Thugs-n-Harmony appear,[107] as do producer Jermaine Dupri and rapper Redman as a magician.[108] Visuals include Carey's butterfly tattoo and her jumping into poker chips that cover a bed.[107] In a cabaret scene, Carey wears a black sequin halter top on a bentwood chair.[109][107] Writers for The New York Times and Ottawa Citizen felt this paid homage to Liza Minnelli as Sally Bowles in Cabaret (1972).[109][110] In the academic journal Gender & Society, Rana A. Emerson cited the camera's focus on Carey's showgirl outfit in arguing that social standards regarding the attractiveness of female R&B singers are implied.[106]
The "Breakdown" music video was issued in late 1997.[105] It peaked within the top five on weekly airplay charts for MTV and BET television channels as measured by Broadcast Data Systems.[111][112] Columbia Music Video released "Breakdown" as a video single on VHS with "My All" on April 21, 1998.[113][114] It was later included on Carey's 1999 video album Around the World.[115] The video was shown during Carey's live performances of "Breakdown" on the Butterfly World Tour so Bone Thugs-n-Harmony could appear by proxy.[116] Carey again performed with a chair while singing the song on the first date of her 2006 concert tour The Adventures of Mimi.[117]
Legacy
[edit]Critics judge "Breakdown" as a turning point in Carey's musical direction toward hip hop.[o] "Breakdown" marked the first time she collaborated with rap artists on a song in its original form; she had previously employed them on remixes to her songs "Fantasy" (1995), "Always Be My Baby" (1996), and "Honey" (1997).[120] Bianca Betancourt gauged it as a "game-changing collaboration" in Harper's Bazaar,[121] and Vibe's Julianne Shepherd said Carey "transcend[ed] genre" with the song.[122] According to journalist Elaine Welteroth, "Breakdown" compelled African Americans to begin thinking of Carey as Black.[123] Scholar Alexander Ghedi Weheliye viewed its fusion of singing and rapping as a precursor to the popularity of this practice in hip hop music after 2010.[124] In his 2023 book Why Mariah Carey Matters, Andrew Chan argued that Carey advanced the style of R&B vocalists by adopting the flow of rappers.[125]
Retrospectively, Carey and her fans consider "Breakdown" one of the best songs in her catalog.[121] It has received a similar reception from critics.[p] Rich Juzwiak of Slant Magazine hailed "Breakdown" as Carey's best track in 2003,[34] and Alex Macpherson of The Guardian described it as "perhaps Carey's finest song" in 2020.[46] Writers for BET, Gold Derby, and the Honolulu Star-Advertiser considered "Breakdown" one of her best tracks that did not reach number one on the Hot 100.[18][126][127] In 2007, Carey and Bone-Thugs-n-Harmony collaborated again for the group's song "Lil' L.O.V.E.".[128]
| Publication | List | Year | Rank | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Billboard | 100 Greatest Mariah Carey Songs | 2020 | 18 | [47] |
| Butterfly Tracklist Ranked | 2022 | 5 | [19] | |
| Mariah Carey's 56 Best Collaborations with Rappers | 2019 | 6 | [129] | |
| Cleveland.com | All 76 Mariah Carey Singles Ranked | 2020 | 11 | [88] |
| Complex | Stevie J's 10 Greatest Music Contributions | 2014 | Placed | [130] |
| Dazed | Mariah Carey's 10 Greatest Hip Hop Collaborations | 2015 | Placed | [131] |
| Revolt | Stevie J's 11 Most Classic Beats | 2019 | 3 | [132] |
| Vibe | Butterfly Tracklist Ranked | 2017 | 2 | [40] |
| Vulture | Mariah Carey's 25 Best Singles | 2014 | 11 | [76] |
Credits and personnel
[edit]- Mariah Carey – background vocals, composer, lyrics, producer, vocals
- Dana Jon Chappelle – engineering
- Sean "Puffy" Combs – producer
- Ian Dalsemer – assistant engineering
- Anthony Henderson – background vocals, lyrics, vocals
- Steven Jordan – composer, keyboards, keyboard and drum programming, producer
- Tony Maserati – mixing
- Herb Powers Jr. – mastering
- Charles Scruggs – background vocals, lyrics, vocals[23]
Charts and certifications
[edit]
|
|
Notes
[edit]- ^ According to Norman Abjorensen, "middle of the road" is a radio format focusing on songs that are "generally strongly melodic and often features vocal harmony technique and light orchestral arrangements".[1]
- ^ Their separation occurred in late 1996,[5] and was disclosed publicly on May 30, 1997.[6]
- ^ Daddy's House was a recording studio owned by Sean Combs[28]
- ^ Such as J. D. Considine of The Baltimore Sun,[36] Michael Corcoran of the Austin American-Statesman,[35] and David Thigpen of Time[37]
- ^ Such as those from USA Today,[52] The Philadelphia Inquirer,[53] and the Springfield News-Leader[54]
- ^ "Butterfly" was released as the second single from Butterfly in 1997.[55] "Breakdown" debuted on the Billboard Hot R&B Airplay chart dated October 18, 1997, the same week as "Butterfly". The latter peaked at number twenty-seven and became Carey's third-lowest charting song on the chart at the time.[56] According to the New York Daily News, "Butterfly" received poor audience feedback.[57] A radio programmer told Billboard that they added "Breakdown" to their playlist instead of "Butterfly" to avoid playing multiple slow songs in a row.[58]
- ^ For comparison, when "Breakdown" debuted on the Hot R&B Singles chart dated May 9, 1998, none of the other ninety-nine songs on the chart had as many formats available.[63]
- ^ Such as Gary Graff of the San Francisco Chronicle,[77] Chuck Campbell of the Knoxville News Sentinel,[78] and Dave Ferman of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram[79]
- ^ Ferman felt that unlike R&B collaborations before the 1990s, in which "individual styles and good material blended to produce something that neither artist could have managed alone," the new "sound is an often unsatisfying fusion of slow to medium beats, with traces of '70s funk and a more streetwise sensibility than much ultra-successful '80s urban music had".[82]
- ^ Such as Jon O'Brien and Christine Werthman of Billboard[19][47]
- ^ Such as David Browne of Entertainment Weekly,[85] Thor Christensen of The Dallas Morning News,[42] Owen Myers of Pitchfork,[86] Kelefa Sanneh of The New York Times,[87] Troy L. Smith of Cleveland.com,[88] and Vincent Stephens in Popular Music and Society[89]
- ^ The release was credited to "My All"/"Breakdown" by the next week[98]
- ^ "Butterfly" peaked at number fifteen[66]
- ^ "The Roof (Back in Time)" was chosen as the third single from Butterfly in the United Kingdom in lieu of "Breakdown", but its release was ultimately cancelled. "My All" was issued independently of "Breakdown".[103]
- ^ Such as writers for NPR,[118] Slant Magazine,[119] and Vibe[40]
- ^ Such as those from Billboard,[47] Cleveland.com,[88] and Vulture[76]
References
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- ^ Nickson 1998, p. 3
- ^ Shapiro 2001, p. 92
- ^ Nickson 1998, p. 146
- ^ Shapiro 2001, p. 98
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- ^ Nickson 1998, pp. 24, 26
- ^ Shapiro 2001, p. 109
- ^ Frank, Alex (November 28, 2018). "Forever Mariah: An Interview with an Icon". Pitchfork. Archived from the original on November 7, 2023.
- ^ Nickson 1998, p. 164
- ^ Chan 2023, p. 78
- ^ Life After Death (CD liner notes). Puff Daddy Records. Arista Records. 1997. 78612 73011 2.
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Books
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Categories:
- 1997 singles
- 1998 singles
- Mariah Carey songs
- Bone Thugs-n-Harmony songs
- Music videos directed by Diane Martel
- Music videos directed by Mariah Carey
- Songs written by Mariah Carey
- Songs written by Stevie J
- 1997 songs
- Columbia Records singles
- Sony Music singles
- Songs about heartache
- Songs written by Wish Bone
- Songs written by Krayzie Bone
- Contemporary R&B ballads
- 1990s ballads