"Honey" is the lead single and first track from Mariah Carey's seventh studio album, "Butterfly" It was released on July 29th, 1997 through Columbia Records.
The song was co-written and produced by Sean Combs, who was known at the time as Puff Daddy. Carey wrote the lyric, which finds her infatuated with a "lucky dude".[1] "Honey" became Mariah's third single to top the Billboard Hot 100 charts.[2]
Background[]
In January of 1997, Mariah began working on her album, Butterfly with producers from her previous album as well as new producers. Carey also continued pursing music with a more hip-hop oriented sound. In early 1997, "Honey" was recorded.[3] Mariah worked with Shawn "Puff Daddy" Combs for the first time. According to sources, Combs had what was described as an "overbearing nature" which prompted Carey to record her vocals separately until she gave him a few demos to choose from.
The original idea for 'Honey' is based on the song 'Body rock' by Treacherous Three.[4] According to Mariah:
| “ | Puff and I wanted to work together, making the first single. We were doing all sorts of things, so I already had a few songs I liked, but it wasn't quite exactly wat I was looking for. | ” |
– Mariah Carey | ||
After Combs played the song "Body Rock" over the phone Mariah's reaction was: "This is it." "Puffy" Combs, who described the song as "slammin'," had been cautiously optimistic about how the two highly divergent musical worlds (R&B and hip-hop) would mix. But by the time he finished listening to "Honey," he was a believer.[5]
Critical reception[]
"Honey" received admirable reception from music critics. J.D. Considine from the Baltimore Sun described the song as being a "straightforward party tune with an easy-going groove, some lightweight rapping and gently flirtatious lyric."[6]
Music video[]
The public got its first taste of the new, freer Mariah when the video for "Honey" premiered on MTV & BET in August of 1997.[2][4]
The idea for the video had been entirely Mariah's. "It was my whole concept," she said. "Director Paul Hunter and I talked about it for a while, and collaborated on it." Shot during the summer in Puerto Rico, "It was a grueling process, I'm not going to say it was easy. I got up at 3 am every day, and worked until 9 in the morning the next day - for four hours in a row, swimming in my Gucci pumps. I can't say that I really jumped off the roof, but I did dive into the pool. And I did wear and swim in those pumps, and I was not happy."[4] Many people were eager to read more into the video, and thought it was a subtext of Mariah escaping the controlling grip of Tommy Mottola.
Mariah, however, insisted that that simply was not the case. There was no slight to Tommy intended in the video. Even so, a few insisted that the video was a parody of the way she'd been treated. According to sources Tommy reportedly "loves the video," a spokesperson said, "and says "it's the best yet from Mariah." With its clothes and sensuous looks, it was certainly racier than any video she'd made before. "I don't really think the video is overly sexual," Mariah contested. "But for me - I mean people used to think I was the nineties version of Mary Poppins."
Despite the music video garnering a lot controversial speculation, the video is known to be one of Mariah's best.
Live performances[]
Carey first performed "Honey", the Bad Boy Remix, on September 5, 1997 on Top of the Pops, with Mase, and then on the Japanese music variety show Hey! Hey! Hey! Music Champ on October 6, 1997. The song was performed with elements from the Bad Boy Remix throughout the Butterfly World Tour as well, which served as the accompanying tour for Butterfly, and at the 1998 World Music Awards, where Carey also performed a medley of "My All" and its dance remix.
During the Rainbow World Tour in 2000, the song, the arrangement of which contained Mase's verse from the remix version, was performed with Carey wearing a sailor outfit. The same arrangement of "Honey" was also performed during the Charmbracelet World Tour, Carey's shows in Karlsruhe, Germany and at the Tivoli Gardens amusement park in Copenhagen, Denmark, and The Adventures of Mimi, in 2003-2004, 2005 and 2006, respectively. During the latter's New York City stop on August 23, 2006, Diddy joined Carey on stage for the song's performance.
The original version of "Honey" was also part of the setlist of Carey's 2009 concert residency at the Pearl Concert Theater in Las Vegas, NV and 2010's Angels Advocate Tour. Carey also performed the song during her concert at the Giza pyramid complex on May 17, 2010. After coming back from her year-long hiatus, Carey performed "Honey" at the 2012 Mawazine Festival on May 26, 2012 and during a private concert at the Salle des Étoiles concert hall at the Monte-Carlo Sporting club on June 2, 2012.
A snippet of "Honey" was included in an 8-song medley performed at the 230 Fifth rooftop bar in New York City on December 9, 2013. The performance aired on New Year's Eve with Carson Daly on December 31, 2013. In 2014, the So So Def Mix of the song was included in the The Elusive Chanteuse Show setlist, though this arrangement differed significantly from the original remix, as the both second rap verses, originally performed by Da Brat and Jermaine Dupri, were omitted and replaced with Mase's verse from the Bad Boy Remix. This arrangement was also performed during Carey's concert at the Live Park in Rishon LeZion, Israel on August 18, 2015 and at the 2016 Essence Festival, where Carey was joined by Da Brat and Dupri on stage during the song.
Between 2015-2017, the Bad Boy Remix of "Honey" was part of Carey's #1 to Infinity concert residency at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas, NV. For the performance, Carey donned a black swimsuit with gold details and appeared on stage riding a jet ski, alluding to the song's official music video. For the late 2016-2017 legs of the residency, the black swimsuit was replaced by a sparkly pink number with red and black details. In late 2016, an abridged version of "Honey" was added to the Car Ride Medley for the Mexican shows of The Sweet Sweet Fantasy Tour, before being performed in full during the Hawaiian leg. On September 17, 2017, Carey performed a medley of both the So So Def and Bad Boy remix versions of the song at the VH1 Hip Hop Honors show. Her performance featured special guests Da Brat, Jermaine Durpi, Syles P, Jadakiss and Mase.[7]
The rapless version of the song was brought back as the opening song of Carey's fourth concert residency, The Butterfly Returns, during 2018-2019. The song was also performed at the 2018 iHeart Radio Music Festival on September 21, 2018, the World Blockchain Festival on October 13, 2018, acted as the opening song of the Asian Tour and was performed at Carey's concert at the KAEC in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia on January 31, 2019. During the 2020 leg of The Butterfly Returns, a shortened version of "Honey" was once again included in the Car Ride Medley.
"Honey" was mashed with the "Heartbreaker" remix and performed at the Global Citizen Festival on September 24, 2022. The same mashup was also performed at the Banyan Tree AlUla hotel and resort opening on October 21, 2022, the Moët & Chandon holiday party on December 5, 2022, at Carey's Merry Christmas to All! and Merry Christmas One and All! shows, where the mashup was included in a medley of hits performed towards the end of the show, at two private wedding ceremonies at the Hotel du Cap-Eden-Roc in Antibes on the French Riviera on April 29, 2023 and May 3, 2024, at the Lovers & Friends music festival on May 6, 2023, at LA Pride on June 10, 2023 (the Another Taste of Honey David Morales Remix was also performed earlier in the show), at Carbone Beach's Qatar Grand Prix dinner party in Doha, Qatar on October 6, 2023, at the Saadiyat Nights festival on January 6, 2024, at Carey's 2024 concert residency The Celebration of Mimi, at the Soul Beach Music Festival on May 25, 2024, at Carey's shows at the Workers' Stadium in Beijing on September 15 and 16, 2024 and Allianz Parque in São Paulo on September 20, 2024 and during Carey's set at Rock in Rio on September 20, 2024.
Track listings and formats[]
|
|
Lyrics[]
[Intro: Mariah Carey & Styles P]
Oh, oh, honey got me hooked on you
I like that
Oh, oh
Come on, MC
La da da da da da da da, da da
Come on
La da da da da da da da, la da da da da
MC
La da da da da da da da, da da da da da
La da da da da da da da
I like that
La da da da da, da da da da
Let's go
[Verse 1: Mariah Carey & Styles P]
Oh honey, you can have me when you want me
If you simply ask me to be there
Uh-huh
And you're the only one who makes me come runnin'
'Cause what you got is far beyond compare, oh
[Pre-Chorus: Mariah Carey & Styles P]
And it's just like honey
When your love comes over me
That's right
Oh baby, I've got a dependency
Always strung out for another taste of your honey
[Chorus: Mariah Carey]
It's like honey when it washes over me
You know sugar never ever was so sweet
And I'm dyin' for ya, cryin' for ya, I adore ya
One hit of your love addicted me
Now I'm strung out on you, darlin', don't you see?
Every night and day
I can hardly wait for another taste of honey
[Post-Chorus: Mariah Carey]
Honey, I can't describe
How good it feels inside
Honey, I can't describe
How good it feels inside
[Verse 2: Mariah Carey & Styles P]
I can't be elusive with you, honey
I like that
'Cause it's blatant that I'm feelin' you
Yeah
And it's too hard for me to leave abruptly
'Cause you're the only thing I wanna do
[Pre-Chorus: Mariah Carey]
And it's just like honey
When your love comes over me
Oh baby, I've got a dependency
Always strung out for another taste of your honey (Honey)
[Chorus: Mariah Carey]
It's like honey when it washes over me
You know sugar never ever was so sweet
And I'm dyin' for ya, cryin' for ya, I adore ya
(I need you bad)
One hit of your love addicted me
(Ooh, your love addicted me)
Now I'm strung out on you, darlin', don't you see?
(I can't wait for another)
Every night and day
I can hardly wait for another taste of honey
[Break: Mariah Carey & Mase]
(Baby, I can hardly wait)
Honey I can't describe
Harlem world, we won't stop
And Mariah, you're on fire
How good it feels inside (Gotta have another taste)
Harlem world, we won't stop
So Mariah, take us higher
Honey I can't describe (I gotta have you now, come on baby)
Harlem world, we won't stop (I need your honey right now)
How good it feels inside
And Mariah, you're on fire
Harlem world, we won't stop
So Mariah, take us higher (Come sweet to me with your honey)
[Bridge: Mariah Carey, Diddy & Styles P]
Breakdown
Whoa, whoa, every little thing you do
Now what we gonna do right here
Is we gonna smooth it out, come on
Oh, oh, honey, got me hooked on you
(MC, and she won't stop)
Honey, it's like
[Chorus: Mariah Carey]
It's like honey when it washes over me
You know sugar never ever was so sweet (Oh sugar, you know)
And I'm dyin' for ya, cryin' for ya, I adore ya
(Oh, I need your love right now, baby)
One hit of your love addicted me
Now I'm strung out on you, darlin', don't you see?
Every night and day
I can hardly wait for another taste of honey
(I need a taste of honey)
It's like honey when it rushes over me
You know sugar never ever was so sweet
And I'm dyin' for ya, cryin' for ya, I adore ya (Honey, I)
One hit of your love addicted me
Now I'm strung out on you, darling, don't you see?
Every night and day (Oh honey, I)
I can hardly wait for another taste of honey (Honey, I)
It's like honey when it rushes over me
You know sugar never ever was so sweet
And I'm dyin' for ya, cryin' for ya, I adore ya
One hit of your love addicted me
Now I'm strung out on you, darling, don't you see?
Every night and day
I can hardly wait for another taste of honey
[Outro: Mariah Carey]
Honey, I can't describe
How good it feels inside
Gallery[]
"Paint pretty pictures of what I'd do if you were mine" To view the Honey gallery, click here.
|
References[]
- ↑ Honey via Song Facts - retrieved 9/18/20
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Wikipedia: Honey article - retrieved 9/18/20
- ↑ MARIAH CAREY ROLLS OUT CRAVE RECORDS - retrieved 9/18/20
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 Honey - MCArchives.com - retrieved 9/18/20
- ↑ Shapiro 2001 - retrieved 9/18/20
- ↑ 'Butterfly' is sweet as honey Review: With a caress rather than a crescendo, Mariah Carey makes music that soars on her lush, confident album. - Baltimore Sun - retrieved 9/18/20
- ↑ Setlist — Honey by Mariah Carey