Readers of That Grape Juice know what avid music lovers we are – especially of hits past.
So, just as our retrospective features ‘From the Vault’ and ‘TGJ Replay’ allow us the chance to re-spin the gems and jams of yesterday of one artist, our newest feature Chart Rewind – a variation of our current Retro Rewind assay – accedes salutes to an entire era of music history.
This week we have a taste for ‘Honey,’ the first single from Mariah Carey‘s sixth studio album, ‘Butterfly’ [click here to read our full-length ode to the opus]…
Carey – who’d already seen her named etched in history books for being the first female artist to debut at #1 on the chart (with ‘Fantasy’) and later the first artist overall to have two singles debut atop the charts (‘One Sweet Day’), extended her reign with the release of ‘Honey.’ Found this week in 1997 at #1 in its inaugural chart week, the epic feat made Mimi the only artist to have 3 singles debut at the tally’s perch.
Going on to platinum status, the song may have not gotten much love from the Recording Academy (as it was nominated for two awards but won neither), it does remain a fan favorite among #Lambs for symbolically representing the singer’s real emancipation (i.e. see divorce from Tommy Mottola, shedding of cookie-cutter image, etc.)
Grab a spoonful inside:
Hot 100 This Week in 1997
Hot 100 This Week
Click here to read the full list from this week’s ‘TGJ Chart Check: Hot 100.’
Queen Of Billboard
MC The Songbird Supreme!
This was the song that changed everything, this era is what divides Pop Mariah and Hip Hop/R&B Mariah. She revamped both her image and sound.
Wish she revamped her music once more somehow. Nothing too crazy. But at this point it would do wonders. Something like Royals and that type of quality song (for nowadays standards) that would be so easy for Mariah to sing live on tv). Just working with new people. Probably at this age is almost impossible to do. She´s just doing what she wants. And the will somehow diminishes over time. But an example is when she worked with Broadway producer in her second Xmas album in 2010 and the new songs she did for the album (original) were amazing. It really worked. I think one more big hit could still happen doing that (not regaign the big commercial relevance, but a random hit like that yes). It´s almos impossible but can happen with the right revamp (Cher and “Believe”). And talking about that type of hit, someone that could do that too is Celine I believe. Coming out of nowhere for the younger generations with the write song written for her. At the end of teh day I see she is feeling very very fresh lately. She has been like the queen of Paris this summer. And her sales in France or Canada keep being crazy good. Celine has people on her side.
It’s not only Mariah, all of them could do better but they just do what they want, we ask for more but they ignore us ?
Yas! Mariah Carey is a real icon in music with a real own style (in music, writing and of course, in singing) that she has perpetuated for generations. Whether some people like it or not (typical snob critics don´t like to give props to women like her). She has really done it. Forever and for always.
Now to the topic: Butterfly is her best artistic effort. No doubt. So many things there. It´s crazy. And the introduction to the era with “Honey”. So fresh, so YAS!
That list is amazing btw. I love Jewel. So forgotten now. But she killed it with beautiful stuff.
Her last really great album, sonically and lyrically. Except her image went in the opposite direction, and hasn’t recovered yet lol.
Sad to see that this strong, powerful and emancipated Mariah is now gone and now we have this woman who is just showing tits and ass, making short concerts and creating flop music and flop promo. The public only hear about Mariah @Christmas and when she wears no bra having her tits trying to get out from her outfit. She should fire her awful management and start concentrating on music and her fans.
Mariah once had a special relationship with the Lambily, nowadays she only has artificial connection at concerts and sees only the money in her lambs.
Her best album lyrically. And this was the peak of her beauty and body.
Another 49 cent #1 single.
The “Butterfly” was everything!!!
She did that without streaming!