Thanksgiving is over, and whether we want it to be or not, it is officially Mariah Carey season. It’s debatable whether that season starts right after Halloween or Thanksgiving, but there’s no denying it now — it’s time. In recent years, Mariah Carey has essentially become synonymous with Christmas music and the holiday season, with smash hits like “All I Want for Christmas Is You” blasting right back into the charts nearly every year. I, like most other people, can appreciate her for this; There must be something special about her and her music if songs she made almost 30 years ago are still being resurrected to the point where they top the charts. But I’d like to make a case for the rest of Carey’s discography — namely, her 1995 album Daydream. To truly appreciate Mariah Carey as an artist, one must break away from the Christmas music — for some, a tragically difficult endeavor — so I’m here to break it down for you. Let’s jump into Daydream.
Daydream begins with “Fantasy,” the lead single off the album and a definite standout (along with “Obsessed” — a personal favorite). Featuring Carey’s signature whistle tones, complex background vocals and some electric scatting, “Fantasy” is a riveting start to the record. Carey said of the song, “I had the melody idea for ‘Fantasy’ and I was listening to the radio and heard ‘Genius of Love,’ and I hadn’t heard it in a long time. It reminded me of growing up and listening to the radio and that feeling the song gave me seemed to go with the melody and basic idea I had for ‘Fantasy.’”
“Underneath the Stars” is soothing and lullaby-esque as Carey reflects on a past love. This song is quintessential ’90s female R&B and proves that Carey is no one-trick pony — her vocals can be soft or powerful, and she can make it sound good either way. Boyz II Men hop on “One Sweet Day,” the second single of Daydream and a track so emotional it almost feels religious. Carey’s voice is unusually set back in the composition of the chorus for her discography, indicating a more equal partnership between Carey and Boyz II Men that I would have expected given her tendency to outshine. In discussing the collaboration, Carey explained “[The] whole idea of when you lose people that are close to you, it changes your life and changes your perspective. When they came into the studio, I played them the idea for the song and when [it] was finished, they looked at each other, a bit stunned, and told me that [Nathan Morris] had written a song for his road manager who had passed away. It had basically the same lyrics and fitted over the same chord changes. It was really, really weird, we finished the song right then and there.”
“Open Arms” is a cover of the Journey song — one of my all-time favorite Journey songs, in fact, which made me a bit worried when pressing play. I was pleasantly surprised; Carey does her own thing but manages to stay true to the original, and it sounds fitting … not to mention this is the perfect song to demonstrate Carey’s storied vocal range. “Always Be My Baby,” the third single off Daydream, is one of Carey’s most popular songs. It shares much of its structure with “Fantasy,” with a lot of the weight placed on the opening scats and backing vocals. Next is “I Am Free,” which provides a peek into Carey’s lower range, with beautiful vocals at the tail end of the chorus.
The album drops off a bit with “When I Saw You”; the song is missing things — the lyrics are a bit elementary, the vocals are relatively unimpressive and the song could have actually used some Boyz II Men. Daydream picks back up with “Long Ago,” with a harder beat and more fleshed-out lyrics than in much of the rest of the album, as Carey sings “You told me pretty lies / As I held onto you tight / You knew how to get your way / Ignorance was bliss in your warm embrace” and “Every now and then I drown in thoughts of yesterday / And the fool’s paradise that you blew away.” “Long Ago” is more negative than other songs on this record, but it was needed.
“Melt Away” is catchy and makes use of every inch of Carey’s range. “Forever” is another great one, with absolutely soaring vocals. “Daydream Interlude (Fantasy Dub Mix)” feels unnecessary — it’s a weird remix of “Fantasy” and it does not work. Carey wanted a club song, but it just does not hit. The album caps off with “Looking In” — quite the switch-up, with some soft guitar in the background, no chorus and an uncharacteristic sadness. It’s a curious way to end Daydream, but grounds it in reality.
All in all, Daydream acts as an impactful reminder that Mariah Carey does not just defrost for Christmas. She’s actually around all year long, and it’d serve you well to remember that.
Test Spins is a fortnightly throwback column reviewing and recommending classic and underrated albums from the past. It runs every other Friday.
Sydney Levinton is a sophomore in the College of Arts and Sciences. She can be reached at [email protected].