Mariah Carey Butterfly Week! #5 - The Roof (Back In Time)

This is one of her all-time best songs. Moody, atmospheric, incredible lyricism and story-telling, layered background vocals. Stunning work.

According to her memoir, the concept stemmed from her brief romance with Derek Jeter

She wrote this song about a date she had with Derek Jeter. She's singing exactly what happened between them and how she felt about it all. She explained it in her book.

Mariah has quite a few songs like this. It was no surprise at all she would use this Mobb Deep sample and get the duo themselves to be on the track. She’s that girl! 💅🏾 …R.I.P. Prodigy ♥️🙏🏾♥️

Yess!!! “The Roof” is def top 5 Mariah tracks!

The Mariah Wall of Sound is EVERYTHING! Always listen to her songs with lyrics!!

Her most underrated song imo. That was a Mob Deep sample. The video is about reminiscing and takes us back to the 70's and 80's. Love the video treatment. This is one of her songs I often go back to because there's a nostalgia quality about it but it's done so well.

“It wasn’t raining yet.” One of the best opening lyrics ever in my opinion.

This and Breakdown are peak Mariah. She produced and wrote. She funded this music video herself when her label wouldn’t let her.

This is one of my fav songs. She definitely based this on a real experience. This beauty of the song is her voice telling the story/lyrics and the feeling of nostalgia for young love.

Back in the 80’s a lot of breakdancers in NY were Puerto Rican, Dominican and Black. The video is a flashback to that time and her crush. One of the airbrushed sweatshirts said 1983. In the early 80’s it was feathered hair and Sergio Valente, Gloria Vanderbilt or Jordache jeans.

Mariah has had many hits. This is probably one of my top 3 songs. It shows her versatility better than any of her hits. I love the story, the vocals, the melody....superb.

We getting some Breakdown? That has to be one of my fav Mimi songs

The reason this song is so popular is the backstory and especially the beautiful imagery in the lyrics she wrote. It’s considered some of her best work lyrically.

I love Mariah’s R&B/Hip Hop catalog

Omg yes 🙌🏾 Thank you to the fellow lamb who requested this. FYI, that was indeed the Dominican flag and Mariah isn’t Dominican. This video was an ode to early-mid 1980s NYC, which had a big influence on Mariah. I think the flag was just a part of that tribute to NYC, since there is a large Dominican community there. She’s also talked about how she used to travel to NYC as a teen to do a lot of demos and background singing. She eventually moved there after she graduated high school and she got her Sony record deal at 18. Unfortunately, The Roof was never made a single because of creative differences and sabotage from her abusive ex-husband Tommy Mottola (the record head of Sony in the 90s/early 2000s). It’s still a fan favorite (as well one of Mariah’s) and Mariah’s re-recorded this as a collab with Brandy recently. Regardless, the Butterfly album is arguably her magnum opus and most transformative. It really was the first album where she had full creative control without Tommy’s abuse and manipulation.

Watching your reviews I see how siloed culture is and how certain cultural moments are shared amongst groups. This is a signature sound that Mariah created. This song is beloved by her fans for its unique imagery and storytelling. This song is a snapshot of a moment where she longs for a person she once loved. She rides in her limo on a rainy night and it takes her back in time to the early 80’s where she recalls a special time.

Yes all things mariah the queen of remixes

❤😊 yasss this is my favorite album by her! No skips!! Thank you to the person requesting this! Thank you from a fellow lamb

butterfly is often regarded as one of her best albums