A Legendary Achievement: Mariah Carey’s ‘We Belong Together’ Reaches 500 Million Streams on Spotify
Mariah Carey’s ‘We Belong Together’ hits 500M streams on Spotify, marking her second song to achieve this milestone. A testament to her enduring music legacy.
The Challenging Period Preceding ‘The Emancipation of Mimi’
Prior to the release of “The Emancipation of Mimi,” Mariah Carey encountered a challenging period in her career with the consecutive releases of “Glitter” and “Charmbracelet.” Despite both albums achieving multiplatinum sales worldwide, they were met with critical disappointment and commercial underperformance compared to Mariah’s previous high-selling standards. “Glitter” faced particularly harsh criticism and was regarded as a commercial flop, partly due to its association with a widely panned film of the same name. These setbacks led some to question the future of Mariah’s career in the music industry.
In the midst of crafting her emancipation proclamation, “The Emancipation of Mimi,” Mariah Carey’s label boss, L.A. Reid, felt the need for a final touch of magic and suggested one more studio session with hitmaker Jermaine Dupri. Though initially hesitant, Mariah agreed, and the two collaborated at Dupri’s studio in Atlanta. In just two days, they created two sensational tracks: “Get Your Number” and “Shake It Off.” The latter, with its irresistible melody and infectious energy, quickly became Mariah’s favorite. “Nobody could tell me that ‘Shake It Off’ wasn’t going to be my first single. It was my favorite song, just from the demo.“
The Birth of “We Belong Together”
Dupri’s keen understanding of the album’s needs led to a fruitful partnership, and they continued to work together, creating “It’s Like That” and “We Belong Together” in another two-day burst. Mariah recalled the moment they finished writing “We Belong Together” and how she had a strong feeling of something special. Even from the demo version, the song exuded a profound emotional resonance. As Mariah listened to it on the plane ride back, she knew they had a hit on their hands.
“We Belong Together,” released on March 15, 2005, by Island Records, served as the second single from Mariah Carey’s acclaimed album “The Emancipation of Mimi.” The songwriting credits go to Carey, Jermaine Dupri, Manuel Seal, and Johntá Austin, with production handled by the trio.
Notably, the song includes interpolations of lyrics from Bobby Womack’s “If You Think You’re Lonely Now” (1981) and the Deele’s “Two Occasions” (1987), warranting credits for the songwriters of those respective tracks. The song’s musical arrangement revolves around a simple yet powerful piano melody, subtly accompanied by a backbeat. Lyrically, “We Belong Together” poignantly portrays a woman’s heartfelt yearning for her lost love, expressing her desperate desire for their reunion.
“We Belong Together”: Commercial Triumph Unveiled
“We Belong Together,” became an instant success. It debuted at number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, making it Mariah’s 16th chart-topper, tying her with Elvis Presley for the most number ones in the history of the Hot 100 at the time. The song dominated the charts globally, reaching number one in numerous countries, including Australia, Canada, the United Kingdom, and New Zealand. It spent an astounding 14 weeks at number one on the Billboard Hot 100, becoming one of the longest-running number-one singles in the chart’s history. During its first week of release, “We Belong Together” sold 277,000 digital downloads, setting a record for the most digital singles sold in a debut week at the time.
The music video for “We Belong Together” features Mariah Carey preparing for her wedding and follows her journey to the altar before escaping from the reception. The video is a continuation of her previous video for “It’s Like That,” with several actors from the first video appearing in this one. It begins in a grand mansion, owned by the older man she is supposed to marry, where Carey is seen getting ready in a room, dressed in lingerie. As the song starts, she is shown preparing for the wedding in front of a mirror, putting on earrings and shoes. The wedding ceremony is depicted, but as she stands at the altar, Carey looks into her ex-lover’s eyes one last time before running away with him, leaving the reception in a climactic scene. Interestingly, the wedding dress featured in the video is none other than Mariah’s actual Vera Wang wedding dress worn during her marriage to Tommy Mottola.
Over time, “We Belong Together” has emerged as one of Mariah Carey’s most streamed songs on Spotify, currently garnering an impressive 350 thousand daily streams and crossing the monumental milestone of 500 million streams worldwide. The song’s enduring popularity has earned it a remarkable 6 times platinum certification from the RIAA since its initial release.
Additionally, it has significantly contributed to boosting the overall certification of Mariah’s album “The Emancipation of Mimi” as streaming now plays a crucial role in album sales. Notably, Mariah re-recorded the song in a Valentine’s Day special in 2021, further fueling its success. With its continued growth in daily listeners, “We Belong Together” is poised to become Mariah’s second song to join the exclusive “billion club” on the platform, unless another new hit or viral TikTok trend emerges in the meantime. Whatever happens, the song’s timeless appeal and emotional resonance have solidified its position as one of Mariah Carey’s most iconic and beloved creations.
