| MARIAH CAREY AND VEVOCELEBRATE 20th ANNIVERSARY OF“WE BELONG TOGETHER”EXCLUSIVELY ON VEVO FOOTNOTES Mariah Carey Shares the Story Behind the Song, Her Music Video Style and the Love Triangle That Brought It to Life “I knew that I wanted these songs to last and become modern classics.” |
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| Today, Mariah Carey and Vevo debuted a new episode of Footnotes, taking viewers behind-the-scenes of “We Belong Together,” celebrating the 20th anniversary of the record-breaking hit that became one of the most successful songs of her career. In the episode, Mariah reflects on the creation and storytelling behind the iconic song and its place within The Emancipation of Mimi. She shares how the track was one of the last written for the album, created during a collaborative session with Jermaine Dupri that also produced “It’s Like That” and “Shake It Off.” Mariah discusses her intention to make the album feel current while staying true to her signature style, trying to create songs that would become modern classics. The video for “We Belong Together” continues the narrative that began with “It’s Like That,” forming a dramatic love triangle storyline starring Wentworth Miller and Eric Roberts. Mariah shares her excitement about telling a story across two music videos and expresses appreciation for her label’s support and the creative freedom she was given. She also reveals behind-the-scenes details and fashion choices, like wearing the dress from her first wedding, which helped save on the video’s budget and filming additional scenes during a promo tour in London. The result is a cinematic and emotional piece that has resonated with fans for nearly two decades. Mariah will release a suite of special 20th anniversary edition releases of The Emancipation of Mimi on May 30 via Def Jam Records/UMe. The marquee release is a gorgeous, limited edition 5LP vinyl box set, personally compiled by Mariah to bring together the musical world she created, and continues to create, around this masterwork. As elaborate as it is all-encompassing, this ultimate fan-must have combines the original album and beloved tracks from the Ultra Platinum Edition, such as the hit single “Don’t Forget About Us,” “Makin’ It Last All Night (What It Do),” “Secret Love,” and “Sprung,” with dozens of bonus tracks, spanning from Emancipation era dance remixes, artist collabs, instrumentals, acapellas, and edits, culled from various CD singles and maxi singles, to brand new remixes by the likes of KAYTRANADA and Esentrik. Housed in a beautiful slipcase, the expansive 5LP vinyl collection features exclusive packaging with a 28-page booklet with stunning photos of Mariah as well as a personal letter from the legendary singer to her fans about the significance of this unprecedented album in her extraordinary career. A deluxe 2LP vinyl set as well as a digital deluxe edition with selected handpicked tracks from the box set will also be available. For more information or to purchase, visit: MariahCarey.lnk.to/Mimi20PR Full Transcript Below: 0:07 – Mariah Carey: When I started working on ‘The Emancipation of Mimi,’ I knew that it needed to sound current, but also be true to my style. I worked with some amazing collaborators, and throughout the process, I knew that I wanted these songs to last and become modern classics. 0:25 – Mariah Carey: “We Belong Together” was one of the last songs written for the album. I got together with JD [Jermaine Dupri] and while we were working on an uptempo record, which ended up being “It’s Like That,” we also came up with “We Belong Together” and “Shake It Off.” 0:50 – This video completes the story that began in “It’s Like That,” which sets up Mariah’s love triangle with characters played by Wentworth Miller and Eric Roberts. 1:05 – Mariah Carey: I was excited to be able to tell a story that spanned over two music videos. It was the first time I ever did that and I knew we’d be able to bring them together despite the songs being sonically different. I also really loved the fashion choices, going from wearing a black two piece to wearing a wedding dress by Vera Wang. 1:29 – Mariah Carey: We didn’t have time to shoot all the scenes on the original shoot day, so I ended up filming the scenes in the white kaftan and when I’m lying in bed when I was in London on a promo tour for the album. 1:50 – The dress is the same one that Mariah wore at her first wedding. 2:00 – Mariah Carey: Since I was going to do a scene with a wedding dress, rather than spend tons of money on a new dress, we just used the one I had lying around! 2:20 – Mariah Carey: I loved that we were able to get Eric Roberts to play the groom because he’s an actor that I really admire. We had a lot of fun shooting the video with all the “wedding guests” a.k.a. Extras. 2:45 – Mariah Carey: I’m really happy that the label believed in me and let me have this big dramatic video, and I’m happier that it resonated with a lot of people who are still enjoying this song today. |
