Maps of Music

Music Box (1993)

Where the lyrics of Music Box take you, and where it was really made.

Music Box drew mixed reviews on release, yet it went on to top the charts in 17 countries.

Key places

Electric Lady Studios, New York City (1993)

Recording site Electric Lady Studios — The recording credits list Electric Lady Studios in New York City as a place where Music Box was recorded. The point marks the studio building. Google Maps · Apple Maps

How to get there: See the map for directions.

Criteria Studios, Miami (1993)

Recording site Criteria Studios — The recording credits list Criteria Studios in Miami as a place where Music Box was recorded. The point marks the city centre area of Miami. Google Maps · Apple Maps

How to get there: See the map for directions.

The Plant Studios, Sausalito (1993)

Recording site Record Plant — The recording credits list The Plant Studios in Sausalito as a place where Music Box was recorded. The point marks the studio location. Google Maps · Apple Maps

How to get there: See the map for directions.

Album story

Overview

• Music Box is the third studio album by Mariah Carey
• Released 31 August 1993 by Columbia Records
• Pop and R&B album infused with soul, gospel, dance, and jazz
• Consists mainly of pop ballads and uptempo dance tracks
• Carey sought a radio-friendly approach to reach a wider audience
• Promoted with five singles and the North American Music Box Tour, her debut concert tour

Background

• Carey was discovered by Tommy Mottola, CEO of Columbia Records, in 1988 and signed to the label
• Preceded by Mariah Carey (1990), Emotions (1991), and the live EP MTV Unplugged (1992)
• Released after her marriage to Mottola in June 1993
• Public speculation expected a more pop-oriented album with polished production
• Producers included Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds, Robert Clivillés, Walter Afanasieff, David Cole, and Daryl Simmons
• Most of the songwriting was handled by Carey and Afanasieff, who had worked together on Emotions

Recording

• Carey described the work as a more subtle progression, mixing soul, jazz, and gospel with some uptempo tracks
• Afanasieff helped co-write four tracks: Anytime You Need a Friend, All I've Ever Wanted, Just to Hold You Once Again, and Music Box
• Hero began as a theme song written for Gloria Estefan before Carey kept it for herself
• Carey sang in her natural voice and used her upper register less than on earlier albums

Sources: en.wikipedia.org

Tracklist

Sources: musicbrainz.org

Artist

Early life

• Born March 27, 1969 in Huntington, New York, on Long Island.
• Youngest of three children of Patricia Hickey, a former opera singer, and Alfred Roy Carey, an aeronautical engineer.
• Began singing at age three; graduated from Harborfields High School in 1987.
• Worked as a demo singer and backup singer, including for Brenda K. Starr.

Career

• Signed to Columbia Records after Tommy Mottola heard her demo tape in December 1988.
• Debut album Mariah Carey (1990) topped the US Billboard 200 and won Best New Artist at the Grammys.
• Became the first artist whose first five singles reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100.
• Music Box (1993), Merry Christmas (1994), and Daydream (1995) achieved major global sales.
• Later albums moved toward hip-hop and R&B, including Butterfly (1997) and Rainbow (1999).
• Comeback album The Emancipation of Mimi (2005) was her fifth number-one album in the US.
• Known as the 'Songbird Supreme' and 'Queen of Christmas'; one of the best-selling artists in history with over 220 million records sold.

Sources: en.wikipedia.org

Reception

At release

• Music critics gave mixed reviews on release
• Critics praised Carey's vocal performance and some of the songs
• Critics criticized the mellow, formulaic, and subdued lyricism
• Rolling Stone's Stephen Holden named the lyrics as the album's main weakness, made up of pop and soul clichés
• Time's Christopher John Farley praised tracks like Anytime You Need a Friend, Music Box, and Without You, but called it a missed opportunity for artistic growth

Reappraisal

• Retrospective reviews have been more positive
• Many critics underscored the album's significance in Carey's career
• Billboard's Andrew Hampp rated the album 80 out of 100
• Complex ranked it the twenty-ninth best R&B album of the 1990s
• AllMusic's Ron Wynn called its restrained vocal approach partly successful

Records

• Topped the charts in 17 countries, including Australia, France, Germany, and the United Kingdom
• Topped the US Billboard 200 for eight non-consecutive weeks
• Certified diamond by the RIAA
• Carey's bestseller, with over 30 million copies sold worldwide

Sources: en.wikipedia.org

Trivia

• Here Is Mariah Carey, a one-hour television special, captured the pre-tour performance of the album's songs
• Music Box was Carey's first album to earn diamond certification from the RIAA
• Carey's first headlining tour, the Music Box Tour, was booked for just six shows with rest periods to protect her voice

Sources: en.wikipedia.org

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