Music Box (Mariah Carey Album) - Composition

Composition

According to Marc Shapiro, Music Box reflected signs of Carey's vocal maturity, as well as representing an album she was truly proud of. The album's first single "Dreamlover" was described as a "slight piece of pop fluff," representing a more commercial side to Carey than the "more ambitious," "Vision of Love". Critics believed the song's chart performance was due to its summer release, as people were still looking for a "not-too-heavy" and more diverse sound. The song's composition was described as "mid tempo and mildly dance-able," with Carey's voice being called "perpetually happy," like a "little-girl voice." "Hero", the album's second single, was one of Carey's most inspirational ballads at the time.

"Its not that I'm experimenting with lower notes. I actually think my natural voice is low. My speaking voice is low, you know what I mean? And I'm really comfortable singing in my lower register..., I sing from the heart. Whatever the music makes me feel at the time, I go into the studio to sing a song, that's what it's going to do. Some people like it, some people don't. But it's just a part of my voice and that's it."

—Carey, on her vocals on Music Box, as well as her voice in general

The song was described as "a lush ballad," with Carey making use of her impressive, "lower alto register." As one of the more emotional tracks on the album, "Hero" built emotion, verse through verse, where the lyrics and melody finally "broke through." "Anytime You Need a Friend", was another pop ballad in which Carey would, "let her voice roam free," a feature critics felt lacked on the album. The song featured "rough and low vocals,", as well as some glimpses of Carey's upper registers. As with most of the songs on Music Box, the lyrics boasted a positive message, and was the only song on the album to feature traces of gospel-inspired vocals throughout the chorus.

The album's title track, Music Box, was another ballad Carey wrote with Afanasieff. The song was described as one of Carey's more difficult compositions, due to its "softness." The song requires a great deal of legato, to keep "the tunes softness and sweetness, without resorting to volume." Carey's vocals on the track are defined as "soft and controlled," managing to maintain the delicate balance in a manner that seems effortless, floating easily over the keyboard and the shimmer of the guitar. Lyrically, due to the song's message of "commitment and promise," and the "tinkling music-box line played on the synthesizer," the track gives the sensation of a wedding vow recital. "Never Forget You," one of the album's B-sides, is a slow song, further connecting it to the song's message of "lamenting the loss of love, in a very tender way." The song contains lovely keyboard notes that hover over the verses and allow Carey to indulge in her backing vocals. It was described as a "stand out track," one that could have easily become a hit single, "with an appeal that would have easily transcended generational barriers."