Triumphant - Inspiration

Inspiration

In a conference call with Billboard, Carey revealed that she wrote "Triumphant (Get 'Em)" while her husband, Nick Cannon, was hospitalized receiving medical treatment for mild kidney failure, saying "There's a lot of things you can take from there that can keep you going in a tough situation." Carey also added that the song was written around the time her friend, singer Whitney Houston, had died. "'We were actually in the hospital together when we saw it on TV.' It was important for me to write something that would...help me get through the moment. That’s where ‘Stay triumphant, keep on living’ came from." Carey also expressed why she chosen Ross and Mill, or any hip-hop artist in general on the track, claiming that they are "different" and how she is always experimenting on collaborations with varying and new artists. When asked why she chose not to release a lead single which was dance influenced, Carey explained how she felt regarding the current music scene; "I think it would be incredible if we could bring back the days when R&B records didn't have to cross over but be massive hits on their own," and that was the reason why she did not want to conform to what is currently on trend. Additionally, she felt that "Triumphant (Get 'Em)", potentially, would be able to generate cross-appeal, and not only cater Mainstream Top 40. With specific emphasis on the dance music scene and its popularity, Carey stated that while she was pregnant, the vast majority of music that was being released was dance and electronic music, saying "I was pregnant forever, and I was being tortured day and night by techno music. I was complaining to everyone who was listening. One time I made dinner for L.A. Reid, and we were both sitting there like 'What happened?'" It saddened Carey that R&B and hip-hop music was being "bowled over" by dance music, and therefore wanted to remain true to herself by making traditional R&B music:

"I'm collaborating with a lot of my favorite people but the main thing is I'm not trying to follow any particular trend. I want it to be well received. I want to stay true to myself and the music that I love and make the fans happy. It would be incredible if we can bring back the days where R&B songs didn't have to cross over. It makes me sad that there are so many talented R&B artists that don't get the chance that they should."