Release
As January 2005 drew near, Carey had already completed many tracks for her yet-untitled studio album. However, after releasing the album's title, The Emancipation of Mimi (2005), "Say Somethin'" leaked, and was to be promoted as the project's lead single. While the song was universally chosen as Carey's next single, former Island Records head L.A. Reid suggested Carey travel to Atlanta for a period of three days to work with Jermaine Dupri. In an interview with MTV, Carey recalled the decision with Reid: "L.A. was like, 'You and Jermaine Dupri make magic together, why aren't you in the studio with him? I said, 'I love Jermaine, is he free? I know he's doing a million things, Usher and this and that.' But Jermaine said, 'Come on down.'" During the following interval of three days, the pair helmed the album's eventual third and fourth singles, "Shake It Off" and "Get Your Number". During her trip to Atlanta, Carey began second guessing the album's direction, and described her feelings regarding the decision in an interview with MTV News:
I really started second-guessing myself. And then I realized, like, all right, I have to go with my gut. Because everybody's got an opinion, and so many people's opinions about me are like polar opposites. They're like, 'We love it when she does ballads, make her do the ballads.' Then they're like, 'We want to hear a hip-hop record.' 'Why is she dressing like this? She should show less skin.' 'She should show more.' You know what I mean? I'm like, 'Stay in your lane, and I'll figure it out.'
After returning to home to re-arrange the album with Reid, Carey once again traveled to Atlanta in an attempt to create a few more strong singles for the album's roster. On her second stay in Dupri's hometown, the duo completed "We Belong Together" and "It's Like That", with the latter of the two replacing "Say Somethin'" as the albums's lead single. "Say Somethin" was then chosen to become the fourth single from the album, however, those plans were scrapped as well. Following the extended chart success of The Emancipation of Mimi, "Fly Like a Bird" was released as the seventh single from the project. Simultaneously promoted alongside "Say Somethin'", the song was released on April 3, 2006 to urban radio and gospel stations, while the latter to mainstream Top 40 channels. Tom Ferguson from Billboard did not agree with releasing both singles concurrently, as he had given "Say Somethin'" a negative review. According to Ferguson, while the latter had radio appeal, its "scantily produced drum'n'bass" only distracted, concluding "'Fly Like A Bird' is a classic: why muddy the water with this release."
Read more about this topic: Say Somethin'
Famous quotes containing the word release:
“The near touch of death may be a release into life; if only it will break the egoistic will, and release that other flow.”
—D.H. (David Herbert)
“As nature requires whirlwinds and cyclones to release its excessive force in a violent revolt against its own existence, so the spirit requires a demonic human being from time to time whose excessive strength rebels against the community of thought and the monotony of morality ... only by looking at those beyond its limits does humanity come to know its own utmost limits.”
—Stefan Zweig (18811942)
“The steel decks rock with the lightning shock, and shake with the
great recoil,
And the sea grows red with the blood of the dead and reaches for his spoil—
But not till the foe has gone below or turns his prow and runs,
Shall the voice of peace bring sweet release to the men behind the
guns!”
—John Jerome Rooney (1866–1934)