2005 Mariah Singles TS: "It's Like That," vs. "We Belong Together," vs. "Shake It Off," vs. "Don't Forget About Us."

I really like "It's Like That"s bridge. It's a shame the rest of the song is such tripe.

Also, since "Shake It Off" was released as a double A-side with "Get Your Number." We should be talking about that as well, although they both sound oh so similar, because of Jermaine Dupri being all over both. If they release another single off of the album, it has to be "To The Floor" which is way better than anything Nelly's done recently.

"One Sweet Day," "Fantasy," "Always Be My Baby"?

"Shake It Off" > "It's Like That"> "Don't Forget About Us" > "We Belong Together"

I seem to be in the minority here, but I love "It's Like That."
-- danzig (dandan...), January 7th, 2006.

It's hard to choose the best one since I love "It's Like That" so freaking much. Such a great 1st single, wonderful fake handclap assisted rhythm and a joyful declaration of purpose. From a production and hook standpoint, it's like Lil Jon's sonic approach imporived upon greatly.

Also, perhaps "Don't Forget About Us" shouldn't be included in these rankings since it's not on the record I bought but on one of those Special Edition rip off bullshit immediate re-releases.

Ugh. That is the crappiest of crappy Scott Storch beats.

But the bridge is ace. "Don't Forget..." has a cool bridge too, now that I think of it.

Hoarse = reenforced humanity!

Emancipation remixes TS: "We Belong Together" rmx f/ Jadakiss and Styles P. > "It's Like That" rmx f/ Fat Joe > "Don't Forget About Us" rmx f/ Juelz Santana and Bone Thugs N Harmony > "Shake It Off" rmx f/ Jay-Z and Young Jeezy

utterly baffled by the love for what appears to be a completely ordinary, predictable by-numbers 'ballad'.

Obviously, God created you without a heart.

We Belong Together >> It's Like That >> Shake It Off >>>>> Don't Forget About Us (yawn)

But yeah, "Shake it Off" is amazing. I didn't even know it was Mariah the first twenty times I heard it, which is probably a compliment.

Um, no. She sounds hoarse because years of overuse have made her voice hoarse; the whisper-voice that she fell in love with a few years ago because it sounds "sexy" is particularly broken and painful-sounding.

Having said that, "It's Like That" is balls-out fantastic.

"Shake It Off" approaches unlistenable but the other two are good.

We Belong Together > Get Your Number > It's Like That >>>>> Shake It Off >>>>> Don't Forget About Us

And "killing time until the chorus hits"? That song is all verse.

Dr. Bill wtf are you talking about, the song has a chorus.

Thank you for this insight, Deej, I meant that the real strength in the song lies in its verses, a point which I'm pretty sure you yourself have acknowledged at multiple points.

Yeah the verses rule.

wordiness isn't necessarily a bad thing, especially when the words are lines like "the pain reflected in this song ain't even half of what I'm feeling inside"--a line which is so obscured by the verse's wordiness that I didn't realize how awesome it was until like the 25th listen. That's a good thing, I think.

As for sonically boring, the way Mariah's voice shifts with each line in the "Bobby Womack's on the radio" segment is pretty undeniably striking.

Yes I know, hence "overly".

especially when the words are lines like "the pain reflected in this song ain't even half of what I'm feeling inside"--a line which is so obscured by the verse's wordiness that I didn't realize how awesome it was until like the 25th listen. That's a good thing, I think.

It's a good thing that you didn't realize that there was a good line in one of the verses because there were too many other words in the way?

the way Mariah's voice shifts with each line in the "Bobby Womack's on the radio"

Maybe it's just me but didn't I say upthread that those quotes were the only things in the song that worked? I misattributed the first one to Babyface but I think the bulk of my original point still stands.

When I'm still discovering new stuff in a top 40 song twenty listens down the road--especially for a song I was inevitably going to hear that many times--yeah, I'd say that's a good thing. It's not like the line had bothered me previously, anyway.

You are so dependable, Alex.

"We Belong Together" was the #25 single on Pazz & Jop that year.

Not high enough, obv. I mean, "George Bush Doesn't Care About Black People"?

"We Belong Together" was #19, actually.

Well, in terms of critical response, I remember the New Yorker piece all but going down on her. which is huge for any popstar, in my mind.

Seriously, though, who the hell listens to this shit?? This past summer, I was sitting out at my sister's place out in "The Hamptons," and some neighbor was absolutely BLASTING fuckin' "Emotions" (as in "you've got me feelin'...") by Mariah, and I was absolutely incredulous. Who the fuck enjoys this inane shit (let alone BLASTS it)?

Because it's a good song?

who the fuck enjoys whatever the fuck u enjoy = inane question? taste?

just a hunch ; )

"Emotions" is t-t-totally BLASTworthy.

i have never discussed killing joke with someone irl ever

mariah carey has come up

"i really loathe"?

mmm shake it off

^^^

best pop song i've ever heard. i think i'm gonna have to say this every couple of months -- just come out and say it.

i need you need you back in my life

i couldn't have fathomed i would ever be without your love

second verse of that song is just the dopest shit ever

i know right!

if you think you're lonely noowww...wait a minute! this is too deep (too deep)

constructing a dialogue between mariah and herself and the radio is just so brilliant

the pain reflected in this song ain't even half of what i'm feelin inside

otm

i'm not super-huge on mariah-isms, but they are weilded so effectively on this song that the entire existence of such a thing is justified

there are tons of great parts of the song, but it could all be almost too ordinary in a way, at least from a songwriting standpoint, but that second verse is a really subtle way of making it stand out from your ordinary tear jerker

still lol at wonky mariah lyrics tho

what u mean

i guess what i'm trying to say is that the verbosity is totally a strength in this song, exactly because it subtly sets it apart from Y.O.T.J.

yeah, like how they manage to fit "who else gonna talk to me on the phone till the sun comes up" in there w/o tripping up the chorus, it's really cool phrasing

I mean this song is like 5x as wordy as Y.O.T.J. at least!

AND THEN I HEAR BABYFACE!

you got me all out of my element
throwing things
cryin
tryin
to figure how the hell i went
wrong

the phrasing is just so good

year of the jentleman

togetherrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr

constructing a dialogue between mariah and herself and the radio is just so brilliant

― contl;drizer (J0rdan S.), Saturday, May 15, 2010 11:52 PM Bookmark

this is key, but the radio is pretty much a macguffin. the real drama of the song, has nothing to do with the radio, and not even that much to do with the guy. it's all about mariah vs herself!

i didn't mean it when i said i loved you so.........i was stupid i was foolish i was lying to myself

^^^

http://static.open.salon.com/files/duh-duh1233387823.jpg

lol sry

i didn't know you, i didn't know me, but i thought I knew everything

a macguffin?

a meaningless plot device, basically... think the suitcase in pulp fiction

i think i'm kind of misusing the term tbh. oh well

Reading through the last 25 or so posts has made me fall in love with this song all over again.

i have had the lyrics to this song resting atop my keyboard for the past year or so. just haven't wanted to take them down.

Seriously, though, who the hell listens to this shit?? This past summer, I was sitting out at my sister's place out in "The Hamptons," and some neighbor was absolutely BLASTING fuckin' "Emotions" (as in "you've got me feelin'...") by Mariah, and I was absolutely incredulous. Who the fuck enjoys this inane shit (let alone BLASTS it)?

― Alex in NYC, Wednesday, September 5, 2007 2:51 AM (2 years ago) Bookmark Suggest Ban Permalink

honestly, no matter if you never listen to any pop music in your life, i don't understand not appreciating the sheer musicality of this song

If musicality is all you're after, there are plenty of other options open to you.

hope ya'll remembered to vote for this in your ilx 2005 2009 ballots ;)

The Bobby Womack on the radio part of "we Belong Together has earwormed itself into my head and now I listen to this song at least once a day. Her delivery is masterful throughout the song and I have no idea how anyone could not like it. It's completely perfect.

woops missed some quotation marks there

so i
turn the dial tryin to catch a break

also because this song is now officially able to vote, i love to imagine all the people who have loved it over the years cranking it and really feeling the lyrics. i would love to be in a crowd of people where someone even attempts to cram all those words into one line and even half succeeds.

ok i just watched this video for my daily dose of this song and genuinely broke out in actual factual goosebumps at the end
wowee, what a song and what a singer

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a-DZrDLbnRI

I love all three.