starsbutterfliesandimperfection:

The Memoirs of a Butterfly

Heartbreaker

From Heroes of Mariah (fansite):
”Mariah is in Italy this week, singing with Luciano Pavarotti at his annual benefit for War Child. “He asked to do my song Hero with me, and they’ve written an operatic part that goes along with my lyric,” she reports. Mariah took her mother, a former opera singer, along for the trek. The event will be televised world-wide, including the U.S., at a later date.” June, 1999

Rainbow was Mariah Carey’s final studio album of original material for Columbia, her label home since her debut in 1990. Her main focus on the album was to continue on the same path she began with on Butterfly, producing a subtle combination between inspirational ballads and hip-hop beats. Additionally, Heartbreaker marked the first time in Carey’s career that a hip-hop star was included on a lead single. Jay-Z was the choice. Out of the three months in Capri, Italy, that it took to record the album, Carey claimed to have spent most of the time developing what she felt to be a strong lead single. Carey was effusive about her Heartbreaker partner, Jay-Z. “It’s fun when you find people you can relate to and that you respect. Jay-Z is someone I so admire as a writer and as an artist.” 

Facts and Legacy

• The song’s hook is built around a sample from Attack of the Name Game by Stacy Lattisaw.
• Originally, Heartbreaker was intended to be part of Carey’s debut film soundtrack Glitter, however, after the film’s delay, it was included on Rainbow.
• There are two videos for Heartbreaker: one for the original song and other for the remix.
• That was Bianca first music video, the “brunette version of Mariah Carey”.
• The video became one of the most expensive ever made, costing over $2.5 million. And it was her most expensive video to date.
• Heartbreaker was nominated for Best R&B/Hip-Hop Female Single at Soul Train Music Awards.

Charts and Sellings 

• Heartbreaker was #1 in U.S., Canada, Spain, New Zealand. It was a top 5 hit in Europe (Summary chart), France and U.K. It was a top 10 hit in Australia, Belgium (Wallonia), Denmark, Germany, Italy, Netherlands and Switzerland. It was a top 20 hit in Austria, Ireland, Norway and Sweden.
• It was #1 on R&B/Hip-Hop Songs.
• It was certified with Gold in U.S. and France, and with Platinum in Australia and New Zealand.
• Heartbreaker sold more than 2,3 millions copies around the world.

Source: Wikipedia, Heroes of Mariah, MC Archives, YouTube, Mariah Daily Journal and Mariah Carey Collection

(Source: hey-its-pedro)