Daydream cover art

  Studio Album · No. 5

Daydream

1995 Columbia Records 12 tracks 47 min

Produced by Walter Afanasieff, Mariah Carey, Jermaine Dupri, Sean Combs

Columbia Records PopR&B
92%
Authorship
Artist

Mariah Carey wrote 11 of 12 documented tracks

Authorship Breakdown 11 / 12 documented

Who wrote the songs?

Scored across the 12 tracks with documented writers, by whether Mariah Carey carries a lyricist or composer credit.

92%
11 trackswritten by Mariah Carey 1 trackoutside writers
Mariah Carey's roles on this album

Share of the 12 tracks where a band member is credited, by role.

Lyricist92%
Composer92%
Producer100%
Performer100%

By the Numbers

12
Tracks
16
Lyricists
7
Producers
3
No.1 Singles
20 million
Worldwide Copies Sold
1995
Released

Awards & Recognition 1

Grammy Award for Album of the Year (1996, Nominated)
Data Insight

Daydream pushed Mariah Carey toward hip-hop and R&B, and she co-wrote every song on it, most often with Walter Afanasieff. 'Fantasy' interpolates Tom Tom Club's 'Genius of Love,' so its members share the credit, and 'One Sweet Day' was co-written with all four members of Boyz II Men. The album reflects her growing creative control as she steered her sound away from straight adult-contemporary pop.

Daydream, released in October 1995, was another massive commercial triumph for Mariah Carey and marked her first major step toward hip-hop production, featuring collaborations with Jermaine Dupri and Sean 'Puff Daddy' Combs alongside her ongoing work with Walter Afanasieff. Carey co-wrote nine of the album's ten standard tracks, with the sole exception being 'Open Arms,' a cover of the Journey song written by Steve Perry and Jonathan Cain. The album produced the record-breaking duet 'One Sweet Day' with Boyz II Men, co-written by Carey and Afanasieff, which spent sixteen consecutive weeks at number one on the Billboard Hot 100, the longest run by any song in the chart's history at the time. 'Fantasy,' sampling Tom Tom Club's 'Genius of Love,' was her first number-one hit to feature a rap guest and marked a decisive shift toward the hip-hop crossover territory she would explore more aggressively on subsequent albums. Daydream debuted at number one in the US and was certified eleven times platinum.

Track Listing & Credits 12 tracks

Written by the artist Written by outside writers
#TitleLyricist(s)Composer(s)Producer(s)Performers
1
Fantasy #1
Mariah CareyChris FrantzTina WeymouthDave HallAdrian BelewSteven Stanley Mariah CareyChris FrantzTina WeymouthDave HallAdrian BelewSteven Stanley Mariah CareyDave Hall Mariah Carey (Lead Vocals)
2
Underneath the Stars
Mariah CareyWalter Afanasieff Mariah CareyWalter Afanasieff Mariah CareyWalter Afanasieff Mariah Carey (Lead Vocals)
3
One Sweet Day #1
Mariah CareyMichael McCaryNathan MorrisWanya MorrisShawn Stockman Mariah CareyMichael McCaryNathan MorrisWanya MorrisShawn Stockman Mariah CareyWalter Afanasieff Mariah Carey (Lead Vocals)Boyz II Men (Vocals)
4
Open Arms
Steve PerryJonathan Cain Steve PerryJonathan Cain Mariah CareyWalter Afanasieff Mariah Carey (Lead Vocals)
5
Always Be My Baby #1
Mariah CareyJermaine DupriManuel Seal Jr. Mariah CareyJermaine DupriManuel Seal Jr. Mariah CareyJermaine DupriManuel Seal Jr. Mariah Carey (Lead Vocals)
6
I Am Free
Mariah CareyWalter Afanasieff Mariah CareyWalter Afanasieff Mariah CareyWalter Afanasieff Mariah Carey (Lead Vocals)
7
When I Saw You
Mariah CareyWalter Afanasieff Mariah CareyWalter Afanasieff Mariah CareyWalter Afanasieff Mariah Carey (Lead Vocals)
8
Long Ago
Mariah CareyJermaine DupriManuel Seal Jr. Mariah CareyJermaine DupriManuel Seal Jr. Mariah CareyJermaine DupriManuel Seal Jr. Mariah Carey (Lead Vocals)
9
Melt Away
Mariah CareyBabyface Mariah CareyBabyface Mariah CareyBabyface Mariah Carey (Lead Vocals)Babyface (Background Vocals)
10
Forever
Mariah CareyWalter Afanasieff Mariah CareyWalter Afanasieff Mariah CareyWalter Afanasieff Mariah Carey (Lead Vocals)
11
Daydream Interlude (Fantasy Sweet Dub Mix)
Mariah CareyChris FrantzTina WeymouthDave HallAdrian BelewSteven Stanley Mariah CareyChris FrantzTina WeymouthDave HallAdrian BelewSteven Stanley Mariah CareyDavid Morales Mariah Carey (Lead Vocals)
12
Looking In
Mariah CareyWalter Afanasieff Mariah CareyWalter Afanasieff Mariah CareyWalter Afanasieff Mariah Carey (Lead Vocals)

Songwriter & Credit Spotlight 18 contributors

More from Mariah Carey

Frequently Asked Questions Daydream

When did Mariah Carey release Daydream?
Mariah Carey released Daydream on September 26, 1995 through Columbia Records. It debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 and spent six weeks at the top.
Did Mariah Carey write Daydream herself?
Yes, Mariah Carey co-wrote every song on Daydream, working most closely with Walter Afanasieff. She also collaborated with Jermaine Dupri and Dave Hall on the album's more R&B-leaning tracks.
Who wrote Fantasy by Mariah Carey?
'Fantasy' was written by Mariah Carey and Dave Hall, and it interpolates Tom Tom Club's 'Genius of Love,' which adds the band's members to the credits. The single debuted at number one on the Billboard Hot 100.
Who wrote One Sweet Day by Mariah Carey?
'One Sweet Day' was co-written by Mariah Carey and the four members of Boyz II Men, who also perform on it. The single spent sixteen weeks at number one on the Billboard Hot 100, a record at the time.
How many number one singles did Daydream by Mariah Carey have?
Daydream produced three Billboard Hot 100 number-one singles: 'Fantasy,' 'One Sweet Day,' and 'Always Be My Baby.' 'One Sweet Day' set a record for the most weeks at number one.
How many copies did Daydream by Mariah Carey sell?
Daydream has sold over 20 million copies worldwide. It is certified 11× Platinum by the RIAA in the United States.

Sources