On this day in 2001, Mariah Carey released ‘Loverboy’ as the lead single from the ‘Glitter’ soundtrack. The song samples ‘Candy’ by Cameo, which was a hit in the late ’80s.
‘Loverboy’ spent four consecutive weeks on top of Billboard’s Hot Singles Sales chart, and ended the year as the best-selling single of 2001 in the US. It peaked at #2 on Billboard’s Hot 100, and #1 on the R&B chart.
It also became a Top 10 hit in Canada and Australia.
A remix featuring Ludacris, Da Brat, Shawnna and Twenty II was also included on the ‘Glitter’ album. A music video was filmed for the remix with all guest rappers making appearances, as well as Cameo lead singer, Larry Blackmon.
Both music videos were directed by David LaChapelle, and the filming process was documented for MTV’s ‘Making The Video’.
As part of Mariah’s 2020 release ‘The Rarities’, the original version of ‘Loverboy’ which used a sample of ‘Firecracker’ by Yellow Magic Orchestra was included, and even released as part of double A-side limited edition cassette singles with ‘Here We Go Around Again’. Mariah discussed the story behind this version in her memoir ‘The Meaning of Mariah Carey’.
Listen to ‘Loverboy’:
Listen to ‘Loverboy (Firecracker – Original Version)’: