Sweetheart (Rainy Davis song)#Jermaine Dupri and Mariah Carey version

"Sweetheart" is a song originally recorded by American singer Rainy Davis. It was written by Davis and Pete Warner, and produced with Dorothy Kessler. The track was released in 1986 by independent record label SuperTronics as a single from Davis's 1987 studio album Sweetheart. A freestyle, hip hop pop, and synth-funk song, "Sweetheart" appeared on R&B and dance music-based record charts in the United States.

American singer Mariah Carey recorded a cover version with American rapper Jermaine Dupri (credited as JD) for his debut album, Life in 1472 (1998), and her first greatest hits album, #1's (1998). So So Def and Columbia Records released it as the third single from the former album on September 7, 1998. Carey was inspired to create a remake of "Sweetheart" as she liked listening to the song as a teenage girl. Critics categorized the cover as a dance, hip-hop, and R&B song, and its instrumental features synths and bass runs. The lyrics describe a woman's desire for a person with whom to share a romance.

"Sweetheart" was promoted with a music video directed by Hype Williams in Spain. Although American and British music magazines predicted it would experience success on major record charts, its performance in those countries was restricted to the US Billboard Bubbling Under Hot 100 and UK club charts due to the absence of a commercial release. It fared better in mainland Europe, where it charted in the top twenty on Dutch, German, and Swiss record charts. In reviewing "Sweetheart", music critics focused on Carey's vocal performance, Dupri's rapping style, and the cover's perceived sexual nature.

Rainy Davis original

{{Infobox song

| name = Sweetheart

| cover =

| alt =

| type = single

| artist = Rainy Davis

| album = Sweetheart

| b-side =

| released = 1986

| recorded =

| studio =

| venue =

| genre = * Freestyle

| length = 6:56

| label = SuperTronics

| writer = * Denise L. Davis

Pete Warner

| producer = * Warner

Davis
Dorothy Kessler

| misc = {{Extra chronology

| artist = Rainy Davis

| type = single

| title = Sweetheart

| year = 1986

| next_title = Lowdown So & So

| next_year = 1987

}}

"Sweetheart" is a freestyle, hip hop pop, and synth-funk song recorded by American singer Rainy Davis from her debut album, Sweetheart (1987). Davis and Pete Warner wrote the lyrics, composed the melody, and produced it with Dorothy Kessler. It was mixed by Tony Humphries."Sweetheart" (12-inch vinyl). SuperTronics. 1986. RY 013. SuperTronics, a Brooklyn-based independent record label, issued the song in early 1986.{{cite magazine|date=June 28, 1986|title=Despite Hits, New Indies Maintain Narrow Focus|magazine=Billboard|page=81|id={{ProQuest|1438643682}}}} A representative from the label stated that the release was part of a strategy to expand beyond promoting songs made for dance clubs by finding and issuing ones suitable for radio airplay. The radio edit has a runtime of three minutes and forty-seven seconds, and the 12-inch vinyl single is six minutes and fifty-six seconds long."Sweetheart" (7-inch vinyl). SuperTronics. 1986. RYS 013.{{cite magazine|date=March 8, 1986|title=Reviews: Singles|magazine=Billboard|page=85|id={{ProQuest|1438651887}}}}

"Sweetheart" appeared on R&B and dance music-based record charts in the United States. According to a 2020 Billboard article, it experienced minor success on the former.{{cite magazine |last=Unterberger |first=Andrew |url=https://www.billboard.com/media/lists/mariah-carey-greatest-songs-top-100-9460564/ |title=The 100 Greatest Mariah Carey Songs: Staff Picks |date=October 5, 2020 |magazine=Billboard |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220519172808/https://www.billboard.com/media/lists/mariah-carey-greatest-songs-top-100-9460564/ |archive-date=May 19, 2022}} The song peaked at numbers twenty-three, twenty-four, and twenty-seven, respectively, on charts published by Cash Box, Billboard, and Radio & Records magazines. Reflecting on its commercial performance, a writer for the Hartford Advocate newspaper described it as a "huge club/dance hit". In 1986, "Sweetheart" ranked at number thirty-two on Billboard{{'}}s year-end 12-inch Singles Sales chart.

Critics commented on the song's production and Davis's vocals. Upon its single release in 1986, Billboard published several reviews. The magazine as a whole described it as "rhythmically intricate", dance writer Brian Chin favored the song's "unpressured beat and nice overall polish",{{cite magazine|date=February 9, 1986|title=Dance Trax|magazine=Billboard|page=63|id={{ProQuest|1286508330}}}} and R&B writer Nelson George compared Davis's vocals to those of Lisa Lisa on Lisa Lisa and Cult Jam's "I Wonder If I Take You Home".{{cite magazine|date=June 7, 1986|title=The Rhythm & The Blues|last=Nelson|first=George|magazine=Billboard|page=25|id={{ProQuest|1286447481}}}} Writing for the Hartford Advocate in 1987, George Lane named it the best song on Sweetheart for its restrained production which he thought showcased her voice well.{{cite news |last=Lane |first=George |date=April 20, 1987 |title=The New Soul |newspaper=Hartford Advocate |page=26 |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/111542227/hartford-advocate/ |via=Newspapers.com |access-date=October 18, 2022 |archive-date=October 18, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221018181208/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/111542227/hartford-advocate/ |url-status=live }}

class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;" \|+1986 US weekly chart performance !Chart (Publisher) !Peak position
scope="row"\|12-inch Singles Sales (Billboard){{cite web\|title=Billboard Singles\|publisher=AllMusic\|url=http://www.allmusic.com/artist/rainy-davis-mn0001199941/awards\|url-status=dead\|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140306203946/http://www.allmusic.com/artist/rainy-davis-mn0001199941/awards\|archive-date=March 6, 2014}} \|13
scope="row"\|Club Play (Billboard) \|42
scope="row"\|Hot Black Singles (Billboard) \|24
scope="row"\|12-inch Dance Singles (Cash Box){{cite magazine\|date=August 16, 1986\|title=Top 12" Dance Singles\|magazine=Cash Box\|page=17}} \|15
scope="row"\|Black Contemporary (Cash Box){{cite magazine\|date=August 9, 1986\|title=Top Black Contemporary Singles\|magazine=Cash Box\|page=15}} \|23
scope="row"\|Black/Urban (Radio & Records){{cite magazine\|date=July 18, 1986\|title=The Back Page: National Airplay\|magazine=Radio & Records\|page=88}} \|27

class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;"

|+1986 US weekly chart performance

!Chart (Publisher)

!Peak
position

scope="row"|12-inch Singles Sales (Billboard){{cite web|title=Billboard Singles|publisher=AllMusic|url=http://www.allmusic.com/artist/rainy-davis-mn0001199941/awards|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140306203946/http://www.allmusic.com/artist/rainy-davis-mn0001199941/awards|archive-date=March 6, 2014}}

|13

scope="row"|Club Play (Billboard)

|42

scope="row"|Hot Black Singles (Billboard)

|24

scope="row"|12-inch Dance Singles (Cash Box){{cite magazine|date=August 16, 1986|title=Top 12" Dance Singles|magazine=Cash Box|page=17}}

|15

scope="row"|Black Contemporary (Cash Box){{cite magazine|date=August 9, 1986|title=Top Black Contemporary Singles|magazine=Cash Box|page=15}}

|23

scope="row"|Black/Urban (Radio & Records){{cite magazine|date=July 18, 1986|title=The Back Page: National Airplay|magazine=Radio & Records|page=88}}

|27

class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;" \|+1986 US year-end chart performance !Chart (Publisher) !Peak position
scope="row"\|12 Inch Singles Sales (Billboard){{cite magazine\|date=December 27, 1986\|title=Top Dance Sales Singles/Albums\|magazine=Billboard\|page=Y{{hyphen}}26\|id={{ProQuest\|1286451231}}}} \|32

class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;"

|+1986 US year-end chart performance

!Chart (Publisher)

!Peak
position

scope="row"|12 Inch Singles Sales (Billboard){{cite magazine|date=December 27, 1986|title=Top Dance Sales Singles/Albums|magazine=Billboard|page=Y{{hyphen}}26|id={{ProQuest|1286451231}}}}

|32

Jermaine Dupri and Mariah Carey version

{{Infobox song

| name = Sweetheart

| cover = Sweetheart Mariah Carey.png

| alt = Cover art of "Sweetheart"

| caption =

| type = single

| artist = Jermaine Dupri and Mariah Carey

| album = Life in 1472 and #1's

| released = September 7, 1998

| studio =

Krosswire Studio (Atlanta, Georgia){{cite AV media notes|title=Life in 1472|year=1998|type=CD liner notes|publisher=So So Def Recordings|id=69087}}{{cite AV media notes|title=#1's|year=1998|type=CD liner notes|publisher=Columbia Records|id=CK 69670}}
The Hit Factory (New York City){{cite AV media notes|title=Life in 1472|year=1998|type=CD liner notes|publisher=So So Def Recordings|id=69087}}{{cite AV media notes|title=#1's|year=1998|type=CD liner notes|publisher=Columbia Records|id=CK 69670}}
Right Track Recording (New York City){{cite AV media notes|title=Life in 1472|year=1998|type=CD liner notes|publisher=So So Def Recordings|id=69087}}{{cite AV media notes|title=#1's|year=1998|type=CD liner notes|publisher=Columbia Records|id=CK 69670}}

| venue =

| genre = *Dance

hip hop
R&B

| length = 4:22

| label = * So So Def

Columbia

| writer = * Rainy Davis

Pete Warner

| producer = * Jermaine Dupri

Mariah Carey

| misc = {{Extra chronology

| artist = Jermaine Dupri

| type = single

| prev_title = Money Ain't a Thang

| prev_year = 1998

| title = Sweetheart

| year = 1998

| next_title = Going Home with Me

| next_year = 1998

}}

{{Extra chronology

| artist = Mariah Carey

| type = single

| prev_title = My All

| prev_year = 1998

| title = Sweetheart

| year = 1998

| next_title = When You Believe

| next_year = 1998

}}

{{External music video|{{YouTube|vefhY2RfM_0| "Sweetheart"}}|type=single

}}

= Background =

According to Carey, after divorcing Sony Music CEO Tommy Mottola following the release of her sixth studio album Butterfly (1997), she negotiated an exit from Columbia Records. The earliest release from the multi-year deal was her greatest hits album, #1's.{{cite book |last1=Carey |first1=Mariah |author-link1=Mariah Carey |last2=Davis |first2=Michaela Angela |author-link2=Michaela Angela Davis |date=2020 |title=The Meaning of Mariah Carey |pages=215–218|publisher=Andy Cohen Books |isbn=978-1-2501-6468-1}} As Columbia planned to release it for the 1998 Christmas shopping season, Carey did not want the album's release to come across as purely commercial. She included four new songs, one of which was a cover of "Sweetheart".{{cite book |last=Shapiro |first=Marc |date=2020 |title=Mariah Carey: The Unauthorized Biography |page=116 |publisher=ECW Press |isbn=978-1-55022-444-3}} Carey felt that covering a song she liked as a teenager in school would be appreciated by other young girls. She conceptualized the remake with Dupri,{{cite magazine|title=The Vibe Q: Higher and Higher|last=Smith|first=Danyel|author-link=Danyel Smith|magazine=Vibe|page=95|date=November 1998|url=https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_jisEAAAAMBAJ/page/n99/mode/2up|via=Internet Archive}} with whom she had collaborated on songs such as "Always Be My Baby". The duet was announced in February 1998 to be included on his debut studio album Life in 1472,{{cite magazine|last=Samuels|first=Anita M.|title=Former Brand New Heavy Has Brand-New Bag; Grammy Tour Explains Music Biz for Students|magazine=Billboard|page=22|date=February 21, 1998|id={{ProQuest|1505961225}}}} which was released that July.{{cite news |date=July 20, 1998 |title=Dupri Debut |newspaper=The Atlanta Journal-Constitution |page=B2 |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/111871069/the-atlanta-constitution/ |via=Newspapers.com}} In November, it appeared as the first song on #1's.{{cite web|url=https://www.sonymusic.co.jp/artist/MariahCarey/discography/SRCS-8820|title=The Ones|language=ja|publisher=Sony Music Japan|access-date=October 23, 2022|archive-date=August 14, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240814071757/https://www.sonymusic.co.jp/artist/MariahCarey/discography/SRCS-8820|url-status=live}}

=Music and lyrics=

The single version of "Sweetheart" is four minutes and twenty-two seconds long. Commentators classified it as a dance, hip-hop, and R&B song. It also contains elements of electro-funk and pop music. Dana Jon Chappelle and Brian Frye recorded the cover at KrossWire Studio in Atlanta, Georgia, and The Hit Factory and Right Track Recording in New York. Trey Lorenz, Melonie Daniels, and MaryAnn Tatum provided background vocals. The song was produced by Dupri and Carey, mixed by Dupri and Phil Tan at Silent Sound Studios in Atlanta, and mastered by Bernie Grundman.{{cite AV media notes|title=Life in 1472|year=1998|type=CD liner notes|publisher=So So Def Recordings|id=69087}}{{cite AV media notes|title=#1's|year=1998|type=CD liner notes|publisher=Columbia Records|id=CK 69670}} In a 2018 interview regarding his production discography, Dupri named "Sweetheart" the song he most wished to redo as he "would have made it a little more ghetto".{{cite web |last=Ju |first=Shirley |date=2018 |title=Jermaine Dupri Breaks Down What the Five Essential So So Def Songs Are |website=Okayplayer |url=https://www.okayplayer.com/music/jermaine-dupri-interview-so-so-def-legacy.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220122165830/https://www.okayplayer.com/music/jermaine-dupri-interview-so-so-def-legacy.html |archive-date=January 22, 2022}}

The lyrics of the song describe a woman's desire for a person with whom to share a romance. Carey yearns, "Baby, won't you be my sweetheart / And we could share a storybook romance", to which Dupri responds through ad-libs and a rapped verse.{{cite news |last=Baker |first=Soren |author-link=Soren Baker |date=July 19, 1998 |title=Watch Out for Jermaine Dupri |newspaper=Los Angeles Times |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1998-jul-19-ca-4954-story.html |url-access=limited |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221018165900/https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1998-jul-19-ca-4954-story.html |archive-date=October 18, 2022}} Synths and bass runs are featured prominently throughout the song.{{cite magazine|last=Ex|first=Kris|title=Jermaine Dupri Life in 1472|magazine=Vibe|date=September 1998|url=https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_lywEAAAAMBAJ|page=284|access-date=October 18, 2022|via=Internet Archive}} They disappear during the bridge as Carey sings, "A full moon is waiting in the twilight". An explicit introduction in the album version of the song on Life in 1472, in which Carey talks to Dupri on the phone about "fucking", is omitted in subsequent releases.{{cite magazine |last=Jones |first=Alan |date=August 8, 1998 |title=Chart Commentary |magazine=Music Week |page=20 |id={{ProQuest|232187210}}}}

=Release=

"Sweetheart" was promoted as the third single from Life in 1472 and the lead single from #1's.{{cite web |url=https://www.mtv.com/news/dbim06/mariah-carey-and-jermaine-dupri-get-artistic-for-new-video |title=Mariah Carey And Jermaine Dupri Get Artistic For New Video |date=August 12, 1998 |publisher=MTV News |access-date=October 22, 2022 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181216074026/http://www.mtv.com/news/1426950/mariah-carey-and-jermaine-dupri-get-artistic-for-new-video/ |archive-date=December 16, 2018}}{{cite news|last=Kadir|first=Zainal Alam|title=Contest in Conjunction with Carey's New Album|work=New Straits Times|department=Life and Times|page=4|date=November 4, 1998|id={{ProQuest|266398484}}}}{{cite AV media notes|title=Sweetheart|date=1998|type=CD single liner notes|publisher=So So Def|id=CSK 41331}} So So Def and Columbia Records released it to American urban contemporary radio stations on September 7, 1998,{{cite magazine|title=Addvance Notice|magazine=Radio & Records|page=132|date=September 4, 1998|id={{ProQuest|1017314194}}}} followed by rhythmic contemporary stations eight days later.{{cite magazine|title=New Releases|magazine=Radio & Records|page=41|date=September 11, 1998|id={{ProQuest|1017319067}}}} A commercial release in the United States scheduled for September 29 was retracted for unspecified reasons and instead distributed for free with the purchase of #1's.{{cite magazine|title=Hot 100 Singles Spotlight|last=Sandiford-Waller|first=Theda|magazine=Billboard|page=105|date=September 19, 1998|id={{ProQuest|1506072000}}}}{{cite book|last=Whitburn|first=Joel|author-link=Joel Whitburn|date=2005|title=Joel Whitburn's Bubbling Under the Billboard Hot 100 1959–2004|publisher=Record Research|page=49|isbn=0-89820-162-4}} Spin reported that DreamWorks and Arista Records were concerned that the song might cannibalize sales of their impending release, Carey's duet with Whitney Houston, "When You Believe".{{cite magazine|title=Hush Hush|last=Fleischer|first=Joe|magazine=Spin|page=73|date=December 1, 1998|id={{ProQuest|1286656854}}}}

Dupri, Carl-So-Lowe, Lil Jon, Mark Picchiotti, and Eddie Arroyo produced remixes that appeared on several releases.{{cite web |title=Sweetheart EP |publisher=Sony Music and So So Def Recordings|url=https://open.spotify.com/album/2WnZUGeARPOUEBQJxqBftE|via=Spotify|url-status=live|archive-url=https://archive.today/20221024023733/https://open.spotify.com/album/2WnZUGeARPOUEBQJxqBftE|archive-date=October 24, 2022}} In the United Kingdom, Columbia issued a promotional 12-inch vinyl of the Picchiotti mixes.{{cite magazine|title=On the Airwaves|last=Davis|first=Sarah|department=Record Mirror|magazine=Music Week|page=3|date=November 7, 1998}}"Sweetheart" (12-inch vinyl). Columbia Records. 1998. XPR 2448. Sony Music Taiwan released a commercial CD maxi single subtitled "The Story" on October 14, 1998,{{cite web|url=https://sonymusic.com.tw/album/%E7%94%9C%E5%BF%83-%E7%91%AA%E9%BA%97%E4%BA%9E%E5%87%B1%E8%8E%89-jd-mariah-carey-jd-44k79028/|title=甜心-瑪麗亞凱莉|trans-title="Sweetheart" – Mariah Carey|language=zh-hant|publisher=Sony Music Taiwan|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221018211152/https://sonymusic.com.tw/album/%E7%94%9C%E5%BF%83-%E7%91%AA%E9%BA%97%E4%BA%9E%E5%87%B1%E8%8E%89-jd-mariah-carey-jd-44k79028/|archive-date=October 18, 2022}} followed by Sony Music Japan on November 6, 1998.{{cite web|url=https://www.oricon.co.jp/prof/11755/products/235592/1/|title=スイートハート|trans-title="Sweetheart"|language=ja|publisher=Oricon|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220505060650/https://www.oricon.co.jp/prof/11755/products/235592/1/|archive-date=May 5, 2022}} CD and CD maxi singles were issued in Belgium on November 2, 1998.{{cite web|url=http://sonymusic.be/Releases/981101.htm|title=New Releases This Week|publisher=Sony Music Belgium|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20000306121203/http://sonymusic.be/Releases/981101.htm|archive-date=March 6, 2000}} The Lil Jon remix was later included on an enhanced CD of Carey's 1999 single "Heartbreaker"."Heartbreaker" (enhanced CD). Columbia Records. 1999. 668301 2. The song appears on some of Carey's subsequent compilation albums such as Greatest Hits (2001) and The Remixes (2003).{{cite magazine |last=Cinquemani |first=Sal |date=December 10, 2001 |title=Review: Mariah Carey, Greatest Hits |magazine=Slant Magazine |url=https://www.slantmagazine.com/music/mariah-carey-greatest-hits/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211119055928/https://www.slantmagazine.com/music/mariah-carey-greatest-hits/ |archive-date=November 19, 2021}}{{cite AV media notes |date=2003 |title=The Remixes |medium=CD liner notes |publisher=Columbia Records |id=COL 510754 2}} In September 2020, as part of her campaign anticipating The Rarities, a digital extended play of "Sweetheart" was released.{{cite news |last=Lovece |first=Frank |author-link=Frank Lovece |url=https://www.newsday.com/entertainment/music/mariah-carey-en-espanol-ep-c80175 |url-access=subscription |title=Mariah Carey Releases Spanish-Language EP |date=September 8, 2020 |work=Newsday |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221116011132/https://www.newsday.com/entertainment/music/mariah-carey-en-espanol-ep-c80175 |archive-date=November 16, 2022}}

=Critical reception=

Critics commented on Carey's vocal performance and Dupri's rapping, many praising Carey's restrained singing style.{{efn|Attributed to Vincent Stephens in Popular Music and Society, Ron Rollins of the Dayton Daily News, and the Bristol Post.{{cite news |date=October 29, 1998 |title=Single Reviews |newspaper=Bristol Post |page=12}}}} Writing for the Popular Music and Society journal, Vincent Stephens thought this helped make "Sweetheart" one of her best R&B songs.{{cite journal |last=Stephens |first=Vincent |date=Winter 2000 |title=Ones |journal=Popular Music and Society |volume=24 |issue=4 |pages=115{{hyphen}}116 [115] |id={{ProQuest|208069971}}}} According to Ron Rollins of the Dayton Daily News, it demonstrates her confidence in her vocal abilities.{{cite news |last=Rollins |first=Ron |date=November 27, 1998 |title=Recordings on Review |newspaper=Dayton Daily News |department=Go! |page=19 |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/104112147/dayton-daily-news/ |via=Newspapers.com |access-date=June 20, 2022 |archive-date=June 20, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220620203738/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/104112147/dayton-daily-news/ |url-status=live }} Other reviewers commented on how well Dupri's rapping complemented Carey's singing, and some argued that the song was more a showcase for Carey than Dupri.{{cite magazine |date=September 26, 1998 |title=Single Reviews |magazine=Music Week |page=12}} The Baltimore Sun{{'}}s J. D. Considine said "Carey's effortless carnality makes Jermaine Dupri's sex-obsessed rap seem almost silly".{{cite news |last=Considine |first=J. D. |author-link=J. D. Considine |date=November 17, 1998 |title=Carey Queen of Charts |newspaper=The Baltimore Sun |page=5E |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/104112613/the-baltimore-sun/ |via=Newspapers.com |access-date=June 20, 2022 |archive-date=June 20, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220620203738/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/104112613/the-baltimore-sun/ |url-status=live }} In contrast, Time{{'}}s Christopher John Farley felt the two complemented each other well.{{cite magazine|title=The Hit Man of Atlanta|last=Farley|first=Christopher John|author-link=Christopher John Farley|magazine=Time|page=63|date=July 20, 1998|url=https://archive.org/details/time-1998-04-13/Time%201998-07-20/page/62/|via=Internet Archive}} Andrew Unterbeger of Billboard echoed similar comments in a 2020 retrospective review. The incorporation of hip-hop elements in "Sweetheart" was also analyzed; in the view of Boston Globe writer Joan Anderman, they come across as sanitized.{{cite news |last=Anderman |first=Joan |date=November 27, 1998 |title=Dueling Divas |newspaper=The Boston Globe |page=D17 |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/111574907/the-boston-globe/ |via=Newspapers.com |access-date=October 19, 2022 |archive-date=October 19, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221019012751/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/111574907/the-boston-globe/ |url-status=live }}

The song's sensuality was another topic of commentary. Critics described Carey's vocals as sexy{{efn|Attributed to Jeff Hall of the Camden Courier-Post and Natalie Nichols of the Los Angeles Times.{{cite news |last=Hall |first=Jeff |date=August 14, 1998 |title=Dupri's First Solo Effort Is Up and Down Affair |newspaper=Courier-Post |page=9E |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/104111152/courier-post/ |via=Newspapers.com |access-date=June 20, 2022 |archive-date=June 20, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220620203736/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/104111152/courier-post/ |url-status=live }}{{cite news |last=Nichols |first=Natalie |date=November 8, 1998 |title=Record Rack |newspaper=Los Angeles Times |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1998-nov-08-ca-40501-story.html |url-access=limited |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221019005946/https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1998-nov-08-ca-40501-story.html |archive-date=October 19, 2022}}}} and likened her personality in "Sweetheart" to that of a vixen, a dirtier version of Lisa Lisa, and a submissive Barbie doll.{{efn|By Larry Flick of Billboard, Vivian Host of the Dallas Morning News,{{cite news |last=Host |first=Vivian |date=August 7, 1998 |title=For the Record |department=Weekend Mag |newspaper=Pittsburgh Post-Gazette |agency=The Dallas Morning News |page=25 |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/104114066/pittsburgh-post-gazette/ |via=Newspapers.com |access-date=June 20, 2022 |archive-date=June 20, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220620203737/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/104114066/pittsburgh-post-gazette/ |url-status=live }} and David Browne of Entertainment Weekly,{{cite magazine |last=Browne |first=David |url=https://ew.com/article/1998/07/31/jermaine-dupri-presents-life-1472/ |title=Jermaine Dupri Presents Life in 1472 |date=July 31, 1998 |magazine=Entertainment Weekly |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201128224909/https://ew.com/article/1998/07/31/jermaine-dupri-presents-life-1472/ |archive-date=November 28, 2020}} respectively.}} A few argued the song was well-suited to erotic dancing, deemed "booty-bouncing" and a strip club anthem.{{efn|By Vivian Host of the Dallas Morning News and Brian McCollum of the Detroit Free Press,{{cite news |last=McCollum |first=Brian |date=November 17, 1998 |title=Mariah Carey Collects Her Hits |newspaper=Detroit Free Press |page=3E |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/104212911/detroit-free-press/ |via=Newspapers.com |access-date=June 27, 2022 |archive-date=June 22, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220622141922/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/104212911/detroit-free-press/ |url-status=live }} respectively.}} Others gauged how explicit the song's lyrics were: Richard Harrington of The Washington Post opined it was more toned-down than other songs on Life in 1472; The Philadelphia Inquirer{{'}}s Tom Moon felt was more explicit than most songs discussing sex.{{cite news|title=Jermaine Dupri Presents Jermaine Dupri|last=Harrington|first=Richard|newspaper=The Washington Post|page=C5|date=August 5, 1998|id={{ProQuest|1619984113}}}}{{cite news |last=Moon |first=Tom |date=July 28, 1998 |title=2 Producers Learn Humility |newspaper=The Philadelphia Inquirer |page=D4 |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/104209815/the-philadelphia-inquirer/ |via=Newspapers.com |access-date=June 22, 2022 |archive-date=June 22, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220622124809/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/104209815/the-philadelphia-inquirer/ |url-status=live }} In The Indianapolis Star, Scott L. Miley said Carey's romantic advances were "unflattering".{{cite news |last=Miley |first=Scott L. |date=August 9, 1998 |title=Record Picks |page=I4 |newspaper=The Indianapolis Star |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/104113611/the-indianapolis-star/ |via=Newspapers.com |access-date=June 20, 2022 |archive-date=June 20, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220620203739/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/104113611/the-indianapolis-star/ |url-status=live }}

=Commercial performance=

Music magazines predicted "Sweetheart" would thrive on record charts. British publication Music Week described it as the song on Life in 1472 most suited to commercial success.{{cite magazine |date=October 3, 1998 |title=Urban Cuts |department=Record Mirror |magazine=Music Week |page=5}} In the United States, Billboard thought it would be the most-played song on pop and R&B radio stations in late 1998.{{cite magazine|title=Singles|editor-last=Flick|editor-first=Larry|author-link=Larry Flick|magazine=Billboard|page=32|date=September 12, 1998|id={{ProQuest|1506071948}}}} Following its radio release, eligibility for the US Billboard Hot 100 chart was changed to include non-commercial releases and airplay data from R&B stations.{{cite magazine|title=A New Hot 100 Reflects Changes in Music Business|last1=Mayfield|first1=Geoff|last2=Sandiford-Waller|first2=Theda|magazine=Billboard|pages=1, 129|date=December 5, 1998|id={{ProQuest|1505960408}}}} In the first week of the rule change on December 5, 1998, it entered the Bubbling Under Hot 100 at number twenty-five and remained on the chart for one week. Writing for Complex in 2013, David Drake said that the song underperformed compared to Carey's 1998 standards{{efn|When "Sweetheart" was released, Carey had a streak of five consecutive number one singles on the Billboard Hot 100 dating back to 1995.{{cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/artist/mariah-carey/chart-history/hsi/|title=Mariah Carey Chart History (Billboard Hot 100)|magazine=Billboard|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221101175512/https://www.billboard.com/artist/mariah-carey/chart-history/hsi/|archive-date=November 1, 2022}}}} and questioned Sony's decision to cancel the September 29 commercial release.{{cite magazine |last=Drake |first=David |date=January 29, 2013 |title=The 30 Best So So Def Songs |website=Complex |url=https://www.complex.com/music/2013/01/the-30-best-so-so-def-songs/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210126024852/https://www.complex.com/music/2013/01/the-30-best-so-so-def-songs/ |archive-date=January 26, 2021}} Internationally, "Sweetheart" peaked within the top twenty of record charts in Germany, Switzerland, and the Netherlands. Remixes peaked at number sixteen on the UK Record Mirror Club Chart published by Music Week.

=Music video=

File:Bilbao - Guggenheim aurore.jpg.|alt=A side view of the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao.]]

The song was promoted with a music video directed by Hype Williams.{{cite news|title=Another Life Step: Hitmaker Dupri Inspires His Own Record|last=Jones|first=Steve|newspaper=USA Today|page=4E|date=October 9, 1998|id={{ProQuest|408742407}}}} Like with many music videos for other songs by Carey such as "Honey" (1997), the video for "Sweetheart" features an exotic setting.{{cite news |last=Barker |first=Rachael |date=May 12, 2012 |title=Six Degrees |newspaper=South China Morning Post |url=https://www.scmp.com/article/1000796/six-degrees |url-access=subscription |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221101013232/https://www.scmp.com/article/1000796/six-degrees |archive-date=November 1, 2022}} It was shot at the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao, Spain, in August 1998. As with other media projects filmed there, the Guggenheim was chosen for its unique appearance;{{cite book |last=Tran |first=Johnny |editor-last=Bonfitto |editor-first=Peter Louis |date=2022 |chapter=Guggenheim Museum Bilbao |title=World Architecture and Society: From Stonehenge to One World Trade Center |page=227 |volume=1 |publisher=ABC-CLIO |isbn=978-1-4408-6585-5}} Williams persuaded Carey to travel there after showing her pictures of the building.{{cite magazine|date=October 1998 |title=Carey on Gehry|magazine=ARTnews|page=29|volume=97|issue=9}} Williams had often used a fisheye lens to produce perspective distortion in past music videos, but he did not use it for "Sweetheart" because the Guggenheim, an example of architecture in the deconstructivist style, is inherently distorted.{{cite book |last=Cooke |first=Sekou |author-link=Sekou Cooke |date=2021 |title=Hip-Hop Architecture |page=191 |publisher=Bloomsbury Publishing |isbn=978-1-3501-1615-3}}

"Sweetheart" depicts Dupri dancing on top of the museum, while Carey twirls in a dress to reveal her underwear and rides on the back of a motorcycle with her lover.{{cite news |last=Taylor |first=Sam |author-link=Sam Taylor (author) |date=November 22, 1998 |title=The Year Mariah Changed Colour |page=9 |newspaper=The Observer |department=Review |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/104705947/the-observer/ |via=Newspapers.com}} She wears a metal mesh outfit that matches the museum's motif.{{cite magazine |date=February 1999 |title=Hot Design |page=61 |volume=187 |issue=2 |magazine=Architectural Record}} The Morning Call{{'}}s Paul Willistein called the video "even hotter" than the song itself{{cite news |last=Willistein |first=Paul |date=November 28, 1998 |title=Disc Reviews |newspaper=The Morning Call |page=A51 |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/104706291/the-morning-call// |via=Newspapers.com |access-date=June 30, 2022 |archive-date=June 30, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220630185714/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/104706291/the-morning-call// |url-status=live }} and The Advertiser felt it would not have been filmed if Carey were still married due to the "sexy, fleshy" visuals.{{cite news |date=November 14, 1998 |title=Mariah Goes Her Own Way |newspaper=The Advertiser|via=Nexis Uni}} In her book Experiencing Music Video, scholar Carol Vernallis wrote that the Guggenheim represents a departure from the typical iconography of R&B music videos.{{cite book |last=Vernallis |first=Carol |date=2004 |title=Experiencing Music Video |page=79 |publisher=Columbia University Press |isbn=0-231-11798-1}} Irene Nero stated that the video contributed to the museum's perceived celebrity-like status for its many depictions in media.{{cite book |last=Nero |first=Irene |editor-last=Wacker |editor-first=Kelly A. |date=2007 |chapter=Baroque Tendencies in Contemporary Architecture: The Guggenheim Bilbao |title=Baroque Tendencies in Contemporary Art |page=191 |publisher=Cambridge Scholars Publishing |isbn=978-1-84718-387-3}}

=Personnel=

Credits adapted from the liner notes of Life in 1472 and #1's.

Mariah Carey – vocals, producer
Carl-So-Lowe – music performer
Dana Jon Chappelle – engineering
Melonie Daniels – background vocals
Rainy Davis – songwriting
Jermaine Dupri – vocals, mixing, producer

Brian Frye – engineering
Bernie Grundman — mastering
Trey Lorenz – background vocals
Phil Tan – mixing
MaryAnn Tatum – background vocals
Pete Warner – songwriting

=Charts=

class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;" \|+1998 weekly chart performance !Region – Chart (Publisher) !Peak position
scope="row"\| Belgium – Ultratip Flanders (Ultratop){{cite web\|url=https://www.ultratop.be/nl/song/ed4/JD-&-Mariah-Sweetheart\|title=JD & Mariah - "Sweetheart"\|language=Dutch\|publisher=Ultratop\|access-date=October 24, 2022\|url-status=live\|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220301060723/https://www.ultratop.be/nl/song/ed4/JD-&-Mariah-Sweetheart\|archive-date=March 1, 2022}} \|15
scope="row"\|Europe – Eurochart Hot 100 Singles (Music & Media){{cite magazine\|title=Eurochart Hot 100 Singles\|magazine=Music & Media\|page=10\|date=December 12, 1998}} \|63
scope="row"\|Germany – Top 100 Singles (Media Control AG){{cite web\|url=https://www.offiziellecharts.de/titel-details-3796\|title=JD & Mariah - "Sweetheart"\|language=de\|publisher=GfK Entertainment\|url-status=live\|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220716021745/https://www.offiziellecharts.de/titel-details-3796\|archive-date=July 16, 2022}} \|15
scope="row"\|Netherlands Dutch Top 40 ({{Interlanguage link\|Stichting Nederlandse Top 40\|nl\|Stichting Nederlandse Top 40}}){{cite web\|url=https://www.top40.nl/top40/1998/week-47\|title=JD & Mariah - "Sweetheart"\|language=nl\|publisher={{Interlanguage link\|Stichting Nederlandse Top 40\|nl\|Stichting Nederlandse Top 40}}\|url-status=live\|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220101230843/https://www.top40.nl/top40/1998/week-47\|archive-date=January 1, 2022}} \|14
scope="row"\|Netherlands Single Top 100 (Dutch Charts){{cite web\|url=https://dutchcharts.nl/showitem.asp?interpret=JD+%26+Mariah&titel=Sweetheart&cat=s\|title=JD & Mariah - "Sweetheart"\|language=nl\|publisher=Hung Medien\|url-status=live\|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220503123219/https://dutchcharts.nl/showitem.asp?interpret=JD+%26+Mariah&titel=Sweetheart&cat=s\|archive-date=May 3, 2022}} \|22
scope="row"\|Sweden Hitlistan (GLF){{cite web\|url=https://swedishcharts.com/showitem.asp?interpret=JD+%26+Mariah&titel=Sweetheart&cat=s\|title=JD & Mariah - "Sweetheart"\|language=sv\|publisher=Hung Medien\|url-status=live\|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210127040020/https://swedishcharts.com/showitem.asp?interpret=JD+%26+Mariah&titel=Sweetheart&cat=s\|archive-date=January 27, 2021}} \|44
scope="row"\|Switzerland Hitparade (Media Control AG){{cite web\|url=http://swisscharts.com/song/JD-&-Mariah/Sweetheart-3796\|title=JD & Mariah - "Sweetheart"\|language=de\|publisher=Hung Medien\|url-status=live\|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211029100939/http://swisscharts.com/song/JD-&-Mariah/Sweetheart-3796\|archive-date=October 29, 2021}} \|18
scope="row"\| UK Club (Music Week){{cite magazine\|title=The Club Chart\|department=Record Mirror\|magazine=Music Week\|page=5\|date=December 5, 1998}} {{small\|Mixes}} \|16
scope="row"\|UK Pop Club (Music Week){{cite magazine\|title=The Pop Chart\|department=Record Mirror\|magazine=Music Week\|page=6\|date=December 5, 1998}} \|21
scope="row"\|UK Urban Club (Music Week){{cite magazine\|title=The Urban Chart\|department=Record Mirror\|magazine=Music Week\|page=6\|date=November 7, 1998}} \|2
scope="row"\|UK Dance Airplay (Music Week){{cite magazine\|title=Dance Airplay Forty\|department=Record Mirror\|magazine=Music Week\|page=3\|date=November 28, 1998}} \|27
scope="row"\|US Bubbling Under Hot 100 (Billboard){{cite magazine\|url=https://www.billboard.com/artist/mariah-carey/chart-history/hbu/\|title=Mariah Carey Chart History (Bubbling Under Hot 100)\|magazine=Billboard\|url-status=live\|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211117164028/https://www.billboard.com/artist/mariah-carey/chart-history/hbu/\|archive-date=November 17, 2021}} \|25
scope="row"\|US Crossover (Billboard){{cite magazine\|date=October 30, 1998\|title=Crossover Airplay\|magazine=Top 40 Airplay Monitor\|page=24}} \|28
scope="row"\|US Hot R&B Airplay (Billboard){{cite magazine\|url=https://www.billboard.com/artist/mariah-carey/chart-history/rbm/\|title=Mariah Carey Chart History (R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay)\|magazine=Billboard\|url-status=live\|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220718104443/https://www.billboard.com/artist/mariah-carey/chart-history/rbm/\|archive-date=July 18, 2022}} \|45
scope="row"\|US Rhythmic Top 40 (Billboard){{cite magazine\|url=https://www.billboard.com/artist/mariah-carey/chart-history/tfc/\|title=Mariah Carey Chart History (Rhythmic Airplay)\|magazine=Billboard\|url-status=live\|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220429050750/https://www.billboard.com/artist/mariah-carey/chart-history/tfc/\|archive-date=April 29, 2022}} \|23
scope="row"\|US {{abbr\|CHR\|Contemporary hit radio}}/Rhythmic (Radio & Records){{cite magazine\|title=CHR/Rhythmic Top 50\|magazine=Radio & Records\|page=48\|date=December 11, 1998\|id={{ProQuest\|1017318453}}}} \|17
scope="row"\|US Hip-Hop (Radio & Records){{cite magazine\|title=Hip-Hop Top 20\|magazine=Radio & Records\|page=50\|date=October 30, 1998\|id={{ProQuest\|1017316612}}}} \|2
scope="row"\|US Urban (Radio & Records){{cite magazine\|title=Records Reaching Top 15\|magazine=Radio & Records\|page=60\|date=December 11, 1998\|id={{ProQuest\|1017322012}}}} \|14

class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;"

|+1998 weekly chart performance

!Region – Chart (Publisher)

!Peak
position

scope="row"| Belgium – Ultratip Flanders (Ultratop){{cite web|url=https://www.ultratop.be/nl/song/ed4/JD-&-Mariah-Sweetheart|title=JD & Mariah - "Sweetheart"|language=Dutch|publisher=Ultratop|access-date=October 24, 2022|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220301060723/https://www.ultratop.be/nl/song/ed4/JD-&-Mariah-Sweetheart|archive-date=March 1, 2022}}

|15

scope="row"|Europe – Eurochart Hot 100 Singles (Music & Media){{cite magazine|title=Eurochart Hot 100 Singles|magazine=Music & Media|page=10|date=December 12, 1998}}

|63

scope="row"|Germany – Top 100 Singles (Media Control AG){{cite web|url=https://www.offiziellecharts.de/titel-details-3796|title=JD & Mariah - "Sweetheart"|language=de|publisher=GfK Entertainment|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220716021745/https://www.offiziellecharts.de/titel-details-3796|archive-date=July 16, 2022}}

|15

scope="row"|Netherlands Dutch Top 40 ({{Interlanguage link|Stichting Nederlandse Top 40|nl|Stichting Nederlandse Top 40}}){{cite web|url=https://www.top40.nl/top40/1998/week-47|title=JD & Mariah - "Sweetheart"|language=nl|publisher={{Interlanguage link|Stichting Nederlandse Top 40|nl|Stichting Nederlandse Top 40}}|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220101230843/https://www.top40.nl/top40/1998/week-47|archive-date=January 1, 2022}}

|14

scope="row"|Netherlands Single Top 100 (Dutch Charts){{cite web|url=https://dutchcharts.nl/showitem.asp?interpret=JD+%26+Mariah&titel=Sweetheart&cat=s|title=JD & Mariah - "Sweetheart"|language=nl|publisher=Hung Medien|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220503123219/https://dutchcharts.nl/showitem.asp?interpret=JD+%26+Mariah&titel=Sweetheart&cat=s|archive-date=May 3, 2022}}

|22

scope="row"|Sweden Hitlistan (GLF){{cite web|url=https://swedishcharts.com/showitem.asp?interpret=JD+%26+Mariah&titel=Sweetheart&cat=s|title=JD & Mariah - "Sweetheart"|language=sv|publisher=Hung Medien|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210127040020/https://swedishcharts.com/showitem.asp?interpret=JD+%26+Mariah&titel=Sweetheart&cat=s|archive-date=January 27, 2021}}

|44

scope="row"|Switzerland Hitparade (Media Control AG){{cite web|url=http://swisscharts.com/song/JD-&-Mariah/Sweetheart-3796|title=JD & Mariah - "Sweetheart"|language=de|publisher=Hung Medien|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211029100939/http://swisscharts.com/song/JD-&-Mariah/Sweetheart-3796|archive-date=October 29, 2021}}

|18

scope="row"| UK Club (Music Week){{cite magazine|title=The Club Chart|department=Record Mirror|magazine=Music Week|page=5|date=December 5, 1998}}
{{small|Mixes}}

|16

scope="row"|UK Pop Club (Music Week){{cite magazine|title=The Pop Chart|department=Record Mirror|magazine=Music Week|page=6|date=December 5, 1998}}

|21

scope="row"|UK Urban Club (Music Week){{cite magazine|title=The Urban Chart|department=Record Mirror|magazine=Music Week|page=6|date=November 7, 1998}}

scope="row"|UK Dance Airplay (Music Week){{cite magazine|title=Dance Airplay Forty|department=Record Mirror|magazine=Music Week|page=3|date=November 28, 1998}}

|27

scope="row"|US Bubbling Under Hot 100 (Billboard){{cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/artist/mariah-carey/chart-history/hbu/|title=Mariah Carey Chart History (Bubbling Under Hot 100)|magazine=Billboard|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211117164028/https://www.billboard.com/artist/mariah-carey/chart-history/hbu/|archive-date=November 17, 2021}}

|25

scope="row"|US Crossover (Billboard){{cite magazine|date=October 30, 1998|title=Crossover Airplay|magazine=Top 40 Airplay Monitor|page=24}}

|28

scope="row"|US Hot R&B Airplay (Billboard){{cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/artist/mariah-carey/chart-history/rbm/|title=Mariah Carey Chart History (R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay)|magazine=Billboard|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220718104443/https://www.billboard.com/artist/mariah-carey/chart-history/rbm/|archive-date=July 18, 2022}}

|45

scope="row"|US Rhythmic Top 40 (Billboard){{cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/artist/mariah-carey/chart-history/tfc/|title=Mariah Carey Chart History (Rhythmic Airplay)|magazine=Billboard|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220429050750/https://www.billboard.com/artist/mariah-carey/chart-history/tfc/|archive-date=April 29, 2022}}

|23

scope="row"|US {{abbr|CHR|Contemporary hit radio}}/Rhythmic (Radio & Records){{cite magazine|title=CHR/Rhythmic Top 50|magazine=Radio & Records|page=48|date=December 11, 1998|id={{ProQuest|1017318453}}}}

|17

scope="row"|US Hip-Hop (Radio & Records){{cite magazine|title=Hip-Hop Top 20|magazine=Radio & Records|page=50|date=October 30, 1998|id={{ProQuest|1017316612}}}}

scope="row"|US Urban (Radio & Records){{cite magazine|title=Records Reaching Top 15|magazine=Radio & Records|page=60|date=December 11, 1998|id={{ProQuest|1017322012}}}}

|14

class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;" \|+1998 year-end chart performance !Region – Chart (Publisher) !Position
scope="row"\|Netherlands Dutch Top 40 ({{Interlanguage link\|Stichting Nederlandse Top 40\|nl\|Stichting Nederlandse Top 40}}){{cite web\|url=http://www.top40web.nl/jaarlijsten/jr1998.html\|title=Jaarlijsten 1998\|trans-title=Year list 1998\|language=nl\|publisher=Top 40 Web\|url-status=live\|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220207164748/https://www.top40web.nl/jaarlijsten/jr1998.html\|archive-date=February 7, 2022}} \|137
scope="row"\| US Rhythmic Top 40 (Billboard){{cite magazine\|date=December 25, 1998\|title=Most Played Rhythmic Top 40 Songs of 1998\|magazine=Airplay Monitor\|page=46}} \|92
scope="row"\|US CHR/Rhythmic (Radio & Records){{cite magazine\|title=98 of 1998\|magazine=Radio & Records\|page=43\|date=December 11, 1998\|id={{ProQuest\|1017326961}}}} \|88

class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;"

|+1998 year-end chart performance

!Region – Chart (Publisher)

!Position

scope="row"|Netherlands Dutch Top 40 ({{Interlanguage link|Stichting Nederlandse Top 40|nl|Stichting Nederlandse Top 40}}){{cite web|url=http://www.top40web.nl/jaarlijsten/jr1998.html|title=Jaarlijsten 1998|trans-title=Year list 1998|language=nl|publisher=Top 40 Web|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220207164748/https://www.top40web.nl/jaarlijsten/jr1998.html|archive-date=February 7, 2022}}

|137

scope="row"| US Rhythmic Top 40 (Billboard){{cite magazine|date=December 25, 1998|title=Most Played Rhythmic Top 40 Songs of 1998|magazine=Airplay Monitor|page=46}}

|92

scope="row"|US CHR/Rhythmic (Radio & Records){{cite magazine|title=98 of 1998|magazine=Radio & Records|page=43|date=December 11, 1998|id={{ProQuest|1017326961}}}}

|88

Notes

References

Category:1986 songs

Category:1998 singles

Category:Columbia Records singles

Category:Jermaine Dupri songs

Category:Mariah Carey songs

Category:Music videos directed by Hype Williams

Category:Song recordings produced by Jermaine Dupri

Category:Sony Music singles