The Roof (Back in Time)

{{listen

| filename = 09-mariah carey-the roof.ogg

| title = "The Roof"

| description = A sample of the last chorus and final bridge, featuring the song's strong vocal moments.

| format = Ogg

}}

The song is a slow and sultry song, which blends hip-hop and contemporary R&B genres.{{harvnb|Nickson|1998|p=167}} It incorporates drum notes, including heavy beats and grooves. The song's second version features a rap version from Mobb Deep. The song samples the melody from "Shook Ones Part II" by Mobb Deep, incorporating it into chorus and bridge. As part of "layering the song," background vocals are featured throughout the chorus and sections of the bridge. It is set in the signature common time, and is written in the key of B-flat minor.{{harvnb|Abrego|1998|pp=30–35}} It features a basic chord progression of A{{music|flat}}-F{{music|flat}}₁. Carey's vocal range in the song spans from the low note of E{{music|flat}}₃ to the high note of F{{music|flat}}₅; the piano and guitar pieces range from F{{music|flat}}₃ to G{{music|flat}}₅ as well. The song contains lyrics written by Carey, who produced the song's melody and chorus as well. Aside from assisting with its chord progression, Cory Rooney co-arranged and produced the track as well. Author Chris Nickson felt the song was extremely important for Carey's musical transition, writing "Lyrically, this was some of her best work ever, the melody slinky and overtly sexy, confirmation – as if any was needed at this point! – that this was the new Mariah."

"The Roof" was acclaimed by contemporary music critics for its choice of vocal work, instrumentation, and lyrics. David Browne from Entertainment Weekly praised the song as well as Carey's choice of vocals, writing, "Carey is still a vocal grandstander capable of turning all into a six-syllable word. Yet for most of the album she keeps her notorious octave-climbing chops at bay. Showing some admirable restraint, she nestles herself into the downy-soft beats of 'The Roof'."{{cite magazine|url=http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,289461,00.html|title=Music Review – Mariah Carey: Butterfly|last=Browne|first=David|magazine=Entertainment Weekly|date=September 19, 1997|access-date=September 7, 2010|archive-date=December 2, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131202224709/http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,289461,00.html|url-status=dead}} A reviewer from Music Week commented, "Moving on from the more traditional-sounding ballad "Butterfly", she reverts to the R&B flavour of its more successful predecessor, "Honey", with a cut that greater reflects the edgier feel of her current album. Though not one of her most memorable singles, [...] its old-fashioned qualities further underlined by the presence of rap act Mobb Deep."{{cite magazine|first=|last=|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/UK/Music-Week/1998/Music-Week-1998-03-07.pdf|title=Single reviews|magazine=Music Week|date=March 7, 1998|page=28|access-date=September 13, 2023}} Rich Juzwiak from Slant Magazine wrote "Little more than yearning, kissing, and remembering happens during the course of 'The Roof', a rough-enough R&B revision of Mobb Deep's 'The Shook Ones.' But lyrically Mariah the writer is vivid, sometimes shockingly clever (rhyming 'liberated' with 'Moet' is a stroke of genius)."{{cite web|url=http://www.slantmagazine.com/music/music_review.asp?ID=339|title=Music Review: Mariah Carey: Butterfly|last=Juzwiak|first=Rich|publisher=Slant Magazine|date=December 18, 2003|access-date=September 7, 2010|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091003231355/http://www.slantmagazine.com/music/music_review.asp?ID=339|archive-date=October 3, 2009}}

Many publications included "The Roof" in rankings of Carey's music. Gay Times ranked it at number 9{{cite magazine|url=https://www.gaytimes.com/culture/dahlings-we-ranked-mariah-careys-14-best-songs-ever/|title=Dahlings{{nbsp}}... We Ranked Mariah Carey's 14 Best Songs Ever|date=March 27, 2019|magazine=Gay Times|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240523062403/https://www.gaytimes.com/culture/dahlings-we-ranked-mariah-careys-14-best-songs-ever/|archive-date=May 23, 2024}} and Billboard placed the Mobb Deep mix at number 14 on lists of her best songs.{{cite magazine|last=Unterberger|first=Andrew|display-authors=etal|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}} Among her top singles, "The Roof" has been ranked at number 47 (Cleveland.com),{{cite news|last=Smith|first=Troy L.|url=https://www.cleveland.com/entertainment/2020/08/all-75-mariah-carey-singles-ranked-from-best-to-worst.html|title=All 76 Mariah Carey Singles Ranked|publisher=Cleveland.com|date=August 23, 2020|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221027200323/https://www.cleveland.com/entertainment/2020/08/all-75-mariah-carey-singles-ranked-from-best-to-worst.html|archive-date=October 27, 2022}} number 15 (Vulture),{{cite news|last1=Weber|first1=Lindsey|last2=Dobbins|first2=Amanada|url=https://www.vulture.com/2014/05/these-are-mariah-careys-25-best-singles.html|title=These Are Mariah Carey's 25 Best Singles|work=Vulture|date=May 28, 2014|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231108220246/https://www.vulture.com/2014/05/these-are-mariah-careys-25-best-singles.html|archive-date=November 8, 2023}} and number 8 (The Guardian).{{cite news|last=Petridis|first=Alexis|author-link=Alexis Petridis|url=https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2020/dec/03/mariah-careys-30-greatest-singles-ranked|title=Mariah Carey's 30 Greatest Singles – Ranked!|date=December 3, 2020|work=The Guardian|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240427183747/https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2020/dec/03/mariah-careys-30-greatest-singles-ranked|archive-date=April 27, 2024}} Billboard,{{cite magazine|last=Scarano|first=Ross|display-authors=etal|url=https://www.billboard.com/music/pop/mariah-carey-2019-bbma-icon-8508548/|title=Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Mariah Carey, 2019 BBMA Icon|date=April 25, 2019|magazine=Billboard|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240119235310/https://www.billboard.com/music/pop/mariah-carey-2019-bbma-icon-8508548/|archive-date=January 19, 2024}} Dazed,{{cite magazine|last=Jones|first=Daisy|date=April 28, 2015|title=Mariah Carey's Greatest Hip Hop Collabs|magazine=Dazed|url=https://www.dazeddigital.com/music/article/24557/1/mariah-carey-s-greatest-hip-hop-collabs|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230322190838/https://www.dazeddigital.com/music/article/24557/1/mariah-carey-s-greatest-hip-hop-collabs|archive-date=March 22, 2023}} and XXL considered it one of her best hip hop collaborations.{{cite magazine|last=C. M.|first=Emmanuel|url=https://www.xxlmag.com/mariah-carey-best-hip-hop-collaborations/|title=25 of Mariah Carey's Best Hip-Hop Collaborations|date=October 13, 2016|magazine=XXL|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240812011625/https://www.xxlmag.com/mariah-carey-best-hip-hop-collaborations/|archive-date=August 12, 2024}} According to Princess Gabbara in Essence and Everett Brothers in Billboard, "The Roof" is one of Carey's most underrated songs.{{cite magazine|last=Gabarra|first=Princess|url=https://www.essence.com/celebrity/mariah-carey-deep-cuts-album/|title=25 Deep Cuts and Album Tracks That Prove Mariah Carey Has Always Had the Range|date=October 24, 2020|orig-date=First published March 27, 2018|magazine=Essence|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231203000313/https://www.essence.com/celebrity/mariah-carey-deep-cuts-album/|archive-date=December 3, 2023}}{{cite magazine|last=Brothers|first=Everett|url=https://www.billboard.com/music/pop/mariah-carey-most-underappreciated-songs-7717293/|title=Mariah Carey's 10 Most Underappreciated Songs of All Time|date=March 10, 2017|magazine=Billboard|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230405101321/https://www.billboard.com/music/pop/mariah-carey-most-underappreciated-songs-7717293/|archive-date=April 5, 2023}}

In 1998, "The Roof" was promoted as the fourth single from Butterfly. Columbia gave it little promotion{{cite web|last=Gabbara|first=Princess|date=September 16, 2022|title=Songbook: How Mariah Carey Became the Songbird Supreme, from Her Unmistakable Range to Genre-Melding Prowess|publisher=Grammy.com|url=https://www.grammy.com/news/mariah-carey-discography-albums-songs-butterfly-anniversary-glitter-all-i-want-for-christmas-is-you-queen-music-box-songbird-supreme-songbook|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221010194459/https://www.grammy.com/news/mariah-carey-discography-albums-songs-butterfly-anniversary-glitter-all-i-want-for-christmas-is-you-queen-music-box-songbird-supreme-songbook|archive-date=October 10, 2022}} and released it to European retail outlets only.{{harvnb|Shapiro|2001|p=156}} Sony Music issued CD and maxi CD formats in Belgium on March 16.{{cite web|url=http://www.sonymusic.be/Releases/0303.htm|title=New Releases This Week|publisher=Sony Music Belgium|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20000510210207/http://www.sonymusic.be/Releases/0303.htm|archive-date=May 10, 2000}} Following its release in the Netherlands, "The Roof" reached number 7 on the Tipparade and number 63 on the Single Top 100. It was Carey's lowest-charting single on the latter chart since "If It's Over" in 1992. According to Music & Media, the song was the most added to European radio station playlists for a week in March 1998.{{cite magazine|title=Most Added Week 12/98|magazine=Music & Media|page=17|date=March 28, 1998}}

Remixes of "The Roof" were provided to UK clubs for promotional use in late 1997. As the B-side to "Fly Away (Butterfly Reprise)", the Mobb Deep mix peaked at number 25 on the Record Mirror Club Chart published by Music Week. "The Roof" reached number 4 on the urban club chart as a standalone entry after the Mobb Deep mix was issued as part of a promotional disc that also featured "Underneath the Stars", "Breakdown" and "Babydoll".{{cite magazine|last=Farsides|first=Tony|title=Commentary|department=Record Mirror|magazine=Music Week|page=8|date=November 22, 1997}} In early 1998, the single received a second promotional release in the UK.{{cite magazine|last=Farsides|first=Tony|title=Commentary|department=Record Mirror|magazine=Music Week|page=6|date=February 21, 1998|id={{ProQuest|232252120}}}} It peaked at number 30 on the club chart based on the David Morales mixes and reached number 9 on the urban club chart based on the Full Crew mixes. Although a commercial release scheduled for March 16, 1998, was canceled,{{cite magazine|last=Drew|first=Richard|title=Music/Singles|magazine=The Pink Paper|page=16|date=May 8, 1998|id={{ProQuest|2092379531}}}} "The Roof" peaked at number 87 on the UK singles chart due to import sales.{{cite magazine|title=R&B Singles|magazine=Music Week|date=May 9, 1998|p=25}}

The Mobb Deep mix was later included on 1998 US maxi CDs of "My All",{{cite magazine|title=Carey's Columbia Reconnects with Her Dance Roots|last=Flick|first=Larry|author-link=Larry Flick|magazine=Billboard|page=30|date=May 2, 1998|id={{ProQuest|1506038454}}}} the album's fifth single. On August{{nbsp}}28, 2020, Columbia and Legacy Recordings released a digital extended play with all the remixes of "The Roof" as part of the MC30 promotional campaign marking three decades of Carey's career.{{cite web|url=https://mora.jp/package/43000188/G010004433608J/|title='The Roof (Back in Time)' EP|language=ja|publisher=Mora|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240814232259/https://mora.jp/package/43000188/G010004433608J/|archive-date=August 14, 2024}}{{cite magazine|title=Mariah Carey Announces The Rarities Collection of B-Sides, Unreleased Tracks|last=Shaffer|first=Claire|magazine=Rolling Stone|date=August 19, 2020|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/mariah-carey-the-rarities-1046592/|url-access=subscription|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230416192302/https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/mariah-carey-the-rarities-1046592/|archive-date=April 16, 2023}}

The video was directed by Carey and Diane Martel during the spring of 1998. The music video begins with Carey sitting alone in a limousine, recalling a night she shared some time previous. As scenes of Carey reminiscing in the limo are shown, clips of her dressing in an old apartment are presented. Eventually, Carey joins a rooftop party one night, where she begins dancing and caressing her lover. As the passion between them grown, rain begins to fall, showering everyone atop the edifice. As these scenes end, Carey in the present opens the sun-roof of the limo and stands into the rainy night, trying to recapture those magical moments she shared on that rainy roof-top encounter. The video ends with a wet Carey lying in the back of the limousine, sad and lonely.

The music video for "The Roof" garnered critical acclaim, and was ranked 18th on Slant's "100 Greatest Music Videos".{{cite web|url=http://www.slantmagazine.com/music/feature/100-greatest-music-videos/205/page_9|title=100 Greatest Music Videos|last=Cinquemani|first=Sal|publisher=Slant Magazine|date=June 30, 2003|access-date=September 12, 2010|archive-date=December 21, 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101221224506/http://www.slantmagazine.com/music/feature/100-greatest-music-videos/205/page_9|url-status=live}} Sal Ciquemani, from Slant, gave the video a positive review, complimenting Carey's choice to pair the sultry song with a "sophisticated tale of a sexy rooftop encounter". The video re-tells a story of Carey reminiscing a past love and a night they shared together on a rainy roof-top. The video's setting revolves around a dark limousine, a decrepit NYC apartment, and a rainy roof-top, where "Carey is featured at her most vulnerable, with runny mascara and drenched in the cold rainy night." In the conclusion of his review of the video, Ciquemani wrote: "When Carey rises through the limo's sunroof and relishes the warm November rain, she's not drunk on the bubbly but on the memory of past delights."

"The Roof" has been performed few times throughout Carey's career. The song was performed during her Butterfly World Tour in 1998.{{Cite news|last=Samat|first=Hafidah|date=February 14, 1998|title=Mariah Carey Spreads Her Wings|newspaper=New Straits Times|department=Life and Times|p=1|id={{ProQuest|266340421}}}} During the performances, live male and female dancers were present on stage, grooving and performing classic routines.{{harvnb|Nickson|1998|p=168}} Carey wore a short beige ensemble and performed light classical dances, alongside a male partner. The song was performed on select dates of Carey's 2014 The Elusive Chanteuse Show tour.The Elusive Chanteuse Show Carey would later perform a snippet of it acapella during her set at Jimmy Kimmel Live! while promoting #1 To Infinity, later expressing to be happy at the fact the audience knew the lyrics to the song.{{Cite web |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_zLV9TDe8oc |title=Mariah Carey performing "The Roof" (acapella) on Jimmy Kimmel Live! (5/18/15) - YouTube |website=YouTube |access-date=August 20, 2017 |archive-date=February 2, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210202095521/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_zLV9TDe8oc |url-status=live }}

For the 2024–2025 Celebration of Mimi concert residency, Carey performed "The Roof" as a medley with other Butterfly songs while sitting on a couch.{{Cite news|last=Chan|first=Tim|date=April 15, 2024|title=Mariah Carey's Vegas Residency Is a Triumphant Celebration of Mimi|url=https://www.billboard.com/music/reviews/mariah-carey-celebration-of-mimi-vegas-residency-review-setlist-1235656318/|magazine=Billboard|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240723175150/https://www.billboard.com/music/reviews/mariah-carey-celebration-of-mimi-vegas-residency-review-setlist-1235656318/|archive-date=July 23, 2024}}

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• 1998 CD single"The Roof (Back in Time)" (CD single). Columbia Records. 1998. 665521 1.

1. "The Roof (Back In Time)" (Album Version) – 5:15
2. "The Roof (Back In Time)" (Full Crew Radio Edit/No Rap) - 3:50

• 1998 CD maxi single"The Roof (Back in Time)" (Maxi CD single). Columbia Records. 1998. 665521 2.

1. "The Roof (Back In Time)" (Album Version) – 5:15
2. "The Roof (Back In Time)" (Radio Edit) - 3:58
3. "The Roof (Back In Time)" (Mobb Deep Extended Version) – 5:31
4. "The Roof (Back In Time)" (Full Crews' Club Mix) – 4:58
5. "The Roof (Back In Time)" (Full Crew Mix) – 4:58

• 1998 12-inch vinyl single"The Roof (Back in Time)" (12-inch vinyl single). Columbia Records. 1998. 665727 6.

:A1. "The Roof (Back In Time)" (Mobb Deep Extended Remix) – 5:31

:A2. "The Roof (Back In Time)" (Full Crews' Club Mix) – 4:58

:A3. "The Roof (Back In Time)" (Full Crew Club Mix) – 4:58

:A4. "The Roof (Back In Time)" (Full Crew Radio Edit/No Rap) – 3:50

:B1. "The Roof (Back In Time)" (Funky Club Mix) – 8:28

:B2. "The Roof (Back In Time)" (After Hours Mix) – 9:13

:B3. "The Roof (Back In Time)" (Bass Man Mix) – 8:14

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• 2020 MC30 digital EP{{Cite web|url=https://jaxsta.com/release/7a6df87d-2ab2-5324-9681-ffc45bda97ad/38bfa629-3f86-5ddb-8a3c-2f38331be490/|title='The Roof (Back in Time)' EP – Album by Mariah Carey|publisher=Jaxsta|access-date=July 26, 2023}}{{Cite web|url=https://mora.jp/package/43000087/G010004433608J/|title='The Roof (Back in Time)' EP|language=Japanese|publisher=Mora|access-date=July 26, 2023}}

1. "The Roof (Back In Time)" (Mobb Deep Extended Version) – 5:31
2. "The Roof (Back In Time)" (Mobb Deep Edit) – 4:23
3. "The Roof (Back In Time)" (Full Crew Radio Edit No Rap) – 3:50
4. "The Roof (Back In Time)" (Full Crew Club Mix) – 4:58
5. "The Roof (Back In Time)" (Full Crew Mix) – 4:58
6. "The Roof (Back In Time)" (Morales Radio Mix) – 3:59
7. "The Roof (Back In Time)" (Morales Funky Club Mix) – 8:28
8. "The Roof (Back in Time)" (Morales After Hours Mix) – 9:13
9. "The Roof (Back in Time)" (Morales Bass Man Mix) – 8:14

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Credits adapted from Butterfly liner notes.{{cite AV media notes|others=Mariah Carey |title=Butterfly|type=Liner Notes|publisher=Columbia Records|year=1997}}

• Mariah Carey – co-production, songwriting (music and lyrics), vocals, Background vocals
• Jean Claude Oliver – songwriting (music), vocals
• Samuel Barnes – songwriting (music), vocals
• Cory Rooney – mixing, special effects
• Albert Johnson – songwriting (music)
• Kejuan Waliek Muchita – songwriting (music)
• Kelly Price - background vocals

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{{Refbegin}}

• {{Citation

| last = Abrego

| first = Jim

| title = Mariah Carey: Butterfly

| year = 1998

| publisher = Hal Leonard Corporation

| isbn = 978-0-7935-8986-9

}}

• {{Cite book|last=Nickson|first=Chris|author-link=Chris Nickson|title=Mariah Carey Revisited: Her Story|year=1998|place=New York|publisher=St. Martin's Griffin|isbn=0-312-19512-5|ol=363685M}}
• {{Cite book|last=Shapiro|first=Marc|title=Mariah Carey: The Unauthorized Biography|place=Toronto|publisher=ECW Press|year=2001|isbn=978-1-55022-444-3}}

{{Refend}}

{{Mariah Carey singles}}

{{Mobb Deep}}

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Roof, The}}

Category:1990s ballads

Category:1998 singles

Category:Mariah Carey songs

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Category:Music videos directed by Diane Martel

Category:Music videos directed by Mariah Carey

Category:Contemporary R&B ballads

Category:Songs written by Mariah Carey

Category:Songs written by Cory Rooney

Category:Columbia Records singles

Category:1997 songs

Category:Song recordings produced by Trackmasters

Category:Songs written by Samuel Barnes (songwriter)

Category:Songs written by Jean-Claude Olivier

Category:Sony Music singles