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Can't Let Go (Mariah Carey song)

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Wikipedia article




{{Infobox song

| name = Can't Let Go

| cover = Can't Let Go by Mariah Carey US cassette single.jpg

| alt =

| caption = US retail cassette variant of the standard worldwide artwork

| type = single

| artist = Mariah Carey

| album = Emotions

| B-side =

| released =

| recorded = August 1991

| studio = The Plant Recording Studios (Sausalito, California)

| genre =

| length = 4:27

| label = Columbia

| writer =

| producer =

| prev_title = Emotions

| prev_year = 1991

| next_title = Make It Happen

| next_year = 1992

| misc =

}}

"'Can't Let Go'" is a song by American singer Mariah Carey from her second studio album, 'Emotions' (1991). It was released as the album's second single in the fourth quarter of 1991 in the United States and the first quarter of 1992 elsewhere. The protagonist of this synthesizer-heavy ballad laments an ex-lover who has moved on, and though she tries she "can't let go."

Carey had fallen out with her songwriting partner Ben Margulies following a financial dispute, and her record label suggested that she work with the other producers of her debut album such as Rhett Lawrence, Ric Wake and Narada Michael Walden. She chose Walter Afanasieff, who had produced her second single "Love Takes Time" (1990), and "Can't Let Go" was one of the songs they created. After the release of the single "Emotions," "Can't Let Go" was promoted on both 'The Arsenio Hall Show' in September 1991 and 'Saturday Night Live' in November 1991 when she was the musical guest in the episode which featured Linda Hamilton as the host. "Can't Let Go" was later included on Carey's compilation album 'The Ballads' (2008).

Music and lyrics



"Can't Let Go" is written in the key of F major (with minor interminglings), ascending up to F major (with similar qualities) to close the song out a common pop tonal effect. Mariah's vocals range from the low note of F3 to the high note of B6, at a moderately slow tempo of 81 beats per minute, according to Musicnotes.com.

Critical reception



AllMusic editor Ashley S. Battel wrote that "yearning cries for a lost love in "Can't Let Go" serves to send the listener on a musical journey through time filled with varying emotions. Larry Flick from 'Billboard' described it as a "rhythmic R&B/pop ballad", adding, "Her now-trademark vocal acrobatics are showcased amid gospel-spiced harmonizing and dramatically executed instrumentation." Randy Clark and Bryan DeVaney from 'Cashbox' commented, "This time Carey is slowing down the pace from the first single "Emotions". In our opinion, this should have been the first single taken off the album. Her voice still has that crystal-clear sound that has hypnotized listeners of all sorts." 'Los Angeles Times' editor Dennis Hunt said that in this song Mariah is playing a wounded lover. Rob Tannenbaum of 'Rolling Stone' wrote that "moody grandeur" of this song will sound great on radio. On the song, Sian Pattenden from 'Smash Hits' described Carey as "the Nanette Newman of pop".

Chart performance



Carey's first five American singles had reached number one on the 'Billboard' Hot 100. "Can't Let Go" ended the streak when it reached number two, and spent 17 weeks in the top 40. The record company had taken the single off from sales before it could reach number 1, in an attempt to boost sales of 'Emotions'. The song topped the Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks, where it became Carey's fourth number one single; the next single "Make It Happen" would break that streak. "Can't Let Go" ranked 23rd on the 1992 Hot 100 year-end charts.

"Can't Let Go" reached number three in Canada and the top 20 in the UK. It became her lowest peaking single at the time in all of the major Anglophone singles markets (with the exception of the UK), and failed to make the Australian top 50.

Music video



The single's accompanying music video, directed by Jim Sonzero, features Carey wearing an evening gown and her hair in a bun. Filmed in black and white, the video starts and closes with shots of a rose open and closed respectively.

Usage in other media



A radio edit of the song was promoted to radio and used for the video instead of the original song, and the edit eliminates the seraphic pre-intro and removes all of Carey's high notes at the song's beginning and end. Like Carey's previous U.S. singles, "Can't Let Go" won a BMI Pop Award in 1993. In 2015, rapper Rick Ross released a remix version of the song on his eighth studio album 'Black Market', titled "Can't Say No", in which Carey re-recorded her part with various new lyrics.

Copyright issues



In 1992, writers Sharon Taber and Ron Gonzalez filed a copyright infringement lawsuit against Carey and Afanasieff citing that "Can't Let Go" was taken from their unknown song, "Right Before My Eyes." The plaintiffs demanded to obtain copies of the studio recording tapes to see if conversation between Carey and Afanasieff would prove them guilty. However, after being reviewed, the only guilty fear apparent was Mariah Carey quoted as saying "Can't Let Go" was sounding "too much like our other song." The lawsuit was later dropped or settled out of court.'Mariah Carey Accused of Plagiarism.' Friedman, Roger. "Mariah: Songwriters Get Permission to Sue." (August 10, 2004).

Track listings



* 'Worldwide CD and cassette single'

# "Can't Let Go" (edit)

# "To Be Around You"

* 'European CD maxi-single 1'

# "Can't Let Go" (edit)

# "To Be Around You"

# "The Wind"

* 'European CD maxi-single 2'

# "Can't Let Go" (edit)

# "I Don't Wanna Cry"

# "All in Your Mind"

Credits and personnel



'Recording'

* Recorded at Skywalker Sound, Marin Country; The Plant Recording Studios, Sausalito; Right Track Recording, NYC.

* Mixed at Right Track Recording, NYC.

'Personnel'

* Lyrics  Mariah Carey

* Music  Mariah Carey, Walter Afanasieff

* Production  Mariah Carey, Walter Afanasieff

* Keyboards, Synthesizers, Synthesizer Bass, Synclavier Acoustic Guitar, Drums and Percussion Arrangement and Programming  Walter Afanasieff

* Guitars  Michael Landau

* Synclavier/Akai Programming  Ren Klyce

* Synclavier/Macintosh Programming  Gary Cirmelli

* Arrangement  Mariah Carey, Walter Afanasieff

* Recording Engineer  Dana Jon Chappelle

* Assistant engineers; Bruce Calder, Craig Silvey

* Mixing  Dana Jon Chappelle

* Vocal arrangement  Mariah Carey, Walter Afanasieff

* Background vocals  Mariah Carey

Credits adapted from the liner notes of 'Emotions'.

Charts



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

|+Weekly chart performance

!scope="col"|Chart (1991-1992)

!scope="col"|Peak
position

|-

!scope="row"|Australia (ARIA)

|63

|-

|-

|-

!scope="row"|Canada Retail Singles ('The Record')

|align="center"|7

|-

!scope="row"|Canada Contemporary Hit Radio ('The Record')

|align="center"|2

|-

!scope="row"|Europe (European Hot 100 Singles)

|69

|-

!scope="row"|Europe Dance ('Music & Media')

|19

|-

!scope="row"|European Hit Radio ('Music & Media')

|16

|-

|-

|-

! scope="row"| Norway Airplay (VG-lista)

| 14

|-

! scope="row"| Sweden Airplay (Sverigetopplistan)

| 20

|-

|-

|-

|-

|-

!scope="row"|US Top 100 Pop Singles ('Cash Box')

|align="center"|1

|-

!scope="row"|US Adult Contemporary ('Gavin Report')

|align="center"|1

|-

!scope="row"|US Top 40 ('Gavin Report')

|align="center"|1

|-

!scope="row"|US Top 40/Urban Crossover ('Gavin Report')

|align="center"|1

|-

!scope="row"|US Urban Contemporary ('Gavin Report')

|align="center"|2

|-

! scope="row"| US Adult Contemporary ('Radio & Records')

|align="center"|1

|-

!scope="row"| US Contemporary Hit Radio ('Radio & Records')

|align="center"|1

|-

!scope="row"| US Urban Contemporary ('Radio & Records')

|align="center"|1

|-

|}

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

|+Year-end chart performance

!scope="col"|Chart (1992)

!scope="col"|Position

|-

!scope="row"|Canada Top Singles ('RPM')

|47

|-

!scope="row"|Canada Adult Contemporary ('RPM')

|11

|-

!scope="row"|US 'Billboard' Hot 100

|23

|-

!scope="row"|US Adult Contemporary ('Billboard')

|11

|-

!scope="row"|US Adult Contemporary ('Gavin Report')

|82

|-

!scope="row"|US Adult Contemporary ('Radio & Records')

|align="center"|25

|-

!scope="row"|US Contemporary Hit Radio ('Radio & Records')

|align="center"|34

|-

!scope="row"|US Hot R&B Singles ('Billboard')

|24

|-

!scope="row"|US Top 40 ('Gavin Report')

|39

|-

!scope="row"|US Urban ('Radio & Records')

|align="center"|42

|-

!scope="row"|US Urban Contemporary ('Gavin Report')

|45

|}

See also



* List of number-one adult contemporary singles of 1992 (U.S.)

References



Category:1991 singles

Category:Mariah Carey songs

Category:Contemporary R&B ballads

Category:1990s ballads

Category:Songs written by Walter Afanasieff

Category:Songs written by Mariah Carey

Category:Song recordings produced by Walter Afanasieff

Category:1991 songs

Category:Columbia Records singles

Category:Black-and-white music videos

Category:Sony Music singles

Category:Songs about heartache

Category:Soul ballads

Category:Torch songs

Category:Songs involved in plagiarism controversies

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