R & B FLASHBACK: MARIAH CAREY - 'ALWAYS BE MY BABY'

In honor of Mariah and the birth of her new children, today's R&B throwback comes from none other than MiMi herself.

Lifted from her fifth studio album, Daydream. It was released by Columbia Records on March 9, 1996 as the third US single and fourth overall. The song was written by Carey, Jermaine Dupri and Manuel Seal, who also produced the song. A mid-tempo song, its lyrics describe the feeling of attachment and unity the protagonist feels towards her estranged lover, even though they are no longer together. She says he will always be a part of her and will "always be her baby" even after they move on.

Music critics have praised "Always Be My Baby". The song became Carey's eleventh chart topper on the Billboard Hot 100, tying her with Madonna and Whitney Houston for most number one singles for a female artist. It spent two weeks atop the chart and became Carey's eight chart topper on the Canadian Singles Chart. In other regions, the song performed moderately, peaking at number three in the United Kingdom, number five in New Zealand, number seventeen in Australia and in the top twenty in most music markets where it charted.

The song's music video features scenes of Carey frolicking by a campsite, as well as swinging on a large swing over a lake. Additional inter-cuts include scenes of two children, one male and female, sneaking out at night and spending time together by a campfire similar to Carey's location. The song was performed live during her Daydream World Tour (1996) and many of her future tours and concerts. "Always Be My Baby" was also featured in Carey's compilation albums, Number 1's (1998), Greatest Hits (2001) and The Ballads (2008).

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