Always Be My Baby

This bouncy track was the 11th US #1 hit for Mariah Carey. She was doing very well at this time with pure, upbeat pop songs like "Fantasy" and "Honey," but "Always Be My Baby" takes a different lyrical turn: Mariah has just been dumped, but it doesn't bother her at all because she knows he'll be back. Her confidence is unshakable, but could land her in crazy-ex-girlfriend territory as she tells the guy, "You can't escape me."

In the US, this was the most-played single on radio stations in 1996 (according to ASCAP, which tracks these things). It was also the first single to debut at #2 on the Hot 100. In total it spent nine nonconsecutive weeks at #2 and two weeks at the top position.

This was co-written and co-produced by Jermaine Dupri, who also produced the main remix of this song. It was Dupri's first involvement with Carey, and later he helped revive her career with his work on her 2005 album The Emancipation of Mimi. Carey told Billboard magazine in 2008: "JD is the best. I love him, I really do. We have such similar influences. It's funny because a lot of our favorite records from growing up are really the same. Back in the day we did the (R&B) remix of 'Always Be My Baby.' The original version was a hard track, if you listen to the bass - but it was very poppy on top. I knew JD could do it, even though he hadn't really worked with somebody like me before. I knew he was just incredibly talented. He's really just honed his skill as a producer in so many ways. I'm a fan and a friend."