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Don't Stop (Funkin' 4 Jamaica)

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"Don't Stop (Funkin' 4 Jamaica)"
Single by Mariah Carey featuring Mystikal
from the album Glitter
ReleasedSeptember 11, 2001
Genre
Length3:37
LabelVirgin
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)
  • Mariah Carey
  • DJ Clue
  • Duro
Mariah Carey singles chronology
"Never Too Far"
(2001) 		"Don't Stop (Funkin' 4 Jamaica)"
(2001) 		"Reflections (Care Enough)"
(2001)
Mystikal singles chronology
"Bouncin' Back (Bumpin' Me Against the Wall)"
(2001) 		"Don't Stop (Funkin' 4 Jamaica)"
(2001) 		"Tarantula"
(2002)

"Don't Stop (Funkin' 4 Jamaica)" is a song by American singer-songwriter Mariah Carey, featuring Mystikal, from her first soundtrack and eighth studio album Glitter (2001). It was written by herself, DJ Clue, Duro, and Mystikal, while production was handled by the former three. The song is built around a sample of the 1980 song "Funkin' for Jamaica (N.Y.)" produced by Tom Browne and Toni Smith, who are credited as co-writers. It was released as the album's third single on September 11, 2001 by Virgin Records America. The song features Mystikal evoking his past single "Shake Ya Ass" during his verses, while Carey tells him "don't stop".

"Don't Stop (Funkin' 4 Jamaica)" received mixed reviews from music critics, who liked the song, but thought Carey was overshadowed. Like the preceding singles from the album, "Don't Stop (Funkin' 4 Jamaica)" failed to make any significant impact on the charts. It appeared on Billboard's Bubbling Under Hot 100 chart, a component of the Billboard Hot 100, thus peaking at number 123. It reached the top forty in the United Kingdom and Australia, as part of a double A-side with "Never Too Far". The music video for the song directed by Sanaa Hamri depicts Carey and Mystikal performing in a southern club, with the former being cloned by three.

Background

[edit]

In April 2001, Carey signed an estimated US$100 million record deal with Virgin Records.[1] Following commencement for Glitter — her first album under the new label — and the film of same name, Carey embarked on a massive promotional campaign for the project. In July of the same year, Carey made a controversial appearance on the MTV program Total Request Live (TRL).[2] She came out onto the filming stage, pushing an ice cream cart while wearing an oversized shirt. Seemingly anxious and exhilarated, Carey began giving out individual bars of ice cream to fans and guests on the program, while waving to the crowd down below on Times Square, while diverging into a rambling monologue regarding therapy. Carey then walked to Daly's platform and began a striptease, in which she shed her shirt to reveal a tight yellow and green ensemble, leading him to exclaim "Mariah Carey has lost her mind!".[3]

Following other appearances on which her publicist Cindy Berger said the singer was "not thinking clearly", she was hospitalized, citing "extreme exhaustion" and a "physical and emotional breakdown".[4] Following her induction at an un-disclosed hospital in Connecticut, Carey remained hospitalized and under doctor's care for two weeks, followed by an extended absence from the album's promotion.[5] "Don't Stop (Funkin' 4 Jamaica)" was sent to rhythmic contemporary radio formats in the United States on September 11, 2001;[6] it was later released worldwide as the third single from Glitter by Virgin Records America, as a double A-side single with "Never Too Far".[7][8][9] The song appears in a scene of the film Glitter, when producer Julian "Dice" Black has met Billie Frank (played by Carey) and invites her to an impromptu freestyle jam session in his club.[10]

Composition

[edit]
"Don't Stop (Funkin' 4 Jamaica)"
21 second sample of Mariah Carey's "Don't Stop (Funkin' 4 Jamaica)".
Problems playing this file? See media help.

"Don't Stop (Funkin' 4 Jamaica)" was composed by Carey, Mystikal, Duro and DJ Clue, and interpolates "Funkin' for Jamaica (N.Y.)" by Tom Browne.[11] Due to the song's use of the sample, Browne and Toni Smith also received writing credits. Its usage "tweaks minor pieces to form an update".[12] Featuring guest verses from rapper Mystikal, he declares "Ain't nothin' you could do with the man / Except for shake your ass and clap your hands", while Carey responds "Don't stop bay-beee, its ex-ta-see / Turn me up a little".[13] According to Est. 1997 website, Carey and Mystikal created a "brilliant marriage between an 80s funk jam and 2000s rap".[12] The rapper's vocals were compared to those of James Brown by Larry Nager from The Cincinnati Enquirer.[11] For his part, James Salmon from Dotmusic commented that Carey "plays the heavy breathing, bikini-clad booty girl to Mystical's gentlemanly cries of 'shake ya ass' and 'get on the floor'".[14]

Critical reception

[edit]

"Don't Stop (Funkin' 4 Jamaica)" received mixed reviews from music critics. Harry Guerin from Raidió Teilifís Éireann wrote that Carey "works better on raunch not regrets and her duets" like on the song, which perfectly captured the film's 1980's vibe, also complimenting its "clinical" production which "you wonder whether the engineers work masks and gowns at the mixing desk", proving that Carey should "spend more time around DJs and decks and less with grand pianos".[15] A writer from BET network included the track on their list of "Mariah Carey Singles That Deserved to Be No. 1 (But Didn't Get There)", stating that "not even Mystikal could help a track that was cursed by simply being part of the Glitter soundtrack". Its "catchiness" was also praised, while also commenting that it should have receive more attention.[16] Natalie Nichols from the Los Angeles Times gave a mixed statement, commenting how the song was "almost campy", but "guilty fun".[17]

Witney Seibold from Mandatory website was mixed, saying "This may be my favorite or second favorite track on the record", but criticized the fact that Carey was "so often in the background", and wondered if Glitter was her "ploy to move from the forefront of her records to a more production-heavy vocation".[18] For his part, Slant Magazine editor Sal Cinquemani wrote that "not all of Glitter is, ahem, gold. Carey is relegated to a virtual hood ornament of Don't Stop".[19] Larry Nager from The Cincinnati Enquirer commented that Carey "grooves with less success to Tom Browne's '80s fusion hit, 'Funkin' for Jamaica'".[11] People magazine was more negative, stating that the song borrowed "a little too lazily" from its sampled song.[20] James Salmon from Dotmusic was also negative, saying it was "highly jaded and predictably uninteresting. But we'll let her off just this once".[14]

Chart performance

[edit]

"Don't Stop (Funkin' 4 Jamaica)" failed to make any significant impact on the charts. It failed to reach the US Billboard Hot 100, however it peaked inside of the Bubbling Under Hot 100, which acts as an extension of the former chart, peaking at number 123 on the week dated October 27, 2001.[21] It also reached number 42 on the US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs component chart.[22] Worldwide, "Don't Stop (Funkin' 4 Jamaica)" was released as a double A-side with "Never Too Far". In the United Kingdom, the release reached a position of number 32.[23] It also managed to reach peaks of numbers 36 and 16 in Australia and Spain, respectively.[24][25] "Never Too Far/Don't Stop (Funkin' 4 Jamaica)" reached numbers 67 and 65 in the Netherlands and Switzerland, respectively.[26][27] In both the Flemish and Wallonian territories in Belgium, the single peaked at numbers four and one, respectively, on the equivalent of the "bubbling under" charts, registering songs just below the main charts.[28]

Music video

[edit]
The three clones of Carey performing the song in a southern club

The accompanying music video for "Don't Stop (Funkin' 4 Jamaica)" was directed by Sanaa Hamri and filmed at the Maple Leaf Bar and a swamp outside New Orleans, Louisiana.[29] The song's radio version was used in the video. The word "ass" was removed in the version. R!OT provided visual effects services for the video. Initially, the director planned to shoot the elements of Carey against green screen, but R!OT visual effects supervisor Eric Mises-Rosenfeld found that there was too little room to set up a screen behind the singer on the stage.[30] Rosenfeld consulted with R!OT VFX production's compositing team in Santa Monica and together they came up with a solution, according to VFX's production coordinator Diana Young, who said: "They determined that a split screen technique could be used to produce the required plates while meeting the director's creative objectives". Chief among those objectives was making the trick look real. "The idea was to make it appear natural", explained HSI producer Steve Woroniecki. "We wanted something more than just three Mariahs on-stage, they needed to function like a real trio, interacting with one another - so that it wouldn't be easy to see how it was done".[30]

Mises-Rosenfeld played a key role in accomplishing that goal, advising Hamri on what could and could not be done and concocting clever ways to make the three singers appear to be part of the same environment. R!OT's compositing team, consisting of lead compositor Claus Hansen assisted by Stefano Trivelli and Verdi Sevenhuysen, cemented the effect joining the three images together seamlessly and layering them over a background scene that included fans sitting at tables behind the stage.[30] At one point, an extra crosses the frame between the camera and the back-up trio. According to Woroniecki, "That was one of the things that we thought would make the shot feel real. It took very careful work from the compositors to prepare all of the layers and adjust the lighting and shadows to make it work, but in the end it looks seamless. It's perfect".[30]

The music video premiered on MTV's Total Request Live (TRL) on October 18, 2001.[31] It is set in a nightclub with Mystikal on stage performing for an enthusiastic crowd, featuring southern bayous and various lifestyles. Also on stage there is a trio of back-up singers, all played by Carey. The trio, grouped around a microphone, are not exact duplicates as each Carey wears a different wardrobe and hairstyle. They also behave differently, playing off one another's performance. At one point the two singers on the outside, stop to stare at the singer in the middle as she reaches a high note.[30] Emmanuel Hapsis from KQED included the video on his list of "All 64 Mariah Carey Music Videos, Ranked from Best to Worst", highlighting the fact that Carey's ego "got so big" that it turned into three.[32]

Formats and track listings

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Benelux 2-track CD single[33]

  1. "Never Too Far" (Edit) - 3:58
  2. "Don't Stop (Funkin' 4 Jamaica)" (featuring Mystikal) - 3:38

Australian, European and Malaysian CD maxi-single[34]

  1. "Never Too Far" (Edit) - 3:58
  2. "Don't Stop (Funkin' 4 Jamaica)" (featuring Mystikal) - 3:38
  3. "Loverboy" (Drums of Love) - 6:36
  4. "Never Too Far" (Video) - 2:56

European cassette single

  1. "Never Too Far" (Edit) - 3:58
  2. "Don't Stop (Funkin' 4 Jamaica)" (featuring Mystikal) - 3:38
  3. "Loverboy" (MJ Cole London Dub Mix) - 6:04

European 12-inch vinyl single

  1. "Don't Stop (Funkin' 4 Jamaica)" (featuring Mystikal) - 3:38
  2. "Don't Stop (Funkin' 4 Jamaica)" (featuring Mystikal) (Instrumental) - 3:38
  3. "Never Too Far" - 4:22

Credits and personnel

[edit]

Credits adapted from liner notes of the CD single.[33]

Charts

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Chart (2001)[a] Peak
position
Australia (ARIA)[24] 36
Belgium (Ultratip Bubbling Under Flanders)[28] 4
Belgium (Ultratip Bubbling Under Wallonia)[35] 1
Italy (FIMI)[36] 22
Netherlands (Single Top 100)[26] 67
Scotland (OCC)[37] 51
Spain (PROMUSICAE)[25] 16
Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[27] 65
UK Singles (OCC)[23] 32
UK Dance (OCC)[38] 18
UK Hip Hop/R&B (OCC)[39] 6
UK Urban Club (Music Week)[40] 2
US Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles (Billboard)[21] 23
US CHR/Rhythmic (Radio & Records)[41] 50
US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs (Billboard)[22] 42
US Urban (Radio & Records)[42] 29

Release history

[edit]
Release dates and formats for "Don't Stop (Funkin' 4 Jamaica)"
Region Date Format(s) Label(s) Ref.
United States September 11, 2001 Rhythmic contemporary radio Virgin
[6]
France September 25, 2001 Maxi CD EMI
[7]
United States October 23, 2001 Virgin
[8]
Australia November 5, 2001 EMI
[9]
United Kingdom December 17, 2001
Virgin
[43]

Notes

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  1. ^ "Don't Stop (Funkin' 4 Jamaica)" charted as a double A-side single with "Never Too Far" everywhere except the US and the UK Urban Club chart.

References

[edit]
  1. ^ Kuczynski, Alex; Honson, Laura M. (January 24, 2002). "Record Label Pays Dearly To Dismiss Mariah Carey". The New York Times. Retrieved November 24, 2018.
  2. ^ Mitchell, John (July 19, 2011). "Today In MTV History: Mariah Carey's 'TRL' Meltdown". MTV News. Archived from the original on December 31, 2015. Retrieved December 26, 2018.
  3. ^ Hodge, Gavanndra (November 12, 2001). "Mariah Scary". The Independent. Retrieved December 26, 2018.
  4. ^ Vineyard, Jennifer (July 26, 2001). "Mariah Carey Hospitalized For 'Extreme Exhaustion'". MTV News. Archived from the original on June 23, 2012. Retrieved March 29, 2011.
  5. ^ Schumacher-Rasmussen, Eric (August 8, 2001). "Mariah 'Feeling Better' After Release From Clinic". MTV News. Archived from the original on December 26, 2014. Retrieved December 16, 2014.
  6. ^ a b "R&R September 7, 2001" (PDF). Radio & Records. September 7, 2001. Retrieved December 5, 2021 – via World Radio History.
  7. ^ a b "Never too far – Don't stop – Mariah Carey – CD maxi single" (in French). France: Fnac. September 25, 2001. Retrieved December 5, 2021.
  8. ^ a b "Never Too Far – Mariah Carey". AllMusic. All Media Network. October 23, 2001. Retrieved December 5, 2021.
  9. ^ a b "The ARIA Report: ARIA New Releases Singles – Week Commencing 5th November 2001" (PDF). Australian Recording Industry Association. November 5, 2001. p. 25. Archived from the original (PDF) on February 20, 2002. Retrieved December 5, 2021 – via Pandora Archive.
  10. ^ Glitter (DVD liner notes). Directed by Vondie Curtis-Hall. Sony Pictures Home Entertainment. 2002.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  11. ^ a b c Nager, Larry (September 11, 2001). "Carey's 'Glitter' shows some depth". The Cincinnati Enquirer. Retrieved October 23, 2018. (subscription required)
  12. ^ a b "Celebrating Glitter, Mariah Carey's Most Underrated Album". Est. 1997. September 11, 2016. Retrieved October 23, 2018.
  13. ^ Reid, Shaheem (September 7, 2001). "Mariah Carey's Glitter Kicks It '80s Style". MTV News. Archived from the original on August 20, 2014. Retrieved May 29, 2015.
  14. ^ a b Salmon, James (November 22, 2001). "Mariah Carey - 'Never Too Far/Don't Stop' (Virgin)". Dotmusic. Archived from the original on November 27, 2001. Retrieved October 19, 2018.
  15. ^ Guerin, Harry (September 12, 2001). "Raidió Teilifís Éireann > Music Review > Mariah Carey - Glitter". Raidió Teilifís Éireann. Archived from the original on December 20, 2011. Retrieved December 18, 2014.
  16. ^ "Mariah Carey Singles That Deserved to Be No. 1 (But Didn't Get There)". BET. March 31, 2016. Retrieved October 19, 2018.
  17. ^ Nichols, Natalie (September 9, 2001). "Record Rack". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved October 18, 2018.
  18. ^ Sibold, Witney (November 22, 2015). "SoundTreks | Glitter". Mandatory. Retrieved October 18, 2018.
  19. ^ Cinquemani, Sal (August 20, 2001). "Mariah Carey: Glitter". Slant Magazine. Retrieved May 29, 2015.
  20. ^ "Picks and Pans Review: Glitter". People. 56 (9). August 27, 2001. Retrieved October 19, 2018.
  21. ^ a b "Mariah Carey Chart History (Bubbling Under Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved December 26, 2018.
  22. ^ a b "Mariah Carey Chart History (Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved May 27, 2015.
  23. ^ a b "Mariah Carey: Artist Chart History". Official Charts Company. Retrieved May 27, 2015.
  24. ^ a b "Mariah Carey – Never Too Far / Don't Stop". ARIA Top 50 Singles. Retrieved December 18, 2014.
  25. ^ a b "Hits of the World" (PDF). Billboard. October 20, 2001. p. 42. Retrieved May 27, 2015.
  26. ^ a b "Mariah Carey – Never Too Far / Don't Stop" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved December 18, 2014.
  27. ^ a b "Mariah Carey – Never Too Far / Don't Stop". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved December 18, 2014.
  28. ^ a b "Mariah Carey – Never Too Far / Don't Stop" (in Dutch). Ultratip. Retrieved December 18, 2014.
  29. ^ Spera, Keith (2011). Groove Interrupted: Loss, Renewal, and the Music of New Orleans. St. Martin's Press. p. 181. ISBN 978-1250007643.
  30. ^ a b c d e "The cloning of Mariah". Computer Graphics Focus. March 28, 2002. Retrieved October 17, 2018.
  31. ^ "Total Request Live on MTV". Total Request Live. October 18, 2001. MTV.
  32. ^ Hapsis, Emmanuel (August 12, 2015). "All 64 Mariah Carey Music Videos, Ranked from Worst to Best". KQED. Retrieved October 21, 2018.
  33. ^ a b Don't Stop (Funkin' 4 Jamaica) (Benelux 2-track CD single liner notes). Mariah Carey. Virgin Records America. 2001. VUSTDJ 227.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  34. ^ Don't Stop (Funkin' 4 Jamaica) (Australian, European and Malaysian CD maxi-single liner notes). Mariah Carey. Virgin Records America. 2001. VUSCD 228.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  35. ^ "Mariah Carey – Never Too Far / Don't Stop" (in French). Ultratip. Retrieved December 18, 2014.
  36. ^ "Mariah Carey – Never Too Far / Don't Stop". Top Digital Download. Retrieved May 5, 2015.
  37. ^ "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved April 29, 2023.
  38. ^ "Official Dance Singles Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company.
  39. ^ "Official Hip Hop and R&B Singles Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company.
  40. ^ "Urban Top 20". Music Week. November 24, 2001. p. 21.
  41. ^ "CHR/Rhythmic Top 50". Radio & Records. October 19, 2001. p. 47.
  42. ^ "Urban Top 50". Radio & Records. October 19, 2001. p. 55.
  43. ^ "New Release Countdown: Singles" (PDF). Music Week. December 15, 2001. p. 27. Retrieved December 5, 2021.
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