Touch My Body
Encyclopedia
"Touch My Body" is a song by American singer-songwriter
Mariah Carey
, taken from her eleventh studio album, E=MC²
(2008). It was written and produced by Carey, along with Christopher "Tricky" Stewart
, Crystal "Cri$tyle" Johnson
and Terius "The Dream" Nash
, and was released as the album's lead single
on February 12, 2008. The song draws influence from pop
and R&B
music genres, and features a piano and keyboard-driven melody, and production that is accentuated by the addition of finger snaps and electronic synthesizers
. Lyrically, the song features a double message, with the first describing sexual fantasies with her lover, while also jokingly warning him against recording or releasing information regarding their rendezvous.
The song received generally positive reviews from music critics, with many highlighting the song's light pop melody and hook
; however, it also garnered some backlash from certain music reviewers, who felt the song did not properly represent the singer's acclaimed 5-octave vocal range
. "Touch My Body" became Carey's eighteenth chart topper on the Billboard Hot 100
, making Carey the solo artist with the most number one singles in United States history, surpassing the record held by Elvis Presley
. Additionally, it gave Carey her 79th week atop the chart, tying Presley for most weeks at number one. Throughout Europe, the song also achieved high charting, peaking within the top five on the charts in Italy, Japan, New Zealand, Switzerland and the United Kingdom.
Carey performed "Touch My Body" on several live televised events and programs, debuting it on Saturday Night Live
as a two-piece performance. Similarly, Carey opened the Good Morning America
"Summer Concert Series" on April 25, 2008, singing the song, as well as two other singles from E=MC². Similar renditions took place at the season premiere party of The Hills
, as well as a mash-up of the song with "I'll Be Lovin' U Long Time
" at the Teen Choice Awards
. Aside from reprising performances of the British programs The Sunday Night Project
and The Paul O'Grady Show
, and German talent show Deutschland sucht den Superstar
, the song was included on the set-list of Carey's North American Angels Advocate Tour
, held throughout 2009 and 2010.
The song's music video was directed by film-maker Brett Ratner
, who had previously worked with Carey on five other music videos. It follows around a story revolving around a computer employee's fantasy as he visits Carey's home. As he fixes her computer, he enters a fantasy in which the pair perform several activities together, including pillow fight
s, laser tag
, Guitar Hero
, slot car
s, and frisbee
throwing, all while Carey shows off her figure in several revealing outfits. The music video won in the category of "Best Comedic Video" at the 2008 BET Awards
, and won the "MTV Video Vanguard Award" at the 2008 MTV Video Music Awards Japan. Additionally, the video was nominated for "Best Female Video" at the 2008 MTV Video Music Awards
.
Glitter (2001), and its film of the same name
. As she was hospitalized for exhaustion, the film project received strong negative critical feedback, with the album faring only slightly better. Following Carey's absence from the public eye, as well as her abandonment of promotional appearances for the film and soundtrack, her unprecedented $100 million five-album record deal with Virgin Records
(EMI Records
) was bought out for $50 million. After recovering from her breakdown, and completing her contractual agreement with Virgin Records, Carey began recording her intended "comeback" and follow-up album, Charmbracelet
(2002). Though the album focused on incorporating several inspirational and adult contemporary ballads, and re-capturing Carey's audience from throughout the 1990s, critics took notice of Carey's different vocals.
As Glitter had been a mixture of 1980s covers, and more dance-oriented material, Charmbracelet was void of up-tempo numbers, and harbored on slower and more contemporary melodies. In his review of the album, Stephen Thomas Erlewine
harshly criticized the album's content, but also Carey's voice, which he described as "in tatters".He wrote "Whenever she sings, there's a raspy whistle behind her thin voice and she strains to make notes throughout the record. She cannot coo or softly croon, nor can she perform her trademark gravity-defying vocal runs. Her voice is damaged, and there's not a moment where it sounds strong or inviting." Though fueled by strong media attention regarding Carey's return to music, as well as her new deal with Island Records
, the album failed to deliver the type of success she had been accustomed to throughout the 1990s, and only managed sales of five million copies globally.
After the album's release, and its succeeding tour, Carey began conceptualizing and working on a new project, eventually titledThe Emancipation of Mimi
, her tenth studio effort. The album became the best-selling album in the United States of 2005, and the second best-seller around the world, with over 12 million units sold. It earned a myriad of music industry awards, and brought Carey back to the top of pop music following her decline in 2001." After completing The Adventures of Mimi Tour
, Carey began working on material for her eleventh studio effort, the yet untitled E=MC²
(2008). E=MC² was hailed as one of the most anticipated albums of 2008, with many critics weighing their opinions on whether Carey would be able to deliver significant success, following her achievements with The Emancipation of Mimi. "Touch My Body" was eventually chosen as the lead single
through a vote in between the record executives at Island Records
, with the final choices being the former and "I'm That Chick" (titled "I'm That Chick You Like" at that point). After choosing the former, the song was sent to radio stations worldwide on February 12, 2008 and to digital outlets on March 24, 2008.
and pop
music genres. The song's hook
is built around a piano melody and "circular keyboard line", and features "a stuttering mid-tempo beat that's accented by finger snaps
and electronic synthesizers
" as its instrumentation. Sarah Rodman of The Boston Globe
described it as a "standard-issue mid-tempo jam", while The New York Suns Jayanthi Daniel wrote "It's a smooth, mid-tempo song with a swaying, melodic beat, and serves as a simple and mellow introduction to the material." Writing for The Guardian
, Alex Macpherson felt the song was very "girly", and expressed how the "cushioned" track incorporates "all tactile bass bumps and tinkling music box motifs" into its production. Written and produced by Carey, The-Dream
, Tricky Stewart andCristyle
, the song drew comparisons to several musical arrangements featured throughout "We Belong Together
". According to the sheet music published at Musicnotes.com by Sony/ATV Music Publishing
, "Touch My Body" is set in common time
with a tempo of 80 beats per minute. It is composed in the key of B minor
, with Carey's vocal range spanning from the low-note of F3 to the high-note of E5. The song follows in the chord progression
of Bm7–Am7–Gmaj7.
Lyrically, the song describes the protagonist revealing several bedroom fantasies in which she would like to engage in, asking her lover playfully to "touch her body". Though the song features sexually oriented lyrics, critics deemed that the melody and playful tone of the song made them less explicit. The song's lyrics find Carey maintaining the duo keep the relationship private from the media, as she threatens to "hunt him down" if he shall record anything of their private life. According to Ben Ratliff from The New York Times
, "Touch My Body" is a "questionably sexy striptease: a goofy-sleazy tryst vignette", with Carey singing "If there’s a camera up in here then I best not catch this flick on YouTube
." Critic Rodman felt the song's lyrics describe the protagonist's sexual fantasies, but also serves as a warning to "potential touchers: 'If you run your mouth and brag about our secret rendezvous / I will hunt you down.' Yikes!" In an interview with Fox News
, journalist Hollie McKay asked Carey if there was any literal interpretation regarding the lyrics "Touch My Body / Put Me on the Floor / Wrestle Me Around / Play With Me Some More", to which she replied "There is no full-blown meaning; it is just cute and it's one of those songs that makes me happy. I wasn’t taking it that seriously. It was just fun experience." Evan Sawdey from PopMatters
wrote that in the song "Mariah coos soft-core phone sex fantasies over plinked piano notes, all while referencing YouTube in what appears to be a desperate grab for relevance." In his review of the song's parent album, Los Angeles Times
critic Richard Hartog described the song's production, Carey's vocals and its overall mixing:
"Touch My Body" garnered generally positive reviews from music critics. While most reviewers complimented the song's hook and production, as well as its playful lyrics, some were critical of Carey's vocal performance, which they felt didn't properly demonstrate her "The Voice". Billboard
's Chuck Taylor gave the song a positive review, writing "this sensual jam is 100% Mariah, packed with satisfying harmonic layers and hooky background 'oh's,' supersonic verses and a chorus as catchy as a winter sniffle," Bill Lamb from About.com
rated the song four out of five stars, stating that the single "is simple, sexy elegance from one of the most enduring of pop stars." Additionally, Lamb complimented the songs "clever and sexy lyrics", and wrote "The gentle finger-snapping beat will send countless fans dancing in private reveries." Newsday
critic, Glenn Gamboa, named it as the "Song of the Week", commenting that it was "the best opening single she's had since 'Heartbreaker
'." Nick Levine of Digital Spy
was also impressed with the song, writing, "its cooing, sensual charms soon take hold, suggesting the wind's still very much behind the Carey comeback bandwagon." It was described as a "cheeky hit" by Margeaux Watson of Entertainment Weekly
, and "playful" by Los Angeles Times
s Chuck Philips.
Aside from common criticism aimed at Carey's lack of vocal bombast, many made heavy comparisons to its predecessor, "We Belong Together
". Freedom Du Lac from The Washington Post
compared the two heavily, while PopMatters
's Evan Sawdey felt it was "stealing the structure that made 'We Belong Together' such a great song." In his critique, he continued "For being an album from one of the world’s biggest pop stars, its amazing how hook-free and dated if feels a mere two weeks after its release." Slant Magazine
s critic and writer, Sal Cinquemani, wrote that the single "isn't exactly filled with combustible energy and it lacks the full-throttle belting that accompanied the Return of the Voice three years ago, but it features all of the characteristics one expects from a latter-day Mariah track." Rachel Devitt ofRhapsody
expressed a desire to see Carey "show off those legendary five octaves a bit more," while also noting the song's "slightly paranoid/just-this-side-of-crazy lyrics threatening to hunt down her lover if he videos their tryst." Daily News critic, David Hinckley, was critical on the song's simplicity, and wrote "[It's] a single that could have been cut by any one-hit diva-ette today - has scored a chart grand slam. There's just one small price to pay for all this: the singer's soul."
Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs
Chart at number seventy-eight the chart week of February 23, 2008.In its second week within the chart, it leaped to number twenty, before reaching its peak of number two. In its first complete week of radio airplay, the song garnered 46 million audience impressions, making its debut at number twenty-three on the Billboard Hot 100 Airplay. The song made its debut at number fifty-seven on the Billboard Hot 100
as the "Hot Shot" of the week. The following week, "Touch My Body" jumped twenty-three spots to number thirty-four, making it Carey's 31st top-ten hit on the chart. It placed Carey as the woman with the fifth most top-ten entries on the Hot 100 in Billboard history."Touch My Body" reached the top position on the Hot 100 in its fourth week, and became Carey's eighteenth chart topper, selling 286,000 digital downloads. The song's opening week broke several records, first making Carey the solo artist with the most number one singles in United States history, surpassing the record held by Elvis Presley
. Additionally, it gave Carey her 79th week atop the Hot 100, tying her with Presley as the artist with the most weeks at number one in the Billboard chart history." The song also sold the highest amount of digital records in one week, surpassing Rihanna
's "Umbrella
" (2007), which sold 277,000 units.The following week, the song stayed at number one, and according to Mediabase
, received over 400,000 spins in the United States within its second week at number one. By the song's sixth week of digital availability, "Touch My Body" had sold 879,000 units, and was eventually certified Platinum
by the Recording Industry Association of America
(RIAA), denoting shipments of over one million units throughout the United States. According to Nielsen SoundScan
, "Touch My Body" has sold over 1,459,000 copies in the United States as of August 15, 2010. It entered the Canadian Hot 100
at number ninety-seven, based on airplay alone, and peaked at number two. The song also peaked at number two on the Hot Canadian Digital Singles chart, and spent a total of thirteen weeks within the singles chart. In an interview Fox News
, Carey described her feelings regarding surpassing Presley's record, as well as her general sentiments following her success:
Throughout Australasia and Europe, the song managed to peak within the top five in several countries. In Australia, "Touch My Body" debuted at number twenty on the singles chart
, during the week of April 4, 2008. The following week, the song reached its peak of number seventeen, where it spent two weeks, and had a total chart trajectory of ten weeks. On April 11, 2008, "Touch My Body" debuted at number forty-five on the Ö3 Austria Top 40
chart. The song peaked at number ten, and fell out of the chart in its tenth week, while it was at fifty-seven. The song achieved moderate success in both the Flemmish and Wallonian territories in Belgium, peaking at numbers fourteen and thirty-three, respectively. Making its debut at its peak position of number sixteen, "Touch My Body" charted for a total of nineteen weeks in France, before falling out on October 4, 2008. "Touch My Body" became one of Carey's strongest charting singles in Germany, debuting at number ten on the Media Control Charts
. The following week, the song moved up three places to number seven, before completing its ten week run on the singles chart. On the Dutch Top 40
chart, the song made its debut at number twenty-seven. Seven weeks later, the song peaked at number fourteen, before dropping outside the top 40 three weeks later, ending its eleven week trajectory. "Touch My Body" entered the New Zealand Singles Chart
at number eleven, during the week dated March 31, 2008. In total, the song spent two weeks at its peak position of number three, and a total of ten weeks on the chart. In both Norway and Sweden, the song saw moderate success, peaking at numbers ten and fourteen, and lasting on the chart for five and six weeks, respectively. On April 20, 2008, "Touch My Body" debuted and peaked at number three on the Swiss Music Charts
, spending a total of twelve weeks on the chart. On the Japan Hot 100
, the song peaked at number two, and was certified Gold by the Recording Industry Association of Japan
(RIAJ), denoting shipments of over 150,000 units. On the UK Singles Chart
, "Touch My Body" debuted at number ninety-nine, from just one day of release. The following week, the song leapt to number six on the chart, before peaking at number five in its third week. In total, "Touch My Body" spent thirteen weeks within the UK charts, and has estimated sales of over 120,000 units.
annual American Music Awards, Terrence Howard
presented Carey with an award for her career achievements in the United States. In recognition of Carey's record-setting eighteen number one singles on the Hot 100, as well as spending an unprecedented seventy-nine weeks atop the Billboard chart, she received the award prior to performing her single at the time, "I Stay in Love
". Similarly, Carey was awarded another special achievement trophy for her worldwide record sales at the World Music Awards
, held in Monaco on November 9, 2008
.
and The-Dream
, and both feature Def Jam labelmate rapper Rick Ross
on the first verse and R&B singer The-Dream, who co-produced the song, on the fourth verse. Aside from both their verses, Carey's are intermingled, and featured in between and after both of the male parts. There is a remix that features R&B singer R. Kelly
, also known as "The Remix Killer" in the song. During most of his section of the song, Kelly sings of shining, drinking and two-stepping in a club, and he promises to kiss any place on Mariah's body she wants: "Girl, if you let me, I'm gonna touch it / But if I touch it, I'm gonna wanna hit it." Later, he mimics Carey's bridge
: "If some honies up in here that want me to touch her body / Touch it / Let me hear you say, 'I-i-i-i do.'" According to Kelly, the remix is unofficial, and his lyrics are freestyle rap
.
in Los Angeles, and features a cameo appearance from 30 Rock
's Jack McBrayer
. Prior to filming the video, or releasing the single, Carey had toned her body, and lost a reported twenty pounds. Due to her slim-down, her and Ratner wanted to flaunt Carey's new figure as much as possible throughout the video: "Mariah looks better than she has ever looked. It's ridiculous. Mariah has an incredible body, but she was always kind of very voluptuous. Now she's just like, fit. And we were like, we've got to show this body." As the pair came up with the video's plot, Ratner contacted McBrayer to play a male leading role, alongside Carey. After receiving the call, McBrayer claimed he was so shocked by the proposal, that he didn't believe it at first. He only met with the producers after Ratner personally called him and assured him the authenticity of the offer. In an interview with MTV News
, McBrayer joked "I'm always worried now that somebody is pranking me, so at first I was very leery. But when I heard it was legit, and then later on we got a phone call from Brett Ratner, who directed it. I was like, 'This is either a very elaborate prank, or this is the real deal.'" In the fantasy-themed story, he recalled what he considered the video's most memorable scene, in which he and Carey, dressed in medieval attire, were walking with a unicorn
. Additionally, he described the filming process as very simple, as they were given very loose directions and pointers. McBrayer claimed that during one take, they were meant to play Frisbee on the mansion lawn, and he accidentally threw it at Carey's face, jokingly adding "by the time she spins back around — bonk, right in her face. I threw a Frisbee in Mariah Carey's face! I'm like, I'm fired!."When questioned by critics regarding the song and video, Carey responded "Have you seen the 'Touch My Body' video? C'mon. Clearly you must see the humour in that. Even the lyrics, 'I will hunt you down'. If anyone doesn't get the joke by this time then they are an idiot." In an interview with Reuters
, Carey described working with Ratner, and her experience filming the video:
; play laser tag
, Guitar Hero
and slot car
s; and throw a frisbee
. The video also features Carey in various revealing outfits. The video begins with a small Geek Squad
Volkswagen
pulling up into the driveway of Carey's large manor. As the employee introduces himself, Carey rudely refers to him as a "CumpuNerd", and asks him to follow her to the broken computer. As he attends to it, Carey removes her robe, and enters her large closet, leaving McBrayer to begin his fantasy with her. The first scene is of Carey wearing a tight pink number, laying seductively on the bed, as the computer employee plays with an electric guitar. He joins her on the bed, and she begins playfully spanking him as the two enter a pillow fight. Another scene is interspersed, of Carey sporting a mini silver dress, with tall socks and heels, flaunting her body. The fantasy then adapts to a new scenery, of the pair dressed in medieval clothing, while walking a unicorn, followed by the duo in a large room in the mansion, racing electronic cars. As they proceed to play laser tag, they are shown outside, laying on a picnic bed, with Carey dressed in a "naughty school girl outfit". They both get up, and begin to throw a frisbee, before relocating in front of the main stairwell in the mansion. The final scenes of the fantasy are of Carey, wearing a shortened red gown, standing atop the staircase, and McBrayer climbing on his knees while carrying flowers. All the scenes begin to fade, with the last being Carey feeding him by hand by the refrigerator, as he wakes up with Carey, now dressed, poking him. She tells the employee that security will let him out when he is finished, and leaves him while he is still fantasizing about her.
, and won the "MTV Video Vanguard Award" at the 2008 MTV Video Music Awards Japan. Additionally, the video was nominated for "Best Female Video" at the 2008 MTV Video Music Awards
in the United States. As the MTV Video Music Award is the only industry award for which Carey has not yet received even one trophy, she jokingly expressed to MTV News her feelings regarding the video for "Touch My Body":
Carey appeared on several music video programs in promotion for the video's debut. She appeared on MTV
's Total Request Live
and BET
's 106 & Park
on February 27, 2008, to premiere the video for "Touch My Body"; BET also played the video all day, every hour on the hour, until 106 & Park aired. VH1
posted a 45-second sneak peek on their blog on February 26, and subsequently posted the video in its entirety at midnight on February 27, 2008.
, taking over for Janet Jackson
who caught the flu and was unable to perform. Hosted by Jonah Hill
, Carey performed both "Touch My Body", as well as live rendition of "Migrate" alongside T-Pain
. Following the set, Carey and her manager at the time, Benny Medina
, met with Lee Daniels
, who then offered Carey a role in his film adaptation of Precious
(2008), in which Carey would later star and earn acclaim for her acting. After reaching the top of the Billboard charts, the Empire State Building
was lit up in Carey's motif colors, white, pink and lavender, for the entire week.On March 25, 2008, Carey was featured as the special guest performer at The Hills
season premiere party, an event marking the start of a span of ten episodes airing in between season three
and four
. Carey, dressed in a black skirt and gold top, performed "Touch My Body", "I'm That Chick" and "We Belong Together", before exiting the stage to a standing ovation. After the performance, Carey received strong praise from the program's cast members, with Lauren Conrad
saying "I've always been a huge Mariah fan, and she's just so beautiful and talented', while Whitney Port
and Audrina Patridge
referred to Carey as "an amazing singer", while claiming to have listened to her music from a young age.
On April 25, 2008, Carey opened the Good Morning America
"Summer Concert Series" with a live performance in Times Square
.Carey, wearing a pink mini-skirt, began the set with "Touch My Body" in front of thousands of fans. During the song, Carey's backing vocals began to malfunction, causing it to repeat phrases and play during her main vocal moments. In order to let the sound engineer know of the problem, she substituted part of the lyrics for "stop singing my part now baby", and completed the final chorus. She continued on with "I'm That Chick", and completed the three-song set-list with her follow-up single, "Bye Bye
". After marking the album's stateside launch with her appearance on Good Morning America, Carey took to Europe to perform on several programs. She began with an interview on the British radio station, BBC Radio 1
, and continued onto a live rendition of "Touch My Body" on both The Sunday Night Project
and The Paul O'Grady Show
. Similarly, Carey performed the song live on the popular German talent show, Deutschland sucht den Superstar
(Germany searches for the superstar), in April 2008.
On August 8, 2008, Carey performed a mash-up of the song at the 2008 Teen Choice Awards
. She began with her single at the time, "I'll Be Lovin' U Long Time
", and worked into the bridge of "Touch My Body", before reverting back to the former song. At theFashion Rocks
ceremony in 2009, Carey performed "Touch My Body" and her current single, "Obsessed
", as well as the remix to her 1995 song "Fantasy
". During the set-list, Carey was accompanied by six men in black ties, who hoisted her into the air in front of over 6,000 people during "Obsessed", and rigorous dance routines throughout "Touch My Body". Following the release of Carey's twelfth studio album
Memoirs of an Imperfect Angel
(2009), she held four concerts at The Pearl Concert Theatre, where she included the song on the set-list. Similar to the performance at the Fashion Rocks ceremony, Carey was hoisted into the air several times by four to six male dancers, each of whom circled her with intricate dancing throughout the song. Carey featured similar choreography for the song during her Angels Advocate Tour
(2009-2010), where it was included throughout the entire span of the tour.
, soul
singer Aretha Franklin
performed a live rendition of the song. Following a piano introduction for her song, "The House That Jack Built", Franklin segued into "Touch My Body", and jokingly referred to the lyrics, telling the audience "As far as I’m concerned, what starts on the floor stays on the floor." A writer from Rap-Up
commented on the performance, calling it "absolutely priceless". Similarly, a writer from the Chicago Tribune
complemented Franklin's live rendition of "Touch My Body", calling it "simple, enjoyable and sweet".
European 12" Vinyl single
Japanese CD single
UK CD single
UK maxi-single
US maxi-Single
Singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriters are musicians who write, compose and sing their own musical material including lyrics and melodies. As opposed to contemporary popular music singers who write their own songs, the term singer-songwriter describes a distinct form of artistry, closely associated with the...
Mariah Carey
Mariah Carey
Mariah Carey is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, and actress. She made her recording debut with the release of her eponymous studio album in 1990, under the guidance of Columbia Records executive Tommy Mottola, whom she later married in 1993...
, taken from her eleventh studio album, E=MC²
E=MC² (Mariah Carey album)
E=MC² is the eleventh studio album by American singer-songwriter Mariah Carey, first released in the United States on April 15, 2008, by Island Records. Carey began recording the album in late-2007 in Anguilla, after writing and composing most of its material during and after her 2006 Adventures...
(2008). It was written and produced by Carey, along with Christopher "Tricky" Stewart
Christopher Stewart (music producer)
Christopher "Tricky" Stewart is an American songwriter, music producer, music publisher, executive producer, recording industry executive and recording studio owner. In a career spanning 16 years, Stewart, at the helm of his company RedZone Entertainment, is responsible for over 25 million...
, Crystal "Cri$tyle" Johnson
Cristyle
Crystal Nicole Johnson, better known by her stage name Cristyle or sometimes credited as Cri$tyle is an American Grammy Award winning songwriter signed with So So Def/EMI Music.-Career:...
and Terius "The Dream" Nash
The-Dream
Terius Youngdell Nash , better known by his stage name The-Dream, is an American singer-songwriter and record producer. He is known for co-writing "Umbrella" for Rihanna and "Single Ladies " for Beyoncé, as well as for his three solo albums, Love Hate, Love vs...
, and was released as the album's lead single
Lead single
A lead single is usually the first single released by a musician or a band before the release of its home album.During the era of the grammophone record, all music arrived in the marketplace as what is now termed a single, one potential hit song backed by an additional song of generally less...
on February 12, 2008. The song draws influence from pop
Pop music
Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...
and R&B
Contemporary R&B
Contemporary R&B is a music genre that combines elements of hip hop, soul, R&B and funk.Although the abbreviation “R&B” originates from traditional rhythm and blues music, today the term R&B is most often used to describe a style of African American music originating after the demise of disco in...
music genres, and features a piano and keyboard-driven melody, and production that is accentuated by the addition of finger snaps and electronic synthesizers
Synthesizer
A synthesizer is an electronic instrument capable of producing sounds by generating electrical signals of different frequencies. These electrical signals are played through a loudspeaker or set of headphones...
. Lyrically, the song features a double message, with the first describing sexual fantasies with her lover, while also jokingly warning him against recording or releasing information regarding their rendezvous.
The song received generally positive reviews from music critics, with many highlighting the song's light pop melody and hook
Hook (music)
A hook is a musical idea, often a short riff, passage, or phrase, that is used in popular music to make a song appealing and to "catch the ear of the listener". The term generally applies to popular music, especially rock music, hip hop, dance music, and pop. In these genres, the hook is often...
; however, it also garnered some backlash from certain music reviewers, who felt the song did not properly represent the singer's acclaimed 5-octave vocal range
Vocal range
Vocal range is the measure of the breadth of pitches that a human voice can phonate. Although the study of vocal range has little practical application in terms of speech, it is a topic of study within linguistics, phonetics, and speech and language pathology, particularly in relation to the study...
. "Touch My Body" became Carey's eighteenth chart topper on the Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
, making Carey the solo artist with the most number one singles in United States history, surpassing the record held by Elvis Presley
Elvis Presley
Elvis Aaron Presley was one of the most popular American singers of the 20th century. A cultural icon, he is widely known by the single name Elvis. He is often referred to as the "King of Rock and Roll" or simply "the King"....
. Additionally, it gave Carey her 79th week atop the chart, tying Presley for most weeks at number one. Throughout Europe, the song also achieved high charting, peaking within the top five on the charts in Italy, Japan, New Zealand, Switzerland and the United Kingdom.
Carey performed "Touch My Body" on several live televised events and programs, debuting it on Saturday Night Live
Saturday Night Live
Saturday Night Live is a live American late-night television sketch comedy and variety show developed by Lorne Michaels and Dick Ebersol. The show premiered on NBC on October 11, 1975, under the original title of NBC's Saturday Night.The show's sketches often parody contemporary American culture...
as a two-piece performance. Similarly, Carey opened the Good Morning America
Good Morning America
Good Morning America is an American morning news and talk show that is broadcast on the ABC television network; it debuted on November 3, 1975. The weekday program airs for two hours; a third hour aired between 2007 and 2008 exclusively on ABC News Now...
"Summer Concert Series" on April 25, 2008, singing the song, as well as two other singles from E=MC². Similar renditions took place at the season premiere party of The Hills
The Hills
The Hills is a reality television series which originally aired on MTV from May 31, 2006 until July 13, 2010. The show uses a reality television format, following the personal lives of several young adults living in Los Angeles, California, but tends towards a narrative format more commonly found...
, as well as a mash-up of the song with "I'll Be Lovin' U Long Time
I'll Be Lovin' U Long Time
"I'll Be Lovin' U Long Time" is a song by American singer-songwriter Mariah Carey, taken from her eleventh studio album, E=MC² . It was written by Carey, Aldrin Davis, Crystal Johnson and Clifford Harris, and produced by the former two...
" at the Teen Choice Awards
Teen Choice Awards
The Teen Choice Awards, are an annual awards show that air on the Fox cable channel, that honor the year's biggest biggest achievements in music, movies, sports, television, fashion and more, voted by teen viewers aged 14 through 17. Winners receive an authentic full size surfboard designed with...
. Aside from reprising performances of the British programs The Sunday Night Project
The Sunday Night Project
The Sunday Night Project was a British comedy-variety show by Princess Productions that first aired on Channel 4 in February 2005 under the title The Friday Night Project...
and The Paul O'Grady Show
The Paul O'Grady Show
The Paul O'Grady Show was a BAFTA award-winning British comedy chat show hosted by Birkenhead-born comedian Paul O'Grady. The format was originally devised by Granada Television and was broadcast on ITV before moving to Channel 4...
, and German talent show Deutschland sucht den Superstar
Deutschland sucht den Superstar
Deutschland sucht den Superstar is a German reality talent show, also commonly known by its initials DSDS. Part of the Idol franchise, it was created by English media mogul Simon Fuller as a spin-off from the British show Pop Idol, of which two series were broadcast between the years of 2001 and...
, the song was included on the set-list of Carey's North American Angels Advocate Tour
Angels Advocate Tour
The Angels Advocate Tour is the seventh concert tour by American R&B singer Mariah Carey, in support of her twelfth studio album, Memoirs of an Imperfect Angel. The tour visited North America, also Egypt, Brazil and Singapore...
, held throughout 2009 and 2010.
The song's music video was directed by film-maker Brett Ratner
Brett Ratner
Brett Ratner is an American film director, film producer and music video director. He is best known for directing the Rush Hour film series, The Family Man, Red Dragon, X-Men: The Last Stand, and Tower Heist. He was also a producer on the Fox drama series, Prison Break.- Early life :Ratner was...
, who had previously worked with Carey on five other music videos. It follows around a story revolving around a computer employee's fantasy as he visits Carey's home. As he fixes her computer, he enters a fantasy in which the pair perform several activities together, including pillow fight
Pillow fight
A pillow fight is a common game mostly played by young children in which they engage in mock physical conflict, utilizing pillows as weapons....
s, laser tag
Laser tag
Laser tag is a team or individual sport or recreational activity where players attempt to score points by tagging targets, typically with a hand-held infrared-emitting targeting device. Infrared-sensitive targets are commonly worn by each player and are sometimes integrated within the arena in...
, Guitar Hero
Guitar Hero
Guitar Hero is a music video game developed by Harmonix Music Systems and published by RedOctane for the PlayStation 2 video game console. It is the first entry in the Guitar Hero series. Guitar Hero was released on November 8, 2005 in North America, April 7, 2006 in Europe and June 15, 2006 in...
, slot car
Slot car
A slot car is a powered miniature auto or other vehicle that is guided by a groove or slot in the track on which it runs. A pin or blade extends from the bottom of the car into the slot...
s, and frisbee
Frisbee
A flying disc is a disc-shaped glider that is generally plastic and roughly in diameter, with a lip. The shape of the disc, an airfoil in cross-section, allows it to fly by generating lift as it moves through the air while rotating....
throwing, all while Carey shows off her figure in several revealing outfits. The music video won in the category of "Best Comedic Video" at the 2008 BET Awards
BET Awards
The BET Awards were established in 2001 by the Black Entertainment Television network to celebrate African Americans and other minorities in music, acting, sports, and other fields of entertainment over the past year. The awards are presented annually and broadcast live on BET...
, and won the "MTV Video Vanguard Award" at the 2008 MTV Video Music Awards Japan. Additionally, the video was nominated for "Best Female Video" at the 2008 MTV Video Music Awards
MTV Video Music Awards
An MTV Video Music Award , is an award presented by the cable channel MTV to honor the best in music videos...
.
Background and release
In 2001, Carey suffered a physical and emotional breakdown, causing her to abandon promotion of her then-released studio albumStudio album
A studio album is an album made up of tracks recorded in the controlled environment of a recording studio. A studio album contains newly written and recorded or previously unreleased or remixed material, distinguishing itself from a compilation or reissue album of previously recorded material, or...
Glitter (2001), and its film of the same name
Glitter (film)
Glitter is a 2001 film starring R&B singer, songwriter Mariah Carey. It was produced by 20th Century Fox and Columbia Pictures and directed by Vondie Curtis-Hall. It centers on the life and times of a struggling singer from the early club music scene in the 1980s.-Production:Carey has said about...
. As she was hospitalized for exhaustion, the film project received strong negative critical feedback, with the album faring only slightly better. Following Carey's absence from the public eye, as well as her abandonment of promotional appearances for the film and soundtrack, her unprecedented $100 million five-album record deal with Virgin Records
Virgin Records
Virgin Records is a British record label founded by English entrepreneur Richard Branson, Simon Draper, and Nik Powell in 1972. The company grew to be a worldwide music phenomenon, with platinum performers such as Roy Orbison, Devo, Genesis, Keith Richards, Janet Jackson, Culture Club, Lenny...
(EMI Records
EMI Records
EMI Records is the flagship record label founded by the EMI company in 1972 and launched in January 1973 as the successor to its Columbia label. The EMI label was launched worldwide...
) was bought out for $50 million. After recovering from her breakdown, and completing her contractual agreement with Virgin Records, Carey began recording her intended "comeback" and follow-up album, Charmbracelet
Charmbracelet
Charmbracelet is the ninth studio album by American singer-songwriter Mariah Carey, released on December 3, 2002 through Island Records and MonarC Entertainment. The album was her first release since facing a breakdown following the release of her film Glitter and its accompanying...
(2002). Though the album focused on incorporating several inspirational and adult contemporary ballads, and re-capturing Carey's audience from throughout the 1990s, critics took notice of Carey's different vocals.
As Glitter had been a mixture of 1980s covers, and more dance-oriented material, Charmbracelet was void of up-tempo numbers, and harbored on slower and more contemporary melodies. In his review of the album, Stephen Thomas Erlewine
Stephen Thomas Erlewine
Stephen Thomas Erlewine is a senior editor for Allmusic. He is the author of many artist biographies and record reviews for Allmusic, as well as a freelance writer, occasionally contributing liner notes. He is also frontman and guitarist for the Ann Arbor-based band Who Dat?Erlewine is the nephew...
harshly criticized the album's content, but also Carey's voice, which he described as "in tatters".He wrote "Whenever she sings, there's a raspy whistle behind her thin voice and she strains to make notes throughout the record. She cannot coo or softly croon, nor can she perform her trademark gravity-defying vocal runs. Her voice is damaged, and there's not a moment where it sounds strong or inviting." Though fueled by strong media attention regarding Carey's return to music, as well as her new deal with Island Records
Island Records
Island Records is a record label that was founded by Chris Blackwell in Jamaica. It was based in the United Kingdom for many years and is now owned by Universal Music Group...
, the album failed to deliver the type of success she had been accustomed to throughout the 1990s, and only managed sales of five million copies globally.
After the album's release, and its succeeding tour, Carey began conceptualizing and working on a new project, eventually titledThe Emancipation of Mimi
The Emancipation of Mimi
The Emancipation of Mimi is the tenth studio album by American recording artist Mariah Carey, released in the United States on April 12, 2005, by Island Records. Following the relatively poor critical and commercial responses to her albums, Glitter and Charmbracelet , The Emancipation of Mimi...
, her tenth studio effort. The album became the best-selling album in the United States of 2005, and the second best-seller around the world, with over 12 million units sold. It earned a myriad of music industry awards, and brought Carey back to the top of pop music following her decline in 2001." After completing The Adventures of Mimi Tour
The Adventures of Mimi Tour
The Adventures of Mimi: The Voice, The Hits, The Tour was a 2006 concert tour of arenas by American R&B singer-songwriter Mariah Carey. It was one of a few tours in her then-sixteen year career and was named after a fan's "Carey-centric" diary of the same name...
, Carey began working on material for her eleventh studio effort, the yet untitled E=MC²
E=MC² (Mariah Carey album)
E=MC² is the eleventh studio album by American singer-songwriter Mariah Carey, first released in the United States on April 15, 2008, by Island Records. Carey began recording the album in late-2007 in Anguilla, after writing and composing most of its material during and after her 2006 Adventures...
(2008). E=MC² was hailed as one of the most anticipated albums of 2008, with many critics weighing their opinions on whether Carey would be able to deliver significant success, following her achievements with The Emancipation of Mimi. "Touch My Body" was eventually chosen as the lead single
Lead single
A lead single is usually the first single released by a musician or a band before the release of its home album.During the era of the grammophone record, all music arrived in the marketplace as what is now termed a single, one potential hit song backed by an additional song of generally less...
through a vote in between the record executives at Island Records
Island Records
Island Records is a record label that was founded by Chris Blackwell in Jamaica. It was based in the United Kingdom for many years and is now owned by Universal Music Group...
, with the final choices being the former and "I'm That Chick" (titled "I'm That Chick You Like" at that point). After choosing the former, the song was sent to radio stations worldwide on February 12, 2008 and to digital outlets on March 24, 2008.
Composition
"Touch My Body" is a mid-tempo song, which draws influence from R&BContemporary R&B
Contemporary R&B is a music genre that combines elements of hip hop, soul, R&B and funk.Although the abbreviation “R&B” originates from traditional rhythm and blues music, today the term R&B is most often used to describe a style of African American music originating after the demise of disco in...
and pop
Pop music
Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...
music genres. The song's hook
Hook (music)
A hook is a musical idea, often a short riff, passage, or phrase, that is used in popular music to make a song appealing and to "catch the ear of the listener". The term generally applies to popular music, especially rock music, hip hop, dance music, and pop. In these genres, the hook is often...
is built around a piano melody and "circular keyboard line", and features "a stuttering mid-tempo beat that's accented by finger snaps
Snap (fingers)
Snapping one's fingers is the act of creating a cracking/clicking sound with one's fingers. Primarily this is done by building tension between the thumb and another finger and then moving the other finger forcefully downward so it hits the palm of the same hand at a high speed...
and electronic synthesizers
Synthesizer
A synthesizer is an electronic instrument capable of producing sounds by generating electrical signals of different frequencies. These electrical signals are played through a loudspeaker or set of headphones...
" as its instrumentation. Sarah Rodman of The Boston Globe
The Boston Globe
The Boston Globe is an American daily newspaper based in Boston, Massachusetts. The Boston Globe has been owned by The New York Times Company since 1993...
described it as a "standard-issue mid-tempo jam", while The New York Suns Jayanthi Daniel wrote "It's a smooth, mid-tempo song with a swaying, melodic beat, and serves as a simple and mellow introduction to the material." Writing for The Guardian
The Guardian
The Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
, Alex Macpherson felt the song was very "girly", and expressed how the "cushioned" track incorporates "all tactile bass bumps and tinkling music box motifs" into its production. Written and produced by Carey, The-Dream
The-Dream
Terius Youngdell Nash , better known by his stage name The-Dream, is an American singer-songwriter and record producer. He is known for co-writing "Umbrella" for Rihanna and "Single Ladies " for Beyoncé, as well as for his three solo albums, Love Hate, Love vs...
, Tricky Stewart andCristyle
Cristyle
Crystal Nicole Johnson, better known by her stage name Cristyle or sometimes credited as Cri$tyle is an American Grammy Award winning songwriter signed with So So Def/EMI Music.-Career:...
, the song drew comparisons to several musical arrangements featured throughout "We Belong Together
We Belong Together
"We Belong Together" is a song by American singer-songwriter Mariah Carey from her tenth studio album, The Emancipation of Mimi . The song was released on March 29, 2005, through Island Records as the second single from the album. "We Belong Together" was written by Carey, Jermaine Dupri, Manuel...
". According to the sheet music published at Musicnotes.com by Sony/ATV Music Publishing
Sony/ATV Music Publishing
Sony/ATV Music Publishing is a music publishing company co-owned by The Michael Jackson Family Trust and Sony. The organisation was originally founded as Associated TeleVision in 1955 by Lew Grade. In 1957, ATV acquired Pye Records as a wholly owned subsidiary...
, "Touch My Body" is set in common time
Time signature
The time signature is a notational convention used in Western musical notation to specify how many beats are in each measure and which note value constitutes one beat....
with a tempo of 80 beats per minute. It is composed in the key of B minor
B minor
B minor is a minor scale based on B, consisting of the pitches B, C, D, E, F, G, and A. The harmonic minor raises the A to A. Its key signature has two sharps .Its relative major is D major, and its parallel major is B major....
, with Carey's vocal range spanning from the low-note of F3 to the high-note of E5. The song follows in the chord progression
Chord progression
A chord progression is a series of musical chords, or chord changes that "aims for a definite goal" of establishing a tonality founded on a key, root or tonic chord. In other words, the succession of root relationships...
of Bm7–Am7–Gmaj7.
Lyrically, the song describes the protagonist revealing several bedroom fantasies in which she would like to engage in, asking her lover playfully to "touch her body". Though the song features sexually oriented lyrics, critics deemed that the melody and playful tone of the song made them less explicit. The song's lyrics find Carey maintaining the duo keep the relationship private from the media, as she threatens to "hunt him down" if he shall record anything of their private life. According to Ben Ratliff from The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
, "Touch My Body" is a "questionably sexy striptease: a goofy-sleazy tryst vignette", with Carey singing "If there’s a camera up in here then I best not catch this flick on YouTube
YouTube
YouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
." Critic Rodman felt the song's lyrics describe the protagonist's sexual fantasies, but also serves as a warning to "potential touchers: 'If you run your mouth and brag about our secret rendezvous / I will hunt you down.' Yikes!" In an interview with Fox News
Fox News Channel
Fox News Channel , often called Fox News, is a cable and satellite television news channel owned by the Fox Entertainment Group, a subsidiary of News Corporation...
, journalist Hollie McKay asked Carey if there was any literal interpretation regarding the lyrics "Touch My Body / Put Me on the Floor / Wrestle Me Around / Play With Me Some More", to which she replied "There is no full-blown meaning; it is just cute and it's one of those songs that makes me happy. I wasn’t taking it that seriously. It was just fun experience." Evan Sawdey from PopMatters
PopMatters
PopMatters is an international webzine of cultural criticism that covers many aspects of popular culture. PopMatters publishes reviews, interviews, and detailed essays on most cultural products and expressions in areas such as music, television, films, books, video games, comics, sports, theater,...
wrote that in the song "Mariah coos soft-core phone sex fantasies over plinked piano notes, all while referencing YouTube in what appears to be a desperate grab for relevance." In his review of the song's parent album, Los Angeles Times
Los Angeles Times
The Los Angeles Times is a daily newspaper published in Los Angeles, California, since 1881. It was the second-largest metropolitan newspaper in circulation in the United States in 2008 and the fourth most widely distributed newspaper in the country....
critic Richard Hartog described the song's production, Carey's vocals and its overall mixing:
"Touch My Body" rides a relatively restrained slow-dance groove, with some light, orchestral-synth flourishes thrown in. The rhythm is almost completely carried by an effortless keyboard bump, the easygoing repetitiveness of which eventually wears the listener down, and sets up a delicate frame for Carey to sing around. She pulls back when the song picks up the pace, and Carey keeps it simple here, playing with tempos rather than range. Indeed, she almost quietly slides into the chorus. "If you run around and brag about this secret rendezvous, I will hunt you down," she sings, letting the last line trail off. But you don't necessarily believe her, as the feel is more playful that sinful.
Critical reception
| "'Touch My Body' is all about sound, rhythm, and texture and not so much about song, something that helps sustain Mariah Carey's run at the top the charts, but something that also pushes melodic hooks, and in the process singing, into the background. As Carey's multi-octave voice has always been her calling card, the one thing that even her biggest critics have grudgingly acknowledged as her unassailable strength, this is a little odd but it not only makes Mariah modern, it also camouflages her slightly diminishing range Vocal range Vocal range is the measure of the breadth of pitches that a human voice can phonate. Although the study of vocal range has little practical application in terms of speech, it is a topic of study within linguistics, phonetics, and speech and language pathology, particularly in relation to the study... , so it does have a dual purpose." |
||
"Touch My Body" garnered generally positive reviews from music critics. While most reviewers complimented the song's hook and production, as well as its playful lyrics, some were critical of Carey's vocal performance, which they felt didn't properly demonstrate her "The Voice". Billboard
Billboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
's Chuck Taylor gave the song a positive review, writing "this sensual jam is 100% Mariah, packed with satisfying harmonic layers and hooky background 'oh's,' supersonic verses and a chorus as catchy as a winter sniffle," Bill Lamb from About.com
About.com
About.com is an online source for original information and advice. It is written in English, and is aimed primarily at North Americans. It is owned by The New York Times Company....
rated the song four out of five stars, stating that the single "is simple, sexy elegance from one of the most enduring of pop stars." Additionally, Lamb complimented the songs "clever and sexy lyrics", and wrote "The gentle finger-snapping beat will send countless fans dancing in private reveries." Newsday
Newsday
Newsday is a daily American newspaper that primarily serves Nassau and Suffolk counties and the New York City borough of Queens on Long Island, although it is sold throughout the New York metropolitan area...
critic, Glenn Gamboa, named it as the "Song of the Week", commenting that it was "the best opening single she's had since 'Heartbreaker
Heartbreaker (Mariah Carey song)
"Heartbreaker" is a song by American singer-songwriter Mariah Carey. It was released on September 21, 1999 by Columbia Records as the lead single from Carey's seventh studio album, Rainbow . The song was written by Carey and Jay-Z and produced by the former and DJ Clue...
'." Nick Levine of Digital Spy
Digital Spy
Digital Spy is a British entertainment and media news website. According to Alexa Internet traffic statistics, as of February 2011, Digital Spy is the 93rd most popular website in the United Kingdom, with an overall Alexa ranking of 2,088....
was also impressed with the song, writing, "its cooing, sensual charms soon take hold, suggesting the wind's still very much behind the Carey comeback bandwagon." It was described as a "cheeky hit" by Margeaux Watson of Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly is an American magazine, published by the Time division of Time Warner, that covers film, television, music, broadway theatre, books and popular culture...
, and "playful" by Los Angeles Times
Los Angeles Times
The Los Angeles Times is a daily newspaper published in Los Angeles, California, since 1881. It was the second-largest metropolitan newspaper in circulation in the United States in 2008 and the fourth most widely distributed newspaper in the country....
s Chuck Philips.
Aside from common criticism aimed at Carey's lack of vocal bombast, many made heavy comparisons to its predecessor, "We Belong Together
We Belong Together
"We Belong Together" is a song by American singer-songwriter Mariah Carey from her tenth studio album, The Emancipation of Mimi . The song was released on March 29, 2005, through Island Records as the second single from the album. "We Belong Together" was written by Carey, Jermaine Dupri, Manuel...
". Freedom Du Lac from The Washington Post
The Washington Post
The Washington Post is Washington, D.C.'s largest newspaper and its oldest still-existing paper, founded in 1877. Located in the capital of the United States, The Post has a particular emphasis on national politics. D.C., Maryland, and Virginia editions are printed for daily circulation...
compared the two heavily, while PopMatters
PopMatters
PopMatters is an international webzine of cultural criticism that covers many aspects of popular culture. PopMatters publishes reviews, interviews, and detailed essays on most cultural products and expressions in areas such as music, television, films, books, video games, comics, sports, theater,...
's Evan Sawdey felt it was "stealing the structure that made 'We Belong Together' such a great song." In his critique, he continued "For being an album from one of the world’s biggest pop stars, its amazing how hook-free and dated if feels a mere two weeks after its release." Slant Magazine
Slant Magazine
Slant Magazine is an online publication that features reviews of movies, music, TV, DVDs, theater, and video games, as well as interviews with actors, directors, and musicians. The site covers various film festivals like the New York Film Festival.- History :...
s critic and writer, Sal Cinquemani, wrote that the single "isn't exactly filled with combustible energy and it lacks the full-throttle belting that accompanied the Return of the Voice three years ago, but it features all of the characteristics one expects from a latter-day Mariah track." Rachel Devitt ofRhapsody
Rhapsody (online music service)
Rhapsody is an online music store subscription service, launched in December 2001, and available in the United States only. On April 6, 2010, Rhapsody officially declared its independence from RealNetworks. Downloaded files come with restrictions on their use, enforced by Helix, Rhapsody's version...
expressed a desire to see Carey "show off those legendary five octaves a bit more," while also noting the song's "slightly paranoid/just-this-side-of-crazy lyrics threatening to hunt down her lover if he videos their tryst." Daily News critic, David Hinckley, was critical on the song's simplicity, and wrote "[It's] a single that could have been cut by any one-hit diva-ette today - has scored a chart grand slam. There's just one small price to pay for all this: the singer's soul."
Chart performance
After only a few hours worth of airplay, "Touch My Body" entered the BillboardBillboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs
Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs
Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, is a chart released weekly by Billboard in the United States.The chart, initiated in 1942, is used to track the success of popular music songs in urban, or primarily African American, venues. Dominated over the years at various times by jazz, rhythm and blues, doo-wop, soul,...
Chart at number seventy-eight the chart week of February 23, 2008.In its second week within the chart, it leaped to number twenty, before reaching its peak of number two. In its first complete week of radio airplay, the song garnered 46 million audience impressions, making its debut at number twenty-three on the Billboard Hot 100 Airplay. The song made its debut at number fifty-seven on the Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
as the "Hot Shot" of the week. The following week, "Touch My Body" jumped twenty-three spots to number thirty-four, making it Carey's 31st top-ten hit on the chart. It placed Carey as the woman with the fifth most top-ten entries on the Hot 100 in Billboard history."Touch My Body" reached the top position on the Hot 100 in its fourth week, and became Carey's eighteenth chart topper, selling 286,000 digital downloads. The song's opening week broke several records, first making Carey the solo artist with the most number one singles in United States history, surpassing the record held by Elvis Presley
Elvis Presley
Elvis Aaron Presley was one of the most popular American singers of the 20th century. A cultural icon, he is widely known by the single name Elvis. He is often referred to as the "King of Rock and Roll" or simply "the King"....
. Additionally, it gave Carey her 79th week atop the Hot 100, tying her with Presley as the artist with the most weeks at number one in the Billboard chart history." The song also sold the highest amount of digital records in one week, surpassing Rihanna
Rihanna
Robyn Rihanna Fenty , better known as simply Rihanna, is a Barbadian recording artist. Born in Saint Michael, Barbados, Rihanna moved to the United States at the age of 16 to pursue a recording career under the guidance of record producer Evan Rogers...
's "Umbrella
Umbrella (song)
"Umbrella" is a song recorded by Barbadian singer Rihanna, featuring a rap verse by Jay-Z. The song was written by The-Dream, Christopher Stewart, Kuk Harrell and Jay-Z, and was produced by Stewart and The-Dream for Rihanna's third studio album, Good Girl Gone Bad...
" (2007), which sold 277,000 units.The following week, the song stayed at number one, and according to Mediabase
Mediabase
Mediabase is a music industry service that monitors radio station airplay in 180 US and Canadian markets. Mediabase publishes music charts and data based on the most played songs on terrestrial and satellite radio, and provides in-depth analytical tools for radio and record industry professionals...
, received over 400,000 spins in the United States within its second week at number one. By the song's sixth week of digital availability, "Touch My Body" had sold 879,000 units, and was eventually certified Platinum
RIAA certification
In the United States, the Recording Industry Association of America awards certification based on the number of albums and singles sold through retail and other ancillary markets. Other countries have similar awards...
by the Recording Industry Association of America
Recording Industry Association of America
The Recording Industry Association of America is a trade organization that represents the recording industry distributors in the United States...
(RIAA), denoting shipments of over one million units throughout the United States. According to Nielsen SoundScan
Nielsen SoundScan
Nielsen SoundScan is an information and sales tracking system created by Mike Fine and Mike Shalett. Soundscan is the official method of tracking sales of music and music video products throughout the United States and Canada...
, "Touch My Body" has sold over 1,459,000 copies in the United States as of August 15, 2010. It entered the Canadian Hot 100
Canadian Hot 100
The Canadian Hot 100 is a music singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine which ranks songs in Canada. The chart debuted in the Billboard issue dated June 16, 2007 and was made available for the first time via their online services on June 7, 2007...
at number ninety-seven, based on airplay alone, and peaked at number two. The song also peaked at number two on the Hot Canadian Digital Singles chart, and spent a total of thirteen weeks within the singles chart. In an interview Fox News
Fox News Channel
Fox News Channel , often called Fox News, is a cable and satellite television news channel owned by the Fox Entertainment Group, a subsidiary of News Corporation...
, Carey described her feelings regarding surpassing Presley's record, as well as her general sentiments following her success:
For me, in my mind the accomplishment is just that much sweeter. In terms of my ethnicity, always feeling like an outsider, always feeling different ... for me it's about saying, 'Thank you Lord, for giving me the faith to believe in myself when other people had written me off.' I've gone through enough of my life worrying about that kind if thing. I want to encourage anyone else out there who feels like maybe they can't overcome an obstacle, I feel like I'm living proof ... never lose your faith. I'm seriously a grateful individual right now.
Throughout Australasia and Europe, the song managed to peak within the top five in several countries. In Australia, "Touch My Body" debuted at number twenty on the singles chart
ARIA Charts
The ARIA charts are the main Australian music sales charts, issued weekly by the Australian Recording Industry Association. The charts are a record of the highest selling singles and albums in various genres in Australia. ARIA commenced compiling its own charts in-house from the week ending 26 June...
, during the week of April 4, 2008. The following week, the song reached its peak of number seventeen, where it spent two weeks, and had a total chart trajectory of ten weeks. On April 11, 2008, "Touch My Body" debuted at number forty-five on the Ö3 Austria Top 40
Ö3 Austria Top 40
Ö3 Austria Top 40 is the name of the official Austrian singles chart, as well as the radio show which presents it, aired Fridays on Hitradio Ö3. The show presents the Austrian singles, ringtones and downloads chart. It premiered on 26 November 1968 as Disc Parade and was presented by Ernst Grissemann...
chart. The song peaked at number ten, and fell out of the chart in its tenth week, while it was at fifty-seven. The song achieved moderate success in both the Flemmish and Wallonian territories in Belgium, peaking at numbers fourteen and thirty-three, respectively. Making its debut at its peak position of number sixteen, "Touch My Body" charted for a total of nineteen weeks in France, before falling out on October 4, 2008. "Touch My Body" became one of Carey's strongest charting singles in Germany, debuting at number ten on the Media Control Charts
Media Control Charts
The official music charts in Germany are gathered and published by the company Media Control GfK International on behalf of Bundesverband Musikindustrie...
. The following week, the song moved up three places to number seven, before completing its ten week run on the singles chart. On the Dutch Top 40
Dutch Top 40
The Dutch Top 40 is a weekly music chart, which started as the "Veronica Top 40", because the offshore radio station Radio Veronica was the first to introduce it. It remained "The Veronica Top 40" until 1974, when the station was forced to stop broadcasting...
chart, the song made its debut at number twenty-seven. Seven weeks later, the song peaked at number fourteen, before dropping outside the top 40 three weeks later, ending its eleven week trajectory. "Touch My Body" entered the New Zealand Singles Chart
Recording Industry Association of New Zealand
The Recording Industry Association of New Zealand is a non-profit trade association of record producers, distributors and recording artists who sell music in New Zealand...
at number eleven, during the week dated March 31, 2008. In total, the song spent two weeks at its peak position of number three, and a total of ten weeks on the chart. In both Norway and Sweden, the song saw moderate success, peaking at numbers ten and fourteen, and lasting on the chart for five and six weeks, respectively. On April 20, 2008, "Touch My Body" debuted and peaked at number three on the Swiss Music Charts
Swiss Music Charts
The Swiss Music Charts are Switzerland's main music sales charts. The charts are a record of the highest-selling singles and albums in various genres in Switzerland.The Swiss Charts include:* Singles Top 75...
, spending a total of twelve weeks on the chart. On the Japan Hot 100
Japan Hot 100
The Japan Hot 100 is a music singles chart in Japan. It is compiled by Billboard and Hanshin Contents Link ever since February 2008. The chart is updated every Wednesday at billboard-japan.com and every Thursday at billboard.com ....
, the song peaked at number two, and was certified Gold by the Recording Industry Association of Japan
Recording Industry Association of Japan
The Recording Industry Association of Japan is an industry trade group composed of Japanese corporations involved the music industry...
(RIAJ), denoting shipments of over 150,000 units. On the UK Singles Chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
, "Touch My Body" debuted at number ninety-nine, from just one day of release. The following week, the song leapt to number six on the chart, before peaking at number five in its third week. In total, "Touch My Body" spent thirteen weeks within the UK charts, and has estimated sales of over 120,000 units.
Awards and nominations
Due to Carey's career success following the release of "Touch My Body", she received several honorary awards throughout the music industry. At the 2008American Music Awards of 2008
The 2008 American Music Awards were held on November 23, 2008 at the Nokia Theatre in Los Angeles, California. The ceremony was hosted by Jimmy Kimmel.-Performers:-Presenters:* Jamie Foxx* Sarah Chalke* Akon* Julianne Hough* Ashley Tisdale...
annual American Music Awards, Terrence Howard
Terrence Howard
Terrence Dashon Howard is an American actor. Having his first major role in the 1995 film Mr. Holland's Opus, which subsequently led to a number of roles in films and high visibility among African American audiences. Howard broke into the mainstream with a succession of well-reviewed television...
presented Carey with an award for her career achievements in the United States. In recognition of Carey's record-setting eighteen number one singles on the Hot 100, as well as spending an unprecedented seventy-nine weeks atop the Billboard chart, she received the award prior to performing her single at the time, "I Stay in Love
I Stay in Love
"I Stay in Love" is a song by American singer-songwriter Mariah Carey, taken from her eleventh studio album, E=MC² . It was written by Carey, Bryan-Michael Cox, Adonis Shropshire and Kendrick Dean, and produced by the former two. "I Stay in Love" was released through Island Records on October 28,...
". Similarly, Carey was awarded another special achievement trophy for her worldwide record sales at the World Music Awards
World Music Awards
The World Music Awards is an international awards show founded in 1989 that annually honors recording artists based on worldwide sales figures provided by the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry . John Martinotti is an executive producer and co-founder of the show...
, held in Monaco on November 9, 2008
2008 World Music Awards
The 20th annual World Music Awards was held on 9 November, 2008 in Monaco. Awards are given based on worldwide sales figures for that year. The ceremony was hosted by actor Jesse Metcalfe and singer Michelle Williams.-Performers:*Alicia Keys*Anastacia...
.
Remixes
The official remixes, "Touch My Body (Love/Hate Remix)" and "Touch My Body (Tricky Remix)", were produced by Carey, Christopher "Tricky" StewartChristopher Stewart (music producer)
Christopher "Tricky" Stewart is an American songwriter, music producer, music publisher, executive producer, recording industry executive and recording studio owner. In a career spanning 16 years, Stewart, at the helm of his company RedZone Entertainment, is responsible for over 25 million...
and The-Dream
The-Dream
Terius Youngdell Nash , better known by his stage name The-Dream, is an American singer-songwriter and record producer. He is known for co-writing "Umbrella" for Rihanna and "Single Ladies " for Beyoncé, as well as for his three solo albums, Love Hate, Love vs...
, and both feature Def Jam labelmate rapper Rick Ross
Rick Ross (rapper)
William Leonard Roberts II , better known by his stage name Rick Ross, is an American rapper. He derived his stage name from the drug trafficker "Freeway" Ricky Ross, to whom he has no connection...
on the first verse and R&B singer The-Dream, who co-produced the song, on the fourth verse. Aside from both their verses, Carey's are intermingled, and featured in between and after both of the male parts. There is a remix that features R&B singer R. Kelly
R. Kelly
Robert Sylvester Kelly , better known by his stage name R. Kelly, is an American singer-songwriter and record producer. A native of Chicago, Kelly began performing during the late 1980s and debuted in 1992 with the group Public Announcement. In 1993, Kelly went solo with the album 12 Play...
, also known as "The Remix Killer" in the song. During most of his section of the song, Kelly sings of shining, drinking and two-stepping in a club, and he promises to kiss any place on Mariah's body she wants: "Girl, if you let me, I'm gonna touch it / But if I touch it, I'm gonna wanna hit it." Later, he mimics Carey's bridge
Bridge (music)
In music, especially western popular music, a bridge is a contrasting section which also prepares for the return of the original material section...
: "If some honies up in here that want me to touch her body / Touch it / Let me hear you say, 'I-i-i-i do.'" According to Kelly, the remix is unofficial, and his lyrics are freestyle rap
Freestyle rap
Freestyle rap commonly refers to rap lyrics which are improvised through a acapella or with instrumental beats, i.e. performed with no previously composed lyrics, or "off the top of the head"...
.
Background
The song's music video was directed by film-maker Brett RatnerBrett Ratner
Brett Ratner is an American film director, film producer and music video director. He is best known for directing the Rush Hour film series, The Family Man, Red Dragon, X-Men: The Last Stand, and Tower Heist. He was also a producer on the Fox drama series, Prison Break.- Early life :Ratner was...
in Los Angeles, and features a cameo appearance from 30 Rock
30 Rock
30 Rock is an American television comedy series created by Tina Fey that airs on NBC. The series is loosely based on Fey's experiences as head writer for Saturday Night Live...
's Jack McBrayer
Jack McBrayer
Jack McBrayer is an American actor and comedian. He gained national exposure for his characters on "Late Night with Conan O'Brien"...
. Prior to filming the video, or releasing the single, Carey had toned her body, and lost a reported twenty pounds. Due to her slim-down, her and Ratner wanted to flaunt Carey's new figure as much as possible throughout the video: "Mariah looks better than she has ever looked. It's ridiculous. Mariah has an incredible body, but she was always kind of very voluptuous. Now she's just like, fit. And we were like, we've got to show this body." As the pair came up with the video's plot, Ratner contacted McBrayer to play a male leading role, alongside Carey. After receiving the call, McBrayer claimed he was so shocked by the proposal, that he didn't believe it at first. He only met with the producers after Ratner personally called him and assured him the authenticity of the offer. In an interview with MTV News
MTV News
MTV News is the news division of MTV, one of the first and most popular music television network in the U.S., as well as some of MTV's related channels around the world. MTV News began in the late 1980s with the program The Week In Rock, hosted by Kurt Loder, the first official MTV News correspondent...
, McBrayer joked "I'm always worried now that somebody is pranking me, so at first I was very leery. But when I heard it was legit, and then later on we got a phone call from Brett Ratner, who directed it. I was like, 'This is either a very elaborate prank, or this is the real deal.'" In the fantasy-themed story, he recalled what he considered the video's most memorable scene, in which he and Carey, dressed in medieval attire, were walking with a unicorn
Unicorn
The unicorn is a legendary animal from European folklore that resembles a white horse with a large, pointed, spiraling horn projecting from its forehead, and sometimes a goat's beard...
. Additionally, he described the filming process as very simple, as they were given very loose directions and pointers. McBrayer claimed that during one take, they were meant to play Frisbee on the mansion lawn, and he accidentally threw it at Carey's face, jokingly adding "by the time she spins back around — bonk, right in her face. I threw a Frisbee in Mariah Carey's face! I'm like, I'm fired!."When questioned by critics regarding the song and video, Carey responded "Have you seen the 'Touch My Body' video? C'mon. Clearly you must see the humour in that. Even the lyrics, 'I will hunt you down'. If anyone doesn't get the joke by this time then they are an idiot." In an interview with Reuters
Reuters
Reuters is a news agency headquartered in New York City. Until 2008 the Reuters news agency formed part of a British independent company, Reuters Group plc, which was also a provider of financial market data...
, Carey described working with Ratner, and her experience filming the video:
I love Brett because he is like me. If I'm eternally 12 -- because he's a little bit more naughty than I am -- he's eternally 15. He has a great sense of humor, obviously, and he knows that I have a sense of humor and he feels that people don't recognize that about me. And I'll do stuff that I'm totally joking and they're like (uses mean girl voice), "Why is she doing that? Why is she doing the treadmill with her high heels on?" I'm like, "It's a freakin' joke! It's 'CribsMTV CribsMTV Cribs and CMT Cribs, depending on which channel it airs, is a franchise reality television program that originated on the MTV Networks' MTV. It later aired on its CMT channel that features tours of the houses and mansions of celebrities. The first show aired September 2000...
'! Hello! It's a freakin' joke!"
Synopsis
The music video revolves around the fantasy of a computer store employee, as he dreams about a relationship with Carey. Throughout the video, the pair is seen to have a pillow fightPillow fight
A pillow fight is a common game mostly played by young children in which they engage in mock physical conflict, utilizing pillows as weapons....
; play laser tag
Laser tag
Laser tag is a team or individual sport or recreational activity where players attempt to score points by tagging targets, typically with a hand-held infrared-emitting targeting device. Infrared-sensitive targets are commonly worn by each player and are sometimes integrated within the arena in...
, Guitar Hero
Guitar Hero
Guitar Hero is a music video game developed by Harmonix Music Systems and published by RedOctane for the PlayStation 2 video game console. It is the first entry in the Guitar Hero series. Guitar Hero was released on November 8, 2005 in North America, April 7, 2006 in Europe and June 15, 2006 in...
and slot car
Slot car
A slot car is a powered miniature auto or other vehicle that is guided by a groove or slot in the track on which it runs. A pin or blade extends from the bottom of the car into the slot...
s; and throw a frisbee
Frisbee
A flying disc is a disc-shaped glider that is generally plastic and roughly in diameter, with a lip. The shape of the disc, an airfoil in cross-section, allows it to fly by generating lift as it moves through the air while rotating....
. The video also features Carey in various revealing outfits. The video begins with a small Geek Squad
Geek Squad
The Geek Squad is a subsidiary of the Best Buy Company and is based in Richfield, Minnesota. It was originally founded on June 16, 1994 by Robert Stephens. The company offers various computer-related services and accessories for residential and commercial clients...
Volkswagen
Volkswagen
Volkswagen is a German automobile manufacturer and is the original and biggest-selling marque of the Volkswagen Group, which now also owns the Audi, Bentley, Bugatti, Lamborghini, SEAT, and Škoda marques and the truck manufacturer Scania.Volkswagen means "people's car" in German, where it is...
pulling up into the driveway of Carey's large manor. As the employee introduces himself, Carey rudely refers to him as a "CumpuNerd", and asks him to follow her to the broken computer. As he attends to it, Carey removes her robe, and enters her large closet, leaving McBrayer to begin his fantasy with her. The first scene is of Carey wearing a tight pink number, laying seductively on the bed, as the computer employee plays with an electric guitar. He joins her on the bed, and she begins playfully spanking him as the two enter a pillow fight. Another scene is interspersed, of Carey sporting a mini silver dress, with tall socks and heels, flaunting her body. The fantasy then adapts to a new scenery, of the pair dressed in medieval clothing, while walking a unicorn, followed by the duo in a large room in the mansion, racing electronic cars. As they proceed to play laser tag, they are shown outside, laying on a picnic bed, with Carey dressed in a "naughty school girl outfit". They both get up, and begin to throw a frisbee, before relocating in front of the main stairwell in the mansion. The final scenes of the fantasy are of Carey, wearing a shortened red gown, standing atop the staircase, and McBrayer climbing on his knees while carrying flowers. All the scenes begin to fade, with the last being Carey feeding him by hand by the refrigerator, as he wakes up with Carey, now dressed, poking him. She tells the employee that security will let him out when he is finished, and leaves him while he is still fantasizing about her.
Promotion and reception
The music video won in the category of "Best Comedic Video" at the 2008 BET AwardsBET Awards
The BET Awards were established in 2001 by the Black Entertainment Television network to celebrate African Americans and other minorities in music, acting, sports, and other fields of entertainment over the past year. The awards are presented annually and broadcast live on BET...
, and won the "MTV Video Vanguard Award" at the 2008 MTV Video Music Awards Japan. Additionally, the video was nominated for "Best Female Video" at the 2008 MTV Video Music Awards
MTV Video Music Awards
An MTV Video Music Award , is an award presented by the cable channel MTV to honor the best in music videos...
in the United States. As the MTV Video Music Award is the only industry award for which Carey has not yet received even one trophy, she jokingly expressed to MTV News her feelings regarding the video for "Touch My Body":
I have faith in my fans. I believe they will come through for me, because they always have. My house is not complete without an American Moonman, and I would say 'Touch My Body' deserves one. Brett Ratner directed it, I have a unicorn in there, I have ['Guitar Hero'] in there — who else has that?"
Carey appeared on several music video programs in promotion for the video's debut. She appeared on MTV
MTV
MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
's Total Request Live
Total Request Live
Total Request Live is a television series on MTV that featured popular music videos. TRL was MTV's prime outlet for music videos as the network continues to concentrate on reality-based programming. In addition to music videos, TRL featured daily guests...
and BET
Black Entertainment Television
Black Entertainment Television is an American, Viacom-owned cable network based in Washington, D.C.. Currently viewed in more than 90 million homes worldwide, it is the most prominent television network targeting young Black-American audiences. The network was launched on January 25, 1980, by its...
's 106 & Park
106 & Park
106 & Park is a Top Ten Hip-Hop and R&B music video show, set up in a countdown format, that airs weekdays at 6:00 PM on BET . Since its inception, it was the network's #1 rated show...
on February 27, 2008, to premiere the video for "Touch My Body"; BET also played the video all day, every hour on the hour, until 106 & Park aired. VH1
VH1
VH1 or Vh1 is an American cable television network based in New York City. Launched on January 1, 1985 in the old space of Turner Broadcasting's short-lived Cable Music Channel, the original purpose of the channel was to build on the success of MTV by playing music videos, but targeting a slightly...
posted a 45-second sneak peek on their blog on February 26, and subsequently posted the video in its entirety at midnight on February 27, 2008.
Live performances
Following the song's digital release, Carey promoted the song on several live televised appearances and programs throughout the world. Only days prior to being released digitally, Carey was announced as the musical guest on an episode of Saturday Night LiveSaturday Night Live
Saturday Night Live is a live American late-night television sketch comedy and variety show developed by Lorne Michaels and Dick Ebersol. The show premiered on NBC on October 11, 1975, under the original title of NBC's Saturday Night.The show's sketches often parody contemporary American culture...
, taking over for Janet Jackson
Janet Jackson
Janet Damita Jo Jackson is an American recording artist and actress. Known for a series of sonically innovative, socially conscious and sexually provocative records, as well as elaborate stage shows, television and film roles, she has been a prominent figure in popular culture for over 25 years...
who caught the flu and was unable to perform. Hosted by Jonah Hill
Jonah Hill
Jonah Hill Feldstein , known professionally as Jonah Hill, is an American actor, producer, screenwriter, and comedian. Hill is best known roles for his roles in Superbad, Knocked Up, and Get Him to the Greek. He made his theatrical debut in I Heart Huckabees, alongside Jason Schwartzman and Dustin...
, Carey performed both "Touch My Body", as well as live rendition of "Migrate" alongside T-Pain
T-Pain
Faheem Rasheed Najm , better known by his stage name T-Pain, is an American singer-songwriter, rapper, record producer, and actor, currently signed to Young Money Entertainment. His debut album, Rappa Ternt Sanga, was released in 2005. In 2007, T-Pain released his second studio album Epiphany,...
. Following the set, Carey and her manager at the time, Benny Medina
Benny Medina
Benny Medina is the CEO of The Medina Company and son of legendary Jazz drummer Ahmad "Benny" Medina. He has worked in the music business as a producer, talent manager and record executive...
, met with Lee Daniels
Lee Daniels
Lee Louis Daniels is an American actor, film producer, and director. He produced Monster's Ball and directed the film Precious, which received six Academy Award nominations, including Best Director; the film won two of the awards.-Early years:Daniels was born on Christmas Eve, 1959, in...
, who then offered Carey a role in his film adaptation of Precious
Precious (film)
Precious , is a 2009 American drama film directed by Lee Daniels. Precious is an adaptation by Geoffrey S. Fletcher of the 1996 novel Push by Sapphire. The film stars Gabourey Sidibe, Mo'Nique, and Paula Patton...
(2008), in which Carey would later star and earn acclaim for her acting. After reaching the top of the Billboard charts, the Empire State Building
Empire State Building
The Empire State Building is a 102-story landmark skyscraper and American cultural icon in New York City at the intersection of Fifth Avenue and West 34th Street. It has a roof height of 1,250 feet , and with its antenna spire included, it stands a total of 1,454 ft high. Its name is derived...
was lit up in Carey's motif colors, white, pink and lavender, for the entire week.On March 25, 2008, Carey was featured as the special guest performer at The Hills
The Hills
The Hills is a reality television series which originally aired on MTV from May 31, 2006 until July 13, 2010. The show uses a reality television format, following the personal lives of several young adults living in Los Angeles, California, but tends towards a narrative format more commonly found...
season premiere party, an event marking the start of a span of ten episodes airing in between season three
The Hills (season 3)
The third season of The Hills premiered on August 13, 2007 and concluded on May 12, 2008. The season focused mostly on the feud between Lauren Conrad and Heidi Montag which arose from Lauren's suspicion that Heidi and Spencer Pratt were responsible for rumors that she starred in a sex tape with ex...
and four
The Hills (season 4)
The fourth season of MTV's reality TV show The Hills premiered on August 18, 2008 and concluded on December 22, 2008. It continued to follow Lauren Conrad and her group of friends around LA and also paved the way for a spin off, The City, starring Whitney Port...
. Carey, dressed in a black skirt and gold top, performed "Touch My Body", "I'm That Chick" and "We Belong Together", before exiting the stage to a standing ovation. After the performance, Carey received strong praise from the program's cast members, with Lauren Conrad
Lauren Conrad
Lauren Katherine Conrad is an American television personality, celebutante, and fashion designer. She came to prominence with her starring roles on the MTV reality series Laguna Beach: The Real Orange County and its spin-off series, The Hills, which at one point followed her personal and...
saying "I've always been a huge Mariah fan, and she's just so beautiful and talented', while Whitney Port
Whitney Port
Whitney Eve Port is an American television personality, clothing designer, and author. She is known for being one of the main cast members on the former MTV reality series The Hills...
and Audrina Patridge
Audrina Patridge
Audrina Cathleen Patridge is an American reality television personality, actress, and model. She is known for being one of the four original primary cast members featured on the MTV reality series The Hills. She has also starred in the films Sorority Row and Into The Blue 2...
referred to Carey as "an amazing singer", while claiming to have listened to her music from a young age.
On April 25, 2008, Carey opened the Good Morning America
Good Morning America
Good Morning America is an American morning news and talk show that is broadcast on the ABC television network; it debuted on November 3, 1975. The weekday program airs for two hours; a third hour aired between 2007 and 2008 exclusively on ABC News Now...
"Summer Concert Series" with a live performance in Times Square
Times Square
Times Square is a major commercial intersection in the borough of Manhattan in New York City, at the junction of Broadway and Seventh Avenue and stretching from West 42nd to West 47th Streets...
.Carey, wearing a pink mini-skirt, began the set with "Touch My Body" in front of thousands of fans. During the song, Carey's backing vocals began to malfunction, causing it to repeat phrases and play during her main vocal moments. In order to let the sound engineer know of the problem, she substituted part of the lyrics for "stop singing my part now baby", and completed the final chorus. She continued on with "I'm That Chick", and completed the three-song set-list with her follow-up single, "Bye Bye
Bye Bye (Mariah Carey song)
"Bye Bye" is a song by American singer-songwriter Mariah Carey, taken from her eleventh studio album, E=MC² . It was written by Carey, Mikkel S. Eriksen, Tor Erik Hermansen and Johntá Austin, and produced by the former three. It was released as the album's second single on April 15, 2008, in the...
". After marking the album's stateside launch with her appearance on Good Morning America, Carey took to Europe to perform on several programs. She began with an interview on the British radio station, BBC Radio 1
BBC Radio 1
BBC Radio 1 is a British national radio station operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation which also broadcasts internationally, specialising in current popular music and chart hits throughout the day. Radio 1 provides alternative genres after 7:00pm including electronic dance, hip hop, rock...
, and continued onto a live rendition of "Touch My Body" on both The Sunday Night Project
The Sunday Night Project
The Sunday Night Project was a British comedy-variety show by Princess Productions that first aired on Channel 4 in February 2005 under the title The Friday Night Project...
and The Paul O'Grady Show
The Paul O'Grady Show
The Paul O'Grady Show was a BAFTA award-winning British comedy chat show hosted by Birkenhead-born comedian Paul O'Grady. The format was originally devised by Granada Television and was broadcast on ITV before moving to Channel 4...
. Similarly, Carey performed the song live on the popular German talent show, Deutschland sucht den Superstar
Deutschland sucht den Superstar
Deutschland sucht den Superstar is a German reality talent show, also commonly known by its initials DSDS. Part of the Idol franchise, it was created by English media mogul Simon Fuller as a spin-off from the British show Pop Idol, of which two series were broadcast between the years of 2001 and...
(Germany searches for the superstar), in April 2008.
On August 8, 2008, Carey performed a mash-up of the song at the 2008 Teen Choice Awards
Teen Choice Awards
The Teen Choice Awards, are an annual awards show that air on the Fox cable channel, that honor the year's biggest biggest achievements in music, movies, sports, television, fashion and more, voted by teen viewers aged 14 through 17. Winners receive an authentic full size surfboard designed with...
. She began with her single at the time, "I'll Be Lovin' U Long Time
I'll Be Lovin' U Long Time
"I'll Be Lovin' U Long Time" is a song by American singer-songwriter Mariah Carey, taken from her eleventh studio album, E=MC² . It was written by Carey, Aldrin Davis, Crystal Johnson and Clifford Harris, and produced by the former two...
", and worked into the bridge of "Touch My Body", before reverting back to the former song. At theFashion Rocks
Fashion Rocks
Fashion Rocks was an annual international charity fundraiser event which features fashions by the world's top designers being presented to live performances by popular music acts.The inaugural event was held at the Royal Albert Hall on October 15, 2003...
ceremony in 2009, Carey performed "Touch My Body" and her current single, "Obsessed
Obsessed (song)
"Obsessed" is a song by American singer-songwriter Mariah Carey, taken from her twelfth studio album, Memoirs of an Imperfect Angel . It was written and produced by Carey, Christopher "Tricky" Stewart and Terius "The-Dream" Nash, and was released as the album's lead single on June 16, 2009...
", as well as the remix to her 1995 song "Fantasy
Fantasy (Mariah Carey song)
"Fantasy" is a song by American singer-songwriter Mariah Carey. It was released on September 12, 1995 by Columbia Records as the lead single for her fifth studio album, Daydream . The song was written by Carey and Dave Hall, both serving as primary producers alongside Sean Combs...
". During the set-list, Carey was accompanied by six men in black ties, who hoisted her into the air in front of over 6,000 people during "Obsessed", and rigorous dance routines throughout "Touch My Body". Following the release of Carey's twelfth studio album
Studio album
A studio album is an album made up of tracks recorded in the controlled environment of a recording studio. A studio album contains newly written and recorded or previously unreleased or remixed material, distinguishing itself from a compilation or reissue album of previously recorded material, or...
Memoirs of an Imperfect Angel
Memoirs of an Imperfect Angel
Memoirs of an Imperfect Angel is the twelfth studio album by American R&B singer Mariah Carey. It was released on September 29, 2009 through Island Records in the U.S. and November 23, 2009 with Mercury Records in the UK...
(2009), she held four concerts at The Pearl Concert Theatre, where she included the song on the set-list. Similar to the performance at the Fashion Rocks ceremony, Carey was hoisted into the air several times by four to six male dancers, each of whom circled her with intricate dancing throughout the song. Carey featured similar choreography for the song during her Angels Advocate Tour
Angels Advocate Tour
The Angels Advocate Tour is the seventh concert tour by American R&B singer Mariah Carey, in support of her twelfth studio album, Memoirs of an Imperfect Angel. The tour visited North America, also Egypt, Brazil and Singapore...
(2009-2010), where it was included throughout the entire span of the tour.
Cover version
During a concert in Washington, D.C.Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
, soul
Soul music
Soul music is a music genre originating in the United States combining elements of gospel music and rhythm and blues. According to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, soul is "music that arose out of the black experience in America through the transmutation of gospel and rhythm & blues into a form of...
singer Aretha Franklin
Aretha Franklin
Aretha Louise Franklin is an American singer, songwriter, and pianist. Although known for her soul recordings and referred to as The Queen of Soul, Franklin is also adept at jazz, blues, R&B, gospel music, and rock. Rolling Stone magazine ranked her atop its list of The Greatest Singers of All...
performed a live rendition of the song. Following a piano introduction for her song, "The House That Jack Built", Franklin segued into "Touch My Body", and jokingly referred to the lyrics, telling the audience "As far as I’m concerned, what starts on the floor stays on the floor." A writer from Rap-Up
Rap-Up
Rap-Up is a magazine launched in 2001 by founder Devin Lazerine. The publication was originally a website devoted to hip hop, until Lazerine decided to pitch the possibility of a magazine to several publishers. The magazine is focused on the hip hop and R&B aspect of the music industry, and...
commented on the performance, calling it "absolutely priceless". Similarly, a writer from the Chicago Tribune
Chicago Tribune
The Chicago Tribune is a major daily newspaper based in Chicago, Illinois, and the flagship publication of the Tribune Company. Formerly self-styled as the "World's Greatest Newspaper" , it remains the most read daily newspaper of the Chicago metropolitan area and the Great Lakes region and is...
complemented Franklin's live rendition of "Touch My Body", calling it "simple, enjoyable and sweet".
Track listings and formats
Australian maxi-single- "Touch My Body" (Radio Edit)
- "Touch My Body" (Remix)
- "Touch My Body" (Seamus Haji Club Mix)
- "Touch My Body" (Video)
European 12" Vinyl single
- "Touch My Body" (Radio Edit)
- "Touch My Body" (Craig C Radio Edit)
- "Touch My Body" (Seamus Haji Radio Edit)
- "Touch My Body" (Instrumental)
Japanese CD single
- "Touch My Body" (Radio Edit)
- "Touch My Body" (Remix)
- "Touch My Body" (Seamus Haji Club Mix)
UK CD single
- "Touch My Body" (Radio Edit)
- "Touch My Body" (Seamus Haji Club Mix)
UK maxi-single
- "Touch My Body" (Radio Edit)
- "Touch My Body" (Remix)
- "Touch My Body" (Seamus Haji Club Mix)
- "Touch My Body" (Video)
US maxi-Single
- "Touch My Body" (Seamus Haji & Paul Emanuel Radio Edit)
- "Touch My Body" (Craig C Radio Edit)
- "Touch My Body" (Subkulcha Radio Edit)
- "Touch My Body" (Seamus Haji & Paul Emanuel Club Remix)
- "Touch My Body" (Craig C Club Mix)
- "Touch My Body" (Subkulcha Remix)
- "Touch My Body" (Seamus Haji & Paul Emanuel Dub)
- "Touch My Body" (Craig C Dub)
Credits and personnel
Credits for E=MC² adapted from the album's liner notes.- Mariah CareyMariah CareyMariah Carey is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, and actress. She made her recording debut with the release of her eponymous studio album in 1990, under the guidance of Columbia Records executive Tommy Mottola, whom she later married in 1993...
- songwriting, producerRecord producerA record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
, vocalsSingingSinging is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments...
, background vocalsBacking vocalistA backing vocalist or backing singer is a singer who provides vocal harmony with the lead vocalist or other backing vocalists... - Terius Nash - songwriting, producer
- Christopher Stewart - songwriting, producer
- Crystal JohnsonCristyleCrystal Nicole Johnson, better known by her stage name Cristyle or sometimes credited as Cri$tyle is an American Grammy Award winning songwriter signed with So So Def/EMI Music.-Career:...
- songwriting, producer - David Pensado - audio mixingAudio mixing (recorded music)In audio recording, audio mixing is the process by which multiple recorded sounds are combined into one or more channels, most commonly two-channel stereo. In the process, the source signals' level, frequency content, dynamics, and panoramic position are manipulated and effects such as reverb may...
- Jaysen Joshua - audio mixing
- Bernie Grundman – masteringAudio masteringMastering, a form of audio post-production, is the process of preparing and transferring recorded audio from a source containing the final mix to a data storage device ; the source from which all copies will be produced...
Charts
| Chart (2008) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australian Singles Chart ARIA Charts The ARIA charts are the main Australian music sales charts, issued weekly by the Australian Recording Industry Association. The charts are a record of the highest selling singles and albums in various genres in Australia. ARIA commenced compiling its own charts in-house from the week ending 26 June... |
17 |
| Austrian Singles Chart Ö3 Austria Top 40 Ö3 Austria Top 40 is the name of the official Austrian singles chart, as well as the radio show which presents it, aired Fridays on Hitradio Ö3. The show presents the Austrian singles, ringtones and downloads chart. It premiered on 26 November 1968 as Disc Parade and was presented by Ernst Grissemann... |
10 |
| Belgian Flandres Singles Chart Ultratop Ultratop is an organization which generates and publishes the official record charts in Belgium, and it is also the name of most of those charts... |
14 |
| Belgian Wallonia Singles Chart Ultratop Ultratop is an organization which generates and publishes the official record charts in Belgium, and it is also the name of most of those charts... |
33 |
| Danish Singles Chart Tracklisten Tracklisten is a Danish top 40 record chart that is presented every Thursday midnight at .The weekly Danish Singles Chart also known as Track Top-40 combines the 40 best selling tracks from legal music downloads and the sales of music singles on either CD or vinyl... |
20 |
| Dutch Singles Chart Dutch Top 40 The Dutch Top 40 is a weekly music chart, which started as the "Veronica Top 40", because the offshore radio station Radio Veronica was the first to introduce it. It remained "The Veronica Top 40" until 1974, when the station was forced to stop broadcasting... |
14 |
| European Singles Chart | 4 |
| French Singles Chart Syndicat National de l'Edition Phonographique The Syndicat national de l'édition phonographique is the inter-professional organization which protects the interests of the French record industry... |
16 |
| German Singles Chart Media Control Charts The official music charts in Germany are gathered and published by the company Media Control GfK International on behalf of Bundesverband Musikindustrie... |
7 |
| Irish Singles Chart Irish Recorded Music Association Irish Recorded Music Association is the Irish record industry association. IRMA is a non-profit association set up to manage and control the music industry in the Republic of Ireland.-Goals and activities:... |
9 |
| Italian Singles Chart Federation of the Italian Music Industry The Federation of the Italian Music Industry is an umbrella organization that keeps track of virtually all aspects of the music recording industry in Italy.... |
5 |
| Japan Hot 100 Billboard (magazine) Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis... |
2 |
| New Zealand Singles Chart Recording Industry Association of New Zealand The Recording Industry Association of New Zealand is a non-profit trade association of record producers, distributors and recording artists who sell music in New Zealand... |
3 |
| Norwegian Singles Chart VG-lista VG-listen is a Norwegian record chart. It is weekly presented in the newspaper VG and the Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation program Topp 20. It is considered the primary Norwegian record chart, charting albums and singles from countries and continent around the world. The data is collected by... |
10 |
| Slovakian Singles Chart | 8 |
| Swedish Singles Chart Sverigetopplistan Sverigetopplistan, earlier known as Topplistan and Hitlistan and other names, is since October 2007 the Swedish national record chart, based on sales data from Swedish Recording Industry Association .... |
14 |
| Swiss Singles Chart Swiss Music Charts The Swiss Music Charts are Switzerland's main music sales charts. The charts are a record of the highest-selling singles and albums in various genres in Switzerland.The Swiss Charts include:* Singles Top 75... |
3 |
| UK Singles Chart UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ... |
5 |
| US Billboard Hot 100 | 1 |
| US Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, is a chart released weekly by Billboard in the United States.The chart, initiated in 1942, is used to track the success of popular music songs in urban, or primarily African American, venues. Dominated over the years at various times by jazz, rhythm and blues, doo-wop, soul,... |
2 |
| US Billboard Hot Dance Club Songs | 1 |
| US Billboard Pop Songs | 7 |
Certifications
| Region | Certifications |
|---|---|
| Japan (RIAJ Recording Industry Association of Japan The Recording Industry Association of Japan is an industry trade group composed of Japanese corporations involved the music industry... ) |
Gold |
| United States (RIAA Recording Industry Association of America The Recording Industry Association of America is a trade organization that represents the recording industry distributors in the United States... ) |
Platinum |
Year-end charts
| Chart (2008) | Rank |
|---|---|
| Dutch Top 40 | 111 |
| European Hot 100 | 94 |
| German Singles Chart | 92 |
| Swiss Singles Chart | 92 |
| UK Singles Chart | 93 |
| US Billboard Hot 100 Billboard Hot 100 The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday... |
22 |
See also
- List of Hot 100 number-one singles of 2008 (U.S.)
- List of number-one dance singles of 2008 (U.S.)
- List of number-one R&B hits of 2008 (UK)