45
Through The Rain
Charmbracelet (2002)
Not her finest work but a special one in our hearts, mainly for the memories of being in my little room in halls in the first term of uni, listening to Q103 FM late at night with baited breath as they played this for the first time. Remember, this was the first song to be released after the whole Glitter debacle. "Vintage Mariah" they kept calling it. A bit of a retrograde step after the street edge of Rainbow and Glitter, but I can understand why they felt a need to play to the AC/white crowd, and it sort of worked - while it became her lowest charting single in the US at that point (#81), the album opened at #3 with decent first-week sales. The single also made it to #8 in the UK, and the uplifting message partly addressed what she had been through, especially during live performances.
Produced with Jam & Lewis, it's all very plinky plonky, safe, soft and gentle. The problem is the vocals are too thin for too long and then - BAM - with the subtlety of a freight train, she cuts and pastes some really shouty vox in, as if to say, "Look! I can still belt!" And it all just sounds like a hot mess, but we love it, especially at the karaoke bar. The video is unintentionally HILARIOUS... *picks up charm bracelet*... "I HATE you!" Now we know it's probably ALL based on a real fight with Pat!