Almost Home (Mariah Carey song)

"Almost Home"
Single by Mariah Carey
from the album Oz the Great and Powerful soundtrack
Released February 19, 2013 (2013-02-19)
Format Digital download
Recorded 2013
Studio Roc the Mic Studios, New York City
Genre
Length 3:48
Label
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)
Mariah Carey singles chronology
"Christmas Time Is in the Air Again"
(2012)		 "Almost Home"
(2013)		 "#Beautiful"
(2013)

"Christmas Time Is in the Air Again"
(2012)		 "Almost Home"
(2013)		 "#Beautiful"
(2013)
Music video
"Almost Home" on Youtube.com

"Almost Home" is a song recorded by American singer and songwriter Mariah Carey. It is the main track from the 2013 Walt Disney Pictures film Oz the Great and Powerful. Commissioned by Disney, Simone Porter, Justin Gray, and Lindsey Ray wrote the bulk of the record. When Carey signed on to sing the song, she and Stargate's Tor Erik Hermansen and Mikkel Eriksen would later change it a bit and ultimately, complete it. On February 6, 2013, it was announced that Mariah Carey had recorded the song for the Disney film with production team Stargate, and that it would be released through digital download on February 19, 2013.

The song delivers an inspirational message, "Almost Home" has received generally favorable reviews from music critics, many of whom praised the vocal performance of Carey, calling it a "return" to her sound of the 1990s after the lukewarm reviews given to her recent releases, including "Triumphant (Get 'Em)" (2012). Following the announcement of the single, it was revealed that Carey had recorded an accompanying music video for it with David LaChapelle. The video premiered on March 8, 2013, the same day Oz the Great and Powerful was released theatrically.

Background and composition

On February 6, 2013, it was revealed that Carey was working with StarGate on a song titled "Almost Home", as the lead single from the soundtrack album for the movie Oz the Great and Powerful,[4] with the singer saying in a statement that the song has "a message that works beautifully with the film. It's a feel-good record; it gives you the feeling of reaching your home and being with people that you love."[5] The song was recorded in New York City at Roc The Mic Studios, and released in a partnership between Def Jam Recordings and Disney Music Group for the promotional campaign for the movie.[6] The single's artwork was unveiled through Carey's Instagram account on February 14, 2013,[7] with the single itself being released on February 19, 2013.[8] However, it leaked the day before.[9]

A pop song, "Almost Home" contains elements of other music genres such as R&B,[3] hip hop and EDM.[10] Carey delivers an inspirational message with the song, and, as described by Jocelyn Vena of MTV, the singer's placed "right in the mythical land from the famed movie", singing during the chorus, "When you're almost there / And you're almost home / Just open up your eyes and go / When you're almost there / Almost home / Know you're not alone / You're almost home."[1]

The song is performed in the key of B♭ major in common time with a tempo of 87 beats per minute. For the final chorus, the song's key shifts up one semitone to B major. Carey's vocal range spans from F3 to E5 in the song.[11][12]

Critical response

"Almost Home" has received generally favorable reviews from music critics. Alyssa Toomey from E! praised the song, writing, "If you've ever closed your eyes, clicked your heels and wished for more Mariah Carey, then you're in luck, because your musical prayers have been answered",[13] while Jody Rosen of Rolling Stone considered the song's chorus as infectious.[14] Los Angeles Times reviewer Mikael Wood said the song is not as powerful as Carey's "Always Be My Baby" (1995) or "We Belong Together" (2005), but thought the instrumentation was entirely built around her vocals, "which arc upward until they crest in a key change that delivers the thrill we've grown to expect from her.".[2] Alisha Harris of Slate Magazine was surprised of Carey's appearance on this single as a pop star and stated Carey's dominance twenty years post her debut: "“The minimalist beat sounds rather over familiar at this point, echoing various hits going back to the late ’90s. The song is pleasant enough in parts, but almost instantly forgettable. As a Carey fan, I’m holding out hope that her new album will have more memorable tracks, even if her lead single, released last year, was also less than stellar. And while the ballad certainly doesn’t rank among the singer’s best work, it does provide the latest evidence of what we can count on after all these years: She’s still got the voice.”[15]

Sal Cinquemani of Slant Magazine said that, with "Almost Home" and "Triumphant (Get 'Em)", Carey proves she still is "the queen of playing it safe," continuing that her vocals are heavily Auto-Tuned to the point of being "virtually unrecognizable".[16] Cinquemani also thought the song was over-produced and dated, comparing it to Alicia Keys' 2007 single "No One".[16] Kyle Anderson of Entertainment Weekly gave a mixed review on the song, saying that while Carey's "body of work is pretty phenomenal, [...] it has been a while since she delivered a really transcendent single."[9] Anderson continued saying that "Almost Home" could have been sung by most anybody.[9] Melinda Newman of Hitfix was critical towards "Almost Home", deeming the instrumentation as "cheesy", and commenting that Carey sounds bored singing the song, with her vocals being heavily compressed.[17]

Commercial performance

In France, the song managed to peak at number 185. The song sold 19,000 digital downloads in its debut week in the United States.[18] Despite the weak performance, "Almost Home" managed to peak within the top 20 on the R&B Songs and the Adult Contemporary charts at number 18 and 20 respectively. In Lebanon, the song peaked at number 10, becoming the artist's first top 10 hit in the country.

Music video

Synopsis and background

Following the announcement of the single, it was revealed that Carey had recorded an accompanying music video for it with David LaChapelle, who previously directed the music video for Carey's "Loverboy" (2001).[5] On February 19, 2013, a teaser of the video was aired on Good Morning America.[19] The video premiered on March 8, 2013 at Carey's VEVO channel, the same day Oz the Great and Powerful hit theaters.[1] LaChapelle captures the singer belting the Stargate co-produced song, alone, while donning a beautiful black gown. The photographer-director incorporates footage from the fantasy feature throughout the 3 1/2-minute long visual.[20]

Reception

Almost Home was met with mixed reviews by critics. Richard of DJ Booth commanded the Norwegian production team for the production. He added: "Let’s be real—as a twentysomething male music journalist, I’m about as far from the target market for Disney‘s Oz the Great and Powerful as a consumer could possibly be. That said, I can’t hate on anything that leads to fresh tunes from pop diva (and current American Idol judge) Mariah Carey. On Almost Home, a single created for inclusion in the film, Norwegian beat crew Stargate‘s soaring synth boardwork bangs in the back as Mimi assures us that we’ll be back in Kansas before we know it, emphasizing the point with plenty of her trademark vocal fireworks."[21]

Awards and nominations

Award Category Result
2013 Georgia Film Critics Association Best Original Song[22] Won
2013 World Music Awards World's Best Video[23] Won

Track listing

Digital download[24]
  1. "Almost Home" – 3:47

Credits and personnel

Recording

Personnel

  • Mariah Carey: Lead vocalist, singer, songwriter, producer.
  • Justin Gray: Writer, producer
  • Lindsey Ray: singer, songwriter
  • Mikkel Storleer Eriksen & Tor Erik Hermansen: Record producers, songwriters
  • Simon Porter: songwriter.
  • Production, instruments, programming – Def Jam, Disney Music Group

Charts

Chart (2013) Peak
position
Belgium (Ultratip Flanders)[25] 8
Belgium (Ultratip Wallonia)[26] 2
Belgium Urban (Flanders)[27] 23
France (SNEP)[28] 185
Italy (Hit Parade)[29] 98
Japan (Japan Hot 100)[30] 59
Lebanon (The Official Lebanese Top 20)[31] 10
South Korea (Gaon Chart)[32] 9
Spain (PROMUSICAE)[33] 41
US Bubbling Under R&B/Hip-Hop Singles (Billboard)[34] 1
US R&B Songs (Billboard)[35] 18
US Adult Contemporary (Billboard)[36] 20

Certifications

Region CertificationCertified units/Sales
Venezuela (APFV)[37] Gold 5,000^

*sales figures based on certification alone
^shipments figures based on certification alone

Radio and release history

Country Date Format Label
Worldwide February 19, 2013 Digital download
Australia[38] February 20, 2013 Contemporary hit radio
Italy[39] March 1, 2013 Universal Music

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Vena, Jocelyn (February 19, 2013). "Mariah Carey Goes 'Almost Home' On New 'Oz' Track". MTV. MTV Networks. Retrieved February 23, 2013.
  2. 1 2 Wood, Mikael (February 19, 2013). "Mariah Carey releases new single, 'Almost Home'". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved February 23, 2013.
  3. 1 2 Rubenstein, Jenna Hally (February 19, 2013). "New Song: Mariah Carey, 'Almost Home'". MTV. MTV Networks. Retrieved February 20, 2013.
  4. ↑ Clark, Cindy (February 6, 2013). "Mariah Carey Records Song for Oz". USA Today. Retrieved February 20, 2013.
  5. 1 2 Siegel, Tatiana (February 6, 2013). "Mariah Carey Adds Track to Disney's 'Oz The Great and Powerful'". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved February 23, 2013.
  6. ↑ Halperin, Shirley (February 16, 2013). "Mariah Carey to Release New Song on Tuesday (Exclusive Audio)". The Hollywood Reporter.
  7. ↑ Carey, Mariah (February 14, 2013). "Here is the cover art for my new single 'Almost Home' (out Feb. 19) from Disney's "Oz The Great and Powerful"". Instagram. Retrieved February 21, 2013.
  8. ↑ "Almost Home - Single by Mariah Carey". United States: iTunes Store. Apple Inc. February 19, 2013. Retrieved February 23, 2013.
  9. 1 2 3 Anderson, Kyle (February 18, 2013). "Mariah Carey's new single 'Almost Home': Hear it here". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved February 23, 2013.
  10. ↑ Johnson, Jr., Billy (February 19, 2013). "Mariah Carey's "Almost Home" Destined For Chart Success". Yahoo!. Retrieved February 20, 2013.
  11. ↑ Carey, Mariah. "Mariah Carey "Almost Home" Sheet Music in Bb Major (transposable) - Download & Print". Musicnotes.com. Retrieved 2018-03-15.
  12. ↑ "Spot On Track - The Spotify Tracker". www.spotontrack.com. Retrieved 2018-03-15.
  13. ↑ Toomy, Alyssa (February 19, 2013). "Mariah Carey Releases New Song 'Almost Home' Listen Now". E!. Retrieved February 20, 2013.
  14. ↑ Rosen, Jody (February 22, 2013). "Almost Home - Song Reviews". Rolling Stone. Retrieved February 23, 2013.
  15. ↑ Harris, Alisha (2013-03-19). "Listen to the New Mariah Carey Song". Slant Magazine. Retrieved 2013-11-20.
  16. 1 2 Cinquemani, Sal (February 19, 2013). "Single Review: Kylie Minogue with Múm, "Whistle"/Mariah Carey, "Almost Home"". Slant Magazine. Retrieved February 23, 2013.
  17. ↑ Newman, Melinda (February 18, 2013). "Listen: Mariah Carey's new track 'Almost Home' misses by a mile". Hitfix. Retrieved February 23, 2013.
  18. ↑ Mansfield, Brian (March 4, 2013). "Kelly Clarkson's 'Catch My Breath' catches a million". USA Today. Retrieved March 14, 2013.
  19. ↑ Copsey, Robert (February 19, 2013). "Mariah Carey previews 'Almost Home' music video". Digital Spy. Hearst Magazines UK. Retrieved February 23, 2013.
  20. ↑ "Mariah Carey Releases Almost Home Music Video". Billboard. March 8, 2013. Retrieved March 21, 2013.
  21. ↑ "Review, Mariah Carey Almost Home". Dj Booth. Retrieved 2013-11-20.
  22. ↑ "Georgia Film Critics Association: 2013 Awards". Georgia Film Critics Association. Retrieved January 7, 2014.
  23. ↑ "World's Best Video - 2013 Nominees". World Music Awards. Archived from the original on February 10, 2008. Retrieved March 15, 2013.
  24. ↑ "Almost Home - Single by Mariah Carey". iTunes Store. Retrieved February 19, 2013.
  25. ↑ "Ultratop.be – Mariah Carey – Almost Home" (in Dutch). Ultratip. Retrieved February 23, 2013.
  26. ↑ "Ultratop.be – Mariah Carey – Almost Home" (in French). Ultratip. Retrieved February 23, 2013.
  27. ↑ "Mariah Carey – Almost Home Single". Urban Singles Chart. Ultratop. Retrieved March 10, 2013.
  28. ↑ "Lescharts.com – Mariah Carey – Almost Home" (in French). Les classement single.
  29. ↑ "Mariah Carey Chart History". Hit Parade Italia. Retrieved August 3, 2014.
  30. ↑ "Mariah Carey Chart History (Japan Hot 100)". Billboard.
  31. ↑ "Mariah Carey Chart History". The Official Lebanese Top 20. Retrieved May 26, 2013.
  32. ↑ "Gaon International Singles Chart" (in Korean). Gaon Chart. Week: February 17, 2013 to March 3, 2013 (Select the year 2013, then select the issue date: 2013.02.17~2011.12.03). Archived from the original on 2012-06-02. Check date values in: |date= (help)
  33. ↑ "Spanishcharts.com – Mariah Carey – Almost Home" Canciones Top 50.
  34. ↑ "Bubbling Under Hip-Hop and R&B Songs: Week of March 09,2013". Billboard. February 28, 2013. Retrieved March 1, 2013.
  35. ↑ "'American Idol' on the Charts: Mariah Carey's New Single Takes Off". The Hollywood Reporter. Fred Bronson. February 28, 2013. Retrieved March 1, 2013.
  36. ↑ "Mariah Carey Chart History (Adult Contemporary)". Billboard.
  37. ↑ APFV (November 30, 2013). "Certificaciones De Venezuela Del 2013" (PDF) (in Spanish). APFV. Archived from the original (PDF) on July 15, 2014. Retrieved January 27, 2016.
  38. ↑ "Mariah Carey Announces New Single". 2DayFM Australia. February 7, 2013. Retrieved February 14, 2013.
  39. ↑ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2014-03-04. Retrieved 2013-09-15.
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