Heartbreaker

The song Heartbreaker dropped on September 21, 1999, as the lead single from Mariah Carey's seventh studio album Rainbow. Columbia Records pushed this track to signal a sharp pivot away from her signature ballads toward a grittier sound that blended contemporary R&B with hip-hop. The collaboration featured Jay-Shawn Carter alongside rappers Da Brat and Missy Elliott, creating a fusion that aimed to cement Carey's standing in the urban music landscape.

Carey co-wrote the track with Jermaine Dupri, Manuel Seal, Bryan-Michael Cox, and Jay-Z while DJ Clue served as executive producer. The production relies heavily on a sample from Stacy Lattisaw's 1980 hit Attack of the Name Game, which provides the hook about betrayal. This heavy beat paired with Carey's vocal runs created a distinct atmosphere that differed significantly from her previous pop-heavy releases.

Upon release, the single debuted at number one on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart. It became Carey's twelfth number-one single and her first since 1995, marking a record-breaking achievement for the most number-one debuts in chart history at that time. The track also topped the Billboard Hot Rap Singles chart and reached the top ten on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart. [edit]