The Distance (Mariah Carey song)

"The Distance" is a song by American singer-songwriter Mariah Carey featuring fellow American singer-songwriter Ty Dolla $ign. It was released by Epic Records on October 18, 2018, as the second promotional single from Carey's fifteenth studio album Caution. It was included with the pre-order of the record.[2] A lyric video was released on November 16, 2018, along with its parent album's release.[3] "The Distance" was written by the artists alongside Skrillex, Poo Bear, and Lido, with the latter three producing the song with Carey.

"The Distance"
Promotional single by Mariah Carey featuring Ty Dolla $ign
from the album Caution[1]
ReleasedOctober 18, 2018 (2018-10-18)
GenreR&B
Length3:47
LabelEpic
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)

The song is described as being "sleek, slow funk", with Carey speaking out against the detractors who doubted her relationship with her lover would "go the distance", setting the song during the "warm days" and "cold nights" of "late October". The song received positive reviews from critics and charted at number 13 on the US R&B Digital Songs chart.

Critical reception

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Slant Magazine called the song "the album’s most radio-friendly offering so far".[4] Rolling Stone mentioned that the song "boasts a triumphant R&B vibe".[5] In 2020, Billboard ranked it as the 92nd greatest song of Carey's career.[6]

Background and release

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The song was announced along with the pre-order of Caution.[2] Carey and Ty Dolla Sign performed the song on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon on November 16, 2018.[7] She also performed the song on the seventh leg (or second European leg) of Carey's All I Want for Christmas Is You concert residency in December 2018.

Charts

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Weekly charts

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Chart (2018) Peak
position
US R&B Digital Songs (Billboard)[8] 13

Release history

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Region Date Format Label Ref
Worldwide October 18, 2018 Epic [9]

References

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  1. ^ "Mariah Carey on Instagram". Instagram. Retrieved October 15, 2018.
  2. ^ a b Carey, Mariah (October 17, 2018). "Pre-order my new album #Caution NOW and get a new song - THE DISTANCE ft. @tydollasign (prod. by @skrillex)". Twitter. Retrieved March 27, 2020.
  3. ^ Carey, Mariah (March 27, 2020). "Mariah Carey - The Distance (Lyric Video) ft. Ty Dolla $ign". Youtube.
  4. ^ Cinquemani, Sal (October 18, 2018). "Mariah Carey Goes "The Distance" on New Track Featuring Ty Dolla $ign". Slant Magazine. Retrieved March 27, 2020.
  5. ^ Blistein, Jon (October 18, 2018). "Hear Mariah Carey Tap Ty Dolla $ign, Skrillex for New Song 'The Distance'". Rolling Stone. Retrieved March 27, 2020.
  6. ^ "The 100 Greatest Mariah Carey Songs: Staff Picks". Billboard. Retrieved September 17, 2021.
  7. ^ Watch The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon Highlight: Mariah Carey ft. Ty Dolla $ign: The Distance - NBC.com, retrieved March 27, 2020
  8. ^ "Mariah Carey Chart History (R&B Digital Song Sales)". Billboard. Retrieved March 27, 2020.
  9. ^ "The Distance: Mariah Carey". Amazon. October 18, 2018. Retrieved May 21, 2020.