Mariah Carey has one of the most celebrated oeuvres in music. But there’s one particular album in her back catalog that got a chilly reception when it was released: her 2001 effort Glitter. Not only was the album released in support of her box office bomb of the same name (which also marked her feature film debut), but the album had the ill-fated release date of September 11th, 2001. But the public — especially Mariah’s Lambs — has started to come around to the project, which was honestly pretty solid. Mariah aims to get in on the action with a special 25th anniversary release of the project on vinyl and a deluxe edition headed to streaming that includes special surprises. She’s revealed one of those treats with the release of a remix of “Didn’t Mean To Turn You On” featuring modern dance diva Rochelle Jordan.
Mariah’s original cover of the ’80s classic by Cherrelle was pretty faithful to the original (probably because it was produced by the original’s producers Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis). This new version, however, takes the track from 1980s club culture to the dance floors of today. That switch-up in groove can be attributed to Rochelle’s frequent collaborator KLSH. While it’s most definitely still a party starter, it’s a different type of party with a vibe that feels smoother and more luxe with velvet-soft synths, a trembling electro-bass and subtle, yet alluring drums keeping the rhythm going.
That’s kept up by vocals from the ladies. Mariah’s are paired nicely with Rochelle’s additions as the song is transformed into a sultry duet. Rather than each singer getting her own verse, they instead trade lines throughout, keeping listeners on their toes as they each dissuade a pushy paramour that he’s getting the wrong idea. The unlikely pairing works well and reimagines the song into something current (a feat considering Cherrelle’s original was first recorded in 1984).
This new version of the song will appear on the Glitter 25th Anniversary Digital Deluxe Edition alongside 14 other rare and previously unreleased tracks. It and two versions of the vinyl LP — a standard version and a limited-edition deluxe version with three bonus tracks — will be released on Friday, October 30th. All versions of the re-release are available to pre-order/pre-save now.
“If someone had told me back in 2001 that I’d one day be unironically celebrating Glitter’s 25th anniversary, I never would have believed them,” Mariah said in a press release. “I made this album with so much love and care, so it was devastating to watch it become a punchline. I’m endlessly grateful to my fans who kept championing it all these years, and I hope even more people can finally hear it for what it is. We found a few recordings buried in the vault that I am really looking forward to sharing with you in October!”
As fans and music lovers prepare to give Glitter its due justice, listen and sing along to Mariah Carey and Rochelle Jordan when you watch the lyric video for “Didn’t Mean To Turn You On (Rochelle Jordan Remix)” below.
