"Breakdown" is a song co-written by American singer Mariah Carey and Stevie J. for Carey's seventh album, Butterfly (1997). Co-produced by Carey, Stevie and Puff Daddy, it features raps by Bone Thugs-n-Harmony (with an emphasis on rapped parts from Krayzie Bone and Wish Bone).

Background and reviews

"Breakdown" was one of the first of Carey's album tracks to veer in a hip hop direction, and many were surprised when she contacted Bone Thugs-n-Harmony to record the song because she was considered more of a pop/adult contemporary singer at the time. Carey said at the time, "I told Bone Thugs n' Harmony I wanted to record something with them. Their reaction was something like, 'Okay...?' I think I shock people with the ideas I have, but I believe the result is okay. The protagonist of "Breakdown" puts up a brave front after separating from her lover, but breaks down and cries while home alone at night.

Slant Magazine called "Breakdown" "the song of Carey's career... where the lyrical strokes are as broad and obvious as they are naked... This is the height of her elegance and maybe hip-hop-soul's, too." In their review Billboard magazine called it a "wickedly infectious ditty", and Allmusic said that it "ranks among her best. The LA Weekly mentioned that "Breakdown" "took signature elements of new-millennium R&B — breathy vocals, rap star cameo, lyrics about heartbreak — and did what almost no one else who's used the formula has been able to do: trip onto that rarefied plane where music, words and voice all converge into pure emotion", going on to call it a "sublime recording" and "one of the best R&B performances of the decade."

Since its release, "Breakdown" has become a favorite among several fans of Carey and Bone Thugs-n-Harmony, and Carey commented in a 2006 interview with MTV Overdrive that "Breakdown", along with other songs from Butterfly, was one of her favorite of her songs. She mentioned in the liner notes of her hits compilation #1's (1998) that she intended the track to be included on a future "greatest hits" release. She suffered a physical and emotional breakdown in 2001, and consequently the song was not included on her compilation album, Greatest Hits, released later that year. It featured on her remix collection The Remixes (2003).

Commercial release

It was released as the album's third single in 1998 (see 1998 in music). Because of conflict between Carey and her record label at the time, Sony, it was only given a commercial release in Australia, where it performed modestly and remained in the top forty for three weeks. A remix of the song was promoted to U.S. radio stations, and it was later released in the U.S. as a double A-side with "My All", the album's fifth single. It appeared on Billboard magazine's Hot 100 Airplay chart and reached the top twenty on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay and Rhythmic Top 40 charts.

The single's video (released in March 1998) was directed by Carey with the assistance of Diane Martel. It sees her take on the role of various "casino girl" roles, including the cabaret girl, showgirl, cowgirl and lucky charm, and members of Bone Thugs-n-Harmony make appearances in the video. A different edit of the song, titled "The Mo' Thugs" remix, features longer raps from Krayzie & Wish Bone and an intro and verse from Layzie Bone, who was absent from the original mix. This version can be found on Bone Thugs-n-Harmony's compilation The Collection Volume One.

Charts

Chart (1998)	Peak position
Australian ARIA Singles Chart	38
U.S. ARC Weekly Top 40	15
U.S. Billboard Hot 100 Airplay	53
U.S. Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay	13
U.S. Billboard Rhythmic Top 40	18

Notes