Infinity (Mariah Carey song)

"Infinity" is the only new recording to be included on Carey's third greatest hits album, #1 to Infinity (2015). It was written and produced by Carey and Eric Hudson, with additional songwriting from Priscilla Renea, Taylor Parks and Ilsey Juber. Carey unveiled the single's artwork on April 24, 2015, via music identification service Shazam. Mike Wass for Idolator wrote that Carey exudes "overpowering glamor" and "looks typically ravishing in a cleavage-exposing, black ensemble, which she accentuates with huge diamond earrings and fabulous windswept hair." ==Composition and lyrical interpretation==

. "Infinity" is a mid-tempo R&B ballad that lasts for a duration of four minutes. Carey belts the lines, "Close the door, lose the key, leave my heart on the mat for me. I was yours eternally, there's an end to infinity", while the songs hook consists of the singer "breathily cooing" the title repeatedly in a descending vocal run. Accompanied by an orchestral synth, According to its lyrics, Carey is putting herself first in order to emancipate herself. As described by Wass, "Infinity" is "distinctly unromantic" and "a kiss-off anthem", writing that it sits somewhere in between two of Carey's previous singles, "Obsessed" (2009) and "You're Mine (Eternal)" (2014). The lyric "Boy, you actin’ so corny like Fritos" generated a positive response from both critics and fans alike, with MTV News reporting that fans were "freaking" over it. Wass described the inclusion of Fritos as "hilarious", The lyrics aroused suspicion amongst critics that it was referring to Carey's separation from her second husband, Nick Cannon. Daniel D’Addario of Time called "Infinity" a "kiss-off track" directed at Cannon, while Camp wrote that the song will be "better remembered" for its lyrical content aimed at Cannon. A reviewer for Billboard wrote that Carey was possibly "returning to form as the queen of post-heartbreak empowerment", but speculated that the lyrics were most likely about Cannon. Brian Mansfield of USA Today felt that "Infinity" is more of a "kiss-off" than "come-on" track. Unterberger documented that fans would "prognosticate" over whether or not the lyrics pertained to her marriage to Cannon. Emilee Linder for MTV News noticed that Carey appeared to refer to their separation and ongoing co-parenting of their twins, Moroccan and Monroe, in the line "Ain't no being friends/ Ain’t no false pretense/ Ain’t no make amends/ Ain’t no come agains [sic]/ That’s the story, ain’t no happy ends." However, Carey has denied that the lyrics are in any way related to her personal life. When Liz Hernandez of Access Hollywood asked if the lyrics were about her relationship with Cannon, Carey responded by saying that it is about putting herself first, and that even if the lyrics were directed at Cannon, she would not publicly confirm it: ==Music video==

The song's accompanying music video was directed by Brett Ratner, a longtime friend of Carey's, and premiered on June 2, 2015. Clips of Carey performing "Infinity" at her Las Vegas residency are intercut with cameos by Tyson Beckford and Jussie Smollett. ==Remix==

On July 30, 2015, Carey posted a photo on her Instagram account accompanied by Hudson, French Montana and Justin Bieber at recording studio Record Plant in Hollywood. It was reported by TMZ that Carey, Hudson and Montana were working on a remix to "Infinity", and that Bieber "decided to pop in". The song begins with a "laconic rap" by Montana, followed by Carey singing the hook over a "synth-laden chorus", which has a heavier instrumental and bass compared to the original version. Bieber begins his verse approximately one minute and forty-five seconds in, singing the new lyrics. A reviewer for the Inquisitor praised the collaboration, however Idolator's Christina Lee was critical of the remix, writing "Two of them don’t sound like grown men — and they get the longer verses. French’s loopy rapping and off-key warbling is incoherent. Justin’s attempts to sound pained just sounds whiny." It is the second time that Carey and Bieber have collaborated, the first being when the two re-recorded Carey's 1994 song "All I Want for Christmas Is You" for Bieber's 2011 Christmas album Under the Mistletoe. ==Critical reception==

"Infinity" garnered a positive response from critics, many of whom complimented its throwback feel, as well as Carey's vocals and songwriting. Billboard was complimentary of the song, writing "The throwback-flavored track is a soaring break-up track, complete with sassy lines that shut down the guy she's singing about." ==Chart performance==

In the United States, "Infinity" peaked at number eighty-two on the Billboard Hot 100, with first week sales figures of 26,000 downloads and 1.8 million streams. Her forty-seventh entry on the Hot 100 in twenty-five years following her debut in 1990, It further peaked at number forty-five on the Digital Songs chart, number twenty-two on the Adult R&B songs chart, number eleven on both the R&B Songs and the R&B/Hip-Hop Digital Songs charts, and number twenty-eight on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart. In the United Kingdom, the song reached number twenty-seven on the UK R&B Chart, but missed the top one-hundred on the UK Singles Chart, peaking at one-hundred and fifty-four for only one week. In Europe, "Infinity" made the top twenty in Spain and the top thirty in Hungary. Elsewhere, the song peaked at number fifty-two in Sweden and eighty-five in France. The song originally peaked at number sixty-four, and later at forty-three, in Japan. ==Promotion==

Carey performed a medley of her 1990 debut single "Vision of Love" with "Infinity" as part of its promotion, the first time being at the 2015 Billboard Music Awards on May 17, 2015, her first appearance at the awards show in seventeen years. A video tribute to the singer was shown prior to the singer entering the stage, who was wearing a "sheer and glittery" dress. Andrew Hampp for Billboard noted that it was an "Octave-leaping" performance and one of the most memorable of the night. However Carey's vocals, despite confirming that she had been suffering from bronchitis prior to the performance, garnered a mixed reaction from users on Twitter. D’Addario wrote that she sang "Vision of Love" with "evident confidence", but noted that the key had been lowered. The singer performed the medley on Live! with Kelly and Michael on May 22, 2015, during their week-long Disney World take-over. On a platform above the road on Main Street, U.S.A., Carey wore a magenta dress inspired by the one which Disney character Aurora wears in Sleeping Beauty (1959). "Infinity" is included as the closing song on the set-list of her third headlining residency Mariah Carey Number 1's at The Colosseum at the Caesars Palace hotel in Las Vegas. ==Credits and personnel==

The following credits were adapted from the liner notes of #1 to Infinity, Epic Records. Recording locations • Recording – Windmark Recording Studios, Santa Monica, CA. • Mixing – Ninja Beat Club, Atlanta, GA. • Mastering – Powers Mastering, Florida Personnel • Songwriting – Mariah Carey, Priscilla Renea, Taylor Parks, Ilsey Juber, Eric Hudson • Production – Mariah Carey, Eric Hudson • Recording – Brian Garten, Julian Prindle, Jordan Stilwell and Tito JustMusic • Assistant recording – Tristan Bott, Brandon Wood, Matts E. Larson • Mixing – Phil Tan • Additional/assistant engineering – Daniela Rivera • Mastering – Herb Powers • Programming – Eric Hudson • Drums – Lawrence Qualls • Additional drum production – Andrew Clifton • Live strings/violin – Peter Lee Johnson • Guitar/Bass Guitar/Piano/Fender Rhodes – Eric Hudson • Background vocals – Mariah Carey ==Charts==