The Roof (Back in Time)

"The Roof (Back in Time)" is a song by the American singer-songwriter Mariah Carey, taken from her sixth album, Butterfly (1997). Columbia Records released it in Europe as the album's fourth single on March 16, 1998. The song was written and produced by Carey and Trackmasters, and is built around a sample from "Shook Ones (Part II)" (1995) by the hip hop duo Mobb Deep. The song's lyrics recount an intimate roof-top encounter between lovers, and how the memory affects the protagonist. The extended remix features a rap verse by Mobb Deep; both versions were praised by contemporary music critics.

In the music video, Carey is seen in a limousine recounting an encounter she shared on a rainy night. Past scenes of the event are shown, with Carey caressing her lover at a rooftop party. During the video's climax, Carey opens the limousine's sunroof and stands in the rain, trying to recapture the feeling. Carey performed the song live during her Butterfly World Tour in 1998. Due to the song's limited release, "The Roof" did not chart in most major music markets, with the exception of The Netherlands and the United Kingdom, where it peaked at numbers 63 and 87, respectively.

"The Roof" appeared on Carey's compilation album The Ballads (2009). In 2020, Carey revealed that the song was about her relationship with New York Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter, whom she first kissed on the roof of his apartment building.

On April 14, 2022, Carey released a re-recorded and re-imagined version of the song, titled "The Roof (When I Feel the Need)" for her course on MasterClass. The song features vocals from the R&B singer Brandy. The collaboration appears on the expanded edition of Butterfly for the album's 25th anniversary, released on September 16, 2022.

Composition

The song is a slow and sultry song, which blends hip-hop and contemporary R&B genres. It incorporates drum notes, including heavy beats and grooves. It features a basic chord progression of A-F1. hip hop, and soul song.

According to Grey Cavitt of the Waco Tribune-Herald, the "background vocals, like her memories, crash into the forefront, adamantly rolling over Carey's lead melody. Her voice bobs up and down, trying to stay on top of the waves but often plunging below."

The song and Carey's vocal performance received comparisons to those of American singers Janet Jackson, Minnie Riperton, Deniece Williams, and the British band Portishead. and Richard Drew of The Pink Paper perceived it as lacking structure and focus. Others favored "The Roof" in comparison to different tracks on Butterfly. Some suggested it was a highlight on the record, or even the best song. Steve Jones of USA Today considered it one of the album's more intriguing inclusions.

"The Roof" was acclaimed by contemporary music critics for its choice of vocal work, instrumentation, and lyrics. David Browne from Entertainment Weekly praised the song as well as Carey's choice of vocals, writing, "Carey is still a vocal grandstander capable of turning all into a six-syllable word. Yet for most of the album she keeps her notorious octave-climbing chops at bay. Showing some admirable restraint, she nestles herself into the downy-soft beats of 'The Roof'." A reviewer from Music Week commented, "Moving on from the more traditional-sounding ballad "Butterfly", she reverts to the R&B flavour of its more successful predecessor, "Honey", with a cut that greater reflects the edgier feel of her current album. Though not one of her most memorable singles, [...] its old-fashioned qualities further underlined by the presence of rap act Mobb Deep." Rich Juzwiak from Slant Magazine wrote "Little more than yearning, kissing, and remembering happens during the course of 'The Roof', a rough-enough R&B revision of Mobb Deep's 'The Shook Ones.' But lyrically Mariah the writer is vivid, sometimes shockingly clever (rhyming 'liberated' with 'Moet' is a stroke of genius)."

Many publications included "The Roof" in rankings of Carey's music. Gay Times ranked it at number 9 and Billboard placed the Mobb Deep mix at number 14 on lists of her best songs. Among her top singles, "The Roof" has been ranked at number 47 (Cleveland.com), number 15 (Vulture), and number 8 (The Guardian). Billboard, Dazed, According to Princess Gabbara in Essence and Everett Brothers in Billboard, "The Roof" is one of Carey's most underrated songs.

Release and chart performance

"The Roof" was promoted as the fourth single from Butterfly in 1998. and released it to European retail outlets only. The song was the most-added to European radio station playlists for a week in March 1998. Sony Music issued CD and maxi CD formats in Belgium on March 16. Following its release in the Netherlands, "The Roof" reached number 7 on the Tipparade, which ranks the songs not yet eligible to enter the Dutch Top 40. In early 1998, the single received a second promotional release in the UK. It peaked at number 30 on the club chart based on the David Morales mixes "The Roof" peaked at number 87 on the UK singles chart due to import sales and remained within the top 100 for two weeks. It was more successful on the R&B charts, where it reached numbers 15 and 21 on the singles and albums rankings. By late November, Columbia was preparing to issue it as the next commercial single from Butterfly. After the release never materialized, the album's fifth single.

Music video

The video was directed by Carey and Diane Martel during the fall of 1997. The music video begins with Carey sitting alone in a limousine, recalling a night she shared some time previous. As scenes of Carey reminiscing in the limo are shown, clips of her dressing in an old apartment are presented. Eventually, Carey joins a rooftop party one night, where she begins dancing and caressing her lover. As the passion between them grown, rain begins to fall, showering everyone atop the edifice. As these scenes end, Carey in the present opens the sun-roof of the limo and stands into the rainy night, trying to recapture those magical moments she shared on that rainy roof-top encounter. The video ends with a wet Carey lying in the back of the limousine, sad and lonely.

The music video for "The Roof" garnered critical acclaim, and was ranked 18th on Slant's "100 Greatest Music Videos". Sal Ciquemani, from Slant, gave the video a positive review, complimenting Carey's choice to pair the sultry song with a "sophisticated tale of a sexy rooftop encounter". During the performances, live male and female dancers were present on stage, grooving and performing classic routines. Carey wore a short beige ensemble and performed light classical dances, alongside a male partner. Carey would later perform a snippet of it acapella during her set at Jimmy Kimmel Live! while promoting #1 To Infinity, later expressing to be happy at the fact the audience knew the lyrics to the song.

For the 2024–2025 Celebration of Mimi concert residency, Carey performed "The Roof" as a medley with other Butterfly songs while sitting on a couch.

Formats and track listings

1998 CD single

"The Roof (Back In Time)" (Album Version) – 5:15
"The Roof (Back In Time)" (Full Crew Radio Edit/No Rap) – 3:50

1998 CD maxi single

"The Roof (Back In Time)" (Album Version) – 5:15
"The Roof (Back In Time)" (Radio Edit) – 3:58
"The Roof (Back In Time)" (Mobb Deep Extended Version) – 5:31
"The Roof (Back In Time)" (Full Crews' Club Mix) – 4:58
"The Roof (Back In Time)" (Full Crew Mix) – 4:58

1998 12-inch vinyl single

:A1. "The Roof (Back In Time)" (Mobb Deep Extended Remix) – 5:31

:A2. "The Roof (Back In Time)" (Full Crews' Club Mix) – 4:58

:A3. "The Roof (Back In Time)" (Full Crew Club Mix) – 4:58

:A4. "The Roof (Back In Time)" (Full Crew Radio Edit/No Rap) – 3:50

:B1. "The Roof (Back In Time)" (Funky Club Mix) – 8:28

:B2. "The Roof (Back In Time)" (After Hours Mix) – 9:13

:B3. "The Roof (Back In Time)" (Bass Man Mix) – 8:14

2020 MC30 digital EP

"The Roof (Back In Time)" (Mobb Deep Extended Version) – 5:31
"The Roof (Back In Time)" (Mobb Deep Edit) – 4:23
"The Roof (Back In Time)" (Full Crew Radio Edit No Rap) – 3:50
"The Roof (Back In Time)" (Full Crew Club Mix) – 4:58
"The Roof (Back In Time)" (Full Crew Mix) – 4:58
"The Roof (Back In Time)" (Morales Radio Mix) – 3:59
"The Roof (Back In Time)" (Morales Funky Club Mix) – 8:28
"The Roof (Back in Time)" (Morales After Hours Mix) – 9:13
"The Roof (Back in Time)" (Morales Bass Man Mix) – 8:14

Credits and personnel

Credits adapted from the liner notes of Butterfly.

Recording

Recorded at Crave Studios (New York), The Hit Factory (New York City), Compass Point Studios (The Bahamas)
Mixed at The Hit Factory (New York City)
Mastered at Powers House of Sound (New York City)

Personnel

Mariah Carey– lyricist, composer, producer, lead vocals, background vocals
Jean Claude Oliver– composer
Samuel Barnes– composer
Cory Rooney– composer, keyboards, keyboard programming
Albert Johnson– composer
Kejuan Muchita– composer
Poke and Tone– producer, drum programming
Kelly Price– background vocals
Dana Jon Chappelle– engineering
Mike Scott– engineering
Bill Esses– engineering
Franklin Grant– engineering
Ian Dalsemer– assistant engineering
Ken Ross– assistant engineering
Oliver "Wiz" Bone– assistant engineering
Tony Maserati– mixing
Herb Powers Jr.– mastering

Charts

{|class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;"

!Chart (1997–1998)

!Peak position

!scope="row"|Netherlands Single Top 100 (Dutch Charts)

|63

! scope="row"| Netherlands Tipparade (Stichting Nederlandse Top 40)

!scope="row"|UK Singles (CIN)

|87

!scope="row"|UK R&B Singles (CIN)

|98

!scope="row"| UK Club (Music Week)

|25

!scope="row"| UK Club (Music Week)

|30

!scope="row"| UK Pop Club (Music Week)

|39

!scope="row"| UK Urban Club (Music Week)