It's a pretty remarkable feat of superstardom that, with 14 weeks spent at the top of the Hot 100, "We Belong Together" isn't even Mariah Carey's longest-running #1 hit. (That distinction belongs to the 1996 Boyz II Men duet "One Sweet Day.) It might just be her best, though—perhaps even more amazing, considering it came 15 years into her career, after 15 prior #1's. Foregoing the overwrought sentimentality that defined so much of Carey's earlier success, "Belong" is a pared-down piano ballad with a hip-hop backbeat that gives audiences exactly what they want from Mimi: a little bit of glamor, a lot of emotion, and some truly impressive vocal acrobatics. Short and sweet, it packs a powerful—and even more importantly, honest and relatable—punch, favoring strong storytelling over melisma and Carey's signature whistle register. (When she finally lets loose on the last note of the song, it feels entirely appropriate and earned.) The pain of lost love in "Belong" may be more cinematic and universal than raw and personal, but that doesn't make it any less perfect. A
Seven years ago this week, "We Belong Together" was the #1 song on the Billboard Hot 100.
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