"Can't Let Go"
Single by Mariah Carey from the album Emotions
B-side	"To Be Around You"
Released	October 23, 1991 (U.S.)
Format	CD single, cassette single, 7" single
Genre	Pop, R&B
Length	4:27
Label	Sony
Writer	Mariah Carey, Walter Afanasieff
Producer	Mariah Carey, Walter Afanasieff
Certification	Gold (RIAA)
Mariah Carey singles chronology
"Emotions" (1991) "Can't Let Go" (1991) "Make It Happen" (1992) Emotions track listing "And You Don't Remember" (2) "Can't Let Go" (3) "Make It Happen" (4) MTV Unplugged EP track listing "I'll Be There" (6) "Can't Let Go" (7) Greatest Hits (CD #1) track listing "Emotions" (5) "Can't Let Go" (6) "Make It Happen" (7)

"Can't Let Go" is a lush pop ballad written and produced by Mariah Carey and Walter Afanasieff, and recorded for Carey's second album Emotions (1991). It was released as the album's second single in the fourth quarter of 1991 in the United States and the first quarter of 1992 elsewhere (see 1991 in music and 1992 in music). The protagonist of this synthesizer-heavy ballad laments an ex-lover who has moved on, and though she tries she "can't let go". Image File history File links File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... A collection of various CD singles In music, a single is a short recording of one or more separate tracks. ... Mariah Carey (born March 27, 1970) is an American singer, songwriter, record producer, music video director, and actress. ... This does not cite its references or sources. ... “B-Sides” redirects here. ... is the 296th day of the year (297th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1991 (MCMXCI) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the 1991 Gregorian calendar). ... For other uses of terms redirecting here, see US (disambiguation), USA (disambiguation), and United States (disambiguation) Motto In God We Trust(since 1956) (From Many, One; Latin, traditional) Anthem The Star-Spangled Banner Capital Washington, D.C. Largest city New York City National language English (de facto)1 Demonym American... A CD single is a music single in the form of a compact disc. ... Insert from the Winter cassette single by Tori Amos The cassette single was a music recording format that debuted in the 80s. ... A collection of various CD singles In music, a single is a short recording of one or more separate tracks. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... For other uses, see Pop music (disambiguation). ... Contemporary R&B is a music genre of American popular music, the current iteration of the genre that began in the 1940s as rhythm and blues music. ... In the music industry, a record label is a brand and a trademark associated with the marketing of music recordings and music videos. ... Sony Music Entertainment is a major global record label controlled by the Sony Corporation. ... A songwriter is someone who writes the lyrics to songs, the musical composition or melody to songs, or both. ... Walter Wally Afanasieff (born 1958-02-10) is a Grammy-award-winning record producer and songwriter who started out as Whitney Houstons arranger, but rose to success co-writing and co-producing music with Mariah Carey. ... In the music industry, a record producer (or music producer) has many roles, among them controlling the recording sessions, coaching and guiding the musicians, organizing and scheduling production budget and resources, and supervising the recording, mixing and mastering processes. ... “Golden record” redirects here. ... The RIAA Logo. ... Mariah Carey (born March 27, 1970) is an American singer, songwriter, record producer, music video director, and actress. ... Emotions is a song written and produced by Mariah Carey with David Cole and Robert Clivillés of the C+C Music Factory, and recorded for Careys second album Emotions (1991). ... Make It Happen is a song written and produced by Mariah Carey with David Cole and Robert Clivillés of the C&C Music Factory, and recorded for Careys second album, Emotions (1991). ... This does not cite its references or sources. ... MTV Unplugged EP (1992) MTV Unplugged is a 1992 album by Mariah Carey released on the Columbia label. ... Ill Be There is a soul song written by Berry Gordy, Jr. ... Greatest Hits is the eleventh album by American singer-songwriter Mariah Carey, released in the United States on December 4, 2001 (see 2001 in music). ... Mariah Carey (born March 27, 1970) is an American singer, songwriter, record producer, music video director, and actress. ... Walter Wally Afanasieff (born 1958-02-10) is a Grammy-award-winning record producer and songwriter who started out as Whitney Houstons arranger, but rose to success co-writing and co-producing music with Mariah Carey. ... This does not cite its references or sources. ... A collection of various CD singles In music, a single is a short recording of one or more separate tracks. ... See also: 1991 in music (UK) Musical groups established in 1991 Record labels established in 1991 // 1991 was the year that grunge music made its popular breakthrough. ... See also: 1992 in music (UK) Musical groups established in 1992 Record labels established in 1992 // 1992 was a pivotal year in the development of music. ... Illustration by Arthur Rackham of the ballad The Twa Corbies A ballad is a story, usually a narrative or poem, in a song. ...

Carey had fallen out with her songwriting partner Ben Margulies following a financial dispute, and her record label suggested that she work with the other producers of her debut album such as Rhett Lawrence, Ric Wake and Narada Michael Walden. She chose Walter Afanasieff, who had produced her second single "Love Takes Time" (1990), and "Can't Let Go" was one of the songs they created. After the release of the single "Emotions", "Can't Let Go" was promoted on both the Arsenio Hall Show in September 1991 and Saturday Night Live in November 1991. Ben Margulies is a songwriter and record producer. ... Rhett Lawrence Rhett Lawrence is a record producer and songwriter. ... Ric Wake is a record producer. ... Michael Walden (born April 23, 1952, in Kalamazoo, Michigan USA) is an American producer, drummer, singer, and songwriter. ... #1s track listing Greatest Hits (CD #1) track listing Love Takes Time is a pop song written by Mariah Carey and Ben Margulies, and produced by Walter Afanasieff for Careys debut album, Mariah Carey (1990). ...

Carey's first five U.S. singles (most recently "Emotions") had reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100, and although she was the only act to achieve this, Carey had not broken other records such as the highest number of consecutive number-one singles (Whitney Houston had released seven). "Can't Let Go" peaked at number two and spent seventeen weeks in the top forty, and the RIAA certified the single gold. The only Billboard magazine chart it topped was the Adult Contemporary chart, where it became Carey's fourth consecutive number-one single. Although the single broke her streak of number-one singles on the Billboard Hot 100, it was still another big hit for Carey in the U.S., and was ranked twenty-third on the 1992 Hot 100 year-end charts. Emotions is a song written and produced by Mariah Carey with David Cole and Robert Clivillés of the C+C Music Factory, and recorded for Careys second album Emotions (1991). ... “Hot 100” redirects here. ... Whitney Elizabeth Houston (born August 9, 1963) is a six-time Grammy award winning, American R&B singer, soprano, pianist, actress, film producer, and former model. ... The RIAA Logo. ... A Gold Single is a single that has passed a milestone in official sales. ... The Adult Contemporary chart (formerly known as Adult Contemporary Singles) lists the most popular songs weekly calculated by airplay and occasionally sales. ...

"Can't Let Go" reached the UK top twenty and the Canadian top ten. It became her lowest peaking single at the time in all of the major Anglophone singles markets (with the exception of the UK), and failed to make the Australian top fifty. Look up Anglophone in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ...

The single's video, directed by Jim Sonzero, features Carey wearing an evening gown and her hair in a bun. Filmed in black and white, the video starts and closes with shots of a rose open and closed respectively. A radio edit of the song was promoted to radio and used for the video instead of the original song, and the edit eliminates the lengthy pre-intro and removes all of Carey's high notes at the song's beginning and end. Like Carey's previous U.S. singles, "Can't Let Go" won a BMI Pop Award in 1993. A music video is a short film or video that accompanies a complete piece of music, most commonly a song. ... Jim Sonzero is a music video director. ... Broadcast Music Incorporated (BMI) is a collecting society that protects composers intellectual property in the communications business, especially radio. ...

Copyright Issues

In 1992, writers Sharon Taber and Ron Gonzalez filed a copyright infringement lawsuit against Carey and Afanasieff citing that "Can't Let Go" was taken from their unknown song, "Right Before My Eyes." The plaintiffs demanded to obtain copies of the studio recording tapes to see if conversation between Carey and Afanasieff would prove them guilty. However, after being reviewed, the only guilty fear apparent was Mariah Carey quoted as saying "Can't Let Go" was sounding "too much like our other song." The lawsuit was later dropped or settled out of court.¹

Track listings

• U.S. CD single (cassette single/7" single)

1. "Can't Let Go" (edit)
2. "To Be Around You" (album version)

• UK cassette single

1. "Can't Let Go" (album version)
2. "To Be Around You" (album version)

Charts

The Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) is a trade group representing the Australian recording industry. ...

Citation

¹Mariah Carey Accused of Plagiarism. Friedman, Roger. "Mariah: Songwriters Get Permission to Sue". (August 10, 2004).