Mariah Carey is the self-titled debut studio album by American singer-songwriter and record producer Mariah Carey, released on June 12, 1990, by Columbia Records.[2] Its music incorporates a range of contemporary genres with a mix of slow ballads and up-tempo tracks. Originally, Carey wrote four songs with Ben Margulies, which solely constituted her demo tape. After Carey was signed to Columbia, all four songs, after being altered and partially re-recorded, made the final cut for the album. Aside from Margulies, Carey worked with a range of professional writers and producers, all of whom were hired by Columbia CEO, Tommy Mottola. Mariah Carey featured production and writing from Rhett Lawrence, Ric Wake and Narada Michael Walden, all of whom were top record producers at the time. Together with Carey, they conceived the album and reconstructed her original demo tape.
Reviews of the album generally complimented Carey's voice and technique, but were ambivalent towards the songwriting. It nonetheless became a commercial success, topping the Billboard 200 album chart for 11 consecutive weeks.