Mariah Carey, I Don’t | Track Review 🎵

R&B diva Mariah Carey gets an unlikely assist from West Coast rapper YG on her new breakup anthem, “I Don’t.”

Mariah Carey and YG? What an unlikely collaboration to say the least.  That is the case on Mimi’s new single, “I Don’t.” After flopping with the respectable but delayed Me. I Am Mariah, the diva is looking to rebound.  Does “I Don’t” provided the formula for a comeback? Hard to know if this particular record reinvigorates her career, but it is a good start.

Upon the first listen, arguably, “I Don’t” slightly underwhelms.  Give it another, and the magic begins to unfold more.  Following a disjointed opening featuring YG, Carey reveals the status of her heart/relationship.

“Somewhere in another life
We stole a moment in time
Gave you everything that you needed
I was even down to repeat it
Said you would always be mine
Feeding me nothing but lies
I was so gone, I admit it
Had me messed up for a minute.”

Carey is over it, evidenced by the pre-chorus and successive chorus.  “But I’m tired of cryin’, no more tears / Pity party of the year,” she sings. On the chorus, she points the finger at her ex-:

“‘Cause when you love someone
You just don’t treat them bad
You messed up all we had
Probably think I’m coming back
But I don’t, I don’t
‘Cause boy, I was buggin’
Thinkin’ somehow I could trust you
See, I used to love you
But I don’t, I don’t…”

Following his hook – not to be confused with the Mariah Carey chorus – YG drops a short verse.  The effect? YG tells her to keep the ring: “‘Cause every time you look at your ring, me, you gon’ dream that.”

Final Thoughts 

Basically, Mariah Carey is saying BYE to her boo. She does so convincingly on “I Don’t,” even if the single isn’t game changing.  It’s well produced, but not necessarily a tour de force.  Still, Mimi and YG are onto something.

Mariah Carey • I Don’t (Single) • Epic • Release: 2.3.17

Photo Credit: Epic