"Honey" is a song by American singer and songwriter Mariah Carey from her sixth studio album, Butterfly (1997). It was released as the lead single from Butterfly on July 29, 1997, by Columbia Records. The song was written and produced by Carey, Sean Combs, Kamaal "Q-Tip" Fareed and Steven "Stevie J" Jordan. The song samples "Hey DJ" by World-Famous Supreme Team and "The Body Rock" by the Treacherous Three. "Honey" was a redefining song in Carey's career, pushing her further into the hip hop scene.
"Honey" was acclaimed by music critics, who called Carey's musical transition "genuine". "Honey" was successful in the United States, becoming Carey's third single to debut atop the Billboard Hot 100, setting the record for most singles to debut at number one, a record she held for 23 years, until it was broken by Ariana Grande. It stayed at number one for three consecutive weeks. "Honey" also topped the charts in Canada and reached the top-ten in Australia, New Zealand, Hungary, Poland, Spain, Sweden and the United Kingdom. The song was nominated in two categories at the 40th Annual Grammy Awards, for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance[2] and Best R&B Song.[3] Carey included the song in the setlist of various live shows and future tours, where she would sing both the original and remix versions.
"Honey" is well known for its accompanying music video, which presented a more suggestive and less conservative image of Carey than had been previously seen. The video features Carey being held hostage in a mansion, which she escapes in a James Bond–themed plot. Subsequent scenes see Carey escaping her assailants on a watercraft, dancing aboard a ship with sailors and frolicking on a beautiful island with her lover. The video garnered much coverage, as many comparisons were made between the video and the rumors of Carey's failing marriage. While Carey denied the comparisons were anything more than coincidence, many close friends including Walter Afanasieff, Carey's long-time writing partner, felt they were more than obvious.
