Mariah Carey is the self-titled debut
studio album by American
singer-songwriter Mariah Carey, released on June 12, 1990 by
Columbia Records. Its music incorporates a range of contemporary genres with a mix of slow ballads and dance tracks. Originally, Carey wrote four songs with
Ben Margulies, which solely constituted her demo tape. While altered and partially re-sung after being signed to Columbia, all four songs 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.