The Roof by Mariah Carey Song Info
"The Roof (Back in Time)" is a song by American singer-songwriter Mariah Carey, taken from her sixth studio album, Butterfly (1997). It was released as the third single from the album in Europe, on March 20, 1998, by Columbia Records. Similar to the treatments of "Butterfly" and "Breakdown", "The Roof" received a limited worldwide release due to Carey's conflict at the time with Sony. The song was written and produced by Carey and Trackmasters, and is built around a sample from "Shook Ones (Part II)" (1995) by American hip hop duo Mobb Deep. The song's lyrics recount an intimate roof-top encounter between lovers, and how the memory affects the protagonist. The extended remix features a rap verse by Mobb Deep; both versions were praised by contemporary music critics. In addition, "The Roof" was added to Carey's compilation album "The Ballads" (2009). In 2020, Carey revealed that the song was about her relationship with New York Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter, whom she first kissed on the roof of his apartment building. On April 14, 2022, Carey revealed a re-recorded and re-imagined version of the song, titled The Roof (When I Feel the Need) for her course on MasterClass. The song features vocals from R&B singer Brandy. The collaboration appears on the expanded edition of Butterfly for the album's 25th anniversary, released on September 16, 2022.