A No No

"A No No" is a song by American singer and songwriter Mariah Carey from her fifteenth studio album, Caution (2018). The song was written by Carey, Robert "Shea" Taylor, Priscilla Hamilton, Mason Betha and Camron Giles. Since the track samples "Crush on You" (1997), songwriting credits were added for a total of nine. Digitally released as a promotional single in November 2018, Epic Records serviced it to rhythmic contemporary and urban contemporary radio as the second single from the album on March 4, 2019. "A No No" is a hip hop and R&B song with a blithely dismissive chorus and frisky beat.

For the Danielson Famile song, see Tell Another Joke at the Ol' Choppin' Block.

"A No No"
Stefflon Don remix single cover
Single by Mariah Carey
from the album Caution
ReleasedMarch 4, 2019 (2019-03-04)
Recorded2018
Genre
Length3:07
LabelEpic
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)
Mariah Carey singles chronology
"With You"
(2018)		 "A No No"
(2019)		 "In the Mix"
(2019)
Music video
"A No No" on YouTube

The song features lyrics that taunt a former acquaintance who could not handle the singer's expectations. It was positively received by music critics. The music video was released on March 8, 2019. It starts with the singer riding a neon pink and blue train. As the video progresses, Carey is joined by other passengers in an impromptu party where she sings and they dance. "A No No" was supported by remixes featuring Stefflon Don and Shawni, each accompanied by a music video. The original version of the song charted at number 17 on the US R&B Digital Songs chart. It was included as the opening track in the setlist for the Caution World Tour (2019).

Background and composition

"A No No" was initially written by Mariah Carey, Robert "Shea" Taylor, Priscilla Hamilton, Mason Betha and Camron Giles, with production from Carey, Taylor and additional production from Jermaine Dupri. Since the song samples American rapper Lil' Kim's 1997 single "Crush on You", she received writing credits with Christopher Wallace and Andreao Heard. "Crush on You" had sampled "Rain Dance" by the Jeff Lorber Fusion (written by Jeff Lorber) from his 1979 album, Water Sign, so Lorber was added as a songwriter.[1][2]

"A No No" is a hip hop and R&B song with a blithely dismissive chorus and frisky beat, making use of a sped-up version of the instrumental and the Notorious B.I.G.'s refrain "He's a slut, he's a ho, he's a freak/ Got a different girl every day of the week."[3][4][5] It features lyrics that taunt a former acquaintance who could not handle the singer’s expectations.[6] It has been described as a "propulsive banger".[7] It sees Carey rejecting a lover despite what they had in the past.[8] The song has a "catchy" chorus, and features the singer rejecting a past lover who has "wronged [her] for the last time".[9] The lyrics include a shout out to Carey's lawyer Ed Shapiro, and a comparison between her and the character Gilligan from the 1960s American sitcom Gilligan's Island. She concludes the song by saying "no" in a variety of languages, including Spanish, French, Portuguese and Japanese.[10]

Release and remixes
Stefflon Don (pictured) was featured on one of the remixes for the song.

Following its digital release as a promotional single on November 1, 2018, it was serviced to mainstream R&B/Hip-hop and rhythmic contemporary radio on March 4, 2019, as the second single from Caution.[8][11][12] During her appearance on Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen in November 2018, Carey revealed that she hoped to remix "A No No" with Lil' Kim and Cardi B. Later that month, the song's producer Jermaine Dupri began teasing the remix and Missy Elliott's involvement on social media.[13][14] However, on March 15, 2019, a remix featuring Stefflon Don was released instead.[15] The remix was positively received by music critics. Billboard's Michael Saponara wrote "Steff fires off several warning shots at those speaking on her name throughout the explosive verse".[16] Writing for Vibe, a critic stated that Don "was the perfect addition to the track", and added that she "provides her infectious rhymes and flow" to it.[17] Chantilly Post of HotNewHipHop wrote "Stefflon makes her presence known at the top of the beat and then comes in for the second verse spitting her British/patois bars".[18] On April 5, 2019, a second remix featuring Shawni was released. The rapper added two verses to the song, with an interpolation of Lauryn Hill's song "Ex-Factor" (1998) and lyrics including "So all my exes need to tell you that I'm sorry, That I didn't leave you sooner. I'm sorry I gave you more time than I shoulda."[19][20]

Reception

"A No No" was positively received by music critics. The Fader writer Myles Tanzer called Carey's vocals on the song "undeniable", and the lyrics "quick as hell", but felt that the album version of the song left room for a rap feature.[21] Idolator's Mike Wass opined that "A No No" was the most instant track from its parent album, and speculated that it was an ode to her ex-manager Stella Bulochnikov.[22] Brittany Spanos of Rolling Stone wrote that with the song, Carey shows "that she can translate her quick wit into pop gold", and "spells out extremely over this person she is, delivering insults in acrobatically sung runs".[10] It was included at number 78 on The Fader's list of the 100 best songs of 2018, and at number 15 on Idolator's list of the 100 best singles of 2018.[23][24] "A No No" charted at number 17 on the US R&B Digital Songs chart.[25]

Music videos

A lyric video was released on December 4, 2018. It displays the lyrics in white, black and pink fonts, and features animated pictures of snakes, scissors, islands and jewelry.[26] Carey teased the music video two days prior to its premiere through her YouTube channel on March 8, 2019.[27][28] The music video features cameos from Carey's children and boyfriend Bryan Tanaka. It starts with the singer riding a neon pink and blue train. As the video progresses, Carey is joined by other passengers in an impromptu party where she sings and they dance.[29][30][31] The music video features additional vocalizations which do not appear on the album version, sung by Carey in a whistle register. According to a critic, they "slap an exclamation point on her sentiment".[10]

A revamped version of the original music video was released to support the Stefflon Don remix on March 22, 2019, with added scenes of Don rapping her verse on a subway platform.[32] On April 4, 2019, another version of the video was released to support the Shawni remix.[19] In it, the "chicly dressed" duo transform a pedestrian subway commute into a "banging party".[20]

Live performances

"A No No" was included as the opening track in the setlist for the Caution World Tour (2019).[33] Carey also performed the song as part of a medley, including "Always Be My Baby" (1995), "Emotions" (1991), "We Belong Together" (2005) and "Hero" (1993), at the 2019 Billboard Music Awards where she received the Icon Award. Rolling Stone's Althea Legaspi and Daniel Kreps wrote that she "seemed to battle monitor and pitch issues at times", but "still showcased her astounding range during the elegant set, which featured backing from tux-clad dancers, gospel singers and an orchestra".[34]

Credits and personnel

Credits are referenced from the album's liner notes.[2]

Charts

Weekly charts
Chart (2019) Peak
position
US R&B Digital Songs (Billboard)[25] 17

Release history

Promotional release
Region Date Format Version Label Ref
Various November 1, 2018
Original Epic [11]

Single release
Region Date Format Version Label Ref
United States March 4, 2019 Rhythmic contemporary Original Unknown [12]
Urban contemporary Unknown
Various March 15, 2019
  • Digital download
  • streaming
 Stefflon Don remix Epic [15]
April 5, 2019 Shawni remix [20]

References
  1. "Crush on You" (Media notes). Lil' Kim. Big Beat Records, Atlantic Records. 1997.CS1 maint: others (link)
  2. Caution (Media notes). Mariah Carey. Butterfly MC Records, Epic Records. 2018.CS1 maint: others (link)
  3. Blistein, Jon (November 1, 2018). "Hear Mariah Carey Reinvent Lil Kim Classic on New Song 'A No No'". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on November 3, 2018. Retrieved November 28, 2018.
  4. Cook-Wilson, Winston (November 1, 2018). "Mariah Carey Releases Lil-Kim-Sampling Single 'A No No,' Posts Caution Tracklist". Spin. Archived from the original on November 2, 2018. Retrieved November 28, 2018.
  5. Unterberger, Andrew (November 16, 2018). "Mariah Carey's 'Caution' Is the Perfect 2018 Mariah Carey Album". Billboard. Archived from the original on November 17, 2018. Retrieved November 28, 2018.
  6. Jenkins, Craig (November 19, 2018). "Mariah Carey's Caution Is an Invitation and a Warning". Vulture. Archived from the original on November 22, 2018. Retrieved November 28, 2018.
  7. Kaufman, Gil (November 1, 2018). "Mariah Carey Reveals 'Caution' Track List, Drops 'A No No'". Billboard. Archived from the original on November 29, 2018. Retrieved November 29, 2018.
  8. Agbo, Njideka (November 1, 2018). "Mariah Carey Is A Classic HipHop Star In 'A No No'". The Guardian. Archived from the original on November 28, 2018. Retrieved November 28, 2018.
  9. Jahmal, Karlton (November 1, 2018). "Mariah Carey Reinvents A Hip-Hop Classic For 'A No No'". HotNewHipHop. Archived from the original on November 1, 2018. Retrieved November 28, 2018.
  10. Spanos, Brittany (March 13, 2019). "Song You Need to Know: Mariah Carey, 'A No No'". Rolling Stone. Retrieved March 13, 2019.
  11. "A No No: Mariah Carey". Amazon.com. November 1, 2018. Retrieved April 26, 2020.
  12. Trust, Gary (February 4, 2019). "Mariah Carey's 'With You' Becomes Her 23rd Top 10 on Adult Contemporary Chart". Billboard. Archived from the original on February 5, 2019. Retrieved February 5, 2019.
  13. Wass, Mike (November 26, 2018). "Mariah Carey's 'A No No' Remix Is Coming Together Nicely". Idolator. Retrieved November 28, 2018.
  14. Wass, Mike (November 28, 2018). "Missy Elliott Joins Mariah Carey's Star-Studded 'A No No' Remix". Idolator. Retrieved November 29, 2018.
  15. "New Music: Mariah Carey feat. Stefflon Don — 'A No No (Remix)'". Rap-Up. March 13, 2019. Retrieved March 13, 2019.
  16. Saponara, Michael (March 15, 2019). "Stefflon Don Hops on Mariah Carey's 'A No No (Remix)'". Billboard. Retrieved March 18, 2019.
  17. "Mariah Carey Releases 'A No No' Remix Featuring Stefflon Don". Vibe. March 15, 2019. Retrieved March 17, 2019.
  18. Post, Chantilly (March 15, 2019). "Mariah Carey Grabs Stefflon Don For 'A No No' Remix". HotNewHipHop. Retrieved March 18, 2019.
  19. Shaffer, Claire (April 5, 2019). "Mariah Carey, Shawni Party in the Subway in New 'A No No (Remix)' Video". Rolling Stone. Retrieved April 5, 2019.
  20. Nied, Mike (April 5, 2019). "Promo! Mariah Carey Taps Shawni For Second 'A No No' Remix". Idolator. Retrieved April 5, 2019.
  21. Tanzer, Myles (November 2, 2018). "Who should be on the remix to Mariah Carey's 'A No No'?". The Fader. Archived from the original on November 3, 2018. Retrieved November 28, 2018.
  22. Wass, Mike (November 1, 2018). "Mariah Carey Throws A Little Shade On Fiery Bop, 'A No No'". Idolator. Retrieved November 28, 2018.
  23. "The 100 best songs of 2018". The Fader. Archived from the original on February 18, 2019. Retrieved March 18, 2019.
  24. Wass, Mike (January 8, 2019). "Bangers, Ballads & Bops: The 100 Best Singles Of 2018". Idolator. Retrieved March 18, 2019.
  25. "Mariah Carey Chart History (R&B Digital Song Sales)". Billboard. Retrieved April 25, 2020.
  26. Bajgrowicz, Brooke (December 4, 2018). "Mariah Carey Debuts Colorful 'A No No' Lyric Video". Billboard. Archived from the original on December 5, 2018. Retrieved December 5, 2018.
  27. Rowley, Glenn (March 6, 2019). "Mariah Carey Slinks Around a Neon-Lit Subway Car in 'A No No' Video Teaser". Billboard. Archived from the original on March 7, 2019. Retrieved March 6, 2019.
  28. Nied, Mike (March 6, 2019). "A Yes Yes! Mariah Carey Confirms 'A No No' As Next 'Caution' Single". Idolator. Retrieved March 6, 2019.
  29. Spanos, Brittany (March 8, 2019). "Mariah Carey Takes a Vibrant Subway Ride in 'A No No' Video". Rolling Stone. Retrieved March 8, 2019.
  30. Renshaw, David (March 8, 2019). "Mariah Carey throws a party on the subway in her 'A No No' video". The Fader. Retrieved March 8, 2019.
  31. Aniftos, Rania (March 8, 2019). "Mariah Carey Takes a Glam Subway Ride in Flashy 'A No No' Video". Billboard. Retrieved March 8, 2019.
  32. Post, Chantilly (March 22, 2019). "Mariah Carey Drops Off Revamped 'A No No' Video Featuring Stefflon Don". HotNewHipHop. Retrieved March 23, 2019.
  33. Wass, Mike (February 27, 2019). "Mariah Carey Kicks Off The 'Caution World Tour': Opening Night Setlist". Idolator. Retrieved March 9, 2019.
  34. Legaspi, Althea; Kreps, Daniel (May 1, 2019). "Billboard Music Awards 2019: Mariah Carey Performs Career-Spanning Set, Accepts Icon Award". Rolling Stone. Retrieved April 23, 2020.
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