Twister

Album: Glitter (2001)
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Songfacts®:

  • This song was used in Mariah Carey's movie Glitter, but it was not written about her character, or anything that had to do with the movie. It was written for her friend and stylist, Tonjua Twist, who committed suicide in 2000. It was a difficult time for Mariah and this song is her tribute to Tonjua. >>
    Suggestion credit:
    Kara - Lancaster, PA
  • Carey suffered a nervous breakdown during the promotion of Glitter and had to be hospitalized, leading critics to wonder if the song wasn't really about her friend but a cry for help for herself. Either way, Carey did get the help she needed and was eventually diagnosed as bipolar.
  • Carey wrote and produced this with R&B hitmakers Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, who began working with the singer on her previous album, Rainbow.
  • Even though Carey had left Sony Music behind, she was still under the influence of the label's president, Tommy Mottola, who also happened to be her ex-husband. Sony owned Columbia Pictures, the company that was producing the movie, which meant Mottola's presence loomed large over the film. In her 2020 memoir, The Meaning Of Mariah Carey, she explained how her controlling ex wanted to sabotage her success which led to continuous script changes that transformed the singer's edgy, sexy vision into "something very bubblegum." As a result, Glitter was a massive flop and its soundtrack didn't fare much better. Although it produced a #2 hit single with "Loverboy," Virgin Records was disappointed with the album and pulled the plug on Carey's $100 million record deal.
  • In 2018 Glitter enthusiasts launched the #JusticeForGlitter social media campaign to give the movie's soundtrack its due, and it paid off. It reached #1 on iTunes US Albums chart.

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