Heavenly (No Ways Tired/Can't Give Up Now)

Album: Me. I Am Mariah…The Elusive Chanteuse (2014)
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Songfacts®:

  • This gospel-flavored tune is a tribute to the Reverend James Cleveland (1931-1991). By incorporating traditional Black gospel, modern soul, pop and jazz with arrangements for mass choirs, Cleveland is considered a driving force behind the creation of the modern gospel sound.
  • The song begins with an excerpt from the Reverend Cleveland's sermon "God's Promise."
  • The song is in part a cover of Mary Mary's "Can't Give Up Now" and also samples James Cleveland's "I Don't Feel No Ways Tired" and Funkadelic's "Good Ole Music."
  • Me. I Am Mariah...The Elusive Chanteuse, Carey's 14th studio album, was also her last release through Def Jam before signing a multi-album deal with Epic. From a commercial standpoint, it wasn't a great send-off - it was the lowest-selling album of her career up to that point, selling around 122,000 copies in the US.

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