The lead single from Mariah's iconic smash comeback album The Emancipation of Mimi  is often overshadowed by the subsequent single, the absolute mega smash hit We Belong Together. Despite peaking peaking at #16 on the Hot 100 and re-establishing Mariah as a critical and commercial juggernaut, It's Like That never attained a true smash status - did it deserve better?

 

I think the answer is clear 

A thousand times yes.

 

I cannot stress enough how good it is. The vibrant production, the attitude in Mariah's delivery, the full vocals, Mariah's pen game, the video. Everything about this song screams 'I'm still alive and kicking and I'm here to show you b*tches how it's done'. Should've been as big as We Belong Together.

Edited September 13, 2025Sep 13 by blown away

In my head it peaked at like #7 or something. 

Of course

18 minutes ago, blown away said:

A thousand times yes.

 

I cannot stress enough how good it is. The vibrant production, the attitude in Mariah's delivery, the full vocals, Mariah's pen game, the video. Everything about this song screams 'I'm still alive and kicking and I'm here to show you b*tches how it's done'. Should've been as big as We Belong Together.

 let them know!

 

 

You like this and you know it
Caution, it's so explosive

Them chickens is ash and I'm lotion
Baby, come and get it, let me give you what need

It's a special occasion
Mimi's emancipation

A cause for celebration
I ain't gonna let nobody's drama bother me

 

'Cause it's my night
No stress, no fights
I'm leaving it all behind

No tears, no time to cry
Just making the most of life

 

 

A WORD!

For the longest time I remembered snippets of this song such as the main beat but I had no idea what the actual song was. One day I played The Emancipation of Mimi and a rush of memories came back. 

Global peaks:

 

#3 - Hungary

#4 - UK

#7 - Italy

#9 - Australia

#10 - Switzerland

--

#11 - Ireland

#12 - Greece

#13 - Netherlands

#13 - Norway

#14 - Germany

#16 - France

#16 - USA

#19 - Denmark

--

#21 - New Zealand

#29 - Belgium (F)

#32 - Belgium (W)

#33 - Austria

--

#47 - Sweden

#57 - Romania

#130 - Japan

 

Only Top 20 in thirteen countries. The song should have been #1 in all these countries. But it shows from where she came and how hard it was to come out of it.

 

Legendary:

 

 

Absolutely it should have smashed more but those are good peaks anyway, number 4 in the UK 

It would have been #1 if it was a follow up to Shake it Off or WBT. But it was a still a good come back relaunch and set the stage for WBT's smashery. 

deserved top 10 tbh, great cb best way to reintroduce new audience to mimi in 00's too

36 minutes ago, stevyy said:

Legendary:

 

 

I love this performance, it's so full of life.

The crowd energy is also amazing. Nowadays the crowd on televised performances are dead as hell.

Edited September 13, 2025Sep 13 by blown away

It wasn't a commercial smash but it did what it needed to do to 'fix' her narrative from Charmbracelet, mind you Through the Rain might be iconic now but at that point she was literally falling into irrelevancy quick or a quick laugh from TMZ, it peaked at #81 and she was literally saved by a Busty Rhymes collab. It was her reputation in so many ways, she managed to finally control the narrative by evolving into a sensual vocalist instead of the occasionally flirty balladeer.

 

She needed to dip from the emotional sad popgirl bag and establish herself as a mature sexy vocalist who can also serve personality which was so much of the criticism levied at her at that point. She built her career off of ballads and was stuck in an era where bangers after bangers were ruling the charts. She had to come through and use her voice for something fun and sexy and she used it well, ILT gave her a return to form on radio and they welcomed WBT as a result and her sister smashes Shake it Off and DFAU

and what if I say it should have been the hit of the era

 

2 hours ago, stevyy said:

Legendary:

 

 

 

2 hours ago, blown away said:

I love this performance, it's so full of life.

The crowd energy is also amazing. Nowadays the crowd on televised performances are dead as hell.

🤯🤯

 

Serving Sextress, Pimptress, Gangstress

it deserved what WBT has got

52 minutes ago, Legend E said:

and what if I say it should have been the hit of the era

it = Shake It Off

21 minutes ago, popmusicisdead said:

it = Shake It Off

both should have been bigger than WBT

2 hours ago, Legend E said:

and what if I say it should have been the hit of the era

That should've been Stay The Night.

 

 

She should have 20 #1s to her name cause this smash deserved #1

Edited September 13, 2025Sep 13 by Lethal

Love this bop, so I'm going with yes. 

Yes, especially given its endurance.

It's currently smashing in my headphones, such a banger. Love the esentrik Remix too, highly recommend 

4 hours ago, ithinkheknowsoutsold said:

That should've been Stay The Night.

 

 

Not really x