Mariah Carey - The Roof

About "The Roof"

"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 the music video, Carey is seen in a limousine recounting an encounter she shared on a rainy night. Additionally, past scenes of the event are shown, with Carey caressing her lover at a rooftop party. During the video's climax, Carey opens the limousine's sunroof and stands in the rain, trying to recapture the moments she shared in the rain. Carey performed the song live during her Butterfly World Tour in 1998. Due to the song's limited release, "The Roof" did not chart in most major music markets, with the exception of The Netherlands and the United Kingdom, where it peaked at numbers 63 and 87, respectively.

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.