About Obsessed

"Obsessed" is a song recorded by American singer-songwriter, and record producer Mariah Carey for her twelfth studio album, Memoirs of an Imperfect Angel (2009). The song was written and produced by Carey, Terius "The-Dream" Nash and Christopher "Tricky" Stewart, and was released as the album's lead single on June 16, 2009, by Island Records. The song draws musical influences from R&B and hip hop music, and is built around a thumping bass line. Additionally, the song is accentuated by hand claps, while Carey's voice is processed with Auto-Tune. Lyrically, the song describes Mariah's dilemma regarding constant claims of a prior relationship from rapper Eminem, although he is not specifically mentioned. The song was well-received by music critics who highlighted it as a stand-out track from Memoirs of an Imperfect Angel. Many reviewers complimented its clever lyrics and strong beat, while others criticized the song's usage of auto-tune on Carey's vocals. At the time of the song's release, "Obsessed" was the center of controversy, as critics and the media suggested Carey was aiming it at American rapper Eminem, who had negatively referenced her several times in songs. Eminem released a song called "The Warning" in response.

"Obsessed" peaked at number seven on the Billboard Hot 100, becoming Carey's 27th top-ten hit on the chart. In terms of total top-ten chart entries among all artists in the chart's history, Carey tied for fifth place after the song's peak, with Janet Jackson and Elton John. Internationally, the song was not released throughout parts of Europe, as Island Records decided to give priority to the album's second single, Carey's cover of Foreigner's classic "I Want to Know What Love Is". "Obsessed" peaked within the top-ten in France and Italy; and in the top-twenty in Australia, Belgium, Canada and Japan. The song's music video was directed by film-maker Brett Ratner, who Carey has previously worked with on other music videos. Throughout the video, Carey plays both herself and the character of the male stalker, dressed in a bellhop uniform, as well as a gray hoodie and sweatpants. Two videos were shot for "Obsessed", one for the original version, and one for the remixed version, which features rapper Gucci Mane. The video was shot predominantly at the Plaza Hotel, and on the streets of New York City. After several photographs of Carey dressed as the stalker were leaked, tabloids immediately compared Carey's costume to Eminem's usual attire. Carey performed the song live on the fourth season of America's Got Talent, Today, and throughout her Angels Advocate Tour (2009–10). Both the song and video contain references to the 2004 film Mean Girls.