We called up the Tom Tom Club and they were really into it. It reminded me of growing up and listening to the radio and that feeling the song gave me seemed to go with the melody and basic idea I had for "Fantasy." I initially told Dave about the idea, and we did it. I was listening to the radio and heard 'Genius of Love', and I hadn't heard it in a long time. Carey described how the idea to sample the song became a reality: Afterwards, Carey and Hall began incorporating the sample into the lyrics and melody she had already produced. With Daydream, Carey began incorporating urban R&B and hip hop into her music, something very noticeable in "Fantasy." After Carey began writing songs for her new album Daydream, she decided to include the hook from the Tom Tom Club song "Genius of Love" into an up-tempo song. The video concludes with Carey dancing atop the sunroof of a car, with many others present and enjoying the music and celebration. The video showed Carey's rollerblading through Playland Amusement Park in Rye, New York, singing and enjoying herself. After being disappointed with the final result in many of her previous videos, Carey decided to single-handedly direct the video. Carey created the video's concept and chose the filming location. Carey directed the music video for "Fantasy", making it her directorial debut. The cover for her album Daydream is a cropped version of the single cover. The cover of the single was shot by top fashion photographer Steven Meisel. "Fantasy" was part of the set-lists on several of Carey's succeeding tours, making its debut during the album's accompanying set of concerts, the Daydream World Tour and is featured on her compilation albums, #1's (1998), Greatest Hits (2001), The Remixes (2003), Playlist: The Very Best of Mariah Carey (2010) and #1 to Infinity (2015). Additionally, it was performed live on British music chart program Top of the Pops and on French television.
Carey performed the song at the 23rd American Music Awards, held on January 29, 1996. Additionally, it became Carey's ninth number one on the chart.Ĭarey performed "Fantasy" live on several television and award show appearances around the world. In the US, "Fantasy" became the first song by a female artist, and second overall to debut atop the Billboard Hot 100, topping the chart for eight consecutive weeks. The song became a global success, topping the charts in Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and the United States, and reaching the top-ten in thirteen countries. "Fantasy" received critical acclaim, with reviewers praising its production, lyrics, Carey's vocal performance and musical progression.
The remix for the song features rap verses from Ol' Dirty Bastard, something Carey arranged to assist in her crossover into the hip-hop market and credited for introducing R&B and hip hop collaboration into mainstream pop culture, and for popularizing rap as a featuring act. The song's lyrics describe a woman who is in love with a man, and how every time she sees him she starts fantasizing about an impossible relationship with him. The song heavily samples Tom Tom Club's 1981 song " Genius of Love" and incorporates various other beats and grooves arranged by the former. The song was written by Carey and Dave Hall, both serving as primary producers alongside Sean Combs. " Fantasy" is a song recorded by American singer-songwriter, and record producer Mariah Carey for her fifth studio album, Daydream (1995), released on September 12, 1995, by Columbia Records as the lead single from the album.