Mariah Carey’s 2001 song “Loverboy” has some serious pop lore. The lead single from her album and musical, Glitter, has ties to Jennifer Lopez, and has a background vocalist that was kept a secret for years – the one and only Pamela Anderson.
Anderson confirmed it was her while hosting the World Music Awards in 2014. “I did background vocals on her album… I was the ‘Whoooo!’ That was me.” Over a decade later, music producer Damion “Damizza” Young shared more details about their collaboration.
“So I go to the studio to finish up the recording of Loverboy, and Mariah says, ‘Pam’s coming by to do backgrounds,'” he recalled. “I’m a huge Baywatch fan, so I’m like, “Pamela Anderson’s coming by?! Oh, hell yeah!” he continued. “So the next thing I know, we’re poppin’ champagne, and she’s like, “What do you want me to do?”‘
© GettyDamizza went on to praise the misunderstood talent. “Pam Anderson can sing. And she’s one of the smartest people I have ever met in my life,” he said, adding, “The dumb blonde thing is an act.”
© GettyOver the years, the public has seen a new side of Anderson. From taking on Roxie Hart in Chicago on Broadway to leaning into a no-makeup era, she’s been steadily reshaping how people see her. Her performance in The Last Showgirl even earned her nominations for a Golden Globe and a Screen Actors Guild (SAG) Award for Best Actress.
More Loverboy lure
© GettyLoverboy was released in 2001, and Anderson was already a star on Baywatch, which ran from 1992 to 1997. Similarly, Carey had already risen to fame with her debut self-titled album, Mariah Carey.
The “Loverboy ” era was a difficult time for the “obsessed” singer. Tommy Mottola was accused of interfering with Carey’s original vision for the song. Carey had initially planned to build “Loverboy” around a specific sample, but reports later confirmed that the same sample was cleared and used instead on “I’m Real” by JLO.
The last-minute switch meant “Loverboy” had to be restructured with a different sample and sound, altering the direction of the song entirely just as it was nearing completion.
Mottola had previously been both her husband and head of her record label. That same year, before Glitter’s release, on July 26, she was hospitalized due to exhaustion and a “physical and emotional breakdown.” She was admitted and under care for two weeks.
© GettyGlitter was eventually released, but was considered a critical failure. It will soon be celebrating its 25th anniversary, and Carey is making plans for it with something like a Deluxe version.
Loverboy peaked at number 2 on the Billboard Hot 100, ending her 11-year streak at the top of the chart. “I used to hate it. I used to be so like, why did I do that? And then, you know, it became something that I really loved and it just sort of took on its own thing,” she recently told Variety, explaining it represented “a tough time for me.”
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