Mariah Carey - Obsessed (official Audio) -

The song famously opens with the line, "I was like, 'Why are you so obsessed with me?'" —a direct nod to the 2004 film Mean Girls . While Carey publicly maintained the song was inspired by the movie and childhood experiences with "hair-pulling" bullies, the media quickly identified a more specific target: .

Mariah Carey - Obsessed: The Ultimate "Shade" Anthem Released on June 16, 2009, served as the lead single for Mariah Carey’s twelfth studio album, Memoirs of an Imperfect Angel . Produced by Carey alongside Tricky Stewart and The-Dream , the track is a masterclass in R&B-pop crossover, blending a thumping bassline with handclaps and Carey’s distinctively Auto-Tuned vocals. The Inspiration: Mean Girls and "Mininem" Mariah Carey - Obsessed (Official Audio)

The track was widely viewed as a response to Eminem’s "Bagpipes from Baghdad," in which he taunted Carey and her then-husband, Nick Cannon. Mariah’s lyrics took a playful yet sharp approach, questioning why someone would lie about a relationship that "everybody knows" never happened. The Iconic Music Video The song famously opens with the line, "I

Decades later, the song remains a staple of pop culture, bolstered by viral TikTok challenges and its status as a precursor to modern "diss" tracks and the #MeToo movement’s discourse on harassment in music. Produced by Carey alongside Tricky Stewart and The-Dream

To stay incognito while dressed as the stalker, Carey even ditched her security detail, finding freedom in the disguise until she was eventually hit by a bus (another Mean Girls reference). Chart Performance and Legacy

The video, directed by , brought the "shade" to life. Filmed at New York City’s Plaza Hotel , it features Carey playing two roles: herself and a male stalker.

"Obsessed" was a massive success, debuting at number 11 on the —Carey's highest debut since 1998—and eventually peaking at number seven. It earned its 4x Platinum certification in late 2024 and recently surpassed 2 billion global streams across all platforms.