It's Like That (Mariah Carey song)

"It's Like That"
Single by Mariah Carey
from the album The Emancipation of Mimi
B-side	"Sprung"
Released	January 25, 2005
Recorded	2004
Genre	Hip hop R&B
Length	3:23 (album version) 3:32 (official remix)
Label	Island
Songwriter(s)	Mariah Carey Jermaine Dupri Manuel Seal Johntá Austin Joseph Simmons Darryl McDaniels Jason Mizell
Producer(s)	Mariah Carey Jermaine Dupri Manuel Seal
Mariah Carey singles chronology
"U Make Me Wanna" (2004) "It's Like That" (2005) "We Belong Together" (2005)
Music video
"It's Like That" on YouTube

"It's Like That" is a song by American singer and songwriter Mariah Carey from her tenth studio album, The Emancipation of Mimi (2005). Written by Carey, Jermaine Dupri, Manuel Seal, and Johntá Austin, and produced by Carey, Dupri, and Seal, the song borrows the hook "It's Like That Y'all" from the Run–D.M.C. tracks "Hollis Crew" and "Here We Go (Live)". Several other tracks were contenders for the album's lead single. However, plans were changed when Island Def Jam Music head L.A. Reid suggested to Carey she record a few more strong songs to ensure the album's success, thus "It's Like That" was written and chosen as the album's lead single, being released on January 25, 2005.

"It's Like That" is an up-tempo R&B club song filled with elements of hip hop instrumentation that features ad-libs by Fatman Scoop and the song's producer Jermaine Dupri. The focus of the song's lyrics (and Carey's vocal performance) revolve around the notion of Carey leaving behind her worries by going for a night out at the club partying to unwind in addition to rejoicing in her newly acquired sense of liberation; with Carey's alter-ego, known as "Mimi," symbolizing the act of being emancipated in the process.^[1][2] The song received generally favorable reviews from music critics, most of whom noted its catchiness and carefree message. It was also nominated for a 2006 Grammy Award for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance. Commercially, the song charted well worldwide, becoming a top twenty hit in several countries, including the United States, while peaking inside the top-ten in over five other countries.

The song's accompanying music video, directed by Brett Ratner, was filmed as a two-part story with "We Belong Together". In the "It's Like That" video, Carey is shown at a masked party held at the home of her wealthy fiancé (played by Eric Roberts), who watches the party from upstairs but does not attend, when an ex-lover of hers (played by Wentworth Miller) appears. In the "We Belong Together" video, Carey and Robert's characters are getting ready to be married when Miller's character appears again, and Carey runs away with him. The song was heavily promoted by Carey in a number of places, including The Ellen DeGeneres Show, Good Morning America, BET, VH1 and more, while being performed on several of her concert tours.