Ok, so I am over a decade late, but for the first time, I really understood how "Dreamlover" is pop perfection :notme I was listening to the GH today, and I noticed so many new things in "Dreamlover" that I had not paid attention to before. I used to just see it as a catchy song that I'd sing along to, but today I saw how amazingly produced it is. There are so many cool things in the production, starting out with the overall feel of the song. It has a perfect bouncy summer vibe. What I really picked up on today was how many ways the opening melody is used in the song. From Mariah singing "do-do-do-do" to the organ playing it to the harmonies on the high notes, it's layered into the song in some cool ways. I especially love it when they sort of converge at 2:48 into the song.

I also found a new appreciation for the lyrics today. Mariah alludes to having a guy who promised her everything but didn't deliver, so she's wishing for her "dreamlover." The key part of that phrase is "dream." Women still cling to that notion of the white night/dreamlover who will rescue them, and Mariah writes about that dream while also recognizing that men don't deliver on that unrealistic notion.

"Every element, from the masterful picking to the gorgeous,
keening vocals and a song selection of tremulous grace,
thrills with authenticity and emotion..." - Entertainment Weekly