After the disappointing sales of Glitter, Virgin Records supposedly dropped Carey from the label and withdrew the $80-million deal. Despite the abrupt rupture with Virgin Records, Mariah continued shaping a brand-new album. Mariah flew to the Island of Capri in Italy to start writing new music. The experience served as a healing process for Carey who had been facing major personal and professional drawbacks. It didn’t take long for Carey to find a new home for her music. Executive Lyor Cohen signed Carey during the summer and named her new album a priority.

Mariah focused completely on the project, which would attempt to repair the damage caused by the Glitter project. The album because a priority for Universal Music. Mariah recruited a number of collaborators in an attempt to create an eclectic album. Legendary R&B producers Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis helped Carey incorporate the now characteristic R&B feel. “Yours” resulted from the partnership. This song was originally planned to be released as a duet with Justin Timberlake, but issues with his label forced Universal Music to include Mariah’s solo version.

American Idol judge and long-time friend Randy Jackson helped Mariah create the inspirational song “My Saving Grace,” in which Carey praises the Lord for the strength that helped her go through rough times. During the production of Charmbracelet, Carey heard Def Leppard’s song “Bringin’ on the Heartbreak”; she immediately considered interesting the idea of having an R&B rendition of the song.

Driven by her fascination for Cam’ron’s song “Oh Boy,” Carey wrote a new song called “Boy (I Need You),” which was heavily influenced by the rapper’s hit. “Boy” was produced by Carey and Just Blaze, who also collaborated on “You Got Me,” another song in which the chipmunk-style vocals are used to spice up the song. Jermaine Dupri also teamed up with Mariah to create urban tracks. Mariah used an Ice-Cube’s sample to bring to life “You Had Your Chance,” in which she self-assuredly tells an ex-lover she has successfully survived the breakup. The pair also came up with “The One,” a song that exposes Mariah’s insecurities in terms of relationships.

Tired of the rumors spread mainly by American rapper Eminem, Carey wrote “Clown,” a sarcastic response to Eminem’s accusations. The song even makes public the rapper’s supposed insecurities and weaknesses. During the previous year, Carey had started a friendship with the rapper; later, tabloids left room for speculation regarding the depth of the relationship. These rumors were strengthened by an interview in which Eminem claimed they had a secret affair. “Clown” is used by Carey to deny these allegations.

Mariah co-produced “Irresistible” and “Lullaby” along with producers Damizza and Dre respectively. In an attempt to obtain a more organic sound, Mariah recruited producer 7, with whom she co-produced “Subtle Invitation” and “There Goes My Heart” using live instruments; only the first song made the final cut.

During the album’s recording process, Mariah’s father, Alfred Roy Carey, passed away. Mariah, who had been estranged from him, had recently reconciled with him shortly before his death. Carey wrote one of her most melancholic themes, “Sunflowers for Alfred Roy,” in which she honors her father.

The album’s lead single represents the concept of Charmbracelet. Carey intended ‘Through the Rain” to be a hymn for those who overcome adversity. “Through the Rain,” written by Carey and her pianist Lionel Cole, is based on her personal struggles and exposes her inner strength and determination. Mariah co-produced the song with Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis. A gospel-influenced remix to the song, created by Just Blaze and Randy Jackson, is used to close the album. Carey dedicated Charmbracelet to her father; the title represents Carey’s attempt to reconnect with her past.

Instead of ignoring the personal and professional drawbacks of the previous year, Carey decided to openly discuss her so-called breakdown and her professional failures. Carey appeared on The Oprah Winfrey Show and The View where she also denied the supposed suicide attempt. Carey also shot an MTV special, Shining Through the Rain. MTV’s network also premiered the song internationally.

After the first single’s poor chart performance in the U.S., Island Def Jam attempted to keep the album’s short momentum by releasing a second single. In the last minute, “Boy (I Need You)” was released as the second single, replacing “The One,” which had been sent to radio stations already. Carey’s promotional appearances could not help the commercial failure of “Boy,” which did not gain enough strength to enter the Billboard Hot 100 chart or even Billboard’s Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles. Although not being officially released, “Irresistible (Westside Connection)” managed to peak at number eighty-one on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks.

Despite the single’s poor chart performance, the sales of the album were solid enough to earn a platinum certification within a few weeks. Charmbracelet debuted at number three on the U.S. with 241,200 copies sold in its first week; the album managed to stay on the Billboard 200 Albums chart for twenty-three weeks but remained in the top twenty for just three weeks. Internationally, the album performance was less notable. Charmbracelet has sold over four million copies worldwide; the album has been certified 1x platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America, selling 1.3 million copies. The first single, “Through the Rain,” peaked at #81 at the Billboard Hot 100 chart; the song, on the other hand, became a smash hit abroad, reaching the top ten in important markers such as U.K., Canada, and Japan.

After the Charmbracelet World Tour, the album was re-released, including “I Know What You Want (With Busta Rhymes),” a song that became one of the biggest hits of 2003. The new edition also included “There Goes My Heart,” the collaboration with producer 7, “Gotta Thing For You (With Da Prat),” and two music videos. In the United States, the re-release was cancelled due to the album’s poor chart performance.