Love Takes Time

A last-minute addition that proved love—and a career—requires time to heal and grow.

"Love Takes Time" is an adult contemporary-influenced ballad recorded by Mariah Carey for her eponymous debut studio album in 1990. Written by Carey and Ben Margulies, with production handled by Walter Afanasieff and Mariah Carey, the song was released as the second single on September 10, 1990, by Columbia Records. The track follows a protagonist lamenting a lost lover, confessing that healing requires patience while feelings for an ex-lover persist. Its creation was a last-minute miracle; recorded just as the album was being processed for release, it was so compelling that executives insisted it be included despite Carey's desire to save it for her sophomore effort. The song became Carey's second number-one single in the United States, holding the top spot for three weeks.

Quick Facts

Artist

Mariah Carey

B-side

"Sent from Up Above"
"Vanishing"
"You Need Me"

Released

21 August 1990

Recorded

May 1990

Studio

The Plant (Sausalito, California); The Hit Factory (New York City)

Genre

Pop; R&B

Length

3:49

Label

Columbia

Lore & Background

The narrative behind this track is defined by urgency and executive intervention. When Carey completed her debut album with Ben Margulies, she recorded a quick piano-vocal demo on a work tape while touring ten states to promote "Vision of Love." During a company flight, Carey played the demo for Columbia Records president Don Ienner alongside Tommy Mottola and Bobby Colomby. The executives deemed it a "career-maker" that had to appear on the debut album. Carey protested, noting the record was already being mastered and she intended the song for her next release, but they overruled her. Margulies noted the song was so strong it stopped the pressing process entirely. In a frantic three-day window, producer Walter Afanasieff cut the music and basics in about a day, recorded Carey's vocals practically all night, and mixed the track in Sausalito before a remix was made to boost vocal levels at Columbia's request.

Reader's Guide

Musically, the song operates in B Major with a slow tempo of 63 beats per minute. Carey's vocals span three octaves and five semitones, ranging from D♯3 to G♯6. Lyrically, scholars have analyzed it as a "compliant victim song" where the narrator feels incomplete after her partner leaves. The lyrics express that "love takes time / To heal when you're hurting so much," reflecting themes of hegemonic femininity and the metaphor of love as a unity of two parts. Critics generally praised its emotional depth; Diane Rufer and Ron Fell called it an "awesome ballad of heroic proportions," while Billboard noted Carey surpassed expectations. However, Robin Smith from Record Mirror found it "strangely soulless and cold." The music video, filmed in black and white at a beach in Venice, Los Angeles on July 24, 1990, features Carey walking as a man leaves with luggage. It was directed by Jeb Brien and Walter Maser.

Did You Know?

The song reached number one in the US for three weeks, making Carey the first artist to have her first two singles reach number one on the Billboard Hot 100 from a debut album.
Internationally, the song only replicated its US success in Canada (peaking at number one), while failing to reach the top 40 in Germany.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who wrote and performed 'Love Takes Time'?

Mariah Carey co-wrote the song with Ben Margulies and recorded it for her 1990 debut album. She also served as a producer alongside Walter Afanasieff, marking one of her earliest major creative collaborations.

When was 'Love Takes Time' released as a single?

The track officially launched as the second single from Carey's debut album on August 21, 1990. It arrived just months after the album itself had been released to the public.