Caution

Caution, released on November 16, 2018, made its debut at number five on the Billboard 200 after selling over 51,000 copies in the United States, becoming Mariah's eighteenth top-ten album. Caution features guest appearances by Ty Dolla $ign, Slick Rick, Blood Orange and Gunna, as well as co-productions with Nineteen85, Mustard, Timbaland, Jermaine Dupri and Skrillex, among others.

The first taste from the album came on September 13, 2018, with the release of “GTFO.” “I wanted to give my fans and everyone a first listen that wasn't so serious,” Mariah said in a press release. “I've had so much fun making this album, and I wanted the first moment to reflect that light-hearted spirit.”

Mariah announced the title of the album on October 15 and enlisted the help of the Lambily to unveil its tracklist. A selection of very lucky fans received hot pink caution tape with the track names from the Caution album printed on them. “I couldn't think of a better way of announcing the tracklist for my new album, Caution, than by letting my fans do it with me!” she wrote. “Share the title you received, using #Caution to help reveal the entire album's tracklist!”

The album's official first single was “With You,” which Mariah wrote with DJ Mustard, Prince Charlez and Fresco Kane. “When I saw my name among Mariah Carey and DJ Mustard, I teared up,” Fresco Kane said about their collaboration. “She's such a legend. It's like working with Michael Jackson and Whitney Houston. She's done so much for music. It's surreal. I'm still in disbelief.” The song was released on October 4, 2018, less than two weeks before Mariah would embark on a tour across Asia. She performed the song at the American Music Awards, but wasn't able to continue the promotion until the tour ended on November 9.

“A No No” was released as the album's second single on March 4, 2019. “We sampled Lil' Kim's remix of ‘Crush On You,’ which is one of my favorite records of all time,” Mariah told Sheila Scott in 2018. “And then me and my friend Priscilla Renea wrote the song on top of the beat. And then it ended up where Jermaine got involved in it too in the end and changed a couple things around. So it is kind of a family reunion.”

Mariah would later admit that she felt pressured to put Caution out and expressed her disagreement with the record label with the way the project was handled. “When I did Caution, I didn't have the time I would normally take,” she told ?uestlove in 2021. “I really wish I did have that time to do a few more records on that album to fully have that expression. It was like, ‘Oh, we gotta have her back and have people know she put out a studio album.’ And then they screwed that up with the way they gave away these instant grats.” Instant grats are songs that are made available before an album's release and, in Caution's case, four of the album's ten tracks were already available by then: “GTFO” became available on September 13, “With You” on October 4, “The Distance” on October 18 and “A No No” on October 23.

Mariah Carey - Caution - Cover Art
Cover Art
Mariah Carey - Caution - Publicity Photos
Publicity Photos
Mariah Carey - Caution - Publicity Material
Publicity Material
Mariah Carey - Caution - Booklet
Booklet
Standard Edition
Mariah Carey - Caution - Booklet - Alternate Cover
Booklet
Alternate Cover Edition

Tracklist

Original Release

Track # Song Run time
1
GTFO
Written by Mariah Carey, Paul Jeffries, Jordan Manswell, Bibi Bourelly, Porter Robinson.
Produced by Mariah Carey and Nineteen85. Co-produced by Jordan Manswell.
3:27
2
With You
Written by Mariah Carey, Dijon McFarlane, Charles Henshaw, Greg Lawary.
Produced by Mariah Carey and Mustard.
3:47
3
Caution
Written by Mariah Carey, Ernest Wilson, Mohamed Sulaiman, Luca Polizzi, Charles Henshaw.
Produced by Mariah Carey and No ID, SLMN and Luca.
3:15
4
A No No
Written by Mariah Carey, Robert Shea Taylor, Priscilla Hamilton, Jeff Lorber, Kimberly Jones, Christopher Wallace, Mason Beatha, Camron Giles, Andreao Heard.
Produced by Mariah Carey and Shea Taylor. Additional production by Jermaine Dupri.
3:07
5
The Distance (feat. Ty Dolla $ign)
Written by Mariah Carey, Sonny Moore, Peder Losnegård, Jason Boyd, Tyrone Griffin Jr.
Produced by Mariah Carey and Srillex, Lido and Poo Bear.
3:27
6
Giving Me Life (feat. Slick Rick and Blood Orange)
Written by Mariah Carey, Devonté Hynes, Ricky M.L. Walters.
Produced by Mariah Carey and Devonté Hynes.
6:08
7
One Mo' Gen
Written by Mariah Carey, Frederick Ball, Ebony Oshunrinde, Jason Boyd.
Produced by Mariah Carey and Fred Ball and Wondagurl.
3:25
8
8th Grade
Written by Mariah Carey, Timothy Mosley, Angel Lopez, Federico Vindver, Larrance Dopson, Jason Boyd.
Produced by Mariah Carey and Timbaland. Co-produced by Angel Lopez, Federico Vindver and Larrance Dopson.
4:48
9
Stay Long Love You (feat. Gunna)
Written by Mariah Carey, Sergio Kitchens, Jonathan VIP, Ray Romulus, Jeremy Reeves, Ray Charles McCullough II.
Produced by Mariah Carey and The Stereotypes.
3:01
10
Portrait
Written by Mariah Carey, Daniel Moore II.
Produced by Mariah Carey and Daniel Moore II.
4:01

Bonus Tracks

The Japanese edition of Caution includes the bonus track “Runway.”

Track # Song Run time
Bonus
Runway
Written by Mariah Carey, Sony Moore, Peder Losnegård, Priscilla Hamilton.
Produced by Mariah Carey.
3:41

Releases

Original Release

Caution was available on CD and 12" vinyl. The Japanese edition of the album, with a bonus track, was available on CD.

Mariah Carey - Caution - CD
CD
Mariah Carey - Caution - CD (Japan)
CD
Japan Edition

Special Editions

Two limited editions of Caution were available exclusively through Mariah's official store: a CD edition with alternate album art, as well as a very limited edition (only 1,000 copies were produced) of the album on cassette.

Mariah Carey - Caution - CD - Alternate Cover
Alternate Cover CD
Mariah Carey - Caution - Cassette
Cassette

Vinyl Editions

Four Caution variants were available on 12" vinyl: black vinyl, picture disc vinyl, translucent hot pink vinyl with three lithographs, and a blue vinyl, available exclusively through Barnes & Noble.

Mariah Carey - Caution - Black Vinyl
Black Vinyl
Mariah Carey - Caution - Picture Vinyl
Picture Vinyl
Mariah Carey - Caution - Hot Pink Vinyl
Hot Pink Vinyl
Mariah Carey - Caution - Blue Vinyl
Blue Vinyl

Singles

Mariah Carey - GTFO
GTFO
Mariah Carey - With You
With You
Mariah Carey - A No No
A No No
Mariah Carey - Portrait
Portrait

Lyrics

GTFO

With You

Caution

A No No

The Distance

Giving Me Life

One Mo' Gen

8th Grade

Stay Long Love You

Portrait

Runway