Against All Odds (Take a Look at Me Now) (Mariah Carey recording)

"Against All Odds (Take a Look at Me Now)" is a song recorded by American singer-songwriter Mariah Carey. It is a cover of the original song written and recorded by Phil Collins. Carey co-produced the song with Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis for her seventh studio album Rainbow (1999). It was released on 29 May 2000 as the fifth and final single from the album, by Columbia Records.^[2] It was her final single release with Sony Music, until the release of "Infinity" in 2015.

"Against All Odds (Take a Look at Me Now)"
Single by Mariah Carey
from the album Rainbow
B-side	"Crybaby"
Released	May 29, 2000
Recorded	1999
Studio	Flyte Tyme Studios (Edina, Minnesota) Capri Digital Studios (Capri, Italy)[1]
Genre	Pop R&B
Length	3:25
Label	Columbia
Songwriter(s)	Phil Collins
Producer(s)	Mariah Carey Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis
Mariah Carey singles chronology
"Crybaby" (2000) "Against All Odds (Take a Look at Me Now)" (2000) "Against All Odds (Take a Look at Me Now)" (Westlife remix) (2001)
Music video
"Against All Odds (Take a Look at Me Now)" on YouTube

Although the song was promoted as part of Rainbow in the United States, it was not released as a commercial or a radio single there. The song peaked at number two in Norway, while reaching the top 20 in numerous European countries. The music video for Carey's version of the song, directed by Paul Misbehoven, consists of a montage of clips of Carey singing the song from her various Rainbow World Tour stops. Another version of the song, with Irish boy band Westlife, was also released, and reached number one on the UK chart.

Critical reception

"Against All Odds (Take a Look at Me Now)" received positive reviews. Danyel Smith of Entertainment Weekly wrote: "Listeners with an eye on the tabloids could read her close, ringing interpretation of Phil Collins' 1984 hit, 'Against All Odds (Take a Look at Me Now)', as a postmortem on her bittersweet affair with Yankee shortstop Derek Jeter and a poignant evocation of the couple's shared mixed-race heritage ('You're the only one who really knew me at all')."^[3] Los Angeles Times' Elysa Gardner called this cover "surprisingly faithful, forthright" and "she resists her tendency to over-embellish notes and focuses on what really matters: the melody and lyrics".^[4]

MTV Asia editor Dara Cook wrote: "Mariah festoons herself in Phil Collins' 1980s melodic garb, appropriately pret a porter with overwrought emotion. She delicately ascends the sparely accompanied first verses—but alas, that damn drum roll soon sounds and the bouffant strings and vocal gymnastics ensue."^[5] Rolling Stone's Arion Berger was not happy with the cover selection which he called a "drippy Eighties power-pop hit".^[6]

Westlife remix

"Against All Odds" (Westlife remix)
Single by Mariah Carey featuring Westlife
from the album Coast to Coast
Released	September 15, 2000 (2000-09-15)
Recorded	1999–2000
Studio	Flyte Tyme (Edina) Capri Digital (Capri) Rokstone Olympic (London) Parc (Orlando)
Genre	Pop R&B
Length	3:25
Label	Columbia
Songwriter(s)	Phil Collins
Producer(s)	Mariah Carey Steve Mac
Mariah Carey singles chronology
"Against All Odds (Take a Look at Me Now)" (2000) "Against All Odds" (Westlife remix) (2000) "Loverboy" (2001)
Westlife singles chronology
"Fool Again" (2000) "Against All Odds" (2000) "My Love" (2000)
Audio sample
20 second sample of Mariah Carey and Westlife's "Against All Odds" file help
Music video
"Against All Odds" on YouTube

Carey later released a duet version of the song, simply titled "Against All Odds", featuring newly recorded vocals by Irish boy band Westlife. The song was released as the first single from the band's second album, Coast to Coast (2000). The song was released on September 15, 2000.^[7] Carey's vocals from the solo version were retained for the duet, though a new instrumental track was produced by Carey and Steve Mac, featuring a more organic sound with violins. The music video shows Carey and Westlife recording the song and exploring the island of Capri by boat.

The single debuted at number one in the United Kingdom, selling 112,000 copies.^[8] It remained at number one in its second week, selling a further 78,500 copies.^[9] The song became Carey's second to top the UK Singles Chart and Westlife's sixth consecutive number one.^[8] As of November 2021, the song has sold 507,000 copies in the country. It is Westlife's sixth biggest selling single (paid-for sales and combined sales categories) of all-time and their fifteenth most streamed single in the United Kingdom.^[10]

The song also spent two weeks at number one in Scotland and three in Ireland. It peaked at number three on the continental chart, European Hot 100 Singles. Its chart success in European countries led to its inclusion on the international editions of Carey's compilation albums Greatest Hits (2001) and #1 to Infinity (2015).

Track listings

Mariah Carey version:

• 12" single^[11]

1. "Against All Odds (Take a Look at Me Now)" (Pound Boys Main Mix) – 9:09
2. "Against All Odds (Take a Look at Me Now)" (Pound Boys Radio Edit) – 3:37
3. "Against All Odds (Take a Look at Me Now)" (Pound Boys Deep Dub) – 8:12
4. "Against All Odds (Take a Look at Me Now)" (Pound Boys Dub) – 6:56

• CD single^[12]

1. "Against All Odds (Take a Look at Me Now)" – 3:25
2. "Crybaby" – 5:19
3. "Thank God I Found You" (Stargate Radio Edit) – 4:21
4. "Can't Take That Away" (Morales Club Mix Edit) – 3:57

Mariah Carey featuring Westlife version:

• UK CD single 1^[13]

1. "Against All Odds" – 3:21
2. "Against All Odds" (Pound Boys Main Mix) – 9:09
3. "Against All Odds" (Mariah only version) – 3:21
4. "Westlife Interview" (CD extra video version)

• UK CD single 2^[14]

1. "Against All Odds" – 3:21
2. "Against All Odds" (Westlife only version) – 3:21
3. "Against All Odds" (Pound Boys Dub) – 6:48
4. "Against All Odds" (CD extra video version)

• UK cassette single^[15]

1. "Against All Odds" – 3:21
2. "Against All Odds" (Pound Boys radio edit) – 3:37

• Japanese CD single^[16]

1. "Against All Odds" – 3:20
2. "Against All Odds" (album version) – 3:26
3. "Against All Odds" (Pound Boys radio edit) – 3:32
4. "Against All Odds" (instrumental) – 3:20

• 2021 digital EP^[17]

1. "Against All Odds (Take a Look at Me Now)" (with Westlife) – 3:21
2. "Against All Odds (Take a Look at Me Now)" (Mariah Only) – 3:25
3. "Against All Odds (Take a Look at Me Now)" (Pound Boys Radio Edit) – 3:37
4. "Against All Odds (Take a Look at Me Now)" (Pound Boys Main Mix) – 9:09
5. "Against All Odds (Take a Look at Me Now)" (Pound Boys Deep Dub) – 8:12
6. "Against All Odds (Take a Look at Me Now)" (Pound Boys Dub) – 6:56

Charts

Weekly charts Original version Chart (2000) Peak position Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[18] 26 Belgium (Ultratop 50 Wallonia)[19] 15 Czech Republic (Rádio – Top 100)[20] 10 European Hot 100 Singles (Music & Media)[21] 36 France (SNEP)[22] 18 Germany (Official German Charts)[2] 29 Italy (FIMI)[23] 17 Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[24] with "Crybaby" 27 Netherlands (Single Top 100)[25] 20 Norway (VG-lista)[26] 2 Portugal (AFP)[27] 9 Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[28] 20 US NAC/Smooth Jazz (Radio & Records)[29] 28 Westlife remix Chart (2000) Peak position Australia (ARIA)[30] 52 Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[31] 50 Belgium (Ultratop 50 Wallonia)[32] 31 Croatia (HRT)[33] 2 Denmark (IFPI)[34] 2 European Hot 100 Singles (Music & Media)[35] 3 Europe (European Hit Radio)[36] 29 Ireland (IRMA)[37] 1 Japan (Oricon)[38] 78 Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[39] 35 Netherlands (Single Top 100)[40] 29 Poland Airplay (Music & Media)[41] 16 Portugal (AFP)[42] 4 Scotland (OCC)[43] 1 Sweden (Sverigetopplistan)[44] 3 UK Singles (OCC)[45] 1 UK Airplay (Music Control)[46] 10

Year-end charts Original version Chart (2000) Position Belgium (Ultratop 50 Wallonia)[47] 42 France (SNEP)[48] 74 Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[49] 200 Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[50] 93 Westlife remix Chart (2000) Position Brazil (Crowley)[51] 95 Europe (Eurochart Hot 100)[52] 47 Europe (European Hit Radio)[53] 34 Ireland (IRMA)[54] 8 Sweden (Hitlistan)[55] 47 UK Singles (OCC)[56] 28 Chart (2001) Position Taiwan (Hito Radio)[57] 58

Certifications

Westlife remix

Region	Certification	Certified units/sales
Denmark (IFPI Danmark)[58]	Gold	4,000^
Sweden (GLF)[59]	Gold	15,000^
United Kingdom (BPI)[60]	Gold	400,000‡
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. ‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

Release history

Release dates and formats for "Against All Odds (Take a Look at Me Now)"

Region	Date	Format(s)	Version	Label(s)	Ref.
Various	29 May 2000	CD maxi CD	Original	Columbia	[2]
Netherlands	15 September 2000	CD		Sony Music	[40]
United Kingdom	18 September 2000	Cassette maxi CD	Westlife remix	Columbia	[61]
France	25 September 2000	Maxi CD			[62]
Japan	27 September 2000			Sony Music Japan	[38]
Australia	23 October 2000	CD		Columbia	[63]
Various	9 October 2020	Digital download streaming (EP)	Original and Westlife remix	Legacy	[17]