The song famously opens with the line, "I was like, 'Why are you so obsessed with me?'" —a direct nod to the 2004 film Mean Girls . While Carey publicly maintained the song was inspired by the movie and childhood experiences with "hair-pulling" bullies, the media quickly identified a more specific target: .
"Obsessed" was a massive success, debuting at number 11 on the —Carey's highest debut since 1998—and eventually peaking at number seven. It earned its 4x Platinum certification in late 2024 and recently surpassed 2 billion global streams across all platforms. Mariah Carey - Obsessed (Official Audio)
The track was widely viewed as a response to Eminem’s "Bagpipes from Baghdad," in which he taunted Carey and her then-husband, Nick Cannon. Mariah’s lyrics took a playful yet sharp approach, questioning why someone would lie about a relationship that "everybody knows" never happened. The Iconic Music Video The song famously opens with the line, "I