Fifth Harmony Sampled a Mariah Carey Classic

After an agonizing wait, it's finally here: Fifth Harmony's debut album, Reflection , is now streaming for free on iTunes Radio. That's right, Fifth Harmony are allowing their fans to hear Reflection in its entirety (including bonus tracks) a full week ahead of its official release date. This is awesome. I'm happy to report that 5H's first full-length LP is a blast to listen to from start to finish — but I definitely have a few favorite tracks. "Like Mariah," which samples Mariah Carey's "Always Be My Baby" and features rapper Tyga, is one of them.

Normally, I'm not too keen on artists sampling iconic songs like "Always Be My Baby," but Fifth Harmony are able to pull it off because they treat the source material with respect. "Like Mariah" very much feels like a tribute to Carey — a woman who has no doubt influenced the group's sound. "Like Mariah" doesn't "rip off" or "cheapen" a classic — it reintroduces it into the current pop music landscape in a fun and unique way. Plus, it'll make you want to get up and dance! What's not to love about that?

On "Like Mariah's" feel-good chorus, Fifth Harmony sing:

Your loving takes me higher

You set my heart on fire

When you touch my body got me singing like Mariah

There is no denying

Your kisses keep me flying

When you touch my body got me singing like Mariah

Singing like Mariah

Of course, "Like Mariah's" producer and co-writer, J.R. Rotem, deserves some credit for the song's success, too. After all, he's crafted a number of hit singles that sample other artists' work in the past, like Rihanna's "SOS," which samples Soft Cell's "Tainted Love"; Jason Derulo's "Whatcha Say," which samples Imogen Heap's "Hide and Seek"; and Fall Out Boy's "Centuries," which samples Suzanne Vega's "Tom's Diner." The more you know.

You can check out the rest of Reflection on iTunes Radio now. The album will be released on Tuesday, Feb. 3.