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: .
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 Mariah Carey - Obsessed (Official Audio)
The stalker—later dubbed "Mininem" by fans—wore a gray hoodie and sweatpants that bore a striking resemblance to Eminem’s signature style. The song famously opens with the line, "I
To stay incognito while dressed as the stalker, Carey even ditched her security detail, finding freedom in the disguise until she was eventually hit by a bus (another Mean Girls reference). Chart Performance and Legacy Mariah’s lyrics took a playful yet sharp approach,
"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.
