Caution (album)

Caution is Mariah Carey’s fifteenth studio album, released on November 16, 2018, through Epic Records. The album debuted in Week 1 and has since over 40 weeks on the album charts. Caution peaked at #2 several times on the charts.

Caution
Hit Album by Mariah Carey
Artist	Mariah Carey
Released	November 16, 2018
Genre	R&B, Pop, Hip Hop
Length	38:27
Warz Score
Chart Overview
Peak	2⁵
Debuted	Week 1
Last Seen	Week 144
Rank	15 (as of July 19, 2026)
Certification	8x Platinum ▲
Plays	2,105
Weeks	41

The album reached its highest peak of #2 during Week 54, with its longest stay at that position lasting 2 consecutive weeks from Week 75. The album produced the number-one hit "Portrait", along with top-ten hit "Stay Long Love You". The album has produced two top 10 songs, including A No No, and Portrait. In 2025, the album earned its first #1 when Portrait topped the charts in Week 100.

In October 2025, King Warz released a review of the album, giving it a score of 84 and cementing its status as a critically acclaimed release.

Album Review

“ Seriously, one of the greatest R&B albums of all time. Incredibly underrated. Definitely one of my top 5 albums from Mariah. ” — King Warz (October 5, 2025)

Track-by-Track Review

Track	Score (0–10)	Comment
GTFO	8.1	Great whispery vocals. Feels like the perfect song to play if you’re in a toxic relationship and tired of the BS. I revisit it often, though not as much as other tracks.
With You	8.3	Strong love song with whispery vocals that hit hard. Great choice as a single!
Caution	8.5	Excellent title track. Catchy, modern, and replayable.
A No No	8.4	The rap-singing style gives it a unique vibe. Still annoyed the streaming version doesn’t include the whistles, but I revisit it a lot.
The Distance	9	Feels like a modern version of “You’re Still The One.” Great duet with Ty Dolla $ign that really works.
Giving Me Life	8.2	Vocals are insane, background vocals are fire, and the outro is one of Mariah’s best. Even the rap part fits.
One Mo’ Gen	7	Not bad, just less replay value for me. Worth a listen weekly if not spinning the whole album.
8th Grade	7.5	Catchy, though I don’t replay it often. Cool knowing it’s Mariah’s personal favorite on the album.
Stay Long Love You	8.45	Very fun and catchy. Immaculate vocals and strong background layers; Gunna’s feature is decent.
Portrait	10	Emotional masterpiece. This track carried me through a tough time in 2025 when I started a new job and wasn’t in the best mental place. Forever grateful for this song.
Runway	7.4	Only started listening when it hit Spotify. Decent track, but one I revisit just once or twice a month.

Album Ranking

Rank	Track	Score (0–10)
1	Portrait	10
2	The Distance	9
3	Caution	8.5
4	Stay Long Love You	8.45
5	A No No	8.4
6	With You	8.3
7	Giving Me Life	8.2
8	GTFO	8.1
9	8th Grade	7.5
10	Runway	7.4
11	One Mo’ Gen	7

Trait Scores

Trait	Score (0–10)	Weight	Comment
Replay Value	10	7	This album holds up extremely well. I revisit the whole project and individual tracks frequently.
Relatability	8	5	Themes of love, resilience, and heartbreak feel real. Songs like Portrait hit especially hard.
Vocals	9	5	Mariah’s whisper vocals and belts are stellar throughout.
Production / Instrumentals	9	4	Crisp R&B/pop production. Clean, modern sound without being overproduced.
Lyrics / Theme	9	2	Strong lyrics — empowering, reflective, and emotional when needed.
Cohesion / Sequencing	9	2	Album flows smoothly; sequencing feels natural and replayable.

Calculation

Name	Formula
Track Rating Average (0–10)	8.259090909
Track Score (100-point)	82.59
Trait Average (0–10)	9.08
Trait Score (100-point)	90.8
Final Album Score (100-point)	84.64

Chart Summary

Caution by Mariah Carey debuted on the King Warz Albums chart at #14 in Week 1 and has spent 41 total weeks on the chart. It peaked at #2, first reaching that position in Week 54 and returning to it 4 more times.

The album earned its highest weekly points total, 336, in Week 97 at #2, re-entering the chart directly at that position. Its longest unbroken run on the chart lasted 14 weeks, from Week 69 to Week 82. The album has re-entered the chart 14 times, with gaps of 1 to 29 weeks between appearances; the first re-entry came in Week 10 and the most recent in Week 143. Of its 41 chart weeks, 15 have come inside the top 5, 22 inside the top 10 and 41 inside the top 20.

Among the 143 albums that have charted, it ranks #15 all-time. Across its charted weeks alone it has moved 6,174 units from 1,353 plays and 3,468 chart points, its chart presence driven 44% by raw streams and 56% by chart points; its certification also counts streaming from weeks off the chart.

2021 brought 1 chart week, peaking at #14, averaging #14, earning 36 points, anchored by its biggest week in Week 1 (36 points), and it finished 24th on the 2021 year-end chart with 175 units. In 2022, the album charted 6 times, peaking at #6, averaging #13, earning 265 points, anchored by its biggest week in Week 19 (70 points), and it finished 28th on the 2022 year-end chart with 605 units. In 2023, the album charted 1 time, peaking at #15, averaging #15, earning 40 points, anchored by its biggest week in Week 35 (40 points), and it finished 37th on the 2023 year-end chart with 307 units. During 2024, the album appeared 6 times, peaking at #2, averaging #9, earning 497 points, anchored by its biggest week in Week 53 (153 points), and it finished 20th on the 2024 year-end chart with 847 units. 2025 brought 24 chart weeks, peaking at #2, averaging #7, earning 2,548 points, anchored by its biggest week in Week 97 (336 points), and it finished 9th on the 2025 year-end chart with 5,352 units. 2026 brought 3 chart weeks, peaking at #9, averaging #14, earning 82 points, anchored by its biggest week in Week 143 (58 points).

Notable Achievements

• The album ranks #15 all-time on the King Warz Charts albums ranking.
• The album is certified 8x Platinum on the King Warz Charts.

Certifications

Certification	Achieved	Units required	Time to reach
Gold	April 8, 2022 (Week 14)	500	530 days
Platinum	April 21, 2023 (Week 36)	1,000	908 days
2× Platinum	November 12, 2024 (Week 61)	2,000	1,479 days
3× Platinum	February 3, 2025 (Week 73)	3,000	1,562 days
4× Platinum	February 28, 2025 (Week 77)	4,000	1,587 days
5× Platinum	April 9, 2025 (Week 82)	5,000	1,627 days
6× Platinum	May 25, 2025 (Week 89)	6,000	1,673 days
7× Platinum	September 14, 2025 (Week 105)	7,000	1,785 days

Listening Milestones

• First streamed on October 25, 2020 (Week 1).
• Biggest listening day: September 25, 2025 (25 plays).
• Reached 500 plays on January 14, 2025 (Week 70).
• Reached 1,000 plays on March 15, 2025 (Week 79).
• 2,094 total plays across 393 different days.

Chart Performance

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Units growth by charted week

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Tracklist

#	Song	Peak	Weeks	Plays	Cert
1	GTFO	13	14	196	3× Platinum
2	With You	24	13	192	3× Platinum
3	Caution	14	16	205	3× Platinum
4	A No No	11	37	297	6× Platinum
5	A No No - Remix	11	37	297	6× Platinum
6	The Distance	15	19	228	5× Platinum
7	Giving Me Life	12	12	170	2× Platinum
8	One Mo' Gen	27	7	148	2× Platinum
9	8th Grade	20	7	153	2× Platinum
10	Stay Long Love You	10	13	176	3× Platinum
11	Portrait	1	19	254	6× Platinum
12	Runway	38	5	75	Platinum

Chart History

Date	Week	MV	Album	Artist	TW	LW	OC	UTS	PLS	PK	PTS
October 07, 2021	Week 1	NEW	Caution	Mariah Carey	14	-	1	50	7	14	36
March 17, 2022	Week 10	RE	Caution	Mariah Carey	18	-	2	50	11	14	28
March 31, 2022	Week 12	RE	Caution	Mariah Carey	14	-	3	58	10	14	38
April 21, 2022	Week 14	RE	Caution	Mariah Carey	12	-	4	64	11	12	42
April 28, 2022	Week 15	▲1	Caution	Mariah Carey	11	12	5	82	13	11	56
May 26, 2022	Week 16	▼7	Caution	Mariah Carey	18	11	6	43	6	11	31
July 14, 2022	Week 19	RE	Caution	Mariah Carey	6	-	7	112	21	6	70
April 20, 2023	Week 35	RE	Caution	Mariah Carey	15	-	8	54	7	6	40
September 05, 2024	Week 53	RE	Caution	Mariah Carey	3	-	9	203	25	3	153
September 12, 2024	Week 54	▲1	Caution	Mariah Carey	2	3	10	215	31	2	153
September 19, 2024	Week 55	▼3	Caution	Mariah Carey	5	2	11	97	8	2	81
September 26, 2024	Week 56	▼15	Caution	Mariah Carey	20	5	12	49	7	2	35
October 10, 2024	Week 57	▲13	Caution	Mariah Carey	7	20	13	93	22	2	49
October 24, 2024	Week 59	RE	Caution	Mariah Carey	18	-	14	44	9	2	26
January 09, 2025	Week 69	RE	Caution	Mariah Carey	8	-	15	143	43	2	57
January 16, 2025	Week 70	▲6	Caution	Mariah Carey	2	8	16	324	64	2²	196
January 23, 2025	Week 71	▼3	Caution	Mariah Carey	5	2	17	241	55	2²	131
January 30, 2025	Week 72	▲2	Caution	Mariah Carey	3	5	18	204	41	2²	122
February 06, 2025	Week 73	▼4	Caution	Mariah Carey	7	3	19	101	37	2²	27
February 13, 2025	Week 74	▲3	Caution	Mariah Carey	4	7	20	256	50	2²	156
February 20, 2025	Week 75	▲2	Caution	Mariah Carey	2	4	21	388	73	2³	242
February 27, 2025	Week 76	=	Caution	Mariah Carey	2	2	22	482	96	2⁴	290
March 06, 2025	Week 77	▼2	Caution	Mariah Carey	4	2	23	329	75	2⁴	179
March 13, 2025	Week 78	▼9	Caution	Mariah Carey	13	4	24	105	33	2⁴	39
March 20, 2025	Week 79	▼4	Caution	Mariah Carey	17	13	25	66	24	2⁴	18
March 27, 2025	Week 80	▲10	Caution	Mariah Carey	7	17	26	134	49	2⁴	36
April 03, 2025	Week 81	▼4	Caution	Mariah Carey	11	7	27	121	41	2⁴	39
April 10, 2025	Week 82	▲4	Caution	Mariah Carey	7	11	28	131	40	2⁴	51
April 24, 2025	Week 84	RE	Caution	Mariah Carey	5	-	29	213	54	2⁴	105
May 01, 2025	Week 85	▼6	Caution	Mariah Carey	11	5	30	150	45	2⁴	60
May 08, 2025	Week 86	▲7	Caution	Mariah Carey	4	11	31	239	46	2⁴	147
May 15, 2025	Week 87	=	Caution	Mariah Carey	4	4	32	271	51	2⁴	169
May 29, 2025	Week 89	RE	Caution	Mariah Carey	12	-	33	106	40	2⁴	26
July 24, 2025	Week 97	RE	Caution	Mariah Carey	2	-	34	434	49	2⁵	336
September 11, 2025	Week 104	RE	Caution	Mariah Carey	11	-	35	102	33	2⁵	36
September 18, 2025	Week 105	▼8	Caution	Mariah Carey	19	11	36	42	21	2⁵	0
September 25, 2025	Week 106	▲14	Caution	Mariah Carey	5	19	37	158	36	2⁵	86
October 02, 2025	Week 107	▼9	Caution	Mariah Carey	14	5	38	20	10	2⁵	0
April 30, 2026	Week 137	RE	Caution	Mariah Carey	17	-	39	48	14	2⁵	20
June 11, 2026	Week 143	RE	Caution	Mariah Carey	9	-	40	102	22	2⁵	58
June 18, 2026	Week 144	▼8	Caution	Mariah Carey	17	9	41	50	23	2⁵	4

Year End Chart Appearances

The album has appeared on 5 year-end charts.

Year	Position	Weeks	Units	Plays	Peak	Peak Weeks
2025	9	24	5,352	1,402	2	4
2024	20	6	847	150	2	—
2023	37	1	307	78	15	—
2022	28	6	605	124	6	—
2021	24	1	175	27	14	—

Month End Chart Appearances

The album has appeared on 15 month-end charts.

Month	Year	Position	Weeks	Units	Plays	Peak	Peak Weeks
June	2026	20	2	174	56	9	—
September	2025	15	3	320	99	5	—
July	2025	12	1	482	73	2	—
May	2025	7	4	710	154	4	2
April	2025	11	3	513	159	5	—
March	2025	6	4	686	207	4	—
February	2025	3	4	1,255	270	2	2
January	2025	4	4	954	224	2	—
October	2024	18	2	153	39	7	—
September	2024	3	4	554	66	2	—
April	2023	20	1	100	17	15	—
July	2022	9	1	80	5	6	—
May	2022	19	1	45	7	18	—
April	2022	13	3	216	30	11	—
October	2021	14	1	40	2	14	—