"Right to Dream" is a song from the film Tennessee

Tennessee (film)

Tennessee is a 2008 American drama film produced by Lee Daniels. V V S Films has acquired all Canadian rights for the movie, while the U.S. rights are owned by Lee Daniels Entertainment.Vivendi Entertainment has acquired all U.S...

. It was written by Mariah Carey

Mariah Carey

Mariah Carey is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, and actress. She made her recording debut with the release of her eponymous studio album in 1990, under the guidance of Columbia Records executive Tommy Mottola, whom she later married in 1993...

 and released as a single in late 2008.

Background

Deconstructing her songwriting process, Carey explains: "It was a different experience from an album project. I was very close to the story and in particular my character's struggle, so it made it easier for me as a writer. I just began channeling Krystal's pain and hope."

"The song is basically a three-act play and chronicles the evolution of Krystal," says Carey.

"I was humming different melodies while I was on the set and stuff," Carey says. "I was just thinking that Willie Nelson would be somebody fabulous to collaborate with. I reached out to him, and we met after one of his concerts."

The song, says Carey, is from the perspective of her Tennessee character Krystal, an aspiring singer. "The song has its own arc," Carey said. "She begins by telling us where she started, like she lays in bed and wonders where she left herself. A lot of people go through that sort of thing. It's kind of about empowerment."

Release

The song went for adds at Adult Contemporary

Adult contemporary music

Adult contemporary music is a broad style of popular music that ranges from lush 1950s and 1960s vocal music to predominantly ballad-heavy music with varying degrees of rock influence, as well as a radio format that plays such music....

 radio on October 20, 2008. The song has already been released on the Canadian iTunes Store

ITunes Store

The iTunes Store is a software-based online digital media store operated by Apple. Opening as the iTunes Music Store on April 28, 2003, with over 200,000 items to purchase, it is, as of April 2008, the number-one music vendor in the United States...

. It was digitally released in the U.S. on December 2, 2008.

Critical reception

When the Los Angeles Times

Los Angeles Times

The Los Angeles Times is a daily newspaper published in Los Angeles, California, since 1881. It was the second-largest metropolitan newspaper in circulation in the United States in 2008 and the fourth most widely distributed newspaper in the country....

named "Right to Dream" as a contender for the Academy Award for Best Original Song

Academy Award for Best Original Song

The Academy Award for Best Original Song is one of the awards given annually to people working in the motion picture industry by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences . It is presented to the songwriters who have composed the best original song written specifically for a film...

 the paper described the song as "restrained elegance, with some light, finger-picked guitar flourishes and a dash of late-night soul." Forty-nine songs from eligible feature-length motion pictures contended for nominations in the Original Song category for the 81st Academy Awards. "Right to Dream" was on the list, but did not make the final nominations.

Music video

A music video has been shot and released to promote the single and the film. It premiered on December 8, 2008. The video features clips from the movie as well as shots of Carey in the studio recording the song.

Charts

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Chart (2008)	Peak position

External links

• "Rigt to Dream" at BMI repertoire website