Written and produced by Carey, Larry Blackmon, Thomas Jenkins and Clark Kent, "Loverboy" is built around a sample from "Candy" by the funk band Cameo, who are also featured on the track.

Further controversy ensued following its release, as Carey was hospitalized for severe mental and physical exhaustion, following poorly received television appearances involving both the song and album.

The single jumped 58 spots to number two on the Billboard Hot 100 for the week ending August 4, 2001, with sales driven by a Virgin promotion offering the CD for a bargain-priced 49 cents.

In 2020, the original "Firecracker"-sampled version of "Loverboy" was included on Carey's eighth compilation album The Rarities and was released as a limited edition double A-side Japanese single in December 2020.

[6] As the show's host Carson Daly began taping following a commercial break, Carey came out onto the filming stage, pushing an ice cream cart while wearing a large men's shirt.

[7] Seemingly anxious and exhilarated, Carey began giving out individual bars of ice cream to fans and guests on the program, while waving to the crowd down below on Times Square, while diverging into a rambling monologue regarding therapy.

[6] While she later revealed that Daly was aware of her presence in the building prior to her appearance, she admitted that he was meant to act surprised in order to provide a more dramatic effect for the program.

[6] As the appearance was filmed, she began rambling on several points, leading her to discuss radio-host Howard Stern and how his form of humor on his program bothered her greatly.

A few days later, Carey began posting irregular voice notes and messages on her official website: I'm trying to understand things in life right now and so I really don't feel that I should be doing music right now.

[4] Soon after, Carey flew to Capri, Italy for a period of five months, in which she began writing material for her new album, stemming from all the personal experiences she had endured throughout the past year.

[4] In 2020, the original and previously unreleased version of "Loverboy" that sampled "Firecracker" was included on Carey's compilation album The Rarities as part of the "#MC30" initiative.

According to Chuck Taylor from Billboard, "Loverboy" is reminiscent of several of Carey's previous lead singles, as they too were predominantly built around samples of older songs.

[15] He felt it did not match the success Carey's previous single, "Fantasy" (which also recalled its melody from an older song), and criticized the inclusion of several over-the-top "keyboard and synth arrangements".

[15] Regarding Carey's voice, aside from describing it as "obscured", Therepio expressed his difficulty in understanding her lyrical phrases, claiming it was weakened from "no-everyone-can-understand-what-you're-saying'-itis".

[15] Gil Kaufman from MTV News noted the inclusion of "bouncing funky bass [and] rock guitars",[16] while Roger Caitlin of the Hartford Courant described how Carey was often reduced to "breathy background vocals" on "Loverboy".

Originally, Carey had sampled the melody and hook from the 1978 Yellow Magic Orchestra song "Firecracker", using an interpolation of it throughout the chorus and introduction.

[20] When the music publishers for "Firecracker" were questioned, they admitted Carey had licensed usage of the sample first, and Lopez's team had signed for it over one month later, under Mottola's arrangement.

[21] "Loverboy" was met with generally mixed reviews from music critics; many were not impressed with the incorporation of the sample and felt the song did not lead Carey into any newer ground or innovation.

[28] Harry Guerin from Raidió Teilifís Éireann outed the song as one of Carey's "finest moments" on Glitter and disagreed with criticism regarding the "overly-populated" musical background".

[18] An anonymous writer from The Guardian felt the song had "no decipherable tune", due to the inclusion of electronic musical instruments and background shouts and ad-libs.

It has a different introduction, the singing and spoken parts of Cameo are greatly reduced (and are not credited), and additional raps are included by Da Brat, Ludacris, Shawnna, and Twenty II.

[36] The Morning Call's Len Righi described the remix as "cloddish",[50] while Jim Abbott from the Orlando Sentinel felt the song's guests "upstaged" Carey.

[51] Two music videos, both directed by David LaChapelle, were shot for the song and its accompanying remix and premiered on Total Request Live on June 8, 2001.

The video begins with Cameo frontman Larry Blackmon driving all over a racetrack, while Carey, dressed in revealing clothing, is shown singing in various "car girl" positions at the track on a hot summer day.

The music video for "Loverboy" received generally negative reviews from critics, many of whom felt Carey was portrayed in an overtly sexual manner.

[31] Slant Magazine's Sal Cinquemani felt the video was "brilliantly over-the-top",[53] while an anonymous columnist from NME commented that it would cause male viewers to "play with themselves" after watching.