The album comprises ballads primarily written by Carey and Walter Afanasieff, with whom she had previously worked on Emotions (1991), and a few urban dance tracks.

Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds first began working with Carey on Music Box, where he helped produce "Never Forget You", as well as being part of the songwriting process.

The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) certified it Diamond, for shipments of ten million copies across the United States.

Music Box remains Carey's highest seller with 28 million copies sold worldwide and is one of the best-selling albums of all time.

Carey's self-titled debut studio album, released in 1990, focused on re-recording and mastering several songs she had already written in high school alongside classmate, Ben Margulies.

[5] Following the success of her debut, Columbia allowed her to take more control over her musical departure, enabling her to change her genre infusions, melodies and production.

[3] When Mariah Carey was released, critics took notice of its "overly produced" and "studio perfect" quality, whereas Emotions, in comparison, maintains a "raw, live sound.

[11] The album's first single "Dreamlover" was described as a "slight piece of pop fluff," representing a more commercial side to Carey than the "more ambitious" "Vision of Love".

"[12] "Anytime You Need a Friend" is another pop ballad in which Carey would, "let her voice roam free",[12] a feature critics felt lacked on the album.

"[12] Carey's vocals on the track are defined as "soft and controlled,"[12] managing to maintain the delicate balance in a manner that seems effortless, floating easily over the keyboard and the shimmer of the guitar.

[12] Lyrically, due to the song's message of "commitment and promise," and the "tinkling music-box line played on the synthesizer," the track gives the sensation of a wedding vow recital.

[17] Because Carey did not feel physically or emotionally ready for an extensive tour, six concerts were scheduled, each with many days in between, in order to give her voice time to rest.

[17] Aside from touring for the first time in her career, Carey visited various American and European television programs, performing different singles from the album.

[20] The song was certified Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), denoting shipments of one million copies, as well as receiving a Gold certification in Australia and New Zealand.

[21][22][23] The music video for "Dreamlover" featured "summer scenery", with scenes of Carey swimming in a pool by a waterfall, lying in a bed of sunflowers, as well as singing in front of hip-hop dancers.

[19] The song became Carey's first number-one single in Austria, Germany, Ireland, Sweden, Switzerland and the United Kingdom, propelling the sales of Music Box throughout the world.

[29] On August 31, 2023, Carey announced that she planned to release a three-disced deluxe edition of Music Box to promote its thirtieth anniversary.

[46] In Rolling Stone, Stephen Holden said the lyrics were "made up entirely of pop and soul clichés" on an album "so precisely calculated to be a blockbuster that its impact is ultimately a little unnerving".

[47] Christopher John Farley from Time called it "perfunctory and almost passionless" in spite of highlights in "Anytime You Need a Friend" and the title track.

[46] In Entertainment Weekly, David Browne found Carey's performance low on energy and her voice no longer soaring above the backup chorus.

"[34] Dennis Hunt was particularly critical in the Los Angeles Times, writing that Carey's pop-soul songs still lacked emotion even though she had "toned down her vocal showboating".

[35] Village Voice critic Robert Christgau labeled it a "dud", indicating "a bad record whose details rarely merit further thought".

[40] In a retrospective review for AllMusic, Ron Wynn deemed Music Box "partly successful" and believed it was smart of Carey to explore her vocal approach differently, but she ended up sounding "detached on several selections".

[48] Music Box entered the US Billboard 200 at number two, with 174,000 copies sold, becoming Carey's fourth consecutive top-ten album in the country.

[53] In the United States, Music Box became Carey's best-selling album at the time, being certified Diamond by the RIAA, denoting shipments of ten million copies.

The album also became a success in Canada, peaking at number two on the charts and being certified seven-times Platinum by the Canadian Recording Industry Association (CRIA).

Music Box became Carey's best-seller in Europe, topping the charts in Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Iceland, Ireland, the Netherlands, Portugal, Scotland, Switzerland and the United Kingdom.

[54][55] In the United Kingdom, Music Box remains Carey's highest seller, topping the UK Albums chart for six non-consecutive weeks and being certified quintuple platinum by the British Phonographic Industry.

[59] In Australia, the album spent 18 non-consecutive weeks at number one, and was certified 12-times platinum by the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA), denoting shipments of 840,000 copies.

[64] In Latin America, Music Box also enjoyed success, mostly due to the Spanish version of "Hero", titled "Héroe", which allowed the album to sell 500,000 copies in the region.