It shows many scenes of Carey laying on a submerged vessel in a large body of water, while lamenting her lost lover.

Towards the video's climax, Carey and her love interest climb atop a lighthouse and caress each other under the night's sky.

In the United States, the song became Carey's thirteenth chart topper on the Billboard Hot 100, and was certified double-platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).

Throughout Europe, the song performed moderately, peaking at number four in the United Kingdom and in the top ten in Belgium (Wallonia), France, Spain and Switzerland.

In France, due to strong sales, the song was certified gold by the Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique (SNEP).

It was like being in a situation but you want to break free and you can't, so you're confined yet you're releasing those emotions through the lyrics and the actual act of singing.

[2] In an interview with Fred Bronson, Afanasieff spoke in depth of the personal problems he experienced with Carey in 1997: I needed to maintain a very strong relationship with Tommy [Mottola].

After she presented him with the melody she had developed in Puerto Rico, he began playing chords on the piano, while Carey sang the tune and directed him.

[2] In an interview with Fred Bronson, Afanasieff described the steps they took to record the song: I remember being in the back part of the studio, and we were sitting there late at night and writing.

"[4] The instrumentation and vocal arrangement used in the song was compared to Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds' productions, due to its "soft R&B coos and guitar melodies.

"[14] A reviewer from The Hartford Courant wrote that Carey's voice "flows like molasses, accompanied by a lead guitar in the sexy "My All".

"[15] Virginian Pilot described the song as Carey's trademark "lush pop ballad" that has been "tailor-made" for movie themes.

[20] The song debuted at number two on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart behind Next's "Too Close" with 21 million radio airplay audience impressions and sales of 122,000 units.

It stayed atop the Hot 100 for one week, and was certified double-platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), denoting shipments of over two million units.

[28] "My All" was certified silver by the Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique (SNEP), denoting shipments of 125,000 units throughout France.

[28] In the United Kingdom, "My All" debuted and peaked at number four on the UK Singles Chart on June 13, 1998, the highest new entry of the week.

Carey later mentioned on her website that she would no longer record Spanish versions of her songs until she could verify the correct lyrics and pronunciation.

The video for "My All" was shot entirely in black and white in Puerto Rico, and was directed by fashion photographer Herb Ritts.

[4] The video begins with Carey lying on an overturned vessel on a beach, staring into the night sky, lamenting her estranged lover.

As the scenes progress, Carey's love interest is seen atop a lighthouse in the middle of the ocean, searching for his lost companion.

After they share an intimate moment, Carey is shown walking back on the trail of white flowers, smiling and happy.

The scenes of Carey lying in the shell and in front of the flowers were inspired by Sandro Botticelli's painting The Birth of Venus.

[4] According to author Chris Nickson, the snippets of Carey on the overturned vessel showed her vulnerability without her loved one, truly highlighting the yearning emphasized in the song.

As the video reaches its climax, scenes of Carey singing in an outdoor garden are shown, while the others join her on the pool deck.

At the Blockbuster Entertainment Awards in 1998, Carey sang the original version of the song, featuring a full orchestra and live backup vocals.

For her Rainbow World Tour (2000) Carey performed the original version of the song, once again featuring the orchestra and live female background vocals.

[citation needed] 2 years later on December 7, 2002, Carey performed the original version of "My All" in front of a crowd of 50,000 people, at the closing ceremony concert of the Mexican Teletón, which took place in the country's Azteca Stadium.

[38] Since the Charmbracelet World Tour in 2004, Carey has not performed the full version of the original, substituting it for the dance remix after the second verse.

[citation needed] During the shows in the Adventures of Mimi tour, Carey donned a black bikini and matching cape, while featuring one male and two female background singers.

[citation needed] After completing the song, Carey was whisked away by a shirtless male dancer, and carried off the stage for a costume change, as the back-up continued into the dance version.