Marian Renta Delivers Soul in Powerful New Single 'Outside'

Cover art for "Outside" single. (Geminis/Crave Media)

As summer winds down and fall creeps in, we seek the warmth and comfort found in emotional ballads and earthy tones. In line with this motif, Marian Renta releases her new and buzz-worthy single "Outside" today. Covering the gospel-infused fan favorite "Outside" by Mariah Carey, Renta takes on the challenge of remaking a song that is not only 28 years old, but is universally accepted as Carey's most challenging work vocally, generally accepted as untouchable.

The beginning stages of Renta's "Outside" have roots in September of 2021, when she recorded a bare, stripped down demo version of her cover and uploaded it to Soundcloud. The raw and unprocessed vocals soar over a dry Wurlitzer piano, acting as a window into what this cover could become. Renta moved on, but after some time, Renta revisited the track and began conceptualizing what an official cover would consist of. Renta states:

"I've always wanted to remake "Outside" by Mariah but couldn't decide on what direction to take in its production. The only thing I knew was that the chords, melody and vocal arrangements were gonna remain unchanged. I'm not a fan of when an artist covers a song and changes melodies or structures that are fundamental to the song's depth. I've always been deeply in love with Mariah's original version for its gospel instrumentation like the organ, electric piano, and modulated synth for R&B effect. "Outside" sounds so similar to "(You Make Me Feel Like A) Natural Woman" by Aretha Franklin, and I know it's because of those chords. So, I came across some fine piano work by Rodrigo Sant'Anna, reached out, and the rest was history. I could've done the piano work for this track, but he plays so beautifully, and I couldn't resist the opportunity to breathe fresh life into a song that's 28 years old. A piano and vocal style really elevates the vocals and helps the vocal layering to really shine. That's what I think my version really contributes to this song."

Rodrigo Sant'Anna (Soundcloud)

Renta chose to work with pianist and producer Rodrigo Sant'Anna on the piano music, and after recording the vocals and mixing the tracks, Renta shared the unmastered version of the song to Soundcloud where it was praised for its fresh take on a cult status deep cut by Carey. Renta ultimately decided to fine-tune the mix and master the song for release.

Mariah Carey's album Butterfly (1997)

The first time Renta heard Carey's "Outside" was in 1997 when Carey released her album Butterfly. Renta was a fan of Carey's, and had purchased the CD of the album upon its release. The last track on Carey's 12-track album, "Outside" was initially overlooked by Renta until she read the song's lyrics in the CD insert. The lyrics' impact on Renta was profound, serving as her catalyst for writing and composing songs. Additionally, Renta found an uncanny relatability to the song's theme of being "without a sense of belonging to touch" and being "outside" of the place where everyone else is. During the time of Carey's release of the song, Renta was experiencing trouble and social alienation based largely on her ethnicity. Recalling this experience, Renta states:

I was growing up in southern Virginia where there were a lot of trailer parks to my left, housing projects to my right, and gorgeous suburban homes behind. As diverse as that sounds, it was incredibly black and white. I was the only Puerto Rican everywhere I went, no matter where I lived. I had an accent, tan skin, curly hair, and very crooked teeth. It was impossible to make friends, and I never fit in anywhere. At that time in the mid 90s, no one in those neighborhoods knew what Hispanic was, or what a Puerto Rican was, or how to identify me. There were White people, there were Black people, and that was it. I was outside of those groups, never having an actual tribe to belong to. I was teased often and called horrible names, racist names by both sides. I was called the N-word by one side, a 'beaner' by the other side, and even called "taco" even though I'm not Mexican. It was a lonely time and rough time.

The pool where Renta was assaulted, Dutch Village, Newport News.

Renta even experienced racially motivated assault at age 10 in an incident that occurred at a community swimming pool when she and her step-siblings were swimming. While Renta was horseplaying in the pool with other kids her age, an older Black teenage female who was also in the pool isolated Renta and attempted to drown her by forcefully holding her head under the water. The teen was interrupted only when the lifeguard noticed and pried her off of her.

This incident left Renta with a wound that would take years to heal, and one that would serve as a reminder of the dangers and ugliness that stem from racism. In Carey's memoir, The Meaning of Mariah Carey, Carey recounts a similarly traumatic experience in her pre-teen years at age 12, where wealthy white classmates invited her to a sleepover in the Hamptons but then trapped her and subjected her to racial abuse by calling her the N-word. This incident is one of many painful memories described in the book, which details her struggles with racism, neglect, family abuse, and her efforts to heal and rise above her difficult past.

Renta's version of "Outside" implements a timeless piano and vocal arrangement that provides an intimate and soulful recapturing of the days of old when singers leaned on a grand piano, closed their eyes, and sang their feelings into the stratosphere. Her version, however, stays true to the original vocal arrangements, serving up warm vocal layers and stacks of gospel-tinged harmonies, and delivering explosive climactic vocals drenched in gospel melisma and powerhouse range, effortlessly transitioning between whispery falsettos and eruptive belts. Renta performs her cover in the song's original key, and follows the song's original melody nearly identically.

"Outside" can be streamed and downloaded on all streaming platforms here, including Apple Music Spotify, and the song's lyric video can be viewed on Youtube here.