in developing new ideas and melodies. Carey expressed how the mixed emotions she felt at that point in her life helped develop the song, as she would "pour herself and emotions into anything she was writing at the time." In an interview with Fred Bronson, Carey expressed how a visit to Puerto Rico and the current emotions in her life inspired her to write "My All": I had gone to Puerto Rico and was influenced by Latin music at that moment. When I came back, the melody was in my head. It was at a melancholy point in my life and the song reflects the yearning that was going on inside of me. It was like being in a situation but you want to break free and you can't, so your confined yet you're releasing those emotion through the lyrics and the actual act of singing. Thats why think a lot of people felt very strongly about that song, because the emotion is clear when you listen to it. Carey began to infuse her personality into her work, something that showed throughout various tracks. During her stay, she was influenced by the Latin culture, and began harmonizing and singing the music she heard there. When she arrived back to New York, she already had the melody developed, and soon began working on the song in San Francisco with Afanasieff. In her 2020 memoir, The Meaning of Mariah Carey, Carey revealed how "My All" was also inspired by a secret romantic rendezvous she and baseball player Derek Jeter had during her time in Puerto Rico. Recording Carey and Afanasieff had worked together since her debut album in 1990. Together, they had written some of Carey's biggest hits at the time, including "Hero" and "One Sweet Day." "My All" would be the last time the two would collaborate, as he is absent from the writing credits in her follow-up album, Rainbow (1999). During the recording of the song, Carey and then-husband Tommy Mottola were in the midst of their divorce. Afanasieff, who had developed relationships with the two of them, was caught in the middle. He spoke of the difficulties he had recording "My All" with Carey, as their relationship had already strained during the divorce. Afanasieff had been employed by Mottola and Columbia Records, and had worked extensively with Carey in the studio. In an interview with Fred Bronson, Afanasieff spoke