 For the album , Carey covered the 1982 Journey song " Open Arms . " The song was of Carey 's personal choice , as well as her own idea . Together with Afanasieff , they toned down the song 's arrangement , making it a bit glossy , especially in comparison to the " raw and powerful ' One Sweet Day . ' " Additionally , with the help of her background singers , Carey added a touch of gospel to the song . One of the more gospel @-@ influenced songs on the album was " I Am Free . " The song was created by Carey , Afanasieff and <unk> Holland , with whom she had worked previously on Merry Christmas . Carey began <unk> the melody with the lyrics she had already written , while Holland played the organ and Afanasieff worked on the song 's programming . , giving the song a genuine and <unk> gospel feel . The chorus was sophisticated and natural , with each following line " cascading onto one another , " something that would have proved difficult for a " less skilled vocalist . " Carey started leaning away from the " standard <unk> Dion ballad " and more towards R & B jams . However , she was not going to completely abandon the type of songs that made her famous . For this reason , Carey wrote " When I Saw You " with Afanasieff , a song that would truly embody some of her earlier work , as well as show off her powerful vocals . Returning to her R & B territory , Carey recorded " Long <unk> " , the second song she wrote alongside Dupri and Seal which contains a strong hip hop background . Her vocals in the song were described as " <unk> over the <unk> bassline like silk . " 
