 Carey started writing songs for the album in early 2002 , before she signed the record deal . She decided to rest , traveled to Capri and moved into a recording studio where she could focus on writing and recording without distractions . Most of the album was recorded in Capri , although she traveled to Atlanta , New York and Philadelphia to record some tracks . That year , Carey claimed Charmbracelet to be the " most personal album " she had ever made . She worked with longtime collaborators Jermaine Dupri , Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis and Randy Jackson and other songwriters and producers 7 Aurelius , Just Blaze , <unk> and Dre & Vidal . The opening track and the first track to be written for the album , " Through the Rain " , was written by Carey and Lionel Cole , was inspired Carey 's recent experiences , and was co @-@ produced by Jam and Lewis . It was released as the lead single from the album . 
