Daydream received universal acclaim at the time of its release . Reviews applauded the little changes of style from previous Carey releases , some of whom adding that it is her best record , while others dismissed it as soulless and lacking of originality . AllMusic 's senior editor , Stephen Thomas Erlewine , awarded the album four and a half out of five stars . Erlewine called Daydream her " best record yet " and wrote , " Mariah Carey certainly know how to construct an album . Positioning herself directly between urban R & B with tracks like " Fantasy , " and the adult contemporary radio format with songs like " One Sweet Day , " a duet with Boyz II Men , Carey appeal to both audiences equally because of the sheer amount of craft and hard work she put into her albums . Daydream is her best record to date , featuring a consistently strong selection of songs and a remarkably impassioned performance by Carey . Daydream demonstrate that Carey continue to perfect her craft , and that she have earned her status as an R & B / pop diva . " In his review for the album , Ken Tucker from Entertainment Weekly called Daydream " her best record since her 1990 debut " , writing , " in fact , it 's easily the best collection Carey have put out since her self @-@ titled 1990 debut , the album Daydream most resembles in its emphasis on R & B grooves . " Tucker specifically complimented " One Sweet Day " , " Always Be My Baby " , " Forever " , and " Daydream Interlude " ( Fantasy Sweet Dub Mix ) , writing " One Sweet Day , her collaboration with Boyz II Men , radiate a breezy sexiness that Carey , for all the brazen hussiness of her public persona , rarely permit herself to reveal in song . I like the relaxed swing of " Always Be My Baby " , and the brisk waltz tempo of Forever . However , it 's on what many Carey fans will probably find the most throwaway cut , " Daydream Interlude ( Fantasy Sweet Dub Mix ) " , that the singer really define herself . At her best , as she is on this clipped , spunky track , Carey is a disco diva for the ' 90s , a worthy successor to trailblazing women like Donna Summer and Vicki Sue Robinson , R & B singers with an affinity for the endless groove . "