Aside from its lyrics, 'Hero' derived its hook and sound from several musical instruments such as the guitar, piano, and organ. The song received mixed reviews from contemporary music critics for its lyrical content, while Carey's vocal performance was praised. Lyrically, the song is regarded as one of Carey's most inspirational and personal ballads, with its protagonist declaring that even though people may feel discouraged or down at times, in reality, they are 'heroes' if they look inside themselves and see their own inner strength in time, it will help them 'find the way'. However, after being convinced by Sony executive Tommy Mottola to keep it, she changed some of the lyrics to more precisely fit her personality. While writing the song, Carey did not connect to its style or sound, therefore forfeiting it over to the soundtrack of the film of the same name (1992). Originally intended for Gloria Estefan, the song was written and produced by Carey and Walter Afanasieff. ' Hero' is a song by American singer-songwriter, and record producer Mariah Carey released on October 19, 1993, via Columbia Records as the second single from her third studio album, Music Box (1993).
