Without You' The Carey, Mariah song 'HERO' is a four-letter word. It was released in 1993 as the second single from her third studio album, Music Box. The song is a power ballad that lyrically speaks of being strong and being one's own HERO. It was written and produced by Mariah and Walter Afanasieff, and was released to critical and commercial success. It became Mariah's eighth number-one single in the United States, and was also a top ten hit in several other countries.