Carey was born on March 27, 1969,[a] inHuntington, New York.[7][8] Her name is derived from the song "They Call the Wind Maria", originally from the 1951 Broadway musicalPaint Your Wagon.[9][10] She is the youngest of three children born to Patricia (née Hickey), a former opera singer and vocal coach of Irish descent, and Alfred Roy Carey, an aeronautical engineer of both African-American and Afro-Venezuelan lineage. The last name "Carey" was adopted by her Venezuelan grandfather, Roberto Núñez,[11] after he emigrated to New York.[12][8] Patricia's family disowned her for marrying a black man. Racial tensions prevented the Carey family from integrating into their community. While they lived in Huntington, their neighbors poisoned the family dog and set fire to their car.[12] After her parents' divorce, Carey had little contact with her father and spent much of her time at home alone and began singing at age three, often imitating her mother's take onVerdi's operaRigoletto in Italian. Her older sister Alison moved in with their father while Mariah and her elder brother Morgan lived with their mother.[13][14]
During her years in elementary school, Carey excelled inthe arts, such asmusic andliterature. She began writingpoetry andlyrics while attendingHarborfields High School inGreenlawn, New York,[15] where she graduated in 1987.[16] Carey began vocal training under her mother's guidance. Though she was a classically trained opera singer, Patricia Carey never pressured her daughter to pursue a career in classical opera, with Mariah Carey stating that "I respect opera like crazy, but it didn't influence me."[15][17] In high school, Mariah Carey was often absent because of her work as ademo singer.[17] Working in the Long Island music scene gave her opportunities to work with musicians such asGavin Christopher andBen Margulies, with whom she co-wrote material for her demo tape. After moving to New York City, she worked part-time jobs to pay the rent and completed 500 hours ofbeauty school.[18] Carey moved into a one-bedroom apartment in Manhattan with four female students as roommates.[19] She landed a gig singing backup forfreestyle singerBrenda K. Starr.[20][21]
In December 1988, Carey accompanied Starr to a music executive's party and handed her demo tape to the head ofColumbia Records,Tommy Mottola.[22][23] After listening to the tape during the ride home, he immediately requested the driver turn around. She had already left the event, and Mottola spent two weeks looking for her. Another record label expressed interest and a bidding war ensued. He signed Carey to Columbia and enlisted producersRic Wake,Narada Michael Walden, andRhett Lawrence for her first album.[22]
Carey co-wrote, co-produced, and recorded her second studio effort,Emotions, during 1991.[32][33] She described it as a homage toMotownsoul music and employed the help ofWalter Afanasieff, who only had a small role on her debut, as well asRobert Clivillés andDavid Cole, from thedance groupC+C Music Factory.[34] Carey's relationship with Margulies deteriorated over a songwriting royalties dispute. After he filed a lawsuit against Columbia's parent company,Sony Music Entertainment, the songwriting duo parted ways.[33]Emotions was released on September 17 that year. Itstitle track served as the album's lead single and became Carey's fifth chart topper on theBillboard Hot 100, making her the first artist whose first five singles reached the chart's summit.[35] Though critics praised the album's content and described it as a more mature effort, the album was criticized as calculated and lacking originality.[36] While the album managed sales of eight million copies globally,Emotions failed to reach the commercial and critical heights of its predecessor.[37]
Carey did not embark on a world tour to promote the album.[38] Although she attributed this tostage fright and the vocally challenging nature of her material, speculation grew that Carey was a "studio worm" and incapable of producing the perfect pitch and five-octavevocal range for which she was known.[39][40] In hopes of ending any speculation of her being a manufactured artist, Carey booked an appearance onMTV Unplugged.[41] Days prior to the show's taping, Carey and Afanasieff chose to add a cover ofthe Jackson 5's 1970 song "I'll Be There" to the set-list. On March 16, 1992, she played and recorded an intimate seven-song show atKaufman Astoria Studios in Queens, New York.[42] The acclaimedrevue was aired more than three times as often as the average episode,[43] and critics heralding it as a "vocal Tour de force".[44] Carey's live version of "I'll Be There" became her sixth number-one single on theBillboard Hot 100 chart. Sony capitalized on this success and released anextended play (EP) ofher performance. It earned a triple-Platinum certification by theRecording Industry Association of America (RIAA)[45] and earned Gold and Platinum certifications in several European markets.[46]
1993–1996:Music Box,Merry Christmas andDaydream
Following years of dating,[47] Carey and Mottola got married on June 5, 1993.[48] AfterEmotions failed to achieve the commercial heights of her debut album, Carey's subsequent release was to be marketed asadult contemporary and pop-friendly.Music Box was produced by Carey and Afanasieff, and it began a songwriting partnership that would extend until 1997'sButterfly.[49] The album was released on August 31, 1993, to mixed reviews from music critics. Carey's songwriting was derided as clichéd and her vocal performances were described as less emotive and lazier in their delivery. In his review of the album,AllMusic's Ron Wynn concluded: "sometimes excessive spirit is preferable to an absence of passion".[50] In promotion of the album, Carey embarked on her debut tour, a six-date concert series, theMusic Box Tour.[51]Music Box's first and second singles, "Dreamlover" and "Hero", became Carey's seventh and eighth chart-toppers in the United States, whileher cover ofBadfinger's "Without You" became her first number-one single in Germany,[52] Sweden[53] and the United Kingdom.[54]Music Box remains Carey's best-seller and one of thebest-selling albums, with worldwide sales of over 28 million copies.[31]
Carey's fifth studio album,Daydream, found her consolidating creative control over her career, leading to tensions with Columbia.[61] Songs from her prior two albums had been primarily shaped by Mottola's conceptualization of what Carey should sound like, as innocent and wholesome tracks dominated by her vocal performance.[62]Daydream featured a departure from her allegiance to pop and gravitated heavily towardsR&B andhip hop.[61] Critically, the album was described as Carey's best to date.The New York Times named it one of 1995's best albums and wrote it "brings R&B candy-making to a new peak of textural refinement ... Carey's songwriting has taken a leap forward and become more relaxed, sexier and less reliant on thudding clichés."[63] Its lead single, "Fantasy", became the first single by a female artist to debut at number one on theBillboard Hot 100,[64] and the second song overall afterMichael Jackson's "You Are Not Alone".[65] "One Sweet Day", a collaboration with R&B groupBoyz II Men, served as the second single fromDaydream and remained atop theBillboard Hot 100 for a record-breaking 16 consecutive weeks, becoming thelongest-running number-one song in the history of the charts at the time.[66] It also opened at the top spot, becoming Carey's second track to do so.[65] The album's third single, "Always Be My Baby", became Carey's eleventh chart-topper, tying her with Madonna and Whitney Houston for the most number-one singles among female artists at the time.
Daydream became Carey's biggest-selling album in the United States,[67] and her second album to be certified Diamond by the RIAA, afterMusic Box.[45] The album continued Carey's dominance in Asian music markets and sold in excess of 2.2 million copies in Japan alone and over 20 million copies globally.[68][69]Daydream and its singles were nominated in six categories at the38th Grammy Awards.[70] Though considered a favorite to win the top awards of the evening, Carey was shut out, prompting her to comment "What can you do? I will never be disappointed again."[71] In early 1996, she embarked on her first international string of concerts, theDaydream World Tour. Its seven dates spanned three in Japan and four throughout Europe.[72]Forbes named Carey thetop-earning female musician of 1996, collecting an estimated $32 million.[73]
During the recording ofDaydream, Carey also worked on the alternative rock albumSomeone's Ugly Daughter by the band Chick, contributing writing, production, vocals and art direction. It was released during September 1995. As Columbia Records refused to release the album with her lead vocals, Carey's friend Clarissa Dane was brought in to become the face of Chick, and her vocals were layered on top of Carey's, masking her voice.[74] Her contributions were secret until the release of her 2020 memoirThe Meaning of Mariah Carey.[75]
1997–2000: New image withButterfly andRainbow
Carey's subsequent musical releases followed the trend that began withDaydream. Her music began relying less on pop and adult contemporary-tinged balladry and instead incorporating heavy elements of hip hop and R&B. OnButterfly, she collaborated with a bevy of producers other than Afanasieff, such asSean Combs,Q-Tip andMissy Elliott.[76]Butterfly was released on September 10, 1997,[77] and introduced a more subdued style of singing, with critics noting Carey's incorporation ofbreathy vocals.[78] Some viewed her lack of propensity to use her upper range as a sign of maturity,[79] while others questioned whether it forebode waning vocal prowess.[80][81] The music video for the album's lead single, "Honey", her first since separating from Mottola, introduced a more overtly sexual image.[82]Butterfly became Carey's best-reviewed album, with attention placed on the album's exploration of more mature lyrical themes. In their review of the album,Rolling Stone wrote it was "not as if Carey has totally dispensed with her old saccharine, Houston-style balladry ... but the predominant mood ofButterfly is one of coolly erotic reverie."[83] AllMusic editorStephen Thomas Erlewine described Carey's vocals as "sultrier and more controlled than ever," and felt the album "illustrates that Carey continues to improve and refine her music, which makes her a rarity among her '90s peers.'"[84] "Honey" and "My All", the album's fifth single, both topped the Hot 100, making Carey a female artist with the most number-one singles in the chart's history. Though a commercial success,Butterfly failed to reach the commercial heights of her previous albums,Music Box andDaydream.[85]
After concluding herButterfly World Tour, Carey participated in theVH1 Divasbenefit concert on April 14, 1998, where she sang alongsideAretha Franklin,Celine Dion,Shania Twain,Gloria Estefan, andCarole King.[86] Carey began conceptualizing a film projectAll That Glitters, later re-titled to simplyGlitter (2001),[87] and wrote songs for other projects, such asMen in Black (1997) andHow the Grinch Stole Christmas (2000). AfterGlitter fell intodevelopmental hell, Carey postponed the project and began writing material for a new album.[88]Sony Music executives insisted she prepare a greatest hits collection in time for the holiday season.[89] The album, titled#1's (1998), featured a cover of Brenda K. Starr's "I Still Believe" and a duet with Whitney Houston, "When You Believe", which was included on the soundtrack forThe Prince of Egypt (1998).[90]#1's became a phenomenon in Japan, selling over one million copies in its opening week, making Carey the only international artist to accomplish this feat. It sold over 3.25 million copies in Japan in its first three months and holds the record as thebest-selling album by a non-Asian artist.[91]
With only one album left to fulfill her contract with Sony, and with a desire to separate herself professionally from the record label her ex-husband still headed, Carey completed the album in three months in mid-1999.[48] TitledRainbow, the album found Carey exploring with producers whom she had not worked with before.Rainbow became Carey's first album to not feature a collaboration with her longtime writing partner, Walter Afanasieff. She instead chose to work withDavid Foster andDiane Warren. "Heartbreaker" and "Thank God I Found You" both topped theBillboard Hot 100, whileher rendition ofPhil Collins' "Against All Odds (Take a Look at Me Now)" with Irish boy bandWestlife became her second number-one song on the UK charts.Rainbow was released on November 2, 1999, to the highest first-week sales of her career at the time, and debuted at number two on theBillboard 200.[92]
Carey's tense relationship with Columbia grew increasingly fractious; she began posting messages on her website, sharing inside information with fans on the dispute, as well as instructing them to request "Can't Take That Away (Mariah's Theme)" on radio stations.[93] Ultimately, the song was only given a very limited and low-promotion release.[94] Critical reception ofRainbow was generally positive, with the general consensus finding: "what began onButterfly as a departure ends up onRainbow a progression – perhaps the first compelling proof of Carey's true colors as an artist."[95] Though a commercial success,Rainbow became Carey's lowest selling album at that point in her career.[96]
2001–2004: Personal and professional setbacks,Glitter andCharmbracelet
In July 2001, Carey suffered a physical and emotional breakdown. She began posting disturbing messages on her website and behaved erratically in live promotional outings.[101] On July 19, Carey made a surprise appearance on theMTV programTotal Request Live (TRL). As the show's hostCarson Daly began taping following a commercial break, she came out pushing an ice cream cart while wearing a large men's shirt and began astriptease that revealed a tight ensemble.[102] She credited exhaustion for the appearance going awry.[103] Days later, Carey posted irregular voice notes on her website.[102] On July 26, she was hospitalized due to exhaustion and a "physical and emotional breakdown". Carey was admitted to a hospital in Connecticut and remained under doctor's care for two weeks, followed by an extended absence from the public.[104] Virgin Records and20th Century Fox delayed the release ofGlitter and its soundtrack.[105][106] Critics pannedGlitter and its soundtrack; both were unsuccessful commercially.[107] The soundtrack became Carey's lowest-selling album to that point. TheSt. Louis Post-Dispatch condemned it as "an absolute mess that'll go down as an annoying blemish on [her] career".[108] She attributed the poor performance to her state of mind, its postponement and the soundtrack having been released onSeptember 11.[109]
Carey's record deal with Virgin Records was bought out for $28 million.[98][99] Carey described her time at Virgin "a complete and total stress-fest."[110] She signed a contract withIsland Records, valued at more than $24 million,[111] and launched the record labelMonarC. Carey's father, Alfred Roy, with whom she had had little contact since childhood, died of cancer that year.[112] Her song "Sunflowers for Alfred Roy" fromCharmbracelet is dedicated to his memory.[113] In 2002, she was cast in the independent filmWiseGirls alongsideMira Sorvino andMelora Walters, who co-starred as waitresses at a mobster-operated restaurant. It premiered at theSundance Film Festival, and received negative reviews, though Carey's performance was praised. Roger Friedman ofFox News described her as "aThelma Ritter for the new millennium", and wrote, "Her line delivery is sharp and she manages to get the right laughs."[114]
In December 2002, Carey released her ninth studio album,Charmbracelet, which she said marked "a new lease on life" for her.[115] Sales ofCharmbracelet were moderate and the quality of Carey's vocals came under criticism. Joan Anderson fromThe Boston Globe declared the album "the worst of her career, and revealed a voice [that is] no longer capable of either gravity-defying gymnastics or soft coos",[116] while AllMusic editor Stephen Thomas Erlewine wrote, "Mariah's voice is shot, sounding in tatters throughout the record. She can no longer coo or softly croon nor can she perform her trademark gravity-defying vocal runs."[117] To support the album, Carey embarked on theCharmbracelet World Tour, spanning North America and East Asia over three months.[118] While smaller venues were booked throughout the tour's stateside leg, Carey performed in stadiums in Asia and Europe.[119] In the United Kingdom, it was her first tour to feature shows outside London.[120] The tour garnered generally positive reviews, with many praising the production and Carey's vocals.[121] In 2003, Carey featured onBusta Rhymes' "I Know What You Want".
2005–2007: Resurgence withThe Emancipation of Mimi
Carey's tenth studio album,The Emancipation of Mimi in 2005, was produced withthe Neptunes,Kanye West and Carey's longtime collaborator,Jermaine Dupri. She described the album as "very much like a party record."[122]The Emancipation of Mimi topped the charts in the United States, becoming her fifth number-one album and first sinceButterfly (1997), and was warmly accepted by critics. Caroline Sullivan ofThe Guardian defined it as "cool, focused and urban [... some of] the first Mariah Carey tunes in years which I wouldn't have to be paid to listen to again,"[123] whileUSA Today's Elysa Gardner wrote, "The [songs] truly reflect the renewed confidence of a songbird who has taken her shots and kept on flying."[124] The album's second single, "We Belong Together", became a "career re-defining"[125] song for Carey, after a relatively unsuccessful period and a point when many critics had considered her career over.[126]
Music critics heralded "We Belong Together" as her "return to form," as well as the "return of The Voice,"[127] while many felt it would revive "faith" in Carey's potential as aballadeer.[122] "We Belong Together" broke several records in the United States and became Carey's sixteenth chart topper on theBillboard Hot 100. After staying at number one for fourteen non-consecutive weeks, the song became thesecond-longest-running number one song in US chart history, behind Carey's "One Sweet Day".[128]Billboard listed it as the "song of the decade" and the ninth most popular song of all time.[129] The song broke several airplay records, and according to Nielsen BDS, and gathered both the largest one-day and one-week audiences in history.[130]
During the week of September 25, 2005, Carey set another record, becoming the first woman to occupy the first two spots atop the Hot 100, as "We Belong Together" remained at number one, and her next single, "Shake It Off", moved into the number two spot (Ashanti had topped the chart in 2002 while being a featured singer on the number two single).[128] On the USBillboard Hot 100 Year-end Chart of 2005, "We Belong Together" was declared the number one song, a first for Carey.[131] The album was re-released asThe Ultra Platinum Edition, from which "Don't Forget About Us" became her seventeenth number-one in the United States.[132][133]
The Emancipation of Mimi earned tenGrammy Award nominations: eight in 2006 for the original release, the most received by Carey in a single year, and two in 2007 for theUltra Platinum Edition. Carey wonBest Contemporary R&B Album forThe Emancipation of Mimi andBest Female R&B Vocal Performance andBest R&B Song for "We Belong Together".[134]The Emancipation of Mimi was 2005's best-selling album in the United States, with nearly five million units sold. It was the first album by a solo female artist to become the year's best-selling album within the country sinceAlanis Morissette'sJagged Little Pill in 1996.[135] At the end of 2005, theInternational Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI) reported thatThe Emancipation of Mimi had sold more than 7.7 million copies globally, and was the second-best-selling album of the year afterColdplay'sX&Y.[136][137][138] It has since sold 12 million copies worldwide.[139] In support of the album, Carey embarked on her first headlining tour in three years, namedThe Adventures of Mimi after a "Carey-centric fan's" music diary.[140] The tour spanned 40 dates, with 32 in the United States and Canada, two in Africa, and six in Japan.[141] It received warm reception from music critics and concert goers, many of which lauded Carey's vocals.[142][143]
2008–2009:E=MC²,Memoirs of an Imperfect Angel, andPrecious
In early 2007, Carey began to work on her eleventh studio album,E=MC². Although the album was well received by some critics,[144][145] others criticized it for being very similar to the formula used onThe Emancipation of Mimi.[146] Two weeks before the album's release, "Touch My Body", the record's lead single, reached the top position on theBillboard Hot 100, becoming Carey's eighteenth number one and making her the solo artist with themost number one singles in United States history, pushing her pastElvis Presley into second place according to the magazine's revised methodology.[147] Additionally, it gave Carey her 79th week atop the Hot 100, tying her with Presley as the artist with themost weeks at number one in theBillboard chart history."[148]
E=MC² debuted at number one on theBillboard 200 with 463,000 copies sold, the biggest opening week sales of her career.[149] In 2008, Carey also played one of the lead roles inTennessee.[150] Since the album's release, Carey had planned to embark on an extensive tour in support ofE=MC².[151] However, the tour was suddenly cancelled in early December 2008.[152] Carey later stated that she had been pregnant during that time period and suffered a miscarriage, prompting the tour's cancellation.[153][154] On January 20, 2009, Carey performed "Hero" at theNeighborhood Inaugural Ball afterBarack Obama was sworn as the first African-American president of the United States.[155] On July 7, 2009, Carey—alongsideTrey Lorenz—performed her version of "I'll Be There" at the memorial service forMichael Jackson.[156]
In 2009, she appeared as asocial worker inPrecious, the movie adaptation of the 1996 novelPush bySapphire. The film garnered mostly positive reviews from critics, also for Carey's performance.[157]Variety described her acting as "pitch-perfect".[158] In January 2010, Carey won the Breakthrough Actress Performance Award for her role inPrecious at thePalm Springs International Film Festival.[159]
On September 25, 2009, Carey's twelfth studio album,Memoirs of an Imperfect Angel, was released. Reception for the album was mostly mixed; Stephen Thomas Erlewine of AllMusic called it "her most interesting album in a decade,"[160] while Jon Caramanica fromThe New York Times criticized Carey's vocal performances, complaining she overused softer vocal registers at the expense of her more powerful lower and upper registers.[161] Commercially, the album debuted at number three on theBillboard 200 with first week sales of 168,000 copies.[162] "Obsessed" served as the lead single and peaked at number seven in the US, becoming Carey's 27th top-ten entry within the nation and tying her withElton John andJanet Jackson for having the fifth most top-tens.[163] Its follow-up single, a cover ofForeigner's "I Want to Know What Love Is", broke airplay records in Brazil. The song spent 27 weeks atop theBrasil Hot 100, making it the longest running number-one song in the chart's history.[164]
On December 31, 2009, Carey embarked on her seventh concert tour,Angels Advocate Tour, which visited the United States and Canada and ended on September 26, 2010.[165][166] A plannedremix album ofMemoirs of an Imperfect Angel, titledAngels Advocate, was slated for a March 30, 2010, release but was eventually cancelled after Island Def Jam decided to instead distribute "Up Out My Face" with Nicki Minaj and "Angels Cry" with Ne-Yo as stand-alone releases.[167]
2010–2014:Merry Christmas II You andMe. I Am Mariah... The Elusive Chanteuse
Following the cancellation ofAngels Advocate, it was announced that Carey would return to the studio to start work on her thirteenth studio album.[168] It was later revealed that it would be her second Christmas album, and follow-up toMerry Christmas.[57] The release date for the album, titledMerry Christmas II You, was November 2, 2010.[169]Merry Christmas II You debuted at number four on theBillboard 200 and number one on theR&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart, making it only the second Christmas album to top this chart.[170] In February 2011, she recorded a duet withTony Bennett for hisDuets II album, titled "When Do The Bells Ring For Me?",[171] and re-recorded "All I Want for Christmas Is You" withJustin Bieber as a duet for his Christmas album,Under the Mistletoe.[172][173] In November that year, Carey was included in the remix to the mixtape single "Warning" byUncle Murda; the remix also features50 Cent andYoung Jeezy.[174] Later that month, Carey released a duet withJohn Legend titled "When Christmas Comes", originally part ofMerry Christmas II You.[175]
On March 1, 2012, Carey performed at New York City's Gotham Hall; her first time performing since her pregnancy.[176][177] She also performed a three-song set at a special fundraiser for US President Barack Obama held in New York's Plaza Hotel. A new song titled "Bring It On Home", which Carey wrote for the event to show her support for Obama's re-election campaign, was also performed.[178] In August 2012, she released a stand-alone single, "Triumphant (Get 'Em)", featuring rappersRick Ross andMeek Mill.[179] Carey joined the judging panel of thetwelfth season ofAmerican Idol.[180][181] In 2013, Carey appeared inLee Daniels' filmThe Butler[182] and had a guest role voicing as aredneck character on the adult animated seriesAmerican Dad!.[183]
2015–2017: #1 to Infinity, television and film projects
On January 30, 2015, it was announced that Carey had leftUniversal Music Group's Def Jam Recordings to reunite with L.A. Reid and Sony Music viaEpic Records.[191][192][193] Carey also announced her new#1 to Infinity residency atThe Colosseum at Caesars Palace inLas Vegas the same month.[194] To coincide with the residency, Carey released#1 to Infinity, agreatest hitscompilation album containing all of her eighteenBillboard Hot 100 number one singles at the time, along with a new recording, "Infinity", which was released as a single on April 27.[195] In 2015 Carey made herdirectorial debut in theHallmark Channel Christmas filmA Christmas Melody, in which she also performed as one of the main characters.[196] She also hosted a live special with the same network,Mariah Carey's Merriest Christmas, following the premiere for the film.[197] In December 2015, Carey announcedThe Sweet Sweet Fantasy Tour which spanned a total of 27-dates beginning in March 2016, marking Carey's first major tour of mainland Europe in 13 years. Four stops included shows in South Africa.[198] The tour grossed $30.3 million.[199]
On March 15, 2016, Carey announced that she was filmingMariah's World, adocu-series for theE! network documenting her Sweet Sweet Fantasy tour and her wedding planning process. Carey toldThe New York Times, "I thought it would be a good opportunity to kind of, like, show my personality and who I am, even though I feel like my real fans have an idea of who I am... A lot of people have misperceptions about this and that."[200] The series premiered on December 4, 2016.[201] Carey guest starred on the musical dramaEmpire and sang the song "Infamous" featuringJussie Smollett.[202] On December 5, 2016, Carey participated in theVH1 Divas Holiday: Unsilent Night benefit concert, alongsideVanessa Williams,Chaka Khan,Patti LaBelle, andTeyana Taylor.[203] On December 31, 2016, Carey's performance onDick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve inTimes Square received worldwide attention after technical difficulties caused herin-ear monitors to malfunction, resulting in whatThe New York Times referred to as a "performance train wreck".[204] She said her inability to hear the music without in-ear auditory feedback caused the mishap.[205] Carey's representatives andDick Clark Productions placed blame on each other.[206]
On February 3, 2017, Carey released the single "I Don't" featuringYG.[207] Later that month, she voiced the Mayor of Gotham City in the animated filmThe Lego Batman Movie.[208] In July 2017, Carey made a cameo in the comedy filmGirls Trip[209] and embarked on a tour with Lionel Richie, titled,All the Hits Tour.[210] She was also featured in the official remix forFrench Montana's single "Unforgettable", alongsideSwae Lee.[211] In October 2017, Carey released a new soundtrack single, "The Star", for themovie of the same name.[212] She also voiced a hen named Rebecca in the film.[213] The song was nominated for theBest Original Song at the75th Golden Globe Awards.[214] Carey additionally developed an animated Christmas film,Mariah Carey's All I Want For Christmas Is You, for which she recorded an original song called "Lil' Snowman". The film was releaseddirect-to-video on November 14, 2017.[215][216] On December 31, 2017, Carey returned to perform onDick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve after the technical difficulties that hindered her previous performance, in whatThe New York Times described as a "made-for-television act of pop culture redemption".[217]
2018–2024:Caution,The Meaning of Mariah Carey, and anniversary album reissues
In July 2018, Carey embarked on a new Las Vegas residency,the Butterfly Returns, which received critical acclaim.[218][219] Following the residency, she embarked on herMariah Carey: Live in Concert tour in Asia and returned to Europe with her All I Want for Christmas Is You concert series.[220][221] In September 2018, Carey announced plans to release her fifteenth studio album later in the year.[222][223] The project was announced alongside the release of a new song titled "GTFO".[224] The album's lead single, "With You", was released in October and it became Carey's highest-charting non-holiday song on the USAdult Contemporary chart since "We Belong Together" in 2005. The album, titledCaution, was released on November 16, 2018, and received universal acclaim from critics.[225] By December 2018, the album had been featured on numerous year-end lists by music critics and publications.[226]
In February 2019, Carey commenced theCaution World Tour in support of the album.[227] On September 18, 2019, she released "In the Mix", the theme song for theABC sitcomMixed-ish.[228] On November 1, 2019, Carey re-released her holiday albumMerry Christmas for its 25th anniversary.[229] In December, a mini-documentary titledMariah Carey Is Christmas!, charting the creation and subsequent cultural legacy of "All I Want for Christmas Is You", premiered on Amazon Music.[230] Peaking at number one on theBillboard Hot 100 the same year, the song became Carey's nineteenth chart-topper in the US.[231]
Carey celebrated the 30th anniversary of her debut album through 2020, in a promotional campaign billed "#MC30".[232] A live EP,The Live Debut – 1990, was released on July 17, 2020.[233] Her memoir,The Meaning of Mariah Carey which was co-written withMichaela Angela Davis, was published in September of the same year.[234] The memoir reached number one onThe New York Times Best Seller list after its first week of release.[235] On October 2, 2020, Carey released a compilation album titledThe Rarities, which includes rare and unreleased songs that Carey recorded at various stages of her career.[236] At the end of October, Carey was featured onBusta Rhymes' single "Where I Belong".[237] Carey's 2020Christmas special,Mariah Carey's Magical Christmas Special, premiered on December 4, 2020, onApple TV+ along with a soundtrack. A new version of Carey's 2010 song "Oh Santa!", featuringAriana Grande andJennifer Hudson, was released as a single the same day.[238] "All I Want for Christmas Is You" topped the UK chart for the first time that month, becoming her third number one in the nation,[239] with an unprecedented 69 weeks in its top 40 before reaching the summit.[240]
In February 2023, the 2009 track "It's a Wrap" experienced a revival onTikTok, prompting Carey to release an EP for the song.[249] On September 8, 2023, she released a deluxe version ofMusic Box in celebration of the album's thirtieth anniversary.[250] Carey embarked on her 16-date concert tour,Merry Christmas One and All!, which ran from November 15 to December 17, 2023, in the United States.[251] The tour grossed approximately $30 million and sold more than 200,000 tickets.[252] In 2024, Carey appeared on the remixes of Ariana Grande's "Yes, And?"[253] andMuni Long's "Made for Me".[254][255] On April 12, she began a new residency at theDolby Live inLas Vegas titledThe Celebration of Mimi.[256][257] In June, Carey released an expanded edition ofRainbow to coincide with its twenty-fifth anniversary.[258] On November 6, 2024, she embarked onMariah Carey's Christmas Time tour, concluding after 18 shows on December 17.[259][260] A thirtieth anniversary edition ofMerry Christmas was also released.[261]
In May 2025, Carey released a twentieth anniversary edition ofThe Emancipation of Mimi.[262] On June 27, she was featured onBarbra Streisand's albumThe Secret of Life: Partners, Volume Two alongside Streisand and Grande on a song titled "One Heart, One Voice".[263]
During Carey's career, her vocal and musical style, along with her level of success, has been compared to Whitney Houston, whom she has also cited as an influence.[277] Carey and her peers, according to Garry Mulholland, are "the princesses of wails... virtuoso vocalists who blend chart-oriented pop with matureMORtorch song." Author and writer Lucy O'Brien attributed the comeback ofBarbra Streisand's "old-fashioned showgirl" to Carey and Celine Dion, and described them and Houston as "groomed, airbrushed and overblown to perfection". Carey's musical transition and use of more revealing clothing during the late 1990s were, in part, initiated to distance herself from this image, and she subsequently said that most of her early work was "schmaltzy MOR".[278] Some have noted that unlike Houston and Dion, Carey writes and produces her own music.[279]
Musical style
Carey gained public perception as a balladeer with her first few releases.[280] Jim Faber of theNew York Daily News stated that "For Carey, vocalizing is all about the performance, not the emotions that inspired it. Singing, to her, represents a physical challenge, not an emotional unburdening."[281] While reviewingMusic Box, Stephen Holden fromRolling Stone commented that Carey sang with "sustained passion," while Arion Berger ofEntertainment Weekly wrote that during some vocal moments, Carey becomes "too overwhelmed to put her passion into words".[282] In 2001,The Village Voice wrote that "Carey'sStrawberry Shortcake soul still provides the template with whichteen-pop cuties draw curlicues around those centerless[Diane] Warren ballads."[283] Following her divorce with Tommy Mottola, Carey broke free of adult contemporary arrangements in favor of what Alex Macpherson ofThe Guardian described as "a lovingly crafted, hip-hop-inflected quiet storm".[284] Carey often records her layered background vocals, which have been described as "a swooning bank of a hundred Mariahs".[144] The singer has said that "it's because I started out as a backup singer and doing sessions as a background vocalist learning from some of the greatest background vocalists, and also people likeLuther Vandross. Growing up, I admired his texture in and of itself but also his use of background vocals".[285]
Carey's output makes use ofelectronic instruments such asdrum machines,[122]keyboards and synthesizers.[286] Many of her songs contain piano-driven melodies,[287] as she was given piano lessons at age six. Carey said that she cannot readsheet music and prefers to collaborate with a pianist when composing her material, but feels that it is easier to experiment with faster and less-conventionalmelodies andchord progressions using this technique.[13] Carey incorporates several ranges of production and instrumentation into her music, though she has maintained that her voice has always been her most important asset: "My voice is my instrument; it always has been."[85]
Carey began commissioning remixes of her material early in her career and helped to spearhead the practice of recording entirely new vocals for remixes.[288] Disc jockey David Morales has collaborated with Carey on several occasions, starting with "Dreamlover" (1993), which popularized the tradition of remixing R&B songs intohouse records, and whichSlant Magazine named one of the greatest dance songs.[289] From "Fantasy" (1995) onward, Carey enlisted both hip hop and house producers to re-structure her album compositions.[71]Entertainment Weekly included two remixes of "Fantasy" on a list of Carey's greatest recordings compiled in 2005: a National Dance Music Award-winning remix produced by Morales, and a Sean Combs production featuring rapperOl' Dirty Bastard.[290] The latter has been credited with popularizing the pop and hip hop collaboration trend that has continued into the 21st century.[288] Combs said that Carey "knows the importance of mixes, so you feel like you're with an artist who appreciates your work—an artist who wants to come up with something with you."[291]
Songwriting
Love is the subject of the majority of Carey's lyrics, although she has written about themes such as loss, sex, race, abuse and spirituality.[292][293] Andrew Chan of the University of Texas Press identifies "the purging of private emotions" as the main theme of Carey's ballads, though he believes several others aim to have an "all-purpose feeling" with mass appeal.[294] Carey has said that much of her work is partly autobiographical, butTime magazine's Christopher John Farley wrote: "If only Mariah Carey's music had the drama of her life. Her songs are often sugary and artificial—NutraSweet soul. But her life has passion and conflict," applying it to the first stages of her career. He commented that as her albums progressed, so too her songwriting and music blossomed into more mature and meaningful material.[295]
Carey's songwriting is noted for its "eccentric verbosity".[284][296][297] Jeffrey Ingold ofVice argues that her lyrics are "among the most verbose in pop music, filling her catalogue with words like "unyielding" ("Breakdown"), "emblazoned" ("My All") and "rhapsodise" ("Melt Away")".[292] Since the beginning of her career, Carey has repeatedly described herself as a songwriter and producer and emphasized the importance of being acknowledged for these roles.[298] Despite that, she has also admitted having to constantly remind people of her songwriting work, noting that "A lot of people see that whole other image. They see this diva; they see hair, makeup, body, and clothes… They don’t think songwriter."[292] Upon her induction into theSongwriters Hall of Fame, the institution named her "the all-time most successful female songwriter in chart history".[299]
Voice and timbre
Carey possesses a five-octave vocal range.[300][301][302] Regarding hertype of voice, several critics have described her as alyric coloratura soprano or just a soprano.[303][304]Jon Pareles ofThe New York Times described Carey's lower register as a "rich, husky alto" that extends to "dog-whistle high notes".[305] She once described herself as an alto singer.[306] Sasha Frere-Jones ofThe New Yorker adds hertimbre on "Vision of Love" possesses various colors, stating, "Carey's sound changes with nearly every line, mutating from a steely tone to a vibrating growl and then to a humid, breathy coo."[56] Chan believes that Carey moved through several "vocal personas" throughout her discography, like the "stentorian, full-throated belting of her first few albums; the fluid mix of chest and head voice deployed to masterful effect in the mid-1990s; and the delicate, foggy tones and manic cadences that predominated after the turn of the millennium".[307] In an analysis of Carey's voice forClassicFM, singerCatherine Bott claims that Carey'schest voice could go up "higher inpitch" compared to classical singers."[308]
Her sense of pitch is admired and Jon Pareles adds "she can linger over sensual turns, growl with playful confidence, syncopate like ascat singer... with startlingly exact pitch."[305] Carey claims that she has hadnodules on her vocal cords since childhood, enabling her to sing in a higher register than others. However, tiredness and sleep deprivation can affect them due to the nodules, and Carey explained that she went through a lot of practice as a child to maintain a balance during singing.[276][309] Carey is noted for her vocal improvisation skills.[310][311]
Towards the late 1990s, she began incorporating breathy vocals into her material.[312] Tim Levell fromBBC News described her vocals as "sultry close-to-the-mic breathiness,"[312] whileUSA Today's Elysa Gardner wrote "it's impossible to deny the impact her vocal style, a florid blend of breathy riffing and resonant belting, has had on today's young pop and R&B stars."[313] In an interview, Ron Givens ofEntertainment Weekly described it this way, "first, a rippling, soulful ooh comes rolling effortlessly from her throat: alto. Then, after a quick breath, she goes for the stratosphere, with a sound that nearly changes the barometric pressure in the room. In one brief swoop, she seems to squeal and roar at the same time."[314]
Alex Macpherson ofThe Guardian noted that Carey's voice onButterfly is "an instrument of texture rather than volume, with pillows of lavishly layered vocals and nuanced phrasing magnifying the emotional intensity of the songs."[284] Randy Jackson said that "It's in the tone, that buttery tone that she has with her voice that is unbelievably amazing and unbelievably identifiable."[315]
Despite being called a "show stopper" and "the 1990s pop phenomenon",[316] Carey suffered from stage fright in her early years in the music industry.[317] One of her earliest performances was atMTV Unplugged, which received positive reception as Carey silenced critics saying her vocals were studio-made.[318][319] Chan identifies theMilli Vanillilip syncing controversy as a potential contributor to the initial accusations.[298] Carey's "The Star-Spangled Banner" rendition at theSuper Bowl XXXVI was called "stunning" byBillboard.[320] She also performed "America the Beautiful" at the 1990 NBA Finals in whichRolling Stone writer, Brittany Spanos, stated the players were struck "with awe by the incredible talent of a burgeoning young star".[321] The singer received the only standing ovation of the night at the48th Annual Grammy Awards, after performing the medley of "We Belong Together and "Fly Like a Bird".[322] Although Carey's performance atDick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve 2017 was marred by technical issues, she returned to the stage a year later and, according toTime, "effectively redeemed herself".[323]
Carey is known for being very static during her live performances. Some reviewers credited her stage fright and lack of confidence as the reasoning,[324][325] while others pointed out that her performances focus on her vocals and the quality of her songs.[326] Her onstage hand gesticulations have usually been mimicked,[327] as the singer has a tendency for "using her hands to point, flutter and sweep through the air as she deftly crests each run".[328] When reviewing Carey's 2014 concert, Michael Lallo wrote that "If you're Mariah, you ... stroke your hair a lot. When a high note is on the horizon, you brace yourself by touching your ear and adopting a pained expression, provoking the crowd into losing its collective mind."[329]
Carey had been open about the fact that she had not been happy with some of her early music videos, and has subsequently been noted for self-directing and co-producing her subsequent videography.[330] The music video for "Fantasy" was the first that Carey directed entirely on her own,[331] and "Honey" pushed Carey further towards hip hop and R&B than before.[331] Its music video gained further attention, as Carey, for the first time in her career, was provocatively dressed, giving viewers a "taste of the freer Mariah."[331] In 2007, author Saul Austerlitz wrote Carey had been "marketed as a whitebread pop princess" in her earlier music videos, adding the plots, directorial styles, clothes, and auras from later videos like "Heartbreaker" were very different and she was displayed as an "R&B diva".[332]Billboard ranked Carey 73rd on its list of "The 100 Greatest Music Video Artists of All Time" in 2020, stating that "over three decades, [Carey] has gone from breezy girl next door, flaunting a denim collection as wide as her vocal range, to secret agent, runaway bride and even her own stalker in a collection of music videos that play like mini-dramas".[333] The music video for "The Roof" was ranked 18th onSlant Magazine's "100 Greatest Music Videos.[334] The music videos for "Honey" and "Heartbreaker" remain among themost expensive ever made, costing over $2 million.[335][336] In 2021, Carey was honoured at theAfrican American Film Critics Association with a Special Achievement Innovator Award for her "visual storytelling in her music videos and specials".[337]
Throughout her career, Carey has been called apop icon,[338][339][340] agay icon,[341] and afashion icon.[342]The Recording Academy, theGuinness World Records and music critics have dubbed Carey the "Songbird Supreme".[343][344][345] She has been labeled a "diva" for her stardom and persona.[346] Her diva persona has received heavy attention, gaining admiration from her fans.[347][348] Author Lily E. Hirsch argues that while Carey has displayed diva behavior during several incidents in her career, the media's association of the term with her is influenced by gender.[349] Carey's style has often been described as "eccentric" and "over the top".[350][351] Throughout her career, she has also been used in severalsocial mediamemes, gaining the "Queen ofShade" title fromElle.[352] Carey's reactions in various interviews have often gone viral, becoming the origin of various memes including "I don't know her".[353]
Carey's public image has undergone significant transformations, often receiving heavy media attention. Early in her career, Carey had a polished image, influenced by Mottola and his control over her career. After their separation, Carey took on a more provocative image in her career and has since been called asex symbol.[354][355] Her career has received heavy media attention, particularly during the rollout of her 2001 film,Glitter which became "tabloid legend".[356][357] Academic Shara Rambarran believes that Carey has matched the media's intense scrutiny and attention on her personal life through "her diva attitude, performance, identity, and music".[358]
Carey's enduring popularity as a musician has received extensive recognition and often praised for its longevity.[359][360] She has been credited for her role in breaking down racial barriers in popular culture and facilitating public discourse surroundingmultiracialism in the music industry.[361] Carey has also been credited for popularizing the use ofmelisma amongst her peers and the generation after her, and has often been considered one of the greatest vocalists in pop music.[362] Carey has influenced numerous artists and her music has also been recorded, performed or sampled by a variety of acts.[363][364][365][366] In a 2010 article forThe New York Times,David Browne wrote that in the early 1990s, "melisma overtook pop in a way it hadn't before. Mariah Carey's debut hit from 1990, 'Vision of Love', [set] the bar insanely high for notes stretched louder, longer and knottier than most pop fans had ever heard". He added that because of this, various artists have since "built their careers around melisma" includingChristina Aguilera,Jennifer Hudson andBeyoncé.[367]
"All I Want for Christmas Is You", as well as its parent albumMerry Christmas, have become such a ubiquitous part of widerpopular culture that Carey's name became synonymous with the season, and she has since been dubbed the "Queen of Christmas".[368] Multiple media sources have referred to Carey as a holiday icon.[369][370][371] The singer has often incorporated holiday-themed outfits during her Christmas shows and music videos.[369]
Declining offers to appear in commercials in the United States during her early career, Carey was not involved in brand marketing initiatives until 2006, when she participated in endorsements forIntelCentrino personal computers and launched a jewelry and accessories line for teenagers, Glamorized, in AmericanClaire's and Icing stores.[383] During this period, as part of a partnership withPepsi andMotorola, Carey recorded and promoted a series of exclusiveringtones, including "Time of Your Life".[384] She signed a licensing deal with the cosmetics companyElizabeth Arden, and in 2007, she released her own fragrance, "M".[385] The Elizabeth Arden deal has netted her $150 million.[386] For the fragrance, Carey won aBasenotes Fragrance Award for Best Celebrity Women's Fragrance as well as being nominated in three other categories.[387] She has released a series of fragrances with Elizabeth Arden, including Luscious Pink (2008) and Forever (2009).[388][389] On November 29, 2010, she debuted a collection onHSN, which included jewelry, shoes and fragrances.[390] In November 2011, Carey was announced as "brand ambassador" forJenny Craig, Inc. which included "participation in a new company initiative... public service announcements and community and education programs."[391] In 2018, Carey featured in an advertisement for Hostelworld with the tagline "Even Divas are Believers".[392]
On August 25, 2019, Carey signed a $12 million contract with the Walkers crisps brand as part of their Christmas campaign[393] and starred in a commercial for the company.[394] In December 2020, Carey launched a partnership with Virtual Dining Concepts andrestaurateur,Robert Earl, for a biscuit line titledMariah's Cookies.[395] In 2021, Carey announced the launch of a new line of alcohol calledBlack Irish, an homage to her Black, Venezuelan, and Irish heritage.[396] That same year, Carey also partnered withMcDonald's, promoting an entirely new limited time menu.[397] In 2022, Carey recorded nine video lessons forMasterClass titled "Mariah Carey Teaches the Voice as an Instrument", for which she re-recorded "The Roof (Back in Time)" alongsideBrandy.[398]
Philanthropy and activism
Carey is a philanthropist who has been involved with several charitable organizations. She became associated with theFresh Air Fund in the early 1990s, and co-founded a camp located inFishkill, New York, that enables inner-city youth to embrace the arts and introduces them to career opportunities.[399] The camp was calledCamp Mariah "for her generous support and dedication to Fresh Air children," and she received a Congressional Horizon Award for her youth-related charity work.[400] Carey has continued her direct involvement with Camp Mariah, and by 2019 the executive director of The Fresh Air Fund reported that "...the kids who have gone to Camp Mariah have higher graduation rates out of high school and college.[401] In 1999, Carey was presented with aCongressional Award for contributing "to expanding opportunities for all Americans through their own personal contributions, and [setting] exceptional examples for young people through their own successes in life.[402] In 2019, she was honored byVariety's Power of Women for her work with The Fresh Air Fund's Camp Mariah.[403]
Carey also donated royalties from her songs "Hero" and "One Sweet Day" to charities.[404] She has worked with theMake-A-Wish Foundation, and in November 2006 she was awarded the Foundation's Wish Idol for her "extraordinary generosity and her many wish granting achievements."[405][406] Carey has volunteered for thePolice Athletic League of New York City and contributed to theobstetrics department ofNew York Presbyterian Hospital Cornell Medical Center. A percentage of the sales ofMTV Unplugged was donated to various other charities.[407] In 2008, Carey was named Hunger Ambassador of theWorld Hunger Relief Movement.[408] In February 2010, the song, "100%", which was originally written and recorded for the film,Precious,[409] was used as one of the theme songs for the2010 Winter Olympics, with all money proceeds going toTeam USA.[410] In 2017, Carey was awarded withPETA's Angel for Animals Award for promoting animal adoption through her animated movieAll I Want for Christmas Is You.[411]
In 2008, Carey performed in a New Year's Eve concert for the family of Libyan dictatorMuammar Gaddafi. She later said she felt "horrible and embarrassed" to have taken part in the concert.[420] To make amends, in March 2011, Carey's representative Cindi Berger stated that royalties for the song "Save the Day", written for her fourteenth studio album, would be donated to charities that create awareness for human rights. Berger also said that Carey "has and continues to donate her time, money and countless hours of personal service to many organizations both here and abroad."[404] "Save the Day" remained unreleased until 2020.[236] In 2013, human rights activists criticized Carey for performing in a concert forAngola's "father-daughter kleptocracy" and accused her of accepting "dictator cash".[421]
Personal life
Carey with her twins in 2019
Carey stated in 2006: "I do believe that I have beenborn again in a lot of ways. I think what I've changed are my priorities and my relationships withGod. I feel the difference when I don't have my private moments to pray... I'm a fighter, but I learned that I'm not in charge. Whatever God wants to happen is what's going to happen. I feel like I've had endless second, third, fourth, fifth and sixth chances. It's by the grace of God I'm still here."[422]
Carey began dating Tommy Mottola while recordingMariah Carey,[47] and they were married at the EpiscopalSaint Thomas Church in New York City on June 5, 1993, in a half-million dollar ceremony.[48] The newlyweds moved into a custom-built mansion, located on a 51-acre (21 ha) estate inBedford, New York, referred to by Carey as "Sing Sing"[423] (alluding to her feeling imprisoned there).[424] After the release ofDaydream and the success that followed, Carey began focusing on her personal life, which was a constant struggle at the time. Their relationship began to deteriorate due to their growing creative differences in terms of her music, as well as Mottola's controlling nature.[425] They separated in December 1996,[426] and announced it publicly on May 30, 1997.[427] The couple divorced on March 4, 1998.[428] Shortly afterwards they sold their home toNelson Peltz for $20.5 million;[429] it burned down in 1999.[430]
Carey was in a relationship with baseball playerDerek Jeter from 1997 to 1998,[431] and with singer Luis Miguel from 1998 to 2001.[100] She began dating actor and comedianNick Cannon while conceiving the music video for her song "Bye Bye", which they filmed together on an island off the coast ofAntigua in April 2008.[432] They were married on April 30, 2008, inthe Bahamas.[433] That same year, Carey suffered amiscarriage.[434] At 35 weeks into her next pregnancy, she gave birth to theirfraternal twins, Moroccan and Monroe, on April 30, 2011,[435] viacaesarean section.[436] In August 2014, Cannon confirmed he and Carey had separated.[437] He filed for divorce on December 12, 2014,[438] which was finalized in 2016.[439]
In 2015, Carey began dating Australian billionaireJames Packer and, on January 21, 2016, she announced they were engaged.[440] By October, however, they had called off the engagement.[441] In October 2016, she began dating American choreographerBryan Tanaka.[442] On December 26, 2023, Tanaka confirmed that he and Carey had parted ways after seven years of dating.[443] In April 2018, Carey opened up about taking therapy sessions and medication for her struggle withbipolar II disorder. She was diagnosed in 2001 and initially kept the diagnosis private.[444]
^abcWhile some sources give a birth year of 1970,[4] a birth announcement in Carey's hometown newspaperThe Long-Islander indicates 1969,[5] as do others.[6]
Eliscu, Jenny (February 23, 2006)."Mariah After Midnight".Rolling Stone. Archived fromthe original on March 27, 2019. RetrievedMarch 27, 2019.When Patricia Carey gave birth to a seven-pound baby girl at 7:27 A.M. on March 27th, 1970...
^"Recent Births Are Announced".The Long-Islander. April 10, 1969. p. 2-3. Archived fromthe original on March 3, 2021. RetrievedFebruary 16, 2021 – via NYS Historic Newspapers.Recent births at Huntington Hospital have been announced as follows... March 27 Mariah, Mr. and Mrs. Alfred Carey, Huntington
^Landis, David (May 13, 1991)."'Bathgate' Wait".USA Today. Archived fromthe original on July 24, 2012. RetrievedAugust 14, 2011.R.E.M.'s Out of Time has knocked Mariah Carey off the top of the Billboard album chart after 11 weeks.
^abc"Virgin, Mariah Call It Quits".Billboard. January 23, 2002.Archived from the original on May 11, 2021. RetrievedDecember 28, 2020.In a brief statement released today (Jan. 23), the label's EMI parent announced the multi-album contract, which would have paid the singer a reported $100 million, was amicably settled for $28 million.
^Givens, Ron (August 3, 1990)."Spotlight on Mariah Carey".Entertainment Weekly.Archived from the original on October 16, 2015. RetrievedAugust 1, 2014.
^Cinquemani, Sal (June 30, 2003)."100 Greatest Music Videos".Slant Magazine.Archived from the original on December 21, 2010. RetrievedSeptember 12, 2010.
^Bianculli, David (December 20, 2001)."Flawed Gala on Adoption".New York Daily News. Archived fromthe original on January 12, 2012. RetrievedMay 10, 2011.
Austerlitz, Saul (2007).Money For Nothing: A History of the Music Video from the Beatles to the White Stripes. New York:Continuum.ISBN978-0-8264-2958-2.
Breihan, Tom (2022).The Number Ones: Twenty Chart-Topping Hits That Reveal the History of Pop Music. New York:Hachette Books.ISBN978-0-306-82653-5.
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