American singer Mariah Carey has received extensive recognition for her enduring popularity and impact on popular culture and the music industry. Considered one of the greatest vocalists in pop music, Carey's career has left a profound legacy.
Since her debut in 1990, Carey has been a significant figure in breaking down racial barriers for multiracial Americans within the music industry and in popular culture. Navigating challenges and the complexities of race during her rise to fame in the 1990s, facilitated broader public conversations about multiracialism and representation; especially at a time when such discussions were still emerging. Carey often faced media scrutiny for her racial background leading to Carey speaking out on the issue. Carey's success and resilience helped pave the way for greater inclusiveness in the industry, making her a validating presence for many and a source of inspiration for other multiracial artists.
Carey is also credited with revolutionizing the usage of distinguished vocal stylings including that of melisma and the whistle register. Noted as the forerunner of both techniques, journalists have noted Carey's subsequent impact on the competitors on American Idol and other artists who emerged since the 1990s. Carey is also credited with being one of the first artists to successfully merge hip-hop with pop through her collaborations and helped popularize remixes, notably with "Fantasy" featuring Ol' Dirty Bastard. Her career has been praised for its longevity and has influenced and inspired many artists in music industries all over the world. Her music has also been recorded, performed and sampled by various acts. She has also received several honours and tributes.
Throughout her career, Carey has been commercially successful and well-received by music critics. She has broken numerous records domestically and internationally. In the United States she has broken several Billboard records. She has gained 19 number-one singles, the most for any solo artist, spending 91 weeks atop the Billboard Hot 100. As a holiday icon, she has broken many holiday records and has since been referred to as the "Queen of Christmas". Her album Merry Christmas (1994) is the best-selling Christmas album of all time in the US.
Carey is one of the best selling music artists of all time. [1] Throughout her career, she has released fifteen studio albums which were supported by a number of singles. [2] Carey has been considered one of the greatest vocalists in pop music, [3] and has been ranked and featured on various lists of the greatest singers of all time. [lower-alpha 1] She was also ranked as the greatest singer of the past twenty years in a 2003 MTV2 online poll. [7] Carey called the result an "enormous compliment". [8]
Forbes writer Hugh McIntyre noted that during the 1990s and 2000s, Carey was "the biggest musical star in the world", noting her "talent, fame and powerful vocals". [9] In 2014, Time named Carey the "ultimate pop star" and ranked her atop their "ultimate pop stardom" list. [10] [11] The New Republic writer Jo Livingstone opined that Carey became "one of the most enduring stars of our time, laying the blueprint for a generation of young singers". [12] Rolling Stone similarily cited Carey as the "architect of modern pop". [13]
At the end of the 1990s, Carey was recognised as the best-selling act of the decade by numerous organisations and award shows including Billboard , [14] American Music Awards, [15] and the World Music Awards with the latter also naming her the "Best Selling Female Artist of the Millennium". [16] [17] [18] [19] [20] In 2008, Carey was inducted into The Long Island Music and Entertainment Hall of Fame, [21] and also received a special achievement award by the American Music Awards and World Music Awards for having the most number-one singles in the US for a solo artist. [22] In 2012, Carey was honoured at The BET Honors. [23]
In 2015, Carey was honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. [24] That year Billboard also ranked Carey at number five on the Billboard Hot 100 All-Time Top Artists, making Carey the second most successful female artist in the history of the chart. [25] At the end of the 2010s, Billboard ranked Carey at number four on their "Top 125 Artists of All Time" chart making her the top female act. [26] [27] In 2019, Carey received the Billboard Icon Award, [28] and was honoured at Variety's Power of Women event. [29] In 2022, Carey was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame. [30] In 2023, Carey was ranked second on VH1's list of the "100 Greatest Women in Music". [31] A year later, Carey received the Grammy Global Impact Award. [32]
Carey and her work has been paid tribute to numerous times. In 2012 and 2023, American singer Patti LaBelle paid tribute to Carey covering "Hero" and "Love Takes Time" respectively. [33] Other artists who have performed a tribute to Carey includes Tori Kelly, [34] Jennifer Hudson, [35] and Kelly Rowland. [36]
The 2019 film Always Be My Maybe was a play-on-words of Carey's 1996 single "Always Be My Baby", which was used as the movie's theme song. [37] Carey and her signature Christmas song, "All I Want for Christmas Is You", were referenced in Marvel Studios' What If...? (2023) Christmas special episode "What If... Happy Hogan Saved Christmas?". [38] In 2024, Megan Thee Stallion referenced Carey and "Obsessed" on her song "Hiss". [39]
Carey has been credited for her role in breaking down racial barriers in popular culture and facilitating public discourse surrounding multiracialism. [40] Carey is biracial with a mother and father of Irish and African-American / Venezuelan descent respectively. [40] Brittany Luse from Vulture noted that as a biracial pop-star Carey became the face or an "avatar" for biracial identity, adding that she became "a validating presence for some and a source of both curiosity and discomfort for others". [41] Luse also added that Carey "rose to fame as public conversations about multiracial identity were expanding in the early '90s". [41]
Carey has often spoken about the challenges she faced in the industry as a multiracial artist. [40] Today writer Ree Hines noted that music in the 1990s often segregated "white" and "black" music on the pop music and contemporary R&B charts respectively. [43] Hines felt that due to this, Carey had to "forge ahead and create her own path to success". [43] Carey herself noted that before hitting it big, she found it hard to be signed by a record label due to their lack of understanding when it came to her background. [44] After signing with Columbia Records in 1988, the media was largely unaware of Carey's ethnic background, with articles describing her as a "white soul singer" and the "white girl who can sing", affecting Carey's insecurities. [44] Carey also faced media scrutiny with articles often focusing on her racial background rather than her talent, leading to debates about her authenticity and cultural appropriation accusations. [40] Carey began to assume ambiguity for her own protection. [41]
In an article on how Carey overcame these racial barriers, Yahoo! News writer Jazmin Moore wrote that "the strife Carey confronted [...] only deepened her musical palette", which in turn made her successful. [45] Carey has since often addressed these issues of race and identity throughout her interviews, sharing her experiences and raising awareness to the topic. [43] On a podcast interview with Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, Carey discussed her multiracial heritage feeling that people have always wanted her to choose between being "black" or "white" woman. [46]
In her book Tragic No More: Mixed-Race Women and the Nexus of Sex and Celebrity, Caroline A. Streeter, an associate professor at the University of California, Los Angeles, described Carey as one of the "ideal figures through which to consider the post-Civil Rights era's apparent rehabilitation and transformation of the mulatto/a into a biracial subject of representation". [47]
As a multiracial person, Carey's presence in the music industry has helped paved the way for others who share similar backgrounds, allowing the music industry to open its doors for conversations about race, representation and encouraging more inclusiveness. [40] Luse quoted,
Carey's experience of fame could have happened only once; her stardom punched a hole in the sky. Her career matured as current conversations about mixed identity were still forming and while the passing narratives of the past, both brilliant and clumsy, had yet to fade from pop-cultural memory. There was a time when she might have been considered the most famous mixed person of Black and white parentage in America, but now the field's far more crowded. [41]
In 1997, Carey released the ballad "Outside" from her sixth studio album Butterfly which covered Carey's experience being biracial and not belonging. [48] Carey's 2020 memoir, The Meaning of Mariah Carey , has also been praised for its work as a direct conversation about "stories about the concealment, or the possibility of concealment, of one's Black parentage". [41] Luse called it a "punctuation mark on a previous era" where being biracial was not understood by the general public. [41] In 2021, Carey performed the theme song for the television sitcom Mixed-ish (2019) which followed the life of a biracial girl living in an American suburb in 1985. [41]
Carey's vocal style, as well as her singing ability, have significantly impacted music. [49] Multiple media sources have referred to Carey as the "Queen of Melisma". [50] [51] [52] According to Rolling Stone, "Her mastery of melisma, the fluttering strings of notes that decorate songs like "Vision of Love", inspired the entire American Idol vocal school, for better or worse, and virtually every other female R&B singer since the Nineties." [53] In a review of her 2002 Greatest Hits album, Devon Powers of PopMatters called Carey a living legend and that she has since gone on to influence countless female vocalists with her melisma. [54] Chart historian Tom Breihan from Stereogum , chose "Vision of Love" as one of the chapters in his book The Number Ones: Twenty Chart-Topping Hits That Reveal the History of Pop Music, stating that Carey "established melisma-heavy R&B as a powerful commercial force". [55] Author Bruce Pollock said the song led "to a generation of aspiring belters from Beyoncé to Rihanna to Christina Aguilera". [56]
In 2008, Jody Rosen of Slate wrote of Carey's influence in music industry, calling her the most influential vocalist of the last two decades and the person who made rococo melismatic singing. [57] Rosen further exemplified Carey's influence by drawing a parallel to American Idol which to Rosen, "often played out as a clash of melisma-mad Mariah wannabes" adding that "nearly 20 years after Carey's debut, major labels continue to bet the farm on young stars such as the winner of Britain's X Factor show, Leona Lewis, with her Generation Next gloss on Mariah's big voice and big hair". [57] New York magazine's editor Roger Deckker further commented that "Whitney Houston may have introduced melisma (the vocally acrobatic style of lending a word an extra syllable or twenty) to the charts, but it was Mariah—with her jaw-dropping range—who made it into America's default sound". [58] Deckker also added that "every time you turn on American Idol, you are watching [Carey's] children". [58] Professor Katherine L. Meizel noted in her book, The Mediation of Identity Politics in American Idol, that "Carey's influence [is] in the emulation of melisma or her singing amongst the wannabes, it's also her persona, her diva, her stardom which inspires them". [59]
Carey possesses a five-octave vocal range, [60] [61] [62] and is known for popularizing the use of whistle register in popular music. [63] [64] [65] Carey gained the honorific nickname "Songbird Supreme" by the Guinness World Records due to her ability to sing in the whistle register. [66] She first incorporated whistle notes in her debut album on various songs including "Vision of Love", [67] garnering positive reviews. [68] She became well known for her 1991 song, "Emotions" which heavily incorporated Carey singing in her whistle register. [65] TheThings writer Michael Ibrahim noted that Carey "is easily the first person who comes to mind when high notes". [65] American singer Ariana Grande began to receive heavy comparisons to Carey after using the whistle register in her song "The Way". [65] [69]
In the mid-1990s Ms. Carey pioneered a subgenre that some people call the thug-love duet. Nowadays clean-cut pop stars are expected to collaborate with roughneck rappers, but when Ms. Carey teamed up with Ol' Dirty Bastard, of the Wu-Tang Clan, for the 1995 hit "Fantasy (Remix)," it was a surprise, and a smash.
—Kelefa Sanneh of The New York Times commenting on the influence and impact of the song's remix. [70]
Carey is well known for the remixes she releases of her singles, and has been called the "Queen of Remixes" by multiple media sources. [71] [72] [73] Princess Gabbara of MTV News wrote that it is "no secret that [Carey] goes to great lengths to deliver a spectacular remix, often re-recording vocals, penning new lyrics, shooting new music videos, and recording different versions to satisfy pop, R&B, hip-hop, and EDM audiences". [71]
Carey has since helped popularize rappers as a featured act in today's pop music genre, particularly through the remix of "Fantasy" and her post-1995 songs. [74] Judnick Mayard, writing for The Fader, noted that Carey was the main champion of the "R&B and hip-hop collaboration" movement. [75] In 1995, after the success of Carey's song "Fantasy", a remix featuring rapper Ol' Dirty Bastard was released to polarizing responses. [75] The remix has gone on to retrospectively receive positive acclaim with Mayard adding that "To this day Ol' Dirty Bastard and [Carey] may still be the best and most random hip hop collaboration of all time", adding that due to the remix of "Fantasy", "R&B and hip-hop were the best of step siblings." [75]
Sasha Frere-Jones, editor of The New Yorker commented that because of Carey, "it became standard for R&B/hip-hop stars like Missy Elliott and Beyoncé, to combine melodies with rapped verses. And young white pop stars—including Britney Spears, 'N Sync and Christina Aguilera—have spent much of the past ten years making pop music that is unmistakably R&B". [76] She concluded that "[Carey's] idea of pairing a female songbird with the leading male MCs of hip-hop changed R&B and, eventually, all of pop. [76] Kelefa Sanneh of The New York Times also noted that, "in the mid-1990s [Carey] pioneered a subgenre that some people call the thug-love duet", writing that in 2005, "clean-cut pop stars are expected to collaborate with roughneck rappers". [70] Slant writers Sal Cinquemani and Eric Henderson opined that "Carey is the quintessential crossover artist, with a catalog of hits that bridges the gap between pop, R&B, hip-hop, and house music". [77]
Carey has been praised by various journalists for her career longevity. [78] [79] In 2019, Anne Branigin from The Root commented that "there's longevity, then there's Mariah Carey". [80] Revolt writer Lauren Williams referred to Carey as the "blueprint for longevity" stating that "very few singers can hold a candle to [her]". [81] Williams went on to say that Carey's "record-breaking career makes her one of the most decorated artists of all time". [81] When reviewing her fifteenth studio album, Caution , Eddino Hadi wrote, "In the last three decades since she made her debut, many female pop stars have scaled the heights that Carey has reached but very, very few have matched her longevity". [82]
Carey has set and broken numerous Hot 100 records. [83] She has topped the Billboard Hot 100 for 91 weeks, the most for any artist in US chart history. [84] On that same chart, she has accumulated 19 number-one singles, [lower-alpha 2] [86] the most for any solo artist (second behind the Beatles) and she is also the only artist to have a number-one song in each year of a decade (1990s decade). [87] In 2020, Carey became the first solo artist to top the Billboard Hot 100 over four decades (1990s–2020s). [88] Carey was the first woman to debut at number-one in the United States, with "Fantasy", and the first act to debut at number-one multiple times after "One Sweet Day" and "Honey" also debuted at the top spot. [89] "One Sweet Day" spent sixteen consecutive weeks at the top of Billboard's Hot 100 chart in 1996, setting the record for the most weeks atop the Hot 100 chart until surpassed in 2019 by "Old Town Road". [90] "One Sweet Day" and "We Belong Together" became the best performing songs of their respective decades (1990s and 2000s), making Carey the only act to accomplish the feat twice. [91] She also holds the record for the most consecutive years topping the chart (eleven). [92]
Carey's song "All I Want for Christmas Is You" alone has broken multiple Billboard records and was ranked by the magazine as the greatest holiday song of all time. [93] It is the longest running number-one song on the Billboard Holiday 100 chart (57 cumulative weeks, of the chart's 62 total weeks) and the longest-running holiday number-one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. [94] [95] [96] It also holds the record for the longest span of a song's first and last week at the summit of the Hot 100, a record that's annually extended, [97] and the only song to return to number-one in more than two separate chart runs. [lower-alpha 3] [99] With the song, Carey became the first artist to reach number-one on the Billboard Hot 100 in the physical, digital, and streaming eras. [100] On December 25, 2023, Carey's the song broke the record for the most Spotify streams in a single day (over 23 million plays), originally held by herself with the same song (21 million). [101] [102] The record was eventually beaten in 2024 by Taylor Swift's "Fortnight". [103] Carey previously claimed the record for most daily Spotify streams in 2017 (10.8 million), in 2018 (10.82 million), and again in 2019 (12 million). [102]
In 2008, Billboard listed "We Belong Together" ninth on The Billboard Hot 100 All-Time Top Songs [104] and second on Top Billboard Hot 100 R&B/Hip-Hop Songs. [105] On November 19, 2010, Billboard magazine ranked Carey at number four on their "Top 50 R&B/Hip-Hop Artists of the Past 25 Years" chart. [106]
As of March 2022, the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) lists Carey as the best-selling female albums artist, with shipments of 72 million units in the US, and one of the best-selling digital singles artists. [107] She is the second female singer to amass both diamond-certified albums and singles, with the albums Music Box and Daydream , [108] and the single "All I Want for Christmas Is You". [109] With sales of over 28 million copies worldwide, Music Box and Daydream rank among the best-selling albums of all time. [110] In 2021, The Emancipation of Mimi and "Fantasy" were included on the new editions of Rolling Stone magazine's lists of "The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time" and "The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time", respectively. [111]
Carey has also experienced success internationally. She is the best-selling Western artist in Japan selling over 14.5 million records. [112] Her #1's compilation album was certified with a triple-Million award from the Recording Industry Association of Japan and holds the record as the best-selling international album in the country; [113] Music Box, Daydream, Butterfly and Merry Christmas have all sold over 2 million copies in the country, with the latter being the fourth-best-selling international album. [114] Her song "All I Want for Christmas Is You" is also the third-best-selling song by a non-Asian artist. [115] In 2018, Sony Music Asia–Pacific presented Carey with a certificate of achievement for 1.6 billion sales units in Asia–Pacific. [116]
After its inclusion in a popular telenovela, Viver a Vida , Carey's cover of Foreigner's "I Want to Know What Love Is" broke the record for the longest-running number-one song on the Brasil Hot 100, which spent 27 weeks atop the chart. [117]
Carey's holiday album Merry Christmas has sold over 15 million copies worldwide, and is the best-selling Christmas album of all time. [118] [119] [120] [121] In 2018, Carey became the first artist to replace herself at the number one spot on Billboard's Top R&B Albums chart, with Caution being replaced by Merry Christmas. [122]
The album's lead single, "All I Want for Christmas Is You", became the first holiday song to be certified Diamond by the RIAA, [123] and the only holiday ringtone to reach multi-platinum status in the US. [124] With sales of over 14 million copies worldwide, it is one of the best-selling physical singles in music history and the best-selling holiday song by a female artist. [125] It is also the highest-certified and the longest-charting song by a woman in the UK. [126] On November 24, 2019, the song won three Guinness World Records. [127] In 2021, the song earned one billion streams on Spotify, making it both Carey's first song and the first holiday song overall to do so. [128] In 2023, the song was selected by the Library of Congress for preservation in the National Recording Registry, due to its "cultural, historical and aesthetic importance" in the American soundscape. [129]
Throughout her career, Carey has inspired numerous singers and songwriters in the music industries all over the world. [130] [131] Music critic G. Brown from The Denver Post wrote that Carey's "five-octave range and melismatic style have influenced a generation of pop singers". [132] Stevie Wonder noted that, "When people talk about the great influential singers, they talk about Aretha, Whitney and Mariah. That's a testament to [Carey's] talent and her range is that amazing". [133] Various artists who have cited Carey as an influence include:
Carey's music has been recorded and performed by a variety of artists. In 1994 and 2011, Aretha Franklin covered Carey's songs "Hero" and "Touch My Body" respectively. [171] [172] Other artists such as Luciano Pavarotti, Michael Ball, Natalie Bassingthwaighte and Rihanna have also covered "Hero". [173] [174] [175] Being a Christmas standard, "All I Want for Christmas Is You" has also been covered by many artists including Dolly Parton, [176] Elton John, [177] Fifth Harmony, [178] Red Hot Chili Peppers, [177] and Shania Twain. [179] Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo covered "When You Believe" at the 2024 Met Gala. [180]
Carey's music has often been sampled by various acts. American singer Bryson Tiller interpolated Carey's "Shake It Off" on his debut single "Don't" in 2015. [181] DJ Sigala sampled "Always Be My Baby" in 2016 for his song "Say You Do". [182] Rapper Drake sampled "Emotions" on his song "Emotionless" from his album Scorpion (2018). [183]
Mariah Carey is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, and actress. An influential figure in music, she is known for her five-octave vocal range, melismatic singing style, and signature use of the whistle register. Referred to as the "Songbird Supreme" by Guinness World Records, she was ranked as the fifth greatest singer of all time by Rolling Stone in 2023.
"O Holy Night" is a sacred song about the night of the birth of Jesus Christ, described in the first verse as 'the dear Saviour', and frequently performed as a Christmas carol. Based on a French-language poem written in 1843 by poet Placide Cappeau, it was set to music by composer Adolphe Adam. The English version, with small changes to the initial melody, is by John Sullivan Dwight.
Mariah Carey is the debut studio album by American R&B singer Mariah Carey, released on June 12, 1990, by Columbia Records. Its music incorporates a range of contemporary genres with a mix of slow ballads and up-tempo tracks. Originally, Carey wrote four songs with Ben Margulies, which solely constituted her demo tape. After Carey was signed to Columbia, all four songs, after being altered and partially re-recorded, made the final cut for the album. Aside from Margulies, Carey worked with a range of professional writers and producers, all of whom were hired by Columbia CEO, Tommy Mottola. Mariah Carey featured production and writing from Rhett Lawrence, Ric Wake and Narada Michael Walden, all of whom were top record producers at the time. Together with Carey, they conceived the album and reconstructed her original demo tape.
Daydream is the fifth studio album by American singer-songwriter Mariah Carey, released on September 26, 1995, by Columbia Records. The follow-up to her internationally successful studio album Music Box (1993), and the holiday album Merry Christmas (1994), Daydream differed from her previous releases by leaning increasingly towards urban music. Throughout the project, Carey collaborated with Walter Afanasieff, with whom she wrote and produced most of her previous albums. With Daydream, Carey took more control over the musical direction as well as the album's composition. Carey considered the album to be the beginning of her musical and vocal transition, a change that would become more evident in her sixth studio album Butterfly (1997). During the album's production, Carey endured many creative differences with her label and then-husband Tommy Mottola. On Daydream, Carey collaborated with Jermaine Dupri, Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds, and R&B group Boyz II Men. With Afanasieff's assistance and the addition of a few contemporary producers, she was able to make a subtle transition into the contemporary R&B market, after previously only pursuing pop, adult contemporary and traditional R&B music.
"Forever" is a rock and roll and pop song recorded by American singer Mariah Carey for her fifth studio album, Daydream (1995). Columbia Records released it to American radio stations for airplay on June 18, 1996, as the album's fifth single. The lyrics, written by Carey, are about one's continued affection despite the end of a romantic relationship. She composed the music and produced the song with Walter Afanasieff. Described by critics as referencing American music of the 1950s and 1960s, "Forever" is a doo-wop-influenced sentimental ballad in the form of a waltz. Its composition includes keyboards, guitars, and programming.
American singer Mariah Carey has released 88 official singles, 22 promotional singles, and has made 30 guest appearances. Her self-titled debut album in 1990 yielded four number-one singles on the Billboard Hot 100, the first being "Vision of Love", a song credited with revolutionizing the usage of distinguished vocal stylings, predominantly the practice of melisma, and effectively influencing virtually every female R&B performer since the 1990s. Subsequent singles "Emotions" (1991) and Carey's cover of the Jackson 5 track "I'll Be There" (1992) continued the singer's streak of US number-one singles, with the latter becoming her fourth chart-topper in Canada and first in the Netherlands. With the release of Carey's third studio album, Music Box (1993), the singer's international popularity surged upon release of "Hero" and the album's third single, her cover of Harry Nilsson's "Without You", which became the singer's first number-one single in several countries across Europe.
"All I Want for Christmas Is You" is a song by American singer, songwriter, and record producer Mariah Carey from her fourth studio album and first holiday album, Merry Christmas (1994). Written and produced by Carey and Walter Afanasieff, the song was released as the lead single from the album on October 29, 1994, by Columbia Records. The track is an uptempo love song that includes bell chimes, backing vocals, and synthesizers. It has received critical acclaim, with The New Yorker describing it as "one of the few worthy modern additions to the holiday canon". The song has become a Christmas standard, with a significant rise in popularity every December.
"Can't Let Go" is a song recorded by American singer and songwriter Mariah Carey for her second studio album, Emotions (1991). Columbia Records released it as the album's second single in November 1991. Featuring synthesizers and drum programming, "Can't Let Go" is a breakup song in the form of an R&B and pop slow jam. The lyrics, written by Carey, are about post-breakup sadness. She composed the music and produced the song with Walter Afanasieff, who had previously worked on her 1990 single "Love Takes Time". Carey's vocal range spans more than three octaves; her delivery is predominately breathy and in a low register, with whistle notes in the song's introduction and ending.
Greatest Hits is the second greatest hits album by American singer and songwriter Mariah Carey, released in the United States on December 4, 2001, by Columbia Records. It contains most of Carey's singles released during her tenure at Columbia from 1990 to 2000, including her then-fifteen US Billboard Hot 100 number-one singles. As of November 2018, Greatest Hits has sold 1,230,000 copies in the US. Globally, the album has sold an estimated five million copies.
#1's is the first greatest hits album by American singer-songwriter Mariah Carey, released by Columbia Records on November 16, 1998. The album contained Carey's then thirteen number-one singles on the Billboard Hot 100, as well as four new songs. In Japan, the album also included her popular single, "All I Want for Christmas Is You", which was Carey's biggest selling single there.
"Fantasy" is a song by the American singer-songwriter Mariah Carey. It was released on August 23, 1995, by Columbia Records as the lead single from her fifth album, Daydream (1995). The track was written and produced by Carey and Dave Hall. It samples Tom Tom Club's 1981 song "Genius of Love". The lyrics describe a woman who is in love with a man, and how every time she sees him she starts fantasizing about an impossible relationship with him. The remix for the song features rap verses from Ol' Dirty Bastard, something Carey arranged to assist in her crossover into the hip-hop market and credited for introducing R&B and hip hop collaboration into mainstream pop culture, and for popularizing rap as a featuring act.
"Always Be My Baby" is a song by American singer-songwriter Mariah Carey from her fifth studio album, Daydream (1995). Written Carey, Jermaine Dupri and Manuel Seal, and produced by Carey and Dupri, It was released by Columbia Records on February 20, 1996, as the album's third single in the United States and fourth single internationally. A midtempo pop and R&B ballad, "Always Be My Baby" describes the attachment the singer feels towards an estranged lover, while confidently asserting that they will eventually reunite. Described by critics as both a love song and a breakup song, its composition is characterized by piano keyboards, drums, acoustic guitars, and layered background vocals.
Music Box is the third studio album by American singer-songwriter Mariah Carey. It was released by Columbia Records on August 31, 1993. The album comprises ballads primarily written by Carey and Walter Afanasieff, with whom she had previously worked on Emotions (1991), and a few urban dance tracks. During the course of the album's development, Carey wanted to broaden her audience, choosing a more pop/R&B oriented sound. During this time frame, she experimented with different musical instruments, leading the album's sound away from her more contemporary previous two efforts.
Merry Christmas is the fourth studio album by American singer-songwriter Mariah Carey, and her first Christmas album. Released by Columbia Records on October 28, 1994, at the peak of the initial stretch of Carey's career, between Music Box (1993) and Daydream (1995), the album features cover versions of popular Christmas songs in addition to original material. Carey worked with Walter Afanasieff, with whom she wrote all of the original tracks, as well as producing Carey's interpretations of the covered material. Three singles were released from the album, of which "All I Want for Christmas Is You" went on to become one of the best-selling singles of all time and the best-selling Christmas ringtone in the United States.
American singer Mariah Carey has released fifteen studio albums, two soundtrack albums, eight compilation albums, four extended plays, and one remix album. Carey is one of the best-selling music artists of all-time, having sold over 220 million records globally. She was presented with the Millennium Award at the 2000 World Music Awards for becoming the best-selling female artist of the millennium. According to the RIAA, she is the highest-certified female artist and tenth overall recording artist with shipments of 75 million albums in the US. She is also ranked as the best-selling female artist of the US Nielsen SoundScan era (1991–present) with album sales of 55.5 million.
"Open Arms" is a song by American rock band Journey. It was released as a single from the Heavy Metal soundtrack and their 1981 album, Escape. Co-written by band members Steve Perry and Jonathan Cain, the song is a power ballad whose lyrics attempt to renew a drifting relationship. It is one of the band's most recognizable radio hits and their biggest US Billboard Hot 100 hit, reaching number two in February 1982 and holding that position for six weeks. It also reached number two in Canada.
"Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)" is a pop song originally sung by Darlene Love and included on the 1963 seasonal compilation album, A Christmas Gift for You from Philles Records (later renamed A Christmas Gift for You from Phil Spector). The song was written by Ellie Greenwich, Jeff Barry, and Phil Spector.
"Oh Santa!" is a song by American singer and songwriter Mariah Carey from her second Christmas album and thirteenth studio album, Merry Christmas II You (2010). Carey wrote and produced the song in collaboration with Jermaine Dupri and Bryan-Michael Cox. It was released as the lead single from the album on October 1, 2010 by Island Def Jam Records. It is an up-tempo R&B song about Carey making a plea for Santa Claus to bring back her partner in time for the Christmas holidays. It received a positive response from music critics, with many praising its composition and style.
The Billboard Global 200 is a weekly record chart published by Billboard magazine. The chart ranks the top songs globally and is based on digital sales and online streaming from over 200 territories worldwide. First announced in mid-2019, it officially launched in September 2020.