Throughout her career, American singer Mariah Carey has received extensive recognition as a public figure.
Throughout her career, American singer Mariah Carey has received extensive recognition as a public figure.
At the beginning of her career, Carey adopted a polished image due to Tommy Mottola's influence over her career. She began to be depicted more sexually with her red carpet looks and in her music videos after their separation. [1] The music video for "Honey" received heavy media attention for showing a more sexual side to Carey, portraying her half-naked, jumping off a balcony into a pool. [2] Carey and Mottola were in the process of their divorce, which "caused fans to speculate the messages displayed within the video". [2] The song was featured on Carey's 1997 album, Butterfly , which was later credited for revamping Carey's image in the public as a pop star who embraced hip hop and R&B themes and fully came into her own self. [3] This resulted in butterflies becoming a metaphorical symbol of her impact and legacy upon pop and R&B music. [3] [4] The Washington Post writer Bethonie Butler called Butterfly "symbolic" adding that during the rollout of the album, Carey's "clothing style grew noticeably sexier" and in turn that made her "more playful with her fans, more frank in interviews". [5]
In the early 2000s, Carey was a "tabloid fixture" and her public breakdown during the promotion of her 2001 film, Glitter , became the "stuff of tabloid legend" according to Justin Curto, writer for Vulture . [6] [7] The rollout of the film received heavy media attention. [8] Carey insisted that the film was not autobiographical, although it was noted that the "movie mirrored details from her life, including [the main character's] troubled relationship with her mother". [8] Vulture writer Matthew Jacobs noted that "assumptions about Carey's erraticism" began to spread in the media after her "quasi-scandalous" on Total Request Live (TRL). [8] The film itself was received to mostly negative reviews, with many media outlets calling it a "critical and commercial" failure. [9] [10]
In 2005, Carey returned to mainstream media prominence with the album, The Emancipation of Mimi , which is often regarded as one of the greatest musical comebacks in history. [11] Jacobs called the album an "all-time-great pop renaissance". [8] The album acted as redemption for Carey, following a midly unsuccessful period with Glitter and her follow-up album Charmbracelet (2002). [11] The album's second single, "We Belong Together" went on to be one of Carey's most successful songs, being deemed as the "comeback" song for her. [12]
In 2013, after joining American Idol as a judge for the twelfth season, Carey became one of the highest paid American television stars ever with a $18 million paycheck. [13]
Carey has been called a pop icon [14] [15] [16] and has been labeled a "diva" for her stardom and persona. [17] She said, "I have had diva moments, and then people can't handle it. I guess it's a little intense, because I come from a true diva: My mother is an opera singer. And that's a real diva, you know—Juilliard diva. And I mean it as a compliment, or I wouldn't be the person I am without experiencing that." [18] Carey's fanbase is known as the "Lambily", a portmanteau of "lamb" and "family". [19] With over 10 million followers as of April 2013, Carey is one of the most popular musicians on Twitter. [20] Her fans are credited with originating the internet term "skinny legend", used as a form of praise and endearment for their idol. [21] In 2008, Carey was named one of Time's 100 most influential artists and entertainers in the world. [22] [23] Now writer Kevin Hegge agreed that "Carey's influence is indisputable". [6]
Her style has often been described as "eccentric" and "over the top". [24] [25] Writer Noah Berlatsky noted that "Carey has always reveled in uber-feminine, girly imagery", with her album titles such as Butterfly, Rainbow, Glitter and Charmbracelet being prime examples. [26] In her memoir, she stated, "I refuse to acknowledge time. (...) Not living based on time became a way to hold on to myself, to keep close and keep alive that inner child of mine. It's why I gravitate toward enduring characters like Santa Claus, the Tooth Fairy and Tinker Bell. They remind me we can be timeless." [27] Tom Breihan of Stereogum wrote in 2015 that "decades from now, we will be looking back at Mariah Carey as one of the most gloriously batshit pop stars of all time." [28]
Emilia Petrarca of W stated that "Carey is uber-cautious about cultivating her public image" but that when it comes to style, she is "more do than don't". [29] Carey singer cites Marilyn Monroe as not only one of her biggest idols but also a "beauty icon", and has referenced Monroe in various stage of her career, including imitating her in music videos for "I Still Believe" and "Don't Forget About Us". [30] Carey has also been described as a sex symbol. [31]
Elle called Carey the "Queen of Shade" in 2016. [32] When asked about American singer Jennifer Lopez in a German TV interview, Carey's response was, "I don't know her". The clip became a viral internet meme and has been brought up in other interviews. [6] [33] After the release of "Obsessed", critics heavily compared its lyrics to Eminem who had negatively referenced her several times in songs, and suggested Carey alluded to him and his "obsession" with her. [34] "Obsessed" never mentions the rapper's name, although reviewers felt it to be very obvious. [35] Additionally, Carey played a role that resembled the rapper in the song's accompanying music video. [36]
Due to her large gay fanbase and her impact on the LGBTQ+ community, Carey is recognized as a gay icon. [37] [38] Most notably, Carey's 1993 song "Hero" has been regarded as a gay anthem as it touches upon themes of embracing individuality and overcoming self-doubt. [39] In 2023, Rolling Stone ranking the song at number 14 in their list of the 50 Most Inspirational LGBTQ Songs of All Time. [40] Tim Chan, writing for Rolling Stone, noted that the song was a "source of hope and conviction that became even more personal after Carey's own well-publicized struggles". [40] Carey's gay fans have also often noted relating to her 1997 song "Outside" which portrays the feeling of isolation and irregularity. [41] In the bridge of the song, Carey sings that "blind and unguided, into a world divided, you're thrown" in which originally acted as a reference to her racial heritage, but could be universally related to the experience of a queer person. [41] The Guardian writer Ian Eagleton found Carey to be a LGBTQ+ role model, adding that "she taught me that I had no choice: I had to survive". [42]
Her diva persona has also given her much admiration from gay fans. [43] Writing for Vice , writer Jake Hall noted in an analysis of gay icons, that "there is a reason traditional music divas like Mariah [...] have historically been framed within an LGBTQ+ context; because many of them have engaged with our community and been outspoken and supportive of our struggles". [43] Ian Kumamoto, writer for HuffPost noted that Carey's music made the LGBTQ+ community "feel seen and contributed to [their] confidence and self-worth". [38] In 2016, Carey was honored by GLAAD with the GLAAD Ally Award. [44] In her speech, Carey expressed gratitude to her LGBT+ fans, wishing them "love, peace, [and] harmony". [44]
Fashion has also been a part of Carey's image. [45] She was declared a fashion icon by Insider Inc. writer Susanna Heller who added that "her decadent closet spans multiple rooms and is full of designer clothing, lingerie, shoes, and accessories". [46] CR Fashion Book writer Shepherd also stated that while her "sartorial aesthetic has shifted here and there ..., the music icon largely favors sexy, skin-baring, and often bedazzled looks. [47] During her tours, she has frequently worn Jimmy Choo and Christian Louboutin high-end stiletto footwear, [48] as well as leotards, corsets, and fishnet tights. [49] Laura Antonia Jordan of Grazia called Carey fashion "royalty" and stated that in the 1990s, her go-to looks were "super-tight silhouettes, cropped tops, thigh-grazing hemlines and dangerously high slits." [45] Carey has also been credited for beginning the trend of wearing low-rise jeans in the early 2000s, after cutting off the waistband of the denim she wore for the music video of "Heartbreaker", which have since been described as "iconic". [50] [51] [52] Vogue writer Christian Allaire stated that in the latter half of her career, Carey has "rarely hit without her evening gowns, often embellished with crystals, sequins, or feathers." [53]
"All I Want for Christmas Is You", as well as its parent album Merry Christmas , have become such a ubiquitous part of wider popular culture that Carey's name became synonymous with the season, and she has since been dubbed the "Queen of Christmas". [54] Both the song and album were hailed as being "one of the few worthy modern additions to the holiday canon" by The New Yorker in 2006. [55] Speaking to Vogue in 2015, Elvis Duran stated that the song's appeal was based on the fact that it was "a modern song that could actually have been a hit back in the '40s", praising its "timeless, classic quality". [54] The success of the song, in particular, has led Carey to build what Billboard described as a "growing holiday mini-empire". [56]
Multiple media sources have referred to Carey as a holiday icon. [57] [58] [59] [60] The singer has often incorporated holiday-themed outfits during her Christmas shows and music videos. Billboard noted that "each year, her reign gets grander and more festive. (...) Over the years, [Carey] has rocked nearly every shade of red for the season's fashions, from plunging gowns and floor-length coats to ensembles inspired by Santa, Mrs. Claus and The Nutcracker 's toy soldiers. She's also a pro at pulling off winter white, whether she's wearing a snow-white dress covered in crystals or a fluffy hood tailor-made for keeping the December chill at bay." [57] Carey's influence has inspired several social media memes which show retail workers' disdain for the song due to its frequent airplay at their jobs (which sometimes require the round-the-clock display of Christmas music). [61]
Due to the song's ongoing popularity, Carey has taken advantage of this by posting a video on her social media every year since 2019 around midnight Eastern time on November 1, announcing that "it's time" to play Christmas music. [62]
Carey initially rejected the title, saying that "to me, Mother Mary is the Queen of Christmas". [68] [69] Despite this, in March 2021, she attempted to trademark the phrase "Queen of Christmas", which received backlash from singers Darlene Love and Elizabeth Chan. [70] In November 2022, the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board denied Carey's request. [71]
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. Carey is also credited with influencing vocal styles, merging hip-hop with pop through her collaborations, popularizing remixes, and helping break down racial barriers for multiracial Americans in popular culture. 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, and has been dubbed the "Queen of Christmas" for the enduring popularity of her Christmas music, particularly the 1994 song "All I Want for Christmas Is You", which is the best-selling holiday song by a female artist.
Glitter is a 2001 American romantic musical drama film starring Mariah Carey, Terrence Howard and Max Beesley, written by Kate Lanier, and directed by Vondie Curtis Hall. Carey plays Billie Frank, an aspiring singer who, along with her friends Louise and Roxanne, is a club dancer. Timothy Walker offers them a contract as backup singers/dancers to another singer. At the premiere of the song they record, Billie meets Julian "Dice" Black, a nightclub DJ, who helps her in her solo career. In the process, Billie and Dice fall in love. What was initially panned with negative reviews, Glitter has since become a classic film {{https://m.imdb.com/review/rw5599668/?ref_=tt_urv}}
"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.
"Loverboy" is a song by American singer and songwriter Mariah Carey. It was released on June 19, 2001, by Virgin Records America as the lead single from her eighth studio album Glitter, the soundtrack to the 2001 film of the same name. Written and produced by Carey, Larry Blackmon, Thomas Jenkins and Clark Kent, "Loverboy" is built around a sample from "Candy" by the funk band Cameo, who are also featured on the track. Lyrically, the song finds Carey fantasizing about her loverboy, a man that will fulfill her physical and sexual desires. The recording was accompanied by an official remix, titled "Loverboy Remix", featuring guest artists Ludacris, Da Brat, Shawnna and Twenty II.
"Never Too Far" is a song recorded by American singer and songwriter Mariah Carey for her first soundtrack and eighth studio album Glitter (2001). It was written and produced by herself and Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis. The song was released as the album's second single on August 14, 2001 by Virgin Records. The song is a mid-tempo ballad which lyrically deals with heartbreak. "Never Too Far" was used on the charity single "Never Too Far/Hero Medley", which combines the first verse of the song with a re-recorded version of the first verse and bridge of Carey's previous single "Hero" (1993).
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 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.
#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.
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.
Glitter is the soundtrack to the 2001 film of the same title and the eighth studio album by American singer-songwriter Mariah Carey. It was released in the U.S. on September 11, 2001 by Virgin Records. Mixing dance-pop, funk, hip hop and R&B, the album was a departure from Carey's previous releases, focusing heavily on a 80's post-disco sound to accompany the film which was set in 1983. The singer collaborated with Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis and DJ Clue, who also co-produced the album. The album several musical acts such as Eric Benét, Ludacris, Da Brat, Busta Rhymes, Fabolous, and Ja Rule.
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.
"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.
American singer-songwriter Mariah Carey has had an extensive career in film and television throughout her career, in addition to "hundreds of music videos, a dozen or so feature films, and several TV guest-appearances". After topping charts, filming and directing multiple music videos for well-acclaimed songs such as "Vision of Love" and "Fantasy" throughout the 1990s, Carey made her big-screen debut in the rom-com, The Bachelor (1999). In 2001, Carey starred in Glitter which followed the story of Billie Frank, a young woman rising to fame as a pop-star, and was released on September 21, 2001. It was a major commercial failure and critical flop being ranked number 21 on IMDb's Bottom 100 Movies of All Time.
"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.
Caution World Tour was the eleventh concert tour by American singer-songwriter Mariah Carey, in support of her fifteenth studio album, Caution. The tour consisted of 35 dates, including shows in North America, Europe and the Caribbean, at a mix of small and mid-size venues and arenas.
Mariah Carey's Magical Christmas Special is a Christmas special starring Mariah Carey that premiered on December 4, 2020, on Apple TV+. It was directed by Hamish Hamilton and Roman Coppola and executive-produced by Hamilton, Coppola, Carey, Ian Stewart, Raj Kapoor and Ashley Edens. The special centers around a holiday crisis in which the North Pole has to call Santa Claus's friend, Mariah Carey, to help.
Mariah Carey's enduring popularity as a musician has received extensive recognition for its impact on the music industry.
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