DIVA TALK: Mariah Carey declares… IT’S TIME!

By Louie Ranieri Staff Writer

Queen of Christmas Mariah Carey will declare the arrival of the Christmas season on Nov. 1 at midnight, as she has been doing for the past seven years. Mariah Carey started this cherished holiday tradition in 2019. Originally, it was just a cute video that she made because people online joked about how immediately after Halloween, Mariah would “start” Christmas and have her song “All I Want For Christmas Is You” start to climb the charts. She saw this as a promotional opportunity and ran with it, going from an edited smartphone recording to a full-blown production team behind cameras to record this iconic commencement of the holiday season. All Mariah needs to do is sing her iconic line “It’s Tiiiime.” With two words and a whistle note, Mariah Carey begins the holiday season. Last year, she partnered with Sephora and the year prior, she partnered with KAY Jewelers. This just shows the smart business side of Mariah, displaying more than her sparkling outfits and iconic high notes. Without these partnerships, it’s known that Mariah Carey makes anywhere from $2.5 million to $3 million annually just from music royalties of “All I Want for Christmas Is You.” The success of this song is truly incomparable. It has been certified 18-times platinum as well as achieved RIAA Diamond status for over 10 million units sold and streamed. Additionally, it also reached 20 total weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100, breaking the all-time record. Topping that (if it’s even possible), it has topped charts in 26 countries and surpassed 2 billion streams on Spotify. Mariah released “All I Want for Christmas Is You” in 1994 on her album “Merry Christmas.” However, the song didn't reach No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 until December 2019, 25 years after its original release. Most pop songs are heavily associated with the period when they were released, but Mariah's song has continued to attract listeners decades later. Despite the song everyone knows, Mariah has a plethora of amazing Christmas songs including more Christmas albums than just “Merry Christmas.” She also has an album titled “Merry Christmas II You,” (released in 2010) which I personally adore. My favorite from “Merry Christmas” is “Hark! The Herald Angels Sing / Gloria (In Excelsis Deo).” It is so beautiful and stupendously arranged, exceeding the average angelicness of any Christmas song. From “Merry Christmas II You,” my favorite has to be “When Christmas Comes.” The message is exquisite. It’s about unity and making the world a better place during Christmas time, sharing the idea that “The gift of love will last forever” as stated in the song. Mariah also released a soundtrack album from her Apple TV+ Special, titled “Mariah Carey’s Magical Christmas Special." It is a medley of her greatest Christmas songs recorded for the TV special, and the arrangements within this soundtrack are truly superior. She has legendary collabs with Ariana Grande, Jennifer Hudson, Snoop Dogg, and Jermaine Dupri on this album. It is such a festive yet diva-coated album, combining classic Mariah Carey Christmas songs with more of a modern take by bringing in these other household names. Ariana Grande and Jennifer Hudson’s collaboration with Mariah Carey has become a popular holiday track. They came together to deliver a mesmerizing performance of “Oh Santa!” on the TV Special that later had great success on the album. As Mariah Carey declares the start of the Christmas season and the holidays rapidly approach, I highly recommend listening to these songs whenever you feel ready to get into the Christmas spirit! I will be trying my hardest to make it past Thanksgiving without listening to the angelic holiday sounds of the one and only Mariah Carey.