Her mega-hit “All I Want For Christmas Is You” is often dubbed one of the greatest festive songs ever. And although it was first released more than 26 years ago, Mariah Carey's passion for sharing the festive spirit has not diminished.
The 52-year-old singer's love of the season comes across in our interview as she shares her Yuletide traditions and reflects on painful memories of her earlier years.
Speaking of her childhood, she says, “I always wanted Christmas to be perfect and I always looked forward to the holidays, but I had this incredibly dysfunctional family that would ruin it every year.”
She says that in her younger days she would sometimes find only wrapped-up fruit under the tree. “I was like, ‘When I grow up, I am never going to let that happen. I am going to make Christmas perfect every year’.”
The mum of 10-year-old twins, son Morocco and daughter Monroe, has been dating choreographer Bryan Tanaka since 2016.
Here, Mariah talks about her festive favourites, Christmas plans and why she still loves her most famous song…
You seem to have become an essential part of the festive season. What is it about you and Christmas?
I think everyone knows how much I love this time of year. I make no excuses for how excited I get about Christmas and having something out to share with everyone. I still love making music and working on projects that are not about Christmas, but there is something so special to me about this time of year. I'm so excited for people to spend Christmas with me every year. It's like a tradition.
What can we expect to see in Mariah's Christmas: The Magic Continues on Apple+?
It's so much fun and I had a lot of fun making it. It's so magical. My kids are there with me, it looks beautiful, there are amazing performances and it features my new Christmas song with Khalid, and some old favourites, too.
Can you tell us a bit about your latest Christmas song?
It's called “Fall In Love At Christmas” and I really love it. I worked on it all summer and then Kirk Franklin came in, took it back to Houston, put his gospel singers on it, sent it back and I was blown away. It's such an inspirational love song, which I think is really what a lot of people want to hear right now.
Where would you say this new track ranks alongside “All I Want For Christmas Is You”?
I don't know. It's not a battle or anything like that. “All I Want For Christmas Is You” is the first Christmas song that I ever wrote. Is it my favourite? Maybe, but I love all Christmas songs. I just love music and making music. I want to help people feel what I feel when I'm making music.
How did you come to write “All I Want For Christmas Is You” in the first place?
I have always had such an emotional connection to Christmas. It wasn't about the gifts, but the hopefulness of the holiday season. I wanted to express that spirit and make a song that made me feel happy at the holidays. It was inspired by songs from the 50s and 60s, the ones that you just couldn't help but be happy whenever you heard them. It means so much to me to be able to sing that song with people all over the world and to share experiences with people that have made this song part of their lives.
Did you have any idea it would become so successful?
No. It's amazing. I just wrote it out of love for Christmas and Christmas music. When I wrote it, most people didn't do Christmas songs until the end of their careers. But I love Christmas so much I wanted to put every bit of what I love into a song. It has become so anthemic. It is probably my most famous song.
The song has also inspired an animated Christmas movie. Were you anything like the young Mariah portrayed in it?
Sure. She wants a dog for Christmas, an adorable little dog. I had a dog that looked exactly like that. I now have a whole gang of Jack Russells, which definitely keeps you on your toes. They give you such an unconditional love. Some of the names in the movie were actually inspired by dogs and pets I've had over the years.
What are your memories of Christmas growing up?
I always wanted Christmas to be perfect and looked forward to the holidays, but I had this incredibly dysfunctional family that would ruin it. Not my mom. She would try to make it fun. But we didn't have a lot of money, so sometimes she would wrap up fruit because it was all she could afford. I was like, “When I grow up, I am never going to let that happen. I am going to make Christmas perfect, every year.”
What is your ideal Christmas?
I'm a New Yorker and New York is a great place to be at Christmas, but I usually go to Aspen [Colorado], because we are guaranteed snow. Santa Claus comes and there's a sleigh with real reindeer. We do a sleigh ride where everybody sings Christmas songs. It's mainly the classics, but we do “All I Want For Christmas Is You” too, just for laughs. I just love the whole time. I'm not working, I'm not on camera and I don't have to think about anything other than just existing, giving and receiving love and enjoying the holiday spirit.
Which festive movies do you most love to watch?
There are so many — Miracle On 34th Street, Elf, It's A Wonderful Life, Four Christmases… I also love all those claymation ones, like Frosty The Snowman. I watch them all. I am literally like a little kid at Christmas — more so than the kids!
