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In the world of music, Mariah Carey has truly established a legacy with her soulful yet high vocal range. Her music started gaining momentum in the 1990s, and it was her third studio album titledMusic Boxthat pushed her to international fame. Following this, she soon started ruling the Billboard charts as one of the most sought-after singers. Other than this, she is also famously dubbed the “Queen of Christmas” when she brought forth her fourth studio albumMerry Christmasin 1994.
The album in itself gained huge popularity. But it was the singleAll I Want for Christmas Is You,which quickly became the best-selling holiday single by a female singer of all time. This single also has a very interesting story behind it. And in this article, let’s take a deeper dive into how this song came to be, from its origins, and how the singer came up with the lyrics.
All About Mariah Carey’s Fourth Studio Album ‘Merry Christmas’
With Christmas just around the corner, it would be almost impossible not to mentionMariah Careyand her amazing Christmas ballads. Out of the lot, her most popular holiday song would definitely be her hit singleAll I Want for Christmas Is You, from her fourth studio album titledMerry Christmas.
The same was released in the year 1994 and played a huge role in the career trajectory of the artist, who was already on the rise to stardom with her albumMusic Box(1993). She was also heavily working with Columbia Records in the initial period of her career, and it was the record label that suggestedCareybring out a holiday-themed album.
On the same, she detailed in aninterviewthat she initially hesitated as“I felt it was too early in my career.”However, because of her deep love for the holidays, especially Christmas, she ultimately decided to bring outMerry Christmas.The album features a total of ten songs, of which three are holiday-themed, namelySilent Night, Joy to the World, and last but definitely not least,All I Want for Christmas Is You.
More so before working on the album, she completely transformed her music studio into a Christmas wonderland with lights and trees. Now the next stop for Carey and Afanasieff was to bring out some original compositions for the album. She recalled viaE! Newsthat she worked on the melody with her“little Casio Keyboard.”
And further, she thought about everything she loved about the holidays. She also light-heartedly played“ding ding ding ding ding”on her keyboards while coming up with lyrics.
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The singer had one aim for her songs, and that was to make them as real and approachable as she could. So, she came up with the lyrics“I don’t want a lot for Christmas”and that’s how the hit single took shape, and the rest was history.
The Legacy and Popularity of All I Want for Christmas Is You
For her fourth studio album, Carey also worked with Walter Afanasieff, aka Baby Love, and the duo worked out some original songs for the album together. The duo has been longtime collaborators, such much so that he has also helped her in the writing of her initial six albums. But the Christmas hit would change everything for them and their respective careers.
Even after three decades, the song has achieved a total of 65 weeks on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. Thus, making it one of the longest-running singles in the history of Billboard. And all thanks to the upbeat tempo and memorable lyrics, Carey was also dubbed the “Queen of Christmas.”
The song further solidified its status as a Christmas anthem in 2019, when a major push from streaming platforms helped it achieve the top spot on theRolling Stone Top 100andBillboard Hot 100. Not only this, but this single was also the first ringtone to becertified double platinumand is also the first and only single to becertified diamond.
Following, Carey’s wonderful success with the holiday’s theme music, many other singers also tried their luck in the same. For instance, singer-songwriter Kelly Clarkson had acknowledged in the past, that Carey completely transformed how the industry used to think about Christmas songs.
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And further, it was the success of her album that pushed others also to bring out more holiday-inspired music. All in all, this album definitely raised the bar when it comes to Christmas albums.
Mariah Carey Officially Kicks Off the Festive Season
After the spooky season, it’s officially time to bring out the lights and the Christmas trees. Even singer Mariah Carey wasted no time when she officially kicked off the holiday season with her famous“It’s Time”statement. She also brought on a beautiful yet comedic cinematic transition from Halloween to Christmas and shared a video for her millions of Instagram followers.
A post shared by Mariah Carey (@mariahcarey)
In the said video, she was dressed as Morticia Addams fromThe Addams Familyand playfully danced in an eerie mansion in a black and white themed video. She then throws a knife onto the picture frame and telepathically opens a cupboard with a red Santa in it. The next scene showcased her singing“It’s Time”in a high-pitched voice, with the background“I don’t want a lot for Christmas.”
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Throughout her career, Carey has herself brought different versions as well as videos for the same. But the original would definitely be the most popular among the lot.
Sakshi Singh
Articles Published :1434
Sakshi Singh has written over 1,300 entertainment articles, mostly about Netflix shows and reality TV. She’s spent the last two years covering everything from surprise engagements to shocking eliminations and previously wrote for Essentially Sports in their Netflix Junkie division. A self-proclaimed reality TV addict, Sakshi has watched all 48 seasons of Survivor and never misses a new dating or competition series. She loves watching how strangers meet, fall in love, team up, or betray each other - it’s the mix of strategy and drama that keeps her hooked. When she’s not glued to a reality show, she’s usually watching a crime thriller or tracking the next big streaming hit.
