Artist Playlists
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Mariah Carey is one of a kind. She's equally comfortable singing power pop ballads as she is churning out R&B hits, which is part of what's made her a mainstay on the charts for over 20 years. That versatility has been the secret to Mariah's longevity. Never afraid to change with the times, she's recorded straight-ahead pop, R&B, and hip-hop. Her five-octave vocal range makes her one of the strongest singers in history, and her stats prove it, as she's sold more than 200 million albums worldwide. - Mariah Carey would be the undisputed queen of Christmas had she only released 1994’s “All I Want For Christmas Is You,” her sleigh-bell-dusted ode to a gift-wrapped romance. Over the years, however, the pop diva’s love for the holidays has grown to legendary proportions. Chalk this up to Carey’s unabashed affection for every kind of festive music: throwback rock with a girl-group twist (“Lil Snowman”), fanciful R&B (the gospel-tinged original “Oh Santa!”), and even Christmas carols capturing the true reason for the season (“O Holy Night”).
- Mariah's music videos have long charted her evolution as an artist, each new phase more fabulous than the last. She's wholesome in ‘90s anthem “Dreamlover,” a glam femme fatale in the crime-caper video for “Honey,” and the superlative balladeer in the live video for “Hero.”
- Mariah Carey's albums are packed with wounded ballads and spirited kiss-offs that further cement her status as pop royalty. Old-school torch songs like the pleading “Mine Again” let her show off her vocal range, and her hip-hop inclinations get the spotlight with tracks like the audaciously intricate “Up Out My Face” and in duets where she flexes her cords alongside rap royalty like Nas and Snoop Dogg.
- Mariah Carey's ascent was soundtracked by some of pop's biggest female personalities: the convention-smashing Madonna, the defiantly independent Janet Jackson, the powerhouse belter Whitney Houston. But she also studied Minnie Riperton's whistle register, Patti LaBelle's bubbly personality, and Diana Ross' unbreakable cool as she transformed into the irrepressible Mimi.
- Behind Mariah Carey’s gentle sweetness is a sense of resiliency that makes her one of the toughest artists in pop. Or as Fitness+ Kickboxing trainer Nez Dally tells Apple Music, “Her music has always been a source of empowerment during the trials and tribulations of life. A story of rising up and being unapologetically you.” So don’t let the flutter of her voice mislead you: She’s given everything to get here. Here's a Mariah playlist tweaked specifically for the gym, whatever your routine. If you hear something you like, add it to your library.
- Mariah Carey's fusion of hip-hop sensibilities and larger-than-life moxie have ruled the pop charts and influenced a generation of up-and-coming singers. Rihanna's slinky cool and Christina Aguilera's empowering assertion that she and her audience are “Beautiful” bring to mind Mimi's unflappable confidence, while the vocal pyrotechnics of Beyoncé and Leona Lewis echo her emotional outpourings.
- For over 25 years, Mariah Carey has spread plenty of cheer with her timeless anthem “All I Want for Christmas Is You.” But in a year when holiday celebrations are expected to look different amid the current pandemic, the pop superstar hopes to do the same for the many of us who are staying home with her Apple TV+ exclusive Mariah Carey’s Magical Christmas Special. “We're not letting them ruin Christmas—it will not be foiled,” Carey tells Apple Music. “I feel like people can gather around the TV with their friends and family, or just not gather around, and watch it simultaneously on Zoom, FaceTime, or whatever. It's really designed to make people feel good this year, and forever, hopefully.” In her revealing interview for Apple Music’s At Home With series, Carey also opened up about overcoming childhood trauma and how it ties in to her extravagant Christmas celebrations, working with author Michaela Angela Davis on her memoir, and her alt-rock album under the moniker Chick. And on this exclusive Apple Music playlist she curated, Carey looks back on the festive songs that capture the full breadth of emotions she experiences during the holidays from the likes of Wham!, Donny Hathaway, and Stevie Wonder. “Sometimes when there's a classic, you just don't need to mess with it,” she says about Nat “King” Cole’s “The Christmas Song,” included here. “There have been so many other renditions of that song, but for me, I love that one. I'm getting goosebumps thinking of it now.”
- Mariah Carey’s reputation for five-octave vocal gymnastics can sometimes overshadow the fact she’s also one of the most prolific songwriters in contemporary pop and R&B. Be it soulful early-’90s singles like “Emotions,” eternal-sunshine bops like “Fantasy,” or modern slow-jam classics like “We Belong Together,” Carey’s work is both trendsetting and timeless, as natural a fit for new-school girl groups like Allure as for legends like Daryl Hall.
- Lean back and relax with some of their mellowest cuts.
- Grab the mic and sing along with some of their biggest hits.
- In her third Las Vegas residency, the queen of R&B celebrates her 2005 album <i>The Emancipation of Mimi</i>, a proudly hip-hop-influenced project produced with Atlanta visionary Jermaine Dupri. The album signified a new era for the then-pop star who had recently parted ways with her record label after a slew of bad press around her 2001 film <i>Glitter</i>. <i>Emancipation</i>, which invokes Carey’s childhood nickname, was, in many ways, a reintroduction. In addition to reframing Carey as an exceptional soul and gospel singer (“Joy Ride,” “Fly Like a Bird”), the record placed her firmly at the center of what would become the defining commercial sound of the next decade: the breathy, flirty, clubby crossover space between hip-hop and R&B (“It’s Like That,” Shake It Off”). It was also a runaway success, earning eight (!) Grammy nominations and catapulting Carey to new heights of superstardom. Which is all to say, it deserves celebrating. Explore the full set list here and put yourself in the crowd.
- Mariah sits down with Zane to talk Christmas and her craft.