MariahCareyposesunderaChristmastree.December23,2015
Esteemed American newspaper The New York Times recently published a lengthy analysis of the magic that is Mariah Carey's Christmas success. The author examines how Carey has cemented herself as a pop culture icon solely through one song that she wrote at age 23, "All I Want for Christmas is You." Here are the main points from the author's Mimi manifesto:
- Mariah dominates the stage, the TV, and of course every holiday music station around this time of year: "She's become to Christmas what the pumpkin spice latte is to fall: nutmeg, foam and caffeine. Meanwhile, her determination to be mandatorily anti-blues makes her a human flu shot."
- As oposed to other Christmas stars like Nat King Cole and Brenda Lee, Mariah is "trying to be something more with this holiday version of herself: transcendent, ludicrous, fun." Yet suggests Mariah's "A Christmas Melody" (the most watched cable show of the day with nearly 4 million viewers) was maybe too campy, even for Mariah
- Directs us to Carey's 2012 performance of "All I Want for Christmas is You" with Jimmy Fallon and kids, which has been viewed over 17 million times on Youtube, as evidence of her long-lasting appeal
- Concludes by reminding us what made her the queen of Christmas: "Ms. Carey didn't need the Beacon Theater or a droopy Hallmark movie to stake her claim. She wrote an unkillable song, and no matter what the charts eventually say, that will always be our baby."
1996 vs. 2013?
1998 vs. 2014?
2005 vs. 2015?
New York Times