LOS ANGELES (AP) 鈥� relishes the fact that she has become culturally synonymous with Christmas 鈥� thanks in part to the longevity of and its ubiquity every year when the holidays roll around.
But the Grammy winner admits she initially wasn鈥檛 sure about doing a Christmas record when her label pitched it. 鈥淚 was a little bit apprehensive,鈥� she recalls, reflecting on her album, 鈥淢erry Christmas,鈥� turning 30 this month.
Ahead of her appearance at Sunday鈥檚 American Music Awards and an upcoming Christmas tour that kicks off in November, Carey spoke with The Associated Press about the advice she would give to young artists navigating fame and the use of her song, 鈥淎lways Be My Baby,鈥� in 2023 horror comedy,
The interview has been edited for clarity and brevity.
AP: What has it been like to celebrate nearly 20 years of 鈥淭he Emancipation of Mimi鈥� and reflect on this album鈥檚 legacy?
CAREY: I think 鈥淭he Emancipation of Mimi鈥� is one of my albums where there were different boundaries that got pushed aside and I was really happy about that because I needed to come back, apparently. And so, it was a comeback. But it鈥檚 one of my favorite albums. And celebrating it this year and this celebration of 鈥淢imi鈥� was really fun because I never get to do those songs. I never do them. And this this time I did.
AP: Because of that kind of underdog feeling, you felt some artistic liberty and empowerment that maybe you hadn鈥檛 before?
CAREY: Yeah, I feel like people were ready to re-embrace me. And, you know, how did I feel about that? I mean, I feel like the album 鈥淐harmbracelet鈥� was a very good album too, but not everybody knew that album. So, you know, when 鈥淲e Belong Together鈥� came out after 鈥淚t鈥檚 Like That,鈥� which didn鈥檛 do as well but still did pretty well. Whatever.
AP: 鈥淚t鈥檚 Like That鈥� is a great song.
CAREY: It鈥檚 a good song. And I love performing it. You know, I go through stages with these albums. It鈥檚 interesting.
AP: Your first Christmas album, 鈥淢erry Christmas,鈥� is turning 30 this month. That was obviously a formative record for you and your career. Do you remember anything about its inception?
CAREY: So that was the record company saying, 鈥淵ou should do a Christmas album.鈥� And I was like, 鈥淚 don鈥檛 know that I should at this juncture.鈥� Because, you know, I was very young and was just starting out and I felt like people do Christmas albums later in their lives. But now people have started to do them whenever, like right at the top of their career. So, I mean, what was I feeling like? I was a little bit apprehensive and then I was like, 鈥淚 love this.鈥� And I decorated the studio and just had the best time.
AP: Chappell Roan has made headlines for speaking out about how she is grappling with sudden fame. As someone who has been in the public eye for so long, do you have advice for young artists who are dealing with this?
CAREY: Well, I have been through my share of dramas and it鈥檚 not fun because you grow up thinking, 鈥淚 want to be famous.鈥� I mean, really with me, it was always, 鈥淚 want to be a singer. I want to write songs.鈥� But 鈥淚 want to be famous鈥� was right there with it. I feel like it was probably because I didn鈥檛 feel like I was good enough on my own because of the things I went through growing up. And that鈥檚 not a good way to feel, you know?
But my advice would be try your hardest to go into this industry with a love of your talent or what鈥檚 really real for you. You know, if it鈥檚 like, 鈥淚 want to be famous. I want to run around with those people, whoever they are, the famous people,鈥� then it鈥檚 probably not the best idea.
AP: Have you seen Ari Aster鈥檚 鈥淏eau Is Afraid鈥�
CAREY: Yes. I had to approve that. I thought it was interesting the way they used my song, 鈥淎lways Be My Baby.鈥� That was interesting. I mean, it didn鈥檛 really match with the movie, but, you know, I was just being edgy by saying, 鈥淵ou know, okay, fine.鈥� It was very different. I mean, I wasn鈥檛 reluctant, but I thought, 鈥淭his is something way different than I鈥檝e done ever.鈥�
Krysta Fauria, The Associated Press
