Mariah Carey’s reign as Queen of Christmas shows no signs of ending anytime soon. As the holidays kick into high gear, the singer is unsurprisingly at the center of the festivities.
This year marks the thirtieth anniversary of the release of her iconic album Merry christmas and the record-breaking single “All I Want for Christmas Is You,” released in October 1994. The Christmas song has climbed to the top of the Billboard charts for the sixth year in a row, cementing its status as the ultimate soundtrack of the season.
But that’s not all! On December 25, Carey will headline the show opener of Netflix’s first-ever NFL Christmas Gameday. The diva will deliver a pre-recorded performance of the iconic hit ahead of two big games: the Kansas City Chiefs versus the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Baltimore Ravens versus the Houston Texans.
Despite her dominance over the holidays, Carey has had to take health breaks, including the last-minute cancellation of her December 11 show in Pittsburgh due to the flu.
But even a bout of illness couldn’t dim her shine. Here’s how the Queen of Christmas continues to spread her festive cheer.
Ringing in the season: ‘It’s time!’
For Carey’s fans, the holidays officially begin when she says, “It’s time!” Since 2019, the singer has made this known through her annual videos, released on November 1 every year, to mark the transition from Halloween to Christmas.
In this year’s video, the singer appears in a dark, gothic castle, dressed as Morticia Addams in a riff on The Addams Family before transforming into a sparkling version of Santa Claus, surrounded by crystals, diamonds and a dancing snowman.
Carey brings her own flair and festive cheer to each video, making them an essential part of the holiday countdown:
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2019: Carey, still in her Halloween costume, receives a call from Santa Claus at midnight signaling the start of Christmas.
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2020: A Halloween creature opens a door to find Carey in Christmas pajamas, looking at her watch and announcing, “It’s time.”
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2021: Carey smashes one of the pumpkins with each word “It’s not time” before officially declaring the season open.
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2022: The Grammy-winning artist rides an exercise bike that magically transforms into a reindeer.
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2023: Frozen in ice, Carey breaks out in dramatic fashion with her signature “It’s time!” as people – and her twins, Moroccan and Monroe – dance to her classic tune.
Mariah’s Christmas Tour: Trebles and Hiccups
Carey is touring 20 U.S. cities with her “Mariah Carey’s Christmas Time” tour, which kicked off Nov. 6 in Highland, California, and ends Dec. 17 in New York City. From sold-out arenas to a surprise performance by her children in North Carolina, the tour celebrated 30 years of Carey’s reign on the holiday charts.
But even the Queen of Christmas isn’t immune to real-life misfortunes. When Carey had to cancel her Dec. 11 show in Pittsburgh due to a bout of flu, she shared a heartfelt post on social media
“Pittsburgh, I’m sorry to say, I have the flu,” the singer wrote. “It breaks my heart that I unfortunately have to cancel tonight’s show. I love you all so much.”
The last-minute announcement left many fans disappointed and frustrated.
“We didn’t receive anything to say it was canceled,” one family told WTAE in Pittsburgh. “We only knew it when we arrived and we saw a piece of paper, you know how it is: when you come to the entrance to get your ticket, there was a piece of paper stuck to it.”
While the arena said in a statement that fans “will receive an email with refund options,” it did little to ease the inconvenience for some.
‘We all got ready and arranged babysitters and paid for parking, which we don’t get [our] money in return,” one fan told WTAE.
A Netflix Christmas spectacle
Carey brings her holiday magic to Netflix’s first-ever NFL Christmas Gameday on December 25, where she headlines the show opener in a big way.
The event marks a major milestone as Netflix ventures into live sports streaming, and who better to usher in this new holiday tradition than the Queen of Christmas herself?
30 years of holiday magic
“All I Want for Christmas Is You” has now been certified 16 times platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America, making it the highest-certified single ever from a female artist, according to Variety. Originally released in 1994, the song has topped the Billboard Hot 100 for six years in a row, with a total of fifteen weeks at No. 1 since 2019.
“I had absolutely no idea the impact the song would ultimately have worldwide,” Carey told Billboard in 2021 about writing the hit single. “How could I? It was so early in my career and most young artists at that time weren’t really making Christmas music at the beginning of their career.”
While it’s now a staple of holiday playlists (although some might argue it’s returning a little too soon), the song had a surprisingly slow climb to success.
According to Billboard, it was not certified gold (500,000 copies) until December 2005, eleven years after its release. Even then, it took another 14 years to reach platinum status (1 million copies). Since then, however, it has become an unstoppable force, hitting No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 every holiday season.
Queen of Christmas
Carey’s connection to the holidays remains unparalleled. Her voice, her style and her ability to tap into the nostalgia of Christmas have made her a cultural icon.
As fans belt out “All I Want for Christmas Is You” for another year, one thing is clear: With her 30-year holiday legacy still growing, she could continue to reign as the Queen of Christmas for many seasons to come.
