This essay is part of HuffPost’s series “This Made Me,” a collection of stories about the pop culture that moves us. We republished this 2024 story just in time for the holidays.
Now that Christmas is around the corner, you’d think that the only music Mariah Carey ever created had tambourines jingling, trumpets blaring and sleigh bells ringing in the background.
The 2024 holiday season marked the 30th anniversary of her legendary album, “Mariah Carey Merry Christmas.” According to Billboard, her iconic song, “All I Want for Christmas is You,” is one of the most popular songs in holiday music history.
I recently found myself careening down my own Mariah-shaped rabbit hole when I logged onto my Amazon account to shop for a pair of track pants only to discover the musician’s sparkling holiday collection. My hunt for activewear was soon forgotten, replaced by a burning need for a Mariah-inspired snow globe, or a gold ornament with the letter M stenciled on it in the kind of typeface that screams incomparable cultural icon. (Has Microsoft yet to name a font after the superstar? If not, they should. I propose something with the word “royal” in it.)
I mean, seriously. Who couldn’t use a Mariah Carey outdoor lawn inflatable Christmas decoration?
