Mariah Carey Biography

Mariah Carey, the renowned pop singer, holds the record of most number 1 debut tracks in the history of Billboard Hot 100 with songs like “Vision of Love” and “We Belong Together”.

Early Life

Mariah was born on the 27^th of March, 1970, in Huntington, Long Island to a voice coach and opera singer mother. At age 4 she was getting singing lessons, later starting to write songs. In 1987, after graduating, Carey moved to Manhattan working different jobs while at night working on a music career to happen.

Music Career Debut and Success

Her demo tape ended up to the president of Columbia Records, Tommy Mottola. After listening to the tape in his car he signed Mariah, age 18. Her self-entitled debut album was released in 1990 and produced 4 number 1’s such as “Vision of Love,” “Love Takes Time,” “Some Day,” and “I Don’t Wanna Cry.” It got an overwhelmingly good response from the public as it sold 15 million copies in the United States alone as well as 2 Grammy wins (“Best New Artist” and “Best Female Pop Vocal Performance”). Mariah’s 2^nd album, “Emotions”, was revealed in 1991, and was a Motown soul tribute album as it influenced Mariah as a child. Although weaker than her first album, this record was more mature and Carey’s songwriting, the album’s production, and the new sound was praised. The third album “Music Box” 1993, was written with the intention of being more appealing to a wider audience, so the style was more pop. Debuting at number 1, it also made 2 number 1 hits, “Dreamlover” and “Hero”. It was and still is one of the best-selling albums off all time with 32 million copies sold.

Christmas Album and a New Perspective

In 1994 she released a Christmas-themed album, “Merry Christmas” which, again, proved to be the best-selling Christmas album of all time. “All I Want for Christmas is You” was critically acclaimed and is one of the most recognized and played holiday songs. “Daydream”, the fourth album, 1995, focused on pop, mixed with R&B and hip-hop influences, its lead single “Fantasy” debuting at number 1. The album was certified Diamond by the RIAA, as its predecessor, “Music Box”. Critically, it was considered her best album. With the next album, she was ready to change her music direction, taking more control and infusing more styles and as well as taking her separation from Mottola as a new found freedom. The 1997 album, “Butterfly” was released with 11 songs written by her.

Struggles and Comeback

Entering the 2000s, Mariah also entered a difficult era of her life. Her relationship with the label Sony started to decline, the failure of her movie “Glitter” and the 80 million dollar record deal with EMI was interrupted. She made the comeback, after much turmoil with the 2002 album “Charmbracelet” which is considered to be her less successful album. As a result, she focused more on her 10^th album, “The Emancipation of Mimi” (2005) which was accepted warmly by the public and critics alike. “We Belong Together” broke expectations of her downfall and was her 16^th number 1 hit. She received 3 more Grammys for this album. Along with the arrival of her 11^th album “E=MC²” and the single “Touch my Body”, Mariah became the second artist, after The Beatles with the most number 1 singles in the US. In the ensuing years, she has been part of the 12^th Season of American Idol and took residency in Las Vegas to perform as a lead artist in 2015.

Photo credit: Mariahcarey.com