From “Hero” and “Vision of Love” to “One Sweet Day,” “We Belong Together,” and the timeless “All I Want For Christmas Is You,” Mariah Carey’s hits have resonated across the globe. This legendary New York native holds the most chart-topping singles in Billboard Hot 100 history. Her debut album was a sensation in 1990, as was her remarkable five-octave vocal range. As of 2025, Mariah Carey boasts five Grammy Awards and remains one of the best-selling female artists of all time, with over 200 million albums sold worldwide. So, what else do we know about this iconic star? Let’s discover more on new-york-trend.
Mariah Carey’s Childhood
Mariah Carey was born on March 27, 1969, in Huntington, New York. Her father, Alfred Roy Carey, was an aeronautical engineer of Venezuelan descent. Her mother, Patricia, was a vocal coach and opera singer. Mariah was the youngest of their three children. Her parents divorced when she was three years old, but she had already begun singing even earlier.
At just two years old, Mariah so skillfully imitated her mother’s operatic singing that Patricia was astonished. By age four, she enrolled her daughter in vocal lessons. Eventually, the young girl developed a voice spanning five octaves, a rare feat among singers.
In 1987, Mariah graduated from Harborfields High School in Greenlawn, New York, and moved to Manhattan. She took on odd jobs as a waitress and studied cosmetology, all while spending her evenings writing songs and dreaming of a musical career.
First Major Breakthrough
At 18, Mariah met singer Brenda K. Starr at a CBS Records party. Starr recognized Mariah’s talent, invited her to be a backup vocalist, and asked her to bring her own demo tapes. As a result, Mariah’s cassette tape landed in the hands of Tommy Mottola, then president of Columbia Records. He listened to the entire tape and immediately decided to sign the unknown young woman—a decision that proved to be a stroke of genius.
Since then, Mariah Carey has released 15 studio albums, 14 of which landed in the top five of the Billboard 200 chart, with 6 albums reaching the coveted number one spot. The celebrated pop diva has sold over 200 million albums worldwide, currently surpassed in popularity only by Beyoncé, Rihanna, and Taylor Swift.
In 1989, after signing her contract, she began working on her debut album. Titled Mariah Carey, it was released the following year and featured four singles: “Vision of Love,” “Someday,” “Love Takes Time,” and “I Don’t Wanna Cry.” Within two months, it went platinum, and by the early 21st century, it had sold 9 million copies. The young artist also received five Grammy nominations, winning for “Best New Artist” and “Best Pop Vocal Performance, Female.”
Mariah Carey’s Musical Career Progression
Mariah Carey unveiled her second album, Emotions, in the fall of 1991. Its songs “Can’t Let Go” and “Make It Happen” quickly became new hits. The following year, the singer was invited to perform on MTV Unplugged. Her popularity soared, and listeners eagerly awaited her new songs.
Her next album, Music Box, was released in 1993, featuring the now-famous tracks “Dreamlover” and “Hero.” This album achieved diamond status, selling 10 million copies by November 1997.
In 1994, a holiday album of Christmas songs was recorded. In it, Mariah Carey took a risk by blending traditional Christian hymns with new tracks. Incredible success awaited the song “All I Want for Christmas Is You,” which became a Christmas classic and topped the Billboard Hot 100.
Another diamond-selling album for the singer was 1995’s Daydream, which was also nominated for a Grammy Award. The tracks “Fantasy” and “Always Be My Baby” topped music charts, while the hit “One Sweet Day” remained at the pinnacle of the Billboard Hot 100 for 16 weeks.
In 1996, the album Butterfly was released. During this period, Mariah Carey began recording collaborative tracks with other renowned vocalists. For instance, in 1998, she teamed up with the legendary Whitney Houston for the duet “When You Believe” for the animated film The Prince of Egypt. The song later won an Academy Award.
Mariah Carey’s seventh album, Rainbow, was recorded in 1999. For this project, she collaborated with vocalists such as Jay-Z, Snoop Dogg, Usher, and Missy Elliott. Their joint track with Jay-Z, “Heartbreaker,” also became a hit.
In the new millennium, the singer began changing record labels. In 2001, she signed with Virgin Records, and less than a year later, she began collaborating with Island/Def Jam Records. Her album Charmbracelet was released in 2002 but was less successful compared to her previous works.
The 2005 album The Emancipation of Mimi became a new bestseller, selling 7 million copies in two decades. This time, the biggest hit was “We Belong Together,” which stayed at the top of the music charts for 14 weeks and earned two Grammy Awards in 2006.
Her next album, 2008’s E=MC², went platinum, and the tracks “Touch My Body” and “Bye Bye” became new signature songs for the singer. The album Memoirs of an Imperfect Angel followed the next year.
Throughout the 2010s, Mariah Carey’s musical career saw a slight slowdown in development. During this period, the star released her second holiday album, Merry Christmas II You. In 2014, the compilation Me. I Am Mariah…The Elusive Chanteuse was released, followed four years later by her 15th studio album, Caution.
The singer’s most recent releases include a special Christmas recording and anniversary editions of her 1990s albums. In 2022, Mariah Carey was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame.
Film and Television
In the late 1990s, the famous singer decided to try her hand at acting. Her first film was The Bachelor (1999), followed by the semi-autobiographical picture Glitter (2001). Carey recorded the soundtrack for this film and played the lead role, though the project did not achieve significant success.
Despite this, Mariah Carey continued her work on film sets. She appeared in the gangster drama WiseGirls (2002), the film Tennessee (2008), the Oscar-winning drama Precious (2009), and the movie The Butler (2013).
In 2015, the singer took on roles as both director and actress in the holiday film A Christmas Melody. She later voiced animated characters and made cameo appearances in comedies. Additionally, she participated in various television shows. For example, in 2012, Carey was a judge on the reality show American Idol.
The Famous Singer’s Personal Life
Mariah Carey’s first husband was her music executive, Tommy Mottola. They met when Mottola invited her to sign a contract, and they began dating in 1991. At the time of their marriage, Mariah was 24 and Mottola was 43. Their marriage lasted from 1993 to 1998 and was later described as unhappy by both parties.
In 2008, the singer married actor and rapper Nick Cannon, who was 10 years her junior. She married him after only a few weeks of dating, which began during the filming of the music video for her song “Bye Bye.” The couple had two children, twins Monroe and Moroccan.
Nick and Mariah lived together for six years, announcing their separation in August 2014 and finalizing their divorce two years later. They continue to co-parent their children.
Before her second marriage, Mariah Carey dated Latin American singer Luis Miguel, and afterward, she became engaged to Australian businessman James Packer. However, the couple soon called off their engagement. In 2017, it was revealed that the singer was dating dancer Bryan Tanaka. They lived together but broke up in late 2023.
In 2001, the star was diagnosed with Bipolar II disorder. She tried to conceal it for a long time but eventually began speaking openly about the illness and supporting others with the same diagnosis. Additionally, Mariah Carey raises funds for the Fresh Air Fund and is a co-founder of Camp Mariah.
In 2024, her elder sister Alison and her mother passed away. These losses were quite difficult for the singer, but she continues to work and has no plans to end her career.
