Mariah Carey’s Expansive Career — From a ’90s Grunge Album to Becoming Queen of Christmas — Celebrated at MusiCares Person of the Year Gala
It may be a few weeks past Mariah Carey‘s signature season, but the Queen of Christmas was celebrated for her decades of year-round accomplishments at the MusiCares Person of the Year Gala on Friday night.
The signature Grammy weekend event, which supports MusiCares’ work for the health and welfare of the music community, features cross-genre artists taking the stage to cover the honoree’s hit songs; this year, Jennifer Hudson kicked off the concert with a medley of “I Don’t Wanna Cry,” “My All,” “Vision of Love” and “Make It Happen.”
That was followed by a rather surprising entry from Carey’s catalog — two songs from Someone’s Ugly Daughter, a grunge album released in 1995 under the moniker Chick, which the star revealed in 2020 that she had recorded and co-produced decades earlier. Taylor Momsen and the Foo Fighters rocked out to the tunes as Carey sang along from her seat inside the L.A. Convention Center.
Charlie Puth (covering “I Still Believe”), Kesha (“Obsessed”), John Legend (“Hero”), Laufey (“It’s Like That”), Adam Lambert (“Can’t Let Go”) and Maggie Rogers (“Honey”) were also on the performer docket, with Babyface, SZA, Richard Marx, Rita Wilson, Kim Burrell and Gayle King appearing as presenters.
Stevie Wonder made a surprise appearance, telling Carey, “The greatest thing about you and I is we have respect and love for each other.” And at a time when many artists are using their platforms to speak out politically, he also told the crowd, “When you speak, it’s for free. When you talk, it’s for free. When you sing, it’s for free. It’s been given to you, the gift of life, which is free. I say to all of you, not just here but throughout the world, never let anyone think they can take your freedom away.”
Later on, Busta Rhymes called Carey, “Queen, royal empress,” as he teasingly expressed his appreciation that she texts him back: “I love whenever I need you, even when it’s not the most convenient, you pull up for Busta Rhymes.” He then performed their song “I Know What You Want,” followed by Billy Porter taking on her classic “Always Be My Baby” — and stopping in the middle to joke, “When you wrote these lyrics, did you realize you were serving stalker realness? But we’ve all been there baby, that’s why we love the song so much.” Girl group Flo sang “Dreamlover” and Teddy Swims took on “Without You,” admitting that singing directly to the star “was terrifying.”
Getting to the award portion of the evening, Universal Music Publishing Group chairman and CEO Jody Gerson was on hand to present, emphasizing how Carey “wrote or co-wrote virtually her entire catalog” and blended “pop accessibility with R&B, gospel and hip-hop songwriting traditions, in ways that open the door to genre-fluid pop, especially for female artists who follow her.” Gerson also noted with how she expanded “the collective vocabulary of millions of fans around the world” with her sophisticated lyrics that turned “SAT words into chart-toppers.”
“Before Mariah emerged and changed the game, female pop artists were often viewed as interpreters rather than writers of their own work. Mariah shattered that narrative by pairing chart dominance with songwriting authorship,” Gerson continued. “She helped redefine what it meant to be a female pop star as a self-directed artist. Mariah combined glamour and intellect, vulnerability and power, technical mastery and emotional storytelling. She is a symbol of resilience, reinvention and creative self-determination — and yes, she owns Christmas.”
Carey accepted her award to a standing ovation, as she joked she was “surrounded by so many friendly and familiar faces — people I’ve worked with, people I’ve long admired, even people I thought I’d never see again.” (One of those faces was Anderson .Paak, who has sparked dating rumors with Carey and was spotted at her table.)
The star said, “receiving this honor is one of the most profound moments of my life and career” because of the long line of icons who have gotten it before her. “Tonight has been sublime. To hear my songs reimagined by some of the world’s greatest artists — it’s surreal. When I was a little girl scribbling lyrics in my notebook late at night, I could only dream of someone hearing those words and relating to them,” Carey added. “Never in my wildest dreams did I think I’d be here with all of these magnificent artists singing my songs back to me, infusing them with their own artistry and giving them all new life. This has given me life, and I appreciate you so much.”
The ceremony wouldn’t be complete without a touch of that Christmas magic though, as Jon Batiste led a rendition of “All I Want For Christmas Is You” to close out the show, joined by the night’s performers against a wintery backdrop. Carey, who had already gone backstage at the time, came back out to finish the song before the Christmas Queen officially goes into hibernation until next season.
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