“It’s timeeee!” – Mariah Carey
Christmas, Hanukkah, and Kwanzaa are holidays that bring joy to people all around the world. Traditions range from lighting a menorah, feasting til you explode, and setting up sugar cookies by the chimney for a mythical plump guy who breaks into houses each December.
And then there’s Mariah Carey.
Carey has contributed to the holiday season for years. Her song, “All I Want for Christmas,” has fused itself with American Christmas tradition. Like the rickroll by Rick Astley and the 21st night of September, Carey will simply never die. The Howl doesn’t actually wish for her demise, but it seems like her song will never take a Christmas Vacation.
And no, I don’t want a lot for Christmas. But I do want to know how her song has had such a huge effect on society.
Carey’s legend originated in 1994. But similar to that neighbor down the street, Carey spread the Christmas spirit way too early. She released her song before Halloween. But the magic really began in 2017, when fans and followers noticed that despite her age, Carey’s classic Christmas song never grew old.
On October 31, Carey posted a Youtube video titled Mariah Carey- IT’S TIME!! The video depicts her trapped in a defrosting ice cube. She shatters the ice and yells, “IT’S TIMEEEE!!” as her classic song begins playing in the background.
To students across campus, Mariah Carey’s spot on the Spotify playlist is part of the holiday tradition due to her song return to glory every year. Thus, Mariah defrosts.
“[The defrosting] is like a tradition throughout the entire internet,” said 7th grader, Nadia F.
“All I Want For Christmas” has been synonymous with Carey, as it seems that she’s only known among teens for that specific song.
“Who’s Mariah Carey?” asked Brynlee C., a 7th grader at Day Creek.
But as soon as the Howl mentioned “All I Want for Christmas,” Brynlee realized exactly who she is.
“Oh, I think she’s known for her song,” said Brynlee. “It’s happy and brings joy.”
“All I Want For Christmas” provides warmth in December. Carey’s name may not carry Taylor Swift power, but her songs do.
“Me personally, I don’t listen to her [Carey], but I think she’s [known for her song] because during Christmas time a lot of people are into Christmas music,” said Aliyah H. “I think that song gives a kind of vibe.”
The notion that “All publicity is good publicity” is usually attributed to the 19th century circus owner, Phineas T. Barnum. Carey is like a carnival act that people never tire of.
“Every single year [Carey] does get money, like $100 million off of that one song.” said 7th grader Maya D. “If you look at the views in her music video, it’s probably a lot.”
Carey doesn’t earn that much money from her song each year, but her actual royalties are still pretty staggering.
Ben Franklin once said that “ nothing is certain except death and taxes.” But he obviously didn’t know about Mariah.
“When Mariah Carey defrosts, I defrost. And me and my mom start singing that song together. [Carey] is my inspiration and a world wide sensation,” said 7th grader, Lyra L, My mom really loves Mariah Carey cause she was big [back] in her times too, so we both like singing along to her. [We] sing along to her every year. It makes me feel happy; it’s kind of like a tradition to me.”
