Mariah Carey Declares ‘It’s Time’ For Holiday Season In Social Media Video

Topline

Mariah Carey wasted no time ushering in the start to the holiday season, depicting the transition from Halloween to Christmas in a video posted to her social media accounts at midnight on Nov. 1, featuring her annual chart-topper “All I Want for Christmas Is You.”

Key Facts

Key Background

Carey’s holiday music enjoys a resurgence in popularity every year, and she annually tops the charts with her signature Christmas hit, “All I Want for Christmas Is You.” Carey has broken various chart records with her holiday music: “All I Want for Christmas Is You” is the only song to have hit No. 1 on the Hot 100 in five consecutive calendar years (between 2019 and 2023), and it is the first holiday song to have surpassed 1 billion streams on Spotify. The song is also an annual marketing opportunity and income stream for Carey, who promotes her Christmas music on social media every year and has embarked on holiday concert tours. The Associated Press, citing an unnamed expert, reported last year the song may soon surpass $100 million in total royalty earnings. Billboard estimated last year the song generated $8.5 million in global revenue and publishing royalties, of which it estimated Carey pocketed $1.86 million in royalties and another unknown sum based on her share as a songwriter.

What To Watch For

How many weeks “All I Want for Christmas Is You” may top the Billboard Hot 100 this holiday season—and whether it will further solidify itself as one of the longest-running Hot 100 No. 1 hits of all time. The song has led the chart for 14 total weeks after it hit No. 1 for the first time in 2019, and it has topped the chart every holiday season since then. Carey needs two more weeks at No. 1 to tie her own hit, “One Sweet Day,” as well as Morgan Wallen’s “Last Night” and Luis Fonsi and Daddy Yankee’s “Despacito” as the second-longest running No. 1 hit, with 16 total weeks at No. 1. The longest-running reign at No. 1 is 19 weeks, a record held by Lil Nas X’s “Old Town Road.” Carey may face a challenge, however, from Brenda Lee’s 1958 classic “Rockin’ Around The Christmas Tree,” which topped the Hot 100 for the first time last year for two weeks.

Surprising Fact

Carey tried to trademark the title “Queen of Christmas” in 2022 for marketing a range of products, but the Trial Trademark and Appeal Board rejected her request. Carey faced a legal challenge from Elizabeth Chan, a singer who exclusively releases Christmas music, who filed a motion opposing Carey’s trademark request.

Further Reading

Mariah Carey’s ‘All I Want for Christmas Is You’ Jingles Back to No. 1 on Billboard Hot 100 (Billboard)

Here’s How Much Mariah Carey And Brenda Lee Earn Per Year From Their Holiday Classics (Forbes)

Mariah Carey Dethroned: Brenda Lee’s ‘Rockin’ Around The Christmas Tree’ From 1958 Tops Hot 100 For First Time, Breaking Records (Forbes)