Mariah Carey Is So Much More Than Her Legendary Christmas Album

I grew up on the pop icon's songs and ballads. But her later and braver lyrics about trauma resonated with me the most.

Now that Christmas is around the corner, you’d think that the only music Mariah Carey ever created had tambourines jingling, trumpets blaring and sleigh bells ringing in the background.

This season marks the 30th anniversary of her legendary album, “Mariah Carey Merry Christmas.” Tickets to her Christmas tour are on sale and in high demand. According to Billboard, her iconic song, “All I Want for Christmas is You,” is one of the most popular songs in holiday music history.

I recently found myself careening down my own Mariah-shaped rabbit hole when I logged onto my Amazon account to shop for a pair of track pants only to discover the musician’s sparkling holiday collection. My hunt for activewear was soon forgotten, replaced by a burning need for a Mariah-inspired snow globe, or a gold ornament with the letter M stenciled on it in the kind of typeface that screams incomparable cultural icon. (Has Microsoft yet to name a font after the superstar? If not, they should. I propose something with the word “royal” in it.)

I mean, seriously. Who couldn’t use a Mariah Carey outdoor lawn inflatable Christmas decoration?

It’s natural, now, to equate the artist with all things Christmas. But the rest of her discography is also iconic, especially to those who spent the ’90s devouring, and re-devouring, her earliest records. Mariah Carey is so much more than her legendary Christmas album.