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Mariah Carey’s crown as the queen of Christmas

This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at UC Riverside chapter.

“Christmas will never be canceled at my house” – Mariah Carey 

It is officially December, which means that it is now socially acceptable to listen to Christmas music. As Mariah Carey earns her whole yearly paycheck in the next 25 days, one begins to wonder what is it about her monumental song “All I Want for Christmas is You” that makes the listener keep coming back for more?  

Even before the release of her iconic Christmas album “Merry Christmas,” Mariah Carey was already on the rise. The album debuted at number 30 on the Billboard 200 Charts, peaking at number 3 during its fifth week out. This album was a stepping stone on Mariah’s climb to the top, earning her the title of queen of Christmas. 

For some reason, one song from “Merry Christmas” popped up on the Billboard charts every year around Christmas time. In 2011 she released an “All I Want for Christmas is You (SuperFestive)” duet with Justin Beiber; although not as iconic as the original, this remix bolstered the song’s success further. “All I Want for Christmas” has continued to top the charts year after year, even 27 years later, hitting the top 5 every holiday season. 

After over a billion streams, how is it possible that we haven’t gotten sick of “All I want for Christmas is You?” The song provides a timeless nostalgic quality reminiscent of Christmas past. To put it straightforwardly, Mariah Carey’s seminal classic “All I want for Christmas is You” is Christmas, and by coming back to the classic piece of art every year, we are reminded of the charming and warm feelings of Christmas. After all this time, this iconic song continues to have the number one spot on all holiday playlists.

Senna Omar

UC Riverside '25

Senna is a political science major, who plans on going to law school. Her passions include writing, photography, and journalism and she plans on becoming a political journalist following graduation.