Mariah Carey declares “It's time” for the holiday season in a social media video

Topline

Mariah Carey wasted no time in ushering in the start of the holiday season by portraying the transition from Halloween to Christmas in a video posted to her social media accounts at midnight on November 1st, in which she performed her annual chart-topper ” “All I Want for Christmas Is” you introduced.”

Important facts

Important background

Carey's Christmas music continues to grow in popularity each year, and every year she tops the charts with her signature holiday hit, “All I Want for Christmas Is You.” Carey has broken several chart records with her holiday music: “All I Want for Christmas Is You” is the only song to land at No. 1 on the Hot 100 in five consecutive calendar years (between 2019 and 2023), and this is the case The first Christmas song to exceed one billion streams on Spotify. The song is also an annual marketing opportunity and source of income for Carey, who promotes her holiday music on social media and embarks on holiday concert tours each year. The Associated Press reported last year, citing an unnamed expert, that total royalties for the song could soon exceed $100 million. Billboard estimated last year that the song generated $8.5 million in worldwide revenue and royalties, of which Carey pocketed an estimated $1.86 million in royalties and another undisclosed sum due to her share as a songwriter.

What you should pay attention to

How many weeks will “All I Want for Christmas Is You” top the Billboard Hot 100 this holiday season — and whether it will continue to cement itself as one of the longest-running Hot 100 No. 1 hits of all time? After hitting number 1 for the first time in 2019, the song spent a total of 14 weeks at the top of the charts and has topped the charts every holiday season since. 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” for the second-longest No. 1 hit. with a total of 16 weeks at No. 1. The longest reign at No. 1 is 19 weeks, a record held by Lil Nas X's “Old Town Road.” A challenge for Carey, however, could be Brenda Lee's 1958 classic “Rockin' Around The Christmas Tree,” which topped the Hot 100 for the first time in two weeks last year.

Surprising fact

Carey attempted to trademark the title “Queen of Christmas” to market a range of products in 2022, but the Trial Trademark and Appeal Board rejected her application. Carey faced a legal challenge from Elizabeth Chan, a singer who exclusively releases Christmas music, who filed a petition against Carey's trademark application.

Further reading

Mariah Carey's 'All I Want for Christmas Is You' Jingle Returns to No. 1 on Billboard Hot 100 (Billboard)

This is how much Mariah Carey and Brenda Lee earn per year from their Christmas classics (Forbes)

Mariah Carey Dethroned: Brenda Lee's 1958 'Rockin' Around The Christmas Tree' Reaches Top 100 for First Time, Breaks Records (Forbes)