Every year like clockwork Mariah Carey does not arrive for Christmas she ascends. One minute it is November minding its business and the next minute Mariah is defrosting herself on the internet reminding everyone that Christmas belongs to her and has for decades.
Let us start with the obvious. All I Want for Christmas Is You is not just a song it is a seasonal takeover. Released in 1994 the track somehow gets bigger every single year. According to streaming data it consistently returns to the top of the Billboard Hot 100 every December making Mariah the first artist in history to hit number one with the same song in four separate decades. That is not luck baby that is domination.
Streaming platforms fully participate in the ritual. Spotify Apple Music and YouTube all see massive spikes the moment December hits with All I Want for Christmas Is You pulling in tens of millions of streams weekly during the holiday season. Industry estimates say the song earns Mariah several million dollars every year just in royalties. While the rest of us are buying wrapping paper she is buying legacy.
And Mariah knows exactly what she is doing. Every November 1st without fail she posts a perfectly timed video officially declaring the start of Christmas. Fans wait for it like a national holiday. The memes fly the captions scream and Mariah casually reminds us that she is not just part of Christmas culture she is the culture.
She also dominates charts globally. The song has topped charts in the US UK Australia Germany and more proving that Christmas joy sounds best with a whistle note no matter the language. Retail stores radio stations and holiday playlists all fall in line because resistance is futile. If you walk into Target and do not hear Mariah within five minutes check the calendar something is wrong.
What makes it even sweeter is that Mariah was initially told the song might not work because it was original and not a classic cover. Fast forward thirty years and it is now considered a modern Christmas standard sitting comfortably next to songs that have been around since the 1950s. That is growth that is power that is Black girl magic wrapped in tinsel.
Mariah Carey does not chase Christmas trends Christmas chases her. She has turned one song one season and one perfectly timed internet moment into an empire. Every year new artists drop holiday music and every year Mariah gently but firmly reminds them there is levels to this.
So when December rolls around and her voice fills the air just know this is not coincidence. This is tradition. This is strategy. This is Mariah Carey ruling Christmas with a glittering iron fist and honestly we would not have it any other way.
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