Carey debuted “All I Want for Christmas Is You” in 1994. The song reportedly took just 15 minutes to compose but its reach and impact have endured the test of time.
Carey’s venture into Christmas music came at a time when many artists saw holiday music as an act of desperation in artists to sell out. Carey’s career was just getting started and this decision would take her to the next level.
Carey’s position represents a long line of Black women who have redefined the sound of Christmas. Eartha Kitt famously created the definitive “Santa Baby.” Dinah Washington has one of the most iconic renditions of “Silent Night” recorded.
Black women have always been at the center of the Christmas sound making Carey another artist in this legacy.
“All I Want for Christmas” is the highest grossing Christmas single performed by a Black woman artist selling more than 16 million copies and counting. She is now the leading lady of Christmastime and her voice is now synonymous with the season.
Mariah Carey is widely regarded as the face of Christmas music. Her gift of music reminds us of just how powerful Black women are and how much our culture feeds this country.