Mariah Carey Denies Coining Herself the ‘Queen of Christmas’
Mariah Carey is in the holiday spirit all season but kicks things up a notch right after Halloween. The festive five-octave singer’s Christmas music catalog is equally as impressive as her non-holiday tracks, both on record and by the way the music sells. While fans know her as the “queen of Christmas,” Carey says she didn’t give herself that moniker.
Mariah Carey says she never called herself the “Queen of Christmas”
Carey has been on a reign with all things Christmas since she released her multi-platinum-selling album Merry Christmas in 1994. The album featured her hits “All I Want For Christmas Is You,” “Christmas (Baby Please Come Home),” “Hark the Herald Angels Sing,” and more. Since then, she’s released additional holiday music and merchandise – and made the holiday synonymous with her brand.
While appearing on The Late Show With Stephen Colbert to promote her new holiday concert special Mariah Carey: Merry Christmas To All, Carey spoke on being dubbed the queen of Christmas.
“First of all, may I say I never called myself the ‘Queen of Christmas’?” she said, interrupting him. “Can we please be clear on that?” Colbert responded: “I never accused you of that.”
Carey noted: “You did not, my friend, but others have,” she responded before mimicking verbiage that she is the “self-proclaimed ‘Queen of Christmas.’ Really? I’m gonna do that? They can look up every interview I’ve ever done, and not to get super religious, but I was like, ‘I think, like, if anybody would be the ‘Queen of Christmas,’ that would be Mary,” she joked.
She recently lost a trademark bid for “Queen of Christmas”
Despite Carey claiming she never gave herself the famous nickname, her legal team filed a petition to trademark “Queen of Christmas” in March 2021. The request became public in July 2022, with many opposing her request in the press.
Per CBS News, Carey intended to use the trademark on items like perfumes, body lotions, skin care products, makeup, spa products, hair care, nail polish, and sunglasses. She also wanted to use the title on her music, music videos, and various music-based entertainment.
Carey never made any public statements about it. “All I Want For Christmas” recently made history by selling more than 12 million copies, making history as the first holiday single to ever reach diamond status by the RIAA.
How she’s celebrating the holiday with her twins and boyfriend
As Carey completes her holiday performance schedule, she’s looking forward to spending some time with her 11-year-old twins – and her boyfriend, Bryan Tanaka. “It is such a busy time of the year for me, but I try to have a few days where we just spend time at home, relax, decorate, and cook some of our favorite holiday dishes–which includes my anointed greens!” she told E! News. “We also love traveling to Aspen, which truly feels like a winter wonderland. The kids hit the slopes, play in the snow. It’s a kind of festive experience that we can’t get at home.”
Now that her children are older, she says her twins’ Christmas lists are a lot different. “They usually have their lists and are so excited to walk me through this new game and that new gadget,” she continued. “I want them to have everything they want. I want them to have everything I couldn’t and know they can be whoever they choose to [be]. They’re always on Santa’s ‘nice’ list, so the surprises are always a treat.”
