Mariah Carey Signs Rihanna’s Chest During Final Christmas Concert

As a music enthusiast who has spent countless hours immersed in the annals of pop culture, I find myself utterly captivated by the enchanting tale of “All I Want for Christmas Is You.” The story behind this timeless holiday classic is nothing short of extraordinary, much like the woman who brought it to life – the one and only Mariah Carey.

All Rihanna wants for Christmas is Mariah Carey‘s autograph.

On December 17th, Rihanna, founder of Fenty Beauty, went to the last performance of Mariah Carey’s Christmas Time Tour at Barclays Center in Brooklyn. Accompanying her were her boyfriend A$AP Rocky and Jason Lee. Throughout the concert, they were positioned on the floor. Rihanna was observed singing enthusiastically to several songs, including “We Belong Together,” “All I Want for Christmas Is You,” and “My All.

Towards the latter part of the performance, the performer known for “Umbrella” (aged 36) and the creator of Hollywood Unlocked found themselves in the front section of the audience. As Mariah ascended a stairway to reach the stage, she spotted Rihanna who was positioned upfront.

“Is that her?” the “Heartbreaker” singer asked. “Oh my gosh!”

From a different perspective at that instant, Rihanna removed her sunglasses and gestured with her hands, inviting Mariah to approach, “Hey there! I’m asking for your autograph if you don’t mind!

Instead, Mariah didn’t proceed back up the stage but chose to walk down the stairs in reverse, meeting her there to greet her.

She playfully commented, “Performing that task while moving backward is quite unique,” addressing the audience. “I hope no one will ever label me as high-maintenance again!

While making her way towards Rihanna, the singer known for “S&M” informed Jason’s camera, “My partner instructed me to do this,” and Jason echoed, “Rocky had us carry out this task.

The performer appeared quite enthusiastic and queried her companion, “Would it be better if I get her autograph on my shirt or my tee?” To this, he advised that the tee would be a more suitable choice.

“I need a signature!” Rihanna asked as Mariah approached. “Who has a Sharpie?”

The “Always Be My Baby” singer inquired, “Who’s got those sunglasses? Could I possibly purchase them?” To this, Rihanna responded affirmatively, saying, “Of course, keep them without paying a dime.

After getting a pen from another person, Rihanna lowered her shirt and Mariah inquired from the creator of Savage X Fenty, what she desired for her to write on it.

“‘Mariah,’ the f–k you think?” she joked. “Whatever you want. Wow, this is iconic!”

While the actress known for her role in Glitter was penning her signature on Rihanna’s torso, the singer snatched the microphone from her other hand and spoke excitedly to the enthusiastic crowd. “Mariah Carey is signing my…er, let’s say, writing on my T-shirt, everyone! This moment is absolutely incredible. Check it out! Look at that, everybody! I adore you.

As Mariah came back on stage, Rihanna made her way towards A$AP Rocky, whom she affectionately hugged upon reuniting. This duo, parents of sons RZA (2) and Riot (16 months), found their seats together again.

Apart from Rihanna, there have been other unexpected guests making appearances during Mariah’s holiday tour. A memorable instance occurred just a week after Mariah’s twins, Moroccan and Monroe, who she co-parents with ex Nick Cannon, surprised her onstage with flowers to celebrate the fact that “All I Want for Christmas Is You” had climbed back up to No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.

Mariah expressed gratitude and amazement during her December 9th performance in Raleigh, North Carolina, saying, “What a fitting time to discover that! If it’s from the Hot 100, then I want to thank everyone who contributed to making that happen. A huge thank you to each and every one of you!

Additionally, as we’re now in the festive period, let’s continue exploring the mysteries surrounding Mariah’s iconic song, “All I Want for Christmas Is You.

Mariah Carey’s 1994 album, titled “Merry Christmas“, primarily consists of covers such as “Silent Night” and “Joy to the World”. However, it also features three original compositions: “All I Want for Christmas Is You”, “Miss You Most (At Christmas Time)”, and “Jesus Born on This Day.

However, we might consider the first song commonplace now, but as Walter Afanasieff, Carey’s cowriter on those three tunes, noted, crafting fresh Christmas melodies requires substantial evergreens, or in other words, a great deal of effort and creativity.

In a 2014 interview with the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers, he clarified that creating an original Christmas song requires a high level of intelligence due to the numerous traps or clichés one must avoid. If a skilled writer naively employs the conventional themes of jingle, mistletoe, frost, Rudolph, and Santa, the result is often a chaotic and unappealing piece.

In his words, Carey’s unique talent lay in creating a fast-paced, uplifting love song that could be devoted to anyone.

As a seasoned lifestyle connoisseur, I must share an intriguing factoid: The enchanting tune, “All I Want for Christmas Is You,” wasn’t just another holiday melody; it was the crowning jewel of their album collection that they had been nurturing since 1993.

Speaking about their collaboration, Afanasieff mentioned that during the songwriting process for Mimi’s first six studio albums, he would initiate playing music. From there, she would begin crafting melodies and a melodic direction. He explained to ASCAP that this was similar to a game of musical ping-pong, with each person building on the other’s ideas back and forth.

Whenever Carey altered the tune to explore new musical territories, he found himself responding, and they would exchange ideas in this fashion, as he explained. “In terms of its impact, that song ‘All I Want for Christmas Is You’ was a significant endeavor,” he added, emphasizing its simplicity in arrangement.

In fact, he added, “At the time I thought it was overly simple and I didn’t really like it.”

Apart from the flawless lyrics by Carey, Afanasieff mentioned in a 2014 interview with Billboard that he aimed to add a distinct touch by incorporating uncommon chord progressions. He believed this made the piece stand out and remained special over time. This unique element reportedly took about an hour to create, after which he left for home.

Back then, as I listened, the soft tinkling of a xylophone caught my ear, followed by Carey’s captivating voice. Subsequently, the rhythmic pulse of drums and piano kicked in, taking me on a magical winter journey with sleigh bells jingling. Indeed, it seems that the recording studio must have been pulsating with energy when they recorded that track during the summer of 1994, doesn’t it?

In my own words, I’d say, “Every note you hear in that song is me, sitting at my computer. The only authentic element apart from the vocals is my composition.

When her album was released, Carey, who proudly declares herself as the biggest Christmas enthusiast around, stated that she wasn’t aiming to rival the Christmas chart-toppers from the past.

In her interview with CBS News in 1994, she expressed that releasing these Christmas songs was like offering a small token to the world of holiday tunes. She hoped her fans would take pleasure in them and she could perform them as part of the festive season.

As a lifestyle connoisseur, let me share with you an intriguing tale behind the creation of the timeless holiday classic, “All I Want for Christmas Is You.” Contrary to popular belief, this beloved song often associated with togetherness, wasn’t actually crafted in the presence of another person.

She shared with Cosmopolitan in 2019 that she settled down, embellished a miniature tree, popped in the movie ‘It’s a Wonderful Life’, and attempted to create a tranquil ambiance. Subsequently, she found herself in a compact room with a keyboard, experimenting with melodies and improvisations.

That same year, Mariah Carey mentioned in the Amazon Music documentary titled “Mariah Carey Is Christmas: The Story of “All I Want for Christmas Is You”” that she went to “Walter A.” to collaborate on producing the track.

In 2023, Carey clarified the rumor that the creation of her hit song happened in just a quarter-hour on ABC’s Nightline. She explained that the composition process was relatively swift, stating, “I was working on it alone, so I essentially hummed the opening melody and wrote the lyrics on a small Casio keyboard.

Though Afanasieff has basked in the benefits that accompany being acknowledged as a co-writer and producer, with ownership of half the song he stated to Variety in 2019, there are moments when he feels like the famous Christmas queen gave him nothing but a chunk of coal.

“She’s the one that made the song a hit and she’s awesome,” he said. “But she definitely does not share credit where credit is due.”

Although it became widespread many years earlier, the song “All I Want for Christmas Is You” didn’t top the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart until as late as 2019.

But, it has reached the mountaintop every year since.

In a conversation with the Los Angeles Times before her Christmas tour on November 6 (which has been an annual event since 2014, except for 2020), Carey expressed that she couldn’t simply sit and expect this to occur. However, she also mentioned that given how often this situation has arisen in the past, she is overjoyed each time it happens. If it were to happen again, she would be even more delighted.

2024 will reveal its secrets, but it’s clear that Carey is now accustomed to setting new benchmarks during Christmas Eve celebrations.

In 2017, “All I Want for Christmas Is You” broke the record for the most streams on Spotify on Christmas Day, with over 10.8 million plays. This record was surpassed in 2018, reaching 10.82 million streams, and then it set a new high in 2019, with more than 12 million plays.

On Dec. 24, 2022, it bested Adele‘s “Go Easy on Me” for most streams on any day, with 21,273,357.

A year on, “All I Want for Christmas Is You” surpassed previous records by streaming over 23.7 million times in a single day and garnering over 1.5 billion plays, making it the most-streamed Christmas song of all time.

If, upon your initial watch, you assumed that the song sung by the character adored by Thomas Brodie-Sangster in the 2002 film “Love Actually” was a new composition specifically created for the movie, then you are absolved of any error in judgment.

Due to the fact that Olivia Olson’s rendition of “All I Want for Christmas Is You” significantly impacted history or destiny, with many cinema-goers feeling driven to locate the original version.

Afanasieff pointed out to Billboard in 2014 that it’s worth noting a particular trend: Mariah Carey scarcely ever permits the recording of her tunes for use in movies, TV shows, or any other form of media.

And while she turned down countless requests for others to record her signature Christmas song over the years, she made an exception for Love Actually.

According to Afanasieff, it seemed as though she held a special affection for that particular film. She appreciated both the storyline and the cast. I believe her thoughts were something like, “This is a movie about a young girl, and the timing is perfect for me.

In this “All I Want for Christmas Is You” world, there’s a kid’s book and an animated movie sharing the same title. As reported by ABC News, Mariah Carey has raked in approximately $72 million from the song alone up until December 2023.

Before Carey’s tune registered, it had been a minute since a Christmas song was also a massive hit.

If you consider the melancholic “Last Christmas” by Wham! a traditional holiday tune, we’re referring to the year 1984. On the other hand, if you prefer your Christmas songs with a bit more cheer, Jose Feliciano first sang “Feliz Navidad” in 1970.

As a devoted admirer, I must acknowledge that John Lennon and Yoko Ono significantly impacted culture through their 1971 release, “Happy Xmas (The War Is Over)”. However, this song didn’t immediately resonate as a massive hit in the U.S. Upon closer inspection, it carries a melancholic tone, with even the great Mariah Carey describing it as “quite sad”.

Ever since I first heard Brenda Lee’s lively 1958 hit “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree” (penned by Johnny Marks), there hasn’t been another cheerful tune that has added such a delightful twist to the holiday playlist while also achieving massive sales. To this day, the charm of Mariah Carey’s rendition remains unparalleled.

In a conversation with Billboard, Atanasieff expressed that their holiday tune is comparable to an extraordinary celestial event happening once every 5 billion years. He added that although countless original Christmas songs have been penned in the past two decades, somehow “All I Want For Christmas Is You” has emerged as the iconic holiday song.

Moreover, he mentioned that it was “the final significant carol to be included in that cherished collection of Christmas songs, and since then, the gate has remained firmly closed.

In her explanation about the longevity of the song, Carey said to Nightline in 2023, “I believe it’s due to my genuine affection for the holiday season. It’s sincere.

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2024-12-18 16:49