The feeling of a cold breeze, the smell of hot chocolate, and the sound of Christmas songs on repeat are all essential components of the winter season. As the end of the year approaches, along with the Christmas spirit, a major influence is Mariah Carey’s discography, particularly her many holiday hits. Otherwise known as the “Queen of Christmas,” the jolly season would not be the same without her.

   Carey has created plenty of Christmas songs to keep her reputation going, yet an outlier remains. Ever since its release in October 1994, after her third album, the song “All I Want For Christmas is You” has been a Christmas classic that has a chokehold on many. It became popular from the get-go, playing on radio stations worldwide. By association, the sensationalized song made Carey an important figure of the Christmas season. It helped her set a record in 2019 as the first artist to hit number one on Billboard’s Hot 100 chart in four different decades. It also earned the top spot in December, 25 years after its release date, according to a Time Magazine article (time.com).

   According to Parade’s website, “60 million dollars is roughly the amount of money that this singer attained through the years of 1994-2016 because of her song ‘All I Want for Christmas is You’, meaning that it makes approximately 2.3 million dollars each year during the holiday season. That money is added to her 320 million dollar net worth” (parade.com). Her influence over the holiday has had a significant impact on music listeners all around the world while making Carey herself more and more rich.

   Social media plays a big part in this song’s (and Mariah’s) popularity. As soon as the clock hits 12 on Halloween, it officially becomes Mariah Carey season. Carey continues the tradition of reigning the holly season, posting about it since the early 2000s. The sharing of the song quickly spreads as more people gear up for this time of year, and the cycle repeats every year. Carey herself does much of the heavy lifting, promoting the song considerably every holiday season to cash in on the trend. It’s impossible not to listen to this song during Christmas season. Walk into any store during the season and I guarantee you’ll be hearing it play in pretty much every single store.

   There are many other Christmas songs that are popular, including “It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas” by Michael Bublé, “Christmas (Baby please come home)” by Darlene Love, and “Mistletoe” by Justin Bieber. Countless holiday-themed songs have put female singers in the spotlight. Why is it that Carey is the one trademarked with the title “Queen of Christmas”?

   In fact, Carey’s influence has stretched to the point where there was a threat of a lawsuit involving her and Darlene Love. According to CBS News, “Carey’s legal team filed a petition to trademark ‘Queen of Christmas’ in March 2021, but it was made public in July, giving others the opportunity to oppose it” (cbs.news.com). There was a feud as to whether people agreed to this or not. It depended on who you were talking to as well as on their opinion who they enjoy more, Darlene Love or Mariah Carey. This feud only ended with an argument over social media between the two.

  Mariah Carey is a cornerstone of the cozy season and rightfully earns the title of “Queen of Christmas.” Carey has created lots of good songs during her time, particularly “All I Want for Christmas is You,” and will forever be associated with the holidays, spreading immense joy. Simply put, the Christmas season would not be the same without her.