5 times Mariah Carey expertly shut down the haters
Mariah Carey (Getty)
There’s no bigger diva than Mariah Carey. When the Elusive Chanteuse isn’t at the centre of the latest viral internet meme or putting dolphins to shame with her signature five-octave vocal range and whistle notes, she’s making headlines across the globe.
Speaking to People magazine recently, the “We Belong Together” hitmaker revealed she’s been secretly living with bipolar II disorder for nearly eighteen years.
She was diagnosed with the condition in 2001, shortly after being hospitalised for exhaustion.
The singer had put out a new album every year of the 1990s, and the pressure of her booming career eventually caught up.
Carey told People that, at the time, she was “working and working” and in “constant fear of letting people down”.
Related: Drag queen ‘denied entry’ to Mariah Carey concert for being in drag
(Getty)
After receiving the diagnosis, the Grammy winner admitted that she “didn’t want to believe it.” But now, after the “hardest couple of years” of her life and receiving medical treatment, she’s in a good place.
Despite all the obstacles she’s come up against – such as the uncommercial success of 2001 film Glitter and the 2016 New Year’s Eve debacle – Mariah has proven time and time again that she won’t let anything or anyone get in her way.
Here are five times the queen of diamonds shut down the haters.
1. ‘That’ tweet after her disastrous NYE performance
Mimi’s tweets are, as you’d expect, iconic and just a bit extra.
When her set at the 2016 Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve was engulfed by technical difficulties, the 48-year-old crooner was slammed with a barrage of criticism.
While Carey’s management at the time pointed the finger of blame at the production team, Dick Clark’s camp suggested that the show was a disaster because she turned up late for rehearsals.
Whatever the case, the superstar showed her human side by tweeting “Shit happens,” and wishing everyone a Happy New Year.
The tweet has racked up over 60,000 retweets.
Related: I’m not going to pretend I’m bisexual, says Mariah Carey
2. She’s been vocal about her beef with Madonna
Just a few years after Mariah’s 1990 debut, fierce competitor Madonna sparked a feud between the two singers when she allegedly said she’d rather kill herself than be Carey.
Of course, this didn’t go well down with Mariah or her loyal fans, the Lambily. In a video interview, she responded by saying: “I haven’t paid attention to Madonna since I was in fifth or sixth grade, when she used to be popular.”
It quickly became an iconic part of pop culture.
3. She released the ultimate diss track
Mariah has also faced shade from Eminem. At the start of the millennium, the rapper told Rolling Stone that he and Carey had been involved in a relationship.
However, he explained that he wasn’t “really feeling it” and “I just don’t like her as a person.”
Carey famously responded to these rumours by releasing diss track “Obsessed” in 2009.
Em got his own back with his own shady single, called “The Wanted”, in which he says “Wow Mariah, didn’t expect you to go … ‘fore I put all them phone calls out.”
(Getty)
Related: Mariah Carey is selling her own Pride-themed merchandise
4. She Dissed the Grammys
Considering Mariah has sold over 200 million records and penned seventeen of her eighteen number one singles, you may be surprised to learn that she only has five Grammys.
She was dealt the biggest blow by the awards show in 1996, when she was nominated for six gongs but won none of them.
Many fans and critics were surprised because during that year she released three number one singles (Fantasy, One Sweet Day and Always Be My Baby) from an album (Daydream) that sold over 20 million copies worldwide.
Last month, Carey told V Magazine that she “got screwed out of certain years” and she does not “give a damn” about the coveted awards.
5. She threw shade at the Golden Globes
At the start of the year, Carey attended the Golden Globe Awards when her 2017 Christmas single “The Star” was nominated for best original song.
On the red carpet, Mariah took part in several media interviews including one with NBC presenter Al Roker.
After quizzing her on how she felt about receiving the nomination, the diva said: “I have never been nominated for a Golden Globe as a songwriter.”
However, she also took the time to talk about sexism in the music industry. Carey told Rocker: “And many times men forget that women also write songs and I’m really excited about it because of that.”
