Michael Bublé. Pentatonix. Mariah Carey. There is a small but powerful collection of performers who appear to hibernate for most of the year before bursting forth in celebration of the holiday season.
The reigning Queen of Christmas, however, has had the longevity that makes lesser musicians crumble. Carey wrote her first money-making Christmas song, “All I Want For Christmas Is You,” in the early ‘90s and as of 2020, finally became No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100. It is a classic hallmark of the holiday season, so much so that it was featured in one of the most famous Christmas rom-coms. In the 2003 iconic film, Love Actually, young Joanna (Olivia Olson) serenades everyone at the local Christmas concert with her powerful rendition.
Two decades later, the song has not lost its appeal and has only added to Carey’s celebrity in the intervening years. The singer continues to celebrate this time of year, as she told Billboard in promotion of Mariah Carey’s Magical Christmas Special.
“I never knew people were going to adapt the song that I wrote — my first Christmas song that I ever wrote. How did I know that that was going to become a thing every year? I couldn’t have known it. And I’ve grown to love it more, because I used to always listen through it and pick it apart at Christmas against all the other Christmas songs, like, ‘Why didn’t I change this part? I wish I could’ve done that over.’ Because I did it so early on, so young. But still, it makes me happy every year.”
Carey continues releasing holiday-themed music that adds to her outrageous influence and financial success during the festive season.
How much does Mariah Carey earn during Christmas?
It shouldn’t come as a surprise that Carey’s holiday supremacy comes with a price tag. In addition to licensing her music, appearing in advertisements, and going on Christmas tours, her Christmastime endeavors add a good chunk of change to the singer’s net worth. According to Parade, Carey amasses $3 million during Christmas alone. And that isn’t when she’s doing her holiday specials.
In conjunction with Apple TV Plus, Carey has effectively made a killing with her holiday extravaganzas. Her first film with the streaming platform aired in December 2020, entitled Mariah Carey’s Magical Christmas Special. Staying true to the singer’s goals, the film was a delightful distraction from all the pitfalls and concerns of the constant stream of current events. A second film followed in 2021, called Mariah’s Christmas: The Magic Continues. If there is one thing that fans can count on every year, it is the dulcet tones of one of the holiday season’s most famous celebrities.
