Set List: Mariah Carey Shares the Stories Behind Her Biggest Hits

It’s been 26 years since Mariah Carey released her eponymous debut album. Since then the pop icon has released 13 records, scored 18 #1 hits, and accumulated a fan base that stretches to every corner of the globe. In our latest episode of Set List, the singer unveils the stories behind her most iconic hits, and shares the secret to her longevity. “You can’t really fake it. You kind of have to love it that much to make something that lasts this long.”

Mariah’s early career was spent fighting to shed the innocent image dreamed up by her record label. Even her seminal 1995 track “Fantasy”—which featured Wu-Tang Clan’s Ol' Dirty Bastard and assisted her transition into hip-hop—didn’t happen without a struggle. “It took a little bit of pushing and pressure with the record company because I don’t think they understood why I wanted to do it,” she recalls. Mariah continued to strive for artistic control through the ‘90s, and eventually achieved her dream with the video for “Honey,” off her 1997 album Butterfly. “‘Honey really was the image change moment in my career because it wasn’t a change for me—that’s how I always wanted to be—but people wanted me to be very conservative and that was selling and it was safe,” she explains. "That’s great, but I also wanted to put on a little sailor suit bikini and frolic through the water. What’s wrong with that?”

Since then, Mariah’s iconic presence and pop-meets-R&B style has continued to evolve and inspire, in spite of those who've second-guess her staying power. “How many comebacks do I have to have?” she says with a laugh.

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