Sleigh, queen! Prancing into the holiday season with these 7 Mariah Carey podcast episodes
All hail the Christmas queen! Mariah Carey’s bedazzled crown and festive spirit are thawing and shining brighter than ever this holiday season with a new Christmas song and a CBS TV special, Merry Christmas to All, airing on 12/20. Her presence in music and undeniable contributions to the pop culture canon is evergreen.
Podsauce is sharing some holiday cheer with Mariah Carey podcast episodes. On our list, we included two episodes interviewing Mariah Carey and a discussion about her memoir. There are song-based podcast episodes analyzing the iconic track, “All I Want for Christmas Is You,” and an episode interviewing one of Mariah’s co-writers for the track.
Even the Rich
Wondery’s “Even the Rich” re-released its 4-part season titled “The Emancipation of Mariah Carey.” The series unpacks the diva’s life and career, how she “battled her way through abuse and control, then fought like hell to truly be free.”
ON with Mario Interviews
On this 13-minute episode, Mariah Carey chatted with Mario Lopez on his iHeartRadio podcast. She shared updates on her new Christmas single, “Fall in Love at Christmas,” with Khalid and Kirk Franklin. She explained the story behind writing the song in May with songwriting partner Daniel Moore, basing its melody on “Greensleeves.” Mariah talked about last year’s Apple TV+ special, Mariah’s Christmas: The Magic Continues, and she was thrilled about her holiday collection available at Target and Walmart. “ON with Mario Interviews is presented by iHeartPodcasts.
The Bobby Bones Show
iHeartRadio presents “The Bobby Bones Show,” and Mariah’s short interview starts around the 9:15 minute mark. Mariah talked about her new song, expressed her love for Khalid’s music, and why he topped her dream collaborator list.
Mariah shared the history of “All I Want for Christmas Is You,” her songwriting process, and why she cannot wait to adapt her memoir. She also shared her support for the Make-A-Wish Foundation, her Irish cream brand, and why caramel is her favorite flavor.
Slate Culture: Hit Parade
This episode of Slate Culture’s “Hit Parade” dives into Mariah Carey’s super-smash “All I Want for Christmas Is You.” The song was released in 1994 and eventually became the first Christmas song to hit Billboard’s Hot 100 since 1958’s “The Chipmunk Song.” It began charting in the 2010s and becomes more popular each year! In addition to sharing facts about this song, host Chris Molanphy analyzes why holiday classics from the ’60s, ’70s, and ’80s did not reach the Hot 100 list. He’ll look at songs like “Last Christmas,” “Christmas (Baby Please Come Home),” and “Feliz Navidad,” and compare their reach to “All I Want for Christmas is You.” This episode is under 90 minutes long.
Questlove Supreme
This two-part episode of “Questlove Supreme” spoke with Mariah Carey as her memoir, The Meaning of Mariah Carey, was released in January 2021. Quest and co-hosts Team Supreme discussed what matters most to her: the voices, development processes, and opinions. In part two, Mariah spoke candidly about living as a racially-ambiguous Black woman, marriage, and independence. She also played a snippet of the alternative rock album she released in the ’90s under the band name Chick.
Pop Culture Happy Hour
NPR’s “Pop Culture Happy Hour” dedicated an episode to Mariah Carey and unpacked her memoir, The Meaning Of Mariah Carey. This 25-minute episode reviewed her musical career, starting with her self-titled debut in 1990 through her catalogue of hits. Of course, Mariah’s impact on holiday music is discussed.
Hot Takes & Deep Dives
On this episode of “Hot Takes & Deep Dives,” Mariah Carey’s co-writer Walter Afanasieff shares behind-the-scenes stories from co-writing “All I Want for Christmas Is You.” Host Jess Rothschild and Walter discuss his songwriting career, with credits on additional Mariah tracks like “Anytime You Need a Friend,” “My All,” “Hero,” and “One Sweet Day.” Walter chatted about other artists’ careers like Beyoncé and Barbra Streisand. And he dished on his professional fall-out with Mariah.
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