Mariah Carey Talks Growing Up Biracial, Her New Christmas Song, and More!

Mariah Carey is back with the brand-new holiday song “Fall in Love at Christmas” and Apple TV+ special “Mariah’s Christmas: The Magic Continues”!

While she might be known as the Queen of Christmas today, she is opening up to “Extra’s” Cheslie Kryst about what the holidays were really like for her as a child growing up in a biracial family.

Cheslie asked Mariah if she feels a sense of joy knowing her voice is forever a part of the holiday season. “It is just really amazing to think about that. Obviously, I do other music… It wasn’t like my first song was a Christmas song… There will be, like, a 4-year-old and that’s what they associate me with.”

She went on, “I love it so much. I’m working on some really exciting  stuff for next year, the adaptation of my memoir with Lee Daniels… We need it to be gritty… It’s a very real situation… The paperback is out now, ‘The Meaning of Mariah Carey.’ I talk about Christmas in that book. Also working on another Christmas book — we’ll talk about that next year.”

Sharing her experience growing up, she said, “I love the holidays so much… It’s because as a kid I grew up with no money. I grew up feeling weird. Being biracial and how to manage that, ‘You’re Black but your mother is white.’”

Cheslie said she can relate, noting, “My mom is Black and my dad is white.”

Mariah added, “It’s also really different, the mom being white, the dad being Black…” Mariah asked Cheslie, “Did you watch ‘Mixed-ish’?” Kryst replied, “Yes. I think they handle exactly those issues.”

Mariah affirmed that Christmas is “absolutely” her favorite holiday, saying, “The truth is, I was a sad kid at Christmas, because I really wanted it. I was like, ‘I believe! I believe!’ It’s silly, but I believe… The dysfunction that surrounded my life didn’t often allow it.”

Now she has a new Christmas song, a special on Apple TV +, and holiday merch!

Carey said of the song, “Brand-new song with Khalid and Kirk Franklin, super excited: ‘Fall in Love at Christmas’… It’s a love song, then it goes to church at the end.”

She added, “This year I re-made ‘Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)’… We have a new version, which is my favorite.”

Fans can tune in December 3 on Apple TV+ to hear both songs and more on “Mariah’s Christmas: The Magic Continues.”

The star said of her 10-year-old twins Moroccan and Monroe, “It’s stacking up in terms of their lists… I like them having stuff to open on Christmas… That’s more important than me opening stuff. What am I really getting that I don’t have… I like giving to other people.”