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♪ >> Stephen: HEY!
WELCOME BACK, EVERYBODY!
MY GUEST TONIGHT IS A FIVE-TIME GRAMMY AWARD-WINNING SINGER WHO
HAS SOLD OVER 200 MILLION RECORDS WORLDWIDE AND HAS THE
MOST NUMBER ONE SINGLES OF ANY SOLO ARTIST IN HISTORY.
PLEASE WELCOME, MARIAH CAREY.
MARIAH, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING HERE!
>> HI, STEPHEN.
HOW ARE YOU?
>> Stephen: VERY GOOD NOW THAT YOU'RE HERE.
HOW HAVE YOU BEEN RIDING OUT THE QUARANTINE?
>> WELL, I THINK, JUST LIKE EVERYBODY ELSE, IT'S BEEN AN
ADJUSTMENT.
HOW HAVE YOU BEEN RIDING?
YOU HAVE BEEN THRIVING.
YOU'RE STILL DOING YOUR SHOW AND I'VE STILL BEEN WORKING.
>> Stephen: VERY LUCKY TO STILL BE ABLE TO DO THE SHOW.
>> ME, TOO.
I'M GLAD TO BE ABLE TO BE HERE AND TO BE ABLE TO TALKING TO YOU
DURING THIS.
I HAVE TWO NINE-YEAR-OLDS, SO IT'S BEEN A BIT CHALLENGING
BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, YOU WANT THEM TO HAVE A NORMAL LIFE AND HAVE A
NORMAL -- YOU KNOW, WE WANTED TO HAVE -- TO HAVE THEM ENJOY THE
SUMMER, SO, AND THEY GOT THROUGH THAT.
NOW SCHOOL IS BACK ON FOR THEM.
>> Stephen: ARE THEY HOME SCHOOLING OR GOING OFF?
>> WELL, THEY'VE ALWAYS BEEN HOME SKEWED.
THEY HAVE A FABULOUS TEACHER, AND THEN WE HAVE TO -- BECAUSE
WE WERE IN MANHATTAN THE FIRST FOUR MONTHS OF COVID, WE DIDN'T
LEAVE.
SO THE TEACHER IS FROM L.A., SO WE DID VIRTUAL SCHOOLING EVEN
THEN AND THEY ADJUSTED TO IT.
IN THE BEGINNING, IT WAS HARD.
YOU HAVE TO MAKE SURE THEY'RE NOT ON THE iPad, DOING OTHER
STUFF THEY WANT TO DO INSTEAD OF PARTICIPATING IN THE SCHOLASTIC
EXPERIENCE.
SO, YEAH, THEY HAVE BEEN DOING GREAT WITH THAT.
I THINK IT'S WHAT WE HAVE TO DO RIGHT NOW, YOU KNOW?
>> Stephen: WELL, YOU ACTUALLY CAUSED A SPLASH JUST RECENTLY
BECAUSE I DON'T HAVE TO TELL YOU OR ANYBODY OUT THERE YOU'RE THE
UNDISPUTED QUEEN OF CHRISTMAS.
>> THANK YOU.
>> Stephen: BUT YOU CAUSED A STIR BY SENDING OUT THIS TWEET
LAST WEEK.
IT SAYS, THANKSGIVING IS CANCELED.
( LAUGHTER ) AND, LISTEN, IF IT COMES DOWN
FROM ON HIGH, THAT MEANS THANKSGIVING IS CANCELED.
YOU THROW PEOPLE IN SUCH A PANIC.
>> NO, I HAVE TO TELL YOU, THAT'S A CHAPTER IN MY BOOK, AND
I JUST TWEETED THAT AS SORT OF A LITTLE TEASER FOR THE FANS
BECAUSE THERE'S AN ACTUAL STORY ATTACHED TO IT, AND SOMEBODY
LITERALLY SAID THAT TO ME, LIKE I JUST WANT YOU TO KNOW
THANKSGIVING IS CANCELED.
AND I WAS, LIKE, WHO'S TELLING FRANK PERDUE HOW WE'RE GOING TO
GET THROUGH ALL THIS?
WE'VE GOT TO RETURN ALL THE TURKEYS.
( LAUGHTER ) >> Stephen: WELL, HERE IS THE
BOOK, IT IS "THE MEANING OF MARIAH CAREY."
IT'S OUT TOMORROW.
WHAT IS THE TRUE MEANING OF MARIAH CAREY?
MUCH LIKE CHRISTMAS, I KNOW WE'RE SUPPOSED TO BE KEEPING
MARIAH CAREY IN OUR HEART ALL YEAR AROUND
( LAUGHTER ) >> YOU KNOW, WITHOUT GETTING TOO
DEEP, IT'S A CONSTANT QUEST TO UNDERSTAND THE MEANING OF
OURSELVES, AND WHAT'S MEANINGFUL TO US AND, YOU KNOW, IT'S
BEEN -- STARTED WRITING THE BOOK, LIKE, THREE YEARS AGO, AND
REALLY HAVE BEEN WANTING TO WRITE IT FOR -- LIKE SINCE I WAS
PREGNANT WITH THE TWINS, SO,, LIKE, TEN YEARS NOW.
IT'S BEEN A CATHARTIC EXPERIENCE, AND THERE'S SOME FUN
STUFF THAT'S, YOU KNOW, THAT'S IN THE BOOK.
THERE'S A LOT OF FUN STUFF, BUT IT'S A LOT ABOUT REALLY I WANTED
TO JUST EMANCIPATE THAT LITTLE GIRL THAT I WAS BEFORE ANYBODY
EVER HEARD OF ME AS A PROFESSIONAL SINGER.
SO THAT'S HOPEFULLY WHAT I'VE DONE HERE.
>> Stephen: I KNOW YOU WRITE YOUR OWN SONGS AND YOU WERE
INDUCTED IN THE SONGWRITERS HALL OF FAME THIS YEAR.
CONGRATULATIONS ONT THAT.
>> THANK YOU.
I DIDN'T GET TO GO TO THE CEREMONY BECAUSE OF COVID.
I THINK THEY'LL DO SOMETHING WHENEVER.
THIS IS MY ACCEPTANCE SPEECH, THANK YOU SO MUCH!
I DIDN'T GET TO GO TO THE SHOW, IT WAS CANCELED.
>> Stephen: HOW DO YOU COMPARE SONGS TO WRITING A BOOK, WHICH
IS MORE THERAPEUTIC FOR YOU?
>> I WOULD SAY -- I MEAN, LOOK, WRITING -- WORKING ON THIS BOOK
FOR THREE YEARS HAS BEEN, LIKE I SAID, IT'S BEEN VERY
CATHARTIC -- THERAPEUTIC, BUT WRITING SONGS HAS ALWAYS BEEN MY
FIRST LOVE.
SO THE LYRICS ARE WOVEN INTO THE BOOK, AND A LOT OF THEM, YOU
KNOW, IT JUST ILLUSTRATES THE FACT THAT I HAVE BEEN TELLING MY
STORY FOR YEARS AS A SONGWRITER, SO EVERYBODY WITH A, YOU KNOW,
WHY NOW, IT'S, LIKE, WHEN THE HELL DID YOU EXPECT ME TO DO IT?
I HAVE BEEN TRAVELING, TOURING, YOU KNOW, I HAVE KIDS, I HAVE
BEEN WRITING SONGS, PRODUCING ALBUMS, DOING ALL THIS STUFF BUT
I NEVER GOT TO REALLY SIT DOWN AND RECOUNT ALL THESE DIFFERENT
MOMENTS THAT SORT OF DEFINE WHO I AM FOR MY FANS AND ULTIMATELY
FOR MYSELF BECAUSE, EVEN, LIKE, DOING THE AUDIO BOOK NOW WHICH
HAS BEEN SUCH A GREAT, CREATIVE EXPERIENCE FOR ME BECAUSE THE
LYRICS ARE INTERWOVEN WITH THE WHOLE BOOK AND SOMETIMES I'M
SINGING, SOMETIMES I'M READING THEM, AND THEN THERE'S ALSO THIS
NEW LITTLE THING THAT CAME OUT IN THE PRESS TODAY ABOUT
SOMETHING THAT I DID BACK IN THE DAYS THAT NOW THE FANS HAVE
GOTTEN, A LITTLE ALBUM I DIDN'T TELL ANYBODY ABOUT THAT I --
>> Stephen: WELL, I'VE GOT THAT RIGHT HERE.
THIS CAUSED QUITE A STIR TODAY.
WHAT YEAR IS THIS?
IS THIS '95?
>> YEAH, WHEN I WAS DOING, LIKE, ONE SWEET DAY AND FANTASY AND
VERY DIFFERENT SONGS.
BUT THAT'S MY ARTWORK.
THERE'S A DEAD ROACH THERE.
>> Stephen: THIS IS ALT ROCK.
IT WAS SUCH A POPULAR GENRE.
I WAS LIKE, I HAVE A FULL BAND SO I'LL MAKE UP NONSENSE AND
SING IT.
>> Stephen: AND NEVER TOLD ANYBODY THIS WAS YOU.
>> NO, I DIDN'T.
AND I WORKED WITH MY FRIEND CLARISSA WHO CAME IN AND DID
VOCALLINGS ON TOP OF WHAT I LAID OUT.
THE THE LABEL IS, LIKE, YOU CAN'T DO THIS.
IT WAS A BIG DEAL.
AND, SO, SHE CAME IN AND LAID HER VOCALS, AND THEN SHE WROTE A
SONG AS WELL, AND SHE HAD BEEN SOMEONE WHO WAS REALLY NICE TO
ME, BEFORE I HAD A RECORD DEAL SHE LET ME LIVE WITH HER.
SHE WAS VERY -- YOU KNOW, SHE WAS A VERY SWEET, VERY KIND
PERSON TO ME WHEN NOT MANY PEOPLE WERE.
>> Stephen: HAVE YOU EVER HARD ANYBODY TALK ABOUT THIS
ALBUM NOT KNOWING THAT YOU WERE INVOLVED WITH IT?
>> NO, BECAUSE IT WAS -- SO I DID A VIDEO, AND WE KIND OF,
LIKE -- YOU KNOW, I WANTED IT TO BE RELEASED SO BAD.
MY PLAN WAS I WAS GOING TO DRESS UP IN A COSTUME AND MAKE A VIDEO
AND BE UNRECOGNIZABLE AND RELEASE IT AND SEE WHAT
HAPPENED, BUT THAT GOD STIFLED BY CERTAIN PEOPLE AT THE LABEL,
SO, YOU KNOW, I KIND OF HAD TO ABANDON THE PROJECT, BUT I'M
KIND OF HAPPY THAT AT THIS MOMENT THAT THE FANS ARE
ACTUALLY HEARING IT BECAUSE IT'S ME DOING AN ACCENT, DOING AN
INVITATION OF SOMEONE THAT I CREATED THAT DOESENTS ACTUALLY
EXIST.
SO, YOU KNOW, BUT THEN, AGAIN, THERE'S LAYERED VOCALS ON TOP.
IT'S ONLY SOMEONE WHO REALLY KNOWS MY VOICE WOULD BE ABLE TO
HEAR IT AND KNOW THAT IT'S ME.
>> Stephen: OKAY.
YOU ATTENDED 500 HOURS OF BEAUTY SCHOOL.
>> YES.
>> Stephen: SO YOU'RE LITERALLY A BEAUTY SCHOOL
DROPOUT.
>> I GUESS I AM, AND I HAVE BEEN SAYING THIS FOR YEARS.
I HAD SO MANY WEIRD THINGS AROUND MY IDENTITY AND FIGURING
OUT MY HAIR AND HOW TO DO MAKEUP AND STUFF LIKE THAT BECAUSE I
NEVER FELT PRETTY OR, YOU KNOW, LIKE I FIT INTO ONE PARTICULAR
GROUP OR WHATEVER.
BUT I ALWAYS KNEW I WANTED TO BE A SINGER.
SO I WAS, LIKE, OKAY, BEAUTY SCHOOL IN THE INTERIM WILL BE
HELPFUL BECAUSE I KNEW I WOULD BE A HORRIBLE WAITRESS, WHICH I
WAS, AND I WAS HORRIBLE AT ANYTHING ELSE.
>> Stephen: WHAT MADE YOU A HORRIBLE WAITRESS?
BECAUSE I'M MARRIED TO A HORRIBLE WAITRESS.
OUR JOKE IS SHE WAS CALLED A WEAK LINK IN THE CHAIN.
WHAT MADE YOU A HORRIBLE WAITRESS?
>> FIRST OF ALL, I HATED IT.
>> Stephen: THAT DOESN'T HELP.
THAT CONTRIBUTED TO IT.
BUT OF THE THINGS IS -- AND THIS IS SAD A BECAUSE I ALSO FAILED
REMEDIAL MATH EVEN THOUGH MY FATHER WAS AN AERONAUTICAL
ENGINEER, I DIDN'T GET THAT.
SO I COULDN'T WORK THE CASH REGISTER PROPERLY.
AND THE GIRLS THERE WERE THERE AND CARED ABOUT THE JOB AND WERE
WAITRESSING AND WAS OLDER THAN ME BECAUSE I WAS A KID WHO
STARTED IN THE INDUSTRY YOUNG, AND THEY WERE, LIKE, THIS GIRL
IS MESSING UP THE ORDER.
AND NO ONE COULD REMEMBER MY NAME.
I DIDN'T WANT TO ALWAYS EXPLAIN MARIAH AND THIS IS HOW YOU
PRONOUNCE IT BECAUSE NO ONE HAD THAT NAME, I WOULD MAKE UP A
NAME THAT WAS MORE COMMON, LIKE DEBBIE, AND THEN I WOULD FORGET
THAT NAME I TOLD THAT TABLE AND THEY WOULD BE, LIKE, DEBBIE!
AND I WAS LISTENING TO MY DEMO NOT AWARE ANYONE WAS CALLING ME.
>> Stephen: STICK AROUND, EVERYBODY.
BACK WITH MORE MARIAH CAREY