Mariah Carey for PEOPLE.Photo:Nino Munoz
Nino Munoz
Mariah Careyembraces many assumptions about her. And why wouldn’t she? She’s an icon.
She’s more than earned the title, what with 19 No. 1 songs — only one less thanThe Beatles— more than 200 million records sold, and she’s the only person to have a No. 1 hit in each of the last four decades. Carey is beloved for her voice, her songwriting, herChristmas queen-ing, and her Old Hollywood glamour. And, sure, her seeming “diva” aura,
“She understands that people see her a certain way,” her longtime makeup artist Kristofer Buckle, who has worked with her since 1997, says. He’s referring to her playful, diva-ish act in a recentconcert— she’s touring the country right now with her “Merry Christmas One and All!” concert —where she inventeda song about moppingon the spot. “She gets it. Like, the joke is always hers.”
Mariah Carey for PEOPLE.Nino Munoz
Careymostlyembraces the word, she tells PEOPLE. “I still define the word ‘diva’ the way it is in the dictionary. It’s a successful singer, usually a soprano, typically in the opera field. And that’s sort of a half-assed way of explaining it. But the second definition is like ‘a difficult woman.’ ” She’s found that characterization silly, she says.
“Especially when everybody started talking about ‘diva this, diva that.’ Whatever. It was like, well, are they trying to say it in a bad way or in a good way? So many people that I know that are called ‘divas’ all the time, don’t take offense to it. If someone’s like, ‘The diva, so-and-so.’ Who cares? Why is it a big deal? Just take it and be on your merry way.”
She certainly has her days. “I’ve been looking forward to this Christmas for, like, the whole year. Since last year — because last year wasn’t the greatest. I’m thankful for them all, but it wasn’t my most fun version of Christmas ever.”
Mariah Carey performs in Highland, California on Nov. 15, 2023.Kevin Mazur/WireImage for MC
Kevin Mazur/WireImage for MC
Carey has her way of dealing, she tells PEOPLE. “I would say it’s writing. It’s prayer. It’s like these little things that can take you from possibly being in a really bad mood to just being in a better place immediately. And just really being thankful for all scenarios, all the moments that come our way. I don’t read anything written about me. That’s one of my coping mechanisms.”
For more from Mariah Carey, check out PEOPLE’s latest digital issue here.
source: people.com
