Mariah Carey’s voice is a season all its own. You feel it long before you hear it. Every November first, the world braces for that familiar high note and the simple phrase Mariah Carey made a tradition, “it’s time,” to mark the beginning of the holiday season.
This ritual has become as expected as falling leaves and shorter days, and it says something about how deeply Mariah Carey’s music has woven into how we celebrate. While Mariah Carey has a catalogue of hits and holds records as one of the most successful solo artists in Billboard history, nothing matches the cultural pull of Mariah Carey’s Christmas work, and especially the annual kickoff she marks with her holiday greeting and presence.
There is a clear reason millions of people light up when that phrase hits their feeds. From the very first frame of her “it’s time” video, Mariah Carey channels joy and tease in equal measure, leaving behind Halloween theatrics and stepping into a sleigh-ready Christmas moment.
The visuals shift from black and white to a color-rich festive scene almost magically, with Mariah Carey sitting in a gleaming red outfit and surrounded by snow-covered gifts, a wink of her eye telling you this is only the beginning of the season.
Mariah Carey’s evergreen holiday tune “All I Want for Christmas Is You,” first released in 1994, is the backbone of this phenomenon. Nearly three decades later it still lifts to the top of charts and playlists around the world every holiday season. The song has topped the Billboard Hot 100 multiple times across years and claimed Guinness World Records for its unmatched holiday chart success.
The statistics themselves feel almost abstract until you remember how many places you hear it, from shopping malls to family parties, candlelit dinners to midnight drives in snow. It’s a song that doesn’t just mark the season, it defines it.
With that track’s success comes inevitable attention, both celebratory and commercial. This year, her annual “it’s time” moment took the form of a polished video partnership with a major beauty brand, where she traded quips with comedian Billy Eichner playing a mischievous elf. That clip racked up millions of views within hours of release, and reignited conversations about how much influence one artist can have on how a culture lifts its mood every year.
In public appearances this season, she embraces that mantle fully, attending holiday concerts, tree lighting ceremonies, and festive galas. At each event, Mariah Carey’s outfits become conversation pieces in themselves. In Aspen, Mariah Carey was seen in a warm Western-inspired ensemble that balanced comfort with glamour as snow fell around her.
At other events, Mariah Carey traded the cozy layers for glimmering gowns that caught every flash from cameras and phones. Her choices feel deliberate but relaxed, like a queen who knows her crown is musical and not material.
Celebrities who show up around these events often seem to come in their own holiday spirit. At the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree lighting, for instance, stars like Gwen Stefani have made statements of their own with bold outfits that turn heads and sometimes steal headlines.
Stefani’s leggy, fashion-forward looks were a topic of conversation in their own right at that event, showing that even when Mariah Carey’s influence is dominant, others still bring their unique personalities to the holiday stage.
Beyond the surface glamour, these gatherings give a window into how her peers relate to her work. Some bring classic evening wear that pairs well with crisp winter air and twinkling lights, while others take a more playful route with sequins and festive colors. The result is a mix of style that reflects the diversity of the season itself, but always centered around Carey’s presence.
Her voice remains the anchor. Even build-ups to these events include renditions or references to “All I Want for Christmas Is You,” ensuring that her trademark whistle notes feel like the soundtrack of every gathering.
Where some artists might fade from the cultural moment, she grows stronger every year, proving that popularity can be cyclical yet enduring when it taps into something emotional and communal. Fans call out her voice on social platforms and share moments from concerts and appearances with a sort of reverence that feels rare.
In family snapshots she shares, that same joy is evident. Recently, she posted photos with her 14-year-old twins beside a Christmas tree, all dressed in festive outfits with her own face printed on their sweaters. Carey wore a red sequined dress, and the image spread quickly as a reminder that this season is personal to her as much as it is public.
Her outfits at these celebrations tell two stories at once. On one hand she embraces tradition with classic Christmas hues and silhouettes. On the other she updates these looks with a modern edge that feels intentional rather than performative. At one event she was photographed in a white fur-trimmed coat paired with velvet pajamas, posing with Santa and snow-laden decorations in a way that felt candid and warm.
People around her, from fellow performers to guests in the crowd, vary in their approach. Some wear tailored long coats and minimal accessories as the temperatures dip. Others embrace holiday glitter and statement jewelry that complements the occasion.
It feels less like a red carpet and more like a collective cultural moment, where each appearance becomes a snapshot of who we are in this season and why we gather. Some celebrities bring brightly colored gowns and bold makeup, while others opt to let the lights and music carry the sentiment. That variety mirrors the way Carey’s song itself has become a canvas upon which so many personal memories are painted.
Her public fashion this season doesn’t just show up once. Because her holiday presence stretches across concerts, commercials, appearances on television specials, and viral social clips, she finds ways to lean into both glamour and approachability.
That keeps her voice from feeling like nostalgia alone. It feels alive, active, part of a larger conversation about why we celebrate and what soundtracks stay with us. Many long-time fans talk about how her Christmas tour outfits evolve each year, from glimmering custom gowns to more relaxed, festive bodysuits or jumpsuits that reflect a particular theme in her set list.
What feels remarkable is not just how often her face and voice appear, but how willingly cultures around the world have adopted her contribution to this season. There are parodies and memes, discussions about the first note of her song, debates about when exactly to start playing it each year.
Those conversations happen because her presence has become a shared marker of time, a way for people to say we are here, we are together, and we remember these sounds from years past.
This holiday cycle goes beyond entertainment and reaches into how we mark memories, gatherings, and even the ways we document our lives. Every festive snapshot with friends and family carries the background hum of her song, and the phrase “it’s time” has become shorthand for celebration. That is a rare kind of cultural influence.
It is not just that people like her music. It is that they chose it as the soundtrack for moments that matter. At every event she attends and every outfit she chooses to wear, that influence is visible. When the snow falls and the lights blink and the crowds hum her melodies, it underscores how singular her reign is in this space.
