It’s almost that time of year again when pop star Mariah Carey’s classic Christmas hit fills the air.
However, the singer has revealed that she never thought All I Want For Christmas Is You would become a hit and achieve the astronomical success it has.
Speaking exclusively on This Morning on Wednesday, the 54-year-old was asked by Sam Rubin if she knew the song would become such an anthem.
Mariah replied, “No, I didn’t, and normally when people ask me something of the ‘did you know’ type, I pretty much say, ‘Yes, I had an idea or I knew,’ but with this I don’t.
“It was the first Christmas song I’d ever written and I just wanted it to be real to me. To my little girls’ selves… what are the things I think about Christmas, what did I want, what did I wish for?’
‘I wanted it to be timeless’: Mariah Carey, 54, stunned in a festive red dress as she revealed she never thought All I Want For Christmas would be a hit during This Morning interview on Wednesday
Insane: Since its release in 1994, Mariah has raked in more than $70 million (£58 million) for her festive classic as it continues to top the charts every year
To get into the festive mood, the singer showed off her ample cleavage as she stood in a red strapless dress for the interview.
Bringing her signature glam look, Mariah was completely glammed up and accessorized the look with a stunning pair of silver dangling dragonfly earrings.
She continued, “When I first wrote it, I wanted it to be timeless. I didn’t want it to be something that felt like a specific year; I wanted it to be something I could have heard as a little kid.
“I don’t know which version of Rudolph The Rednosed Reindeer I heard as a kid, or Walking in a Winter Wonderland, but I just know I loved those songs.
‘So I didn’t think ‘oh my song is going to be as big as those songs’, I thought ‘let me do something that makes me feel like I’m listening to a classic’.’
Most people consider Mariah an integral part of Christmas, and when Sam mentioned her importance during the holidays, the singer smiled and said, “Well, that’s fun to think about!” I love that! It feels like what you do when you want to make music, be a soundtrack to people’s lives.
‘It makes me happy because for the most part it’s about songs I’ve written.
‘They’re literally the soundtrack to my life because I wrote them and a lot of people come up to me and say, “Hey, we’re listening to your Christmas album in July because we don’t care what month it is!” so that’s pretty good.’
Back in the studio, Cat Deeley said, “I mean, as soon as you hear it (All I want for Christmas), you know it’s Christmas!”
Top hit: The 54-year-old was asked by Sam Rubin if she knew the song would become such an anthem: ‘No, I didn’t and normally when people ask me the ‘did you know’ type questions I think like this roughly saying ‘yes, I had an idea or I knew it’, but with this I didn’t know’
Legendary: ‘A lot of people come up to me and say, “Hey, we’re listening to your Christmas album in July because we don’t care what month it is!” so that’s quite nice’
‘I think it’s harder now to become an established artist’: The singer admitted it’s now harder to break into the music industry
Christmas Payday: Last year the song made a stunning return to the number one spot in the UK charts and continues to top up her bank account by around $3 million (£2.4 million) a year, the New York Post reported
Tweet: ‘I’m incredibly honored! I definitely didn’t even think this would happen when writing and recording this song! Thank you so much Ms. Hayden and the @librarycongress,” Carey said in her tweet
Since its release in 1994, Mariah has raked in more than $70 million (£58 million) for her festive classic as it continues to top the charts every year.
Last year it made a stunning return to the number one spot in the UK charts and continues to fill its bank account with around $3 million (£2.4 million) a year, the New York Post reported.
But while the singer has achieved worldwide success, she admitted that it is harder to break into the music industry these days.
‘I think it’s harder now to become an established artist. You can just be on YouTube and if someone finds you, you’re a star, but that doesn’t last very long. I think people now have to work a lot harder to make a career in this industry.”
Mariah revealed what she does to keep herself in top condition vocally, saying: ‘Rest is the best!’
About her festive holiday and the traditions of going to Aspen, Colorado, Mariah confessed, “I love having a snowy winter wonderland at Christmas, it’s the best. Afterwards I immediately want to go somewhere warm!
“I feel like I’d miss Christmas if it didn’t snow.”
In April, the classic was added to the Library of Congress’s National Recording Registry.
The beloved song is one of 25 songs added to the registry, which includes other hits like Madonna’s Like a Virgin, Queen Latifah’s All Hail the Queen album and Daddy Yankee’s 2004 hit Gasolina.
“The National Recording Registry preserves our history through recorded sound and reflects our nation’s diverse culture,” said Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden.
“The National Library is proud to help preserve these recordings for generations to come, and we welcome the public’s input on which songs, speeches, podcasts or recorded sounds we should preserve next. We received more than 1,100 public nominations this year for recordings to add to the register,” Hayden added.
Carey – who was recently spotted at the premiere of Beau is Afraid – also shared the news with her millions of followers on social media, including a video in which she discussed the song’s origins.
‘I am incredibly honored! I definitely didn’t even think this would happen when writing and recording this song! Thank you so much Ms. Hayden and the @librarycongress,” Carey said in her tweet.