Mariah bares her heart about music and true love

STRIKING A CHORD: I want my fans in India to know how grateful I am for their support, say Mariah.

      

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Mariah Carey: When I started I was really young. And I was under the impression that I was not allowed to have an opinion of my own. I didn’t like certain things. I liked some music videos but that was not in my record company’s plan. They didn’t want anything threatening.

Priya Krishnamoorthy: While you were set to live life on your terms, not all went well. Your much hyped acting debut Glitter was a box office disaster, and so was the accompanying album. Around the same time, you suffered an emotional and physical breakdown. Your subsequent albums did not do much for your popularity especially after the new crops of singers like Christina Aguilera and Jennifer Lopez made waves.

Mariah Carey: Starting young is very difficult and growing up in this industry can really mess up people’s lives.

I was always the class clown. I would always make up jokes. It was my own little way of coping with things. I like to believe that I am eternally 12, which means that I rather laugh than dwell on the negativities of life. And the well out there is quite deep, believe me.

Priya Krishnamoorthy: After hitting a low, Mimi, as you are fondly called, came back with a bang in 2005 with an aptly titled album Emancipation of Mimi. The album was a huge critical and commercial success and it even bagged three Grammy awards. And now with your latest album E=MC2, you have upped your career once again.

Mariah Carey: With this album I just wanted to be myself. I know that I have to try to put certain songs on the record like Side Effects or Bye bye. Even though they might be very personal songs and clearly there are some parallels with own life too. But I think it is important to write for other people who made me in a relationship. So I need that bit of inspiration to get out of it.

Priya Krishnamoorthy: It is this ability to touch people’s heart with your music that got you onto the pages of Time magazine. In 2008, you have been voted as one of the 100 most influential people in the world.

Mariah Carey: I didn’t even understand. I thought it was just entertainment. I had no idea of the enormity of the situation or what it meant. So when I found out, I was like ‘are you serious?’

Priya Krishnamoorthy: The icing on the cake came as praise from musician Stevie Wonder.

Mariah Carey: Stevie Wonder is my ultimate favourite artist. We share a very close relationship because he knows how inspirational he has been to me. So to see what he wrote about me, I had to just call him and thank him for everything. His words were the highest points in my career.

Priya Krishnamoorthy: What does success, power and money mean to you today?

Mariah Carey: Obviously there is commercial success which we have to have particularly once you become famous. But I think that all of us who are in entertainment should get involved and make a difference to this world.

Priya Krishnamoorthy: When are you planning to come to India?

Mariah Carey: I want to go everywhere and I really want to come to India. Please let my fans in India know how grateful I am for their support.

Priya Krishnamoorthy: Thank you so much for talking to us.

Mariah Carey: Thank you.