Breaking Records: Mariah Carey Hits 9 Billion Spotify Streams
The digital era has ushered in a new age of music consumption, where streaming platforms have become the primary medium through which audiences engage with their favorite artists. In this landscape, Mariah Carey, one of the most iconic figures in contemporary music history, has achieved a monumental milestone: 9 billion streams on Spotify. With a career spanning decades, Mariah has made headlines in the physical era, digital era and the streaming era, spanning 40 years of music. Mariah’s ability to connect with audiences across generations and continents has solidified her status as a global superstar. From her early chart-topping hits like “Vision of Love” to billion streamed monster “All I Want for Christmas Is You,” Mariah’s music resonates with fans old and new, transcending genres and cultural boundaries.
The significance of Mariah Carey reaching 9 billion streams on Spotify goes beyond mere numbers; it underscores her enduring influence and relevance in an ever-evolving industry. As we delve into the journey of Mariah’s Spotify success, we unravel the stories behind her most beloved tracks, explore the impact of her music on pop culture, and reflect on the evolution of streaming as a dominant force in the music landscape. Join us as we celebrate Mariah Carey’s extraordinary achievement and delve into the rich tapestry of her musical legacy that continues to captivate audiences worldwide.
Based on a recent payout analysis of the platform, Mariah Carey and her team have amassed an average of $22.5 million from streams on the platform alone. Despite the absence of a recent album release and being well beyond the Christmas season, she continues to attract 30 million monthly listeners on the platform. The question arises: where are all these streams originating from?
The Christmas Royalties
First and foremost, Mariah Carey holds the crown as the Queen of Christmas. Her festive tunes have secured her a spot in the top 10 of the most-streamed songs by a female artist, with “All I Want for Christmas Is You” trailing just behind Miley Cyrus’s “Flowers” with a remarkable 1.8 billion streams for the song alone. This places her among today’s leading hitmakers, including Olivia Rodrigo and Taylor Swift in the streaming era. Additionally, her holiday repertoire, featuring classics like “Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)” and “O Holy Night,” has propelled her Christmas album to an astonishing 2.5 billion streams, making it her most streamed album to date.
The Daydream Catalog
Daydream has solidified its place as a timeless catalog album. With standout tracks like “Fantasy” and “Always Be My Baby” both surpassing 500 million streams alone, Daydream stands as Mariah’s second album to achieve over 1 billion streams, despite its release back in 1995 when the internet was in its infancy. Remarkably, the album continues to garner 650 thousand streams daily, demonstrating its enduring success and relevance across generations.
The Ballads
“We Belong Together” stands as a timeless anthem. Holding the number one spot for an impressive 14 weeks, the song has unexpectedly become Mariah’s second most streamed track, accumulating 575 million streams. Surpassing its previous records, the ballad reached its peak daily streams on Valentine’s Day 2024, yet continues to amass over 400 thousand streams daily. Alongside hits like “Shake It Off” and “It’s Like That,” The Emancipation of Mimi is poised to become Mariah’s third album to achieve the remarkable milestone of 1 billion streams.
“Hero” and “Without You” stand as timeless classics in Mariah Carey’s repertoire, captivating audiences worldwide with their emotional depth and powerful melodies. Despite the passage of time, these ballads continue to resonate deeply with listeners, drawing in hundreds of thousands of streams each day. Their enduring popularity speaks volumes about the universal themes of love, resilience, and longing that they encapsulate, making them indispensable parts of Mariah’s musical legacy.
2020s Groove: Fresh Collaborations Setting the Tone
Thankfully, Mariah Carey remains as prolific as ever, delighting her fans with new collaborations and remixes. Recently, her collaboration with Latto on “Big Energy” has surged past the 100 million stream milestone in record time. Similarly, her latest remix featuring Ariana Grande, “yes, and?”, has already surpassed 10 million streams within just two weeks of its release, and still amasses 500 thousand streams daily. While some of her older hidden gems from albums released nearly four decades ago may not have received the streaming attention they merit, Mariah’s latest hits are clearly resonating with audiences and gaining well-deserved recognition.
TikTok’s Influence: How It Catapults Songs to Stardom
When “Memoirs” first debuted, its reception fell short of Mariah’s high standards, marking it as a commercial underachievement. However, the transformative influence of TikTok breathed new life into forgotten tracks like “Obsessed” and “It’s a Wrap”. “Obsessed”, once a top 20 hit, experienced a resurgence in popularity, becoming Mariah’s 5th most-streamed song on the platform. Perhaps the most remarkable revival was seen in the case of “It’s a Wrap” from 2009, which skyrocketed from just over 1 million streams to an impressive 60 million, all thanks to the viral power of TikTok. Despite Universal Music Publishing withdrawing their songs, including Mariah’s catalog, from the platform, fans remain hopeful for a resolution that would allow Carey’s tracks to once again thrive within the TikTok community.
Surpassing 9 billion streams is undoubtedly a remarkable achievement for a legendary artist, yet what’s truly astonishing is the accelerating pace at which Mariah Carey continues to accumulate another billion. Between 2019 and 2020, each additional billion took a year to achieve. However, since 2022, the time frame has significantly shortened. In the latest instance, Mariah reached the 9-billion mark in just over 8 months, showcasing an unprecedented momentum. With such rapid progress, there seems to be no indication of her streaming surge slowing down in the foreseeable future.
Anticipations run high for the year ahead, and if past trends are any indication, hitting the 10 billion mark will be just around the corner. Mariah Carey’s mastery of the streaming landscape in the mid-2020s, considering her reign in the 90s, is truly remarkable. Her streaming figures far surpass those of her peers such as Madonna, Celine Dion, and Whitney Houston. We eagerly await what’s to come and until then, let’s keep hitting that play button.
