The Mariah Carey Vault contains far more than the songs released on The Rarities. Song registries, interviews, memoirs and leaked recordings point to decades of demos, unfinished collaborations and complete projects that remain unheard.

The Mariah Carey Vault after The Rarities

First, Carey released The Rarities in October 2020. “Here We Go Around Again,” “Can You Hear Me” and “Mesmerized” revealed how varied her archives could be.

Moreover, that year, she also moved her songwriting catalog from SESAC to ASCAP. Because registrations can change or disappear during transfers, we reviewed public databases and older interviews for additional titles.

The Ben Margulies demo years

Before her debut, Carey wrote many songs with Ben Margulies before signing with Columbia Records. Several compositions reached her debut album, but many more remain unavailable.

• Baby
• Blind
• Bee Mar Suite
• Do You Ever Wonder
• Don’t Take the World Away
• Echoes of Love
• Hypnotized
• Into the Light
• Let Me Go
• No Doubt
• Now You Got My Heart
• Surrender to Me
• Unspoken Emotion

For example, “Bee Mar” may combine Ben and Mariah’s names. Some titles appeared on footage of the demo tape, while others survive only as registrations.

Mariah Afterward, Carey and Walter Afanasieff

Carey and Walter Afanasieff created major songs from Emotions through Butterfly. Yet only a few unfamiliar registrations connect the pair. They include “Far From St. Louis,” “El Mejor Regalo Eres Tú” and “Hoje Jesus Nasceu.”

The mysterious Henry Humes registrations

Curiously, several unreleased Carey songs list Henry Alfred Humes as a writer. His name does not appear on her released catalog, which makes the registrations especially unusual.

• Desperate Love
• Haven’t You Heard
• I Never Said Goodbye
• If Cry Would Laugh
• If I Can Count the Stars
• Let’s Begin
• Life Is What You Make It
• Sweet Goodbyes

Mariah’s earliest compositions

In 1985, Carey registered “Ticket to Heaven” and “How to Begin” in 1985 with Joel and Paul Kushnick. She also registered the solo composition “Discover That You’re Mine.”

A year later, she co-wrote “Weakness of the Body” with Ken Cedar. Brenda K. Starr considered the song before Judy Torres recorded it. Carey also created the rock-influenced “Fade Away” with her friend Clarissa Dane.

In addition, other early titles include “Just Can’t Hold It Back,” “Breaking the Chains” and a planned Michael Bolton duet of “We’re Not Makin’ Love Anymore.” Scheduling prevented Carey from completing the latter.

Someone’s Ugly Daughter

Meanwhile, while recording Daydream in 1995, Carey secretly made an alternative-rock album. Clarissa Dane supplied the released lead vocals, while Carey’s original lead performances remain in the vault.

• Demented
• Joe
• Love Is a Scam
• Violent
• Malibu
• Freak
• Agony
• Surrender
• Hermit
• Prom Queen
• Stork: Orphan in My Room

The Rainbow, Glitter and Charmbracelet years

During the Rainbow era, “After Tonight” was planned as a duet with Luis Miguel, but their vocal ranges did not work together. Rumors also connected Lauryn Hill to a song called “Crystal Ball,” although Carey later questioned whether that session happened.

Similarly, possible Glitter outtakes include “Love Will Never End,” “Anything Can Happen,” “Everytime” and “Lillie’s Blues.” The film also contains fragments of music that never received a standard release.

Next, for Charmbracelet, Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis discussed “The Wedding Song.” Carey and 7 Aurelius also developed “Reach for the Sky,” a live-instrumentation song with an arena-sized sound.

In fact, Justin Timberlake recorded vocals for “Yours,” but his label prevented the duet from appearing on the album. Other rumored recordings from the period include “Alive,” “Distant Lover,” “My Life” and “Satisfy Me.”

The canceled Angels Advocate album

Later, Angels Advocate was designed as a duet and remix edition of Memoirs of an Imperfect Angel. After delays, the label canceled the project. However, some tracks later leaked or appeared elsewhere.

• Betcha Gon’ Know with R. Kelly and Diddy
• Obsessed with Gucci Mane
• H.A.T.E.U. with OJ Da Juiceman, Big Boi and Gucci Mane
• Candy Bling with T-Pain
• Ribbon with Ludacris and The-Dream
• Inseparable with Trey Songz
• Standing O with Kanye West
• It’s a Wrap with Mary J. Blige
• More Than Just Friends with Alicia Keys
• The Impossible with Jodeci
• Imperfect
• Skydiving
• 100%

More unreleased Mariah Carey songs

Elsewhere, “To Begin” dates to Carey’s years at her mother’s home. She has described it as one of several recordings lost with her early tapes.

Carey and Narada Michael Walden registered “I Lose Control” in 1990. Penny Ford later recorded the upbeat dance song, but fans still hope that a Carey demo exists.

More recently, “When I Feel It” was withheld from The Emancipation of Mimi because of sample-clearance problems. It finally received an official release during the album’s twentieth-anniversary campaign.

Carey recorded “Help Me Make It (Through the Night)” for Tennessee. Meanwhile, “Panic the City” emerged from a 2009 session with Jermaine Dupri. Her children also recorded a family song known informally as “Roc n’ Roe.”

Political songs, remixes and unknown titles

In 2012, Carey wrote “Bring It on Home” for Barack Obama’s 2012 campaign and performed it at an event. She described the song as an inspiring call for change.

Additionally, the unreleased “Why You Mad? (Infinity Remix)” features Justin Bieber, French Montana and T.I. A leaked version circulated online, but official platforms never received it.

Finally, other registrations include “All I Want,” “Black Box,” “Ecstasy,” “Flow,” “Headlines,” “Hope Street,” “In Motion,” “Royal Tones,” “Shawty Shawty,” “There Goes My Heart,” “V.I.P.” and “Where Are You Christmas?”

What could leave the Mariah Carey Vault next?

The known titles could fill several additional editions of The Rarities. Some songs may exist only as demos, while others appear to be finished recordings held back by labels, samples or changing album plans.

Recent releases such as “My Prayer,” “Workin’ Hard” and “When I Feel It” prove that the archive continues to open. Until the next project arrives, fans will keep documenting every registration, interview and surviving snippet.