![]() ![]() ![]() According to Chris Nickson, Carey's love of gospel music came through on the track, writing, " led the band without pushing herself forward, letting the song develop and work out, trading lines with the chorus until, after the crescendo, the musicians moved into a fast double-time to the end." The goal was to produce a "real church flavored song", in which Loris Holland played the keyboards and allowed Carey's voice to "cut loose". The song was recorded in a church, with many live backup singers and children playing tambourines and other melodious instruments. The song "Jesus Oh What a Wonderful Child", produced by Carey, Afannasief, and Holland, was described as an arrangement of a traditional gospel standard that "really took flight". Carey's goal was to provide an album that would have a "Christmas feel", providing a mixture of soulful tracks, as well as fun and joyous holiday treats. Merry Christmas boasted a variety of musical arrangements, sounds, and genres. Together, they wrote all three of the album's original songs, as well as producing most of the traditional tracks at The Hit Factory, in New York. Throughout the album's development, Carey worked extensively with Walter Afanasieff, with whom she collaborated extensively on Emotions (1991) and Music Box (1993). Problems playing this file? See media help. The idea proved to be wise, earning Carey recognition in various markets including Christian radio and contemporary R&B stations, as well as extended her fame in Japan, where the album experienced much of its success. Nevertheless, Carey, unaffected by the speculation, continued working on and promoting the album in high spirits, confident in her work. Initially, critics were shocked they did not know how Carey would fare as an entertainer, as she had previously only been viewed as a pop star. After the success of Carey's previous effort, Music Box, there was speculation of a new project in the works however it was not until October 1994, only one month before the album's release, that Billboard announced Carey would be releasing a holiday album for the Christmas season. As of 2021, Merry Christmas has sold 15 million copies worldwide, becoming one of the best-selling holiday albums of all time.Ĭarey has expressed her belief in God and her connection between music and spirituality, and felt the album was finally a way to portray her mysticism into music. In 2019, an anniversary deluxe edition was released featuring live renditions, newer songs like " Oh Santa!" and " The Star", and numerous remixes in commemoration of the album's twenty-fifth anniversary. In 2010, Carey released a sequel Christmas album, Merry Christmas II You. The DVD side features the entire album in enhanced PCM stereo and music videos. In 2005, the album was re-released as a special edition DualDisc, featuring "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen" and a special anniversary version of "Santa Claus is Comin' To Town" on the CD side. It achieved top-ten in 16 additional countries including Australia, Canada, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United States. Internationally, it reached number one in Japan, Latvia, and Lithuania. Re-released on multiple occasions in various formats since its debut, the album has sold 5.7 million copies in the United States as of December 2019 and has been certified 8x Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). Some music critics complimented the " gospel and soul-inflected" vocals and even called it "Carey's best record" to date. Three singles were released from the album, of which " All I Want for Christmas Is You" went on to become one of the best-selling singles of all time and the best-selling Christmas ringtone in the United States.Ĭritical response to the album's contemporary Christmas theme was mixed. Carey worked with Walter Afanasieff, with whom she wrote all of the original tracks, as well as producing Carey's interpretations of the covered material. Released by Columbia Records on October 28, 1994, at the peak of the initial stretch of Carey's career, between Music Box (1993) and Daydream (1995), the album features cover versions of popular Christmas songs in addition to original material. Merry Christmas is the fourth studio album by American singer Mariah Carey, and her first Christmas album. ![]()
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