Mariah Carey has responded to ‘All I Want For Christmas Is You’ breaking the record for the longest-running Number One single in the US.
Last week saw the pop star’s 1994 festive hit achieve a record-breaking 20th week at the top spot on the Billboard Hot 100 – 31 years after its initial release.
The track surpassed the Number One runs of two hits: Shaboozey’s ‘A Bar Song (Tipsy)’ in 2024, and Lil Nas X’s ‘Old Town Road’ (featuring Billy Ray Cyrus) in 2019.
Over six years ago, the latter song became the longest-running US Number One single of all time. ‘A Bar Song (Tipsy)’ then tied with ‘Old Town Road’ in becoming the longest-reigning US single, with 19 non-consecutive weeks on the Hot 100.
When Billboard asked Carey how she felt about smashing the record, she replied: “It’s amazing. Honestly, it really is. I can’t lie.”
The singer’s 1995 single ‘One Sweet Day’ with Boys II Men previously enjoyed a stint as the Hot 100’s longest-running Number One single, earning 16 weeks at the top spot.
“It was robbed of me,” she told the publication of Lil Nas X taking her crown. “I was upset. But what are you gonna do?”
The 16-week mark has since been matched by Luis Fonsi, Daddy Yankee and Justin Bieber‘s ‘Despacito’, and Morgan Wallen‘s ‘Last Night’. Harry Styles, meanwhile, achieved 15 weeks with ‘As It Was’.
Carey went on to say that she “had no idea” that ‘All I Want For Christmas Is You’ would be the track to get her the title back: “That just became such a thing that I never could have predicted it ever, so…”
When asked how far the single could go beyond its current 20 weeks, the star said: “I don’t know […] At a certain point it’s not Christmas anymore, and you know, well, but I love it.”
Carey concluded by saying she would be enjoying the festive period with her recent ‘Christmastime In Las Vegas’ residency, which wrapped up last weekend. “So we’re doing this every night, but really I just want to be celebrating it,” she continued.
Sharing a post on Instagram, the artist told her followers that she was “humbly taking back the torch”, adding: “20 weeks at #1. I’m so grateful ❤️.”
This time last year, Carey celebrated the 30th anniversary of her Christmas classic with a series of special releases.
‘All I Want For Christmas Is You’ finally topped the US and UK charts in 2019 and 2020, respectively, two-and-a-half decades after its original release.
Speaking to NME in 2021, Carey reflected on making the snowy video for the single. “Well, I remember certain things that weren’t great about that time, but I also see my true happiness shining through,” she explained.
“Someone smarter than myself suggested I do a Christmas album as a young, young girl and I was like: ‘Hmmm – doesn’t that happen later in life?’ And then I said, ‘But you know what? I love Christmas!’”
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