Even though winter is supposed to be mild this year, does that mean we are going to put down the festive decorations? Definitely not! First things first, though, and very importantly, play loud Christmas music. This must happen before you can write Santa a list of Christmas wishes, bake every cookie recipe you know, decorate your tree, and hang your stockings. Even though December is filled with timeless songs, it would be impossible to imagine the holidays without Mariah Carey’s beloved hit song, All I Want for Christmas Is You.
As the holidays approach, one song always seems to take over and become omnipresent on radio stations, playlists, and shopping malls. Of course, we are talking about Carey’s classic 1994 carol, All I Want for Christmas Is You. However, have you ever questioned why the ‘Queen of Christmas’ wrote a song that has endured over time?
Well, her main “goal” was to make “something timeless” that did not feel like it belonged in the nineties.
What Motivated Mariah Carey to Write All I Want for Christmas Is You?
Walter Afanasieff and Mariah Carey reportedly wrote the chords, melody, and structure for All I Want for Christmas Is You in a total of fifteen minutes when they got together in the summer of 1994 to write songs for the album Merry Christmas. According to the NY Times, the former acknowledged:
“It’s definitely not ‘Swan Lake’. But that’s why it’s so popular — because it’s so simple and palatable!”
The Christmas megastar has peaked at No. 1 on Billboard’s Hot 100 chart over the last four years, according to AP News. The Hot 100 chart ranks the top songs each week based on airplay, sales, and streaming. At the time, the majority of newly released holiday music featured artists who were nearing the end of their careers and looking to gain new followers. But in 1994, Carey was really hitting her stride.
In an interview with ABC News’ Good Morning America in November, the five-time Grammy winner discussed the song’s significance and what inspired her to write such a timeless, lovable song. She admitted:
“I was working on it by myself … on this little Casio keyboard and writing down words and thinking about, ‘What do I think of at Christmas? What do I love? What do I want? What do I dream of?’ And that’s what started it. My goal was to do something timeless, so it didn’t feel like the ’90s, which is when I wrote it.”
Carey attributed the song’s continuing popularity to her “really, true love” of the holidays. The Fantasy hitmaker maintained:
“It’s not fake.”
Ever since its 1994 release, the hit song that has come to symbolize Christmas cheer has warmed everyone’s heart. Yes, even though it sounds really catchy and contemporary, it can never be that old!
It Took Mariah Carey Just ‘15 Minutes’ to Penn Her Popular Christmas Song?
Every year during the Christmas season, All I Want for Christmas Is You, one of Mariah Carey’s biggest hits, remains popular and relevant. She is said to have written and composed the song in fifteen minutes. The singer once talked about the song’s writing process as well as the widely believed rumor.
In an interview with Parade, Carey, 54, disclosed that the song’s recording took some time. Although she did not say how quickly, she claimed that it was one of the fastest songs she had ever written. In her words
“I started writing that on a little DX7 or Casio keyboard that was in this little room in the house that I lived in at the time in Upstate New York lifetimes ago. Just writing down everything that I thought about..We did take some time doing the record, because if you listen to all those background vocals and all that stuff, you can’t do it in five minutes. So, no, it wasn’t five minutes to get the whole record done. But it was quick considering I’ve taken longer on songs.”
Carey continues to receive love from her fans every year as she watches people enjoy Christmas while listening to her songs. Let us savor the infectious joy of this timeless song while remembering that her goal was to leave a lasting musical legacy, especially, during the holiday season.
