Mariah Once Said 'I Don't Like People Doing My Songs' — Here's What Happened at MusiCares
- - Mariah Once Said 'I Don't Like People Doing My Songs' — Here's What Happened at MusiCares
Maggie EkbergFebruary 2, 2026 at 2:53 AM
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Photo by Frazer Harrison/Getty Images
Some artists genuinely love hearing other people take a crack at their songs. A few have even admitted another version topped their own. Mariah Carey? She falls into neither camp. The five-time Grammy winner has been candid about not liking people singing her music. Which is why what happened at MusiCares this weekend landed with a little extra irony.
On Friday, January 30, Carey, 56, was honored as MusiCares Person of the Year, a Grammy Week tradition that celebrates an artist’s career and philanthropy with a tribute concert built entirely around… other people singing their songs. In this case, a lot of people.
Jennifer Hudson set the tone early, opening with “I Don’t Wanna Cry” before easing into “Vision of Love.” From there, the performances kept coming in quick succession: Billy Porter delivered “Always Be My Baby,” Teddy Swims took on “Without You,” and John Legend slowed things down with a piano-led version of “Hero.” Charlie Puth followed with “I Still Believe,” while Maggie Rogers handled “Honey.”
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One of the evening’s more unexpected moments came when Laufey surprised the room with a softer, jazzy take on “It’s Like That,” shifting the mood entirely. Busta Rhymes later brought out Chanté Moore and Spliff Star for “I Know What You Want,” before the night took a sharp turn into deep-cut territory. The Foo Fighters, joined by Taylor Momsen on vocals, leaned into one of the biggest curveballs of the evening by performing songs tied to Carey’s secret ’90s grunge albumSomeone’s Ugly Daughter.
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The tribute wrapped with a group performance of “All I Want for Christmas Is You,” followed by a brief closing appearance from Carey herself.
Throughout the night, cameras kept cutting back to the "Songbird Supreme" at her table — and that’s where the internet really locked in. Clips of her facial expressions quickly spread across social media, with captions claiming she looked unimpressed or unamused. Some fans read her reactions as classic Mariah deadpan. Others treated them like meme fuel. Reporters in the room described a more mixed picture: moments of clapping and smiling.
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When all was said and done, she thanked the performers and called the experience “sublime” and “surreal,” saying it was genuinely moving to hear her work reinterpreted. That’s what makes the moment so interesting — because less than a year ago, Carey was very clear about how she feels when people cover her songs.
In a September 2025 interview with GQ, she was asked directly whether she likes others singing her music. Her answer was blunt: “Not really.” She went on to explain that while she loves and respects fellow artists, she simply doesn’t enjoy hearing people do her songs. In the same conversation, Carey shared a story about Prince once telling her he didn’t like people covering his music either, even after she covered “The Beautiful Ones.” According to Carey, Prince did tell her he loved her song “Honey,” but the message stuck. She said she ultimately feels the same way.
And that wasn’t the only time her reactions to tributes became a talking point.
Earlier in 2025, Carey received the Icon Award at the iHeartRadio Music Awards, where Muni Long performed “We Belong Together” in her honor. During the broadcast, cameras caught Carey briefly looking away, a moment that went viral almost instantly. Viewers speculated that she looked less than thrilled, prompting waves of commentary online.
Long later addressed the chatter head-on, reminding fans that the performance wasn’t a personal choice. “She asked me to do it,” Long said at the time. “You thought I chose to get on TV and sing a Mariah Carey song? Nobody can sing Mariah’s songs like Mariah. Nobody.”
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Carey eventually put the speculation to rest herself, posting a supportive message on Instagram Stories praising Long and thanking her for the tribute, writing that she was “so beyond grateful” and that the performance made her heart “so full of joy.”
This story was originally published by Parade on Feb 1, 2026, where it first appeared in the News section. Add Parade as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
Source: “AOL Entertainment”
