Mariah Carey revisits her little-known grunge songs with Foo Fighters at MusiCares
Melissa RuggieriLOS ANGELES - Sometimes it snows in January.
At least in Mariah Carey’s world, where even an unseasonably sticky weekend didn’t stand a chance with the Queen of Christmas in the house.
Inside the Los Angeles Convention Center Friday night, Carey, this year’s MusiCares Person of the Year honoree, joined the coterie of singers who had celebrated her the previous two hours – Jennifer Hudson, Kesha, Billy Porter, Charlie Puth and Jon Batiste among them – for a sprightly romp through her holiday behemoth, "All I Want for Christmas."
“Merry Christmas in advance!” she yelled while hugging Porter.
A few minutes earlier, Carey graciously accepted her coronation and said she was “overwhelmed in the best possible way,” as she stood onstage in a black bodysuit accented with a floor-length sheer overlay decorated with flowers.
“Receiving this honor is one of the most profound moments of my life and career,” she said, while touting the importance of MusiCares.
The Grammy-week event always raises money to support the welfare of musicians. But in addition to its usual cause, MusiCares, along with donations gathered during the 2025 Grammys telecast, raised more than $15 million during the past year to benefit the Los Angeles fire relief efforts following the fires that destroyed several California communities.
“When music people show up, the impact is real,” said Recording Academy CEO Harvey Mason jr. at the start of the Carey-centric event.
Carey, 56, the second youngest person to receive the designation since Sting at age 52 in 2004, joins a heady list of artists appointed Person of the Year for their artistic achievements and commitment to philanthropy, including Bono, Barbra Streisand, Carole King, Jon Bon Jovi, Joni Mitchell and 1999 honoree Stevie Wonder, an unscheduled guest who showered Carey with sweet words about their friendship.
“I am very happy to know you as a friend,” Wonder said as he praised Carey while holding the arm of Gayle King, one of the show’s celebrity introducers. “Your love for God, your love for people, your love for using your gift given by the most high – your voice.”
Carey, a diamond butterfly ring prominent as she clasped her hands in appreciation, stood at her seat as Wonder continued. “Never let anyone tell you they can take your freedom away,” he said.
Throughout the show – which launched with a DJ set by longtime Carey friend and producer Jermaine Dupri – Carey’s admirers dug into her substantial catalog with gusto. Some pulled from her 19 No. 1 chart blazers (Maggie Rogers’ “Honey,” Hudson’s medley that included “Vision of Love” and “My All”). But most opted for hits that didn’t reach the pinnacle, including Kesha (“Obsessed”), Busta Rhymes – who expressed his appreciation for their genuine friendship (“I Know What You Want,” their 2003 collaboration) – and Foo Fighters with Taylor Momsen, who offered the most blistering surprise of the night.
Here are some of the musical highlights.
Jennifer Hudson
From the moment Carey was announced as the MusiCares honoree, it seemed a foregone conclusion that Hudson would be among those paying homage given that she is one of the few singers who can match Carey's vocal potency.
A medley of "I Don't Wanna Cry," "My All," "Vision of Love" and "Make It Happen" was sung partially a capella, allowing Hudson's formidable voice to ricochet around the room. Draped in sparkles and fur on the icy blue stage, Hudson enhanced "Make it Happen" with a gospel choir behind her, prompting Carey to mouth, "I love you so much," in between quietly singing along. The twosome exchanged airblown kisses at the end in a nod to their friendship and mutual diva respect.
Foo Fighters with Taylor Momsen
If any artist on this lineup prompted a raised eyebrow, it was Foo Fighters.
What, exactly, would one of the preeminent rock bands of the past 30 years tackle from Carey’s ballad-heavy catalog, even knowing their penchant for the mellifluous pop of ABBA and The Bee Gees?
As it turned out, Dave Grohl and the guys pulled the biggest surprise of the night – and provided the most electrifying performance – by recruiting The Pretty Reckless front yowler Taylor Momsen and unearthing a pair of songs from Carey’s secret 1995 grunge album, “Someone’s Ugly Daughter,” released under the name Chick.
Foo Fighters raged and Momsen, in a black leather jacket and white slip, roared a la Courtney Love, as the slashing guitar and crashing drums of “Hermit” and “Love is a Scam” blanketed the room.
Hearing these rarely played songs was fun enough. But it was priceless seeing Carey mouthing along to the lyrics in her seat, her inner rocker given permission to peek out amid her diamonds and lace.
Adam Lambert
Standing on the smaller, rotating stage in the middle of the room, Lambert showcased how even with his irrepressible flair, his pure voice is the star. With only a piano and three backup singers supporting him, the multihyphenate confidently strode through a gorgeous rendition of Carey’s 1992 ballad “Can’t Let Go.”
Lambert, sporting a spiffy lavender jacket, always injects genuine soul into his performances, and on this one, he climbed through escalating octaves with theatricality that was never overwrought, only heartfelt.
Laufey
The vocal style of the appealingly quirky Icelandic-reared singer might not seem congruent to Carey’s music. But her rhythmic version of “It’s Like That” was packed with personality as Laufey, in a pink off-the-shoulder dress, bewitched with her shoulder shrugs and feathery hand movements. By injecting the song with a bossa nova cadence, Laufey made the Carey standard her own while remaining true to its core.
Teddy Swims
In his black pinstriped suit, multicolored fingernails and face tattoos, the Georgia soul man might not have seemed an obvious choice to attempt Carey’s sublime rendition of Harry Nilsson’s 1972 weeper, “Without You.”
But Swims buckled into the ballad, standing tall and belting through the song’s inherent ache. “That was terrifying,” he joked after nailing the final notes, scampering offstage with a shy smile toward a beaming Carey.