Mariah Carey is back with her first album in seven years

Mariah Carey is here for it all.

Today, the music legend dropped her newest studio album, titled “Here For It All,” on streaming services. The 11-song album is filled with new tracks from Carey’s melodic mind, mixing the nostalgic vibe of her 90s ballads with a fresh R&B sound.

The promotional buildup to this album was an ode to all the past eras of Carey’s multi-decade music career.

At the beginning of September, Carey posted a video of her singing an intimate rendition of the album’s title track, “Here For It All.” The album marks Carey’s 16th studio album, riding on the curtails of her 2018 album, “Caution.” It has been 7 years since she released a studio album.

In the video, Carey appears to be standing in a recording studio, singing the song with a simple piano accompaniment from her longtime friend and collaborator Daniel Moore. Carey is channeling her early years as a recording artist, wearing a modest black dress, leather jacket and large headphones over her ears as she records the live track.

The video went viral on social media, with 2.4 million views and over 153,000 likes in just one day.

In the comments, fans flooded Carey with praise, with one user writing, “Her tone rings with vulnerability. It’s sad, yet reaffirming…. The challenge of pushing on and through. Love her so much. And I’m here for it all!”

Carey announced the album in July. She posted a video compilation of all her previous albums, before landing on the newest one, with the caption “#MC16,” followed by a butterfly emoji – paying homage to Carey’s frequent use of butterflies in her music to symbolize freedom and new beginnings.

But before the album was announced, Carey had already released two songs that were later revealed to be tracks off the upcoming collection. “Type Dangerous,” and “Sugar Sweet,” released in June and July, are both upbeat tracks with catchy choruses and a strong hook. They reflect earlier songs from Carey’s repertoire, like “Touch My Body” and “Heartbreaker,” both of which also have a strong beat and repetitive melodic scheme.

“Silk Sonic” singer Anderson Paak has production credits on “Type Dangerous,” and performed the song with Carey at the BET Awards in June.

He and Carey have been spotted together multiple times since December 2024. People.com reports that the duo went on two dinner dates together in Aspen during the holiday season. They were photographed holding hands on the way out of a restaurant. Paak divorced his wife of almost 13 years in January 2024. Just a month earlier, Carey and her longtime boyfriend Bryan Tanaka officially split.

Both artists have spoken publicly about their new friendship.

This past May, Paak confirmed on the Instagram show “Track Star,” that he and Carey have been working on music together. During the interview, Paak unzipped his jacket and faced the camera, revealing a black and white portrait of Mimi’s face on his shirt. The singer says he had a huge crush on Carey when he first watched the “Always Be My Baby” music video.

As fans are celebrating Carey and Paak’s new song, “Play This Song,” they’re also taking a moment to look back on this summer – a time when Carey stepped into the spotlight, stood tall and never left.

In June, she sang at the Capital Summertime Ball at Wembley Stadium in London. The 30 minute production was the longest live televised performance she’s held in years. In a black zip-up dress and boots, Carey paced up and down the long stage, passing right through the parted crowd as she sang some of her most beloved hits. The recording artist sang “Always Be My Baby,” “Hero” and “Touch My Body,” as well as her 1991 song “Emotions,” which originally solidified her iconic whistle register as a staple of her brand.

And earlier this month, Carey won her first ever MTV Video Music Award. On September 7 she won the Vanguard Award for her contributions in the music industry. She also performed a medley of hits, starting off with a rendition of her song “Sugar Sweet,” in an effort to share her new music with a larger audience of viewers. Billboard reports the show garnered over 5.5 million viewers throughout the night, making it the most popular VMAs broadcast in six years.

After a series of shows in the United States, Carey embarked on a new adventure overseas: performing on a massive flower in the Amazon Rainforest, courtesy of the “Amazônia Live – Today and Always” concert. The event raised awareness about the importance of rainforest preservation in Brazil. The flower floated in the Guamá River in Belém.

Now that the summer season has officially wrapped up, fans can look forward to a festive residency in Las Vegas to kick off the Christmas season. On September 15, Carey announced her “Christmastime in Las Vegas” concert series on Instagram. The show is set to span from November 28 to December 13.

“Here For it All” is available for digital streaming today.