Mariah Carey (born March 27, 1969 or 1970) is an American singer, songwriter, actress, and record producer. Referred to as the "Songbird Supreme" by Guinness World Records, she is noted for her five-octave vocal range, melismatic singing style, and signature use of the whistle register.
She rose to fame in 1990 after signing to Columbia Records and releasing her eponymous debut album, which topped the U.S. Billboard 200 for eleven consecutive weeks. Soon after, Carey became the only artist ever to have their first five singles reach number one on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart, from "Vision of Love" to "Emotions".
Mariah Carey has opened up about her racial identity and the complexities of being a female musician in a male-dominated industry during a recent podcast.
Carey - best known for her five-octave vocal range - is of African-American, Afro-Venezuelan and Irish descent, and spoke about how her heritage has informed her racially ambiguous appearance in an episode of Questlove Supreme's weekly podcast (January 13).
The 90s R&B icon discusses her experience growing up and the challenges she faced as a racially ambiguous child, and later, world-famous pop star.
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