In her latest cover story with Cosmopolitan, Mariah Carey got candid about her early career, two marriages, her sex-life, and of course, how she's just better than everyone else.
The interview begins with the writer observing Mariah as she sends back a bottle of subpar wine during her stay at a Berlin hotel. “It just tastes disgusting,” the singer tells her. "For the record, the replacement bottle was 'not so great' either,' the writer notes.
Because after all, she is Mariah Carey, and the R&B legend knows she can be whoever she wishes given how much she went through as a young artist on the come up. “They have no idea what I went through as a child to even get to be an 18-year-old girl with a record deal,” she said. “This was before you could just go on YouTube and sing.” It wouldn't be a Mariah moment without a little bit of shade.
In the '90's, prior to emerging as the hottest artist on the planet, she entered into a relationship with Sony executive Tommy Mottola, to whom she was married from 1993 to 1998. Carey successfully got her demo tape to him while she was still waitressing tables, and he then used his status in the music industry to her advantage. The pair, despite the 20-year age difference, ultimately developed a romantic relationship.
"You might want to picture a child bride," she recalled. "There was a conscious effort to keep me as this all-American, whatever that means, girl. It was very controlled. There was no freedom for me as a human being. It was almost like being a prisoner."
In regards to romance, Carey acknowledges that some may consider her "prude" on account of the fact that she's only been with five men in her life. "I haven't had that many, but there has been a variety pack," the singer said in reference to preferring younger men. "I've only been with five people in my life, so I'm kind of a prude, honestly, compared to most others in the field."
Although she has experienced more success than the vast majority of artists, people still like to focus on the upsets—like that New Years Eve performance. “If people think that’s the worst thing that’s ever happened to me, then first of all, they haven’t studied my career well enough,” she said. “After what I’ve been through, who really gives a shit if my monitor broke, fell off, came out of my ears because the stupid robe was too loose? These things happen and it’s over. My true fans stick with me, and the rest of the people will get over it.”
In addition to opening up about her past, the singer had a few words for other musicians in the industry. “A lot of artists say they write, but they don’t really write. No offense to anybody. That’s just what I’ve seen," she said in reference to writing music. In regards to fashion, she didn't hold back either. “A lot of girls are just nude in front of everybody. No offense to them.”
