All I Want for Christmas Is You is a song originally performed by American singer and songwriter Mariah Carey. It was released by Columbia Records in 1994 as the lead single from her fourth studio album, Merry Christmas. Carey co-wrote and co-produced the song with Walter Afanasieff. An uptempo love song, the instrumentation includes bell chimes and heavy back-up vocals, as well as use of synthesizers. The songs lyrics declare that the narrator does not care about Christmas presents or lights; all she wants for Christmas is to be with her lover. Two music videos were commissioned for the song, which were both being filmed during December 1993. The songs primary music video features grainy home-movie-style footage of Carey, her dogs and family during the holiday season, as well as Carey dressed in a Santa suit frolicking on a snowy mountainside. Careys then-husband Tommy Mottola makes a cameo appearance as Santa Claus, bringing Carey a gift and leaving on a red sleigh. The second video was filmed in black and white format, and features Carey dressed in 1960s style in homage to The Ronettes, alongside back up singers and female dancers. Carey has performed All I Want for Christmas Is You in a slew of live television appearances and tours throughout her career. So So Def released a remix version in 2000, and a dance mix in 2009. In 2010, Carey re-recorded the song for her second holiday album, Merry Christmas II You, titled All I Want for Christmas Is You (Extra Festive). Carey also re-recorded the song as duet with Justin Bieber for his 2011 album Under the Mistletoe, titled All I Want for Christmas for You (SuperFestive!). The song has also been covered by many artists over the years, including Shania Twain, Lady Antebellum, Michael Bublé, Miley Cyrus, Cee Lo Green, The Electrical Fire, Atomic Tom, Miranda Cosgrove with Big Time Rush, and Fifth Harmony. All I Want for Christmas Is You has been critically praised, with The New Yorker calling it one of the few worthy modern additions to the holiday canon.[1] The song was commercially successful, reaching the number-two position on the singles charts of Australia, Japan, the Netherlands, Norway, and the United Kingdom, and the top 10 in several other countries.[2] The Daily Telegraph hailed All I Want for Christmas Is You as the most popular and most played Christmas song of the decade in the United Kingdom.[3] Rolling Stone ranked it fourth on its Greatest Rock and Roll Christmas Songs list, calling it a holiday standard. With global sales of over 14 million copies, the song remains Careys biggest international hit and one of the best-selling singles of all time. As of 2013 the song was reported to have earned $50 million in royalties.
Posted on: Thu, 25 Dec 2014 13:08:22 +0000
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