The 34 Best Mariah Carey Quotes

She’s the Queen of Christmas.

While she has quite the musical catalog outside of holiday tracks, we’re assured every holiday season that we’ll enjoy a heavy dose of Mariah Carey. Her song, “All I Want for Christmas Is You” has become ubiquitous.

Known for her striking, at times piercing, voice and her picturesque beauty, the 53-year-old, New York-born Mariah Carey is an American musical treasure. But what does the artist have to say about the world outside of her song lyrics, outside of her devastatingly delightful vocal prowess?

Without further ado, here are the 34 best Mariah Carey quotes.

1. “I was a reader as a child, believe it or not.”

2. “Being biracial is so much a part of who I am that it’s almost, ‘Let it go already.’ It’s intrinsic to me. I think a lot of my fans relate to me because they felt different.”

3. “I started singing when I started talking.”

4. “My brother and sister had a much worse childhood, I think, because they were older, and they had to deal with a lot more racism because they grew up in the ’70s and I grew up more in the ’80s. So they had to deal with crosses being burned on their lawn and their dogs being poisoned.”

5. “Stardom is a magical yet freakish situation at times. It’s a cliche but very true that at times, you feel so alone, even when you’re surrounded by so many people.”

6. “My fans have made all my career moments special for me. They are the ones that have gotten me through every single thing—good times and bad, they are who I go to and lean on. I am very thankful for that.”

7. “I could do my own nails… I went to beauty school in the 11th grade. But why would I do that now?”

8. “Honestly, everybody gets talked about. Some people control their press a little more than others. Some people feed the press and move it the way they want to. I don’t do that.”

9. “Marilyn Monroe Productions was the first female-owned production company in Hollywood. She paved the way for women in Hollywood, and every single woman owes something to her for that, whether they agree with her image or not.

10. “I never thought that I would have love again, but it’s amazing how the universe brings love to you.”

11. “I’m a very good laundress when I have to be.”

12. “If you’re not wearing a lot of makeup, you don’t have to take a lot of it off. So, my goal is to wear the least amount of makeup possible so I don’t have to steam my face and take it all off.”

13. “Trust is not very easy for me at all. I want to be a trusting person, but I’ve been bruised so many times—not to sound woe-is-me about my life.”

14. “I’m actually a really good cook, and people don’t believe this about me!”

15. “Time is irrelevant to me. I never wear a watch.”

16. “Forget the image, forget the ensemble, forget the rumors, forget the short skirts, the big hair, whatever! I owe this to the fans and I will never forget you so I want to accept this award on behalf of all of you.”

17. “Christmas is always the most fun. I start looking forward to Christmas before it’s even summertime.”

18. “I really rebel against authority.”

19. “I work myself into the ground. But I think I’m a nice friend and a good person, and I try to do my work as best I can.”

20. “I don’t think anyone knows as much about what’s right for me as I do.”

21. “One day I promised God that if he would give me my voice back I would never smoke again. I got three octaves back after quitting.”

22. “I’m actually very loyal, to my detriment.”

23. “I’m not vain, I’m insecure.”

24. “My father identified as a black man. No one asked him because he was clearly black. But people always ask me. If we were together, people would look at us in a really strange way. It sucked. As a little girl I had blond hair and they’d look at me, look at him, and be disgusted.”

25. “I love the grimiest rappers in the world. That’s my favorite.”

26. “Prince was one of the best people I’ve met. He didn’t care about the big system. I was always like, at any time, Prince could write a No. 1 song because he’s that talented, but he chooses to do what he wants. I respect that. He actually helped me through a lot of situations with his knowledge.”

27. “Never, never listen to anybody that tries to discourage you.”

28. “You really just want to know that somebody loves you for you. Sometimes you feel like an ATM machine with a wig on it.”

29. “I think that for me, personally, a lot of my choices have been to do with my own issues of not feeling safe as a child and feeling a sense of stability.”

30. “I think the greatest gift to me is that I can express myself in songs. It helps me get through some of the hardest times of my life. It also helps me celebrate some of the best times.”

31. “I always felt like the rug could be pulled out from under me at any time. And coming from a racially mixed background, I always felt like I didn’t really fit in anywhere.”

32. “I don’t mind being compared to Whitney, there are people miles worse to be compared to.”

33. “I’m very hard on myself and I have too many issues.”

34. “I’m not Gloria Steinem, but I mean, I’m definitely all for powerful women.”

Photo by Samir Hussein/Samir Hussein/WireImage