Mariah Carey Reacts to Her Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Nomination

Mariah Carey Ethan James Green Trending on Billboard When the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame 2026 nominees were unveiled on Feb. 25, Mariah Carey admits “it felt great” to see her name on the list, marking her third consecutive nomination. “It’s definitely an unchecked box.”  Explore Mariah Carey See latest videos, charts and news Looking back on her career, Carey is no stranger to the rock genre, having released covers of Foreigner’s “I Want to Know What Love Is” (which became one of her biggest hits in South America), Journey’s “Open Arms” and Def Leppard’s “Bringing On the Heartbreak,” which became a fan favorite from her 2002 album Charmbracelet. But what does the songwriter feel is her most rocking release? Related BLACKPINK Earns Fourth Top 10 on Album Sales Chart With 'DEADLINE' Watch Harry Styles 'Catch Feelings' for This 'SNL' Star (Even Though He 'Promised' Not To) In New Promos Kx5, Above & Beyond & Eli Brown Lead Lineup for We Belong Here's Next Brooklyn Edition “Chick, that was a rock moment,” she asserts.  She’s referring to Someone’s Ugly Daughter, the alternative rock  album she secretly recorded in 1995 under the pseudonym Chick (which was ultimately released with another artist singing lead vocals). When Mariah was honored as this year’s MusiCares Person of the Year during Grammys week in Los Angeles, attendees saw the project come to life — thanks to performances from Foo Fighters and Taylor Momsen, who covered “Hermit” and “Love Is a Scam,” respectively, from the sole Chick release. Mariah was beaming.  “That was amazing,” Carey reflects. “Just to feel that whole thing, I don’t even know how to express it.”  As for whether fans will ever get to hear Carey herself on those tracks, she says, “I want to give people a taste of Someone’s Ugly Daughter… I think it is pretty funny, because I created this thing and what do you do? It’s just there.”  She says she’s always wanted to showcase more of her rocker side, yet says during her rise she was always told, “Stay in your lane.”  Thankfully, for fans, she never has. At the 2026 Milan Cortina Winter Olympics Opening Ceremony, Carey performed a medley of “Volare” and “Nothing Is Impossible” – singing both in Italian. “It was exciting to add that to my repertoire — because, I mean, ‘Volare’ was just a moment. I couldn’t even believe that that was happening.”  The performance came on the heels of Carey’s latest album, Here for It All, her 16th album that arrived last September. The album delivered another No. 1 to her tally, with “In Your Feelings” topping the Adult R&B Airplay chart.   Her historic count of chart-topping hits is exactly why she believes why the Rock Hall induction should be in her future. in April. When asked why she deserves to be welcomed into the Hall of Fame, she answers with a laugh, “I would say they should check out the 19 [Billboard Hot 100] No. 1s… not everybody has those to their name.”  Get weekly rundowns straight to your inbox Sign Up Leave a Comment Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked * Name * Email * Website Post Comment Want to know what everyone in the music business is talking about? Get in the know on Visit Billboard Pro for music business news