Sure, holiday gatherings may be canceled and Santa may be sporting a face mask, but if anyone could salvage Christmas in 2020, it’s Mariah Carey. Despite the ongoing global COVID-19 pandemic, the legendary pop star slays the holidays as she dropped her hour long “Mariah Carey’s Magical Christmas Special,” on Friday via streaming service Apple TV+.
“Faced with a holiday cheer crisis, the North Pole knows there’s only one person who can save the day, Santa’s great friend, Mariah Carey,” Apple said in a statement ahead of the star-studded special’s release.
Tiffany Haddish opens the show, narrating a twist of the Night Before Christmas.
“Twas the night before Christmas, all white with snow, but Santa was worried. Holiday spirit was low,” she says. “You see, the people of Earth had quite a rough year and few could muster up any holiday cheer.”
Turning to the North Pole, viewers meet Santa’s secretary Billy (played by the hilarious Billy Eichner) who is in full-blown panic mode surrounded by alarms and warnings that read dire projections such as “Joy Level: Low” and “Insufficient Cheer.” After a quick cameo by Bette Midler, he declares a full blown emergency and calls Carey on her glittery red iPhone for help.
“Let’s put on a fabulous Christmas concert and cheer up the world,” she declares, springing into action to save the holiday.
What follows is a fantastical, over-the-top Christmas spectacular, that only Carey could deliver. She teams up with Ariana Grande and Jennifer Hudson to sing “Oh Santa!” then later is joined by Santa-clad Snoop Dogg, and Jermaine Dupri belts out “Here Comes Santa Claus.” The Peanuts gang including Charlie Brown, Linus and Snoopy also join in on the singing fun as the New York native brings all the nostalgia singing classics such as”Christmas Time Is In the Air Again,” “O Holy Night,” “Joy to the World,” and “Silent Night.”
Never one to go casual, Carey’s Christmas costumes are just as fabulous as her voice. Standout looks include a toy soldier-inspired flouncy mini-dress, winter sparkly long-sleeve floor-length dress with a dangerously high slit, and a dramatic winter white ballgown.
To close out the show, Carey gives everyone goosebumps as she performs her epic holiday hit “All I Want for Christmas Is You.”
“No one can ruin Christmas with Mariah Carey,” the singer assures the audience during the show.
The companion soundtrack to the holiday TV event is now also available on Apple music.
All hail the reigning Queen Of Christmas!
