Abstract
Who wrote "All I Want For Christmas Is You" with Carey?
All I Want for Christmas Is You
"All I Want for Christmas Is You" is a song originally performed by American singer-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 song's lyrics declare that the protagonist does not care about Christmas presents or lights; all she wants for Christmas is to be united with her lover for the holidays. Two music videos were commissioned for the song, both being filmed during the month of December 1993. The song's primary music video features grainy home 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. 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, while paying homage to The Ronettes, alongside back up singers and male dancers. Carey performed "All I Want for Christmas is You" during a slew of live television appearances and tours throughout her career. She first sang it live during the Japanese leg of her Daydream World Tour (1996), Butterfly World Tour (1998) and (2003–04), as well as the Walt Disney World Christmas Day Parade in 2004 and 2010. Both live appearances were aired on ABC. 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)". In 2011, Carey re-recorded the song as duet with Justin Bieber, titled "All I Want for Christmas for You (SuperFestive!)". The song has also been covered by many artists over the years, including Demi Lovato, Shania Twain, Michael Bublé, The Cheetah Girls, Cee Lo Green with Big Time Rush, Lady Antebellum, Nota, Miley Cyrus, The Electrical Fire, Atomic Tom, John Mayer and "Glee"'s Amber Riley. Critically, "All I Want for Christmas Is You" has been lauded, with "The New Yorker" calling it "one of the few worthy modern additions to the holiday canon". The song was commercially successful, reaching the No. 2 position on the singles charts of Australia, Japan, the Netherlands, Norway, and the United Kingdom, and the top 10 in several other countries. It became the nineteenth-best-selling digital single of the 20th century, the highest-charting entry by a female or holiday song on the list. "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. "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 Carey's biggest international hit and one of the best-selling singles of all time.