Mariah Carey is the undisputed queen of Christmas thanks to the genius of All I Want For Christmas Is You and her love of all things gaudy and extra. So a Christmas show is the perfect vehicle for her unique brand of diva.
The legendary songstress hit London's O2 Arena on Tuesday night with her All I Want For Christmas tour, and if ticket-holders weren't feeling festive beforehand, they most definitely were when they left. Giant red curtains were pulled back to reveal Mariah in a gigantic white ballgown with lit-up angel wings on her back - entirely ridiculous, but entirely Mimi.
Around her were a full band, peaks of snow, presents and glitter, but amidst all the noise, it was Mariah's voice that stood out as she delivered a silky smooth version of Hark The Herald Angels Sing before seguing into Charlie Brown Christmas. Putting on an English accent, Mariah greeted the O2 before bursting into "fan favourite" Christmas (Baby Please Come Home), bringing her mind-blowing register to the festive classic.
Put that disastrous New Year's Eve performance to the back of your mind - this is a woman on the top of her game. While some notes were tweaked, it was clear Mariah was singing live and giving it her all, and her signature whistle register was given several impressive outings during the night.
As a Christmas show, the bulk of the setlist was Mariah's Christmas catalogue, and while the whole point of the night, this led to some rather slow moments as Joy To The World followed Silent Night. However, there was plenty of showmanship. Mariah brought out her seven-year-old twins Moroccan and Monroe throughout the show to talk about wanting an iPad from Santa, and the kids even provided backing vocals for The Star.
But a brief break from Crimbo was, oddly, what got the show back on the fast track. Mariah performed The Distance from her rather great new album Caution, before turning into arguably her best song We Belong Together and Hero. Of course, the pinnacle of the night - and what most of the people in the O2 had bought tickets for - was saved until last.
Dressed in a sparkly toy soldier leotard, Mariah unleashed those opening notes of All I Want For Christmas Is You, and sparked an arena-wide singalong that reminded us how timeless and wonderful a Christmas song it is. The evening would have benefited from a few more recognisable Christmas songs, as well as more upbeat moments - but there's no doubting that Mariah delivered exactly what she set out to.
Mariah Carey setlist
Hark! The Herald Angels Sing
Charlie Brown Christmas
Oh Santa!
Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)
Christmas Medley
Jesus Oh What A Wonderful Child
Silent Night
Joy To The World
When Christmas Comes
The Star
Here Comes Santa Claus
Christmas Time Is In The Air Again
O Holy Night
The Distance
We Belong Together
Hero
All I Want For Christmas Is You
(Metro)
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