Mariah Carey famously asked, "Why are you so obsessed with me?" in her 2009 hit "Obsessed". At MusiCares' January 30 gala celebrating the five-time Grammy winner, artists including Jennifer Hudson, Foo Fighters, John Legend, Laufey, Teddy Swims, Kesha, Charlie Puth, Maggie Rogers, Busta Rhymes, Adam Lambert, and Billy Porter showed her why.
The star-studded event, held annually during Grammy weekend as the tentpole fundraiser for the nonprofit arm of the Recording Academy that provides health, financial and rehabilitation resources to those who work in the music industry, pays tribute to the "Person of the Year" by gathering friends and fellow musicians to perform their songs.
Suffice it to say, they had a lot to dig into this year. Carey not only "owned the '90s", as several of her well-wishers noted on stage, but she's had 19 chart-topping singles on the Billboard Hot 100, making her the solo artist with the most No. 1 hits in U.S. history, second only to The Beatles. She's charted No. 1 songs in four decades, and in December 2025 her holiday jewel "All I Want For Christmas Is You" broke the record for the most weeks at No. 1 in Billboard Hot 100 history, reaching 22 total weeks at the top.
After a brief DJ set by Jermaine Dupri. Jennifer Hudson kicked off the performances hitting all the literal and figurative high notes with a medley of "I Don't Want To Cry", a No. 1 from her 1990 self-titled debut album; "Cry", from her 14th studio album, Me. I Am Mariah... The Elusive Chanteuse, released in 2014; and "My All", a chart topper from her 1997 album Butterfly.
John Legend's performance at the piano of "Hero", a defining hit from her 1993 album Music Box, got a standing ovation from Carey, while Busta Rhymes, performing with Chante Moore and Spliff Star, got the whole crowd on its feet for their rendition of "I Know What You Want" - which Rhymes cheekily referred to as "baby-making music".
The most surprising, and most energetic, moment of the night belonged to the Foo Fighters and Taylor Momsen, frontwoman for the band The Pretty Reckless, who showcased a different side of Carey's repertoire. Turns out she secretly made a grunge album in 1995, titled Someone's Ugly Daughter, under the band alias Chick. While the project flew under the radar for many of her fans, Carey mentions it briefly in her 2020 memoir and two songs plucked from that album, "Hermit" and "Love Is A Scam", were pitch-perfect for the Foos and Momsen.
In another surprise, Stevie Wonder took the stage to fete Carey in a speech celebrating their friendship, attributes he appreciates about Carey, and the importance of freedom. "The greatest thing about you and I," he said, "is that we have respect and love for each other." Other non-musical tributes were delivered by SZA, Babyface, Rita Wilson, Richard Marx, and Gayle King.
Presenting Carey with her Person of the Year trophy toward the end of the evening, Jody Gerson, CEO of Universal Music Publishing Group, reminisced about being "blown away" by Carey's five-octave range when she heard her early songs, and celebrated Carey for writing or co-writing the majority of her catalog of "genre-fluid" pop. "She redefined what it means to be a female pop star," Gerson noted, "with self-directed artistry."
When it was Carey's turn to take the stage, she brought her signature sense of humor. "I feel blessed to be surrounded by so many friendly and familiar faces. People I've worked with, people I've long admired... even people I thought I'd never see again," she jested. "So much love, so much music it's overwhelming in the best possible way. Receiving this award is one of the most profound moments of my life and my career."
Unlike some other prior MusiCares honorees, Carey didn't perform any songs on her own at the end of the evening. But she did pop back out to close out the show with ensemble cast delivering "All I Want For Christmas". Spirits, holiday and otherwise, were high.
Complete list of musical performances, in order of appearance:
Jermaine Dupri - DJ set
Jennifer Hudson - medley "I Don't Want To Cry", "Cry", "My All"
Foo Fighters and Taylor Momsen - "Hermit", "Love Is A Scam"
Charlie Puth - "Someday"
Kesha - "Obsessed"
John Legend - "Hero"
Laufey - "It's Like That"
Adam Lambert - "Can't Let Go"
Maggie Rogers - "Honey"
Busta Rhymes, Chante Moore and XXX - "XXX"
Billy Porter - "Always Be My Baby"
Flo - "Dreamlover"
Teddy Swims - "Without You"
Ensemble - "All I Want For Christmas Is You"
(Forbes)
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