“It's time!” Mariah Carey sings as the calendar flips from October 31st to November 1st – signaling the start of the holiday season, whether you like it or not.

The powerful singer and songwriter has ruled Christmas with a festive fist for 30 years, ever since her song “All I Want For Christmas Is You” repopularized Christmas music with its release in 1994. Since then, the song has become the longest song. Chart single in every genre. It spent 65 weeks on the Billboard Hot 100, making it arguably the most popular original Christmas song of the past few decades. Their subsequent album, “Merry Christmas,” sold 18 million copies and delights everywhere people go, from wrapping the pumpkins to watching the tree fall.

In an interview with The New York Times, Carey hinted at new music and said she was embarking on a 21-date holiday tour starting in November. Commenting on the 30th anniversary of her Christmas song and its continued success, Carey said: “It's really rewarding, and I'm just thankful and grateful for it and for all the people who come and say, 'I love your music' or, ' “I’m listening to your Christmas music in July” – that started to become a theme,” she said. “I’ve always wanted to do this for my life, and now we can do it.”

But how did the pop singer go from writing hits like “Fantasy” to “All I Want For Christmas Is You”? Salon explains everything:

Carey thought it was too early in her career to release a Christmas album

Thirty years ago, the then 25-year-old pop star didn't really dare to immerse himself in Christmas music.

“I felt like it was too early in my career,” Carey explained in her interview with the Times.

But the singer's love for Christmas always remained as she worked on several arrangements for classic Christmas songs like “Joy to the World” and “Silent Night.” While working with her writing partner Walter Afanasieff, they knew they needed original songs.

Carey recalled that the opening theme came to her late one evening. So she pulled out a small keyboard. “Ding ding ding thing “Ding Ding Ding,” she sang. The songwriter was looking for lyrics that meant something to her. So she said, “I started thinking about it: 'I don't want much for Christmas.'”

And with one line, the genre of Christmas music changed forever. After years of Christmas music sticking to a more traditional, orchestral sound and spiritual themes, Carey shook things up. She followed in the footsteps of '60s Motown stars Stevie Wonder, The Ronettes and Darlene Love.

“Their album set the standard and really redefined what a Christmas album could be,” Maureen McMullan, senior concert producer and former vice chair of the vocal department at Berklee College of Music in Boston, told the Times.

Even another popular Christmas artist, Kelly Clarkson, said: “When Mariah released her first Christmas record, she was a game changer for all of us. She paved the way for all of us to create original Christmas songs because she proved to the industry not only how lucrative it can be, but also how magical it can be to have a record that is a part of our lives every year. “

Where do the “It’s Time” videos come from?

The Queen of Christmas has also changed the holiday season with an annual tradition. On Halloween night, at the end of the spooky season, Carey waits for the clock to count down. As the clock strikes midnight, the singer immediately releases a video in which she ushers us into the holiday season – usually singing in a high note, “It's time!”

With the videos starting in 2019, they are getting more festive and elaborate every year. In this year's video, the pop star collaborated with Kay Jewelers. In the creepy black and white video, Carey is dressed as Morticia Addams from “The Addams Family.” She dances with a man who plays Gomez Addams, Morticia's husband. Until the clock strikes midnight and the date changes from October 31st to November 1st. Carey then sings her iconic “It's time” while Gomez transforms into a snowman and her set is a winter wonderland with “All I Want For” and “Christmas Is You” blares.

“It wasn’t even really an announcement,” Carey said. “People said, 'Hey, when is it OK to turn on our lights and put up our tree?' and “When are you doing it?” People just asked me that because I guess they thought I was very Christmassy.”

Now Carey said, “I love 'It's About Time.' It's so much fun.”