On American Idol and contestants singing her songs
I think mainly it’s working with up-and-comers, when I know how I started as an up-and-comer, and I know how hard it was for me. I like being able to be in here with them and see them rise. To me that’s the ultimate in giving back.
If someone comes and does a really nice rendition of one of my songs, I love it. A couple of years back, David Cook sang my song. He sang ‘Always Be My Baby,’ and I was mentoring. He was great. It was a day that…it was just like, ‘Wow.’ He took ‘Always Be My Baby,’ which was a number one song for me years ago and he did a great acoustic twist on it. And that’s what I love to see, when people get creative, because you see the artist within them. It’s not just a sound alike or a this or a that.
On giving honest opinion
It’s tough, but I think it’s about the way that you say it. But if you’re like, ‘You know what, Mariah? Your dress is nice and I’m sure it’s a good designer, but maybe you should pull it down a little bit more while you sit here and talk to us, in terms of why it’s sticking up over here,’ I’d be a little bit like, ‘Okay, thanks…’ But I’d take it in and I’d remember.
On songwriting and producing aspirations
I would say, ‘Do you write songs? Do you write your own songs?’ Because for me that’s such a huge part of legendary artistry. A lot of people, they tend to not think about that when watching a TV show, and for me, songwriting is above singing, for me as a singer, which sounds weird to most people. But I love writing.
On being a mother and witnessing the kids grow
Well, every moment is incredible and a blessing, and I was just performing in Sydney, at an arena, and I brought them out on stage because I want them to have these little experiences when possible. Some people might disagree with that, but for me, I was like, ‘I know,’ especially Monroe, that’s my daughter, ‘was going to love this.’ She did not want to get off the stage, and it’s on YouTube.
On “Dem Babies” personalities
Actually he can be a little bit more aggressive, but not in a bad way. It’s just that he’ll give her a little tap and she’s trying to hug him. She’s like a real sweetie, and he’s great. He’s my buddy. We watch movies together. We watch ‘Baby Can Read,’ and they’re only a year and a half. So it’s like, ‘Wow, how are they doing this?’ It’s just such an amazing thing that I never thought I would experience because I always said I don’t think I would do it because my career was always my life, but when you find the right person and you go through with it…I had a very tough pregnancy, really tough, physically, gestational diabetes and stuff, but we got through it and here we are.
On her new album
I’m super excited. I cannot wait. I have a lot of ideas! (…) A little too many ballads, but no one ever gets mad at me for that.
Full interview here.
