Mariah Carey on Rock Hall Nomination, Unreleased Grunge Album and Plans for ‘Glitter’

When the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame 2026 nominees were unveiled on February 25, Mariah Carey admitted “it felt great” to see her name on the list, marking her third consecutive nomination. “It’s definitely an unchecked box.”

A Rock History

Looking back on her career, Carey is no stranger to the rock genre, having released covers of Foreigner’s “I Desire to Understand What Love Is” (which became one of her biggest hits in South America), Journey’s “Open Arms” and Def Leppard’s “Bringing On the Heartbreak,” which became a fan favorite from her 2002 album Charmbracelet.

‘Chick’ and ‘Someone’s Ugly Daughter’

However, Carey feels her most rocking release was the alternative rock album she secretly recorded in 1995 under the pseudonym Chick, titled Someone’s Ugly Daughter (which was ultimately released with another artist singing lead vocals). During this year’s MusiCares Person of the Year event, attendees saw the project arrive to life—thanks to performances from Foo Fighters and Taylor Momsen, who covered “Hermit” and “Love Is a Scam,” respectively, from the sole Chick release. Carey reflected, “That was amazing. Just to experience that whole thing, I don’t even know how to express it.”

As for whether fans will ever get to hear Carey herself on those tracks, she says, “I want to give people a taste of Someone’s Ugly Daughter… I think it is pretty funny, because I created this thing and what do you do? It’s just there.”

“Stay in Your Lane”

Carey says she’s always wanted to showcase more of her rocker side, yet during her rise, she was often told, “Stay in your lane.” Thankfully, for fans, she never has.

Recent Performances and Album Release

At the 2026 Milan Cortina Winter Olympics Opening Ceremony, Carey performed a medley of “Volare” and “Nothing Is Impossible” – singing both in Italian. “It was exciting to add that to my repertoire — because, I mean, ‘Volare’ was just a moment. I couldn’t even believe that that was happening.”

The performance came on the heels of Carey’s latest album, Here for It All, her 16th album that arrived last September. The album delivered another No. 1 to her tally, with “In Your Feelings” topping the Adult R&B Airplay chart.

Rock Hall Worthiness

Her historic count of chart-topping hits is exactly why she believes a Rock Hall induction should be in her future. When asked why she deserves to be welcomed into the Hall of Fame, she answers with a laugh, “I would say they should check out the 19 [Billboard Hot 100] No. 1s… not everybody has those to their name.”