MARIAH

Mariah Carey's 'Merry Christmas' special last night: Three highlights worth watching

By Tanner Stransky, Entertainment Weekly  

You know who's super-fun around Christmastime? The grand dame of "All I Want for Christmas is You," Mariah Carey, duh! Last night, the very pregnant pop diva premiered her ABC holiday special, Mariah Carey: Merry Christmas To You, and it did not disappoint in the anti-Scrooge category. It very successfully put me in the holiday spirit! The highlights were many but here's a guide to the three most important moments from the Carey Christmasfest:  

• The diva's special-opening rendition of sleigh-bell and school yard-chant happy new single "Oh, Santa!" was the perfect kick-off for the evening. This thumpy, joyful tune proves: Mariah just wants to have fun!  

• The launch of Mariah Carey's duet of "O Come All Ye Faithful" with her opera-singer mother Patricia Carey. It becomes a diva-off, with both reaching the rafters for the highest note in history. Who wins? You can be the judge of that.  

• Mariah closes out the night with her Christmas standard, "All I Want for Christmas Is You." If that doesn't put you in the spirit, then nothing will. There's simply few things out there that are this joyful.