There’s no denying that Mariah Carey is one of the most decorated artists of all time. The iconic singer has more No. 1 hits than any other solo artist in history, with 19 overall. By 2001, Mariah Carey had 15 No. 1 hits and was among the biggest stars in the world. Carey had dabbled in acting, including her brief role in the 1999 romantic comedy The Bachelor.
With an astounding music career established, the singer sought to tap into the film industry next. She landed her first starring role in 1997, but the film wouldn’t be released until 2001. This transition into film didn’t go as planned for several reasons. One of them was a terrorist attack that forever changed the entire nation.
Released on September 21, 2001, Mariah Carey starred in Glitter, a musical romance film based in a nightclub. The film’s soundtrack, released on September 11, was massively overshadowed by the 9/11 attacks.
Months before the film, Carey suffered a highly publicized emotional breakdown in July. This was due to exhaustion from working continuously with no sleep for seven days straight. Also, during filming, her highly publicized relationship with singer Luis Miguel ended. Due to this, Carey was briefly hospitalized and took a temporary leave from public appearances. All of these reasons, mixed with a poorly written script and subpar production, led to the film flopping upon release.
Mariah Carey announces a reissue of the ‘Glitter’ soundtrack
Although the film was a commercial failure, its soundtrack was quite the opposite. In 2001, Glitter peaked at No. 7 on the US Billboard 200 and No. 1 on the US Soundtrack Albums chart. Despite its lead single, “Loverboy”, peaking at No. 1 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart, the track became a “punchline” for years to come. In 2018, Carey’s diehard fans mobilized a viral hashtag, #JusticeForGlitter, which not only placed the soundtrack back on the charts, peaking at No. 1 on the iTunes chart.
For the film’s 25th anniversary, the Glitter soundtrack will get its first-ever vinyl release. Additionally, the digital reissue will feature unreleased recordings, including the new reimagined version of “Didn’t Mean To Turn You On”. The vinyl edition will be available in multiple color options, including “glittering pink” and “midnight purple.”
In the reissue announcement, Mariah Carey stated: “If someone had told me back in 2001 that I’d one day be unironically celebrating Glitter’s 25th anniversary, I never would have believed them.”
Carey added, “I made this album with so much love and care, so it was devastating to watch it become a punch line. I’m endlessly grateful to my fans who kept championing it all these years, and I hope even more people can finally hear it for what it is. We found a few recordings buried in the vault that I am really looking forward to sharing with you in October.”
Photo by Kevin Mazur/WireImage
The post This Diva Is ‘Unironically’ Reissuing the Soundtrack to Her 2001 Film Flop, and We’re Just As Surprised As Her appeared first on VICE.
