Mariah Carey gives Filipino fans a shout-out as Christmas season starts

Mariah Carey reaches out to her Filipino fans on Facebook: “Philippines, it’s time (only for you!!) I hope you’re all safe and well. Let’s celebrate together.” Image: mariahcarey/Instagram

It’s that time of year again when Jose Mari Chan’s “Christmas in Our Hearts” fills the air, and you know what’s coming next on the playlist – Mariah Carey’s “All I Want for Christmas Is You.”

Last year, as the “ber” months kicked off, Filipino fans enjoyed a festive win when the singer herself took notice of the surge in streams for her holiday classic.

On Sept. 1, the song hit an impressive 316,000 streams on Spotify within just 24 hours. This marked a significant 75 percent increase compared to the same day in 2022, showcasing the Filipino enthusiasm for holiday cheer that begins as early as September.

This year, the five-time Grammy winner didn’t forget about this as she has continued to celebrate the early start of the Christmas season in the Philippines. Over the weekend, she reached out to her Filipino fans through a cheerful Facebook post.

Sharing a link to her beloved holiday track, she wrote, “Philippines, it’s time (only for you!! 😉) I hope you’re all safe and well. Let’s celebrate together.”

It’s worth noting that last year, the “Rockin’ Around The Christmas Tree” hitmaker’s playful reaction on X (formerly Twitter) was a highlight of the season. She humorously tweeted, “Not yet!!!!” indicating that, officially, the Christmas season had not yet begun.

However, she quickly added, “I’ll allow it for my Filipino lambs[,] though! I don’t make the rules!” Her lighthearted response delighted fans and showed her affection for the enthusiastic Filipino celebration of Christmas.

On Sept. 1 of last year, the “A Holly Jolly Christmas” singer’s track was streamed 112,040 times in the Philippines, securing its spot as the 82nd most streamed song in the country for that day, according to Spotify charts.

This year, as her song starts making its rounds again, fans are eagerly gearing up for another festive season filled with holiday music and joy.