Between their idiosyncratic songwriting styles, generational hits, Grammys, and Billboard chart domination, Mariah Carey and SZA made a natural pair at Wednesday night's Apple Music-hosted Flowers conversation at New York City's Jazz at Lincoln Center.
Serving as the official pilot of Flowers, a new Apple Music live show created by gamma, co-founder Larry Jackson, Carey and SZA's conversation was a heartfelt lovefest that doubled as a Lambily reunion. With Here for It All, Carey's forthcoming 16th studio album, arriving on Friday (September 26), the Flowers conversation featured exclusive snippets of the title track, as well as behind-the-scenes stories of the album's creation.
Carey appeared very excited, if not a little nervous, about her first album in seven years - but once she started gushing about working with iconic gospel group The Clark Sisters, she could barely contain herself. SZA, an empathetic interviewer in her own right, nimbly guided the conversation, subtly interjecting her own questions and helping Carey navigate particularly emotional moments, such as when she discussed her mother and sister passing away on the same day in August 2024.
From the moment Carey walked out in a leathery, all-black fit and SZA followed behind her - in a butterfly-print dress, no less - Lincoln Center's Appel Room, which featured notable guests like Gayle King, house DJ D-Nice and host Ebro Darden, waited with bated breath for the conversation to begin. Nonetheless, adorable audience quips abounded, and by the time Carey played a bit of the gospel breakdown in the Here for it All title track, the entire room leapt to its feet. SZA also convinced Carey to play two songs ("Hermit" and "Love Is A Scam") from her secret grunge album, Someone's Ugly Daughter, which she recorded under the moniker Chick around the time of 1995's Daydream album.
Here are 10 things we learned from Mariah Carey and SZA's Flowers conversation for Apple Music.
Mimi and SZA have a collab in the works
Less than a minute into their conversation, SZA dropped a bomb: she and Mariah had spent the previous night in the studio together writing and playing each other music. While they kept mum on the details, the surprise news now has every Lamb's eyes peeled for a Here for It All deluxe announcement.
Mariah's secret 1995 grunge album gifted her a special feeling
While recording 1995's blockbuster Daydream, which houses the Hot 100 No. 1s "Fantasy", "One Sweet Day" (with Boyz II Men) and "Always Be My Baby", Carey had her attention split. As she described to SZA, she would be cutting Daydream songs and writing songs for a second album - a grunge record, to be exact. Titled Someone's Ugly Daughter and recorded under the name Chick, the album "allowed me to feel free when I wasn't free yet in my life," Carey reflected. Notably, Daydream was Carey's last studio album before separating from then-husband Tommy Mottola in 1996.
Carey first revealed the existence of Someone's Ugly Daughter in her 2020 memoir The Meaning of Mariah Carey. Her friend Clarissa Dane, who co-produced the album, is the lead vocalist on the official release, while Carey is on background vocals. As she tells it, Carey recruited Dane as a compromise with her record label after executives told her that an album of that style could significantly damage her image and career.
Mariah wants her collab with SZA to sound like this "Daydream" deep cut
After revealing they spent the previous night in the studio together, Mariah noted that she envisioned her and SZA's collaboration sounding something like "Underneath the Stars", a fan-favorite deep cut from Daydream that gives her "the same feeling as SZA's Snooze".
Mariah's wanted to work with this "Here for It All" feature "for years"
There are several stellar featured artists on Here for It All, Anderson .Paak, Kehlani, Shenseea, to name a few - but The Clark Sisters were the act Mariah was most excited to finally get in the studio with.
Pioneers of contemporary gospel and one of the most influential vocal groups of all time, The Clark Sisters boast a Grammy lifetime achievement award and a spot in the 2026 Hollywood Walk of Fame class. The group joins Carey on "Jesus I Do", the penultimate track on Here for It All. From "Fly Like a Bird" to "Heavenly", Carey has incorporated gospel vocal stylings and faith-based lyricism throughout her career. "Jesus I Do" marks The Clark Sisters' first collaboration with a secular artist since their 2020 Snoop Dogg link-up, "His Love", which topped Gospel Airplay.
One '90s album features Mariah at her freest
When SZA inquired which album makes Carey feel most like herself, the Elusive Chanteuse nearly immediately replied, "Butterfly". Butterfly was Carey's first album after separating from her first husband, Tommy Mottola, and she considers it her magnum opus. Housing two Hot 100 No. 1s in "Honey" and "My All", Butterfly was Carey's fourth album to top the Billboard 200, and introduced her now-signature butterfly imagery.
Mariah's official "diva" definition
One of our last true divas, few are better qualified to define the term than Mariah Carey. According to her late opera singer mother, Patricia Carey, a diva is "a singing woman, typically a soprano". Though sometimes called "difficult", Mariah said that she rejects that notion.
SZA is weighing a major life choice
With five Grammys, a history-making stadium world tour, three Hot 100 No. 1 hits, a hit movie, and the album by a Black artist with the most weeks in the top 10 in Billboard 200 history to her name, SZA has done it all. And she accomplished a significant chunk of that this year! So, what's next on her docket? Kids: "I really want to have children," she told Carey as they discussed the icon's 14-year-old twins, Moroccan and Monroe.
This is Mariah's favorite time of the day to write
According to SZA, Mariah can hang! The "Kill Bill" singer revealed that Carey was the one to get the ball rolling on a writing session during their after-hours studio link-up. "I'm a late-night writer," Carey concurred.
Mariah has a special connection to an iconic New York venue
Near the top of the conversation, Carey revealed that her mother had made her singing debut at Lincoln Center. She was likely referring to the Metropolitan Opera House on the main campus of Lincoln Center; Wednesday evening's event took place a few blocks away at Jazz at Lincoln Center.
The best advice Mariah's mother gave her
Though Carey had a tumultuous relationship with her mother, she fondly reflected on this special piece of advice from her: "Don't say, 'If I make it' - say, 'When I make it.'" At the end of that phrase, Mariah began to tear up, and SZA quickly embraced her, making for the night's emotional apex.
(Billboard)
|
|
