Mariah Carey has officially announced the arrival of the 2026 holiday season with her annual “It’s time!” video. Shared on Nov. 1, the cinematic clip shows a calendar moving into November before Carey appears in a sparkling Santa-inspired jumpsuit as the opening notes of “All I Want for Christmas Is You” play in the background.
Carey captioned the post “IT’S TIME!!!!” Her son, Moroccan, added his own enthusiastic response in the comments. The yearly announcement has become a recurring tradition for the singer, who marks the start of the festive season with her signature whistle tones and Christmas hit.
This year’s video also included a nod to Carey’s long-discussed grunge project, Someone’s Ugly Daughter. Before the Christmas scene, she appears in a colorful wig, punk makeup and fishnets while performing “Hermit” at a New York City bar. The song is associated with the album Carey recorded more than 30 years ago while working on her 1995 album Daydream, but never officially released under her name.
The album has circulated under the pseudonym Chick, with Clarissa Dane credited on vocals rather than Carey. Fans have continued asking for the project to be released, and Carey addressed the subject during a recent Reddit Ask Me Anything session. Responding to a question about the album, she wrote: “I get asked this about once a week. my answer is…#notyet (this is a hint!).”
Carey continued her holiday campaign one day later by announcing a new partnership with Gucci. In the fashion brand’s commercial, she arrives at a stylish hotel as staff members quickly decorate for her visit. She then becomes the focus of a glamorous Christmas party, with “All I Want for Christmas Is You” providing the soundtrack.
Released in 1994, “All I Want for Christmas Is You” has spent a combined 22 weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100. With Carey’s 2026 holiday campaign now underway, the song is positioned for another prominent Christmas-season run.
Sources: Billboard.