Mariah Carey is pulling back the curtain to reveal her unfiltered story in her forthcoming memoir, The Meaning of Mariah Carey. The We Belong Together singer, 50, admitted that it took a lifetime to summon the “courage and clarity” to finally pen her memoir. “I want to tell the story of the moments - the ups and downs, the triumphs and traumas, the debacles and the dreams that contributed to the person I am today,” Mariah said on Wednesday in her announcement.
She added, “Though there have been countless stories about me throughout my career and very public personal life, it’s been impossible to communicate the complexities and depths of my experience in any single magazine article or ten-minute television interview. And even then, my words were filtered through someone else’s lens, largely satisfying someone else’s assignment to define me.”
The book, which was written with Michaela Angela Davis, is composed of Mariah’s memories, mishaps, struggles, survival and songs. “Unfiltered, I went deep into my childhood and gave the scared little girl inside of me a big voice. I let the abandoned and ambitious adolescent have her say, and the betrayed and triumphant woman I became tell her side,” the award-winning performer added. “Writing this memoir was incredibly hard, humbling and healing. My sincere hope is that you are moved to a new understanding, not only about me, but also about the resilience of the human spirit.”
The Meaning of Mariah Carey will be published by Andy Cohen’s new book imprint—Andy Cohen Books—on Sept. 29. An audiobook performed by Mariah, as her words are interwoven with special musical components, will also be exclusively released by Audible. A press release for the upcoming memoir described the mom of two’s story as “an improbable and inspiring journey of survival and resilience as she struggles through complex issues of race, identity, class, childhood and family trauma during her meteoric rise to music superstardom.”
“By pulling back the curtain on perceptions often told through the filtered lens of media, Carey bravely and beautifully walks through her battles with gender and power dynamics, emotional abuse, public embarrassments, personal failures and phenomenal victories. In her own words and song lyrics, Carey reveals untold moments and intimate experiences along with anecdotes of sacred moments with iconic figures to craft an honest, unique and vivid portrait of her extraordinary life,” the release continued. “The Meaning of Mariah Carey is the story of undeniable talent, unshakable faith, an unparalleled relationship with fans and unconditional love. Finally, the voice known around the world tells her own story – unrestrained.”