While gearing up to release her memoir in 2020, Mariah Carey revealed an earth-shaking secret: she had written and recorded an "irreverent, raw, and urgent" alt-rock album while working on what would become her 1995 LP Daydream.
Someone's Ugly Daughter was released by Epic Records under the name Chick, re-recorded with Carey's friend Clarissa Dane on lead vocals, burying the superstar's own unrecognizably deep within the mix because her label, Sony Music, was worried about damage to her reputation.
In a new interview with Rolling Stone, Carey said she has "unearthed" the tapes of the album the label hadn't wanted to make public, with her own vocals at the fore — and she plans to share them with the world.
"I think this unearthed version will become something that, yes, we should hear, but also I'm working on a version — something where there'll be another artist working on this with me as well, yes," the pop star told Rolling Stone Music Now podcast host Brian Hiatt, among many other things culled from nearly two hours of conversation recorded over two sessions.
When Hiatt pressed, asking if the project with the mystery guest involved new versions of the songs, Carey kept her cards close to her chest, but hinted that "possibly something built around the album" was in the works.
The artist emphasized that it really served as an outlet for her, having previously stated that her midnight studio sessions embodying an alt-rock alter ego were "just for laughs," but that they also helped her get through "some dark days."
The project was inspired by the likes of Alanis Morissette, Veruca Salt and Hole — "the breezy-grunge, punk-light white female singers who were popular at the time," Carey wrote in The Meaning of Mariah Carey. She continued: "They could be angry, angsty, and messy, with old shoes, wrinkled slips, and unruly eyebrows, while every move I made was so calculated and manicured. I wanted to break free, let loose, and express my misery — but I also wanted to laugh."
And while her label had definitely stopped laughing when she said wanted to release the album back in the day, it seems like Carey is getting the last laugh now.
You can listen to the full interview below.
Earlier this year, the Christmas spirit came under immense threat when Carey was sued for copyright infringement over the cash-cow (reindeer?) festive mega-hit "All I Want for Christmas Is You."
Someone's Ugly Daughter was released by Epic Records under the name Chick, re-recorded with Carey's friend Clarissa Dane on lead vocals, burying the superstar's own unrecognizably deep within the mix because her label, Sony Music, was worried about damage to her reputation.
In a new interview with Rolling Stone, Carey said she has "unearthed" the tapes of the album the label hadn't wanted to make public, with her own vocals at the fore — and she plans to share them with the world.
"I think this unearthed version will become something that, yes, we should hear, but also I'm working on a version — something where there'll be another artist working on this with me as well, yes," the pop star told Rolling Stone Music Now podcast host Brian Hiatt, among many other things culled from nearly two hours of conversation recorded over two sessions.
When Hiatt pressed, asking if the project with the mystery guest involved new versions of the songs, Carey kept her cards close to her chest, but hinted that "possibly something built around the album" was in the works.
The artist emphasized that it really served as an outlet for her, having previously stated that her midnight studio sessions embodying an alt-rock alter ego were "just for laughs," but that they also helped her get through "some dark days."
The project was inspired by the likes of Alanis Morissette, Veruca Salt and Hole — "the breezy-grunge, punk-light white female singers who were popular at the time," Carey wrote in The Meaning of Mariah Carey. She continued: "They could be angry, angsty, and messy, with old shoes, wrinkled slips, and unruly eyebrows, while every move I made was so calculated and manicured. I wanted to break free, let loose, and express my misery — but I also wanted to laugh."
And while her label had definitely stopped laughing when she said wanted to release the album back in the day, it seems like Carey is getting the last laugh now.
You can listen to the full interview below.
Mariah Carey Tells All! Untold 'Butterfly' Tales, Her Biopic Series, New Music, and Much More by Rolling Stone Music Now
In a very special episode, Mariah Carey joins host Brian Hiatt for an epic interview to celebrate the 25th anniversary of 'Butterfly'
Earlier this year, the Christmas spirit came under immense threat when Carey was sued for copyright infringement over the cash-cow (reindeer?) festive mega-hit "All I Want for Christmas Is You."
