Mariah Carey has proven herself to be one of the biggest names in music, a name that has gone on to amass a whopping $520 million net worth! Thanks to Mariah's hundreds of millions of albums sold, 19 Hot 100 number ones, and an array of producing and songwriting credits to her name, it's no surprise she is deemed as one of the greatest.
The Queen of Christmas might have done just about everything there is to do in the music industry; she didn't always have success! In 2001, following the release of Mariah Carey's film, Glitter, the movie went on to become a major flop, leaving it as one project Mimi wishes she never did.
While she has since grown to love the film and its soundtrack, fans are curious as to why it didn't do well in the first place, considering it was released during Mariah's peak. So, what really happened with Glitter? Let's find out!
'Glitter' Flopped
When it comes announced the Mariah Carey would be taking on the role of Billie Frank in the film, Glitter, fans couldn't wait to witness her vocals and acting performance on-screen.
Mariah has taken on an array of on-screen roles throughout her career. Mariah took on lead roles in Wise Girls, and Tennessee, all while scoring smaller parts in Lee Daniels, The Butler, and Precious.
Despite the hype surrounding the film, which would mark Mariah's first time as a lead in her own movie, it appears as if it let fans down big time. While the movie went on to become a massive flop, as it's described, it wasn't due to the film itself, but rather the unfortunate timing of its release.
Glitter premiered back in 2001, and despite having massive names attached to the film, including Mariah Carey, Da Brat, Terrence Howard, and Padma Lakshmi, it went on to become a total letdown, grossing over $5 million worldwide with a $22 million estimated budget. Yikes!
The film, which was produced by 20th Century Fox, worked in collaboration with Sony Pictures and Columbia, both companies Mariah's ex-husband, Tommy Mottola had a lot of power in.
Considering Mimi divorced Tommy following the movie and soundtrack deal, the singer claims this gave the Sony exec more than enough time to "sabotage" the movie.
Mariah Carey went on to reveal that the film itself didn't even have a proper script, which should have been a red flag from the get-go. As if Tommy's alleged role in production delays and script issues weren't enough, the movie could not have come at a worse time.
After its premiere on September 21, 2001, the film didn't stand a chance at doing big in the box office following the events that transpired in New York City only a week before! It goes without saying that the devastating attack on 9/11 stunned the entire country, making it clear that film numbers wouldn't be all that great, which Mariah has mentioned before.
Justice For 'Glitter'
Although the film found itself mocked and critically reviewed due to its lack of depth, and less than stellar acting work, which led Mariah to keep hush about the film for most of her career afterward.
Despite feeling embarrassed and let down, Mariah Carey had one aspect of the movie to be proud of, and that was the soundtrack!
Mariah brought back the '80s before it was even popular, proving herself to be a genre genius before her time, with new wave dance-pop having made a major comeback since Mariah's take on it back in the early 2000s.
Mariah's lead single 'Loverboy', which came out months prior to the film, landed at the number two spot on the Billboard Hot 100, creating a lot of talk surrounding the movie and the album.
Although the soundtrack was reportedly sabotaged too, it didn't manage to soar to #1 the way fans expected, however, 18 years following its release, it did just that!
In 2018, Glitter went to number one across the globe, sparking the hashtag #JusticeForGlitter. It was around this time that Mariah stopped looking back on the film and its soundtrack with disdain and owned it knowing just how much her fan base loves it.
Luckily for Mimi, Glitter has since become available on all streaming apps, which has only allowed a brand new audience to discover how sensational the album is, even if the film wasn't all that great!
During Mariah's most recent tour, The Caution Tour, she included a Glitter moment in the set, which the songstress did for the very first time, ever! Now, with the soundtrack finally being recognized as the masterpiece as it is, it's safe to say Mariah has nothing to worry about when it comes to Glitter anymore.
