Mariah Carey celebrated the 20th anniversary of her diamond-certified, culturally-impactive The Emancipation of Mimi, on April 12, 2025. Its first release date was April 12, 2005. It cemented Carey’s place as a high-profile pop star and was one of the pivotal points in her gains as a musical artist. The release was a turning point for the young artist. It was an impressive commercial success, selling six million copies in the US and ten million worldwide.
The Emancipation of Mimi became Carey’s tenth studio album. It represents a creative high point for her — showcasing runaway hits like “We Belong Together,” which she co-wrote with Jermaine Dupri. It was one of the final songs they wrote for the album. In the years since its release, it has stood tall as a defining anthem of the 2000s. Dupri had worked with Carey before and was her spouse, for real, until their separation in 1998. He even had a hand in crafting the other, equally NSYNC-style bangers on the album, like “It’s Like That” and “Shake It Off.”
Reflecting on the album’s legacy, Carey noted that it’s still a record that is “very special” to her. She went on to share her early annoyance at people calling it a “comeback album.” In a recent interview, she stated, “At the time, it annoyed me when they called it a comeback album. Now I’m just like, ‘Oh yeah, my comeback album.’”
The Emancipation of Mimi solidified Carey’s legendary status, netting her ten Grammy nominations and proving her penchant for innovative storytelling in music video format. For the first time, she produced her story line to continue to develop through two videos. Carey described this creative endeavor by saying, “I was excited to be able to tell a story that spanned over two music videos. It was the first time I ever did that, and I knew we’d be able to bring them together despite the songs being sonically different.”
Beyond its artistic accomplishments, the album has had an enduring impact on fans through the decades. How does Carey hope people reconnect with the songs from the album? She’s sure that will help them reconnect with its emotional heart. She revealed her lighthearted approach to one memorable scene in the music video involving a wedding dress, stating, “Since I was going to do a scene with a wedding dress, rather than spend tons of money on a new dress, we just used the one I had lying around!”