In a recent conference call with Def Jam, Mariah Carey and Randy Jackson, Exclusive Access was able to
get a first hand sneak peek into Mariah’s 14th studio album and hot new single “Triumphant,” featuring
Rick Ross and Meek Mill. On the heels of an $18M contract with American Idol (highest paid judge in tv
history) and a highly anticipated album in the works, this year is shaping up to be the year of Mariah!
Check out some of the interview highlights below:
Q: You’ve got two of the hottest rappers on this single, what was it like working with them in the studio?
Mariah: It was a great experience! To me working with Rick Ross and Meek Mills was incredible.
Obviously Ross is a huge star and everyone loves him. I love his music. I really, really, wanted to work
with him. I love the tone of his voice! I knew the contrast between his and my voice would be something
special. Working with him in general was great and then Meek added an excitement and a new-ness. He
is adding something new to the game right now. I am excited for him!
Q: What can we expect from this new project?
Mariah: I am collaborating with my favorite people. I can’t get into it too much right now. The main
thing is, I am not trying to follow any particular trend. I just want to stay true to myself, make the music
that I love and make the fans happy.
Q: What inspires you to continue to make music?
Mariah: I love music and I always have, I love writing, singing, and recording music, I can’t imagine what I
would do. Math isn’t exactly my forte (laughs)
Q: What do you think of the current state of R&B?
Mariah: This is controversial but I think it would be incredible if we could go back to the day when R&B
records did well on their own without needing to cross over. They demanded the hit on their own! It
makes me sad that there are so many talented R&B artists that don’t get the chance and they should. I
am not saying that there is no one out there now but I would like to see more R&B artists on the charts.
Q: What inspired you to write Triumphant?
Mariah: Really, it was what I was going through at the time. It was a lot going on, it’s better now, but it
was during the time when Whitney had just passed and Nick was in the hospital. We were actually in the
hospital together when we saw it on TV. It was important for me to write something that would help me
get through the moment, and that’s where “Stay Triumphant Keep on Living” came from.
To hear the new single click here
