Mariah Carey (Photographed by Dennis Leopold)
Welcome to Music Daily’s Trending Tracks, where we highlight the artists and trends occupying the music industry’s attention. Some come out of the woodwork, others have endured a months-long crusade to greatness. Nonetheless, all of them are captivating the short-circuited minds of Gen-Z social media users.
Two weeks into November and Mariah Carey season is finally thawing! The 1994 holiday classic “All I Want For Christmas Is You” debuted on the Trending Tracks chart at No. 51 and is expected to grow. Ahead, Summer Walker’s three-week slow-burn ascent with “Heart of a Woman” reaches a new peak at No. 100 while Rockwell’s iconic “Somebody’s Watching Me” beats out Carey with a No. 49 placement on this week’s Trending Tracks chart!
“All I Want For Christmas Is You” by Mariah Carey
Initially hesitant about a Christmas album, then 24-year-old Carey locked herself in an upstate New York cabin to make a holiday spectacular in July. Alongside her late collaborator Walter Afanasieff, the “Obsessed” singer drafted a nostalgic manifesto. It was inspired by her child-like idealized vision of Christmas— which she continues for every year after its release.
“Every time Christmas rolls around, I get ideas for different Christmas songs, and I’ve been kind of pushing them aside,” she told Fox 5 NY. The song has since topped global charts, earned Diamond certification, and generated over $100 million in royalties. Definitely cementing its place as a multi-generational Christmas hallmark that’s so much better than a Swarovski tree-topper. Stream “All I Want For Christmas Is You” below!
“Heart of a Woman” by Summer Walker
The lead single from Walker’s upcoming final installment of her “Over It” trilogy, Finally Over It, dives into the emotional complexities of love. Part of its social media buzz is Walker’s pen game–“I put the blame on me for giving you chance after chance”– which excites fans to see a more vulnerable side of the R&B songstress. Agreeing, Walker described the project as “a deeper exploration of personal storytelling” in a past interview. Stream “Heart of a Woman” by Summer Walker below!
“Somebody’s Watching Me” by Rockwell
Rolling Stone coined the 1984 single “Somebody’s Watching Me” as a “paranoid pop classic.” Despite much flack from the label initially, the song became an instant hit on the Billboard Hot 100. Featuring Michael Jackson’s iconic guest vocals, the song preys on paranoia. Making the one memorable line: “I always feel like somebody’s watching me,” a forever eerie Halloween treat.
Written by Kennedy Gordy (aka Rockwell), son of Motown’s Berry Gordy, the track is experiencing a social media revival thanks to its 80s nostalgia and relevance to digital privacy concerns. Stream “Somebody’s Watching Me” by Rockwell below!
So, for more Mariah Carey, Summer Walker, Rockwell and artists like them, read more stories on Music Daily!
