In human years, Mariah Carey just turned 50, but in Mariah Carey years sheâs only 12.
Confused? Well, the pop icon simply doesnât do birthdays, you see. Carey prefers to instead ring in anniversaries of her 12th birthday each year â because what is aging when you can still out-whistle-tone the competition and break records without breaking a sweat.
The multi-platinum, Grammy-winning superstar turned the big 5-0 on Friday and celebrated with her twins, Moroccan and Monroe, with a low-key bash at home, where sheâs currently in isolation during the coronavirus outbreak.
âSpent 3.27 at home with my family and virtually with fans and friends from all over the world. Thank you for all the love #eternally12,â Carey wrote on Instagram.
In the photos, Carey rocks a low-cut sheer black dress, as she prepares to blow out 12 candles on a chocolate cake, while her children, who turn 9 next month, excitedly watch on.
On her actual birthday anniversary, the singer shared a make-up free selfie from the recording booth, teasing her fans about new music and encouraging them to practice social distancing in the caption.
âStarting 327 with a new song đđ #stayhome,â Carey wrote.
Throughout her decades-long career, Carey has made her stance on getting older each year quite clear.
âI donât count years but I definitely rebuke them ⌠I have anniversaries, not birthdays, because I celebrate life, darling,â she said in a 2014 interview with Out magazine, reiterating at the time that she stays âeternally 12.â
Despite the obvious pressure for female celebrities to stay young, Careyâs hesitancy around birthdays stems from an early childhood experience.
âAs a kid I literally made this pact,â she told the magazine. âThere had been some sort of argument with my mom and the man she was dating at the time, and somehow I became a part of it â I was around 8 or 9 years old, and I said, âIâm never going to forget how it feels to be a kid, and you canât be seen or heard.â Itâs as though your opinion doesnât mean anything, or your feelings are not real.â
So instead, she annually celebrates the anniversary of her 12th birthday, with this year marking the 38th year.
But just because Carey has a birthday complex doesnât mean her famous friends, including Britney Spears, Reese Witherspoon and Barbara Streisand, didnât wish her well on the big day.
âHappy Birthday @MariahCarey !!!!! You are one of the main reasons I started singing .... your Butterfly album never gets old even after 20+ years âŚ.. itâs simply a classic and I will be listening to it today as I work out in the gym !!!!!â Spears wrote. âHave a wonderful birthday!!!!!! God bless.â
âHappy Birthday, you amazing woman,â Witherspoon commented on Careyâs post.
âHappy big bâday @MariahCarey! It was nice seeing you at my last concert in New York. Hope youâre well - stay inside!â Streisand wrote in a tweet.
Carey couldnât help but retweet Streisandâs shout out, adding, âOMG thank you for making my life suddenly seem better.â