Mariah Carey and Sabrina Carpenter are being mentioned in the same holiday lane this year. A new source report claims the “Queen of Christmas” is watching the younger pop star’s seasonal momentum closely. The framing ties to new winter content and touring plans on both sides. Consequently, the competitive holiday season narrative between Carpenter and Carey now mixes chart chatter with branding stakes. Meanwhile, Carey has already rolled out “All I Want for Christmas Is You” on tour stops across Asia.
Sabrina Carpenter ‘seems to be biting at Mariah Carey’s heels’ this holiday season, per source
As cited in the Star magazine report, a source paints a competitive picture. As the insider tells Star, “It’s never good to have someone more than half your age with a massive fan base trying to come after your business — and make no mistake, that is how Mariah views Christmas.” The same source adds, “Sabrina seems to be biting at her heels.”
Carpenter has built a December lane with 2023’s “Fruitcake” EP and a 2024 Netflix special, “A Nonsense Christmas.” After the special, her holiday album reentered the Billboard 200 at No. 10 and notched the year’s biggest vinyl sales week for a seasonal record. Therefore, industry watchers now read her festive rollouts as a recurring play rather than a one-off.
Carey’s seasonal footprint remains vast, from legacy streaming spikes to branded performances. Yet, the money and mindshare around December are finite. So, the source argues, Carey is guarding the franchise. “Mariah’s made Christmas a cottage industry for herself,” the insider says. “She rakes in so much money from it, but like most artists, she always fears someone could come along and take that from her. Plenty certainly try — they see all the money she’s making and they want a piece of it!”
Still, both stars benefit from the same calendar window. Carpenter’s youth audience drives discovery, and Carey’s catalogue drives tradition. As a result, the conversation around these pop stars will likely track week-to-week December metrics and tour clips.
Originally reported by Santanu Das on Reality Tea.
