April 10, 2017
by Elena Fiero
Grammy-winning star Mariah Carey has partnered with Sony Music’s Epic Records to launch Butterfly MC Records. Carey has been signed to Epic since 2015. Terms of the agreement call for additional repertoire by the artist, beginning with a new studio album expected later this year.
Epic Records chairman/CEO Antonio “L.A. Reid,” who signed Carey to Epic, has a long history with Carey. When he was chairman of Universal Music’s Island Def Jam, he helped mastermind her 2005 album “The Emancipation of Mimi,” which included her blockbuster hit “We Belong Together.” Prior to signing with Island in 2002, Carey had a short-lived stint at Virgin Records, which released her “Glitter” soundtrack album in 2001. She started her recording career in 1990 with Sony Music’s Columbia Records, which was then headed by her first ex-husband, Tommy Mottola.
Reid commented in a press release: “To continue working with Mariah Carey at Epic has been another rewarding chapter of my career. Mariah’s incomparable talents as a singer, with her vocal range that is nothing short of legendary, are matched by her brilliance as a songwriter, producer, and performer par excellence. Mariah’s chart records have established her enduring place in music history, a position that is cherished and supported by her loyal fans worldwide. I look forward to building upon all of Mariah’s success for years to come.”
Carey added, “I am putting my heart and soul into making more new music,” said Mariah. “I am so thrilled for this next chapter and to continue working with, and for, everyone that I love.”
In 2016, Carey launched her first Las Vegas residency, did a successful world tour, and starred in a reality show called “Mariah’s World,” which got mixed reviews and mediocre ratings. Her personal life has also been in the news. Her divorce from second husband Nick Cannon was finalized in November 2016, around the same time her engagement to Australian businessman James Packer ended. She then moved on to her backup dancer Bryan Tanaka, but several media outlets are reporting that the romance has also ended after Carey and Tanaka dated each other for about five months. The ex-couple reportedly split because he was jealous of Carey’s close relationship with Cannon. The former spouses share custody of their twins Monroe and Moroccan.
Carey is doing a North American tour with Lionel Richie in the summer of 2017, after the tour was postponed this spring due to Richie having to recover from a knee injury.