Mariah Carey's one-season judging gig on season 12 of American Idol was short but sweet. Mariah served as a judge for the singing competition's 12th season in 2013, and it was jam-packed with unforgettable content from the iconic singer-songwriter. Now, we've collected all of the pop diva's most memorable moments on the reality show.
Although she only appeared on 40 episodes of the reality competition series (for which she made an approximate $18 million as a judge), Mariah took on many roles that fans of her classic pop-R&B music had never witnessed her inhabit before. From a gracious mentor to a feuding judge to an inspiring performer, here are all of Mariah's most noteworthy moments on American Idol.
Mentoring The Contestants
Since her outstanding achievement in the music industry, Mariah has often been pigeon-holed as a stuck-up diva. American Idol fans were critical of Mariah's ability to act as an efficient judge for aspiring singers. Because of the persona pop culture painted for the successful pop star, many doubted Mariah would be capable of looking beyond her ego to assist the contestants in their journey to becoming professional artists. Despite making a career out of exceeding expectations, as Mariah has sold over 200 million albums, some fans were unsure of the star's qualifications. Fortunately, many of Mariah's best moments on season 12 of American Idol were those that she proved her doubters wrong. Mariah proved she was well-suited to not only pick out which contenders would do best in the competition, but also to act as a mentor to the hopeful American Idol candidates.
One contestant that Mariah formed a bond with on season 12 was Candice Glover. Mariah gave Candice many words of inspiration including "you epitomize what this competition is." Aside from praising Candice, who went on to win the season of the competition, Mariah gave her astute notes that aided in the victor's rise to the top. Mariah consistently reminded Candice to incorporate her background into her singing to make her stand out amongst her competitors. Under the Glitter movie star's watchful eye, Candice won American Idol and fans got to understand Mariahs' remarkable abilities as a mentor.
Feuding With Nicki Minaj
While it may not be Mariah's proudest moment on American Idol season 12, her feud with Nicki Minaj is definitely one of the most memorable features of Mariah's stint on the reality competition show. The cause of the pop superstars' tension was never made clear. However, their distaste for one another was glaring. The contention began during auditions when the two pop stars would throw light-hearted jabs at one another, like when Mariah called Nicki "the evil stepsister." The squabble escalated over the season until the two stopped trying to conceal their loathing. Mariah's most memorable moment during her feud with Nicki came when she noted a contestant performed a Billboard Hot 100 number 1 song that "not everybody has." At the time of this dig, Mariah had 19 number 1 songs including the Holiday hit "All I Want For Christmas Is You" and Nicki had none.
Mariah's Finale Medley
Aside from acting as a proficient judge and throwing shade at rap superstar Nicki Minaj, Mariah demonstrated what made her equipped to helm the singing competition in her finale performance. The medley Mariah performed included her songs "Vision of Love," "Make It Happen," "My All," "Hero," and "We Belong Together," exhibiting just how many hits the singer has under her belt. Mariah also showed off how impressive her vocal ability remains after decades of singing. For Mariah's fans that watched American Idol to catch a glimpse of the singer-songwriter's talent, this finale performance was unforgettable.