Mariah Carey is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. Known for her five-octave vocal range, melismatic singing style, and signature use of the whistle register, she is referred to as the "Songbird Supreme" and the "Queen of Christmas". Carey rose to fame in 1990 with her eponymous debut album. She was the first artist to have her first five singles reach number one on the Billboard Hot 100, from "Vision of Love" to "Emotions".
Her debut album was released under the guidance of Columbia Records executive Tommy Mottola, who married her three years later. Carey achieved worldwide success with follow-up albums Music Box, Merry Christmas, and Daydream. These albums spawned some of her most successful singles, including "Hero", "Without You", "All I Want for Christmas Is You", "Fantasy", "Always Be My Baby", as well as "One Sweet Day", which topped the US Billboard Hot 100 decade-end chart. After separating from Mottola, Carey adopted a new image and incorporated more elements of hip hop into her music with the release of Butterfly. Billboard named her the Artist of the Decade, while the World Music Awards honored her as the Best Selling Female Pop Artist of the Millennium.