How Mariah Carey’s Lambily found #JusticeForGlitter

It has been 17 years, 2 months, and 3 days since Mariah Carey’s Glitter soundtrack album was released. That era in her career, and life, was both infamous and tumultuous. The film to which it was the score was torn apart by critics, and Mariah’s well-being was in question. It was a dark time for the legendary diva, and it was heartbreaking for her fans, too. She moved on, scored her comeback, and has continued to persevere ever since. Glitter, once a damaging black hole in a superstar’s career full of shining moments, had all but faded into oblivion. Enter #JusticeForGlitter.

On the fifteenth anniversary of the album in 2016, Andrew wrote a post explaining why Glitter is Mariah’s most underrated album. It’s definitely a must read. From there, we took to Twitter to try to get #JusticeForGlitter to trend. While we were not the first to tweet the hashtag, we were the ones to really get the ball rolling (receipts). Before September 2016, it was tweeted sporadically, mostly from the lens of getting Glitter on streaming services. However, we made it about #JusticeForGlitter, the album, as a body of work – because it sorely underrated.

Fast-forward to 2018, just one week away from the release her 15th studio album, Caution. Mariah fans (a.k.a. the Lambily) around the world engaged in a “Countdown to Caution” on social media. In preparation for the release of her new album, each day would be dedicated to listening to each of her 14 studio albums prior. One by one, in order, beginning on November 2nd. On November 9th, it was time to listen to her 8th studio album: Glitter.

One problem, though. In this day and age, most people listen to their music digital via streaming platforms. Gone are the days of having to rip CDs to your music library to import an album to your phone. Now, you just “add” it via your favorite streaming service, right? Well, that isn’t possible with Glitter. For whatever reason, the album isn’t available on any streaming services. As a result, the only way to listen to Glitter is to purchase it digitally, or buy the CD. That’s when many lambs discovered that Glitter is available for $4.99 on iTunes.

From there, it apparently was a domino effect. First, Glitter reappeared on the iTunes Soundtrack genre chart. Social media was set abuzz with talk of getting Glitter to the top 10 of that chart. The Lambs succeeded in moving the album ever upward, thus catapulting the album onto the main iTunes album chart, eventually landing it in the Top 10. Eventually, Glitter reached the top of the summit on the morning of November 15th. #JusticeForGlitter indeed.

Finally, an album that has been sorely underrated for 17 years is getting its due shine. Largely ignored, Glitter is now receiving the justice it deserves. Even the Queen herself has taken note, tweeting throughout the week about the #JusticeForGlitter movement. Media outlets across the internet, print, and TV are reporting about the album’s strange resurgence. Just days away from the release of her new album, it is quite ironic that, as Mariah put, the album that she thought would “end” her, is now a positive force in the promotion of her new set.

Ran into @Andy & @SandraBernhard at @SIRIUSXM! Gotta proceed with #Caution in these halls lol ? #JusticeForGlitter pic.twitter.com/lc1JutbkUr

— Mariah Carey (@MariahCarey) November 14, 2018

This phenomenon, along with so many more shining shows of strength throughout her career, prove that Mariah Carey is nothing short of a legend – and a hero for all those who have ever been doubted and bullied. If she can survive all she has on the world’s grandest stages, then surely we all can persevere.

So, what are you waiting for? Purchase Glitter on iTunes now.

For more on Glitter, click here to read our retrospective piece.