In a candid recent chat on U.K. radio, Mariah Carey revealed once again why she opts out of birthday celebrations. The 56‑year‑old superstar, known for hits like “Hero” and her iconic Christmas classic, shared her long‑held views on time and age.
During a lighthearted appearance on Capital FM’s fast‑fire segment with hosts Sian Welby, Jordan North and Chris Stark, Carey addressed the concept of aging head‑on. When asked, “Is it true you don’t acknowledge the passing of time?” she responded simply: “That is true … I just don’t believe in it.”
Welby probed whether that meant clocks didn’t exist in her world. Carey confirmed, “No clocks? Just not into that? … “No, just let it go.”
Anniversaries over birthdays
When the question turned to birthday celebrations, Carey stated plainly, “I don’t have a birthday, no. Anniversaries, yes.” She added a humorous wrinkle: if friends wanted to meet, they’d just be on “Mariah’s time,” coordinated by someone else.
This philosophy echoes her own past words. In 2014 she told Out magazine, “I’m eternally 12 years old. I don’t count years … I have anniversaries, not birthdays, because I celebrate life, darling.”
And in 2016, speaking with Complex, she quipped, “I don’t have a birthday. I was just dropped here. It was a fairyland experience.