In the shimmering haze of a Las Vegas November evening, where the neon lights of the Strip flicker like a million fireflies on steroids, Mariah Carey is about to reclaim her throne—once again—as the undisputed Queen of Christmas. It’s November 29, 2025, and the air is thick with anticipation, the kind that smells like pine needles, hot cocoa, and a hint of showgirl glamour. Tonight marks the triumphant kickoff of her “Christmastime in Las Vegas” residency at Dolby Live at Park MGM, a 10-show extravaganza running through December 13. But this isn’t just any holiday hoedown. It’s a glittering celebration laced with nostalgia, surprises, and the kind of vocal fireworks that could melt the iciest of Scrooge hearts. At the center of it all? The freshly reissued 15th anniversary edition of Merry Christmas II You, Mariah’s 2010 sophomore yuletide opus, now sparkling on limited-edition Shiny Starlight vinyl and ready to soundtrack the season like never before.

Picture this: Mariah, resplendent in a gown that defies gravity—perhaps a cascade of crimson sequins evoking Santa’s sleigh crashing into a disco ball—struts onto the stage at 8 p.m. sharp. The crowd, a sea of Lambs (her devoted fans) decked out in elf ears and “It’s Tiiiiime!” tees, erupts in cheers that echo down the boulevard. As the overture swells with twinkling bells and orchestral swells, she teases, “Vegas! It’s Tiiiiime!”—that signature elongated vowel a siren call that’s become the unofficial starter pistol for holiday cheer worldwide. And woven into the setlist? Tracks from Merry Christmas II You, the album she can’t wait to dust off and belt out live. “Oh Santa!” with its sassy, hip-shaking groove? Check. The heartfelt duet “When Christmas Comes” (now blessed with a fresh lyric video for the anniversary)? Absolutely. Even the operatic grandeur of “O Come All Ye Faithful / Hallelujah Chorus,” featuring her late mother Patricia’s soaring soprano, promises to send shivers through the theater.

This residency isn’t mere nostalgia bait; it’s a full-throated revival. After three years of arena tours that turned North American cities into winter wonderlands—complete with on-stage snow machines and surprise cameos from her twins, Moroccan and Monroe—Mariah’s opting for intimacy this time. Dolby Live, with its state-of-the-art acoustics and 5,000-seat intimacy, feels like a velvet-gloved hug compared to the cavernous arenas of yore. Tickets, which flew off Ticketmaster like gingerbread men from a hot oven after going on sale in September, start at around $100 for the nosebleeds, but VIP packages—think priority entry, exclusive merch, and maybe a post-show meet-and-greet where you can whisper your Lamb confessions—command a premium. Presales for Citi cardholders and MGM Rewards members sold out in hours, proving once again that when Mariah says “Christmastime,” the world listens.

But let’s rewind the tape to the beating heart of this holiday hullabaloo: Merry Christmas II You. Dropped on November 2, 2010, amid the whirlwind of Mariah’s pregnancy with her twins (she recorded sessions right up until her due date, because why not multitask miracles?), the album was her bold follow-up to the 1994 juggernaut Merry Christmas. That debut, of course, birthed the eternal earworm “All I Want for Christmas Is You,” a song that’s now synonymous with eggnog and existential dread over fruitcake. But II You was no mere sequel; it was a statement. Executive-produced by Mariah herself, it blended her five-octave wizardry with a who’s-who of holiday collaborators: John Legend on the soulful “When Christmas Comes,” Jermaine Dupri and Bryan-Michael Cox infusing hip-hop swagger into “Oh Santa!,” and even a nod to her opera-trained roots with Mom Patricia’s chorus work.

The original release debuted at No. 4 on the Billboard 200, selling 56,000 copies in its first week and snagging Gold certification by January 2011. Critics, often sniffy about Christmas cash-grabs, warmed to its charms. Bill Lamb of About.com praised the “exhilarating” operatic flourishes, while Joey Guerra of the Houston Chronicle called it a career booster, spotlighting originals like “One Child” (a tender ballad about the Nativity) and the upbeat “Christmas Time Is in the Air Again.” Singles flew: “Oh Santa!” got the full music video treatment with Mariah as a pint-sized Mrs. Claus, complete with dancing elves and a cheeky narrative where she “steals” Santa for a night. “Auld Lang Syne (The New Year’s Anthem)” dropped a fireworks remix for those Times Square vibes, and promotional cuts like “Christmas Time Is in the Air Again” kept the momentum bubbling into 2012.

Fast-forward 15 years, and the anniversary edition arrives like a gift-wrapped time capsule. Out now via Def Jam/UMe, the Shiny Starlight vinyl—exclusive to Amazon in a clear, glitter-infused pressing that’s basically edible sparkle—makes its long-awaited debut on wax. (The original never hit shelves in this format, a travesty corrected just in time for Black Friday vinyl hunts.) Clocking in at 14 tracks over 46 minutes, it’s a lush cocktail of standards (“The First Noel,” “O Little Town of Bethlehem / Little Drummer Boy Medley”) and originals that feel like they were penned in a snow globe. Side A kicks off with an “extra festive” remix of “All I Want for Christmas Is You,” because why not double down on the hit? Then it’s into the playful “Oh Santa!,” where Mariah purrs lines like “Santa’s gonna take a ride with Mariah on his sleigh—oh baby!” with the kind of wink that could power Rudolph’s nose.

The B-side dives deeper: “Charlie Brown Christmas” swings with Vince Guaraldi-inspired jazz, a cozy fireside charmer. “Here Comes Santa Claus / Housetop Celebration” mashes Gene Autry’s classic with Mariah’s ad-libs, evoking rooftop romps under the mistletoe. And that closer, “Auld Lang Syne,” with its pyrotechnic remix, ties it all up in a bow of reflective joy. Sound quality? Pristine, thanks to the vinyl’s high-fidelity press. Fans on Discogs are already geeking out: “Is it worth getting? Hell yes—the shimmer alone is iconic,” one raved. For the uninitiated, it’s streaming too, with Dolby Atmos spatial audio rolling out soon for that immersive, wrap-you-in-tinsel feel. Physical copies are flying, but digital die-hards can snag it on Spotify or Apple Music, where it’s nestled between her 2019 deluxe Merry Christmas reissue and 2020’s Merry Christmas: Deluxe 25th Anniversary Edition.

What elevates this reissue from collector’s catnip to cultural event? Timing. Dropping just as Thanksgiving plates clear and Black Friday beckons, it syncs perfectly with Mariah’s Vegas takeover. Her X post on November 29—”Merry Christmas II You – 15th anniversary edition is out now! Can’t wait to see you in Vegas tonight for CHRISTMASTIME!!”—garnered over 3,700 likes in hours, linking straight to Amazon. It’s a masterstroke: Buy the vinyl, blast “When Christmas Comes” on the flight to Sin City, then catch her live crooning it under a canopy of LED snowflakes. And the merch? Oh, the merch. Her 2025 holiday line, launched earlier on Amazon, includes the “It’s Time” tee (dancers not included, alas), hoodies embroidered with lyric snippets, and even a Lambs-only ornament shaped like her iconic whistle note.

Mariah’s holiday dominion didn’t sprout overnight. Born March 27, 1969, in Huntington, Long Island, to a Venezuelan opera singer mother and African-American aviation worker father, she was a child prodigy scribbling melodies on napkins. Signed to Columbia in 1988, her self-titled debut exploded with “Vision of Love,” a ballad that redefined the power ballad. By 1994, riding high on Music Box‘s diamond sales, she dropped Merry Christmas—a calculated pivot into yuletide territory that Columbia execs initially balked at. “Who needs another Christmas album?” they scoffed. Mariah, ever the visionary, knew better. Featuring that now-ubiquitous “All I Want,” it sold 12 million worldwide, cementing her as the holiday whisperer. Performances followed: the 1994 video shoot in a Santa suit (which she later called “not chic”), the Disney Christmas Parade extravaganza in 2010, and her own ABC special Mariah Carey: Merry Christmas to You.

Merry Christmas II You arrived at a pivotal juncture. Fresh off 2009’s Memoirs of an Imperfect Angel (a critically adored but commercially middling R&B gem), Mariah was pregnant, navigating tabloid scrutiny, and hungry to reclaim the festive crown. Recording in her L.A. home studio, she infused it with personal touches: “One Child” drew from her spiritual side, while “When Christmas Comes” echoed lullabies for her unborn twins. Promotion was pure Mariah magic—a Lopez Tonight appearance where she debuted “Oh Santa!” belly-bump and all, and that Ellen segment teasing the album with reindeer games. It peaked at No. 4, but its true legacy? Keeping her holiday streak alive, paving the way for annual tours that gross millions and spawn memes (remember her 2016 lip-sync flub? Peak camp).

Now, at 56, Mariah’s Vegas residency feels like a victory lap. Following the smash “The Celebration of Mimi Live in Las Vegas” (2024-2025, honoring her 2005 comeback album with 20+ sold-out shows), this holiday pivot trades arenas for theater intimacy. Expect a setlist blending II You deep cuts with staples: “All I Want” as the opener, naturally, flanked by “Hero” for that emotional gut-punch and “Fantasy” remixed with holiday flair. Guest spots? Whispers of John Legend reprising their duet, or her kids joining for “Charlie Brown Christmas.” Production-wise, it’s over-the-top Mariah: aerialists in angel wings, a 20-foot Christmas tree descending mid-show, and yes, real snow (because #Lambily demands it). One dollar per ticket benefits Camp Mariah, her Fresh Air Fund initiative empowering underserved kids—philanthropy wrapped in tinsel.

Fan frenzy is at fever pitch. On X, Lambs are trading setlist predictions (“Please, Mimi, dust off ‘God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen’!”), sharing hauls of the anniversary vinyl (“That starlight press is chef’s kiss”), and plotting festive fits for front-row upgrades (Mariah’s been gifting them to the most decked-out fans). Spotify Wrapped teases show “All I Want” at 2.15 million daily streams, with “Oh Santa!” climbing in its wake. Critics? They’re buzzing: Rolling Stone calls it “a residency that turns the Strip into Mariah’s personal North Pole,” while Variety hails the reissue as “a glittering reminder of why she’s the blueprint for holiday pop.”

As the curtain rises tonight, with Merry Christmas II You spinning fresh on turntables worldwide, Mariah isn’t just performing—she’s presiding. Over a career spanning 19 No. 1s, 220 million records sold, and a Voice that’s bent physics, she’s turned Christmas into her empire. From pregnant powerhouse in 2010 to Vegas vixen in 2025, her message remains: Holidays aren’t about perfection; they’re about that whistle-register joy, the kind that makes you believe in magic again. So raise a glass of spiked cider, Lambs. It’s Tiiiiime. And with Mariah at the helm, this season’s going to be merry, bright, and utterly unforgettable.