Mariah Carey gets $49 million in deal to leave Virgin Records

Jet, Feb 11, 2002

After less than a year and an unsuccessful album, singer Mariah Carey is leaving Virgin Records with a deal giving her $49 million.

EMI, Virgin's parent company, recently announced that it would pay the 31-year-old diva $28 million to end their association, which was to last for several albums to the tune of $100 million.

That's in addition to the $21 million she's already received since arriving at Virgin last April.

Glitter, her first album for Virgin and the soundtrack for her movie of the same name, was a major disappointment. It sold 501,000 copies, according to Soundscan, a sharp drop from the multiplatinum successes the Grammy winner delivered for her previous label, Columbia Records.

The Glitter CD came out after the singer was hospitalized last summer for a much-publicized emotional breakdown. It was followed in September by her equally disappointing movie of the same name, which failed to crack the top 10 in its first week of release and quickly disappeared from theaters.

EMI's new chairman, Alain Levy, said: "We have decided this is the most prudent course of action for EMI. We wish Mariah the best."

Carey said in the joint statement: "This is the right decision for me. I look forward to the many new and exciting opportunities which have now been presented to me. I wish Virgin well."

Carey forged her stardom with a wholesome image and soaring ballads that highlighted her multi-octave voice.

But over the past few years, her image has changed. After her divorce from Tommy Mottola, the former president of Columbia, she became sexier in her concerts and videos. She also switched musically, using more hip-hop beats instead of the adult contemporary pop sound that made her famous.