Mariah Carey talks babies, Britney, Barack
Josh Grossberg

LOS ANGELES —Mariah Carey has a lot on her mind these days. In an exclusive interview, which airs Monday on Yo on E! as heard on E! Entertainment Radio, XM & Sirius, the Daydream diva dished to host Michael Yo about everything from her faith in God and the possibility of one day having a child to Britney Spears’ meltdown and, yes, even backing Barack Obama for president of the United States. While plugging her upcoming album, E=MC2, the 38-year-old Carey reflected on her personal life and her future now that she’s dating record exec Mark Sudack.
For now, that doesn’t appear to include babies, though the singer didn’t rule out the possibility. “Obviously having a kid is a commitment for life,” she told Yo. “I really would have to be very, very positive that I was in a place where I could completely focus and put everything into the job of being someone’s mommy cause it’s hard enough to have a puppy.” On life after the bomb that was 2001’s Glitter album and movie and her subsequent comeback, Carey pointed to her faith as a source of strength.
“You know what, I never lost my faith in God and that’s the main thing,” she noted. “For me its about my personal relationship with God and just feeling cantered and just not letting anything really penetrate that. That’s something that’s sacred for me that I have for myself no matter what.” In light of the personal crisis Carey faced in the wake of Glitter’s failure when she checked herself into a hospital to be treated for an emotional and physical breakdown, Yo also got her take on the Britster’s current travails and whether or not the pop tart can recover.
“I think anybody who loves music and is committed to the game can do whatever. I never count people out, that’s just not in my nature but that is a part of human nature, people like to do that but with me especially with making this new record, its all about the music.” Carey also laughed off concerns about what the public might think about her from reading the very same gossip zines that are making a bundle reporting on Spears’ struggles.
“If people ever said things that are not in my character like doing serious drugs or anything of that nature that’s just not me and that’s never been me and it never will be,” she said. “Things like, ‘oh she was going to commit suicide’—that’s never ever, nobody could get me to that point because I have too much respect for God and for life. One of the rumours I just heard about was that $150,000 in plastic surgery. What in the ham sandwich do they think I did? It’s very annoying.” The subject eventually switched to politics, something Carey confessed isn’t exactly her strong suit.
“Are you watching the debates?” asked Yo.
“Clearly I’m no political analyst. We all know that my album is called E=MC2 but I’m not exactly friggin Einstein,” joked the “Love Takes Time” singer. “So basically I like to leave that to people who know what they are talking about, but I am very much more focused on this moment in our history.” “Have you picked anyone?” asked Yo.
“Yes, clearly,” she answered.
“Can you say?”
“That’s personal but it’s pretty obvious,” the entertainer replied.
“Come on Mariah, ‘Yes we can’ Mr. Barack Obama?’
Laughing, Carey came clean: “Yes we can!”
E=MC2 is scheduled to hit stores on April 15. The first single, “Touch My Body,” was streamed digitally to radio stations on Feb. 12 and hard copies went out a week later.