In a dazzling display of holiday spirit, Mariah Carey, the undisputed Queen of Christmas, delighted fans at her Madison Square Garden concert with an unexpected and star-studded surprise. On Saturday night, during her Merry Christmas One and All! tour, Carey brought out none other than her “Christmas angels” Ariana Grande and Jennifer Hudson for a breathtaking live performance.
Decked out in festive mini-dresses that perfectly captured the yuletide vibe, the powerhouse trio treated the audience to a special rendition of their one-time holiday collaboration, “Oh Santa.” The Madison Square Garden stage was transformed into a winter wonderland as the three vocal powerhouses delivered a spellbinding performance of the holiday hit.
Mariah Carey, known for her iconic Christmas anthems, took a moment to share her gratitude on Instagram, calling Grande and Hudson “gorgeous and talented Christmas angels.” The trio’s on-stage reunion left fans in awe, and social media was ablaze with excitement as Hudson reshared Carey’s post and Grande expressed her gratitude, declaring her love for the queen of Christmas.
For dedicated Mariah fans, “Oh Santa” holds a special place in the heart, originally released in 2010 on Carey’s second Christmas album, Merry Christmas II You. A decade later, the song received a girl-group inspired remix when Hudson and Grande joined forces with Carey for her Magical Christmas Special. The live performance in New York not only recreated the magic but also showcased harmonized whistle notes, a challenging feat that the trio executed flawlessly.
Reflecting on the collaboration, Carey shared in an interview with EW in 2020 that envisioning “Oh Santa” as a group number had always been her dream. “It really was a special moment. I think people felt it in the room,” she expressed. “I enjoyed it as a producer and a songwriter. It was cool just to take a new approach with it because that was always my [original] inspiration, for it to be a girls’ group type of thing.”
The surprise collaboration at Madison Square Garden was undoubtedly a highlight of Carey’s festive tour, leaving fans with cherished memories of a night filled with holiday magic and extraordinary musical talent. As the Queen of Christmas continues to reign over the holiday season, this impromptu performance cements her status as the gift that truly keeps on giving