Mariah Carey has taken the leap into the world of NFT art with her first NFT awarding the winner the opportunity to fly with her to New York.
Mariah Carey has ventured into the world of NFTs with her first non-fungible token. The NFT is designed as a boarding pass and will give the winner the opportunity to meet Carey and fly with her to New York for her induction into the Songwriters Hall of Fame.
Fly with me to NYC & join me in celebrating my induction into the Songwriters Hall of Fame! I’m partnering w/ @geojamofficial to bring one person (+1 guest) on this once-in-a-lifetime experience. Bid with $JAM on https://t.co/41RcJXsKqT Proceeds benefit @freshairfund & @MakeAWish pic.twitter.com/z7Juz6EnSq
— Mariah Carey (@MariahCarey) June 3, 2022
The NFT holder will also have the opportunity to sit with Carey at her table during the ceremony. The NFT is described as a swivel boarding pass in Carey’s signature pink and lavender color and accented with glitter and is accompanied by a personalized audio recording.
Carey and the NFTs
Carey has already been linked to NFTs and cryptocurrencies after investing in NFT platform Geojam, which will host its NFT auction from June 3-9. Bidding is only allowed on the Geojam $JAM ecosystem token and will start at $5,000.
The recording artist’s Hall of Fame experience is scheduled for June 15-16.
A portion of the proceeds from the sale will go to The Fresh Air Fund, which Carey has supported for several years in her music career.
The “Songbird Supreme” said the Hall of Fame experience and the opportunity to give to charity was what most inspired her to do her first NFT.
She also cited the Covid period as the one that sparked her interest in the digital art world, during which she quietly explored the community of artists in the space.
“Of course, everyone was talking about NFTs and the new dynamic between art and commerce. It’s something I’m still learning about and not claiming to be an expert on,” the Christmas Queen told Rolling Stone.
“This particular NFT experience builds on the unique moment of being inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame and sharing my joy with one of my incredible fans, while raising money for two phenomenal charities that are very close to my heart,” the singer added.
Commenting on Carey’s first NFT, Geojam co-founder and CEO Sarah Figueroa highlighted the power of NFTs in the music industry saying they can do more than just present art on the blockchain.
NFTs have the power to store exclusive access, and this experience is proving just that,” she also added, “We couldn’t be more excited to amplify this monumental celebration with Mariah as she is inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame and give the fan the opportunity of a lifetime for charity.”
Mariah Carey
Carey was officially named a member of the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2020, but the pandemic caused the induction ceremony to be held this month. Although she has co-written 18 of her 19 No. 1 hits (making Carey the highest charting solo artist of all time), the now-industry icon says it wasn’t always easy to get credit for her songwriting.
“As a young woman starting out in a male-dominated industry, it was very difficult for me to get credit for the work I did from inception to completion of my songs behind the scenes,” she says. “For some reason, it was easier for ‘the industry’ to just accept me as a singer as opposed to a singer who writes and produces her own material. To now be recognized by the Songwriters Hall of Fame is a great honor and one of the biggest accomplishments of my career,” she admits. “It’s a great recognition.”
In her 2020 memoir, The Meaning of Mariah Carey, the Long Island native spoke at length about how writing was not only a form of escape for her as a child, but also a therapeutic release. The singer says she still has a poem she wrote in first grade framed on a wall in her apartment.
Raised in a musical household, Carey ended up writing lyrics and melodies, and has told Rolling Stone that “the first demo of a real song I wrote was called ‘To Begin,’ which I wrote around the age of 14. It was never released, but I still remember it and may revisit it at some point.”
“If we get super technical, the first song I wrote that was actually published was a song called ‘Alone In Love,’ which I wrote on my mother’s piano while I was in high school,” Carey adds. “It was the number one song on my first demo, but it only made it to number seven on my debut album,” she jokes.
It’s been a busy summer for Carey, who recently launched an online MasterClass series, and remains involved with her Black Irish liquor brand (the singer also reissued her iconic Rainbow merchandise for Pride, much to the delight of fans).
And while she hasn’t said anything about her new music, other than an appearance on Latto’s “Big Energy” remix, Carey says she’s excited to be in the company of other artists and songwriters at the Hall of Fame ceremony. “I’m honored to be in a room with so many legends and new talent, but according to my friend, ‘The Divine Miss M’ (aka Bette Midler), I’m not allowed to mingle and must put on my mask immediately after my speech,” she jokes.
