For Mariah Carey, working with Ariana Grande was a “fantasy” come to life.
In an exclusive interview with PEOPLE, the Queen of Christmas, 55, opened up about her experience working with the “Into You” artist, 31, with whom she initially collaborated on “Oh Santa!” in 2020 and more recently in February for the official remix of “Yes, And?”
Of the latter, Carey said Grande called her about the track, which was featured on the “slightly deluxe” version of her album Eternal Sunshine.
Mariah Carey performs in Highland, California in November 2024.
Kevin Mazur/Getty
“I thought it would be something that would be fun because we had already worked together at that point, and it was just a cool little moment to have,” the R&B icon said over the phone. “And I love her. I think she’s amazing.”
Carey also praised Grande for being “a really nice person.”
“She’s super talented, and working together was really fun,” she added.
On “Yes, And?” Grande sings, “Be your own f—in’ best friend,” but the two pop powerhouses uplift the self-empowerment message of the song even more by lifting each other up throughout the new version.
Carey then adds her signature whistle note to the opening house-inspired beat and then assists the Sweetener artist early on in the remix by joining her on the pre-chorus and chorus.
The “We Belong Together” musician also gets her own solo on the second verse: “Now, I’m so done with sharing / This hypocrisy with you / Baby, you have been rejected / Go back, no more pretending, bye.”
After she dropped the track, the “Thank U, Next” hitmaker celebrated its release with a fun video on Instagram featuring her and her collaborator.
In it, the singer-songwriter saunters in a polka-dot dress before the screen pans to a glamorous-looking Carey, who delivers a whistle note. At the end of the visual, the duo embraces.
Ariana Grande in March 2024.
Rodin Eckenroth/Getty Images
In the caption, Grande shared how much she admires Carey.
“i love you so much @mariahcarey 🥹 yes, and? remix out now 🫧♡🦋 🫧♡🦋🫧♡🦋,” she wrote.
Carey replied in the comments, “Love you Ari!!! ❤️❤️❤️ thank you for having me on this record 🤩😍🔥.”
