Mariah Carey‘s reaction during a musical tribute at the 2025 iHeartRadio Music Awards has already become a wildly popular meme after she was shown in a cutaway looking unimpressed.
The pop icon, 55, was seated in the front row at the ceremony on Monday, March 17, as singer Muni Long was performing Mariah’s 2005 smash “We Belong Together” ahead of her receiving the evening’s Icon Award.
When the camera cut away to Mariah in the audience, she appeared less than enthusiastic then turned to a man sitting next to her jamming out with his hands and gave him a serious case of side eye.
Fans went wild over Mariah’s reaction on X, with many reposting the video from the Fox telecast.
“Mariah Carey is not feeling these performances and is not hiding that fact. Lol,” one person wrote, while another added, “Mariah Carey’s reaction to Muni Long singing her song just SENT ME OMFG” with laughing emojis.
“The way Mariah Carey can’t help but show her disinterest on her face, but I get it I’m the same my face tells everything. She cracks me up. Personally, I thought Tori killed it though!” a third fan commented along with the meme. Tori Kelly, 32, kicked off the tribute to Mariah by performing her 1995 smash “Always Be My Baby.”
“This gif of Mariah Carey will go down in history,” a fourth fan predicted, as the “Dreamlover” songstress began trending on X for her epic reaction shot.
When it was time for Mariah to go onstage and accept her award, she adorably proved her diva status once again by asking the show’s host LL Cool J, “I just want to ask you a question — is the lighting OK? Because I don’t like bad lighting.”
The New York native went on to tell the audience, “Even now, I still get excited when I hear one of my songs playing on the radio. It never stops being magical.”
Mariah continued, “I appreciate you all more than you know. And to my fans, my family, you’ve been with me through every step of this journey. Your love and loyalty are the greatest gift, and I’m endlessly thankful for each one of you.”
The Grammy winner made a brief reference to her late mother, Patricia Carey, who died in August 2024 at the age of 87.
“I want to honor my mother, Patricia Carey, for giving me the gift of music,” Mimi shared.
Mariah’s mother and older sister, Alison Carey, died on the same day, the songstress revealed in a heartbreaking statement on August 26, 2024.
“My heart is broken that I’ve lost my mother this past weekend. Sadly, in a tragic turn of events, my sister lost her life on the same day,” she said in a statement to People. Alison was 62 years old.
“I feel blessed that I was able to spend the last week with my mom before she passed,” Mariah added. “I appreciate everyone’s love and support and respect for my privacy during this impossible time.”
The causes of death for Mariah’s mother and sister have not been revealed.
