When it comes to covering songs, Mariah Carey always delivers. The music legend has shared her cover of Irene Cara’s 1985 track “Out Here On My Own,” which she recorded in 2000.
Carey’s rendition of “Out Here On My Own” will appear on her upcoming album, The Rarities, which is set to arrive on October 2. It is the follow-up to her Ms. Lauryn Hill-assisted anthem “Save the Day.”
In Carey’s upcoming memoir, The Meaning of Mariah Carey, she opens up about her personal connection to the song, which she describes is one of her favorites.
“The fact that I believe I could become a successful artist is one of my greatest strengths. Around the same time, my mother entered me in a talent competition in the city and I sang one of my favorite songs: ‘Out Here On My Own’ by Irene Cara,” she said. “I felt ‘Out Here On My Own’ described my entire life, and I loved singing that way – singing to reveal a piece of my soul,” she wrote. “And I won doing it. At that age, I lived for the movie Fame, and Irene Cara was everything to me.”
She added, “‘Out Here On My Own’ was such a pure song that touched my heart, and I couldn’t believe I won a trophy for singing a song I loved. It was the first time I’d received validation as an artist. What a feeling.”
In a recent interview with Good Morning America, Carey shared her inspiration behind The Rarities. “I found stuff in my vault that I had either started to work on a long time ago and never released, or that I wanted to finish mixing,” she revealed. There are songs that are previously not had been released. It’s a monumental occasion for my career.”
“Listen to “Out Here On My Own” by Mariah Carey below.