It’s now official. Mariah Carey has departed Def Jam Records, signing a new deal with Epic Records. The new move means the pop icon is reuniting with Epic chairman, CEO and good friend Antonio “L.A.” Reid.
A spokesperson for Sony confirmed to Billboard on Thursday that the 44-year-old has inked a multi-album deal, that will begin with a greatest-hits LP set to coincide with her upcoming Las Vegas residency at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace.
A source confirms Carey is already working on new music, though there’s no scheduled date for her first album under the label. Billboard also breaks down how the new partnership came about, considering Mariah and left Sony Music 15 years ago on bad terms.
“Although Carey left Sony some 15 years ago on tumultuous terms, there are plenty of reasons why rejoining makes sense now. Doug Morris, current chairman/CEO of Sony Music, brought Carey to Island Def Jam in 2003 when he was running Universal Music Group. It was there that Reid, then head of IDJ, oversaw her 2005 comeback, The Emancipation of Mimi. Finally, Joey Arbagey, a collaborator of Carey’s during the making of the six-times platinum Mimi, is now executive vp A&R at Epic.”
In 2014, Mariah Carey released her last album on Def Jam Records, Me. I Am Mariah… The Elusive Chanteuse.
