Mariah Carey returns to New Year’s Rockin’ Eve nine years after infamous 2016 performance

Mariah Carey made a triumphant return to New Year’s Rockin’ Eve, performing in Las Vegas nine years later

Mariah Carey delivered a show-stopping performance during the December 31 broadcast of Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve With Ryan Seacrest, nine years after her infamous 2016 mishap. The Grammy-winning singer, 56, performed “Obsessed” live in Las Vegas, while Seacrest, 51, and Rita Ora hosted from Times Square, New York City. Carey dazzled in a sparkly silver-and-pink minidress with matching boots, her hair styled in loose beachy waves. She hit every note flawlessly, backed by a team of singers and dancers, concluding with a cheerful “Happy New Year!” to the crowd.

The performance marked a remarkable comeback for Carey, who experienced a highly publicised technical failure during the 2016 broadcast. During that New Year’s Rockin’ Eve, fans noticed her audio track was out of sync during “Auld Lang Syne.” Carey then struggled to hear her backing track for “Emotions,” joking onstage about the mix-up before leaving mid-performance during “We Belong Together.” Carey and her team later attributed the mishap to faulty earpiece equipment, while Dick Clark Productions denied any wrongdoing.

Despite the incident, Carey insisted at the time that the experience would not deter her from performing live. In an interview, she explained, “It’s not going to stop me from doing a live event in the future. But it will make me less trusting of using anyone outside of my own team.”

Her successful return to the annual ABC special demonstrates her resilience and enduring star power. The singer and Dick Clark Productions jointly acknowledged the comeback, stating in 2017, “We can all agree that last year didn’t go exactly as planned and we are thrilled to move forward together to provide America with an incredible night