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Mariah Carey knows the power of social media. The legendary singer, who will release her brand new single “The Art of Letting Go” via Facebook next month, recently told told MTV News how the Internet helps keep her engaged with fans.
“Honestly, interacting directly with your fans is the best thing you can do because they are the ones who keep you where you are. Longevity is something that not everybody can have,” she said. “Even some of the biggest new stars that have become meteorites over the past couple of years, you see them flailing and you wonder why. And maybe it’s because they didn’t have that connections with their fans.”
Lately, the diva has been even more active on social media as she’s posted open letters to her fans, updating them on her fractured shoulder injury as well as spilling details on her upcoming album, The Art of Letting Go.
“The way I interact with my fans, it’s a different thing than most people,” Carey explained. “I’ve [had] this type of relationship with my fans since I first knew I had fans, which was not till my third album. It [sounds] crazy but it’s actually true. I never felt like ‘oh I’m famous.’ I think now, people have one song — even if it’s one song, they’re like, ‘look at me I’m famous’….All of a sudden, fame takes over, [but] you have to stay you, you have to stay grounded and my fans have kept me grounded.”
Jermaine Dupri, who is now her manager, also explained the strategy in premiering the song online. “The Internet has made the world flat,” he says, “so when you have a person like Mariah whose fanbase goes from here to other end of the world, why not share [the music] with everyone at once?”
When asked if fans should interpret the song title literally, Mariah admits she doesn’t have all the answers. “I don’t think I’ve mastered the art of letting of go,” Carey replied. “I think the art of letting go is something that will probably take most people a lifetime to master, so the song can be interpreted however [fans like]. It’s one of those things where people are gonna have to feel the song, if they feel it…then they’re really gonna feel it in their heart.”
“The Art of Letting Go,” which was produced by Rodney Jerkins, will debut on Mariah’s Facebook page on November 11 at 11 a.m. ET.
Copyright 2013 ABC News Radio
