Mariah Carey Celebrates Her 50th Birthday, Insists She's 'Eternally 12'

In human years, Mariah Carey just turned 50, but in Mariah Carey years she’s only 12. 

Confused? Well, the pop icon simply doesn’t do birthdays, you see. Carey prefers to instead ring in anniversaries of her 12th birthday each year — because what is aging when you can still out-whistle-tone the competition and break records without breaking a sweat. 

The multi-platinum, Grammy-winning superstar turned the big 5-0 on Friday and celebrated with her twins, Moroccan and Monroe, with a low-key bash at home, where she’s currently in isolation during the coronavirus outbreak. 

“Spent 3.27 at home with my family and virtually with fans and friends from all over the world. Thank you for all the love #eternally12,” Carey wrote on Instagram .

In the photos, Carey rocks a low-cut sheer black dress, as she prepares to blow out 12 candles on a chocolate cake, while her children, who turn 9 next month, excitedly watch on. 

On her actual birthday anniversary, the singer shared a make-up free selfie from the recording booth, teasing her fans about new music and encouraging them to practice social distancing in the caption. 

 “Starting 327 with a new song #stayhome,” Carey wrote.

Throughout her decades-long career, Carey has made her stance on getting older each year quite clear. 

“I don’t count years but I definitely rebuke them … I have anniversaries, not birthdays, because I celebrate life, darling,” she said in a 2014 interview with Out magazine , reiterating at the time that she stays “eternally 12.”

Despite the obvious pressure for female celebrities to stay young, Carey’s hesitancy around birthdays stems from an early childhood experience. 

“As a kid I literally made this pact,” she told the magazine. “There had been some sort of argument with my mom and the man she was dating at the time, and somehow I became a part of it — I was around 8 or 9 years old, and I said, ‘I’m never going to forget how it feels to be a kid, and you can’t be seen or heard.’ It’s as though your opinion doesn’t mean anything, or your feelings are not real.”

So instead, she annually celebrates the anniversary of her 12th birthday, with this year marking the 38th year.

But just because Carey has a birthday complex doesn’t mean her famous friends, including Britney Spears, Reese Witherspoon and Barbara Streisand, didn’t wish her well on the big day. 

“Happy Birthday @MariahCarey !!!!! You are one of the main reasons I started singing .... your Butterfly album never gets old even after 20+ years ….. it’s simply a classic and I will be listening to it today as I work out in the gym !!!!!” Spears wrote. “Have a wonderful birthday!!!!!! God bless.”