Popstar Mariah Carey went viral during the iHeartRadio Music Awards tribute performance for a hilariously unimpressed look she gave. Tori Kelly and Muni Long performed a tribute for the 55-year-old singer before she received the Icon Award for 2025.
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After singing many of Carey's hit tunes Monday night, the camera caught her giving a side-eye. Carey glanced to her right at other audience members while 36-year-old Long performed We Belong Together. Her subtle yet awkward look has already gone viral online with viewers turning it into a relatable gif.
Mariah Carey Goes Viral For Brutal Reaction To iHeartRadio Tribute
"this gif of Mariah Carey will go down in history," one user on X wrote with a laughing emoji. It's easier to see with the replaying gif Carey's disgruntled-looking face turning to see the audience's reactions.
"The way Mariah Carey can't help but show her disinterest on her face," another viewer said. "She cracks me up. Personally I thought Tori killed it though!"
Some viewers even compared Carey's reaction to another viral meme from a recent awards ceremony. It showed both the gif of Carey and another of Beyonce reacting in utter shock to receiving a prestigious award.
Despite her unimpressed look, the camera did show her in a happier mood at other points in the tribute. Carey was smiling when the singers performed her other hit song Always Be My Baby.
From Long's perspective, she was overjoyed to pay tribute to the iconic Mariah Carey. In an interview with Billboard, Long said she was "very excited" to honor Carey. "Mariah is that girl," she said. Long also revealed some of her favorite Carey songs, such as Breakdown, My All, Mine, and more.
So was it just an unintentional moment caught on camera, or did Carey just not enjoy Long singing her one tune? We don't yet know as she hasn't spoken up about it. During Carey's speech after receiving the award, she also gave some candid remarks to add to the funny side-eye.
"Is the lighting OK?" Carey joked. "Because I don't like bad lighting." The pop star also mentioned how she still would get excited anytime she heard a song of hers on the radio. "It never stops being magical," she added.
