Discovered by a major label, Mariah Carey was already a platinum pop Cinderella by the time of this 1992 music video project. Her career's exclusive reliance on meticulously groomed studio recordings and equally polished video clips made this concert debut on camera a risky career move.
Mariah's MTV UNPLUGGED performance was triumphant, however: coming on the heels of her manicured albums, the girlish charm and heart-stopping vocal pyrotechnics displayed on the recording confirmed Carey's talents, while also delivering the freshest music she'd made up to that point.
Modifying the series' original acoustic format, Carey's special reinforces her octave-leaping vocal prowess with a top band, a string section, and a muscular vocal chorus.
The performance, released now for the first time on DVD, include earlier hits like "Emotions", "Vision of Love", and "Make It Happen" as well as Carey's lush delivery of Michael Jackson's "I'll Be There" with duet partner, Trey Lorenz.