Mariah Counts Unwraps Her Christmas EP | Queer Artist Spotlight

Editor's Thoughts: As a certified Christmas lover, I was so excited when I saw that Mariah Counts dropped her six-song holiday EP Christmas Time to Me this year, and I’ve already been jamming to it nonstop. In this Queer Artist Spotlight, we celebrate how the EP is fun, cozy, and exactly the vibe I want this season. What makes it even more special is seeing more queer representation in holiday music, which feels so needed and long overdue. Mariah pours so much passion into everything she creates, and if you want to get to know her the way I’ve been lucky enough to, I highly recommend listening to our conversation on She Comes With Baggage. She’s someone I genuinely look up to when it comes to carving your own path, and this EP is truly the little Christmas gift I didn’t know I needed.

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What do you love most about being a songwriter and artist, and what keeps you inspired to create new music?

I love that I can tell any story. A true one, a made up one and one that might be a little of both. The best part is that I can cope and heal while doing it. I can also help others share and cope through writing their own stories or fantasies. I stay inspired by the humans that I touch with my music and the difference it makes. The fans and listeners are everything to me.

How does your identity influence your music, and how do you make sure your songs stay authentic to who you are?

My identity is so complex and layered, which is amazing for songwriting. I take songwriting one song at a time. If I'm writing for myself then I keep checking in with the main message inside for me at that moment. What am I really trying to say? If I’m writing for other artists, I make sure I am checking in with them in the same way. My duality and complexities allow for me to be versatile in genre, delivery and even live performances. My authenticity as a person allows me to create music that resonates because it’s real.

Every creative journey comes with its challenges. Can you share a hardship you’ve faced in your process as an artist, and how you overcame it?

I think the biggest barrier can be money and time. If I had more money, I would have a team running my socials and all back-end admin work. That way I could have more time to actually create the music. Since I’m wearing 50 different hats, I find myself creating music less and promoting the music I already have, more. I would also perform a lot more, since I wouldn’t worry as much about the money coming back right away. That investment would be a lot easier to make. Plus, the exposure and fan engagement when touring is unreal for growth. I could also pay producers better, so I can be prioritized in their list of songs they need to finish. I truly love collaborating but it gets pricey when you need to pay your homie so they can afford to work with you, instead of the other artists that can pay their rent. 

Looking back on your journey as an artist, what’s a lesson or insight you’ve learned that you carry with you into every project?

I think I try to always make sure I'm following my gut while not being too precious with my music. It can get lonely sometimes when you’re the only one pushing hard for your success, and as a product of that, you tend to feel like everything you work on is precious. When you exhaust your monetary, social and literal body energy resources, it can feel like whatever you’ve created is gold, because it’s taken everything in you to produce it. But the reality is it’s just another piece of work and you will create another and another. So I try to remind myself of that during every project.

What inspired you to create a Christmas release this year, and how did the concept come to life?

Fa La, La La was the first song I ever put out into the world. It knocked off two of my bucket list items; Put a song out into the world for others to hear and put out a Christmas song. I absolutely love Christmas. Big ho ho hoe over here. I think it’s very serendipitous that my parents named me after Mariah Carey, when she has the biggest christmas pop song in the world. I always feel like Christmas and holidays in general have that magic energy that can bring people together and encourage kindness and presence. 

Two years ago I wrote a 6 song Christmas EP called ‘If Everyday was Christmas’ and filmed a visual album short film to go with it. It was cheesy, amazing and so fun to make. This year I wanted to put more out, so I did. The world is kind of taking a shit right now, so the idea of bringing some holiday music to people makes me feel really good.

When you’re writing music, what’s one of your favorite parts of the process, and why?

I love when it’s an easy write and just flows out of you. No one in the room fights what needs to be said and it’s like an hour long write, from start to finish. I love that first listen back when you realize you’ve elicited the exact emotion you were aiming to. There’s nothing like that feeling. If you can make yourself cry or feel an intense emotion from something you’ve written, you did something right.

You collaborated with Manda Malina on Better Than Any Gift. Why was it important for you to work with other queer women, both creatively and for the community?

I wouldn’t say that it was a priority to work with queer artists on this project but naturally many of the songs are fully queer made. It’s always a pleasure to work with other queer artists and creators because we see the world differently and the world sees us differently. Not to mention, we deserve some damn representation. 

Manda is a good friend of mine and we have been wanting to work on something together for awhile and I realized there was no Christmas love song/duet between two lesbian artists out there. So we fixed that and now it’s out there! I think everyone involved on the track is hoping it gets synced in a lesbian Christmas movie next year. It’s truly a great alternative to all these tired male/female duets like ‘baby, it’s cold outside’ etc.

What do you hope listeners take away from these new songs, and how do you want them to feel when they hear them?

These new songs are meant to fill you with companionship and joy. Even the sadder song on the EP is meant to make everyone feel less alone. Knowing that you’re not the only one in the world that is feeling the weight and it’s okay to enjoy the holidays through that feeling. No one should be alone through the holidays and I hope this album can assist in that. 

"The EP is meant to make everyone feel less alone. Knowing that you’re not the only one in the world that is feeling the weight and it’s okay to enjoy the holidays through that feeling."

What’s one piece of advice or a quote that you’d love to share with someone who wants to pursue their dreams?

Never lose track of your why, that’s your compass. Never lower yourself or your work ethic because others around you aren’t working as hard or achieving as much. Every choice you make should align with your end goal. Lastly, there are going to be a lot of people along the journey that say they are going to do things, don’t be one of those people; ACTUALLY GO DO IT

What’s next for you after Christmas Time to Me?

Well as far as Christmas goes, I want to gear up for next holiday season and do a full fledged Christmas deluxe album. I think I'll put all my Christmas music in one place, plus some extras, and do a big holiday show. 

Aside from Christmas, I’m really looking forward to releasing new music in the new year and working in the sync world a bit more as well. I have a lot of goals and plans for 2026. I see myself growing my fan base, playing more live shows and hearing my music on tv and in movies. 

Musically, I have a deep desire to get back to a little bit lighter and more digestible music for my fans. I love the sexy stuff, don’t get me wrong, and I know the fans do too haha But I crave my emotional happy/ lovey/ sad girl stuff sometimes. So, you will just have to follow along to see what exactly is to come!

How can people follow you:

Instagram: @mcshmammer

Tiktok: @mariahcounts

Spotify: Mariah Counts

Listen to Mariah's story on She Comes With Baggage Podcast