Mariah Carey took a moment to give an emotional speech at the 2022 Global Citizen Festival in New York City on Saturday, honoring the heroes and families of the victims of 9/11 during her live performance.
“I was honored to have played a little, teeny part in the aftermath of that day as my song ‘Hero’ became one of the ‘unofficial anthems,‘” Mariah explained to the audience, referring to the impact of her song.
© GettyImagesShe went on to admit that she has “a hard time acknowledging my own stuff, but whatever. It comforted us in our collective loss and our recovery.”
Mariah also said that she found a special message in the song. “In a very different way, I discovered a very appropriate message for our times and for the women of our time in the lyrics of that particular song,” she shared.
The iconic singer praised her friend Misty Copeland for helping her put together a “one-of-a-kind” version of the song. “I can’t even tell you how honored I am … that my friend Misty Copeland came today,” Mariah said to the audience, describing her as “a woman of that stature and magnitude,” adding, “She’s just incredible.”
Mariah dedicated the song to all her fans, known as the ‘Lambs,’ and to everyone in the audience who believe in the power of “our collective humanity.”
