Mariah Carey Sets The Record Straight On "I Don't" And How She Almost Caught On Fire

Yes, on fire.

BuzzFeed sat down with Mariah Carey at her elusive Beverly Hills home to talk about her latest single "I Don't," nearly catching on fire while shooting the music video, and her upcoming tour with Lionel Richie.

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Here are 10 things we learned:

1. Mariah's latest single "I Don't" is NOT about anyone in particular:

BuzzFeed

“I Don’t” is very much a song reflecting on ill-fated love. What’s the songwriting process like when you sit down to write a song with such raw, personal lyrics?

Mariah Carey: Those lyrics I wrote with a girl named Crystal Nicole — we also wrote “Touch My Body” together with The Dream. She was more focused on the whole personal side when we were writing those lyrics. I think she was subliminally leading me there, and then by the end of the song, we were on the same page. We were just writing words instead of “Let’s make it about such and such.” We didn't do that. It just ended up the way it was and I was like, “This is genius for this moment in my life.”

2. "I Don't" is NOT a low-key reference to Mariah's iconic catchphrase "I don't know her":

BuzzFeed

You have what's become one of the most iconic catchphrases of the 21st century: "I don’t know her." Is “I Don’t” a subtle nod to that?

MC: No! I wasn’t thinking of it! But I guess some people want to keep it going!

3. The wedding dress Mariah torched at the end of the "I Don't" music video was NOT a wedding dress she was planning to wear at a later date:

BuzzFeed

There’s a part in the “I Don’t” music video where we see you burn a wedding dress. Did that dress come from your personal closet?

MC: Well, we went shopping for a wedding dress and then I put it in my personal closet, put it on my personal body, ripped it off, and burnt it to embers! It was a totally new one, not one I was planning to wear on another date.

4. Mariah was NOT going to take no for an answer when it came to lighting the wedding dress on fire...

BuzzFeed

What was the symbolism behind burning the wedding dress?

MC: I just always wanted to burn a wedding dress. When I did "We Belong Together" with Brett Ratner, I told him I wanted to burn my 27-foot train. At the end of the "We Belong Together" video, the car drives off, and I wanted the dress's train to burn up in flames dramatically. Yet, Brett wouldn’t do it. So I was like, “I’m gonna do it!” And I did it in this video because I thought it went with the whole concept.

5. ...but Mariah was the one who almost caught on fire, NOT the wedding dress:

BuzzFeed

MC: Honestly — I don't know if anyone knows this — the red dress I was wearing almost caught on fire when I was walking around it! I was just pacing and I couldn't help it! I was in the moment, darling!

6. Mariah’s Valentine’s Day photo from a bathtub with backup dancer Bryan Tanaka was NOT just for the Instagram:

BuzzFeed

“I Don’t” is a lot about realizing you deserve better. I saw an Instagram of you and your backup dancer Bryan sharing a bathtub on Valentine’s Day. Is it safe to say you found better?

MC: Um, have you ever seen me in the bathtub with anyone else before? [laughs]

7. Mariah is NOT working on an album quite yet...

BuzzFeed

We saw a very vulnerable side of you throughout your recent docuseries Mariah’s World, which all led up to your new single “I Don’t.” Was the single just for the series or can the Lambs expect a new Mariah album?

MC: I am so wanting to be in the studio making an album that it’s ridiculous! I do want to get in the studio and make an album, but first we’re gonna go on this tour. I may start writing to some beats while I’m on tour because I’ll have some time.

8. ...but "I Don't" is NOT the only new song she'll be releasing:

BuzzFeed

MC: I’m just happy that at least I was able to do “I Don’t” and another song that I can’t reveal. The other song is a collaboration with someone I’ve collaborated with previously. I really love this song, so I'm excited about that!

9. Her new tour All the Hits with Lionel Richie will NOT just focus on her No. 1 hits like her current Las Vegas show:

BuzzFeed

You’ll be on tour with Lionel Richie next month in North America. How will the All the Hits Tour differ from your current show, #1 to Infinity at Caesars Palace?

MC: It’s gonna be different because I’m just gonna pick what I know are the hits — they don’t have to be No. 1, they could've gone to No. 2. My set is 60 minutes, so I wanna do some Lambily favorites that no one really gets to hear. I definitely want to do “I Don’t,” and obviously we have to do the hits. I want the real fans that come to all the different shows around the world — which they do — to feel like I’m acknowledging them.

10. And Mariah does NOT know if she'll ever say "I do" again with another man:

BuzzFeed

Right now you’re saying “I don’t,” but do you ever see yourself saying “I do” to another man in the future?

MC: I always said I would never get married, and then [sings] things changed. And that was the first time around...and then we had another moment...and almost a third…so we’ll see. It seems like a lot for one person. But you never know.

You can catch Mariah and Lionel Richie's All the Hits joint tour in select cities starting March 15.

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