Is Ariana Grande Coming For Mariah Carey's Christmas Queen Crown With "Santa Tell Me"?

Ariana Grande released a new Christmas single, “Santa Tell Me," today, and it's as "kewt" as she said it would be. The festive love song doesn't quite show off her vocal prowess as much as her performance at last night's American Music Awards did, but the pop princess is nevertheless prepping us all for the holiday season. Though "Santa Tell Me" radiates her happy-go-lucky style, we can't help but compare the single to the untouchable Christmas anthem "All I Want For Christmas Is You" by her idol, Mariah Carey. Is Grande coming for Carey's long-term reign as Christmas Queen?

Grande’s powerful pipes arouse comparisons between the pop diva and legendary Carey. Grande doesn’t seem to mind these, and even encourages them, as she did a cover of Carey’s 1991 hit “Emotions” and put out a follow up video proving that she, too, can hit those impossible whistle tones. But Mariah Carey definitely minds.

“Santa Tell Me” doesn’t sound like a rip off of “All I Want For Christmas Is You,” but it does seem like an attempt to knock Carey off her Christmas Queen throne. Grande released Christmas Kisses, a set of four holiday songs, in 2013, and while Carey has not one, but two Christmas albums to her name, Grande has yet to release a full-length holiday album. What is Grande holding out for? Is she playing it smart by releasing a single first or is she scared of Carey?

Watch the interview below to hear Mariah Carey talk about making “Merry Christmas,” her Christmas album from 1994.

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[Photo: Getty Images]