The 5 Most Shocking Secrets Behind Mariah Carey's Unreleased '90s Grunge Album

It is one of the most bizarre and fascinating musical secrets of the 1990s, and as of late 2025, the full story is finally coming to light. The image of Mariah Carey, the undisputed Queen of Pop and R&B, belting out angsty, lo-fi grunge tracks seems almost impossible, yet it is absolutely true. While recording her landmark album Daydream in 1995, Carey secretly channeled her inner angst into a full-length alternative rock album under the pseudonym band "Chick," titled Someone's Ugly Daughter. After years of speculation and only minimal details, the pop icon has recently been on a major campaign to finally release the original, unheard version featuring her own lead vocals, making this a truly current and explosive story in music history.

This isn't just a rumor; it's a confirmed, buried treasure that provides a raw, messy counterpoint to her meticulously manicured pop persona of the era. The album’s history, its original stifled release, and the recent, high-profile teases on shows like The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon and in conversation with SZA confirm that the world is on the cusp of hearing the "lost" album that even Questlove has called "her best record."

Mariah Carey: A Brief Biographical Profile

• Full Name: Mariah Carey
• Born: March 27, 1969, in Huntington, New York, U.S.
• Occupation: Singer, Songwriter, Actress, Record Producer, Entrepreneur
• Years Active: 1990–present
• Nicknames/Aliases: Mimi, The Elusive Chanteuse, D. Sue (for the grunge project)
• Genre Peaks: Pop, R&B, Hip Hop, Soul, Christmas Music
• Key Albums (1990s): Mariah Carey (1990), Music Box (1993), Daydream (1995), Butterfly (1997)
• Legacy: Known for her five-octave vocal range, use of the whistle register, and status as one of the best-selling music artists of all time.
• Memoir: The Meaning of Mariah Carey (2020), where she first fully disclosed the grunge album's existence.

1. The Secret Band and The Shocking Alias: Who Was 'Chick'?

The entire project was designed to be a clandestine escape from the intense scrutiny and control of her pop career and, more specifically, her marriage to Tommy Mottola, the head of Sony Music at the time. Carey was looking for a form of release that her polished R&B records could not provide.

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The Birth of 'Chick' and 'D. Sue'

The band was called Chick, and the album was titled *Someone's Ugly Daughter*. The music was recorded in 1995 in secret, often during late-night sessions while she was simultaneously working on the *Daydream* album, which would go on to become a massive commercial success.

To maintain her anonymity and circumvent her label's opposition, Carey devised a plan. The original 1995 release of *Someone's Ugly Daughter* featured her friend, singer and songwriter Clarissa Dane, on lead vocals. Carey was relegated to providing uncredited backing vocals, and she gave herself the grungy alias D. Sue.

The Anti-Pop Aesthetic

Carey described the motivation in her 2020 memoir, *The Meaning of Mariah Carey*. She stated that she was "playing with the style of the breezy-grunge, punk-light white female singers who were popular at the time." She admired the way these artists could be "angry, angsty, and messy," contrasting sharply with her own "calculated and manicured" image. The grunge album was her way to "break free, let loose, and express my misery."

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2. The Sound: Veruca Salt and Hole Vibes

For fans who only know the soaring ballads like "Hero" or the hip-hop inflections of "Fantasy," the sound of Chick is a genuine shock. It is a full departure, embracing the raw, guitar-driven sound of the mid-90s alternative scene.

Teasing the Unreleased Tracks

In a recent wave of media appearances (September/October 2025), Carey has been playing snippets of the album with her original, intended lead vocals. During an interview with fellow singer SZA and later on Jimmy Fallon's show, she unveiled tracks that give off definite Hole and Veruca Salt vibes.

• "Hermit": One of the tracks previewed, hinting at the introspective, angsty lyrics typical of the genre.
• "Prom Queen": Another song played on *The Tonight Show*, which Questlove immediately praised.
• Previously Known Tracks: Two tracks from the Clarissa Dane version, "Demented" and "Malibu," have long been circulating on YouTube, giving a taste of the raw, distorted aesthetic.

The songs feature a distinct, almost sneering vocal style from Carey, a stark contrast to her signature melodic runs. She even admitted to doing an "accent" and an "imitation" of a character she created, further emphasizing the project's role as an alter ego.

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3. The Album Art: Lipstick, a Kiss, and a Real Roach

Adding to the album's anti-pop, DIY aesthetic is the story behind the cover art for *Someone's Ugly Daughter*. The artwork is the antithesis of the glossy, high-production covers of her mainstream albums.

When discussing the project with Jimmy Fallon, Carey revealed that she personally designed the cover. It features scrawled lipstick text and a kiss mark. In a moment of classic grunge irreverence, she joked about another element: "I drew this cover. I didn't draw the roach. The roach is real," referring to a small insect visible on the original image. This detail perfectly encapsulates the raw, unpolished, and slightly rebellious energy she was seeking to embody.

4. The Stifled Release: Why It Was Buried for Decades

The main reason this fascinating project remained a secret for so long was simple: the music industry. In the mid-90s, pop stars were rigidly compartmentalized, and a major shift in genre was seen as a catastrophic risk to a carefully cultivated brand.

Carey's original plan was to release the album herself, completely unrecognizable, in a costume, and simply "see what happened." However, the music executives at her label at the time "stifled" the project, fearing it would damage her image and career trajectory. Instead, the version with Clarissa Dane's lead vocals was quietly released and quickly faded into obscurity, becoming a mysterious musical relic.

5. The Current Quest: Will the Original Version See a 2026 Release?

The story of the secret grunge album has re-entered the public consciousness in a major way since Carey first revealed its existence in her 2020 memoir. For years, she was "on a quest" to locate the master tapes containing her original lead vocals.

The 2025/2026 Timeline

The recent high-profile teases in late 2025 suggest that the quest is over, and the original masters have been found. Carey has been open about her desire to finally release the version with her vocals intact. In a December 2024 interview with *PEOPLE* magazine, she said, "People have been asking me about it, and it's something that I love so much. And we might see it in 2025, probably a little bit later than that."

With her actively playing the tracks on national television and mentioning the difficulty of figuring out which record label owns the rights, the momentum is clearly building. Some reports even suggest the "long-awaited record" could be released in 2026. The anticipation among fans and music critics is palpable, as this release would not only be a historical curiosity but a genuine artistic statement from one of the world's biggest pop stars.

The Chick album, *Someone's Ugly Daughter*, represents a powerful moment of artistic rebellion for Mariah Carey. It’s a raw snapshot of her personal life and creative misery during the *Daydream* sessions, proving that even the most controlled pop icons harbor a desire to let loose and embrace the messy, angsty energy of alternative rock. The wait for the full, authentic "D. Sue" experience continues, but all signs point to the world finally hearing the grunge side of the legendary diva very soon.