Mariah Carey's 'Glitter' Reaching Number 1 On The Charts In 2018 Is The Sweetest Revenge

More than 17 years after its release, Mariah Carey's Glitter album is number one for the very first time — on iTunes — thanks to her extremely loyal fanbase. The moment comes ahead of the release the singer's fifteenth studio album, Caution, which E! reveals is due to drop on Friday, Nov. 16 and it couldn't come as a more appropriate tribute to the legendary performer.

In honor of the forthcoming project, Carey's fans, otherwise known as her "lambs" or "lambily" (a portmanteau of the words lamb and family), started a campaign to push the soundtrack of the widely-criticized 2001 movie into the iTunes Top 10. E! News indicated that, at the time, the album was noted Carey's least successful, peaking at number seven on Billboard's 200 chart, which was a major drop-off compared to her previous releases.

Over the past week, #JusticeForGlitter became a mantra for many fans who began purchasing and streaming the album days ahead of the release of her new project. They took to Twitter to share their love for both the artist and the years-old project, creating a frenzy that helped to boost album day-by-day until it finally reached to the top of the charts.

On Thursday, Nov. 15, after Glitter hit number one, Carey gushed about the accomplishment on social media, sharing a throwback of the project's artwork on both Instagram and Twitter. Along with the photos, the 48-year-old entertainer wrote:

"I have to dedicate today's #tbt to Glitter, which is currently #1 on the iTunes albums chart, 17 years after its release and on the eve of my new album release! My fans are THE BEST #JusticeForGlitter!! LET'S GO #CAUTION"

Not only is the soundtrack, which is currently discounted at $4.99 for US customers according to People, the top album on iTunes, beating out new releases from artists such as Ariana Grande, John Legend, and Lil Wayne, it has also been seeing a major increase in sales in international markets as well. Entertainment Tonight reported that Glitter is also charting in Italy, Australia, the Philippines, and the United Kingdom.

It's nice to see Glitter finally get some love after 17 years, especially as the year following its release proved difficult for the singer. In addition to being lambasted by detractors in its early 2000s debut, Glitter also happened to be released amidst the tragedy of 9/11. Furthermore, it became the precursor to a widely-documented "emotional and physical breakdown" suffered by Carey during its promotion, as described by her representative at the time in a statement to The Washington Post. After a few unsettling public appearances, Carey checked herself into the hospital. Her spokesperson added that the reason behind the singer's breakdown was "extreme exhaustion," and that she was receiving psychiatric care. Years later, in an interview with People published in April of 2018, Carey revealed she was diagnosed with bipolar disorder in 2001.

Revealing why she decided to share her diagnosis years later, Carey told People:

"I’m just in a really good place right now, where I’m comfortable discussing my struggles with bipolar II disorder. I’m hopeful we can get to a place where the stigma is lifted from people going through anything alone. It can be incredibly isolating. It does not have to define you and I refuse to allow it to define me or control me."

Carey, now clearly living her best life as a music industry icon and mother of two, has released a string of chart-topping hits in the years since 2001. The success of Glitter, while surprising, is just the cherry on top of her evolution. And, hopefully, it can help turn what might be some difficult memories for Carey into a positive.