Mariah Carey Lincoln Center SZA convo

Photo Credit: Ajay Suresh / CC by 2.0

Apple Music presented Flowers, an exclusive live conversation at the Lincoln Center in New York City. The one-night-only event featured Mariah Carey in dialogue with SZA, moderated by Apple Music’s Global Editorial Head of Hip-Hop and R&B, Ebro Darden.

The live event celebrates Mariah Carey’s career and her upcoming sixteenth studio album Here For It All (2025), dropping September 26. The discussion is now available to stream via Apple Music for those interested in the artists’ perspectives.

The conversation highlighted the mutual admiration that both SZA and Mariah Carey share for each others’ works. SZA recently described Carey as a “massive influence and inspiration” for her, while Carey named SZA one of her favorite contemporary artists. In a room adorned with floral installations and filled with devoted fans, both artists reflected on their artistry, legacy, and collaboration.

SZA asked Carey which of her albums felt the most person to create, to which Carey responded without hesitation, “Butterfly.” Throughout the conversation, Carey discussed her creative process and gave attendees an early listen to tracks from Here For It All.

She also spoke directly to her fans—affectionately called Lambs. “I just hope you guys like the whole album when you’re able to get it, and the whole thing, ‘cause it has its own different vibes, and places that it goes and stuff like that. I had such a good time making it for you.”

SZA added her excitement over upcoming collaborations, sharing her impression of Carey’s relentless energy in the studio. “And let me tell y’all, she can hang! It was after midnight and she was like, ‘so are you ready to start writing or what? You ready to go? And I was like ‘oh, period.’”

The pair also revisited Carey’s experimental alt-rock project from the 1990s, originally recorded alongside Daydream (1995). Reflecting on writing unreleased material like Someone’s Ugly Daughter, Carey explained the outlet it provided. “And I would sit down and write, you know, the lyrics that we were talking about [sings], just letting out all the anger, ‘cause at that point I was going through so much and I really needed something like this.”