Sure, she has that five-octave range and can do whistle notes like no other, but everyone knows Mariah Carey’s true talents lie with her epic diva tantrums. And after taking on half the music industry, it seems the megastar has now set her sights on a brand new rival; Taylor Swift. With the younger singer smashing chart records left and right – including one of Mariah’s – we’re told the All I Want For Christmas performer is turning green with envy. We hear she’s even banned Taylor’s music from being played in her house…

“Mariah is bitching up a storm behind Taylor’s back,” says an insider close to the 54-year-old, who is mum to 12-year-old twins, Monroe and Moroccan. “She’s been bitterly complaining about Taylor, saying she doesn’t understand the hype and gets squarely on her nerves. The funny thing is, she used to love singing along to her songs with her kids, but now that’s just a no. She’s banned any of Taylor’s music in the house. Even the suggestion of that would send her into a fit. Mariah really sees Taylor as this jumped-up impostor, saying how the standards have really dipped in recent years. She says this is a sign that folks don’t have the same taste in music that existed back in her heyday.”

It follows the breaking news that Taylor’s song Cruel Summer has entered the top five in the Hot 100. It means the 33-year-old has now had 27 tracks enter that top tier – tying with Mariah’s own record. Which, friends say, is a huge part of the problem. “Mariah never had an issue with Taylor until she became a threat,” says the source. “That’s why she’s upset – because Taylor might beat one of her sales records. Everyone knows Mariah’s had public feuds with a lot of other singers over the years, and it always happens when she’s feeling threatened. She’s so proud of every record and accolade she’s ever earned and loves to brag about her number one status in the pop community. She takes this stuff super seriously and the fact that Taylor’s now tied with her and set to beat her in other records is a huge deal. She’s been living in denial about other singers coming for her crown, but now it’s happening. She gets super annoyed hearing other stars hyped up – and even worse – compared to her as if they’re anywhere near her level. As far as she’s concerned, no one is on Mariah’s level.”

The superstar has feuded with plenty of other singers, including Jennifer Lopez, who she dismissed with the infamous words, “I don’t know her…” Jen later claimed it was all one-sided, explaining in 2014, “I don’t have a feud against her at all. I know from back in the day that she’s said things about me that were not the greatest, but we have never met. We don’t know each other. I think it’s kind of like from word of mouth or things that have happened in the past that I’m not really aware of, but I don’t know.” Mariah also fell out with rapper Nicki Minaj, when they appeared together on American Idol in 2013. The hotheaded stars – who had duetted in 2009 on Up Out My Face – repeatedly clashed on the panel, with full on shouting matches breaking out during auditions. There were rumours things got so bad, Nicki threated to shoot Mariah – an allegation Nicki denies. Mariah then managed a two-for-one with Ariana Grande and Demi Lovato, after claiming to be “better” than the Thank U, Next singer. Demi stepped in to defend her friend and J-Lo on Instagram, writing, “Mariah is a legend and is so talented but consistently disses people. . . It’s nasty the way she treats Jennifer.” Mariah later re-used her catchphrase, saying, “I don’t know her either. And so I wouldn’t say anything to her. She should come up, introduce herself to me, say, ‘Here’s my opinion, what do you think about it?’ That’s how you handle s***, okay?”

Rapper Eminem was also the subject of Mariah’s wrath throughout the noughties, after he claimed they’d dated for six months and said, “I just don’t like her as a person”. She denied the relationship, saying, “I hung out with him, I spoke to him on the phone. I think I was probably with him a total of four times. And I don’t consider that dating somebody.” He responded with a track about her and then-husband, Nick Cannon called Bagpipes From Baghdad where he rapped, “Nick Cannon, you pr–k, I wish you luck with the f–kin’ whore”. In 2009, Mariah released her own clapback song, Obsessed, where she apparently dressed up as the rapper in the music video. A furious Eminem then released an even meaner diss track called The Warning, where he told Mariah, “Bitch, shut the fuck up.” One of Mariah’s more iconic rivalries also broke out in the noughties, when Xtina claimed the diva was “never cool” with her. She explained in an interview, “One time, we were at a party and I think she got really drunk, and she had just really derogatory things to say to me.” She later added, “She hasn’t been nice to me, no.” Mariah hit back by claiming Christina had shown up at her party uninvited, but added, “It is in my heart to forgive and I will keep her in my prayers.”

But Taylor’s not shy of taking on her musical rivals, either. The star – who’s been writing songs since she was 14 – famously wrote Bad Blood about Katy Perry, after the I Kissed A Girl star accused her of stealing backup dancers. Katy called Taylor a “Regina George in sheep’s clothing.” But they resolved things in 2018, with Katy recently appearing in the music video for You Need To Calm Down. Taylor’s biggest feud was with Kanye West, who invaded her stage in 2009 at the VMAs, with his now-iconic line, “I’mma let you finish…” and then went for the singer again in 2016, with his track, Famous. His wife at the time, Kim Kardashian, then waded in, claiming Taylor had consented to the song and sharing an edited video on Snapchat. There have also been clashes with Demi Lovato, Nicki Minaj, Joe Jonas, Calvin Harris, Damon Albarn, and, of course, Taylor’s frenemy, Karlie Kloss.

Our insider continues, “Taylor is used to people picking on her. She just laughs it off when she hears these stories about rivals being jealous. It’s been going on for years and it’s water off a duck’s back at this point. But Mariah won’t be letting this go and it’ll get even worse as Christmas approaches. She considers that season to be exclusively her territory, and knows Taylor’s highly likely to record something festive. If Taylor tries to dethrone Mariah as the queen of Christmas music, all hell will break loose!”