People who are in desperate need of holiday cheer this Christmas season now have a joy-filled pick-me-up. Friday, Dec. 4 Mariah Carey released her highly anticipated Christmas special on AppleTV, titled “Mariah Carey’s Magical Christmas Special.”

The 40-minute musical special featured iconic musicians such as Jennifer Hudson, Snoop Dogg, Jermaine Dupri and Ariana Grande. Followed was the release of the featured soundtrack and a music video of “Oh Santa!” where Carey, Hudson and Grande share the spotlight.

The heartwarming storyline begins with narration by comedian Tiffany Haddish, which is enough to put a smile on anyone’s face. Viewers soon embark on a journey to the North Pole where Carey must put on a show because the entire world has lost its Christmas cheer. Carey being depicted as the only one who could save Christmas makes perfect sense since her hit song “All I Want For Christmas Is You” has ranked on the charts for 25 consecutive years during December.

While traveling through this winter wonderland, viewers are in for show-stopping performances such as a dance number by Misty Copeland and surprise cameos from celebrities Millie Bobbie Brown and Heidi Klum. Every musical number received a sentimental moment of its own to make the show even more memorable.

“This year has been really hard and I found it weird to get into the “Christmas spirit” but the special got me in the spirit this year,” said Douglasville Student George Breeze, “On top of that, who hasn’t been waiting for Mariah and Ari to do a song together. What better time than now to bring some joy! I wish the music industry would do more things like this throughout the year and not just for Christmas.”

Overall, this special captures the true essence of the holidays. It’s filled with joy, laughter and thankfulness for friends and family. It serves as a reminder that although we aren’t having the perfect Christmas, we can still feel lucky to spend the season with the ones we love.