(Cover) - EN Showbiz - Mariah Carey feels she has always battled for her artistic integrity.

The multi-talented singer has one of the worlds most recognisable voices, and since shooting to fame in the 90s she has blossomed into an international superstar.

Mariahs most recent work is a holiday record, entitled Merry Christmas II You, with other iconic albums of hers including Music Box, Butterfly and The Emancipation of Mimi.

The singer is proud of all her work, and feels she has a distinctive style which she struggled to achieve.

Wow. I feel like its always been something where Ive been in a battle to make sure that I could do my own music, she told the British edition of OK! magazine when asked what her biggest memory of her early career was.

Nobodys going to force me to do other peoples songs. That was one of the only things I had control over when I first started out so young.

Mariah is proud that even when she was inexperienced in the industry she still stood her ground and defended her right to make her own music. The star admits being so in-demand allowed her to stay strong.

It was like I had a few labels interested in me, so at least I could say: OK, one thing I insist upon is you cant force me to do other peoples material, she added. (C) Cover Media