Mariah Carey says recording music is like "breathing" for her.

The American singer has sold over 200 million records worldwide. Her last album was 2010's Merry Christmas II You, which included four original tracks and several covers.

In 2009 Memoirs of an Imperfect Angel hit the stores, which was an LP of fresh material, and it seems she's now working on a new release.

The star has been laying down songs in the studio and says she couldn't be happier.

"Back in the studio for a minute... like breathing," she wrote on Twitter.

Mariah also posted a picture of her singing in a black bandeaux dress, with her hands in the air as she apparently hits an emotional high note.

The star has been taking things slowly following the birth of her twins Moroccan and Monroe in April.

It is known that she recently recorded a duet with Justin Bieber for his festive album Under the Mistletoe. They collaborated on a new version of her iconic hit All I Want for Christmas Is You.

She's also been selling her collection of shoes, jewellery and perfume on the Home Shopping Network (HSN). The star is delighted with how well her line has gone down with fans, and revealed her favourite items on the social networking website.

"I'm most excited about the sunglasses and the boots I designed for HSN. Tune in tomorrow!," she wrote on Sunday.