What record label did Mariah Carey launch in 1997?

Mariah Carey launched Crave Records in 1997.

Crave Records was established in February 1997 as an imprint of Sony Music Entertainment. Carey’s label venture allowed her to develop other artists while she remained one of Sony’s biggest recording stars. The label was short-lived and closed in July 1998.

Among its acts were the R&B quartet Allure, the group 7 Mile, and DJ Company. Allure released a self-titled album in 1997 that included “Head Over Heels,” “All Cried Out,” and “Last Chance.” 7 Mile later issued its own album in 1998.

The name Crave has an unusual connection to Carey’s songwriting. It came from “Demented,” a song she wrote for the 1995 alternative-rock album Someone’s Ugly Daughter, a connection she discussed publicly years later. Crave Records is sometimes confused with Carey’s main recording affiliation, Columbia Records, but it was her own label imprint rather than the name of her parent label.