Let’s talk about Mariah Carey. The iconic pop star is reportedly facing some ticket sales challenges for her Butterfly Returns shows, set to premiere at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas on Thursday, July 5. It's not the start anyone expected for such a legendary artist, but let's dive deeper and see what's really going on here.

According to an insider speaking to Page Six, things aren’t looking so great. “It’s a disaster,” they said. “Scalpers bought a bunch of the tickets and now they’re panicking.” While the opening show still has available seats, there's a silver lining for Mariah: the Butterfly Returns residency is set to run for three months. That gives her plenty of time to turn things around and pack those shows.

View this post on Instagram
Tickets to “The Butterfly Returns”, my new residency at #TheColosseum @caesarspalace are on sale now (link in bio.) See you in #Vegas, lambs! 🦋 #thebutterflyreturns
Read also:
Abby Mueller Shares Her Broadway Journey As Carole King
A post shared by Mariah Carey (@mariahcarey) on May 4, 2018 at 10:00am PDT

Why the Struggles?

Mariah hasn’t performed since December, and her decision to fire her protective manager, Stella Bulochnikov, back in November might be playing a role in this situation. Bulochnikov reportedly had a solid plan to book Mariah in a smaller venue in Vegas. This would have allowed them to continuously announce sold-out shows, keeping the momentum going. Instead, they opted for Caesars Palace, which seats around 4,300 people. That’s a big space to fill, especially when you haven’t been on stage in a while.

Moving Forward with Positivity

Despite the ticket sales challenges, Mariah seems to be in a positive mindset. She recently sold her 35-carat, $10 million engagement ring from her ex-fiancé, James Packer, and replaced it with a butterfly-themed piece of jewelry. “Mariah has been very vocal recently about her choice to move forward in her life surrounded by positivity,” her publicist told Page Six. “That requires leaving emotional and material baggage behind, including an old engagement ring from an ex-boyfriend.” It’s clear that Mariah is focusing on personal growth and reinvention, both in her personal life and her career.

Some people are speculating that Mariah needs the money, given the challenges with ticket sales. However, her publicist is pushing back hard on these rumors. She insists that the claims are false and suggests that getting a seat at Mariah's Vegas show might actually be harder than people think. “These allegations are false and come from a source that must be desperate to pretend to be in the know,” she said. “Look forward to seeing you at the Vegas show — if you can get a seat!” Sounds like a challenge to me, and I’m definitely going to be there.