Mariah pops back, strikes $20 m deal with Universal

Pop star Mariah Carey, dumped four months ago by EMI Group after a disappointing album, on Wednesday signed an estimated $20 million, three-album deal with rival Universal Music Group, the world’s biggest record company. It’s been a stressful, yet extremely lucrative, year for Carey.

She was paid $33 million by EMI to buy out her contract after the release of a poor-selling soundtrack album last fall and last summer she suffered a nervous breakdown. Still, Carey was the target of a fierce bidding war and signed her new deal with Universal’s Island division after turning down offers from several competitors, including Bertelsmann Music Group’s J Records and AOL Time Warner’s Elektra label.

‘‘I believe everything happens for a reason,’’ Carey said in a phone interview from her New York home. ‘‘This year was a great learning experience for me. A lot of bizarre things happened. But I feel like I’m in good hands now. The guys who run Universal paid no attention to all that drama. They were so practical and understanding. And now, after it all, for me to have the biggest, strongest music company in the world in my corner, I feel so fortunate,’’ she says.