Oh, hey there, lover boy! Mariah Carey’s rumored new beau, Bryan Tanaka, broke his silence about his relationship with the pop superstar during a Sunday, December 4, interview with E! News.
"I've always had a thing for Mariah. I love her so much," the 33-year-old backup dancer told E! News at the Mariah’s World premiere party at New York City’s Catch. "Just make sure you tune in to the show, and you'll see kind of how everything happens."
Tanaka, who has been dancing on and off for Carey since 2005, went on to explain that his moves have left an impression on the Elusive Chanteuse. "We've been friends for a long time," he added. "I do a little dance move here and there and we have a good time.”
The Washington native also told E! News that he hit it off with the chart-topping diva from day one, and that she recognized his potential.
Mariah Carey and choreographer Bryan Tanaka attend the 'Mariah's World' viewing party at Catch on Dec. 4, 2016, in New York City. Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic for Mirage Entertainment"Something connected with us back in the day, and there was just a mutual admiration. She saw something in me that I actually didn't recognize at first, from that it was over,” Tanaka said. “It was set in history that we were gonna be connected some way, some how."
For her part, Carey is happy she reconnected with the handsome dancer on her Sweet, Sweet Fantasy tour. "It's really nice, especially when you've worked with somebody in the past and then you get to work with them again and just see how everybody's grown creatively and all that,” she told E! News on Sunday.
As viewers saw on the December 4 premiere of Carey’s new E! docuseries, Mariah’s World, Tanaka opened up about his longstanding friendship with the “Vision of Love” singer.
"It was about 2005–2006 is when I first met Mariah Carey. I was a young buck, I was this green rookie when I first worked with her,” he recalled. “I grew up, I turned into a man, and she's gone through so much. I think it's gonna take some time for us to get back to that comfortability where we were just homies, where we could just talk."
As previously reported, Carey — who called off her engagement with Aussie billionaire James Packer in October — packed on the PDA with Tanaka during a romantic beach date in Hawaii on November 28. The duo spent some quality time together at Maui’s Grand Wailea Resort after MC’s three shows in Honolulu.
“They were all over each other, making out and not wanting to be more than a few feet apart,” an eyewitness previously told IPRESSTTV of the pair. “They swam in the ocean and he picked her up to kiss her. She was jumping into his arms, and he bent her back over his knee like they were dancing. Then they walked on the beach holding hands, and he gave her a piggyback ride. They had a lot of fun together and were very playful. She was kicking up the water to splash him, and he was laughing.”
Mariah’s World airs on E! Sundays at 9 p.m. ET.
