Mariah Carey is convinced new husband Nick Cannon is her soulmate - because he reminds her of her mother.

The singer explains Cannon can make a bad situation good because he has such an upbeat attitude - just like her own mom.

She says, "When I was a kid there was an ice storm in the suburbs? We went to Manhattan to stay with a friend of my mom's. There was nobody on the road. It was this moment that could've been scary for a kid, but she made it festive."

"That's what Nick is like. He takes the hard part of a situation and makes it celebratory."

Carey and Cannon wed in May after a whirlwind courtship.