Singer Mariah Carey has launched into her favourite time of year with a cheeky video – even as she faces more legal trouble over her smash Christmas hit.

Carey took to TikTok on Wednesday (US time) to declare “it’s time” for her annual All I Want for Christmas Is You reboot.

It shows ghoulish figures chipping Carey out of a block of ice – before she shatters it with a high-pitched note, ushering away her Halloween-themed assistants.

The cheeky pitch is already the most-watched video Carey has posted to TikTok. But it comes as she faces renewed action over the song from her 1994 album Merry Christmas, which has become one of the most recognisable and popular festive hits.

Singer-songwriter Andy Stone launched renewed legal action this week, seeking $US20 million ($31.5 million) in damages.

He and co-writer Troy Powers again allege Carey’s hit – which has been No.1 in Billboard‘s top 100 for the past four holiday seasons – is a copy of their own song.

Stone, who performs as Vince Vance and the Valiants, filed a civil lawsuit against Carey, co-writer Walter Afanasieff, and Sony Music Entertainment in the Central District of California on Tuesday, alleging “copyright infringement and unjust enrichment”. Court documents allege that Stone co-wrote his own successful song – also titled All I Want for Christmas Is You – in Nashville and released it in 1989.

This week’s complaint is similar to one brought by Stone and Powers in Louisiana last year. It alleged that Carey and her co-defendants have earned “undeserved profits” from the hit, arguing that they “knowingly, wilfully, and intentionally engaged in a campaign” to infringe copyright.

However, it was abruptly dropped after five months.

Stone’s manager Jay Ceravolo told Rolling Stone this week the singer is seeking a conclusion through settlement or trial because attempts to resolve the case with Carey, her co-writer and Sony Music have failed.

Carey is yet to make any public comments.

She has previously said she composed “most of the song on a cheap little Casio keyboard”. Merry Christmas has since become the best-selling US Christmas album of all time, selling more than 15 million copies worldwide.

It has also been streamed one billion times on Spotify and by 2017 had reportedly earned Carey more than $US60 million ($83.2 million) in royalties.