To be all that I can
And I truly feel your heart will
Lead you back to me when you're ready to land
Butterfly is the sixth studio album by Mariah Carey.
Released on September 10, 1997, it serves as the follow up to 1995's Daydream. Following the previous album's blueprint, Butterfly saw Mariah step further away from the poppy sound of her first three albums. She began to work with Hip-Hop producers such as Sean Combs, Missy Elliott, and Q-Tip.
Around the time of this album's release, Mariah was separating from her then-husband and manager, Tommy Mottola of Sony Records. This new freedom granted her not only a change in sound but a change in image as well. She began regularly wearing her hair straight and dressing less conservatively—a huge turnaround from the beginning of her career.
As of 2023, Butterfly has sold over ten million copies. Mariah is extremely proud of this album, considering it her magnum opus.
In 2022, she released an expanded edition of the album in commemoration of its twenty-fifth anniversary. The rerelease contains appearances from Brandy and Brian McKnight, live performances from the era, and some remixes.
Tracklist (Standard edition)
- "Honey"
- "Butterfly"
- "My All"
- "The Roof"
- "Fourth of July"
- "Breakdown" (featuring Krayzie Bone & Wish Bone of Bone Thugs-n-Harmony)
- "Babydoll"
- "Close My Eyes"
- "Whenever You Call"
- "Fly Away (Butterfly Reprise)"
- "The Beautiful Ones" (featuring Sisqo)
- "Outside"
I'd give my all to have one more trope with you
- Album Title Drop: Track 2.
- All of the Other Reindeer: "Outside."
- Cover Version: "The Beautiful Ones" is a cover of the Prince original from Purple Rain.
- Does This Remind You of Anything?: "Honey."
- Downer Ending: The album closes with "Outside." The song describes the pain of being an outcast. For Mariah personally, this relates to her growing up as a biracial child.
- Hotter and Sexier: As mentioned above, this album marked a change in Mariah's image that saw her become less conservative and more alluring than she had been in career before.
- Let's Duet: Mariah covers Prince's "The Beautiful Ones" with the help of Sisqo from Dru Hill.
- Love Will Lead You Back: The premise of the title track.
- Maligned Mixed Ancestry: The inspiration for "Outside."
- New Sound Album: This album is more Hip-Hop flavored than her previous efforts.
- Rule of Symbolism: This album marked the beginning of the association of butterflies to Mariah and her career.
