"Butterfly" is a song recorded by American singer Mariah Carey from her sixth studio album, Butterfly (1997). Columbia Records released it as the second single from the album in September 1997. It was co-written by Walter Afanasieff and Carey; its lyrics reflect what the singer wished her then husband, record executive Tommy Mottola, had told her amid their separation. Carey and Afanasieff also co-produced the song, which features keyboards, synthesizers, and programmed drums. She adopts a restrained vocal style that gradually evolves from whispers at the beginning to chest voice near its conclusion. A pop, gospel, and R&B ballad, "Butterfly" was originally conceived as the house record "Fly Away". Carey co-produced the latter with David Morales; it appears on both the album and as the single's B-side.

Critics considered "Butterfly" one of the album's best songs and one of Carey's premier vocal performances. It received a nomination for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance at the 1998 Grammy Awards. A moderate success on music charts worldwide, "Butterfly" peaked within the top ten in Taiwan and on radio airplay charts in Croatia and Spain. It reached number sixteen on Hot 100 Airplay in the United States, Carey's worst performance on the chart at the time. In the United Kingdom, "Butterfly" peaked at number twenty-two and ended her streak of twelve consecutive top ten singles dating to 1992.

Carey directed the song's music video with Daniel Pearl. It depicts her escaping a house and interacting with horses. She performed "Butterfly" live on American television programs such as The Oprah Winfrey Show, Saturday Night Live, and the Late Show with David Letterman. In 1998, she sang it during the Butterfly World Tour. "Butterfly" is ranked high in retrospective lists ranking Carey's songs. It appears on her compilation albums Greatest Hits (2001) and The Ballads (2008).

Background and release

Carey concluded her successful Daydream World Tour in June1996. After returning to the United States, she began contemplating her future and conceptualizing the follow-up to her 1995 album Daydream. Her marriage with Tommy Mottola, the head of her record label Columbia, was a constant struggle at the time due to personal and professional differences. Mottola wrote a note to Carey at their home one day with the lyrics "Butterflies are free to fly / Fly away" from the 1975 Elton John song "Someone Saved My Life Tonight". While Carey separated from Mottola and left their home in December1996, Initially conceived as a house track, "Fly Away" became the ballad, "Butterfly", upon further reflection. She subsequently completed "Fly Away" as it was originally envisioned, and subtitled it "Butterfly Reprise".

Carey began recording the songs for her new album in January1997 and named the record Butterfly due to the significance of "Butterfly". The latter appears as the second song on the album while "Fly Away" is the penultimate track and acts as an interlude between "Whenever You Call" and "The Beautiful Ones". After instead issuing "Honey" in July, Columbia released "Butterfly" to American radio stations in September, the same week the album was released in the country. It acted as the second single from Butterfly and was serviced to a variety of formats, including adult contemporary and urban contemporary radio stations. Billboard commentator Geoff Mayfield considered a strong performance from the song crucial to improve the album's commercial viability.

Citing continued sales of "Honey", Columbia did not release "Butterfly" to retail outlets in the United States. It issued the single as a cassette and two CDs in the United Kingdom on November24, 1997. A mini CD single followed in Japan on November27, 1997. "Fly Away" appeared as the song's B-side and on the 1998 maxi single and 12-inch vinyl formats of "My All", the album's fifth single. Columbia and Legacy Recordings released a digital extended play as part of the MC30 promotional campaign marking three decades of Carey's career on August28, 2020.

Composition

Music

alt=Walter Afanasieff smiling in a red plaid shirt|thumb|upright=0.8|Carey produced "Butterfly" with [[Walter Afanasieff (pictured in 2011).]]

"Butterfly" is a pop, pop gospel, and R&B ballad. It lasts for four minutes and thirty-four seconds Recording primarily occurred at Compass Point Studios in The Bahamas, After Carey and Afanasieff produced the track, Mick Guzauski mixed it at Crave and Bob Ludwig mastered it at Gateway Mastering in Portland, Maine. J. D. Considine of The Baltimore Sun said "it has all the touchstones of R&B tradition – softly tinkling piano, a slow-boil rhythm arrangement and gospel-schooled harmonies on the chorus". Although Carey described "Butterfly" as unlike any of her past collaborations with Afanasieff, critics described it as similar to their previous work. Authors Andrew Chan and Tom Reynolds considered the composition characteristic of Carey's ballads. According to Alex Petridis of The Guardian, the song could have easily been released earlier in the decade. Biographer Chris Nickson summarized it instead as "richer, sexier, more grounded in the R&B she loved".

Lyrics

The lyrics of "Butterfly" are structured in two verses, a bridge, and a chorus that repeats four times. LLoyd Sachs of the Chicago Sun-Times, and Neil Strauss of The New York Times and inspirational tone. For Billboards Samantha Xu and The Plain Dealers John Soeder, "Butterfly" helps emotionally process the act of adapting in life. Newfound personal autonomy was viewed as a lyrical theme; Lindsey Dobbins dubbed it the "Mariah Carey Declaration of Independence" in Vulture. Entertainment Weeklys David Browne and the Gavin Reports Annette M. Lai said it utilizes the adage of loving someone enough to let them go. Others deemed it a derivative of the 1985 Sting song "If You Love Somebody Set Them Free". The lyrics "Blindly I imagined I could / Keep you under glass" received particular commentary. In The Village Voice, Michael Musto considered them evidence that Carey "casts herself as the oppressor" in the relationship. For Peter Piatkowski of PopMatters, the line instead demonstrates how Carey feels she was suppressed. Rich Juzwiak from Slant Magazine likened the lyrics to Stockholm syndrome wherein Carey shows empathy for Mottola despite his actions toward her. According to Richmond Times-Dispatch writer Melissa Ruggieri, they show how "Carey unabashedly acknowledges her crumbled marriage and its ensuing effect on her psyche". Charlie Martin of the Catholic News Service, and Gerald Martinez of the New Straits Times Carey specified in 2007 that she wrote the song from Mottola's perspective and included what she wished he would have said and done before she decided to divorce.

Vocals

Critics considered Carey's vocals restrained. As it lacked a retail release in the United States, "Butterfly" was ineligible to appear on the Billboard Hot 100. The song instead peaked at number sixteen on the Hot 100 Airplay component chart. It was Carey's lowest-peaking entry of her career on the list at the time.

"Butterfly" performed moderately on music charts worldwide. According to The Pink Paper writer Richard Drew, the song got "lost in the Christmas shuffle" in the country. Elsewhere, "Butterfly" entered the top forty in Sweden (twenty-four) and Australia (twenty-seven).

"Fly Away" appeared on British and American dance music charts. It peaked at number twenty-five with "The Roof" on the UK Record Mirror Club Chart published by Music Week. It was partially inspired by a melatonin-induced dream Carey experienced in which she cut her finger on a fence while chasing something that jumped over it and was unable to keep up. She worked with acting coach Sheila Gray to develop the storyline. Gray described Carey's persona as a departure from the past because it is "really soulful in a way that's going to be exciting for people to see". The video opens with Carey posing like Caroll Baker in the Tennessee Williams film Baby Doll (1956), which depicts the marriage between a young woman and an older man. She is later seen being spied on through a peephole, escaping a mansion, and interacting with ponies.

Columbia released the video in 1997 According to Piatkowski, "intriguing shots with her singing on a landing, the light casting large shadows of the spindles which throw vertical bars across Carey's face" symbolize a yearning for personal independence.

Carey performed "Butterfly" on several occasions. In 1997, she sang it on American television programs such as The Oprah Winfrey Show, Saturday Night Live, and the Late Show with David Letterman. Rolling Stone named the latter one of the best performances of her career. In 2022, it was included on the 25th anniversary edition of Butterfly. For the 2024 Celebration of Mimi concert residency, she sang it as part of a medley of Butterfly songs.

Track listings

  • Cassette single, CD single
  • CD maxi single 1
  • CD maxi single 2, cassette maxi single

5. "Honey" (Morales Dub) – 7:34

  • CD maxi single 3

4. "The Roof" (Mobb Deep Mix) – 5:31

  • CD maxi single 4
  • Mini CD single
  • 12-inch vinyl single

:A1. "Fly Away" (Butterfly Reprise) (Fly Away Club Mix) – 9:52

:A2. "Fly Away" (Butterfly Reprise) (Def 'B' Fly Mix) – 8:46

:B1. "Fly Away" (Butterfly Reprise) – 3:49

:B2. "Butterfly" – 4:34

  • Digital EP
  1. "Fly Away" (Butterfly Reprise) (Fly Away Club Mix) – 9:50
  2. "Fly Away" (Butterfly Reprise) (Def 'B' Fly Mix) – 8:40
  3. "Butterfly" (Meme Club Radio) – 4:17
  4. "Butterfly" (Meme's Extended Club Mix Part 1 & 2) – 8:41
  5. "Butterfly" (Meme Latin Beats) – 5:57
  6. "Butterfly" (Sambaterfly Edit) – 4:35
  7. "Butterfly" (Sambaterfly for Clubbers) – 8:20
  8. "Butterfly" (Classic Bossa Nova) – 4:10
  9. "Butterfly" (Meme's Instrumental) – 8:40
  10. "Butterfly" (Meme's Radio Instrumental) – 4:18

Credits and personnel

A-side: "Butterfly"

Recording

  • Recorded at Compass Point Studios, The Bahamas; Crave Studios, New York; WallyWorld, California; The Hit Factory, New York City
  • Mixed at Crave Studios, New York; The Hit Factory; New York City
  • Mastered at Gateway Mastering, Portland, Maine

Personnel

  • Mariah Carey – Lyricist, music, producer, arranger, lead vocals, background vocals
  • Walter Afanasieff – music, producer, arranger, keyboards, synthesizers, programming
  • Melonie Daniels, Mary Ann Tatum – background vocals
  • Dan Shea – additional keyboards, drum and rhythm programming, sound design and computer programming
  • Dana Jon Chappelle, Mike Scott, David Gleeson – engineering
  • Ian Dalsemer, Oliver "Wiz" Bone – assistant engineering
  • Mick Guzauski – mixing
  • Bob Ludwig – mastering

|27

|-

! scope="row"|Belgium Ultratip Bubbling Under Flanders (Ultratop)

|5

|-

!scope="row"|Canada Hit Tracks (RPM)

|22

|-

!scope="row"|Canada Adult Contemporary Tracks (RPM)

|23

|-

!scope="row"|Canada Contemporary Hit Radio (BDS)

|16

|-

!scope="row"|Croatia International Airplay (HRT)

|3

|-

!scope="row"|Europe Hot 100 Singles (Music & Media)

|61

|-

!scope="row"|Europe Airplay (Music & Media)

|15

|-

!scope="row"|France Singles (SNEP)

|43

|-

!scope="row"|France Airplay (SNEP)

|76

|-

!scope="row"|Italy Airplay (Music & Media)

|13

|-

!scope="row"|Netherlands Tipparade (Stichting Nederlandse Top 40)

|6

|-

!scope="row"|Netherlands Single Top 100 (Dutch Charts)

|52

|-

!scope="row"|New Zealand Singles (RIANZ)

|15

|-

!scope="row"|Scotland Singles (CIN)

|36

|-

!scope="row"|Spain Airplay (Music & Media)

|4

|-

!scope="row"|Sweden Topplistan (GLF)

|24

|-

! scope="row"|Taiwan Singles (IFPI)

|9

|-

!scope="row"|UK Singles (CIN)

|22

|-

!scope="row"|UK R&B Singles (CIN)

|5

|-

!scope="row"| UK Club (Music Week)

|25

|-

!scope="row"|UK Airplay (Music & Media)

|15

|-

!scope="row"|UK Airplay (Music Control)

|72

|-

!scope="row"|US Hot 100 Airplay (Billboard)

|16

|-

|-

|-

!scope="row"|US Crossover (Billboard)

|22

|-

!scope="row"|US Hot Dance Club Play (Billboard)

|13

|-

!scope="row"|US Hot Dance Maxi-Singles Sales (Billboard)

|1

|-

!scope="row"|US Hot R&B Airplay (Billboard)

|27

|-

|-

!scope="row"|US Rhythmic Top 40 (Billboard)

|8

|-

!scope="row"|US Tropical/Salsa (Billboard)

|19

|-

! scope="row"|US Adult Contemporary (Gavin Report)

|6

|-

! scope="row"|US Hot AC (Gavin Report)

|16

|-

! scope="row"|US Top 40 (Gavin Report)

|9

|-

! scope="row"|US Urban (Gavin Report)

|6

|-

! scope="row"|US Adult Contemporary (Radio & Records)

|10

|-

! scope="row"|US CHR/Pop (Radio & Records)

|12

|-

! scope="row"|US CHR/Rhythmic (Radio & Records)

|8

|-

! scope="row"|US Hot AC (Radio & Records)

|22

|-

! scope="row"|US Urban (Radio & Records)

|9

|-

! scope="row"|US Urban AC (Radio & Records)

|6

|}

Year-end charts

{| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;"

|+1997 year-end chart performance

! scope="col"| Chart (Publisher)

! scope="col"| Position

|-

! scope="row"| Canada Adult Contemporary Tracks (RPM)

| 89

|-

! scope="row"| US Mainstream Top 40 (Billboard)

|88

|-

! scope="row"| US Rhythmic (Billboard)

|75

|-

! scope="row"|US Adult Contemporary (Radio & Records)

|51

|-

! scope="row"|US CHR/Pop (Radio & Records)

|75

|-

! scope="row"|US CHR/Rhythmic (Radio & Records)

|80

|-

! scope="row"|US Urban AC (Radio & Records)

|94

|}

{| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;"

|+1998 year-end chart performance

! scope="col"| Chart (Publisher)

! scope="col"| Position

|-

! scope="row"| US Adult R&B Songs (Billboard)

| 29

|-

! scope="row"|US Hot Dance Maxi-Singles Sales (Billboard)

|2

|-

! scope="row"|US Adult Contemporary (Radio & Records)

|80

|-

! scope="row"|US Urban AC (Radio & Records)

|70

|}

{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;"

|+1999 year-end chart performance

! scope="col"| Chart (Publisher)

! scope="col"| Position

|-

! scope="row"|US Hot Dance Maxi-Singles Sales (Billboard)

|28

|}

Notes

References

Literature