"Butterfly" is a song recorded by American singer-songwriter, and record producer

Mariah Carey Mariah Carey (; born March 27, 1969) is an American singer, songwriter, actress, and record producer. Referred to as the " Songbird Supreme", she is noted for her five-octave vocal range, melismatic singing style and signature use of the whi ...

for her sixth studio album of the same name (1997). It was released on September 29, 1997, by

Columbia Records Columbia Records is an American record label owned by Sony Music, Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America, the North American division of Japanese Conglomerate (company), conglomerate Sony. It was founded on Janua ...

as the second

single Single may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media * Single (music), a song release Songs * "Single" (Natasha Bedingfield song), 2004 * "Single" (New Kids on the Block and Ne-Yo song), 2008 * "Single" (William Wei song), 2016 * "Single", by ...

from the album. The song was written and produced by Carey and

Walter Afanasieff Walter Afanasieff (born Vladimir Nikitich Afanasyev; February 10, 1958), formerly nicknamed Baby Love in the 1980s, is an American record producer and songwriter of Russian-Chinese descent. He was a collaborator with Mariah Carey on her first ...

. "Butterfly" is a

pop Pop or POP may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Music * Pop music, a musical genre Artists * POP, a Japanese idol group now known as Gang Parade * Pop!, a UK pop group * Pop! featuring Angie Hart, an Australian band Albums * ''Pop'' (G ...

and R&B

ballad A ballad is a form of verse, often a narrative set to music. Ballads derive from the medieval French ''chanson balladée'' or ''ballade'', which were originally "dance songs". Ballads were particularly characteristic of the popular poetry and ...

combining elements of

gospel Gospel originally meant the Christian message ("the gospel"), but in the 2nd century it came to be used also for the books in which the message was set out. In this sense a gospel can be defined as a loose-knit, episodic narrative of the words an ...

. Carey had originally conceived it as a

house A house is a single-unit residential building. It may range in complexity from a rudimentary hut to a complex structure of wood, masonry, concrete or other material, outfitted with plumbing, electrical, and heating, ventilation, and air condi ...

record with

David Morales David Morales (; born August 21, 1962) is an American disc jockey (DJ) and record producer. In addition to his production and DJ work, Morales is also a remixer. David Morales has remixed and produced over 500 releases for artists including Ma ...

titled "Fly Away" (Butterfly Reprise). After realizing how personal the lyrics were and how they could be applied to ''Butterfly'', she wrote the album's title track with Afanasieff. On the song's lyrics, Carey sings to someone, telling them to spread their wings and release into the world on their own, like a butterfly. The accompanying

music video A music video is a video of variable duration, that integrates a music song or a music album with imagery that is produced for promotion (marketing), promotional or musical artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a m ...

for "Butterfly" depicts Carey in an abandoned house, trapped in a desolate life. As the video progresses, she leaves, apparently for the first time in years, and runs into a nearby meadow. Towards the end, Carey jumps over a barbed fence and goes out into the world on a horse. The song's lyrics and video were directly connected to Carey's personal life at the time. "Butterfly" was performed live on the ''

Late Show with David Letterman The ''Late Show with David Letterman'' is an American late-night talk show hosted by David Letterman on CBS, the first iteration of the The Late Show (franchise), ''Late Show'' franchise. The show debuted on August 30, 1993, and was produced by ...

'', ''

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'', and various European television programs. The song was also a permanent part of the set-list during her

Butterfly World Tour The Butterfly World Tour was the third concert tour by American singer-songwriter Mariah Carey. The tour promoted Carey's album ''Butterfly'' (1997), and included songs from several of her previous albums. The tour visited Asia, Australia and th ...

during 1998. Due to current conflict with Columbia, "Butterfly" was never issued a commercial release, therefore hindering its charting ability. The single performed weakly on the charts, peaking outside the top 20 in most countries, except for New Zealand, where it peaked at number 15. The song also reached the top-ten in Croatia and Taiwan. In 2003, '' Q Magazine'' ranked "Butterfly" at number 563 in their list of the "1001 Best Songs Ever".

Background

During the recording for ''Butterfly'', Carey was in the midst of her separation from then husband,

Tommy Mottola Thomas Daniel Mottola (born July 14, 1948) is an American music executive, producer and author. Mottola is currently the Chairman of Mottola Media Group and was previously the Chairman and CEO of Sony Music Entertainment, parent of the Columb ...

. While writing the material for the album, she wrote a house music record titled "Fly Away (Butterfly Reprise)" with

. When the song was finished, Carey felt there was something more she could do with the song; the lyrics were very personal and a perfect fit for a ballad. After contemplating on the matter, Carey re-wrote "Fly Away" in ballad form, and incorporated new lyrics and vocals.

It was '97 and I was leaving my marriage o Tommy Mottola which encompassed my life. I was writing the song 'Butterfly' wishing that that's what he would say to me. There's a part that goes, 'I have learned that beauty / has to flourish in the light / wild horses run unbridled / or their spirit dies / you have given me the courage / to be all that I can / and I truly feel ...
ings ''Ings'' is an old word of Old English origin referring to water meadows and marshes. The term appears in place names in Yorkshire (such as Hall Ings, Bradford, Fairburn Ings RSPB reserve, Clifton Ings in York, Derwent Ings, Sutton Ings, Ac ...
and I truly feel your heart will lead you back to me when you're ready to land.' At that point I really believed that I was going to go back to the marriage – I didn't think I was going to leave forever. But then the things that happened to me during that time caused me to not go back. Had it been, 'Go be yourself, you've been with me since you were a kid, let's separate for a while,' I probably would've.

The song was named "Butterfly" and became Carey's "favorite and most heartfelt ballad." Its lyrics were very personal, linking to Carey's personal life and relationship with Mottola. Carey wrote "Butterfly" for Mottola, hoping he would say its contents to her, and choose to do what was best for her. She described the song as "the best ballad she had ever written" and credited it as the epitome of her magnum opus, which was ''Butterfly''.

Composition

"Butterfly" is a personal ballad, which blends

, R&B,

and

soul In many religious and philosophical traditions, there is a belief that a soul is "the immaterial aspect or essence of a human being". Etymology The Modern English noun ''soul'' is derived from Old English ''sāwol, sāwel''. The earliest attes ...

genres. It incorporates

piano The piano is a stringed keyboard instrument in which the strings are struck by wooden hammers that are coated with a softer material (modern hammers are covered with dense wool felt; some early pianos used leather). It is played using a keyboa ...

and drum notes, including heavy beats and grooves. As part of "layering the song," background vocals are featured throughout the chorus and sections of the

bridge A bridge is a structure built to span a physical obstacle (such as a body of water, valley, road, or rail) without blocking the way underneath. It is constructed for the purpose of providing passage over the obstacle, which is usually somethi ...

. It is set in the signature common time, and is written in the

key Key or The Key may refer to: Common meanings * Key (cryptography), a piece of information that controls the operation of a cryptography algorithm * Key (lock), device used to control access to places or facilities restricted by a lock * Key (map ...

of A major. It features a basic chord progression of A-F-₁. Carey's

vocal range Vocal range is the range of pitches that a human voice can phonate. A common application is within the context of singing, where it is used as a defining characteristic for classifying singing voices into voice types. It is also a topic of stud ...

in the song spans from the note of G₃ to the high note of A₆; the piano and guitar pieces range from A₃ to A₅. The song contains choral lyrics written by Carey, who produced the song's melody and chorus as well. Aside from assisting with its writing and chord progression, Afanasieff co-arranged and produced the track as well. In his review for the album, David Browne commented on the song's lyrics and message "The title song, a slice of florid pop gospel, explores the old if-you-love-someone-set-her-free theme; It isn't a reach to interpret these songs as describing life with the reportedly controlling Mottola.

Critical reception

Paul Verna from ''

Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertise ...

'' gave the song a positive review, writing "the lovely 'Butterfly' is classic Carey, from its

-kissed

instrumentation and choir chants to the diva's soaring, glass-shattering performance." Verna concluded, "This should not imply, however, that she is covering crusty old ground. The notable maturity in her lyrics and worldly warmth of her vocal reflect the growth that she has continually strived to attain." British magazine ''

Music Week ''Music Week'' is a trade publication for the UK record industry distributed via a website and a monthly print magazine. It is published by Future. History Founded in 1959 as '' Record Retailer'', it relaunched on 18 March 1972 as ''Music W ...

'' rated it four out of five, adding, "This is as smooth as any of her ballads, but it's in the vocals where the difference lies. No longer over-singing for the sake of it, Carey has rarely sounded more stunning." Rick Juzwiak from ''

Slant Magazine ''Slant Magazine'' is an American online publication that features reviews of movies, music, TV, DVDs, theater, and video games, as well as interviews with actors, directors, and musicians. The site covers various film festivals like the New York ...

'' gave the song a mixed review, but felt it was a pivotal part of Carey's vocal and musical transition. Juzwiak wrote "The agonizingly slow 'Butterfly,' with its predictably soaring

chorus Chorus may refer to: Music * Chorus (song) or refrain, line or lines that are repeated in music or in verse * Chorus effect, the perception of similar sounds from multiple sources as a single, richer sound * Chorus form, song in which all verse ...

and if-it-comes-back-it-was-meant-to-be message, would have been ignorable tripe. Here, it's a show for the peeping. Echoes of her newly failed relationship with Mottola bounce off the gospelly song's cheap stained glass and then garble so that it sounds like some insane document of

Stockholm Syndrome Stockholm syndrome is a condition in which hostages develop a psychological bond with their captors. It is supposed to result from a rather specific set of circumstances, namely the power imbalances contained in hostage-taking, kidnapping, an ...

." He felt however, that the song was an important part of the album, "It isn't just subject matter that elevates 'Butterfly' above Carey's usual melodrama. Carey's vocal delivery and her willingness to experiment with it helped define the album, so it's only appropriate that its title track is the first of many to showcase Carey's much-debated 'whisper voice.'" Ian Hyland from ''

Sunday Mirror The ''Sunday Mirror'' is the Sunday sister paper of the ''Daily Mirror''. It began life in 1915 as the ''Sunday Pictorial'' and was renamed the ''Sunday Mirror'' in 1963. In 2016 it had an average weekly circulation of 620,861, dropping marke ...

'' gave it eight out of ten, commenting, "Flouncing around in sexy beige slips apart, ballads are what Mariah does best. And I'm more than happy to report she's still doing fine on both counts."

Chart performance

"Butterfly" was a moderate success on the charts, performing weakly in many music markets. In the United States, the song charted on the Hot 100 Airplay, peaking at number 16. In Canada, the song entered the ''RPM'' Singles Chart at number 57 on the ''RPM'' issue dated November 3, 1997, and reached its peak of number 22 on December 1, 1997. It was present on the chart for a total of 14 weeks. The song's success in Europe was very limited as well, due to its non-commercial release. In the United Kingdom, the song entered the singles chart at its peak of 22, the week of December 13, 1997. "Butterfly" stayed in the chart for six weeks, falling out of the chart the week of January 17, 1998. In France and The Netherlands, the song peaked at number 43 and 52, respectively. In Australia, "Butterfly" cracked the top-40, peaking at number 27 and spending a total of ten weeks on the chart. "Butterfly" charted at number 15 in New Zealand, spending seven weeks on the chart. "Butterfly" was nominated for the 1998

Grammy Award The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pres ...

for

Best Female Pop Vocal Performance The Grammy Award for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance was a Grammy Award recognizing superior vocal performance by a female in the pop category, the first of which was presented in 1959. It was discontinued after the 2011 Grammy season. The awar ...

, which it lost to Sarah McLachlan's "

Building a Mystery "Building a Mystery" is a song by Canadian singer-songwriter Sarah McLachlan from her fourth studio album, '' Surfacing'' (1997). At a live performance, Sarah explains the song as being "basically about the fact that we all... have insecurities t ...

Music video

The single's accompanying

was co-directed by Carey and Daniel Pearl. It was inspired by the

Tennessee Williams Thomas Lanier Williams III (March 26, 1911 – February 25, 1983), known by his pen name Tennessee Williams, was an American playwright and screenwriter. Along with contemporaries Eugene O'Neill and Arthur Miller, he is considered among the thre ...

play ''

Baby Doll ''Baby Doll'' is a 1956 American dramatic black comedy film directed by Elia Kazan, and starring Carroll Baker, Karl Malden, and Eli Wallach. It was produced by Kazan and Tennessee Williams, and adapted by Williams from his own one-act play '' ...

'' and a dream Carey had one night. The video begins with scenes of a man leaving his home one early morning; only his feet are shown. Carey is first seen residing in the derelict house, in the middle of a large meadow. She awakes, sad and depressed, wearing battered and disheveled clothing. As she walks down the stairs, Carey sits on the staircase, lamenting in agony at her loneliness. As the video climaxes, Carey is seen finally leaving the foyer, apparently for the first time in many years, escaping from the misery she once called home. As she reaches the outskirts of the property, Carey mounts a horse, which assists her in jumping over the barbed fence. After leaving, Carey is seen smiling for the first time in the video, while waving her arms in the air. The video drew many comparisons to the rumors of Carey's deteriorating marriage at the time. Author Chris Nickson felt the video, like the song, served as a metaphor for the things that were taking place in her life at the time. Rumors circulated that Mottola was controlling, abusive and would even monitor Carey's phone calls. For this reason, she is portrayed with tattered clothing and hair in the video, with the final moments showing her escape. It features Carey finally leaving the lonely and abusive marriage she once was part of, and finally breaking free into the outside world. Unlike the video, the lyrics spoke of setting your loved one free, because it is the best thing for them; showing that their love for the person should be greater than their own happiness. The music video for "Butterfly" was published on Carey's official

YouTube YouTube is a global online video platform, online video sharing and social media, social media platform headquartered in San Bruno, California. It was launched on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim. It is owned by ...

channel in November 2009. It has amassed more than 37 million views as of September 2022.

Live performances

Carey performed "Butterfly" on various American and European television programs. In the US, Carey first performed the song live on the

, prior to an interview. Carey wore a mid-length black gown for the performance, and was accompanied by three back-up singers, Walter Afanasieff on piano and

Randy Jackson Randall Darius Jackson (born June 23, 1956) is an American record executive and television presenter, perhaps best known as a judge on ''American Idol'' from 2002 to 2013. Jackson began his career in the 1980s as a session musician playing bas ...

playing the bass. On September 12, Carey sang "Butterfly" live on

The Oprah Winfrey Show ''The Oprah Winfrey Show'', often referred to as ''The Oprah Show'' or simply ''Oprah'', is an American daytime broadcast syndication, syndicated talk show that aired nationally for 25 seasons from September 8, 1986, to May 25, 2011, in Chicag ...

alongside her previous hit, "

Hero A hero (feminine: heroine) is a real person or a main fictional character who, in the face of danger, combats adversity through feats of ingenuity, courage, or Physical strength, strength. Like other formerly gender-specific terms (like ...

." For her appearance, Carey wore a short blue skirt, and featured an array of gospel back-up singers. On November 15, Carey performed the song live on

, alongside "

My All "My All" is a song by American singer-songwriter Mariah Carey from her sixth studio album, ''Butterfly'' (1997). It was released as the album's fifth single overall and second commercial single on April 21, 1998, by Columbia Records. The song w ...

." The performance featured the same musicians on set, with the exception of Afanasieff, who was absent. In Europe, Carey performed the song on the popular German game show, Wetten, dass..?, featured only three female back-up singers. In France, Carey visited the talk show, "The Hit Machine," where she performed the song as well. After completing the song, Carey received a standing ovation. The song was sung during her

in 1998, a part of the set list of every show. For the performances in Japan, Carey donned a long flowing gown, and featured live back-up. During the performance, large images of butterflies were projected onto the large screen behind her. The performances served as one of the closing songs on the set-list. Similar props and set-up were used for the following shows of the tour, with the addition on the "Fly Away (Butterfly Reprise)" addition at the show's finale. In subsequent tours, the chorus of the song was played by the band and sung by the background vocals at the end of each concert as Carey would exit the stage. In the

Angels Advocate Tour The Angels Advocate Tour was the seventh concert tour by American singer-songwriter Mariah Carey. The tour supported her twelfth studio album, ''Memoirs of an Imperfect Angel'' (2009). The tour played 26 shows, primarily visiting the United State ...

an instrumental version was played as an introduction while Carey entered the stage. "Fly Away (Butterfly Reprise)" was put as the introduction of Carey's shows during her second concert residency placed in

Las Vegas Las Vegas (; Spanish for "The Meadows"), often known simply as Vegas, is the 25th-most populous city in the United States, the most populous city in the state of Nevada, and the county seat of Clark County. The city anchors the Las Vegas ...

, The Butterfly Returns (2018) to match its theme.

Track listings

* Europe CD single # "Butterfly" – 4:34 # "Fly Away" (Butterfly Reprise) – 3:49 * 12" single #"Fly Away" (Butterfly Reprise) (Fly Away Club Mix) – 9:52 #"Fly Away" (Butterfly Reprise) (Def 'B' Fly Mix) – 8:46 #"Fly Away" (Butterfly Reprise) – 3:49 #"Butterfly" – 4:34 * UK CD single (Part 1) # "Butterfly" – 4:34 # "Fly Away" (Butterfly Reprise) – 3:49 # "Fly Away" (Butterfly Reprise) (Fly Away Club Mix) - 9:52 # "The Roof" (Mobb Deep Remix) - 5:31 * UK CD single (Part 2) # "Butterfly" – 4:34 # "One Sweet Day" (Live) - 5:08 # "Hero" (Spanish Version) - 4:16 # "Without You" - 3:34 * Butterfly EP # "Fly Away" (Butterfly Reprise) (Fly Away Club Mix) – 9:51 # "Fly Away" (Butterfly Reprise) (Def "B" Fly Mix) – 8:40 # "Butterfly" (Meme Club Radio) – 4:19 # "Butterfly" (Meme's Extended Club Mix Part 1 & 2) – 8:43 # "Butterfly" (Meme Latin Beats) – 5:59 # "Butterfly" (Sambaterfly Edit) – 4:40 # "Butterfly" (Sambaterfly for Clubbers) – 8:22 # "Butterfly" (Classic Bossa Nova) – 4:12 # "Butterfly" (Meme's Instrumental) – 8:43 # "Butterfly" (Meme's Radio Instrumental) – 4:18

Remixes

;

Mixes *"Fly Away" (Butterfly Reprise) (Fly Away Club Mix) – 9:52 *"Fly Away" (Butterfly Reprise) (Def 'B' Fly Mix) – 8:46 ;DJ Meme Mixes *"Butterfly" (Meme's Extended Club Mix Part 1 & 2) – 8:40 *"Butterfly" (Meme's Latin Beats) – 6:00 ; DJ Grego Mixes *"Butterfly" (Sambaterfly) – 8:20 *"Butterfly" (Sambaterfly Edit) – 4:35 *"Butterfly" (Sambaterfly For Clubbers) – 8:20 *"Butterfly" (Classic Bossa Nova) – 4:10

Credits and personnel

Credits adapted from the ''Butterfly'' liner notes. * Mariah Carey – songwriting, co-production,

vocals Singing is the act of creating musical sounds with the voice. A person who sings is called a singer, artist or vocalist (in jazz and/or popular music). Singers perform music (arias, recitatives, songs, etc.) that can be sung with or without ...

* Walter Afanasieff – songwriting, co-production

Charts

Weekly charts

Year-end charts

Release history

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Maxi-CD A maxi single or maxi-single (sometimes abbreviated to MCD or CDM) is a music single release with more than the usual two tracks of an A-side song and a B-side song. The first maxi singles Mungo Jerry's first single, "In the Summertime" was the ...

· CD ,

Sony Music Sony Music Entertainment (SME), also known as simply Sony Music, is an American multinational music company. Being owned by the parent conglomerate Sony Group Corporation, it is part of the Sony Music Group, which is owned by Sony Entertainment ...

, {{center, , - ! scope="row", United Kingdom , November 24, 1997 , {{hlist, Cassette, CD 1, CD 2 , Columbia , {{center, , - ! scope="row" , Japan , November 27, 1997 , {{hlist,

Mini CD Mini CDs, or pocket CDs, are CDs with a smaller diameter and one-third the storage capacity of a standard 120 mm disc. Formats Amongst the various formats are the *Mini CD single, a small disc. The format is mainly used for audio CD si ...

SME SME may refer to: Economics * Small and medium-sized enterprises * Socialist market economy, an economic system of China Organizations Music * SME Limited, UK audio turntable manufacturer * Sony Music Entertainment, US * Spontaneous Music Ensembl ...

, {{center, {{Citation , title=Mariah Carey - Butterfly , url=https://www.discogs.com/release/1796746-Mariah-Carey-Butterfly , language=en , access-date=2022-06-02

References

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