Butterfly

“	People are going to be so analytical about a lot of it because of what's been going on in my personal life, but even beyond that, it almost feels like I'm letting go of a part of me. This album is probably the most personal album I've written. Lyrically, there are a bunch of songs on there that relate to me personally, where as before I'd imagine certain scenarios or write about other people's situations — this is more about me.”	”
– Mariah on her sixth album

ButterflyStudio album by Mariah Carey
General information
Release date	September 16, 1997
Recorded	November 1996 - July 1997
Studio	The Hit Factory
Genre	Hip Hop and R&B
Length	57:19
Label	Columbia Records
Producer(s)	Mariah Carey Walter Afanasieff Puff Daddy The Ummah Stevie J Trackmasters Cory Rooney David Morales
Studio albums chronology
Previous	Daydream
Current	Butterfly
Next	Rainbow
Singles
1. "Honey" Released: August 26, 1997 2. "Butterfly" Released: December 1, 1997 3. "The Roof (Back in Time)" Released: March 20, 1998 4. "Breakdown" Released: March 24, 1998 5. "My All" Released: April 21, 1998

This article is about the album. For its title track, see Butterfly (song).

Butterfly is Mariah Carey's sixth studio album which was released in the United States on September 16, 1997, through Columbia Records. It album debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 after selling over 236,000 copies in the US. The album marked a significant period in Carey's life, as it was her first release following her separation from Sony Music executive Tommy Mottola. Butterfly features contributions from renowned producers such as The Trackmasters, Puff Daddy, and Stevie J, and maintained the number one position for one week, remaining in the top twenty for 21 weeks. It was certified 5x Multi-Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) on December 15, 1999.

Critics accused Mariah of embracing a more urban direction with Butterfly, and the record label found it harder to market, perceiving it as a "hip hop record." Mariah responded to these accusations, stating, "I don't think it's in any way obvious which things on this album are influenced by R&B, because in the end, it's my voice on top of a track that has a harder edge or a hip-hop loop, something I've done even as far back as 'Dreamlover,' which was a loop of a song by Big Daddy Kane." She added that her collaboration with various producers was a continuation of the direction she had started with "Fantasy" and the "Always Be My Baby" remix. Despite the record label's concerns, Carey's artistic choices with Butterfly proved to be a successful evolution, as the album showcased her growth and ability to explore different musical styles.

In a 2006 interview with MTV Overdrive, Carey praised the album as "ahead of its time," and shared that "Babydoll," "Breakdown," and "The Roof (Back in Time)" remain some of her personal favorites.

Background

Mariah began working on the album in January 1997 finishing the recording process in August of the same year. The album's production occurred during Carey's separation with then husband Tommy Mottolla. As the album's release approached, Mariah Carey embarked on the round of pre-release promotions, brimming with excitement for what she considered to be a fresh start in her career. In an interview with Jet magazine, Carey expressed her enthusiasm for the album, stating, "This album is definitely something I've wanted to do for a long time. It's been a gradual process of my being able to say that this is what I'm going to do at this point. People owe it to you to let you express yourself."

During these promotional interviews, the singer acknowledged a shift in her musical direction. Speaking to a Swedish interviewer, Carey explained, "This was more of a big-city record. This time, I could work with the hip-hop artists I wanted to work with."

Track listing

Standard Edition
No.	Title	Writer(s)	Producer(s)	Length
1.	"Honey"	Mariah Carey, Sean Combs, Kamaal Fareed, Steven Jordan, Stephen Hague, Bobby Robinson, Ronald Larkins, Larry Price, Malcolm McLaren, Mohandas Dewese	Carey, Puffy, The Ummah, Stevie J	5:02
2.	"Butterfly"	Carey, Walter Afanasieff	Carey, Afanasieff	4:36
3.	"My All"	Carey, Afanasieff	Carey, Afanasieff	3:53
4.	"The Roof (Back in Time)"	Carey, Jean-Claude Olivier, Samuel Barnes, C. Rooney, Albert Johnson, Kejuan Muchita	Carey, Poke & Tone	5:15
5.	"Fourth of July"	Carey, Afanasieff	Carey, Afanasieff	4:23
6.	"Breakdown" (featuring Bone Thugs-n-Harmony)	Carey, Anthony Henderson, Charles Scruggs, Jordan	Carey, Stevie J, Puffy	4:45
7.	"Babydoll"	Carey, Melissa Elliott, Rooney, Jordan	Carey, Rooney	5:07
8.	"Close My Eyes"	Carey, Afanasieff	Carey, Afanasieff	4:22
9.	"Whenever You Call"	Carey, Afanasieff	Carey, Afanasieff	4:22
10.	"Fly Away (Butterfly Reprise)"	Carey, Elton John, Bernie Taupin	Carey, David Morales	3:49
11.	"The Beautiful Ones" (featuring Dru Hill)	Prince	Carey, Rooney	7:00
12.	"Outside"	Carey, Afanasieff	Carey, Afanasieff, Rooney	4:46

25th Anniversary Expanded Edition

Track listing

Butterfly: 25th Anniversary Expanded Edition
No.	Title	Writer(s)	Producer(s)	Length
1.	"Honey"	Carey, Combs, Fareed, Jordan, Hague, Robinson, Larkins, Price, McLaren, Dewese	Carey, Puffy, The Ummah, Stevie J	5:02
2.	"Butterfly"	Carey, Afanasieff	Carey, Afanasieff	4:36
3.	"My All"	Carey, Afanasieff	Carey, Afanasieff	3:53
4.	"The Roof (Back in Time)"	Carey, Olivier, Barnes, Rooney, Johnson, Muchita	Carey, Poke & Tone	5:15
5.	"Fourth of July"	Carey, Afanasieff	Carey, Afanasieff	4:23
6.	"Breakdown" (featuring Bone Thugs-n-Harmony)	Carey, Henderson, Scruggs, Jordan	Carey, Stevie J, Puffy	4:45
7.	"Babydoll"	Carey, Elliott, Rooney, Jordan	Carey, Rooney	5:07
8.	"Close My Eyes"	Carey, Afanasieff	Carey, Afanasieff	4:22
9.	"Whenever You Call"	Carey, Afanasieff	Carey, Afanasieff	4:22
10.	"Fly Away (Butterfly Reprise)"	Carey, John, Taupin	Carey, Morales	3:49
11.	"The Beautiful Ones" (featuring Dru Hill)	Prince	Carey, Rooney	7:00
12.	"Outside"	Carey, Afanasieff	Carey, Afanasieff	4:46
13.	"Whenever You Call" (with Brian McKnight)	Carey, Afanasieff	Carey, Afanasieff	4:22
14.	"The Roof (When I Feel the Need)" (featuring Brandy)	Carey, Olivier, Barnes, Rooney, Johnson, Muchita	Carey, Daniel Moore II, Tremaine "Six7" Williams	4:54
15.	"Butterfly" (Live from The Late Show with David Letterman)	Carey, Afanasieff		4:14
16.	"My All" (Live from VH1 Divas Live)	Carey, Afanasieff		5:28
17.	"Fourth of July" (Acapella)	Carey, Afanasieff	Carey, Afanasieff	4:16
18.	"Outside" (Acapella)	Carey, Afanasieff	Carey, Afanasieff	4:16
19.	"Butterfly" (with Amorphous) (Amorphous Anniversary Club Mix)	Carey, Afanasieff	Carey, Afanasieff, Amorphous	6:06
20.	"Honey" (Another Taste of Honey David Morales Mix)	Carey, Combs, Fareed, Jordan, Hague, Robinson, Larkins, Price, McLaren, Dewese	Morales	7:55

Deluxe Edition

Track listing

Butterfly (Deluxe Edition)
No.	Title	Writer(s)	Producer(s)	Length
1.	"Honey"	Carey, Combs, Fareed, Jordan, Hague, Robinson, Larkins, Price, McLaren	Carey, Puffy, The Ummah, Stevie J	4:59
2.	"Butterfly"	Carey, Afanasieff	Carey, Afanasieff	4:34
3.	"My All"	Carey, Afanasieff	Carey, Afanasieff	3:51
4.	"The Roof (Back in Time)"	Carey, Olivier, Barnes, Rooney, Johnson, Muchita	Carey, Poke & Tone	5:14
5.	"Fourth of July"	Carey, Afanasieff	Carey, Afanasieff	4:23
6.	"Breakdown" (featuring Bone Thugs-n-Harmony)	Carey, Henderson, Scruggs, Jordan	Carey, Stevie J, Puffy	4:44
7.	"Babydoll"	Carey, Elliott, Rooney, Jordan	Carey, Rooney	5:06
8.	"Close My Eyes"	Carey, Afanasieff	Carey, Afanasieff	4:20
9.	"Whenever You Call"	Carey, Afanasieff	Carey, Afanasieff	4:21
10.	"Fly Away (Butterfly Reprise)"	Carey, John, Taupin	Carey, Morales	3:49
11.	"The Beautiful Ones" (featuring Dru Hill)	Prince	Carey, Rooney	6:58
12.	"Outside"	Carey, Afanasieff	Carey, Afanasieff	4:46
13.	"Honey" (featuring Jermaine Dupri & Da Brat) (So So Def Mix)	Carey, Hague, Robinson, Larkins, Price, McLaren, Dewese, Berry Gordy, Freddie Perren, Alphonso Mizell, Deke Richards	Carey, Dupri, Manuel Seal, Jr.	5:11
14.	"My All / Stay Awhile" (featuring Lord Tariq & Peter Gunz) (So So Def Remix)	Carey, Afanasieff, Carl McIntosh, Jane Eugene, Steve Nichol	Carey, Afanasieff, Dupri, Carl-So-Lowe	4:43
15.	"The Roof (Back in Time)" (Mobb Deep Extended Version)	Carey, Olivier, Barnes, Rooney, Johnson, Muchita	Carey, Poke & Tone	5:31
16.	"Breakdown" (featuring Bone Thugs-n-Harmony) (The Mo' Thugs Remix)	Carey, Henderson, Scruggs, Jordan	Carey, Stevie J, Puffy	4:58
17.	"Butterfly" (Classic Bossa Nova)	Carey, Afanasieff	Carey, Afanasieff, DJ Grego	4:10
18.	"Honey" (Bad Boy Remix)	Carey, Combs, Fareed, Jordan, Hague, Robinson, Larkins, Price, McLaren, Dewese	Carey, Puffy, The Ummah, Stevie J	5:32

Gallery

“Them Chickens is ash and i'm lotion” To view the Butterfly (album) gallery, click here.