Sorry to all the haters, but when Honey came out, Mariah cemented her superstardom (not that it needed anymore)..Not only was it Mariah's 3rd single to debut at #1 (their have only been 6 songs to do that in history) but the video was unbelivable...

I remember this album when I was in the 5th grade. This album was hot and it was da bomb. Butterfly was more than anything Mariah had done, it was an R&B album. Even the ballads leaned in that direction. Spare,pleading,this was Mariah stripped to the basics,lyrically and musically,finishing it all as she'd started: stronger,prouder,a new woman,a natural woman who'd come into her own. This album has been certified 5x Platinum. Remember,this was 1997-1998.

This is the first Mariah album that I ever bought so it definitely holds a place in my heart. After buying it, I bought her previous albums and although impressive, none really reached out and grabbed my listening sensability like Butterfly did. I know that a large part of her fan base loved her debut album and Music Box but to me, Butterfly is just sheer perfection - I listen to it without skipping a single song and have purchased it 3 times since it was released simply because I wore out the first two from overplay! My favorites/stand out tracks in no particular order:

The 1st single, Honey caught my attention because of the World Famous Supreme team sample used geniously, I might add (it's always nice to hear a song from back in the day sampled in a good way & no one does it quite like Mariah) - 10/10

Butterfly - hated the video but...I got where she was coming from during that period. This is another beautiful Mariah ballad that speaks about freedom and breaking away from old conventions/thoughts/etc - 10/10

Fourth of July - exquisite ballad! Loved how her vocals were layered using her upper & lower registers to sound like a chorus of people. Shame this song was not released as a single - 10/10

Breakdown - loved the rap/r&b mix. Her vocals with Bone, Thugs & Harmony is genius on this track. They don't overpower each other and I love how she speeded up her singing style to match their rap style - 10/10

Whenever You Call - this ballad makes me cry everytime I hear it, it's just a lovely song and she sounds great - 10/10

Fly Away - great remix/instrumental - 10/10

The Beautiful Ones - excellent remake that grew on me, love the mix of her & Sisquo's voices, they didn't quite match the original but then who can top Prince? but their remake is quite good - 8.5/10

The Roof - a song that tells a story about a lost love. I love the remixes with Mobb Deep 9/10

Close My Eyes - another excellent ballad 10/10

this CD came out in my freshman year, Honey, Butterfly and The Roof were all over BET at the time and since I liked the Music Box and Daydream album and was wondering when she would start doing more r&b/hip hop soul music, and then this CD came out and was like her official crossover CD to r&b/hip hop soul. This album truly made me begin to appreciate mariah's songwriting skills musically and lyrically. I think breakdown is the best hip hop collaboration ever, the j lo and ja rule fans would feel stupid! The track butterfly is a bit cliche lyrically but the music is so beautiful and mariah's voice is at it's best. I can go on and on about it just go buy it!

Where to start? Butterfly is arguably, Ms.Carey's best piece of work she has ever created. The album, being produced and written (aside from the cover of Prince's "The Beautiful Ones") by Carey herself, is smothered in sincere vocals and raw, honest emotions. From the sultry, smoldering lyrics of "Honey," to the heartfelt and revealing words of "Outside," this album is filled with beautiful music and deep, meaningful lyrics.
Though Butterfly is not her best selling album it is most definitely her most personal and in my opinion, most mature album Mariah Carey has ever made. Breaking away from what the music corporations wanted her to portray, Carey made it clear that this album symbolizes her freedom from the control of the business side of music.
Every song on this album tells a story and despite I first owned this album when I was 12, the lyrics, to this day, both amaze and leave me in awe. Some may write Carey off as a pop music protege with bubble gum lyrics, but pick up one of her albums and you will find yourself sadly mistake. I do admit that she has written very "universal" lyrics for a few of her singles, by if you take a deeper look, even her "bubble gum" singles are filled with words that you yourself have no clue as to what they mean; Most people wouldn't even be able to rhyme half of the $50 words she tosses about in her songs, the way she does.
Butterfly is a perfect example of Carey's writing and vocal abilities. Listen to the songs "Butterfly," "My All," and "Breakdown," and you'll understand what I mean when I say that her voice combined with her talent for writing will leave you awestruck. This masterpiece if a true R and B album, not the "Crunk and B" or wannabe hip hop R and B, but true soul. Yes, there are songs that come off as being a bit "Poppish" but they flow so mellifluously with the album that you wouldn't even notice. Butterfly is truly a timeless, unforgettable work of art that, like many of her albums, has cemented Mariah Carey in the worldwide music hall of fame.