Reviews (page 3 of 8)
Some bangers and some sweet songs
Mariah is a one of one talent vocally, but this isn't my style and P. Diddy ad libs are a jump scare in this day and age.
Not really my kind of music, but I do have a huge crush on Mariah Carey.
Did listen and I did enjoy
Man Mariah has a VOICE, undoubtedly the best part of this album. This is very nice sounding but nothing too innovative, some good tracks but a bit of filler as well
It's Mariah Carey, what would you expect? This is what the 90s RNB scene was like, with her smooth vocals and a well-produced sound. It's nothing groundbreaking, but it's not horrible to listen to.
Honestly kinda dull
She legitimately has a good voice. But, as is the case with most pop stars, the songs are purposefully bland. It’s a shame that her catalog is mostly Disney ballads and whispering whistle scales. Fly Away is a good example of how much better her voice sounds when she sings in a more soulful/gospel style. Overall, this is probably fine for the slow jam rotation. Honey is still a bop. It was fun to learn about her affair with Derek Jeter. But that’s about it for me. 3/5
I remember this one. not as good as the album before this.
There are a few good singles on this record but hardly enough decent songs for a coherent and satisfying album. Despite it being largely ballads, Mariah overpowers the material, consistently performing at the intensity and volume of a fire engine. Very little storytelling and zero subtlety.
What a waste of a beautiful voice. These songs are less than average.
Very smooth, very bland not really my thing. Good enough but won’t listen again. Inoffensive.
I have never really listened to much Mariah. But now I understand where every mediocre aspiring female vocalist on The Voice got her inspiration. Even when Maria does those vocal things, I mostly don't care for it. That said, she has fantastic moments--the opening to My All is gorgeous, if kinda marred by weird percussion choices alas. I would give this 1 star except I think I gave 50 2 stars and this is better than 50.
A shade of pop that still means nothing to me. 😢
Best Track - "Butterfly"
Other than her piercing vocals and a good song about being on a rooftop, this sounds like everything else that sounds like this. Stereotypical baby making music.
This is pretty and has a few tracks I really enjoyed (“Honey,” “Close My Eyes,” “Whenever You Call,” “Outside”). It can get a little repetitive at times. Mariah’s voice is impeccable, but I don’t know if the breathy vocal style she uses a lot on this album is the best showcase for that.
She IS pretty, and has a good voice. I just can't sit here and listen to a whole album. I'm 6 songs into it, and they all start to sound the same. I'm not going to finish this one.
I didn’t mind it, if anything I liked it, I want to so bad just stereotype her and not like her but I fear I can’t
I promise you I didn't need to hear this before I died.
Innovative. Really made way for my era of hip hop and r&b. I didn't like it but I appreciate it!
This is the first album I thought about skipping. I had a terrible time. Why doesn’t she stop singing and gurgling?
Gotta give credit where credit is due: she is equally skilled at both singing AND boring the hell out of me.
3/10 - she has a great voice but it’s a really boring album.
There are a couple of pretty good songs on here and it's cool that she samples Mobb Deep. That being said, some of the songs run together and it's a pretty tame record. 5/10
pas exceptionnel
Je savais pas qu'elle avait fait plus d'un son, j'ai bien apprécié qq variations et samples intéressants. Elle a une super voix et elle aime bien susurrer aux oreilles grrr
Expected to like it more. I liked “the roof”
Have read many reviews along the lines of it being the same song for nearly an hour, how Mariah Carey essentially "moans scales" and how the songs are pretty dull. I agree with all of them. She has a fantastic voice but the music should be more than a vehicle for showing it off
Cant wait for Christmas
Great
Mariah at the top of her game! Shes top 5 alltime for sure!
Ah, Mariah Carey, the bane of every retail worker's existence near Christmas time especially when the store they work at blares "ALL I WANT FOR CHRISTMAS IS YOUUUUUU". Honestly it would have made more sense for me to get Butterfly during Christmas due to that very popular Christmas song of hers. It probably wouldn't change my opinion as i would still think that this album is alright. The production here is solidly handled and Mariah did a good job on the vocals. The problem is how samey this album gets. Nearly every song has literally the exact same sound with minimal changes which makes this album feel like it's a bit too long. It sounds good, it just could have benefited from being shorter. Best Song: The Roof (Back In Time) Worst Song: Outside
I think she has significant talent. The taint of Puff Daddy is affecting my view of the album as a whole with the first track Honey sounding very much like it could have been on a Bad Boy compilation cd at the time.
The only good Mariah Carey album is her collection of Guided By Voices covers. That shit rocks.
Pleasant enough without challenging the listener in any way. Very impressive voice as always and we’ll always have Christmas!
I guess she has a decent voice, but it’s all a bit naff for my liking - not proper Aretha, Ela soul, more generic R&B
You know what. Not my style of music but Carey has a generational voice and the songs all pass by rather pleasantly.
All listen to my techniques. Lots of vocal “look” at me, moans and leaps, that at no point seem there to serve the song only to serve the image of the diva. Sure she can sing, but nothing becomes a memorable song. All syrupy non song after song. Tedious ballad repeated something like 12 times, awful 2 Star.
This one has aged better than I expected. Solid musically and stellar vocally.
This is dumb
First things first: Mariah Carey has a great voice, far be it from me to deny that. However, there are two large issues I had with this album: First, she often keeps on a note and then just drags it out while styling on it. That is not impressive to me, it is just annoying. Second, the lyrics she performs are too similar throughout the entire album and they are never more than average. So all in all, I think this album is very much middling, not really great but not awful either. Best songs are Butterfly and The Roof. 5/10, maybe a different songwriter can help her use her potential.
I don't fuck with Mariah Carey, her voice causes me physical pain.
I couldn't stand it. Started skipping through the songs once it was another dull track with her whispering and occasionally warbling over the top. Eventually had to take a break even from that. At its best, there's some chill tracks to listen to while the sun is setting (My All and the most of Fly Away before sleigh bells unfathomably come along)... but only if you got an instrumental version and didn't have to listen to her ruining them. Which would kind of negate the purpose of a Mariah Carey album.
i had know clue her vocals were gentle, considering my only exposure to her was screaming stupid fucking christmas songs. very very smooth. id be mad as fuck if i was only known for christmas songs when i can make actually really good rnb, but i guess it doesn't matter cuz she gets paid a bajillion dollars every december. good for her. i fw this album heavy
This is unlistenably horrible and sets my teeth on edge.
Just no
Judging by the first dozen or so reviews I was expecting this to be bloody awful. It actually has really good, catchy pop R&B songs throughout. It even had a hit or two that I recognized. I don't know what people expect, yeah Mariah can over sing, but if I could solo like Hendrix or Van Halen I'd be wailing like a mofo too. But anyway, this isn't the style of my music I'm ever putting on but this album absolutely deserves to be on the list.
Some bangers on here for sure but the rest of the album just doesn’t hold up. The big songs I played on repeat and the others I was eye-rolling through
All acrobatics and vocal gymnastics, Carey is the Nadia Comăneci of song. It's impressive from the point of view of what one voice can do, but did no-one think to say, "Mariah, just sing the tune."? Her singing style gave rise to a whole generation of women who gave us their melismatic performances on TV Talent shows, not being able to sing "Knees Up Mother Brown" without ripping up and down scales and arpeggios and showing all five octaves of their range in a single bar. She may consider this her Magnum Opus, but the moment I turned it off I had forgotten it. It's icecream music - enjoyable at the time, but not really solid fare that sticks to your ribs.
*a boring and monotonous album, most tracks sound alike
I enjoyed this album while I was listening to it, but the moment it was over I forgot all the songs on it. Even after a second listen I'm having trouble recalling anything like melodies or hooks. It was good, and I can see certain moments in life this was made to soundtrack, but it's not going in my playlists.
This album can't decide what it wants to be, and all I've discovered is what I don't want it to be.
There is no doubt Mariah has a great voice, but I can't be arsed with the constant vocal gymnastics.
Yeah but no but
There’s a reason she got ditched by her label - barely 30 seconds in before the warbling begins. Roll her out at Xmas and then put her the fuck away.
My least favorite (non electronic) genre of music. Bleh. Mariah sucks. Best Song: Butterfly Rating: 2/10 Stars: 1
cheesey and samey and unfortunately really not my thing
No thanks
Undeniably talent, not my normal listen
Sorry to the other reviewers who can't acknowledge when a Diva is at work.
I find the songs like the first couple on this album a little funny to be honest. Gradually I actually came to appreciate some of the production and writing on this album, even though it is very 90's. Not the biggest fan of the singing, even though she's "obviously" a great singer. I think it's a bit too... flashy - or overdone I guess...
7.5/10
Fun
good background music
She gets a dollar every time she does a scale
Maybe it was ground breaking at the time but after 20+ years of Rhiannas and Beyonce's it can't seem to hold its own
No
3/10
My All - 100/10. Остальное - обычная Мэрайя, какой я ее знаю.
ho appeso dopo i primi 2 minuti, damn sorella menomale che hai fatto all I want for christmas
My first true pop album of this list! I only really know Mariah from… that song… so I guess it’s time to defrost her at the end of February. Only half a track in and this album is reminding me why I don’t generally listen to pop. Honey was an assault to the ears. I couldn’t get any of the lyrics, and the melodies were just not interesting to me. Some of the vocals reminded me of Ariana Grande, but with none of what makes Ariana good. I griped the other day about tracks needing to deserve a 5 minute+ runtime, and this did not deserve that. I had hope that maybe the title track would get better, but it was honestly the worst thing a song can be. Boring. At least it made me bob my head a little bit though. It wasn’t quite as vapid as its predecessor. It is just making me want to queue other much better songs with the same name and/or premise. The “breakdown” if I can call it that at the end of the track was… alright. It at least made it more interesting near the end. It’s unfortunate there’s still a minute left in the song. My All had some decent guitar in the background. That’s the best thing I can say about it, I hate the overuse of vocal runs. Like she has a good voice, I just don’t like it. Oh my. Finally something with a beat with The Roof. This is the closest to enjoyment I’ve came so far with this album. Fourth of July was about as explosive as a wet piece of cotton. I didn’t expect much and was still disappointed. I couldn’t really hear the features in Breakdown except for a bit in the backing vocals. Oh well, I wouldn’t want to be featured on this track either. I hated Babydoll. Close my eyes was the only track I didn’t feel was too overblown. It had a sweetness to it, and I thought it was actually pretty alright. Whenever you call wasn’t too bad either. Same with Fly Away honestly. Even though I didn’t like the initial “Butterfly” track, the reprise was fine. The Beautiful Ones was back to being painful. The feature was alright, but overall I didn’t like it. The closer was just about as boring as the rest of the album. 2/5 ⭐️ because there were a couple I didn’t hate. 58/1089
Great voice combined with uncreative, monotonous songs, with two exceptions. Also her constant scale runs and „ooooh” „aaaah” are getting boring after few minutes, these techniques should enrich songs not be a foundation of them.
ui ich bin nie en riese fan gsi. sie macht afoch vocal runs eigentli. butterfly isch en decent song aber bruuuudi isches übertriebe. d production, d azahl wiederholige oooh mein gott. the roof brucht es sample woni keeeennn. no cool de beat aber find echt wie sie singt uuuhuere streng zum zuelose. fourth of july het irgendwie öpis aber es isch alles soooo schnulzig oooh mein gott. bin bi breakdown und finds insaaaane langwilig. sorry mariah. close my eyes isch au en easy song woni afoch wüürkli nöd so spannend find. fuck han ich es problem mit ihre? well the beautiful ones hani huere gern und es isch basically afoch prince. aso s isch au vo ihm gschriebe und s het die snare und so. findi seeehr geil. de rest vom album findi etz würkli seehr streng. outside findi wieder seeehr streng, ihri runs sind impressive aber ich cha nüüüt drususe zieh. d melodie sind nöd klar amel? zwei. au wenns ihres "magnum opus" isch. meh so es magnümm opus.
MAGNUS OPUM han actually soooo hert kei bock hahaha sing mal richtig, nöd so huuche was isch das füren song gsi hä, iwie kei hook, nüt wo hafte blibt ussrrt vlt s klavier butterfly isch ener das won ich mier vorgstellt han, immernanig mis aber chans vlt meh nachvollzieh HAHAHAHAHA NEIIII EIFACH SHOOK ONES I guess es isch na cool, het sie die melodie gno und inen ganz andere kontext gsetzt? aber iwie auchli cringe? hmmm de rapper bi breakdown passt erstunlich guet inne? no cool gmacht poah bin ich froh wenn das fertig isch whenever you call hani rig na cute gfunde aber ab de bridge würkli schrecklich OMGGG DE LETSCHT REFRAIN HASSIIII hetmer gad würkli schier de nuggi usseghaue hahaha okee de housebeat isch na funny bim reprise OHHJAAA EN GUY WO ÜBER CORNY MUSIG CHLI REDT, MIN LIEBLINGSGENRE oke de rest vo beautiful ones isch na easy jaa ich gönn dier de erfolg mariah carey aber für mich ischs echt nüt
Expecting to hate, but this was pretty good.
90s R&B staple. Mariah forever the goat.
1.08
Nah.
Mariah Carey's *Butterfly* (1997) represents a pivotal moment in her career—an album that marked her artistic emancipation and redefined the intersection of pop, R&B, and hip-hop. Released on September 16, 1997, through Columbia Records, this sixth studio album arrived during a period of intense personal upheaval: Carey's marriage to Sony Music executive Tommy Mottola was dissolving, granting her unprecedented creative freedom that would reshape her musical identity. --- ## **The Context: Emancipation Before *The Emancipation*** *Butterfly* emerged from the ashes of Carey's controlling marriage to Mottola, who had exerted tight creative control over her previous albums. The dissolution of their relationship coincided with the album's production, creating a work that functions as both personal diary and artistic manifesto. Carey herself described this as the moment she "found her voice," and the album's themes of transformation, desire, and liberation reflect her journey from a constrained pop diva to an autonomous R&B artist . Sony executives, including Mottola, feared that Carey's pivot toward hip-hop would alienate her established adult contemporary audience. The album's commercial performance—while still impressive with 10 million copies sold worldwide and a #1 debut on the Billboard 200—was viewed as a disappointment compared to the blockbuster sales of *Music Box* (28 million) and *Daydream* (20 million) . However, this "failure" laid the groundwork for the future of pop-R&B fusion. --- ## **Musical Evolution: From Pop Princess to R&B Architect** ### **Production and Sound** *Butterfly* represents Carey's decisive break from the polished adult contemporary sound that defined her early career. The production credits read like a roadmap of late-90s urban music innovation: - **Sean "Puffy" Combs** and **The Ummah** (Q-Tip, Ali Shaheed Muhammad, Jay Dee) crafted the lead single "Honey," blending boom-bap drums with airy pop sensibilities - **Trackmasters** (Poke & Tone) and **Cory Rooney** produced "The Roof," sampling Mobb Deep's "Shook Ones Part II" - **Missy Elliott** co-wrote "Babydoll," marking an early collaboration between two future legends - **Walter Afanasieff**, Carey's longtime collaborator, remained for ballads like "Butterfly" and "My All," providing continuity amid the sonic shift The album's sound palette expanded dramatically: vinyl scratches, booming 808s, Latin guitar arpeggios, and house music elements coexisted with Carey's signature balladry. This wasn't merely genre-hopping—it was genre-synthesis. ### **Vocal Transformation** Critics noted Carey's more restrained, intimate vocal approach. Rather than the show-stopping belting of her early hits, *Butterfly* showcases what Slant Magazine's Rich Juzwiak called "the relatively high and thin register that she sings in when not belting... the first time that Mariah the vocalist seems consistently real" . On tracks like "Breakdown," she adopts a staccato, chant-like delivery that mirrors her Bone Thugs-n-Harmony collaborators, while "The Roof" features whispered verses that build to emotional crescendos . --- ## **Lyrical Themes: Desire, Loss, and Self-Actualization** ### **The Architecture of Longing** A dominant theme throughout *Butterfly* is **desire**—not the innocent romantic longing of her earlier work, but a mature, sometimes conflicted yearning for connection, freedom, and self-definition. As one critic noted, "Pre-Butterfly, Mariah's songs were always from the perspective of somebody who longed for love... With Butterfly however, the songs all come from the perspective of somebody who desires to feel true love, or to recapture something they had lost" . **"Butterfly"** (the title track) operates as both breakup letter and self-affirmation. Written from the perspective of what she wished Mottola would say to her, the lyrics—"Spread your wings and prepare to fly / For you have become a butterfly"—transform a narrative of release into one of celebration . The metaphor of metamorphosis permeates the album, suggesting that constraint (the cocoon) was necessary for transformation. **"The Roof"** stands as perhaps the album's most sophisticated narrative—a cinematic account of a clandestine rooftop encounter set against November rain. Sampling Mobb Deep's menacing "Shook Ones Part II," Carey creates a noir-ish atmosphere of sensuality and secrecy. The lyrics detail a fleeting connection ("It was just a matter of time before I fell in love with you") that exists outside conventional relationship structures . **"Close My Eyes"** offers the album's most explicit autobiography, addressing her rise to fame and suffocating marriage: "I was a wayward child / With the weight of the world that I held deep inside... I left the worst unsaid / Let it all dissipate / And I hid behind my face" . The song's confession that she "practically died" but "thankfully woke up in time" cuts to the core of her emotional state during this period . ### **Sexual Liberation and Agency** Tracks like **"Babydoll"** (co-written with Missy Elliott) and **"Honey"** mark Carey's embrace of sexual agency. "Babydoll" pulses with erotic urgency—"I'm gonna leave my cellphone turned on in my purse by the bed"—while "Honey" celebrates physical liberation through its iconic music video imagery of Carey escaping a mansion-prison in a swimsuit . This wasn't merely titillation; it was a declaration of bodily autonomy after years of being packaged as a virginal pop commodity. --- ## **Standout Tracks and Deep Cuts** ### **"Honey"** The album's opening salvo and lead single announced Carey's new direction unequivocally. Sampling The Treacherous Three's "The Body Rock" and World's Famous Supreme Team's "Hey DJ," the track blends hip-hop breaks with a breezy, tropical-pop melody. It became her 12th #1 single and third to debut at the top of the Billboard Hot 100—a feat no artist had achieved before . ### **"Breakdown" (feat. Bone Thugs-N-Harmony)** Often cited as the album's centerpiece, this collaboration with Bone Thugs-n-Harmony represents Carey's full immersion in hip-hop aesthetics. She adopts their rapid-fire, melodic flow while maintaining her vocal identity. The song's structure—building from spoken verses to harmonized desperation ("I'm gonna break down")—mirrors its lyrical journey from denial to emotional collapse . ### **"My All"** A Latin-tinged ballad that became the album's second #1 hit, "My All" features synthetic guitar arpeggios and Carey's signature whistle register. It serves as a bridge between her past and future—romantically devoted yet musically adventurous . ### **"Fourth of July"** This jazz-influenced deep cut showcases Carey's whistle tones as background vocals from the opening seconds. The lyrics reminisce about a magical holiday encounter, demonstrating her ability to find transcendence in specific, personal moments . ### **"Outside"** The album closer addresses Carey's mixed-race identity and feelings of otherness with unprecedented candor: "It's hard to explain / Inherently, it's just always been strange / Neither here nor there / Always somewhat out of place everywhere" . This exploration of racial identity would become more prominent in her later work. --- ## **Critical Reception: From Mixed to Masterpiece** Contemporary reviews were decidedly lukewarm. *Entertainment Weekly* gave it a B-, with David Browne noting that while the album was "undeniably pleasant," it was also "the last thing anyone would have expected from her: blandly self-effacing" . *Rolling Stone* awarded three stars, acknowledging the production quality but questioning the coherence of the new direction. Robert Christgau of *The Village Voice* dismissed it with a "dud" rating . The Grammy Awards reflected this ambivalence—three nominations (Best R&B Song and Vocal Performance for "Honey," Best Pop Vocal Performance for "Butterfly") but no wins, and notably absent from the major categories . However, retrospective assessment has been overwhelmingly positive. AllMusic's Stephen Thomas Erlewine described it as "one of Carey's best records," noting that she was "continuing to improve and refine her music, which makes her a rarity among her '90s peers" . Slant Magazine's 4.5/5 star review called it "elegant" and praised Carey's "mature vocals" . By the album's 25th anniversary in 2022, it was widely recognized as her magnum opus—a transformation that took decades to fully appreciate . --- ## **Legacy and Influence** *Butterfly* stands as a foundational text for the pop-R&B-hip-hop fusion that dominates mainstream music today. By proving that a pop superstar could authentically engage with hip-hop without losing commercial viability, Carey paved the way for artists like Beyoncé, Rihanna, and Ariana Grande to navigate similar genre-fluid careers . The album's influence extends to: - **Vocal production**: Demonstrating that pop vocals could be intimate and restrained rather than constantly virtuosic - **Hip-hop collaboration**: Establishing the template for R&B singers working with rap acts as equals rather than gimmicks - **Creative autonomy**: Showing that artistic risk-taking, even with commercial costs, could yield long-term career sustainability --- ## **Pros and Cons** ### **Strengths** | Aspect | Analysis | |--------|----------| | **Artistic Cohesion** | Despite diverse production, the album maintains thematic unity through its focus on transformation and desire | | **Vocal Evolution** | Carey's restrained, nuanced delivery adds emotional authenticity missing from her earlier technical showcases | | **Production Innovation** | Seamless integration of hip-hop elements (samples, flows, beats) into pop-R&B structures | | **Lyrical Maturity** | Personal, specific songwriting that avoids generic romantic platitudes | | **Cultural Impact** | Established the blueprint for pop-R&B-hip-hop fusion that defined the 2000s and beyond | | **Deep Cut Quality** | Album tracks like "The Roof," "Breakdown," and "Fourth of July" match or exceed the singles | ### **Weaknesses** | Aspect | Analysis | |--------|----------| | **Pacing Issues** | The middle section (particularly "Close My Eyes" and "Whenever You Call") can feel ballad-heavy and slow the momentum | | **"The Beautiful Ones" Cover** | The duet with Dru Hill on the Prince classic is widely considered the album's misstep—ill-conceived and less compelling than original material | | **Vocal Intelligibility** | Some critics noted that the airy, whispered delivery occasionally obscures lyrics | | **Commercial Sacrifice** | The deliberate move away from MOR (middle-of-the-road) appeal alienated some of her established fanbase | | **Inconsistent Energy** | The shift from uptempo hip-hop tracks to sparse ballads can feel jarring without the remixes that often accompanied her singles | --- ## **Conclusion** *Butterfly* is not merely an album—it is a document of artistic liberation. In choosing authenticity over accessibility, hip-hop over easy listening, and personal truth over universal palatability, Mariah Carey created a work that was initially misunderstood but ultimately vindicated by history. The album's 10 million copies sold, while modest by her previous standards, represent something more valuable than commercial dominance: the establishment of an artistic identity that would sustain her through decades of changing musical fashions. The caterpillar-to-butterfly metaphor that gives the album its name and central theme proved prophetic. This was not Carey's peak commercial moment, but it was the moment she became the artist she was meant to be—one whose influence would flutter through R&B and pop for generations to come.
90s pop. One of my faves of her. Takes me back.
Not my cup of tea but good voice
Album #1,051 We know she can sing. She knows she can sing. She does it well here, a little too much to be honest. This is just an average album for this list. Personally I would have preferred her earlier, poppier stuff, songs that I had heard before. My favorite of hers is Hero. But this is OK I guess.
Not my favourite type of music at all. She's not a terrible singer. In fact she is talented. But this is too long for what it is. It's super repetitive. All the songs sound exactly the same to me.
nice voice
Overall: 4/10 I may not have enjoyed this very much, but I can't deny the power of Mariah's incredible voice. The problem is the songs themselves, which range from boring to cringe inducing. To make things worse, P Diddy was involved. Ew. Fav Song: Fourth of July
Beautiful album and voice. Chill R&B vibes
This album is OK but I prefer Mariah's earlier work. She still has incredible vocal control and range, but she sometimes uses more of a "breathy" style. The song "All My" is great. The rest is just OK.
This rating isn't some music hipster diss of Mariah Carey, who I think is a genuine talent. I just suspect that she has other albums I would like more, since neither of the big singles here are my favs and most of the rest failed to leave an inpression.
Glad to see Mariah's first album post-Tommy Mottola show up here, a fun listen where she was able to get away from his borderline abusive control that extended to her work - which sounded far too much like Celine Dion prior to this point. & you see the result in the variety on this album - the hip hop influences on Honey & Breakdown, the sexy R&B groove of The Roof and Babydoll, AND disco inflections on the Fly Away - while staying true to her gospel, sometimes schmaltzy roots on Butterfly. She might have had catchier songs & gotten more comfortable with going straight R&B with later albums but this is still a solid, fun listen that's notable in her overall insane discography.
I especially like the RnB and Hip Hop elements on this. A few of the ballads produced by her usual collaborator up to that point have a soft piano sound that has a distractingly cheesy 80s feel. But overall the songs and the production give a lovely floaty feel. The vocal production is particularly great. I like the way her voice is blended in two or sometimes three distinct ways with further backing vocals present. My indie kid head was even reminded of how Kate Bush and Liz Fraser's vocals were produced.
Just not my thing. I know Mariah has her audience, but it isn’t me.
Honestly, I may have had higher hopes than I should have going into this. I liked the warm, nostalgic throwback to cozy smooth jazz winters in the 90s at my parents' house, but really this album didn't do much more while it was on. Not to mention that Prince cover was absolutely atrocious. Sorry Mariah, I'm going to stick with your xmas work. 2.4/5 -> 2/5
My guess is that Fantasy is also somewhere on this list and that is kind of the one I wanted to listen to. Robert Dimery seemed to value vocals over everything because that is what is going on here. Mariah Carey is the singer equivalent of the 80's guitar shredder. Proficiently hitting all of the millions of notes they want to and each song is a showcase of their skills. It often comes at the expense of my listening enjoyment. All of these backing tracks are cardboard bland, I imagine it's so-as not to compete with the vocals in the mix. This is the kind of music that would be getting played for the 25 minutes before a movie in when you're in the auditorium with your food waiting for the movie to start and there's local ads and trivia going by.
Nemam šta pametno da kažem sem da se proseravam na ovaj album. Jednostavno ovaj zvuk i monotonija nije za mene. Marija Kerović ima talenta ali ne i dar od Boga. Same glasovne sposobnosti je dobila na nečist način, drugim rečima, skolopila je pakt sa iskvarenim, palim i poganim anđelom - Luciferom. Da ju je Gospod Bog darovao takvim glasom, u paket s'njim, počastio bi je sa daškom kreativnosti. Ko zna čime bi mogla da nas iznenadi kad bi iskoristila pun potencijal... Ovako samo čujemo po neki čudnovati - whistle note - i to je to. Šta reći, a ne zaplakati........ Gospođo Marija, album nažalost nije za ništa više, niti ništa manje osim dovoljne dvojke. Ocena za album 2/5
R&B s l o p. Bravo, imaš dar od boga, i ne radiš apsolutno n i s t a s njim. Neka misli ko god hoće da sam ogorčena, nikad nisam volela maraju keri, toliko mi je antipaticna i eto diže sebe u ne znam ni ja koje muzičare a žena nije videla k od kreativnosti. Dobro bila je i takva era 90tih za bele žene, opet nije izgovor!!!
Sarah liked it, I thought it was ok
Aight
6.5 / 10
Oh look, the men are triggered again. This is not my favorite Mariah album but it's the last of her golden era. It's more of a stereotypical 90s R&B album, though there's still some timeless bangers. I think I'd rather have Daydream on the list to represent Mariah at her peak. Or the Unplugged album.
Meh album, nothing piqued my interest here.
Gar nicht meins, viel zu langsam und schmalzig
Had a really hard reviewing this for some reason, and deciding whether I liked it a lot. I think I concluded that it was alright? I mean it doesn't move me, but doesn't make me want to turn it off either. R&B isn't really my thing, so it mostly passed by unnoticed. Mariah Carey sings well, but can't say much more than that.
I don’t really enjoy RnB and I can’t stand Mariah’s vocals on this album. Breathy, tons of vibrato and nothing else. No really good songs, and I honestly just wanted it to end. The only thing that made it listenable was how boring it was. Going to give it a harsh 1 star.
What uninspired trash. Incredible vocal range but this is garbage.
The woman can sing. She has been kissed on the vocal chords by God. The songs however, seem to have been written to show what notes she can hit rather than to say anything worth saying. The fact that they all sound so sameish speaks volumes. It is an ok album as background music but for someone so prodigiously talented it feels underwhelming
אלבום פסיכי כל השירים באנגרים
החצי הראשון של האלבום הזה די מטורף החצי השני ירידה משמעותית ברמה איכשהו נב my all נשמע כמו שיר יום זיכרון רק באנגלית (לטובה)
Very 1997. Probably loved it in middle school but not today.
It's bubblegum. There's nothing wrong with that. There are some surprisingly good tunes on here, aside from the hits. The Roof is a quality song, as is Babydoll. It's kinda samey like a lot of mainstream pop. Also, that cover of Prince's "The Beautiful Ones" is just...bad. But you know what you're getting into here. And she does have a gorgeous voice.
Did nothing for. She sings high pitched and is the most popular Xmas song cover artist. Nothing exciting here. Exactly as expected adult contemporary r&b. I think she got more ghetto on her next record.
Alternate titles: Bored 2 Death, Not 4 Me. Yes I would rather listen to Spatula or whatever.
She can sing well but the songs were terrible. Just stick to Christmas.
I do not listen to pop crap
Where was the Christmas one?!
As a long-term defender of her Christmas No1 "All I Want For Christmas Is You", I didn't go into this with a completely negative mindset. But unfortunately, I absolutely hated this album and it did nothing for me. A tedious album that goes down as my first one star. Even the Britney Spears album had the comic relief of tracks like Soda Pop and Email My Heart. Very sorry, Mariah.
She has some hits, but this offering just seems a little one note. Is Whisp a note?
Pretty much what I expected. A great voice mixed with some exceptionally cheesy 90s production. And having to listen to Mariah for an hour in any situation can be a challenge. Interestingly one of the more standout tracks is the cover of Prince’s The Beautiful Ones.
Expected more here. Mariah obviously has legit chops, but not sure they’re really flexed on this outside of a couple moments.
I think I like Mariah’s greatest hits more than a full album. Not sure I know her catalog well but surprised to see this versus others that I would assume have bigger hits. So I guess this is more critically acclaimed? Regardless, a few songs I liked but a lot of this seemed like a lot of falsetto with the occasional run. 2.5 but rounding up.
Rounding up cuz it's Mariah, but surprised to see this on the list... 2.75/5
Fav: Honey Least Fav: Whenever You Call There’s way too much ballad in this, and it appears way too early
A mesma música várias vezes seguidas
Typical 90s R&B. I enjoy Mariah's Daydream album substantially more than this one. Maybe it's because Fantasy is such a banger (mostly because Genius of Love is such a banger).
Not my thing at all. A great vocal talent using it for crap music
The cover is the best part of this experience. I can honestly say I've NEVER listened to this album, and that's something I'm proud of. Syruppy power pop with over the top vocals is not my thing so I'm a bad person to judge this one. But really, it's not power pop, it's 80% slow songs. Do I know the songs? No, honestly, I must have been preoccupied to have avoided Top40 radio in 1997. "Honey" has 108M listens but I don't think I've ever heard it. "My All" (254M) is dreadful with it's weird ass low vocal mumbling before the grating chorus. I can't believe 254 million people WANTED to hear that song. "The Roof", "Fourth Of July", "Babydoll", "Close My Eyes" (my ears maybe), and "Fly Away" are all just SUPER BORING songs. I have no idea how they mustered up that many listens, it's impressive, no song with under 3.5M listens. The best song was the first 3 and half minutes of the remake of "The Beautiful Ones", probably only because I knew it and Prince is a god. But it's 7 mins long?! It went off the rails by minute 4. 1 star, pure and utter crap. No way does this deserve a spot in the T1001.
I have never been a Mariah Carey fan. That’s okay she certainly has many, many others. She has a wonderful voice, it is just the style of music she makes is not to my tastes.
Ooft. OK, the lassie can definitely sing but this isn't my bag at all. 90s digital cornball productions, caterwauling histrionics, pale imitations of Prince tracks; you name, it's a kitchen-sink maximalist hot mess.
Tiene un flow muy bonito
Beautiful voice, just okay group of songs.
Feels like a middle school dance. The hits are a fun throwback. The rest is trash
che piaga madonna mi sono rotta alla seconda canzone, quella famosa ci sta e l’upbeat di fly away nella seconda parte anche, poi ovviamente lei bravissima però amo sei noiosa
I can understand the appeal, but I personally didn't love it. My favourite track was "Honey"
So booooring
Good pop music
90er pop for fuld udblæsning. Meget lækkert
Didn’t I get enough of her during Christmas time?
When I was in 7th grade my boyfriend gifted me this CD for Christmas. We barely saw each other in person between classes, we definitely hadn't kissed, I don't even think we held hands in the halls...but we talked a LOT on the phone every night. He really knocked it out of the park with that gift, and 30 years later, I still think of him when I put this album on lol This is my second favorite Mariah Carey album, after Daydream. I was discovering music on my own, requesting songs on the radio, obsessed with MTV. I'm pretty sure I had some sort of sexual awakening to this album cover. For me, this album is a classic. Maybe not one of the very best, but represents a very important time in my own music discovery journey. 1997 was really a formative year of music for me.
Nine-year-old Joey had this on cassette and would walk around the parks of his apartment complex singing these songs out of tune with his headphones on. Thirty-eight-year-old Joey streamed this album from his phone, through his apple TV, to his house-wide sonos soundsystem in his living room in the woods, shocked that he remembers 75% of the lyrics to all of these songs, and unsurprised that he is still completely tone deaf. This record captures such a moment in time for the intersection of Hip-Hop and R&B, and for pop music more generally. Mariah continued her swerve into Hip-Hop style production and features that she helped pioneer on her preceding record Daydream (O.D.B.?!). Mase, Bone Thugs, Dru Hill, Da Brat and The Lox — production from Q-Tip and Missy, Mobb Deep and Malcolm McLaren samples — all on the same record. She would deepen her connection to Hip-Hop on her two subsequent records, with it becoming the dominant influence of her music. And despite all of the star power and trendy influences on display, her ballads are my favorites on this record, and she maintains her gospel influences to boot, showcasing her now-classic harmonies and runs that epitomize that genre, and she reinvigorated the historical intersection of secular and popular music; a clear line can be drawn from Aretha to Mariah. With that said, the clash of genres (and their associated culture and values) can be jarring. This seems to be one of the main criticisms of this album, and I half-agree. Mariah continued to merge the old and the new, and she would perfect her brand of pop r&b by the mid-aughts, ushering in nearly a decade of popular music that followed the same blueprint. Lastly, a rare and successful Prince cover (with thong aficionado Sisqo no less)!
Listening to this I really can’t understand why 90s R ‘n B is looked back at with such nostalgia. She’s got an incredible voice, yes, but the songs are just so anaemic. “Fly Away” is the only one I didn’t have to fight the urge to skip, and I’m going to have a look to see if there are any dance floor remixes of it around.
A definitive r+b 90s moment. But not her strongest album
R&B and love songs like this is not my style, but I can appreciate the incredible voice and quality of sound. I don't think I will listen to this album again at all but I have saved 1 or 2 songs. The album gets a little tiring and the songs kind of melded together for me.
3/5 The production mostly saved this album for me. The lyricism was just surrounding the same theme of 'love', which is fine, but it gets a little tiring after a while. I loved the R&B-ness of it all and Mariah's voice is wonderful. No song felt the same, and that's hard to do with this genre I feel.
Amazing pop album! Mariah can never do any wrong
I've seen vocalists hold a hand up next to their face (like a nude Kermit) then move it up and down as if they're conducting their own voice, as their voice wavers up and down. It's quite pretentious and irritating. Every track on this album does this. With an amazing irony, what's produced is incredibly monotonous. 'The beautiful ones' cover is a crime. Longest track on the album & it isn't hers.
Not great. Every song sounds the same.
She's lovely and talented, and I think she got paid by the note.
Mariah has some pipes! I didn’t recognize any songs on this, but she can sing. I dug the more hip-hop infused songs more that the more ballad-y ones.
Overall Rating - 3.00/5 (6.00/10). She's a very talented singer with excellent range and a very nice voice. I just don't care for the style.
While I admire Mariah Carey’s stunning vocal ability and generally enjoy great Pop music, I find myself less drawn to modern, R&B-leaning Pop. "Butterfly" features undeniably lush production, but I feel that even a voice this gifted cannot save uninspired material. At times, Carey falls into the trap of 'over-singing', using excessive vocal runs and belts to compensate for the lack of a strong hook. The track list is dominated by slow-to-mid-tempo songs that lack an uplifting energy, resulting in a listening experience that feels somewhat dull. It lacks soul. "Butterfly" just doesn't excite or interest me in any way, and simply put this album isn't for me. Two stars. 1 "Honey" (1/5) 2 "Butterfly" (1/5) 3 "My All" (1/5) 4 "The Roof (Back in Time)" (2/5) 5 "Fourth of July" (1/5) 6 "Breakdown" (featuring Krayzie Bone and Wish Bone) (1/5) 7 "Babydoll" (2/5) 8 "Close My Eyes" (3/5) 9 "Whenever You Call" (2/5) 10 "Fly Away" (Butterfly Reprise) (3/5) 11 "The Beautiful Ones" (Prince cover) (featuring Dru Hill) (3/5) 12 "Outside" (1/5) Total - 21 Average - 1.75 215/1001 121/215 albums reviewed were new to me.
Mariah is a great singer, but this isn't really my kind of music. This album was everywhere when it came out.
1 - TERRIBLE
I have no idea how she was so popular, this was so boring.
Why are you reading reviews? I mean, it’s Mariah Carey, you already know if you’re gonna like it or not.
Imagine having the raw vocal talent of Mariah Carey and using it to make music this vapid. Extra star for Bone Thugs.
Sweet fucking jaysus, this is terrible. All the 1s. Also, this album, in its shitty, but ubiquitous, R&B terrible news makes me think I need to read the book. I mean, why? What justification could the author possibly provide to explain its inclusion? This album really makes me question the utility of this list.
The first song was a fairly straightforward R&B song, and I thought, oh, maybe this won't be as bad as I was prepared for. There were only a couple of those and I really can't get into the pop ballads or gospel pop songs that followed.
1/5 - This list is really letting me down recently.
I was surprised at how nice this is
6/10
Horrible
ooooOOOOOOooooOOOOooooHHHhhhhh
deze was echt aftellen tot het einde
nothing super memorable, but i loved the vibe and overall it was pretty good.
07/01/2026 Can't really say I was a fan. It was kind of whiney. Spotify listeners: 93.7 million
If I were the one writing 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die, this is definitely another one that never would’ve made the list. I’m not going to say Mariah Carey isn’t talented, obviously she is, but this is surface level pop music through and through. I know I could try to say good things about this album and give it credit for this or that, but I’m not going to lie, I personally think the album sucked. I didn’t enjoy it at all. I couldn’t wait for it to end, and now that it has, I never plan on going back.
I enjoy balladeer Mariah more than R&B jam Mariah. There were a couple songs I really liked and Mariah always sounds amazing. But, I probably won’t revisit this one any time soon.
I think there's nothing special here, a standard and uninteresting 90s R&B record.
Genuinely so boring
Incredible voice but the songs aren’t very imaginative. The Prince cover just sounds like a cheap knock-off with no originality. Carey sounds great but her style of riffing single notes ruined music forever.
Honey!
Pienso que es mejor Music Box o Daydream, y aún mejor un grandes éxitos porque Mariah los tiene para deslumbrar a cualquiera. Es una de las artistas con más números uno, y con merecimiento. Ha estado más semanas en el nº1 Billborad que nadie, y tiene más números que 1 que nadie salvo los Beatles. Además del record con Boyz II Men por One Sweet Day... Este es el disco del que más orgullosa está, un paso adelante según ella aunque a mi me parece un retorno a Janet Jackson o TLC. Aún así tiene calidad a raudales. My all es el clásico del disco sin lugar a dudas. El resto es R&B bien producido.
Cheesy 90s R&B isn't for me
I really wanted to rate this two stars, I hate listening to it, but realistically the skill and the quality is there
Late 90s early 2000esque white girl pop music. Unarguably fantastic smoith voice, nice hip-hop elements.
It's fine. Mariah is fine. Rappers like her because you can rhyme her name with "fire" or "higher."
Great artist with a great voice. the songs on this album isn't amongst her best songs for me though. Still great to hear her sing.
Szeptanie śpiewanie
Logically, there’s little argument about Mariah in her prime. This is fantastic for what it is. Not really my thing, but well crafted.
Mariah's voice is excellent, but the songs on this album are bland as hell. She could have done better if she had a different team around her. Overall it was ok, 3/5
I turned it off less than halfway through. Her high pitched oooh and eeee and aaahh's were getting on my nerves. She just needed to shut up. Didnt like it at all
Did I have to get her two days after Christmas? That makes her my most heard artist of December and it's not consensual. Honestly, girl can sing, but these songs are all boring as all hell. She's upbeat at Christmas and she should try that more often. This is what I call karaoke music, where the backing track sounds like it could be by any female singer of the 80s and 90s. Meh.
Favorite moment of the album is a sample riff on Honey.
I have a ton of respect for her facility as a singer but I rarely like her music. That said this was a well composed album and wasn't entirely unwelcome on a Christmas day. It's fine.
Diva slop
Too much falsetto, uneven album and p diddy
Haven't really gotten into Mariah Carey personally, but I do respect her as an elegant professional artist of the 90's and 2000's. I actually knew My All which is a great hit, I like it. I also love that "The Roof" sampled Mobb Deep's "Shook Ones Part II". I love the R&B and Soul foundation of this album. I can definitely hear the influence in todays music in that genre. Mariah's golden voice over flawlessly executed blends of R&B and Hip-Hop production is very prominent.
Such a pretty voice but overall the songs didn't really match my vibe, except for "My All".
Quite a talent.
This was amazing. Mariah’s voice is incredible and I’m fond of her lyricism. You can tell a lot of care went into making this.
Mariah can sing and yet the music is incredibly boring and repetitive. This was a really forgettable album but doesn’t take away from Mariah’s singing ability.
Honestly kind of frustrating because I want it to go somewhere it never does
I can appreciate this album. But I will admit, every song sounded the same to me and if asked I wouldn't have been able to tell you which was which in the moment
mariah carey I was not familiar with your game (Ive been living under a rock, yes) this is the type of album thats not for me but I can recognize as great it is just a bit two slow inside the r&b spectrum and I have adhd
Another artist that is better served with a greatest hits collection as opposed to an album. Just samey sounding cheesy ballads abound. The Prince cover is awful. Also, she was getting to the point where she was just doing too much of the whisper singing.
I appreciated this album. Not enough to put it in my personal library, but I did enjoy a few of the songs. It's just not my jam. 3/5
Today I learned Mariah Carey writes her own lyrics, that’s all my interest in this album.
I'm sorry Ms. Carey that I've never put on one of your albums before. I've been doing a disservice to myself. Every single song is beauty. This is my Christmas Album. Its getting played all day during Christmas. This makes me realize I messed up my previous ratings cause some of them shouldn't be as close as they are to this one. The whole album got added and saved. It dont sound like something I would listen to daily, but definitely when the mood is right. Now I feel like hootin and hollerin. Im bout to go sing My All in the shower 10/10🔥
The epitome of black 90s RnB, almost too much so for me…. I prefer alternative music (including rnb) also wasn’t feeling some of gospel type feel to some the songs but there’s no bad songs. Wouldn’t listen to this album again though. Saved (1/12): - I GIVE MY ALLLLL (already had this one saved) - The Beautiful ones - Fourth of July
This is an example of the flip side of nostalgia. I definitely remember when Mariah Carey was a big deal. I don't remember any of these songs in particular and yet it still felt very 1997. I didn't like it then and I don't like it much now but I don't think it's objectively bad. So it's like a 2.5 but I'm going to give it a 2.
REALLY thought hard about giving this 4 stars. Mariah has the voice of a generation, one that I don’t think anybody will ever surpass. But the album isn’t necessarily one that I want to visit again. Tough call…
Too much flair and embellishments for me in the singing. And pretty boring as well. She is an incredible singer with a wild octave range. sort of a human piano or flute, but it just doesn't move me.
Even when you manage to dodge her for most of December, the universe invents new, twisted ways for her to get you. It was good at first but it gets quite samey. The tracks would probably sound better listened to one at a time, but together they blend together a bit. I might listen to a track or two again at some point, but probably not the album as a whole.
I had only heard My All before this. Very lovely vocals. There's not a lot of variety, but also not very strong Hip Hop influences.
This pop-R&B album drifts on silky programmed beats, muted bass pulses, and airy synth pads, with vocal ornamentation floating over a smooth mid-tempo flow that blurs songs into one softly glowing surface. It feels like watching colored lights drift under water—pretty and soothing and boring.
Fy fan vad jag hatar det här. Passionerat. Lyssnar hellre på de värsta ettor denna lista haft. Tål inte denna typ av musik. Jag försöker vara tolerant och öppen. Men det här är skräp. Så satans jävla tråkigt. Magisk röst men den slösas bort. Jag förstår ju att folk kanske gillar det här. Men ärligt talat, ändå inte! Det är svårt att förstå.
Mariah har ju en helt otrolig röst, men det här är fan en genre som är svår att älska. Det är inte direkt dåligt, men bara så tråkigt. 56 minuter är på tok för långt också. My all är en hyfsad låt, men i övrigt trist som sagt. Stark tvåa.
Beautiful vocals over some typical 90s songs.
Pop, soul, hip-hop mixed, and to the detriment of each. Great voice, but it is as if the producers wanted to have songs that highlight her greatvoicedness, not songs as songs.
I guess it’s fun to have something pop-py on the list, but I’ve never found the trilling thrilling. Boring AF.
Agitated. It's her style of singing. I'm profoundly uneasy listening to this. Maybe if she sang 25% of the notes and didn't include the three additional vocal vamp tracks in the background, MAYBE I could get through more than three songs. As it is... I cannot.
I know everyone says she's a great singer, but I've never once been moved by a Mariah Carey performance.
never understood the whole diva classification. too trite
I really believe she tapped into the divine feminine on this one.
3/5
Hate R&B, but this has a couple good songs.
Mariah Carey is a very talented singer and a Hall of Famer. I’m just not into her. I get annoyed with the runs and showiness. There are plenty of good songs on this album. I would have never listened to the five songs I listened to if not for the 1,001 Albums list, but I quickly became disinterested and quit. It’s just not for me, dawg. On to the next.
I can't believe I just listened to a Mariah Carey album and didn't even get to learn what she wants for Christmas.
Zuhause, Gerstetten, Deutschland. Was ein Müll…
Not a fan. Very samey, I don’t like Mariah Carey. 2/10
Så frydefullt! Gøy å endelig bli satt til å høre på sånn pop æ delvis vokste opp med men aldri helt hadde et nært forhold til.
Kind of a hard one - supreme talent and something I'd basically never want to listen to. Add to that, very vanilla songs in general. Huge hits on the radio everywhere in '97? Absolutely. But the full album really sucks the life out of me.
This kinda sucked
Begrudgingly a 4. Above average vocals and some catchy tunes.
I mean…there’s nothing wrong with it, but how did they end up picking this album when she has a lot of well known stuff?
This is even-for-the-90s bad.
Blew my cotton socks off; thought it would be utter mince but was actually very good
So this is pop R&B written by studio committee, produced by Sean Combs. Not feeling good about the album before even starting. "Honey" was a decent opener with a hip-hop bent, and I was happy to see Q-Tip linked to this track. I found "Butterfly" to be overly cliche although Carey's performance is commendable, ranging from airy quiet to belting presence. The next track "My All" is more of the same, but with a Latin flavor. I moved to the next song about 2/3 through. There is only so much "uh uhhh uh" singing I can take, and the next track "The Roof" opens the same way, going back to the hip hop influence. I skipped halfway through to "Fourth of July" which is more of the same cliche rhyming lyrics and overblown bass production. I stopped the journey here and skipped around to see if I could pull anything from this. Not really. Carey is a lovely singer, but this is pop hip hop crap and not to my taste or worth my time.
This is probably her best album, when she could still sing. 1/5
How can someone so talented make something so horrible? So many oooooos and everything just sounds like a knock off of her Christmas song.
Too much nonsensical moaning in the music. If you don't believe me, try listening to The Roof (Back In Time).
Það verður ekki frá henni tekið. Hún er alveg mögnuð söngkona. Mér finnst samt lögin aldrei ná neinu flugi en þessi plata er mjög hugljúf og sómar sér vel sem bakgrunnstónlist við hin ýmsu tilefni.
I’ve been a Mariah fan (Lamb) since I was 8 years old and I’m 37 now. Daydream was my first Mariah album I owned on cassette and I bought Butterfly on CD when it came out. Butterfly is my favorite Mariah album. I’ve spent hundreds of hours listening to it over the past 28 years. To many Lambs, Butterfly is Mariah’s magnum opus. It’s the first album where she’s writing from her own experience instead of generic adult contemporary pop. The lyrics and storytelling are beautiful. She sings about loss, falling in love, lust, and feeling like an outsider because of being racial mixed and the challenges it causes. My favorite tracks are Babydoll, Fourth of July, Honey, and Breakdown. Mariah always incorporated some R&B into her previous albums but I love that she was able to go full out here once she departed from Tommy Mottola. I feel like R&B suits her vocal style better than adult contemporary. The tracks are so dreamy and at times do feel like they are floating like a butterfly. I’m so happy to have gotten this album today.
If I were the one writing 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die, this is definitely another one that never would’ve made the list. I’m not going to say Mariah Carey isn’t talented, obviously she is, but this is surface level pop music through and through. I know I could try to say good things about this album and give it credit for this or that, but I’m not going to lie, I personally think the album sucked. I didn’t enjoy it at all. I couldn’t wait for it to end, and now that it has, I never plan on going back.
kinda interesting just not my type of music, she has a great voice
Mariah Carey doesn’t do much for me because it is sappy and not very memorable,but I suppose this album had some hints of late 90s nostalgia.
For all of Mariah’s fame to come after this album, this is her at her best. I absolutely love the true R&B showcased here, while she still has the room to let her vocals shine. Really amazing stuff. Also, the Bone Thugs fit so well on “Breakdown,” and I loved it so much. Best Track: Breakdown
Butterfly is Mariah Carey’s “magnum opus” only if you believe doing the exact same thing with more whisper-breathing and cooing somehow counts as evolution.
My All x Phantom The Roof x Vienna Fourth of July: Bass 👌 Breakdown: Drums 👌 Babydoll: top bang track
I expected this to be unbearable and unlistenable. However there’s some structure here and the singer keeps the caterwauling to a minimum. So if you were expecting the horror of her Christmas lp or Badfinger cover then you’re out of luck. It’s still 1 star though not as bad as The Cars.
2.1 nothing interesting and she butchered prince
No
Good voice, but this was boring. 2/5
This was wonderful -- I especially love My All, as it's been a favorite of mine from Mariah for at least 20 years. Excellent vocals, great grooves, awesome writing and amazing performances. Four stars.
I enjoyed this more than I expected, not knowing any of the songs going in. She's a very talented singer, but this just isn't really my thing - particularly the more soppy ballads. I generally hate excessive vocal runs, Christina Aguilera is always at that too. Some decent songs, particularly Honey, The Roof, Breakdown, and the Prince cover. The rest would nearly put me to sleep!
I assumed I would have heard some of these songs before, but I haven't. Definitely not what I was listening to in 1997. Giving it a chance. Songs are so long...90's r&b vibe, inane lyrics - butterflys and spreading wings, etc., inoffensive. Not for me. 2 Heard before? No Owned: No: 30/120 (25%) Will I get? No
This album is the turning point for Mariah Carey.Midway it's production a divorse came up with Motola and a heinous conflict with Sony Music.But except all that she could write more mature lyrics and produce the way she wanted,she had Q-Tip,Puff Dadd..sorry Diddy and Missy Elliott in this one.That's why is on this list in case you wondered. Honey,nice breakdown in 3:38 or so.High notes from heaven towards the end. Butterfly,beautiful piano balad.Great lyrics and harmonies as well.A bit of ''Hero'' vibes.Sheer heaven. Vocals are out of this world.Ending singing got me chills. My All,is at the pantheon of balads with great guitar,as ''Unbreak my heart''by Toni Braxton.It's all about the break-up.You can feel her pain.Bring it on sista! The Roof(Back In Time),great hip hop/r'n'b vibes,sensual with many layers of harmonies.Bliss. Fourth Of July,jazzy r'n'b Mariah's style.Not my thing,but still feels good to my ears.A bit of Stevie Wonder vibes.Birds singing at the end. Breakdown,proper r'n'b.Interacting male vocals feels like a lovers conversation.Not my favourite again but feels nothing but boring. Babydoll,same fashion as Breakdown but instead of male vocals we have backing female vocals.Ok that was a bit repetative and boring-sorry. Close My Eyes,great from the beginning,i mean the piano,,wow.Beautiful balad and Mariah's delivery and lyrics are magical.Reminded me a bit of Michael Jackson's balads.One of my favourites. Whenever You Call,strong ''Hero'' vibes in this as well.Fantastic orchestra underneath.Could have been in a soundtrack.Going higher towards the end makes it epic.Also a favourite. Fly Away(Butterfly Reprise),a more eclectic club house remix turn by legendary David Morales and Satoshi Tomiie.Absolutely fantastic.Could have been a great drum 'n' bass remix as well. The Beautiful Ones,great job with sparse delay in snare at times.Bluesy,soulful,Gospel like and spiritual.Very interesting.Again MJ vibes especially towards the end.Great guitar.One of my favourites as well. Outside,how clear the keys are in this one.. Overall it's a great album,except 2 or 3 songs i really enjoyed it,and i'm very eclectic with r'n'b plus it's almost December and Xmas is almost here but i survived a non-Xmas album from MC. 4/5
I simply do not understand how she packs that many melismas in one song
I was feeling pretty generous today, but still can't quite give this a 3. Melisma is just not for me.
2.5 57:20 (12 tracks standard format, 6th album, 1997) R&B (technically - more hip-hop pop but this is probably why it's a 'must listen') Fair amount of Sean Combs influence taints the legacy but . . . then again does it? Overall each track is pleasant, some a bit too long The Beautiful Ones (a Prince cover that adds nothing) is far too long and should have been dropped for something else. Collectively the album is boring, slow and benign; however, a pleasant shift away from the pop and long frills she was known for to a more pure R&B sound. I'm glad I did listen to it - a side of Mariah I forgot or undervalued. It's not a terrible album, I enjoyed it more than I thought and struggled with rating 3 vs. a 2 but in the end decided I really don't want to revisit this album and, in fact, took a 'break' in between to listen to ANYTHING ELSE (which I never do) but the back half of the album just gets so boring (first 4-5 tracks aren't bad) so. . . 2. Though there is nothing 'wrong' with this album, if on a long road trip and someone really wanted to play it I wouldn't object.
I'm sorry, I just can't. This is album isn't for me, and it's the first one I just can't bring myself to listen to. I have a ton of respect for her talent. It's just music that I don't want to listen to. I'll leave 3 stars to be neutral
3.1 2x liked it better than expected. start of album is great but dwindles down for the second half.
Fine enough, if more subdued than I’d like, but I can’t help but feel like they choose the wrong Mariah album. Daydream or even the Christmas album would have been a lot more representative. Still, My All is one of my favorite hits of hers that doesn’t get enough credit.
I had to endure this drek in the 90s. I’m not listening to it again. Also fuck Mariah Carey and her tone-deaf anti-worker bullshit.
Is Fantasy on this? :) its not :(
Same ol shit
I enjoyed this more than I thought I would. Took me back to the TRL days.
is very much mid 90's radio music. "Honey" is ok because of how nostalgic it feels, but rest of album is forgettable.
Not my cup of tea at all
Fuck that shite
137/1001 :: Mariah Carey - Butterfly Heard before? ❌ Would I revisit? ❌ Rating: 1 Listen before you die: No People like this? She obviously has great range but overall this album is a mix of vanilla easy listening and bad R&B. Should also be noted the first song features Puff Daddy to which was an immediate turn off.
Smooth songs. Fun album and the mobb deep sample was unexpected, but cool. Didn't save anything to my library tho.
On the plus side enjoyed Honey - this kind of R&B not my thing but this was definitely at the palatable end of that ilk. Then goes shit for the rest of the album. Slow track Butterfly and slower My All. Breakdown wasn’t quite as bad. And the Butterfly reprise later was passable. But mostly bland banalities. Hope I never have to listen to Whenever You Call again. Quite enough of her warbling gymnastics well before the end. 1 (4 for opening track minus 4 for WYC and 1 for the rest).
Rescued from its warbly over production a little towards the end - the Prince cover passes muster and I thought the Morales mix of Butterfly/Fly Away was great.
I tried. I really did. Let me summarise the first half of this album to save you listening to it. “Honey sugar baby, oh you drive me crazy, I’m going to fly away. Mmmm, ooooooh, aaaah. My heart is breaking, from the love we aren’t making tonigighighighiiight Aaah oooh, yeah. Place your lips to mine tonigighighighiiight on the Fourth of July. Mmmmmm ooooooh I’m losing my mind, gotta get control, laa-ahah dah” This isn’t a 1 star. It isnt a zero. It’s less than zero. I hate this genre of music and I especially detest Carey’s warbling vocal flourishes. It offers me nothing as a listener. Why is this even included on the list? I mean at least “Fantasy” is a chooon! But that’s not even on this album. Awful.
I refuse to sit through an entire Mariah Carey album
Sweet sweet fantasy, baby
throwback
It’s not R&B.. it’s Pop with delusions of grandeur. Not that it matters much, because it wasn’t great when it was released and somehow managed to age like potato salad in the sun.
This record sounds bad. I mean it’s a terrible recording. Worse, it’s a bad record. Schlocky R&B with Carey’s oscillating fills and throat-whistle trills make this unlistenable.
I'm not agrueing that Mariah has a good voice. This just wasn't an interesting record.
I read someone else's review that said she doesn't sing as much as moan through scales. I can't agree with that more. This is terrible.
4.5
Please stretch more syllables. Every syllable needs to be at least five times longer than in casual speech... God I hate that vocal technique so much. This album is just so boring. The production quality is pretty good, but that’s the only compliment I can give it. I don’t know what I’m supposed to enjoy about this. It's just an hour of the same uninspiring and unimaginative stuff I’ve heard on radio a million limes. Most songs here are over 4 minutes long, which is not a lot, of course, but, holy shit, I now understand why average pop listeners have no patience for anything over 3 minutes. I guess they're just used to nothing fucking happening in their songs, so they have no faith in music being able to build up to something interesting. The songs are not long, but they feel like such a drag. They’re so monotonous and uninteresting. The only songs I kind of enjoyed was Fly Away but only because it has a somewhat decent house beat. Also, what's the point of a cover if the only thing you're doing to the song is making it worse? They looked at an actual great pop song and thought, “Nah, that’s not what pop is about. Let’s make it boring.” It’s not complete trash. I guess if you’re into vocals, you may like her voice? I mean, she does all the same shit other vocalists in her genre do and no more. But I guess some people like it? For me though, it was a waste of time.
Soft core porn for people who were were embarrassed to rent it back in the day, but secretly loved it.
4.0
Some truly classic songs here, some fun and decent '90s R&B songs and some cheesy and generic ballads... I'm not sure how well it actually aged and how much is just nostalgia but I still liked it alright.
Cover 6 She's got a lot of great songs. There are certainly great songs on this album and the overall affect of the album is a good one. I haven't listened to R&B in a long while, except on occasional spurts throughout the years. I can tell this would be a top 100 best album of all time for those who do. For me, while I do like it, it wouldn't be up there but that's just a matter of taste.
Her otherworldly, super strong voice and whistle notes are absolutely impressive. The songwriting and schmaltzy feel are not for me. The bone thugs-n-harmony collaboration was a nice addition.
Not my jam.
I think I like more Pop Mariah than I do R&B Mariah and that is what this is. She can sing but the whole flow of the album is too slow for me.
90's R&B...ish. The vocals, as expected, are amazing. She is extremely gifted, just not my thing. The vote is for the quality of the vocals and her range.
I would definitely listen to this album again. I don't usually listen to pop music, but this one was very well polished. There are tracks that are impossible to miss.
I owned this album as a teenager! I didn't like it as much as Daydream, but there are some standout tracks like Honey, The Roof, and Close My Eyes. (I actually don't think I ever listened to any of the songs after Close My Eyes when I owned this on CD.)
The first song “honey” was lit but the rest was just alright to pretty good
I loveee
Pretty boring album. I liked the cover of The Beautiful Ones but mostly just because I like that song. This list could just use more Prince in general
Total crap
She can sing, clearly. I just didnt like many of the songs. Not terrible but also for me unnecessary 2.5....
Classic
++: The Roof (Back in Time), Fourth of July, Babydoll, Fly Away, The Beautiful Ones, Outside +: Honey, Breakdown +-: Butterfly, My All, Close My Eyes, Whenever You Call 6,4/10
Rich Harmonies and generously backed vocals make this syrupy sweet overproduced pop
..
Meh pop
SOOOOOO melodramatic. Much more R&B and much less pop than I anticipated. I'd have to listen through her discography to know if this is actually her best, but that seems to be the consensus. This sounded fresh and unique 20 years later and a direction pop music just didn't go. Really consistent production through out and just an incredible voice.
Horrible experience.
Mariah’s voice is fantastic, but the songwriting here leaves something to be desired. Really says something when far and away the best song here is a Prince cover. I liked this. Favorite songs were The Roof, Breakdown, and The Beautiful Ones.
Putain de bordel de merde, il est 6h du mat', et le Grand Livre, dans sa grande sagesse (?!) ou son sadisme le plus pur, décide de m'envoyer ÇA. "Butterfly" de Mariah "je-couine-plus-haut-que-ton-chien" Carey. L'icône des centres commerciaux, la reine de la ballade dégoulinante, l'idole de ton client le plus insupportable, celui qui te faisait regretter d'avoir décidé un jour de bosser dans ce putain de magasin de disques. Ce fameux client, celui qui arrivait, le regard vide d'âme, pour acheter que ça, QUE ça, et à chaque fois, tu le regardais passer à la caisse en te demandant s'il n'y avait pas une caméra cachée. Comment ? Comment peut-on s'infliger volontairement cette torture auditive ? Comment peut-on considérer cette bouillie infâme comme de la "musique" ? Eh bien, après 57 longues, très longues, interminables minutes de ce "Butterfly", je n'ai toujours pas la réponse. Je suis même encore plus paumé, car c'est l'anti-musique par excellence, c'est le vide intersidéral emballé dans de la soie et du gloss. Les préjugés, c'est une chose, mais là, ce n'est plus un préjugé, c'est une putain de confirmation factuelle. C'est de la merde POINT, de la merde liquide, tiède et insipide. Une soupe R&B calibrée pour plaire aux ménagères dépressives et aux ados sans aucun putain de goût musical. Et cette voix... Parlons-en, de cette "voix". Elle ne chante pas, elle siffle, elle couine comme si elle s'était coincé les doigts dans la portière. Et le pire, c'est qu'elle a l'air de trouver ça "sexy". Il n'y a aucune émotion, c'est une putain de démonstration technique stérile. "Regardez comme je peux monter haut ! Regardez mes trémolos ! Regardez comme je suis une diva !". Mais ferme-la, bordel ! FERME-LA ! Putain mais ferme ta gueule !!! Musicalement, c'est le degré zéro, c'est produit par une armée de mecs (Puff Daddy, sérieux ?) dont le seul but était de fabriquer un produit vendable. C'est lisse, c'est plat, c'est sans âme. Les boîtes à rythmes sont molles du genou, les nappes de synthé te donnent envie de te pendre avec un lacet de Doc Martens (d'ailleurs le mien vient de casser ce matin... Ça doit être un signe), les mélodies sont tellement prévisibles que tu peux les deviner dix secondes à l'avance. C'est le son du vide, le son de l'argent, le son de l'industrie dans ce qu'elle a de plus cynique et méprisable. Ils ont même essayé de lui coller une crédibilité "street" en invitant Bone Thugs-N-Harmony. C'est comme mettre un survêt' Adidas à un caniche royal, c'est ridicule, ça ne trompe personne, et ça pue le calcul marketing à des kilomètres. Butterfly... Papillon... Légèreté, grâce, métamorphose... Mon cul, ouais. C'est plutôt la chenille processionnaire qui te file des boutons. Car la seule métamorphose ici, c'est celle de mon tympan en bouillie auditive. C'est l'incarnation parfaite de tout ce que j'ai combattu pendant des années. Cette musique qui n'est pas de la musique, mais un produit de consommation courante, comme un paquet de lessive ou un pot de yaourt 0%. Ça n'a aucun intérêt artistique. Zéro, nada, que dalle. Alors, pourquoi cet album est-il dans le Livre ? Mystère et boule de gomme. Stratégie commerciale de l'époque ? Quota R&B à remplir ? Une blague de Robert Dimery après une soirée trop arrosée ? Quoiqu'il en soit, le Grand Livre s'est chié dessus en beauté, car mettre ça dans une liste des "1001 albums qu'il faut avoir écoutés", c'est une insulte à la musique. Une putain d'insulte, c'est cautionner cette merde. C'est dire aux gens : "Oui, oui, cette soupe infâme, c'est de la culture !". Mais allez vous faire foutre ! "Butterfly" c'est l'enfer, mais pas un enfer flamboyant à la Jheronimus Bosch avec des démons rigolos et des supplices inventifs. Non, un enfer beige, insipide, climatisé, avec une moquette épaisse pour étouffer tout semblant de vie, et une sono qui crachote du Mariah Carey en boucle pour l'éternité. Voilà, "Butterfly", c'est la BO officielle de l'enfer, avec Mariah Carey qui couine "My All" ou "Honey" jusqu'à la fin des temps. Bref, une purge, une heure de ma vie que je ne récupérerai jamais, et une confirmation éclatante de mes préjugés les plus tenaces. Parfois, faut savoir écouter sa mauvaise foi. Note : 1/5 et je suis encore trop gentil, limite démagogique, c'est dire le niveau... Car ça mérite 0, putain un 0 pointé. Mais le système de notation m'oblige à mettre 1. Quelle époque de merde.
I enjoyed like 1 and a half song
I liked it more than I was expecting. Mariah’s voice is obviously great, but many reviews said the songwriting wasn’t that good, and sure it isn’t world class, but it works. An hour is a bit longer than this album needs to be, it feels like a lot of these songs could and probably should have been shortened, but this was enjoyable. I was worried that this would be a repeat of my experience with Justin Timberlake’s Justified where I could feel my brain slowly turning to mush, but this was way better. However, I’m not entirely sure why I needed to hear this before I die. 3/5