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From the Vault...
08/05/2001
#745 |
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info
Mariah Carey
"Butterfly"
© Columbia Records
Year of Release: 1997
Rating:
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track listing
Honey
Butterfly
My All
The Roof
Fourth Of July
Breakdown
Babydoll
Close My Eyes
Whenever You Call
Fly Away
(Butterfly Reprise)
The Beautiful Ones
Outside
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Mariah Carey
"Butterfly"
Ever since Mariah Carey first burst on the music scene in 1990, she has
accomplished an interesting piece of music history... She has had at least one
(if not more) #1 song(s) every year since, except for 1994, unless you count
"Hero", which reached #1 in December, 1993, leading into 1994... I don't
know if any other music talent has ever come this close, and with her upcoming
2001 album Glitter (and movie!) released at the end of August, it'll be
interesting to see if she will continue her so-called record. (Note: Her
latest single, "Loverboy" is in the Top 3, as of this week...)
Her 1997 release, Butterfy features two #1's... And since her last
release before Butterfly, (Daydream), Mariah Carey's music was
changing to the more modern trend in today's music; that being towards hip-hop.
Mariah Carey a rap artist? Not so, but she did incorporate a well-known rap
artist to help her out on this release, that being the artist formerly known as
Puff Daddy. (He is known as P. Diddy these days...)
The leadoff track is "Honey," which Puff Daddy helped produce, and
serves as a guest vocalist. This song also reached #1, and it proved once again
that Mariah's music was changing with the times, as this song has a hip-hop dance
beat, where any Janet Jackson fan would truly enjoy.
The title track is co-produced with Puff Daddy, along with Mariah Carey,
and despite my arguable fact that Mariah's music is much better in her early
years, songs like "Butterfly" and even "My All" (the remaining
#1) proves this: They are ballads, and this is the style where Mariah is
defined best at. Her ballads are powerful, and would easily get more exposure
and much better comments regardless. Especially "My All" -- a beautiful
song, never tiring, and deserved to reach every musician's dream -- a #1 record.
Mariah Carey's "new style" of music continues with "The Roof," a
more modern dance/hip-hop style (Janet Jackson), where "Fourth Of July"
blends more soul than hip-hop (this one should get better reviews over the
"hip-hop" type-songs).
The hip-hop of Bone Thugs-N-Harmony's "Tha Crossroads" is heard in
"Breakdown," where today's music has sampling and/or actual excerpts
of well-known songs from previous decades is used. In "Breakdown,"
the actual recording of "Tha Crossroads" is not used, but the
resemblance is definitely there. Easily play this song back-to-back with
"Tha Crossroads," and there really isn't much difference.
"Babydoll" has today's definite sound, comparing to the likes of
Janet Jackson, and newest sensation, Destiny's Child. Returning to the
soul ballad format, "Close My Eyes" could easily be compared to her
early years, as it has a soulful beat, and could easily be compared to George
Michael's "Father Figure," yet with a slower beat.
"Whenever You Call" is another beautiful ballad, and can easily
be compared to Whitney Houston's ballads. "Fly Away (Butterfly Reprise)"
is probably the only song not to play on a regular basis, where most reprises
are not as good as the original. Well, probably only one comes to mind, that
is just as good -- the Beatles' "Sgt. Pepper's Reprise" is probably the
only one that stands out; other reprises I've heard were never as good as the
original songs they were related to.
The remake of Prince's "The Beautiful Ones" (from Purple Rain)
has Dru Hill sharing vocals, and as much as this remake is quite good, it
would of been awesome if the Purple One himself shared vocals with Miss Carey.
The album's closing tune, is another nice ballad, "Outside," and it is
just as good as such ballads as "Whenever You Call," from this album.
Butterfly features different trends in music for Mariah Carey.
Not only does she perform her best with the ballads on this release, these
are the ones that always stands out as her best material, likewise from previous
releases before and after. As much as Mariah points in the direction to
today's dance and hip-hop music styles, it's best to keep her main formula
intact, and that is perform the soulful ballads everyone knows her famous for.
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