In September 1997, Mariah Carey released Butterfly, her self-described favorite and best album. Among her adoring fans, the #Lambily, it is widely considered the fan-favorite and best album as well, though some do differ in opinion. Still, Butterfly remains a sorely underrated classic in the grander scheme of things. You won’t find Butterfly on most “best albums of all time” lists by music’s most revered and respected publications. Butterfly was not lauded by critics, nor was it showered with Grammy’s. Sure, it received good reviews and praise, but the album is not anywhere near as respected as it should be among other albums by pop stars. It is an injustice.

Butterfly is music’s most underrated album because of this lack of respect. The album contains quite possibly the most poetically beautiful lyrics of any album released by her peers, with vocals equal or arguably better than anyone with the pipes to rival her. Musically, the production is flawless, the sound is subtly innovative, and boasts some groundbreaking collaborations both behind the scenes and with its guest features. The content of the album makes it one of the most personal and honest albums ever recorded. It is by far Mariah’s best work, and Mariah is by far the most successful and talented female singer-songwriter-producer. That alone should catapult Butterfly to the Top 5 or at least Top 10 of every “best albums” list. Below, I’ve outlined 20 reasons why Mariah Carey’s Butterfly music’s most underrated album.

1. The unrivaled introspectiveness

Butterfly is by far Mariah Carey’s most personal album. Free from the control of her looming ex-husband, Mariah was finally able to make an album where she could be 100% true to herself. On Butterfly, she examined her life experiences, both past and present, in songs that sound as though they’re pages from her diary; “Breakdown,” “Close My Eyes,” “Outside” and the title track, for example.

2. The unabashed honesty

With introspection comes honesty, and on Butterfly, Mariah did not hold back. “Breakdown” is probably one of the most honest songs ever recorded about heartbreak. “My All” and “Babydoll” are painfully frank representations of the word “longing,” while “Outside” and “Close My Eyes” don’t hold back in assessing the adversities in her past.

3. The gut-wrenching emotion

Introspection and honesty are the perfect recipe for a gut-wrenching emotional response. Through both her words and her vocals, Mariah delivers some of the most emotional moments of her career. The ad-libs during the heartbreaking climax “Breakdown,” or the powerful promises of “Whenever You Call” will tug on your heart strings for sure.

4. The meaningful metaphor

As an album title, Butterfly is a metaphor for Mariah’s breaking out of the cocoon to be her true self. However, the masterful use of metaphor doesn’t cease there. Throughout the albums lyrics, she weaves in complex, thought-provoking metaphors. The title track creates an allegory through its use of extended metaphor. Within that, she includes a poignant metaphor, singing “wild horses run unbridled or their spirit dies.” Then of course, there’s the lead single “Honey,” which some believe is a metaphor for something very naughty…

5. The timeless nostalgia

Several tracks on Butterfly have a genuine, nostalgic air that made them feel timeless upon their release in 1997. “Fourth of July” and “The Roof” find Mariah recanting past experiences, longing for a replay. No one else delivers a nostalgic moment quite like Mariah. Alas, over the last 20 years, all of the album’s twelve tracks have become irreplaceable pieces of 90s nostalgia.

6. The subtle sensuality

Never before had a Mariah Carey album been so sensual, yet, Butterfly is still subtle in its sensuality. The sexual innuendo “Honey” is cleverly hidden by wordplay, while songs like “My All,” “Babydoll,” and “The Roof” express a sensual yearning for love and affection in a very intimate way. Never raunchy, Butterfly is a beautiful soundtrack for love-making on a romantic evening.

7. The Mariah Carey vocals

It wouldn’t be a Mariah Carey album without the Mariah Carey vocals. Yes, “Mariah Carey” is an adjective; a very specific one. Her versatile vocal abilities are unparalleled. Not only are her technical abilities on display on this album, but perhaps more significant are the many colors and textures of her voice that she showcases on Butterfly. They’re all unmistakably Mariah Carey yet so diverse in delivery. Mariah creates moods and provides outer-body experiences with those vocals. She will send you straight to your feels with the way she delivers a particular lyric. She takes songs to places only she can for their climaxes. On Butterfly, the most notable examples of this are the bridges of “Outside” and its title track. Her voice soars and will leave you on the floor.

8. The iconic visuals

Without question, Butterfly was Mariah Carey’s visual peak. From the album cover, to the full photoshoot, to her hair and ensemble style choices, and most importantly, the music videos… everything was on point. The free-flowing, golden brown, caramel drizzled hair and the controversial skin-bearing ensembles forever changed the image of Mariah Carey. Buttefly‘s videos were innovative, creative, artistic and thought provoking. Whether it be “Honey” where art seemed to imitate life, the theatrical “Butterfly,” or the painting-come-to-life “My All,” with Butterfly MC delivered visually.

9. The relatable themes

Mariah covers a lot of ground on Butterfly. Running through the album’s 12 tracks, in one word each: Infatuation, growth, yearning, reminiscing, young love, unrequited love, lust, adversity, devotion, liberation, heartbreak, and otherness. All of these are easily relatable, making Butterfly not only a fan-favorite, but a classic.

10. The superb samples

Being the hip-hop artist that she is, Mariah is a big fan of the sample. A lot of music we listen to has an element of sampling within it. From Tupac and Eminem to One Direction, inspiration has been taken from previous artists to create something new. With the use of vocal packs, it is becoming even more possible to sample vocals for an artists’ new track. On Butterfly, only two tracks utilize a sample, but both are superbly done. On “Honey,” she utilized two classic hip-hop samples, The World Famous Supreme Team’s “Hey DJ” and The Treacherous Three’s “The Body Rock.” Meanwhile, on “The Roof,” she sampled a then-recent hit by Mobb Deep, “Shook Ones Part 1.” The way she flipped these samples into completely different new songs while still keeping that hip-hop realness is unreal.

11. The incorporation of Hip-Hop

With the samples, Mariah effortlessly incorporated hip-hop elements into her music on Butterfly; more than ever before. In contrast 1995’s Daydream found most of her hip-hop influences regulated to the remix versions of songs. With Butterfly, she had a bit more freedom. Not only were there the samples, but Mariah even enlisted Bone Thugs-n-Harmony to guest on “Breakdown,” their first collaboration with a singer of Mariah’s stature. It was a big deal for both artists.

12. The inventive Prince cover

Mariah flipped Prince’s “The Beautiful Ones” from an energized rock-and-roll tinged electric ballad into a slower, more subdued yet equally emotional ballad. Not only that, but she turned Prince’s classic from a solo number into a duet with R&B group Dru Hill. Once again, Mariah found herself trading lines and holding her own vocally, alongside an entire group, cascading through her range effortlessly.

13. The thesaurus-opening vocabulary

While listening to Butterfly, you might need to pull out your thesaurus because Mariah Carey’s vocabulary is college level. The album’s twelve tracks are littered with SAT words that’ll leave you with an improved vocabulary by the time you’re done. Unlike most, she actually knows how to use the words properly, too. Here’s a sample of some of those words:

blatant, elusive, abruptly, unbridled, ambiguous, emblazoned, envision, apprehension, splendor, flourish, succumb, resounding, fervid, strewn, entwined, ominously, tentatively, unyielding, nonchalant, guise, wayward, dissipate, inherently.

14. The masterful poetic writing

Part of being a poet is using beautiful language in your writing, and her vocabulary skills alone prove that. However, throughout the album’s lyrics she also uses an array of poetic devices and figurative language that enhance the songs both lyrically and musically. The beautiful lyrics to a song like “Close My Eyes,” on which she sings, “orangey clouds roll by, they burn into your image and you’re still alive,” show not only her rhyme-making skills, but just how beautiful she makes language sound.

15. The style-making rap-singing

In the late 90s, as R&B and Hip-Hop became more and more mainstream in Pop music, singers began displaying a bit of a hip-hop, rap-style singing. Most would credit this trend to the rappers, however, Mariah Carey was one of the first release such rhythmic, rhyme-riddled recordings. The chorus of “Breakdown” is one of the best examples of this. Nearly every other word rhymes, and she emulates Bone Thugs’ signature flow effortlessly.

16. The innovative remixes

Mariah has a penchant for remixes, and the Butterfly era delivered some of her best. The lead single “Honey” had a So So Def remix featuring Da Brat as well as a re-recorded dance mix. For the hip-hop remix of “Honey,” she sampled a different part of the same “Hey DJ” song used in the original to create a whole new track. The club mix, on the other hand, is a vocal tour de force. The title track too had a re-recorded dance mix that really stands alone as its own song. “My All,” like “Honey,” had a So So Def remix and a dance mix. Its hip-hop remix was the first of many to come mash-up remixes by Mariah, where she samples and covers portions of an old song and mixes it with her new song that she is remixing. Meanwhile, “The Roof” was remixed featuring Mobb Deep, and “Breakdown” had a “Mo’ Thugs” version as well.

17. The ingenious adlibs

Certainly, its easy to rave about Mariah’s ad-libs from a vocal standpoint. However, equally impressive is the way she will riff and add new lyrics to a song that were clearly freestyled in the vocal booth. For example, on “Babydoll,” amidst layers of backgrounds at the end, she sings, “still laying up in bed, it’s 3:27, my body’s longing, so why ain’t you calling?” Not only does it flow and rhyme, but continues to add to the theme. Usually, an artist will just repeat the lyrics, sung differently – not Mariah.

18. The captivating storytelling

The nostalgic pair of “The Roof” and “Fourth of July” are amazing examples of Mariah’s profoundly captivating storytelling skills. She details these elaborate memories with vivid details and imagery, that it’s almost like listening to a short story. One could probably take either of these songs and work them into a full stage production for Broadway. That’s how well done they are. She gives you characters, a plot and imagery to bring these sensual, nostalgic stories to life.

19. The poignant outsider’s anthem

“Outside” deserves its own mention because, for Mariah’s biracial, LGBTQ or any fans who feel like the “other,” it is an anthem. The powerful song offers solace for anyone who felt similarly to Mariah growing up, and is the reason for the beautiful bond she has with her fans.

20. The lingering, liberating impact

Butterfly forever changed Mariah’s career and sound due to her newfound freedom. It also helped to change the sound and landscape of R&B and Pop, inspiring other Pop/R&B female artists to work with hip-hop artists. Not only that, but it opened the door for Pop artists, particularly females, to be a bit more introspective in their work.

Want more? Here are 10 more articles we’ve penned about Butterfly over the years:

“Butterfly,” the song, and the album overall:
Butterfly, Fly Away: Mariah Carey’s first emancipation

The debut of “Honey”
Breaking Out of the Cocoon: A look back at the debut of Mariah Carey’s “Honey”

The “Honey” remixes:
The Many Forms of Metamorphosis: A review of Mariah Carey’s “Honey” remixes

The “Honey” and “Butterfly” videos:
Emancipating Visuals: Mariah breaks free with “Butterfly” and “Honey”

“Breakdown,” “Close My Eyes,” and “Outside”:
The Butterfly Effect: Mariah discovers The Art of Letting Go

“The Roof,” “My All,” and “Fourth of July”:
Reliving the Splendor: Mariah’s nostalgic storytelling on Butterfly

The “My All” and “The Roof” videos:
Liberating Venus: Mariah’s sensuality awakens with “My All” and “The Roof”

“My All,” as a #1:
“I’m thinking of”… Mariah Carey’s 13th #1: “My All”

“Babydoll,” “Whenever You Call” and “The Beautiful Ones”:
I Wanna Be Your Babydoll: The longings of a Butterfly

The Lyrics = The Feels
18 lyrics from Mariah Carey’s ‘Butterfly’ that’ll put you in your feelings

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“You just gotta get it in you now…”
“I know, right? I wish I had a lot of stuff in me now.”

Janet Jackson’s All For You opens with a completely random minute of mumblings between Janet and a friend in the studio. She ends it, asking, “Are you recording our conversation? I get the feeling you are. Are you, Jimmy?” And, while it is indeed random, it sort of sets the tone for the album. All For You is in many ways a conversation between Janet and her fans, friends, lovers, ex-lovers, and ex-friends.

But, let’s get the tea on the slayage out of the way first. All For You debuted at #1, Janet’s 5th album to do so, and also had the second highest first week sales of any female album, ever. The album also included two #1 hits: lead single “All For You” (it perched at the top spot for 7 weeks, holding off Destiny’s Child’s “Survivor”) and Nutty Professor single “Doesn’t Really Matter.” Follow up singles “Someone to Call My Love” and “Son of a Gun” were hits too, peaking at #3 and #28, respectively. This was Janet Jackson in her prime, slaying the charts as per usual from 1986-2001. It found her once again teamed up with the tried and true team of Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, who co-produced the album alongside Janet and a new addition to the team, early 2000s hitmaker Rockwilder, who helped with several of the tracks.

Now, lets get into the real tea. The album’s first proper track is shady club number “You Ain’t Right.” On this synthy shadecapade, Janet effectively ethers an ex-friend. Shrouded in stylized, effected vocals, Janet details how one of her good friends have wronged her. On the chorus, she breaks into an infectious and lively chant, “Oooh-hooo, you ain’t right! Oooh-hooo, sick and tired!” Meanwhile, in the ad-libs, she mumbles more cutting chides, such as “you stupid bitch.” Indeed, Ms. Jackson was pissed: “Some friends you grow old with, they’ll be there until the very end – I do believe that. But, not with her like I thought; let her in and I’ll get stabbed again.” Rumors swirled that Janet was coming for ex-choreographer Tina Landon, and while this was likely true, Janet never confirmed or denied these allegations.

Following said shade, All For You slides into its nostalgic title track. Sampling Change’s “The Glow of Love,” the song exuded 80s euphoria and subsequently lit up the clubs in the Spring of 2001. The sexy and infectious lead single was a huge hit for Janet, and rightfully so. It was catchy, fun and encapsulating everything that folks had grown to love about Janet at that point. It oozed sex, it was danceable, it had fast-singing and it had her signature, higher range belting. Littered with hooks, “All For You” is still as fresh and enjoyable as it was in 2001.

The party kept on jumping as Janet moved us into the next track, “Come on Get Up.” This bouncy dance number evoked tribal house influences and fits into Janet’s catalogue perfectly. It is reminiscent of her older work, yet still sounded new. Topped off with her signature laughter, “Come on Get Up” is smile and sweat inducing. Speaking of sweat…

It seems as though “Come on Get Up” might’ve had ulterior motives: the next series of tracks moves the “dancing” to the bedroom. “When We Oooo” is beautiful, sultry and sensual ode to a lover she can’t get enough of. While it is indeed sensual, “When We Oooo” and it’s follow up “China Love” are more on the romantic side. Unsurprisingly, “China Love” features Asian flourishes in yet another love-making ode.

Slowly but surely, Janet progressed through the stages of love making with these few songs. “Love Scene (Ooh Baby)” drips in sensuality, and the lyrics – while sung ever so sweetly, are in fact becoming increasingly raunchy. It sounds sweet enough, and not too explicit, sure, until, in barely audible ad-libs, she coos sweet-somethings such as “When you’re fucking me…” and proceeds to moan softly in the midst of a metaphorical rain storm that drenches a flawless baby-making instrumental from Jimmy and Terry.

Indeed, “Love Scene” is the perfect lead in for the album’s most controversial track: “Would You Mind.” It is the song that single-orgasmedly garnered All For You a Parental Advisory sticker. Not only does it have explicit lyrics, but also explicit audio. It picks up where “Love Scene” left off in the lyrical department as well as in the moaning department. “Would You Mind” features a full-on recording of Janet in the moments leading up to her climax. Lyrically, she explorers nearly every corner of the bedroom: “I’m gonna kiss you, suck you, taste you, ride you, feel you deep inside me, ooh… make you cum, too.” If you haven’t heard it, its worth the listen for sure. You will be shocked, and probably turned on. However, that’s not half as torturous as being in the shackles of one of these guys:

Despite the strong sexual magnitude of “Would You Mind,” it was apparently not enough to make Janet cum, though. Her climax is hilariously cut short: “The song ended! What the f— I didn’t even get to cum. Did you? You men … you men are just lame at times, I’m telling you.”

Next is quite the change in tune: “Trust a Try.” This rock ballad finds Janet delivering a rapid-fire vocal about trusting a new lover despite a failed prior relationship. It is a sonic standout on the album, and packs a fiery punch. Since Rhythm Nation, Janet made it a trend to include at least one song with a rock flare. janet. had “If,” The Velvet Rope had “What About” and All For You has “Trust a Try.”

However, All For You also has “Son of a Gun.” Sampling the Carly Simon classic “You’re So Vain,” Janet assumedly rebukes her ex-husband Rene Elizondo for the wrongs he’s done to her. Melding its rock inspiration with a more urban, hip-hop inspired structure, “Son of a Gun” unsurprisingly was assisted by a Missy Elliott feature and a Puff Daddy remix that packed a few extra punches. The video was a frighteningly perfect visualization of the dark, angry song and a highlight in its legacy.

To add insult to injury, she followed her smoking “Gun” with a healthy dose of “Truth.” Much more straight forward, “Truth” is a laundry list of call-outs of his lies. Of many notable lines, she sings “I had a career before, now didn’t I? Sold out around the world before, now didn’t I? I had a few hits before, now didn’t I?” However, “Truth” isn’t wholly bitter or indifferent. In its bridge, she sings “It’s hard to believe the love between us is over, it’s sad to think we couldn’t work it out but, how much is enough to pay for this mistake? Hope your love was sincere.” And really, after a divorce, that’s all one can do.

Well, that and find someone new: enter “Someone to Call My Lover.” The song opens with a sampled guitar riff from America’s “Ventura Highway,” and will instantly put a smile on your face. It is an optimistic, upbeat bop that is perfect for a summer day, top-down moment a la Janet in the music video. “Someone to Call My Lover” also famously introduced Janet to her future-now-ex-boyfriend Jermaine Dupri for the So So Def Remix.

The album approaches its closing moments with blissful bop “Feels So Right,” and the inclusion of her 2000 hit “Doesn’t Really Matter.” Both songs add to the positive tone set by “Lover” and inspire one last bop before the album’s more contemplative closer.

“Better Days” was the perfect choice to end the conversation that was All For You. Beginning with its dark and dramatically chilling intro (“When you live a nightmare, its hard to dream” is quite the line), “Better Days” morphs into an uplifting anthem of letting go and rebirth. “Leaving old shit behind,” she sings, “the blindfold’s off my eyes, and now all I see for me is better days.” Melding R&B and electronic dance music in a manner reminiscent of The Velvet Rope, “Better Days” is one of the album’s brightest standouts. She offers words of wisdom: “Can’t let this petty attitude start to jade my point of view; only thing that does is bring me down” and brings the album to a close by coming full circle. It began with a bit of a negative tone, but by the end, all of that negativity has been shed. For Janet, life from then on would be better. As for the fans, she ends the album officially by saying, “Well, if you like it then I’m hoping everyone else will.”

In a way, All For You marked the end of a Janet Jackson who was sorting through the struggles of life and sharing those struggles through her music. Not until 2015’s Unbreakable had Janet again ventured into such personal and hard-hitting territory. Even then, Unbreakable is much more socially conscious than it is introspective. On 2006’s 20 Y.O., Janet said “there’s something to be said for not saying anything… I don’t wanna be serious, I wanna keep it light; I wanna have fun.” Perhaps unintentionally, this sentiment harkened back to All For You‘s hope for “Better Days.” 2004’s Damita Jo relished in her newfound love, 20 Y.O. was just, well, fun, and Discipline was flat-out impersonal; Janet unfortunately stepped away from the pen completely. While this seeming lack of depth disappointed many fans and critics, it was selfish to demand such content from Janet. She just wanted “Better Days.”

All For You was Janet’s last moment spent in the middle. It cemented her legacy as an icon (MTV even honored her with a special ceremony) and laid the groundwork for her now legendary status. After a four year absence and creeping over the dreaded 30-year-old hill Janet proved she still had it, and it was the last time that she ever needed to. All For You was the icing on the cake; Unbreakable was the cherry on top.

Stream Janet Jackson’s All For You

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Album Retrospectives

• A Cause for Celebration: 10 years since Mimi’s Emancipation!
• The Soul of Mariah Carey’s The Emancipation of Mimi

Single Retrospectives

• It’s a special occasion: 10 years since Mimi’s emancipating “It’s Like That”!
• With “We Belong Together” Mariah Carey proved “there ain’t nobody better,” and had her Sweet 16th #1!
• “Don’t Forget About…” Mariah Carey’s 17th #1 single

The post Happy Anniversary to The Emancipation of Mimi! appeared first on THE 97.

Mariah Carey found huge success with her debut album, largely due to ballads that showcased her phenomenal voice. When it came time to release her follow-up album (Emotions), Carey had several goals in mind. One was to create an album that had more of a Motown influence, and another was to set-up a career with longevity. The first single from Carey’s second album was the title track “Emotions.” In an interview for the The Washington Post, Craig Seymour mentioned to Carey that “Emotions” was important in establishing her as more than a ballad singer, and in fact her lead singles for the next 10 years would be more uptempo in nature. Carey is a great crafter of pop songs and is responsible for many ’90s pop gems that also incorporate other styles of music.

Carey worked with C&C Music Factory (Robert Clivilles and David Cole) for some of the songs on her second album, including the title track. Separately Carey and Cole came up with a groove inspired by the group The Emotions, whose biggest hit was “Best Of My Love.” Some critics denounced “Emotions” for sounding a lot like “Best of My Love,” apparently missing the point of the title of Carey’s song; Carey and Cole intended the song as an homage. Carey, Clivilles, and Cole set the ’70s disco groove in a ’90s house framework, thus bridging styles and decades.

“Emotions” definitely helped listeners see (well, hear) Carey as more than a ballad singer, and in a way it helped create its own template for Carey; future singles like “Dreamlover” and “Fantasy” are also perfectly crafted songs that mix genres and are unabashedly romantic in their lyrical content. In regards to “Emotions” specifically, Stylus‘ Andrew Untergerger calls it one of the “most blissed-out, utterly delirious” love songs anyone produced in the ’90s. Devon Powers of Pop Matters calls the track “one of the strongest of her early work,” noting that “each verse is peppy and playful.” SoulBounce echoes that description in calling the song a “joyful romp.”

“Emotions” makes heavy use of Carey’s famous whistle notes, but this time there is real purpose; as Entertainment Weekly’s Arion Berger wrote, Carey’s whistle notes on the song make emotional sense as they convey that Carey is “too overwhelmed to put her passion into words.” In the rush of infatuation and at a loss for words, she has nowhere to go but up. And in fact, in a 1991 live MTV performance of the song, Carey would hit a note so high it made the Guinness Book of World Records. Not surprisingly “Emotions” would also earn Carey a Grammy nomination for Best Pop Vocal Performance, Female. In a 2015 piece, Entertainment Weekly staff called the vocal “Legendary.” Jennifer Still of Bustle commented about listeners, “Don’t pretend you don’t try it every single time.” It’s no wonder it’s nearly a Vine rite of passage to post a video attempting the feat.

The music video for “Emotions” was directed by Jeff Preiss and conveys the joyous feel of the song as Carey and her friends “romp’ around town. The video also features color desaturation, presumably to give the video the raw feeling of a home movie.

Commercially “Emotions” was a big hit for Carey. The song went Gold, and it spent 3 weeks at #1. In getting to #1, the song helped Carey break a chart record as she become the first artist to have their first 5 singles hit #1 on the Hot 100. That record still stands.

Over 20 years since its release, the current generation of pop singers have shown the popularity of “Emotions” endures. Ariana Grande covered the song in a move that increased both her profile and her credibility as a singer. Jessie J performed the song several times, including at Rock in Rio in 2013, and also posted a video on Instagram of her lip syncing to the song. What it all proved in the end, though, is that no other singer has the combination of technical prowess and vocal presence of Carey.

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