Butterfly

iTunes Review

Butterfly glides high upon warm erotic breezes while acknowledging the heartaches of real life down below. Most of its tracks are low-lit mood pieces sliding along molten grooves — cuts like the Puff Daddy-produced “Honey” and “Breakdown” allow Mariah to weave her intricate vocal magic upon billowing backdrops. She rises out of her sensual languor to ascend melodic peaks effortlessly, adding just the right degree of sultry desperation to “My All” and “The Roof.” Her innate poise and technical finesse are always evident, making the confessions of self-doubt heard in “Close My Eyes” and “Outside” all the more telling, and “The Beautiful Ones,” a Prince-composed tune, pairs Carey with Dru Hill in a mesmerizing duet. For sheer emotive power though, the prize goes to the elegantly yearning “Whenever You Call.” Those drawn to Mariah for her vocal pyrotechnics and sensuous persona will find Butterfly thoroughly satisfying. Those looking for a little more heat and a little less sweetness than her earlier work contained will be rewarded as well.