"Butterfly" is Mariah's sixth studio album. It is different, though, than her
past efforts, in the sense that it is a "bridging" album. Miss Mariah has
seemingly been floating away from her pop-song persona, into more of an R&B
vocalist. This is not I want to see Mariah doing in the future. People
remember the hits like "Hero," "Emotions," "Someday," and "Dreamlover," which
came from earlier albums that showed her vocal skills, not her ability to work
with a million and one different producers and flaunt her body around. She has
also moved into the category of "ghetto" by performing duets with rappers Bone
Thugs-n-Harmony. Where did Bone and Puff Daddy come from? We want to remember
Mariah as a pop diva, not just another R&B vocalist of the tons that there
are. There are good songs on her latest effort, though, such as the title
track, the ballad "My All," and "Whenever You Call." It's still a pity,
though, because her voice also doesn't seem to be what it used to. She's worn
it out over the past decade, so much that she sings mostly in falsetto on this
album and cannot hit the higher notes she's known for by singing that way. Her
voice sounds weak, dry, and breathy. I give it a (2.5) out of (5). What's next
for her now?
Nicholas Senn
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