Mariah Carey bent the rules on Butterfly without breaking free from them

Mariah Carey bent the rules on Butterfly without breaking free from them

In September 1997, Mariah Carey released her sixth studio album. It was also, in many ways, her first. “[It’s] still my favorite album,” she wrote of Butterfly, which celebrates its thirtieth anniversary next year. “It represents artistic freedom—and freedom in general—for me. A huge personal turning point.” The emphasis on self, even in these two lines, is hard to miss. Butterfly was singular because the album’s sound and structure were produce…