Butterflies

THE STORY BEHIND ' Butterflies '​​

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This song is the "sleeper hit" of the Invincible album. While it was never given a music video or a commercial CD release, it became a massive radio anthem in the United States, proving that Michael Jackson could dominate the Neo-Soul genre just as easily as Pop or Disco.

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The "Floetry" Connection The story of "Butterflies" begins with a young British songwriting duo known as Floetry (Marsha Ambrosius and Natalie Stewart). In 2000, Floetry was trying to break into the American music industry. Marsha Ambrosius had written a demo titled "Butterflies", a smooth, jazzy ballad about the nervousness of falling in love. John McClain, a legendary music executive and Michael’s manager at the time, heard the demo tape. He immediately recognized that the melody was perfect for Michael. When he played the tape for Michael, the King of Pop’s reaction was immediate: he didn't just want the song; he wanted the girl on the tape to help him record it.

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Marsha Ambrosius was only 23 years old when she got the call to work with Michael Jackson. She recalls arriving at the Hit Factory studio in New York, terrified. When Michael walked in, he was humble and soft-spoken. He told her, "I love your voice. I love what you did with the harmony. I want to do exactly what you did."

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It was a rare moment of Michael stepping back. Usually, Michael controlled every aspect of the vocal arrangement. For "Butterflies," he respected Marsha’s demo so much that he essentially covered it note-for-note. He even invited Marsha into the vocal booth to record the background harmonies with him. Marsha later described the surreal experience: "I'm standing next to Michael Jackson, sharing a microphone, singing 'Butterflies.' He was asking me if the take was good. It was the most validating moment of my life."

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"Butterflies" is sung almost entirely in falsetto. While Michael had used falsetto famously in the past ("Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough"), he usually switched to his chest voice for the verses. On "Butterflies," he stays in the upper register for the entire track. This was a deliberate stylistic choice to fit the "Neo-Soul" vibe of the early 2000s (similar to artists like Maxwell or D'Angelo). His voice is airy, delicate, and incredibly controlled. It proved to critics that despite his age and decades of touring, his voice had lost none of its range or purity.

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Produced by Andre Harris (a key figure in the Philadelphia Neo-Soul movement) and Michael, the track is stripped back and organic.

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• The Instrumentation: There are no aggressive synthesizers or industrial noises here. The track is built on a simple, looped drum beat, a warm Fender Rhodes piano, and a lush horn section (trumpets and saxophones) that provides a jazz-club atmosphere.

• The Vibe: It is "Grown & Sexy" music. It was designed for late-night listening and sophisticated R&B radio, a stark contrast to the teen-pop sound of "You Rock My World."

 

When Invincible was released, radio DJs in the United States ignored the official singles and started playing "Butterflies" obsessively. The song exploded on the charts based on airplay alone.

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• It reached #14 on the Billboard Hot 100.

• It reached #2 on the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart, staying there for five weeks. It became Michael’s biggest hit in the US from the Invincible album, outperforming "You Rock My World" in terms of longevity on urban radio. It re-established Michael as a dominant force in the Black music community.

 

To capitalize on the song's success, a remix was commissioned featuring the rapper Eve. Produced by the Trackmasters, this remix sampled the classic song "Lady Marmalade." It gave the song a harder, hip-hop edge. While the original version is the classic, the remix was heavily played in clubs in 2002.

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The success of "Butterflies" led to the biggest heartbreak of the Invincible era. Because the song was climbing the charts so fast, Sony Music scheduled it to be the next official commercial single. A music video was commissioned. However, this occurred exactly when the Michael Jackson vs. Sony Music war exploded. Michael accused Sony of under-promoting the album. In retaliation (or perhaps due to contract disputes), Sony cancelled the commercial release of the "Butterflies" single. Consequently, the music video was cancelled. Michael was reportedly devastated. He knew he had a massive hit on his hands, but without a video or a CD single for fans to buy, the song's momentum was artificially cut short. It remains the greatest "lost hit" of his final years, a song that conquered the radio but was denied a visual legacy.

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"Butterflies" is widely regarded by critics as the artistic high point of Invincible. It is the song that modern R&B artists cite most frequently when discussing Michael’s later work. It bridged the gap between the Motown soul of his youth and the future of R&B. For many fans, it is the last true "classic" Michael Jackson love song.