Written by Carey from the perspective of her husband, Columbia executive Tommy Mottola, the lyrics are about what she wished he would have told her amid their separation.

Carey worked with Walter Afanasieff to produce the song and compose its music, which features keyboards, synthesizers, and programmed drums.

It reached number sixteen on Hot 100 Airplay in the United States, Carey's worst performance on the chart at the time.

In the United Kingdom, "Butterfly" peaked at number twenty-two and ended her streak of twelve consecutive top ten singles dating to 1992.

Her marriage with Tommy Mottola, the head of her record label Columbia, was a constant struggle at the time due to personal and professional differences.

[13][14] Billboard commentator Geoff Mayfield considered a strong performance from the song crucial to improve the album's commercial viability.

[21] Columbia and Legacy Recordings released a digital extended play as part of the MC30 promotional campaign marking three decades of Carey's career on August 28, 2020.

[7] Dana Jon Chappelle, Mike Scott, and David Gleeson engineered the song with assistance from Ian Dalsemer and Oliver "Wiz" Bone.

[A] J. D. Considine of The Baltimore Sun said "it has all the touchstones of R&B tradition – softly tinkling piano, a slow-boil rhythm arrangement and gospel-schooled harmonies on the chorus".

[7] Flying acts as a metaphor for freedom and is materialized via the butterfly, "a delicate symbol of beauty" according to Neil Strauss of The New York Times.

[D] For Billboard's Samantha Xu and The Plain Dealer's John Soeder, "Butterfly" helps emotionally process the act of adapting in life.

[31][49] Newfound personal autonomy was viewed as a lyrical theme;[E] Lindsey Dobbins dubbed it the "Mariah Carey Declaration of Independence" in Vulture.

[60] Rich Juzwiak from Slant Magazine likened the lyrics to Stockholm syndrome wherein Carey shows empathy for Mottola despite his actions toward her.

[61] According to Richmond Times-Dispatch writer Melissa Ruggieri, they show how "Carey unabashedly acknowledges her crumbled marriage and its ensuing effect on her psyche".

[36] In the Philadelphia Daily News, Jonathan Takiff thought Carey's background vocals were reminiscent of the 1939 song "And the Angels Sing".

[7] Elton John and Bernie Taupin are credited as lyricists along with Carey due to the inclusion of words from the song "Someone Saved My Life Tonight".

[8] Writing in Camera Obscura, English professor Hiram Perez said the composition was influenced by loops heard in hip hop music.

[71] He summarized it as "an anthemlike mix of throbbing percussion, disco, and gospel, all combining to invoke a lexicon of gay musical sounds".

[70] Background vocals feature prominently throughout the song;[67] in addition to Carey, they are provided by Mary Ann Tatum and Melonie Daniels.

[55][78] In the Waco Tribune-Herald, Grey Cavitt called the butterfly theme "a thin, flimsy greeting card to build a song".

Lai and Buffalo News writer Anthony Violanti described the production as powerful;[52][54] Marymont and Reynolds thought it was overpowering.

"[82] Considine considered it in alignment with butterflies' "fragility and grace";[35] Sonia Murray of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution suggested it was evidence of artistic advancement.

[83] "Butterfly" was nominated in the Best Female Pop Vocal Performance category at the 1998 Grammy Awards but lost to Sarah McLachlan's "Building a Mystery".

[67] Billboard writer Jon O'Brien said it "is such a convincing diversion you wish Carey would commit to a whole album full of similar bangers".

[90] According to Gold Derby writer Daniel Montgomery, the number eleven peak on Adult Contemporary is the song's most notable chart performance in the country.

It peaked at number twenty-five with "The Roof" on the UK Record Mirror Club Chart published by Music Week.

[104] "Fly Away" reached number thirteen on Billboard Hot Dance Club Play in the United States, her third-lowest peak on the chart at the time.

[109] It was partially inspired by a melatonin-induced dream Carey experienced in which she cut her finger on a fence while chasing something that jumped over it and was unable to keep up.

[111] The video opens with Carey posing like Caroll Baker in the Tennessee Williams film Baby Doll (1956), which depicts the marriage between a young woman and an older man.

[114] According to Piatkowski, "intriguing shots with her singing on a landing, the light casting large shadows of the spindles which throw vertical bars across Carey's face" symbolize a yearning for personal independence.