Mariah Carey's 1997 album featuring the song “Honey” is titled Butterfly. It was Carey’s sixth studio album, released by Columbia Records beginning on September 10, 1997, with releases in other markets following soon afterward.
“Honey” was the album’s lead single and arrived on July 29, 1997. Its polished blend of pop, R&B, and hip-hop marked a noticeable shift in Carey’s musical direction. The song became her twelfth number-one single on the Billboard Hot 100 and topped the chart in Canada.
Butterfly also included the singles “My All,” “Breakdown,” “The Roof,” and the title track. The album was praised for its more mature sound and its collaboration with producers and artists associated with hip-hop, including Sean “Puffy” Combs and The Ummah.
Listeners sometimes confuse Butterfly with Daydream, Carey’s 1995 album, or Rainbow, her 1999 follow-up. “Honey” belongs specifically to Butterfly, the transitional 1997 record between those two albums.