Butterfly debuted at number 1 on the U.S. Billboard 200 chart with 236,000 copies sold in its first week; it remained there for one week, in the top twenty for twenty-one weeks and on the chart for fifty-five weeks (making one re-entry). The album sold more in both its fourteenth week and fifteenth week of release than in its opening week, peaking at 283,000 copies in its fifteenth (when it was at number 8). It has been certified 5x platinum by the RIAA and produced two number 1 singles on the Billboard Hot 100: "Honey" and "My All." "Honey" became the sixth single (and the third by Carey) to debut at number 1 on the Hot 100. The album also yielded the airplay-only singles "Butterfly" and "Breakdown." "The Roof (Back in Time)" and "Whenever You Call" received limited release in some countries.
Rolling Stone described Butterfly as "a transitional album" for Carey, who placed herself firmly in the "milieu of modern hip-hop-inflected R&B," while Allmusic stated that "it is one of her best albums, illustrating that Carey continues to improve and refine her music which makes her a rarity among her '90s peers."
"Honey" was nominated for the 1998 Grammy Awards for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance and Best R&B Song, while "Butterfly" was nominated for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance. The album won a Japan Gold Disc Award in category International Pop Album of the Year. For Butterfly, Carey won the American Music Award for Favorite Soul/R&B Female Artist in 1998. The album also helped her win the BMI Pop Awards for "Songwriter of the Year" and the "Songwriter" awards for "Honey," "Butterfly" and "My All." Additionally, Carey won the Top Female Artist Blockbuster Entertainment Award.
Butterfly was selected as one of the 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die
The album received platinum certification in Europe.

1995年Mariah的个人第六张专辑Daydream在全球隆重登场，迅速地在入榜首周即夺下全美专辑排行榜后座，且蝉连宝座６周，并在发行两年内创下直破８百万张的全美销售纪录，使得她成为乐坛史上首位拥有三张录音室专辑销售皆突破８百万张的女性艺人，如今此辑亦已在美国获得10白金的销售认证。其中与Boyz II Men所合作的One Sweet Day打破了Billboard有史以来蝉连最久冠军周数的纪录。单曲Fantasy上榜首周即顺利登上Billboard单曲榜榜首之位，平了Michael Jackson的You're Not Alone一曲甫于两周前才创下的排行纪录，除了在流行榜蝉连榜首８周外，同时亦是R&B节奏蓝调榜上的６周冠军得主，稍后更成为拥有２百万销售纪录的双白金单曲唱片。此外值得一提的是此曲的音乐录像带亦是由Mariah自己所执导演出，专此辑共录有12首全新作品，除邀来Walter afanasieff、Davehall、Babyface、Boyz ll Men等超级制作人、词曲作家及歌者团体，与Mariah共同制作、填词谱曲或合唱，创造出各具流行、灵魂舞曲与Mariah拿手的抒情曲等多元化的风格外，Mariah更重新诠译了Journey的抒情摇滚经典名作Open arms，曲曲精彩，再次掀起一阵的流行热潮
Daydream is the fifth studio album by American singer-songwriter Mariah Carey. Released on October 3, 1995 by Columbia Records, the album leaned towards the hip hop and Contemporary R&B genres in comparison to her previous albums, Music Box (1993) and Merry Christmas (1994). Throughout the project, Carey collaborated with Walter Afanasieff, with whom she wrote and produced most of her two previous albums. With Daydream, Carey took more control over the musical direction as well as the album's composition. Carey said she considered Daydream the beginning of her musical and vocal transformation, a change that became more obvious in her 1997 release, Butterfly. During the album's production, Carey endured many creative differences with her label, Columbia Records and husband, Tommy Mottola.
On Daydream, Carey collaborated with Jermaine Dupri for the first time, and co-wrote and produced a song with Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds, with whom she had collaborated on Music Box. It was also the first time she had worked with Boyz II Men, an R&B group consisting of four male vocalists. Together, they wrote the concept and lyrics for "One Sweet Day", a song that Carey co-produced with Afanasieff. With his assistance and the addition of a few contemporary producers, she was able to make a subtle transition into the R&B market. Daydream was nominated for six Grammy Awards at the 38th annual ceremony, during which Carey performed live. Due to the album's critical and commercial success, critics believed Carey would be one of the nights big winners. However, to her dismay, she was completely shut out, causing the subject to become very public and controversial.
Six singles were released from the album. "Fantasy", the album's lead single, topped the Billboard Hot 100 for eight weeks, and became the second best-selling single of 1995 in the United States. The song topped the charts in Australia, Canada and New Zealand and became a top-five hit in Finland, France and the United Kingdom. "One Sweet Day" was the second single released from Daydream. The song topped the Billboard Hot 100 for sixteen weeks and became the longest-running number one single in US history, a record it still holds. It also topped the charts in Canada and New Zealand and peaked within the top five in Australia, France, Ireland and The Netherlands. Jointly the singles from Daydream spent a combined six months at the top of the Hot 100. To promote Daydream, Carey embarked on the short but successful, Daydream World Tour, visiting Japan and Europe.
Daydream became Carey's highest reviewed album at the time. Critics universally praised her matured lyrics and songwriting, as well as her musical direction. Alongside very favorable ratings, the album became a large worldwide commercial success. Daydream debuted at number one in over eight different countries, and in the top five in almost every major music market. The album became Carey's second album to be certified ten-times platinum (diamond) by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), denoting shipments of over ten million copies in the United States. Aside from its success in the US, the album became the third best-selling album in Japan by a non-Asian artist, with over 2.1 million copies sold. Daydream remains one of the best-selling albums of all time, with sales of over 25 million copies worldwide.

在此独一无二的超级献礼专辑中，Mariah除了将12首冠军单曲一次收录外，更额外赠送6首新旧巨作，包括：她与长期搭档、当红制作人Jermaine Dupri合作的第一支’98全新单曲“Sweetheart”；与Whitney Houston 双天后首度破天荒合作、为“梦工厂”首部动画电影“埃及王子”真情对唱的主题曲“When You Believe”； Mariah重唱为她开启乐坛奇迹之门的密友Brenda K. Starr的1988年No.13名曲“I Still Believe”；重唱Diana Ross于1975年为电影“Mahogany”所主唱的No.1主题曲“Do You Know Where You’re Going To”；《Butterfly》专辑内Mariah心中排行No.1的钟情作品“Whenever You Call”，与知名R&B男歌手Brian McKnight的’98全新对唱版；以及台湾乐迷心中No.1凄美情歌“Without You”，弥足珍贵，绝对超值!
01. SWEETHEART 甜心
Mariah与长期搭档、当红制作人JD所合作的第一支'98全新单曲.
02. WHEN YOU BELIEVE(FROM THE PRINCE OF EGYPT) 心存相信
MARIAH与天后WHITENEY HOUSTON首度破天荒，为史帝芬.斯匹尔博格“梦工厂”首部动画电影“埃及王子”真情对唱的主题曲!
03. WHENEVER YOU CALL 无论何时呼唤
"Butterfly"专辑内Mariah心中排行No.1的钟情作品，与知名R&B男歌手Bran Mcknight的'98全新对唱版!
04. MY ALL 我的一切
1998最新No.1单曲，全美销售已破百万张白金记录.
05. HONEY 甜蜜蜜
Puff Daddy操刀制作、1997年三周No.1白金单曲.
06. ALWAYS BE MY BABY 永远的宝贝
1996年双周No.1白金单曲.
07. ONE SWEET DAY 甜蜜一日
1995年与Boyz II Men共创Billboard热门单曲榜史上No.1周数最多(16周)的单曲，已破2百万张双白金销售记录.
08. FANTASY 梦幻
1995年8周No.1白金畅销单曲，网络O.D.B跨刀说唱、Puff Daddy重新混音的单曲版!
09. HERO 英雄
1993年4周No.1白金畅销单曲,从未发表过的现场演唱版.
10. DREAMLOVER 梦中情人
Mariah亲手谱写的1993年8周No.1白金畅销单曲.
11. I'LL BE THERE 在你身边
1992年上MTV Unpugged节目，与Trey Lorenz现场对唱、重新诠释Jackson 5的1970年5周No.1名曲，再获排行双周No.1.
12. EMOTIONS 情感
1991年3周No.1金曲.
13. SOMEDAY 会有那么一天
1991年2周No.1金曲.
14. LOVE TAKES TIME 爱需要时间
1990年3周No.1金曲.
15. VISION OF LOVE 爱的幻影
1990年一鸣惊人的首支单曲，便勇夺排行4周No.1並创下50万张金唱片销售记录，及为Mariah贏得第32届格莱美“最佳流行乐女艺人”奖座!
16. I STILL BELIEVE 依然相信
Mariah重唱为她开启乐坛奇迹之门的密友Brenda K.Starr的1988年No.13名曲.
17. WITHOUT YOU 失去你
乐迷心中No.1淒美爱情曲，已于1994年获得全英No.1，全美No.3排行及50万张的金唱片销售佳绩.
18. DO YOU KNOW WHERE YOU'RE GOING TO(THEME FROM MAHOGANY) 明了自己的方向吗?
重唱Diana Ross于1975年为电影"Mahogany"所主唱的No.1主题曲.