Butterflies are part of the class of insects in the order Lepidoptera, along with the moths. Adult butterflies have large, often brightly coloured wings, and conspicuous, fluttering flight. The group comprises the large superfamily Papilionoidea, along with two smaller groups, the skippers (superfamily Hesperioidea) and the moth-butterflies (superfamily Hedyloidea). Butterfly fossils date to the Palaeocene, about 56 million years ago.

Butterflies have the typical four-stage insect life cycle. Winged adults lay eggs on the food plant on which their larvae, known as caterpillars, will feed. The caterpillars grow, sometimes very rapidly, and when fully developed pupate in a chrysalis. When metamorphosis is complete, the pupal skin splits, the adult insect climbs out and, after its wings have expanded and dried, it flies off. Some butterflies, especially in the tropics, have several generations in a year, while others have a single generation, and a few in cold locations may take several years to pass through their whole life cycle.

"Butterfly" is a song by American singer-songwriter Mariah Carey from her sixth studio album of the same name. It was released as the second single from the album on December 1, 1997 by Columbia Records. The song was written by Carey and Walter Afanasieff; both of them producing and arranging the song as well. "Butterfly" is a ballad combining elements of pop and gospel genres. Carey had originally conceived it as a house record with David Morales titled "Fly Away (Butterfly Reprise)". After realizing how personal the lyrics were and how they could be applied to Butterfly, she wrote the album's title track with Afanasieff. On the song's lyrics, Carey sings to someone, telling them to spread their wings and release into the world on their own, like a butterfly.

The song's music video depicts Carey in an abandoned house, trapped in a desolate life. As the video progresses, she leaves, apparently for the first time in years, and runs into a nearby meadow. Towards the end, Carey jumps over a barbed fence and goes out into the world on a horse. The song's lyrics and video were directly connected to Carey's personal life at the time. "Butterfly" was performed live on the Late Show with David Letterman, Saturday Night Live and various European television programs. The song was also a permanent part of the set-list during her Butterfly World Tour during 1998. Due to current conflict with Columbia, "Butterfly" was never issued a commercial release, therefore hindering its charting ability. The song performed weakly on the charts, peaking outside the top twenty in most countries, except for New Zealand, where it peaked at number 15. In the United States, "Butterfly" was not eligible to chart on the Hot 100 due to Billboard rules at the time.

"Butterfly" is a song by Australian recording artist and songwriter Kylie Minogue from her seventh studio album Light Years (2000). The song was written by Minogue and Steven Anderson and was produced by DJ Mark Picchiotti. It was released as the sixth and first promotional single off her album.

The song received generally positive reviews from music critics, many saying it is an instant standout from the album. The song was originally issued to clubs in spring 2000 in the UK as a test pressing to gauge DJ reaction to Minogue's new material. "Butterfly" had been in the running to be the fourth single from Light Years, but due to its strong club influences it was pulled in favour of the radio-friendly "Please Stay". However, Mark Pichotti remixed the track and issued it in the United States through his own Blue2 label (a division of Blueplate Records), where it became a hit on the Billboard Dance music charts. The song had peaked at number fourteen on the Billboard Hot Dance Club Play chart.

"Supersonic" is the debut single by the English rock band Oasis, written by lead guitarist Noel Gallagher. The song appears on their debut album Definitely Maybe, released in August 1994.

Release and rankings

The song was released on 11 April 1994 and peaked at number 31 on the UK Singles Chart, Oasis's lowest-peaking single. However, over time it has amassed sales of over 215,000, making it their 13th biggest selling single ever in the UK, even outselling their 2002 number one "The Hindu Times", and both of their 2005 number ones, "Lyla" and "The Importance of Being Idle".

"Supersonic" was also the band's first single to chart in the United States, where it peaked at number 11 on the US Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart on 10 December 1994. The song was performed by the band on their debut national TV performance on Channel 4's The Word. It remains a favourite song of both the band and their fans (on the Definitely Maybe DVD, Noel cites it as his favourite Oasis song). The single went silver in the UK in 2006.

"Supersonic" is a 1988 single by J.J. Fad from their self-titled debut album. It reached #10 on the Billboard Hot Dance/Club Play Songs and #22 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks chart. "Supersonic" stayed on the dance charts for eight weeks. The song went gold, and also got nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Rap Performance in 1989, making them the first all-female rap group to be nominated for a Grammy award.

Usage in pop culture