On June 14, Raveena released her third studio album “Where the Butterflies Go in the Rain.” It captured the feelings of R&B and soul through the strong back beat combined with traditional Indian instrumentation and sound. Unsurprisingly, Raveena used butterflies as a motif present in many of the songs in this album. In a press release for the album, she explained, “Butterflies are so delicate that they have to hide in leaves and flowers until the rain passes so their wings don’t get crushed in the rain. I felt that was kind of a metaphor for where I was in my life. I needed to go back to comfort — to deep rest — and stop weathering storms.”
The first song on the tracklist, “Pluto,” introduced the album and also supported it as a single. In an Instagram post, Raveena shared, “I wrote ‘Pluto’ after a friend told me about their friend who had passed young but kept appearing to them as a butterfly…I was so touched and could really relate and wrote ‘[P]luto’ a few days later.” This referred to the concept of reincarnation present in many religions, one of them being Sikhism, the religion she shares a heritage with. The butterfly reminded Raveena that beauty and hope exist in the world even after experiencing loss. In the middle of the song, Raveena spoke-sang the title of the album, “Some weeks before you left / You asked, ‘Where do butterflies go in the rain?’”
The track began with a beautiful series of strings before the beat kicked in, pleasantly surprising listeners. This contrasted well with some of her previous releases that often kept that same floatiness throughout the entirety of the song — the upbeatness of this number was a nice change of pace from her other music styles. Additionally, the bass flowered this track alongside the echo on her voice. The speak-singing halfway through the song was heavily reminiscent of similar sweet elements present in classic R&B of the 90s and early 2000s, while at the same time, unique instruments such as the swarmandal and electric sitar hid within the instrumental. Despite being a song about loss that had such joyful sounds, this number wasn’t what one may describe as “toxically positive.” Raveena still reflected upon the difficulties of grief through her bittersweet lyrics in a way that was so beautiful and touching.
“Rise” is the third track on the tracklist. It’s a soulful song with a gospel-influence. In a video of her singing the song on her Instagram, she captioned, “‘Rise’ is truly one of my favorites from the album…I have played it hundreds of times, and I still find new layers in it everyday somehow.” Her butterfly motif is continued in this track through the concept of “rising” up like a butterfly against the “apathy and collective delusion and disassociation that is encouraged of us” and speaking up for the freedom of Palestine, which she wrote about in another Instagram post.
About the Israel-Palestine conflict, this number reflected on her questioning of God and her choosing to speak out about the ongoing violence as she sang, “I know I’m blessed today / Two hundred working limbs and a room to stay / So, I won’t be quiet / No, I won’t ignore.” Raveena is publicly pro-Palestine, and in an industry where so many artists refuse to speak up and bring more attention towards the genocide, Raveena inspired hope within listeners with this song.
The sixth track on the tracklist, “Junebug,” was another single and featured JPEGMAFIA. Listeners were reminded of the tone of YouTuber-singer Dodie Clark with this song. There was more speak-singing present in this number as well as a unique rap by JPEGMAFIA that meshed surprisingly well with the softness of the instrumental. It was a romantic track to listen to and was the type of song one can picture many listeners adding to playlists they share with their lovers.
The 10th track on the tracklist, “16 Candles,” was about being a teenager. The piano and softness of Raveena’s voice made listeners feel especially nostalgic. Although the lyrics aren’t very direct in their meaning, listeners get the feeling that the song is about the singer reflecting on memories and the beautiful mundanity of life. In the second verse, Raveena dreamily sang, “She pulls up my shirt and does things / My mother would freak out / Yeah, freak out, I don’t care anymore,” reminiscing about a lover.
Verdict: Raveena released “Where the Butterflies Go in the Rain” for all of the lovers and the poets out there. The symbolism of a butterfly connected beautifully to her floaty style of singing and R&B instrumentals, making this album perfect for late summer nights with the sun still lighting up the sky in a plethora of gold.
