"Butterfly Net" is a song by American singer-songwriter

Caroline Polachek Caroline Elizabeth Polachek (born June 20, 1985) is an American singer, producer, and songwriter. Raised in Connecticut, Polachek cofounded the indie pop band Chairlift while studying at the University of Colorado. The duo emerged from the late- ...

, included on her fourth studio album ''

Desire, I Want to Turn Into You ''Desire, I Want to Turn Into You'' is the fourth overall studio album by American singer-songwriter and producer Caroline Polachek, and her second to be under her own name. It was released on February 14, 2023, by Polachek's imprint Perpetual N ...

'', released on February 14, 2023. The song was written and produced by Polachek along with

Danny L Harle Daniel Jack Eisner Harle (born 25 September 1989) is a British music producer and composer who records under the name Danny L Harle. He was formerly signed to the London-based PC Music label and is a member of Dux Content with A. G. Cook. He h ...

. A remix version featuring American singer

Weyes Blood Natalie Laura Mering (born June 11, 1988), known professionally as Weyes Blood (pronounced , like "wise blood"), is an American singer, songwriter, and musician. She was primarily raised in Doylestown, Pennsylvania. She has been performing her o ...

was released on February 7, 2024, as the second single from the reissue of the album, subtitled ''Everasking Edition''.

Background and release

"Butterfly Net" is included on

's critically-acclaimed fourth studio album ''

'', a record that was included on many critics' year-end lists, such as from ''

Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertis ...

'', ''

The Independent ''The Independent'' is a British online newspaper. It was established in 1986 as a national morning printed paper. Nicknamed the ''Indy'', it began as a broadsheet and changed to tabloid format in 2003. The last printed edition was publis ...

'', ''

The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in Manchester in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'' and changed its name in 1959, followed by a move to London. Along with its sister paper, ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardi ...

'', ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...

'', and ''

DIY Magazine ''DIY'' is a United Kingdom-based music publication, in print and online. Its free print edition is released monthly with a physical circulation of 40,000 in UK venues, clubs and shops. DIY Magazine ''DIY'' was launched in 2002 by then-editor ...

''. "Butterfly Net" has a "

baroque The Baroque ( , , ) is a Western Style (visual arts), style of Baroque architecture, architecture, Baroque music, music, Baroque dance, dance, Baroque painting, painting, Baroque sculpture, sculpture, poetry, and other arts that flourished from ...

art-pop Art pop (also typeset art-pop or artpop) is a loosely defined style of pop music influenced by art theories as well as ideas from other art mediums, such as fashion, fine art, cinema, and avant-garde literature. The genre draws on pop art's ...

" universe. Polachek first published a part of the remix cover art on her social media accounts on February 6, 2024, with the text "Tomorrow". The following day, the song was surprise-released for

digital download Digital download may refer to: *Downloading, the processing of copying data to a computer from an external source *Digital distribution, a method of downloading software or audio-visual media as opposed to buying it at a traditional point of sale * ...

and

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, and in parallel she announced the reissue of the album.

Critical reception

In a review of the standard edition of ''Desire, I Want to Turn Into You'', ''

Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. The magazine was first known fo ...

'' critic Maura Johnston described "Butterfly Net" as a "glowing

ballad A ballad is a form of verse, often a narrative set to music. Ballads were particularly characteristic of the popular poetry and song of Great Britain and Ireland from the Late Middle Ages until the 19th century. They were widely used across Eur ...

", and praised its "slow-burn instrumentation" and Polachek's "impassioned vocals". For the same magazine, Larisha Paul stated that Weyes Blood's participation on the song is an "exalting appearance". According to ''Flood Magazine''s reviewer Will Schube, both artists "join forces" in a "

power ballad A sentimental ballad is an emotional style of music that often deals with romantic and intimate relationships, and to a lesser extent, loneliness, death, war, drug abuse, politics and religion, usually in a poignant but solemn manner. Balla ...

-inspired" chorus. The remix was described by Robin Murray for '' Clash'' as a "divine duet" and "truly beautiful piece of music" with an "spiritual quality", "more spartan than the

avant-pop Avant-pop is popular music that is experimental, new, and distinct from previous styles while retaining an immediate accessibility for the listener. The term implies a combination of avant-garde sensibilities with existing elements from popular ...

maximalism of the original album". In a positive review, Lucy Harbron for '' Far Out'' gave the remix 3.5 out of 5 stars, and stated that Mering's "deep, velvety sound perfectly contrasts the high-ranging vocal acrobatics Polachek is known for". ''

Stereogum ''Stereogum'' is a daily Internet publication that focuses on music news, reviews, interviews, and commentary. The site was created in January 2002 by Scott Lapatine. ''Stereogum'' was one of the first MP3 blogs and has received several awar ...

'' critic Chris Deville also praised Weyes Blood's participation on the track.

References

{{Weyes Blood 2024 singles 2023 songs Caroline Polachek songs Songs written by Caroline Polachek Weyes Blood songs Songs written by Danny L Harle Song recordings produced by Danny L Harle