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"Butterflies"

Date range confirmed by co-writer Marsha Ambrosius in her “Rap-Up” interview (“I worked with Michael Jackson on the record here in New York in March 2001”)

Marsha Ambrosius, co-writer, “Launch” magazine interview, from “Yahoo! Music” (mirror) (archived mirror)

The song was co-written by Marsha Ambrosius, one half of the London bred neo-soul act Floetry, which also includes Natalie Stewart. Stewart was surprised that Jackson invited them to the studio, and asked for their input on the recording of the song. "It was incredible because he asked, he continually, asked, 'Marsh, what's the next harmony? Girls, does this sound right? What do you think? Is this what you were looking for? He was so open," Stewart told LAUNCH.

It took Ambrosius a few minutes to calm down. "To begin with, I was kinda shook," Ambrosius told LAUNCH. "Because you don't realize how you're going to feel until you're put in that kind of situation. I had the tears in my eyes and got kinda nervous. But as I got into it, I realized it was work, it was a job. I had to vocally conduct a legend."

“Rap-Up” (February 4, 2011) (archived)

Not many artists can lay claim to collaborating with a legend before they’ve even gotten their feet wet, but they’re not Marsha Ambrosius. Ten years ago, the English songstress worked alongside Michael Jackson to create “Butterflies,” a hit single off the King of Pop’s Invincible album, and has fond memories from the once-in-a-lifetime experience.

The former Floetry member played a pivotal role in the song’s evolution, but she was just happy to be part of the process. “The original record I produced and wrote myself,” Marsha tells Rap-Up.com. “Andre Harris co-produced it with me. I worked with Michael Jackson on the record here in New York in March 2001. Wow, it’s 10 years later and my album is going to be out. I just did the math on that. It’s crazy.”

As a sign of appreciation to the late pop icon, Marsha offers a remixed version of “Butterflies” on her debut solo LP, Late Nights & Early Mornings. The 33-year-old is grateful for the memories, even years later.

“Getting the opportunity to work with the best who ever did it, on planet Earth, period, is just a blessing,” she shares. “For me, it was just paying my respects. For those who don’t know, I’ve worked with him, but I knew him outside of music. I knew him as a father, as a friend. It was me paying my respects back to him and just thanking him for doing something for me so early in my career I never expected. When I came in the industry at such an early age—for me, 20, 21—it was way early to take on as a businesswoman and having Michael Jackson be one of the first artists that you work with as a producer and a writer, I just think that’s a blessing.”

Though the public knew Jackson for being reserved and soft-spoken in interviews, behind studio doors he was anything but. “Michael Jackson was a practical joker,” reveals Marsha. “He was just funny. And his laugh just made you laugh. When we were in the studio, his engineer kept calling me a singing heifer. And [Michael] would tell the engineer, ‘You know a heifer is a cow, that’s a cow.’ I’ll never forget that. So I’ll always be Michael Jackson’s singing heifer.”

“The Mo'Nique Show” (May 20, 2011)

I wrote “Butterflies” in 1997 about a boy I had a crush on that worked at McDonald’s, and I had no idea that three years later I would be sitting in the studio with the legend himself creating that song together. It was an amazing experience and I have had many more thereafter.