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Where the Butterflies Go in the Rain is American singer and songwriter Raveena’s third studio album which released in June of 2024, and is definitely one of the (in my opinion) stellar albums that sadly seemed to fly under the radar of almost all music reviewers and publications. I think this partially has to do with Raveena’s second studio album Asha’s Awakening not really drawing much attention despite the fairly solid single “Mystery” and its glossy, sapphic Bollywood-inspired music video. Personally, I was not particularly wowed by the album either though I enjoyed her summery, R&B musical stylings, along with the various homages to her Indian heritage both in her music and sparkly visuals.

In contrast to its predecessor, Where the Butterflies Go… is a huge improvement on almost all fronts (I think I still like the album cover of Asha’s Awakening more), though it sadly seems like this album has flown under the radar again. Decidedly a shame, because the 14-tracks comprising of this project are all glossy and well-produced, being a digestible mainstream blend of pop and R&B with slight hints of Indian instrumentation that just radiate bliss. I would compare the general vibe as the feeling of falling in love, reflected in the lovestruck lyrics that weave through the entire album with enough variation in the instrumentals to keep the album from feeling singular, even if the subject matter is. By the end of the album, I became acutely aware of my chronic singledom.

Where the Butterflies Go… takes a step further in solidifying Raveena’s musical identity in that sort of sensual, silky sound similar to Kali Uchis – another one of my favorite modern artists (and I promise I am working on the review of her latest project!!). The track that stood out the most to me on my first listen was “We Should Move Somewhere Beautiful“, which is a simple but beautiful, almost choral track that highlights Raveena’s beautiful vocals with lyrics that just hit that spot of idyllic whimsy without feeling disingenuous – “We should name all our butterflies / And shield them from the rain“. Other tracks like the sweet and catchy “Smile For Me” and “Lose My Focus” (which I heard being played in a Shake Shack of all things – this isn’t a dig at the song I was just surprised) are also solid hit material.

I really do recommend people to give this album some attention as it is all in all a very solid pop album. But I should add that Raveena’s vocals can sound a bit like the indie singer shows you her kitchen vine, though she does make it work in my opinion.

Best Track(s): “We Should Move Somewhere Beautiful”, “Smile For Me”, “Rise”

Rating: 8.0/10