Mariah Carey’s fans love her with a fierce loyalty that those “lambs” express throughout The Butterfly Returns, her second Las Vegas residency at the Colosseum at Caesars Palace. They call out, “I love you, Mariah!,” and every once in a while she hones in on where the love came from and acknowledges her lamb with a look or a gesture. She’s their queen, and she’s returned to dig deeper into her catalog and share songs that may not have topped the singles chart but are very much No. 1 hits in their hearts.
Not that her previous residency, No. 1 to Infinity, lacked in any way, but if a song wasn’t No. 1 it didn’t make the cut. That meant No. 2 “Can’t Let Go” and No. 5 “Make It Happen” were left off the set list, as well songs such as “#Beautiful” and “It’s Like That.” Carey includes those songs and more for The Butterfly Returns. There is no shortage of No. 1s, though. She opens her set with “Honey” and guides the audience through “Fantasy,” “Always Be My Baby,” “Vision of Love” and “Emotions” before she’s halfway though her set.
Don’t be surprised if guests join her onstage. An early summer show featured visits by Trey Lorenz and Jermaine Dupree, but she’s accompanied throughout the show by dancers, backup singers and a four-piece band. Carey is relaxed and fully in command for The Butterfly Returns, which was designed to take Carey’s headlining residency in a more intimate direction than No. 1 to Infinity. To lambs visiting Vegas who already consider their connection with Carey to be intimate, it’s another opportunity to express love, and to react ecstatically when she gives it back.
Caesars Palace, 8 p.m. Sept. 2, 5 & 9-10, starting at $55 plus tax and fee. 866.320.9763
