Billboard
by Larry Flick, Billboard, January 24, 1998

Carey dips into the jeep-smart "Butterfly" and pulls out this wickedly infectious ditty that pits her against the rapid-tongued rapping of Bone Thugs-N-Harmony. But unlike other records of this ilk, the rhymes are tightly sewn into the track's primary vocal arrangement and are crucial to the evolution of the song's lyric.

In fact, Carey successfully matches the unique pace and pattern of the rap with fluttering, high-pitched vamps. In a sea of sound-alikes, "Breakdown" is a refreshing change of pace. It'll help her make giant strides toward the hip-hop credibility she's been gunning for while opening the minds of many a mainstream pop listener.