Title: Butterflies
Artist: Jadyn Ghalen
From: TBA (2025)
Release Date: May 11, 2025
Length: 5:43
Format: CD Single • Digital Download • 7” Single • Weekly Airplay
Recorded: Sonic Lounge Studios, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
Genre(s): Hip-Hop • Rap • Trap
Label: Tric-Jam Records • Dahlhouse Entertainment
Written: November 2024
Writer(s): Jadyn Ghalen
Producer(s): Jadyn Ghalen • Young Khalifa
“Butterflies” is a trap single by American hip-hop recording artist Jadyn Ghalen, released on May 11, 2025, as the third single from his upcoming untitled debut album. Written by Ghalen and produced alongside regular collaborator Young Khalifa, the track blends moody trap beats with atmospheric synths and a pulsating drum and bass combination throughout, building around a catchy high energy chorus as it’s centrepiece. While the songs lyrics touch on theme’s of lust and infatuation in a world of obvious excess and opportunity. The track see’s Ghalen continue delivering auto-biographical self-reflective theme’s running through this recent singles run with, “Don’t Get Too Comfortable” and “Feast or Famine” giving listeners a view into the lifestyle that he’s clearly known for as well as an insight into the thought process of an artist that is clearly driven by the pressure of expectation especially as he embarks on a solo career in the aftermath of the break-up of his hugely successful hip-hop trio ‘Orion’.
The track sees Ghalen delving into the trap genre once again as he had done on the upcoming album’s lead single “Don’t Get Too Comfortable”, reuniting with Young Khalifa in the process, as the previous single “Feast or Famine” saw Ghalen revert back to his more traditional and natural hip-hop elements on the track produced by DeAndre Patton. Ghalen recently hinting that he could see himself more as a trap artist going forward as the pulsating high-energy style of that genre is one that he is currently finding the most enjoyable to work on during the recording sessions for his upcoming debut album.
Critics have praised the single for its immersive production, emotive vocal delivery, and introspective lyricism, noting it as a standout in the rising artist's early discography and indicating that the latest offering stood out more than previous effort “Feast or Famine”, which felt like a safe offering that did nothing to showcase the artistry of a burgeoning star looking to build an iconic back catalogue of hit singles in his own right. Many early reviews have highlighted how the artist seems to come alive when working with high-energy compositions, his deep but naturally melodic vocal delivery fitting perfectly into the trap genre and have noted that the traditional hip-hop compositions, focussing on aggressive and powerful beats as opposed to melodic elements appear to stifle the creativity of his performance and lyrical output.
The track was written and recorded by Jadyn Ghalen and produced by Ghalen alongside producer Young Khalifa at Sonic Lounge Studios during the Atlanta recording sessions where a large bulk of the recording for his debut album has been produced. Marking the third official single from his upcoming debut studio album, the track is set to be released on CD Single, Digital Download, 7” Single and Weekly Airplay from May 11, 2025.
Background, Writing and RecordingWritten and recorded in November 2024 by Jadyn Ghalen and produced by Young Khalifa at their Sonic Lounge Studios base in Atlanta, Georgia the track was developed during the recording sessions for Jadyn Ghalen’s upcoming 2025 solo debut album. With it’s strong trap elements and atmospheric soundscapes, it’s been noted that Jadyn initially had visions of delivering a more traditional hip-hop album prior to the recording sessions, but working alongside producer Young Khalifa for a large portion of the album has seen Jadyn delve more into that high energy blend of hip-hop and electronic influences at the core of the trap genre, expanding his own arsenal of creativity along the way. It’s reported that “Butterflies” is one of the first tracks that fully convinced Jadyn that a stronger trap presence on the record was the way to go forward for his debut album, having previously dabbled in the genre in brief increments with Orion but avoided it almost entirely on his debut solo E.P “Mentality Monster”.
With “Butterflies” Jadyn was inspired by themes of obsession, lust and emotional and physical intensity throughout the recording of the track and finding a way to link this to his own personal experiences as he tends to do with his lyrical content. He liked the idea of comparing not only the lifestyle but the allure and appeal of a woman to an addiction, particularly how someone’s re-occurring presence can trigger an almost involuntary physical response—like the childhood feeling of nervousness and excited anticipation is compared to having butterflies in your stomach. He blended that idea with the desire of knowing the sort of pleasure that was to come from his connection with that specific woman or a group of women.
The song is characterized by its slow-burning tempo, layered vocal effects, and a hypnotic hook in which Ghalen describes the physical and emotional reactions to a toxic relationship that feels both euphoric and paralyzing. The title "Butterflies" serves as a double entendre—referencing the nervous excitement of new love, as well as the internal chaos that love can trigger when mixed with uncertainty and obsession.
It's believed that the songs catchy and highly energetic chorus is a comparison to the excited feeling of that youthful idea of having butterflies in your stomach while the songs more brooding and atmospheric musical backdrop throughout the two individual verses of the song is in direct comparison to the other side of having butterflies in your stomach which is the nervous anxious feeling that comes with that excitement, an idea that is believed to have been capture from the mind of producer Young Khalifa as Jadyn explained what the general theme of the track was going to be based around.
Songwriter’s CommentaryQuote:“Man, this is one of my favourite tracks from the whole album. There’s just something about the Atlanta recording sessions and working with Khalifa on this typa shit that just works for me. Those high energy beats puts some pressure on your shoulders to come up with something to match it and I think we did that shit with the chorus for “Butterflies”. But the beats and soundscapes that I got to work with on the verses for this track just open up this whole world to play with and that’s the type of shit that I enjoy the most. We recorded some of this album in New York, California, Florida and Georgia and the influence of those places comes through in the shit that we create. Atlanta and Miami brings out that high-energy trap typa vibe, New York brings out this aggressive chip-on-the-shoulder typa feeling and California just brings a confident type of vibe to the music we’ve made out there. This one is completely on that Atlanta high-energy vibe and I gotta credit Khalifa with delivering the backdrop to this track, he’s fully in on that trap/nightclub influence and it shows whenever he’s in the production booth and I feel like he brings out a different side to my work.
Butterflies is about that rush you get when someone’s presence completely takes over your energy, that shit isn’t always in a sweet, romantic way, but in a way that almost feels like a warning. This track is about that feeling and I wanted to capture the darker, obsessive side of connection and how it can compare to an addiction where it balances between that line of pleasure with the power to become destructive if you allow it to and I wanted to flip that into something more internal. For me, butterflies ain’t a cute way of describing a feeling like some people might view it, they’re signs that something’s off, that I’m spinning out physically or emotionally which is where the comparisons to addiction and searching for that feeling or high comes back into play.
It's crazy shit trying to explain deeper meanings in your work but I feel like the song lives in that space between craving and anxiety, between euphoria and fear. It's about the thrill of falling for someone when your gut is screaming that it's not safe to allow yourself to get into that place of needing something.
Sonically, I wanted it to feel like a dream on the edge of a nightmare and Khalifa delivered that shit in the production booth with the atmospheric and moody soundscapes and then the high-energy euphoric sounds that you get in brief doses. The beat moves like crazy underneath the surface if you listen close enough, In isolation it feels constant and driving in a way that you can’t slow down. The track is about an awareness of potentially losing control and how far you’re willing to push things in the pursuit of that feeling of nirvana that you can’t seem to replicate in the same way with others.
Lyrically, it was about getting that chorus locked in and the theme of the track. I always deviate from that shit but I like to have a central theme to a track to work around and come back to. This one is purely about that physical connection that keeps bringing you back for more. There’s always gonna be those people that just hit differently when you deep into that passion shit. You get spoilt with options in this business, that shit is a blessing and it’s always fucking great. But when you got that deep lustful type of thing going on with someone, you just can’t compare those other situations to that same type of vibe. That feeling is just different when they around cause you know you both bring that extra something outta each other.”
- Jadyn Ghalen
Song DescriptionThe track begins with the sound of a couple of flicks of a cigarette lighter followed by brief crackling at the sound of a joint being lit, a couple of seconds pass before the sound of Jadyn exhaling smoke can be heard and the faint sound of synths can be heard deep in the background as Jadyn talks over it during the songs intro, his deep and relaxed sounding voice giving the track an immediate chilled out vibe,
“Fuck, this my typa shit/This the vibe I’mma need right now/This the right typa hit/Been running crazy on this/Could use some of that release no doubt/Pussy and weed right now/Something to relax, take the edge off typa shit/This the vibe I’mma need right now/Pussy and weed/No doubt.” which sets up the tracks intro while also adding a little sense of feeling like you’re in the room with him ahead of the track truly beginning.
As Jadyn’s relaxed spoken word intro comes to an end, the energy of the track immediately picks up with the sound of the synths moving to the forefront of the track and electronic elements combined with the introduction of a pulsating drum and bass rhythm signalling that the track is very much in progress as Jadyn begins the song with its catchy and infectious chorus, again his vocal delivery deep and relaxing but this time with more tempo and melody to it,
“Every time you run it back, I get that high, yeah, this shit’s a vibe yeah/Butterflies when you around, yeah, adjust your crown, yeah, when you go down, yeah/Shaking with a fever, got that withdrawal shit/I can see me falling deeper, searching for my next taste of this, yeah.” which immediately signals a contrast between high-energy trap sounds that wouldn’t be out of place in a nightclub with a smooth and relaxing vocal delivery.
As the track arrives to its opening verse following the high-energy chorus the tempo of the first verse see’s the energy of the track decrease slightly, with the focus shifting to that chilled out vibe that Jadyn’s vocal delivery hinted at in the opening chorus, the use of electronic elements creating a brooding atmospheric backdrop as Jadyn’s vocals remain alluringly deep and chilled out as he raps about the constant non-stop nature of his lifestyle,
“I been running like crazy on this shit, studio, top floor, luxury suite/I ain’t ever been one for the hardcore typa drugs, I like to keep it clean with a little weed, pussy and some whiskey/Party lifestyle got me running relentless, stamina game on point, but these bitches out here testing/Asses queued up in a row like a police line-up, count my blessings/I’ve got many vices, but I’m a sucker for these demons screaming out in pleasure, grinding on the finest/Ain’t no sleeping on this shit, I run it all day but come alive on the night shift.” which showcase the excessive elite level lifestyle with an underlying tone hinting at the pressure to keep up with it before he continues on that, comparing it to an addiction of sorts,
“Hit it hard in the studio grinding, mining for gold but when I get home, I get my reward, I got a thing for those diamonds/Glint in their eyes always shining, can’t ever get bored of these fine things/Yeah, I’m addicted to all this shit/The work and the play and everything that comes with it/You know I’mma run with it/On some generational shit, can’t get tired of this/Motherfucker I’m wired for this/Yeah, I still get that high from the hit/I still vibe on this/Yeah, I’m addicted to it/I get those butterflies, that’s the true shit/Yeah, I get those butterflies.” which signals the end of the opening verse, setting up a repeat delivery of the songs highly infectious chorus.
Following the songs chorus repeated twice, the energy once more shifts to a more atmospheric and emotive place while keeping that trademark trap element pulsating underneath everything as Jadyn expands on the ideas of the opening verse this time focussing on being drawn to a specific individual that captures his attention fully in a very crowded lifestyle which meshes more thematically with the content of the tracks chorus, again Jadyn’s vocal delivery has an element of the deep and brooding type as he accentuates the laid back aspect to his delivery,
“I’ve had a little taste of it all just to find out what I like, yeah/Tight pussy with a fine ass got me working overtime, she got me working through the night/Just the right amount of ratchet and classy so she keep me on my toes/She don’t fuck with the hard drugs, a little henny and some weed just to get her going, yeah we on that same vibe/She got that connection shit, eyes locked and I can see that glint/She an angel in my eyes/But ya’ll know I’ve seen her sin/Seen her body shake like crazy tryin her best to hold it in.” as he hints at more of a connection with this unnamed individual than the myriad of other options making themselves available to him, he elaborates further,
“Scratches on my chest, red marks on my neck/Relentless when she throws that ass, perfection and she knows nothing less/Yeah, this the shit and she know I can’t deny it/We both pretty deep into this, cause she knows exactly what I like/I ain’t exclusive for anybody/But if I had to make a choice, she my number one draft pick/She’s the one to rise above the noise/First name on the call sheet/When we fuck, that shit just hit differently/When we vibe, it’s just chill shit/Ain’t no questioning about what the fuck this is/Yeah, that’s the shit/That’s the way I like to run it/Butterflies when you around, yeah/That’s the shit.” which once more circles back around to the thematic idea of the song highlighted in its chorus. With the chorus repeating one final time before the music fades out.
“Butterflies”“Fuck, this my typa shit
This the vibe I’mma need right now
This the right typa hit
Been running crazy on this
Could use some of that release no doubt
Pussy and weed right now
Something to relax, take the edge off typa shit
This the vibe I’mma need right now
Pussy and weed
No doubt
Every time you run it back, I get that high, yeah, this shit’s a vibe yeah
Butterflies when you around, yeah, adjust your crown, yeah, when you go down, yeah
Shaking with a fever, got that withdrawal shit
I can see me falling deeper, searching for my next taste of this, yeahI been running like crazy on this shit, studio, top floor, luxury suite
I ain’t ever been one for the hardcore typa drugs, I like to keep it clean with a little weed, pussy and some whiskey
Party lifestyle got me running relentless, stamina game on point, but these bitches out here testing
Asses queued up in a row like a police line-up, count my blessings
I’ve got many vices, but I’m a sucker for these demons screaming out in pleasure, grinding on the finest
Ain’t no sleeping on this shit, I run it all day but come alive on the night shift
Hit it hard in the studio grinding, mining for gold but when I get home, I get my reward, I got a thing for those diamonds
Glint in their eyes always shining, can’t ever get bored of these fine things
Yeah, I’m addicted to all this shit
The work and the play and everything that comes with it
You know I’mma run with it
On some generational shit, can’t get tired of this
Motherfucker I’m wired for this
Yeah, I still get that high from the hit
I still vibe on this
Yeah, I’m addicted to it
I get those butterflies, that’s the true shit
Yeah, I get those butterflies
Every time you run it back, I get that high, yeah, this shit’s a vibe yeah
Butterflies when you around, yeah, adjust your crown, yeah, when you go down, yeah
Shaking with a fever, got that withdrawal shit
I can see me falling deeper, searching for my next taste of this, yeah
Every time you run it back, I get that high, yeah, this shit’s a vibe yeah
Butterflies when you around, yeah, adjust your crown, yeah, when you go down, yeah
Shaking with a fever, got that withdrawal shit
I can see me falling deeper, searching for my next taste of this, yeahI’ve had a little taste of it all just to find out what I like, yeah
Tight pussy with a fine ass got me working overtime, she got me working through the night
Just the right amount of ratchet and classy so she keep me on my toes
She don’t fuck with the hard drugs, a little henny and some weed just to get her going, yeah we on that same vibe
She got that connection shit, eyes locked and I can see that glint
She an angel in my eyes
But ya’ll know I’ve seen her sin
Seen her body shake like crazy tryin her best to hold it in
Scratches on my chest, red marks on my neck
Relentless when she throws that ass, perfection and she knows nothing less
Yeah, this the shit and she know I can’t deny it
We both pretty deep into this, cause she knows exactly what I like
I ain’t exclusive for anybody
But if I had to make a choice, she my number one draft pick
She’s the one to rise above the noise
First name on the call sheet
When we fuck, that shit just hit differently
When we vibe, it’s just chill shit
Ain’t no questioning about what the fuck this is
Yeah, that’s the shit
That’s the way I like to run it
Butterflies when you around, yeah
That’s the shit
Every time you run it back, I get that high, yeah, this shit’s a vibe yeah
Butterflies when you around, yeah, adjust your crown, yeah, when you go down, yeah
Shaking with a fever, got that withdrawal shit
I can see me falling deeper, searching for my next taste of this, yeah”
Credits & Personnel;CREDITSProduced by Jadyn Ghalen, Young Khalifa
Engineered by Aniyah Jordan
Mixed by Young Khalifa, Aniyah Jordan, Leon Ferreira
Mastered by Leon Ferreira
Production Management by Imani Jasmine Woods
Recorded at Sonic Lounge Studios, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
PERSONNELJadyn Ghalen – vocals, lyrics, composition, production
Young Khalifa – production, composition, mixing
Leon Ferreira – mixing, mastering
Aniyah Jordan – engineering, mixing, bass, composition
Ignacio Santos – synthesizer, composition
Augustine Francis – drums, percussion, programming
Imani Jasmine Woods – production management
