"breakdown" was the third single released from "butterfly". the song received a limited release throughout certain countries, such as the united states, where it peaked at number four on the hot r&b/hip-hop songs. aside from the us, "breakdown" achieved a steady peak of number four on the new zealand singles chart, in addition to entering the top-forty in australia. while not one of carey's best-known hits, "breakdown" remains one of her most praised songs, receiving acclaim for assisting carey's transition into the r&b market. in his review for the album, rich juzwiak from "slant" magazine wrote the following: