Keep the Faith (Faith Evans album)

Last updated
Keep the Faith
Keep the Faith (Faith Evans album) coverart.jpg
Studio album by
ReleasedOctober 27, 1998
Recorded1997–1998
Genre R&B [1]
Length57:41
Label
Producer
Faith Evans chronology
Faith
(1995)
Keep the Faith
(1998)
Faithfully
(2001)
Singles from Keep the Faith
  1. "Love Like This"
    Released: September 15, 1998
  2. "All Night Long"
    Released: March 2, 1999
  3. "Never Gonna Let You Go"
    Released: August 17, 1999
  4. "Lately I"
    Released: November 24, 1999

Keep the Faith is the second album by American singer Faith Evans. It was released by Bad Boy Records on October 27, 1998, in the United States. Almost entirely written and produced by Evans, the album garnered generally mixed to positive reviews by music critics, with AllMusic noting it "without a doubt a highlight of 1990s soul-pop music." [2] Also enjoying commercial success, it went platinum and produced the top ten singles "Love Like This" and "All Night Long," prompting Evans to start an 18-city theater tour with Dru Hill and Total the following year. [3]

Contents

Background

Two years in the making, Evans' second solo album, Keep the Faith, was released during October 27, 1998.

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [4]
Entertainment Weekly A− [1]
Los Angeles Times Star full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svgStar empty.svg [5]
Q Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [6]
Rolling Stone Star full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [7]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [8]
Urban Latino Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svg [6]

AllMusic editor Jose F. Promis rated the album three stars out of five. He found that "Evans shines when she sings fast or mid-tempo songs, but the ballads weigh too heavily on this otherwise fine album [...] However, the classy Ms. Evans possesses a beautiful voice, is a gifted songwriter, and happily steers clear of the tacky clichés that burden so much contemporary R&B. So despite the heavy reliance on ballads, this is actually a fine album, and is without a doubt a highlight of 1990s soul-pop music." [4] Matt Diehl from Entertainment Weekly noted that Keep the Faith "remains commercial R&B, all bedroom strings and Babyface-style acoustic accents. What sets Evans apart is that she, like her soul sista Mary J. Blige, investigates her pain in a way that contradicts the lush sonics [...] It's a far richer palette than her slicker peers offer; then again, we forget that Stevie, Marvin, and Aretha's soul was considered 'com-mercial' too. While Evans hasn't hit their heights, efforts like this give us faith that she might. [1]

Los Angeles Times noted that "however heartfelt Evans' intentions may be in this homage to her late husband, the Notorious B.I.G., she seems more concerned with soliciting our empathy than with creating compelling R&B." [5] Yahoo! Music critic Billy Johnson, Jr. felt that "only a few Keep the Faith songs have the potential to keep the talented vocalist at the top of the charts." [9] Ernest Hardy from Rolling Stone felt that the album lacked song worthy of Evans' talent. He felt thath she "deserves to be known as more than the femme fatale in some bullshit hip-hop feud, and Keep the Faith is a strong reminder that she has the talent. All she lacks are the songs." [7] Similarly, Craig Seymour remarked in his review for Village Voice : "Though there's much great singing on Keep the Faith, there are too few great or even good songs. While the mostly self-penned tunes on her debut at least had a fluid quality befitting her dewy vocals, on Keep the Faith they just seem aimless. If you're not paying attention to every twist and turn of her spiraling melismas, the album passes by like a summer breeze, pleasant but neither distinctive nor memorable." [10]

Commercial performance

Keep the Faith debuted and peaked at number six on the US Billboard 200 in the week of November 14, 1998. [11] Evans' first top ten album, it scored first week sales of 85,000 copies. [12] By December 1998, the album had sold 251,000 units. [13] On July 29, 1999, Keep the Faith was certified Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). [14]

Track listing

Keep the Faith track listing
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
1."Faith (Intro)"
  • Faith Evans
  • Jeffrey "J Dub" Walker
J Dub0:59
2."Love Like This"
4:35
3."All Night Long" (featuring Puff Daddy)
  • Evans
  • Combs
  • Lawrence
  • Crawford
  • Emery
  • Todd Russaw
  • Todd Gaither
  • Bertram Reid
  • Galen Underwood
  • Evans
  • Amen-Ra
  • Combs
3:54
4."Sunny Days"
  • Dent
  • J Dub
  • Combs
4:20
5."Tears Away (Interlude)"
  • Evans
  • Walker
J Dub1:41
6."My First Love"
  • Thompson
  • Combs
4:59
7."Anything You Need"
  • Evans
  • Combs
  • Walker
  • J Dub
  • Combs
5:59
8."No Way"
  • Evans
  • Walker
  • Price
J Dub5:02
9."Life Will Pass You By"
4:48
10."Keep the Faith"
  • Evans
  • Combs
  • Dent
  • Walker
  • Donovan Jackson
  • Franklin Brown
  • Dent
  • J Dub
  • Combs
5:02
11."Special Place (Interlude)"Jordan1:01
12."Never Gonna Let You Go"
  • Babyface
  • Kenya Ivey
  • Tavia Ivey
4:27
13."Stay (Interlude)"
  • Evans
  • Walker
J Dub1:56
14."Caramel Kisses" (featuring 112)
  • Evans
  • Combs
  • Thompson
  • Scandrick
  • Keith
  • Parker
Thompson4:42
15."Lately I"
  • Foster
  • Jordan
4:16
Total length:57:41

Samples

Personnel

Technical

Charts

Certifications

Certifications for Keep the Faith
RegionCertification Certified units/sales
United States (RIAA) [14] Platinum1,000,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

Related Research Articles

<i>Whats the 411?</i> 1992 studio album by Mary J. Blige

What's the 411? is the debut album by American R&B singer Mary J. Blige. It was released on July 28, 1992, by Uptown Records and MCA Records. After signing a record contract with Uptown, Blige began working on the album with producer Sean "Puffy" Combs. Other producers and songwriters included DeVante Swing, Tony Dofat, Dave Hall, Mark Morales and Mark "Cory" Rooney. The resulting music covered hip hop soul, contemporary R&B, and new jack swing styles.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Faith Evans</span> American singer (born 1973)

Faith Renée Evans is an American R&B singer, songwriter and actress. Born in Lakeland, Florida and raised in New Jersey, she relocated to Los Angeles in 1991 in pursuit of a recording career. She first performed as a backing vocalist for R&B singers Al B. Sure! and Christopher Williams, and by the age of 20, signed with Puff Daddy's Bad Boy Records as the label's first female artist in 1994. Following her uncredited appearance on labelmate the Notorious B.I.G.'s single "One More Chance", she released her debut studio album, Faith (1995) to critical acclaim and moderate commercial reception. Evans then guest performed alongside 112 on Puff Daddy's 1997 single "I'll Be Missing You," which won a Grammy Award for Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group and became the first hip hop song to debut atop the Billboard Hot 100. Her second and third albums, Keep the Faith (1998) and Faithfully (2001) peaked at numbers six and 14 on the Billboard 200, respectively, and saw further critical praise.

<i>Hard Core</i> (Lil Kim album) 1996 studio album by Lil Kim

Hard Core is the debut studio album by American rapper Lil' Kim, released on November 12, 1996, by Undeas Recordings, Big Beat Records, and Atlantic Records. After achieving success with the hip hop group Junior M.A.F.I.A. and their album Conspiracy (1995), Kim began working on her solo album with the Notorious B.I.G. serving as the executive producer. She collaborated with a number of producers, such as Sean "Puff Daddy" Combs, Stevie J., David "Ski" Willis and Jermaine Dupri, among others. Other rappers, including Jay-Z, Lil' Cease and Puff Daddy were featured on the album.

<i>Faith</i> (Faith Evans album) 1995 studio album by Faith Evans

Faith is the debut studio album by American singer Faith Evans. It was released by Bad Boy Records on August 29, 1995, in the United States. A collaboration with the label's main producers the Hitmen, including members Sean "Puff Daddy" Combs and Chucky Thompson, as well as Mark Ledford, Herb Middleton, and Jean-Claude Olivier, among others.

<i>Supa Dupa Fly</i> 1997 studio album by Missy "Misdemeanor" Elliott

Supa Dupa Fly is the debut studio album by American rapper Missy "Misdemeanor" Elliott, released July 15, 1997, on The Goldmind, East West, and Elektra Entertainment Group. The album was recorded and produced solely by Timbaland in October 1996, and features the singles, "The Rain ", "Sock It 2 Me", "Hit Em wit da Hee" and "Beep Me 911". Guest appearances on the album include Busta Rhymes, Ginuwine, 702, Magoo, Da Brat, Lil' Kim, and Aaliyah. The album was recorded in just two weeks.

<i>The First Lady</i> (Faith Evans album) 2005 studio album by Faith Evans

The First Lady is the fourth studio album by American singer Faith Evans. Released by Capitol Records, it marked Evans' debut on the EMI subsidiary, following her departure from Bad Boy Records in 2003. Despite this, the singer reunited with much of her frequent contributors to work on the album, including The Neptunes, Chucky Thompson, and Mario Winans. Duo Carvin & Ivan of Karma Productions wrote and produced the predominant part of all songs that were included in the final track listing.

<i>Share My World</i> 1997 studio album by Mary J. Blige

Share My World is the third studio album by American R&B singer Mary J. Blige, released by MCA on April 22, 1997. The album became Blige's first to open at number one on the US Billboard 200 album chart. Moreover, it is her first album where she serves as an executive producer, alongside Steve Stoute, who also shared executive producer credits on the album.

<i>Faithfully</i> (Faith Evans album) 2001 studio album by Faith Evans

Faithfully is the third studio album by American singer Faith Evans. It was released by Bad Boy Records on November 6, 2001, in the United States. A reflection of her musical studies, Evans was inspired by a variety of classic R&B, pop, rock, and jazz artists such as Chicago, S.O.S. Band, Ella Fitzgerald, and Sarah Vaughn during the production of Faithfully. The result, a sample-heavy album, which the label described as "old school flavored", features production by Mario Winans, Buckwild, Vada Nobles, Michael Angelo Saulsberry, the Neptunes, Battlecat, and others, with material ranging from ballads to dance tracks that built upon the contemporary R&B, funk music and hip hop genres.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Heartbreak Hotel (Whitney Houston song)</span> 1998 single by Whitney Houston featuring Faith Evans and Kelly Price

"Heartbreak Hotel" is a song by American singer Whitney Houston. Originally written for inclusion on TLC's third studio album FanMail, it was later recorded by Houston after TLC rejected the song. The song was written by Carsten Schack, Kenneth Karlin and Tamara Savage, and produced by Soulshock & Karlin. It was released on December 15, 1998, by Arista Records, as the second single from Houston's 1998 album My Love Is Your Love. The song prominently features R&B singers Faith Evans and Kelly Price during the choruses and bridge.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Faith Evans discography</span>

This is a comprehensive listing of official releases by Faith Evans, an American R&B, hip hop and soul singer. As of January 2023, she has released eight studio albums, and thirty singles on Bad Boy Entertainment and Capitol Records.

<i>A Nu Day</i> 2000 studio album by Tamia

A Nu Day is the second studio album by Canadian recording artist Tamia. It was released by Elektra Records on October 10, 2000, following her transition from Qwest Records. A less ballad-driven collection of songs and more progressive approach than her debut effort, Tamia worked with a smaller number of songwriters and producers on the album, including Dallas Austin, Shep Crawford, Missy Elliott, Bink!, Errol "Poppi" McCalla, and Jazz Nixon, some of whom would become frequent collaborators on subsequent albums. As with Tamia, a cover version, DeBarge's 1983 single "Love Me in a Special Way", was also recorded for the album.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Never Gonna Let You Go (Faith Evans song)</span> 1999 single by Faith Evans

"Never Gonna Let You Go" is a song by American singer Faith Evans. It was written and produced by Damon Thomas and Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds for her album Keep the Faith (1998). The song spent one week at number 1 on the US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">You Used to Love Me</span> 1995 single by Faith Evans

"You Used to Love Me" is the debut single of American singer-songwriter Faith Evans. Written by Evans and produced by Sean "Diddy" Combs and Chucky Thompson for her debut album, Faith (1995), the song was initially intended to be used on fellow Bad Boy Records signees Total's self-titled first album (1996), but was eventually claimed by Evans after she had found lyrics to Thompson's track which were inspired by another argument the singer had with then-husband The Notorious B.I.G..

<i>Mohogany</i> 1998 studio album by Monifah

Mo'hogany is the second album by American R&B singer Monifah. It was released on August 25, 1998 through Uptown Records and featured production from Heavy D, Mario Winans and N.O. Joe. Chart-wise, Mo'hogany was more successful than her previous album, making it to 16 on the US Billboard 200 and 2 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart. The album sales increased as its lead single "Touch It" became a top 10 hit, peaking at 9 on the Billboard Hot 100 and becoming the biggest hit of Monifah's career."Monifah's Anthem"/"Bad Girl" was a major hit that played on many urban contemporary stations across the US such as WAMO in Pittsburgh, WHUR in Washington D.C, & WDAS in Philadelphia with heavy repeat play during the fall of 1998. Mo'hogany was later certified gold by the RIAA.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Love Like This (Faith Evans song)</span> 1998 single by Faith Evans

"Love Like This" is a song by American singer Faith Evans. It was written by Evans, Ron "Amen-Ra" Lawrence, Sean "Puffy" Combs, Clarence Emery, and Schon Crawford for her second studio album Keep the Faith (1998), with production helmed by Lawrence and Combs. The song is built around a looped sample from "Chic Cheer" (1978) by American band Chic. Due to the inclusion of the sample, band members Bernard Edwards and Nile Rodgers are also credited as songwriters. "Love Like This" was released as the album's lead single.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lady (D'Angelo song)</span> 1996 single by DAngelo

"Lady" is a song co-written, co-produced and performed by American neo soul singer D'Angelo, issued as the third single from his debut studio album, Brown Sugar (1995). A remixed version of the song was also released, featuring vocals from American hip hop musician AZ. Separate music videos were created for both versions of the song.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Soon as I Get Home</span> 1995 single by Faith Evans

"Soon as I Get Home" is a song by the American singer Faith Evans. It was written by Evans along with Sean Combs and Chucky Thompson for her debut studio album Faith (1995), while production was helmed by Combs and Thompson. A romantic hip hop soul ballad which chronicles a woman's desire to spend more time with her loved one, it was inspired by Evans' marriage to her then-husband The Notorious B.I.G., which had changed radically after the major commercial success of his debut album Ready to Die (1994).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">All Night Long (Faith Evans song)</span> Faith Evans song

"All Night Long" is a song by American R&B singer Faith Evans featuring guest vocals by Puff Daddy. It was written by Evans, Sean "Puff Daddy" Combs, Ron "Amen-Ra" Lawrence, Schon Crawford, Clarence Emery, Todd Russaw, and Todd Gaither for her second album Keep the Faith (1998), while production was helmed by Lawrence, Combs, and Evans. The song contains a sample from "I Hear Music in the Streets" (1980) by American post-disco group Unlimited Touch. Due to the inclusion of the sample, Bertram Reed and Galen Underwood are also credited as songwriters.

"Alone in This World" is a song by American singer Faith Evans. It was written by Sean "P. Diddy" Combs, Mechalie Jamison, Michael Carlos Jones, Jack Knight, Herbert Magidson, Mario Winans, and Allie Wrubel for her third studio album Faithfully (2001). Production was helmed by Combs and Winans. The son contains a sample from "Who Shot Ya?" (1995) by American rapper The Notorious B.I.G. Diddy. Due to the inclusion of the sample, several other writers are credited as songwriters. The song was released as the album's fourth and final single in April 2002 and reached number 73 on the US Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart. Rapper Jay-Z appeared on a remix version of the song.

"6 Inch" is a song by American singer Beyoncé featuring Canadian singer the Weeknd from the former's sixth studio album Lemonade (2016). The song's original portions were written by the artists alongside DannyBoyStyles, Ben Billions, The-Dream, Belly, and Boots. Also credited as songwriters are Burt Bacharach and Hal David and Avey Tare, Panda Bear, and Geologist of neo-psychedelic band Animal Collective. The song's music video is part of a one-hour film with the same title as its parent album, originally aired on HBO.

References

  1. 1 2 3 Diehl, Matt (1998-10-30). "Keep the Faith". Entertainment Weekly . Retrieved 2022-11-19.
  2. Promis, Jose F. (2008-04-30). "Keep the Faith review". AllMusic . Retrieved 2010-01-24.
  3. Chappell, Kevin (1999-04-01). "After Biggie: Evans Has A New Love, A NEW Baby, A New Career". Ebony . FindArticles.com. Retrieved 2009-03-14.[ permanent dead link ]
  4. 1 2 Promis, Jose F.. Keep the Faith at AllMusic. Retrieved 2011-06-17.
  5. 1 2 "Top Pop Albums (Faith Evans: Keep the Faith)". Los Angeles Times . 1998-12-03. Retrieved 2011-06-17.
  6. 1 2 "Faith Evans - Keep the Faith CD Album". CD Universe . Retrieved 2012-12-23.
  7. 1 2 Ernest Hardy (1998-11-02). "Faith Evans: Keep The Faith: Music Reviews". Rolling Stone . Archived from the original on 2008-05-15. Retrieved 2012-12-23.
  8. Brackett, Nathan; Christian Hoard (2004). The Rolling Stone Album Guide . New York City, New York: Simon and Schuster. p.  284. ISBN   0-7432-0169-8. rolling stone faith evans album guide.
  9. Johnson, Billy Jr. (October 27, 1998). "Keep the Faith Review". Yahoo! Music . Archived from the original on 2005-08-29. Retrieved November 24, 2022.
  10. Craig Seymour (1998-12-01). "Puffinstuff - Page 1 - Music - New York". The Village Voice . Archived from the original on 2013-10-17. Retrieved 2011-06-17.
  11. 1 2 "Faith Evans Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved June 11, 2018.
  12. Sandler, Adam (November 4, 1998). "Jay-Z adds 5th week". Variety.com . Retrieved November 24, 2022.
  13. Samuels, Anita M. (December 26, 1998). "Comebacks, Rap Smashes Spark R&B". Billboard . Retrieved November 24, 2022.
  14. 1 2 "American album certifications – Faith Evans – Keep the Faith". Recording Industry Association of America.
  15. "R&B: Top 50". Jam! . Archived from the original on December 6, 1998. Retrieved April 10, 2023.
  16. "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved June 10, 2018.
  17. "Official R&B Albums Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company. Retrieved September 14, 2021.
  18. "Faith Evans Chart History (Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved June 11, 2018.
  19. "Top Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End 1999". Billboard. Retrieved August 23, 2020.
  20. "R&B/Hip-Hop Albums: Year End 1999". Billboard . Retrieved June 11, 2018.