Something About Faith | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Studio album by | ||||
Released | October 5, 2010 | |||
Genre | R&B [1] | |||
Length | 58:38 | |||
Label | ||||
Producer |
| |||
Faith Evans chronology | ||||
| ||||
Singles from Something About Faith | ||||
|
Something About Faith is the sixth studio album by American singer Faith Evans. It was released on Prolific Music Group on October 5, 2010, in the United States. Distributed by E1 Music, the album marked Evans' first independent release, following her departure from Bad Boy in 2003 and her subsequent but short-lived engagement with Capitol Records in 2005. [2] Evans who co-wrote and produced on the majority of Something About Faith, consulted a variety of collaborators to work with her on the album, including duo Carvin & Ivan, Chucky Thompson, Mike City, and Salaam Remi, as well as singer Keyshia Cole, and rappers Redman, Snoop Dogg and Raekwon. [2]
The album earned a generally mixed reception from music critics, many of whom found it pleasant but a departure from the value of previous album The First Lady (2005), citing it as too ordinary, non-controversial and unassuming. Upon its release, Something About Faith debuted at number fifteen on the US Billboard 200 and topped the Independent Albums chart. By August 2012, it had sold 77,000 copies in the United States. The album's first single, "Gone Already", was released in August 2010 and peaked at number 26 on the US Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart. The song was nominated for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance for the 2011 Grammy Awards.
In 2001, Evans released her third studio album Faithfully with Bad Boy Records. While it became a success in the United States, Evans felt that the album had received "minimum support" from the label executives and founder Sean "P. Diddy" Combs as Bad Boy transitioned from distributor Arista Records to Universal Music, resulting into the negligence of several Bad Boy releases that year. [3] Citing her wish to move on to be able to work with a new team, Evans asked and received a release from her contract and signed with Capitol Records on which she released the number-one album The First Lady and the Christmas album A Faithful Christmas in 2005. [3] Still signed with Capitol, internal changes at the label and her fourth pregnancy forced Evans into a five-year break and the launch of other pursuits, including the writing and release of her 2008 autobiography Keep the Faith on Grand Central Publishing. [4] Frustrated with her situation, Evans waited until she got a release from Capitol to acquire own imprint Prolific Music Group through E1 Music under which she began work on her next project. [4]
While she had co-written most of her catalogue and co-produced on several occasions, Evans envisioned herself to be "in the driver’s seat 100% and making for a great, more personal touch with the creative process" of Something About Faith. [6] The singer and husband Todd Russaw took a "very hands on" approach during the making of the album, while using their relationships in calling different songwriters and producers to work with Evans on new songs. [6] Several longtime contributors answered their request, including Chucky Thompson, Gil Smith II, duo Carvin & Ivan and co-producer Johnnie "Smurf" Smith who joined an eclectic group of noted but new collbaborators, including Salaam Remi, Mike City, and Malik Pendleton, among others. [5] Musically, Evans was looking for a familiar sound for the album. In an interview with Blues & Soul magazine, she said: "I like to describe this album as the new adventures of the old Faith. Because to be honest – though my voice has matured and gotten stronger, to where it has much more depth to it these days – I really just wanted to deliver what it is that the true Faith Evans fans out there wanna hear from me. Which is my style of arrangements, my style of stacking harmonies." [5]
Her most feature-heavy album up to then, Evans asked singer Keyshia Cole and rapper Raekwon to appear on her album when they wanted her to sing on their projects, prompting Evans to suggest an even swap after recording. [5] She also reached out to rapper Snoop Dogg after meeting him at the taping of "We Are the World 25 for Haiti" in February 2010. [5] Evans later commented on the process that "it was just a good vibe and a personal touch, the fact that it’s like wow, I’m really calling to see if I could clear this sample, and of course I’m ultimately letting my team handle it. But when you do things yourself, it might happen a little faster [...] it just kinda came together the way that I envisioned it, but not having done this before in this way, I didn’t know it would be, but it’s exactly how I wanted it to be." [6] When asked what prompted her to title the album Something About Faith, again using her given name after Faith (1995), Keep the Faith (1998), Faithfully (2001) and A Faithful Christmas (2005), Evans further remarked: "I thought I ran out of ways to use my name in the title. The way this project came together [...] everyone was saying 'dag, they love you.' Everyone around me was saying, 'there’s something about you,' hence Something About Faith. It just came out of thin air [...] For this album I’m giving them the new adventures of the same old Faith, that’s how I like to describe it." [7]
Something About Faith was preceded by the buzz single "Way You Move" featuring Snoop Dogg which was released on June 29, 2010. It reached number 65 on the Japan Hot 100, [8] but failed to chart in the United States. [9] It was followed by lead single "Gone Already." The song was released on August 10, 2010. [10] It received a warm reception from critics – one of whom listed the "Toni Braxton-worthy breakup ballad" as one of the "standouts" on Something About Faith. [11] Promoted by live performances on The Wendy Williams Show on October 8, 2010, and The Mo'Nique Show on November 12, 2010, [12] [13] "Gone Already" spent seventeen weeks on the US Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart where it peaked at number 26. [14] The song was also promoted with the release of a music video on Evans' and E1 Music's official YouTube channels. [15] In further promotion of the album, a high definition music video for "Right Here" was released on Evans' official YouTube account on February 14, 2011. [16]
Review scores | |
---|---|
Source | Rating |
About.com | [17] |
Allmusic | [18] |
The Arizona Republic | [1] |
Billboard | [19] |
Mojo | [20] |
Something About Faith received generally mixed to positive reviews from most music critics. SoulTracks editor Melody Charles found that the album reward Evans's "fans for their loyalty with some of her most confident and compelling music yet [...] For those who need a reminder, or for the fans who've felt bereft of her vocal renderings since The First Lady , [...] Evans' fifth CD marks a welcome return and offers that special 'something' you've been waiting for." [21] Ed Masley from The Arizona Republic stated that "there's a lot to like" and went on to praise her "honeyed vocals" on "The Way You Move", but despite feeling that "the better songs could definitely hold their own on any future greatest hits collection" he went on to note that "like a lot of R&B releases, it may be a bit on the top-heavy side". [1]
On the contrary Mark Edward Nero of About.com described the album as being "ordinary, non-controversial and unassuming" and felt that Evans' voice had been "toned down" and "harnessed so much that there's very few thickly passionate or dramatic moments [...] and some songs have such an overproduced feel to them that Faith's essence gets lost in the mix" despite noting that "at her best, she's a compelling, top-tier vocalist whose luscious voice has the power to mesmerize." [17] Likewise, Melanie Sims of The Canadian Press described the album as being a "batch of soulful yet predictable ballads." However, Sims praised the "elegant sound" of "Gone Already", the "super smooth "Right Here" and bedtime ballad "Baby Lay", before going on to state that "Troubled World" is "the only track that manages to show the true depth and richness of the voice that has gotten Evans this far". [22] Allmusic editor Andy Kellman described the album as "pleasant" but "merely decent" and stated that it "does not pack the lasting value boasted by Evans' most recent work." [18] Similarly, Natalie Shaw from BBC Music wrote that "if the gloss is intended as escapism, it doesn’t sound like she is having much fun. And at 16 tracks, Something About Faith is exceedingly filler-heavy." [23]
Something About Faith debuted at number fifteen on the US Billboard 200, number four on the Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart and at number one on the Billboard Independent Albums with first-week sales of 23,586 copies. [24] By August 2012, the album had sold 77,000 copies in the United States, according to Nielsen SoundScan. Elsewhere, Something About Faith failed to chart. [25]
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|---|
1. | "Something About Faith" (Intro) |
|
| 2:41 |
2. | "I Still" |
|
| 4:10 |
3. | "Way You Move" (featuring Snoop Dogg) |
|
| 4:55 |
4. | "Real Things" | Malik Pendleton | Pendleton | 3:02 |
5. | "Worth It" |
|
| 3:39 |
6. | "Gone Already" |
|
| 3:53 |
7. | "Party" (featuring Redman) |
|
| 3:37 |
8. | "Right Here" |
|
| 3:07 |
9. | "Your Lover" |
|
| 3:10 |
10. | "Can't Stay Away" (featuring Keyshia Cole) |
|
| 3:20 |
11. | "Sunshine" |
|
| 3:33 |
12. | "Everyday Struggle" (featuring Raekwon) |
| 4:31 | |
13. | "The Love in Me" |
|
| 3:36 |
14. | "Change" |
|
| 3:44 |
15. | "Troubled World" (featuring Kelly Price & Jessica Reedy) |
| 3:53 | |
16. | "Baby Lay" |
|
| 3:51 |
Total length: | 58:38 |
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|---|
17. | "Troubled World (Part 2)" (featuring Estelle & Lil' Mo) |
|
| 4:32 |
Notes
Sample credits
Chart (2010) | Peak position |
---|---|
US Billboard 200 [28] | 15 |
US Independent Albums (Billboard) [29] | 1 |
US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard) [30] | 4 |
Region | Date | Formats | Label | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|
United States | October 5, 2010 | [24] | ||
United Kingdom | December 6, 2010 | [5] |
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.
Free Yourself is the debut studio album by American singer Fantasia, released by on November 23, 2004. After winning American Idol, Fantasia signed to J Records with 19 Entertainment and began recording her debut album, working with a variety of writers and producers, including Louis Biancaniello, Craig Brockman, Bryan-Michael Cox, Clive Davis, Jermaine Dupri, Missy Elliott, Sean Garrett, Jazze Pha, Darkchild, Harold Lilly, Ric Rude, Soulshock & Karlin, The Underdogs, Sam Watters and Nigel Wright.
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.
The Breakthrough is the seventh studio album by American singer Mary J. Blige. It was released by Geffen Records on December 20, 2005. Initially expected to be released in 2006, it switched release dates with Blige's first greatest hits album Reflections (2006) after fruitful collaborations with a host of songwriters and record producers, including 9th Wonder, Rodney Jerkins, Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, Bryan-Michael Cox, J.U.S.T.I.C.E. League, Raphael Saadiq, Chucky Thompson, Cool & Dre, Ron Fair, and will.i.am, prompted Blige and her label to shift material from Reflections to The Breakthrough.
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.
Let There Be Eve...Ruff Ryders' First Lady is the debut studio album by American rapper Eve. It was released by Ruff Ryders Entertainment and Interscope Records on September 14, 1999. All of the songs on the album were written by Eve herself. It sold over 200,000 copies in the first week. The album has sold over 2 million copies and was certified Double Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America. The album features singles such as "Gotta Man", and "Love Is Blind" with Faith Evans. Eve became the third female hip-hop artist to have her album peak at number-one on the Billboard 200.
The Evolution of Robin Thicke is the second studio album by American singer-songwriter Robin Thicke. It was released on October 3, 2006, by Star Trak Records and Interscope Records. The production on the album was primarily handled by Pro J and Robin Thicke himself with additional production by The Neptunes. The album also features guest appearances from Faith Evans, Lil Wayne and Pharrell. In February 2007, a deluxe edition of the album was released, which included all three new bonus tracks.
N.B. is the second studio album released by British singer Natasha Bedingfield. It was released in the United Kingdom on 30 April 2007 through Phonogenic Records. In the United Kingdom it produced two top ten hits, "I Wanna Have Your Babies" and "Soulmate". In January 2008, the album was released in the United States and Canada under the name Pocketful of Sunshine with new packaging and an alternative track listing featuring only six of the original songs. The US version's title song became a top-five hit whilst the lead single, "Love Like This" with Sean Kingston, became a top-fifteen hit. US critics said that the album felt inorganic and awkwardly assembled.
Pleasure & Pain is the fifth studio album by American R&B group 112. It was released by Def Soul on March 29, 2005 in the United States. Named after the song "Pleasure & Pain" on 112's 1996 eponymous debut album, 112, the album did not fare as well as their first three albums, but the album did manage to spawn one hit single in 2005; the single "U Already Know" peaked at #32 on the Billboard Hot 100, while the second single "What If" reached #74. It was the first 112 album to get a Parental Advisory sticker. The single, "U Already Know", has two official remixes, the official Murder Remix featuring Ja Rule & Harry O and the official Roc-A-Fella Remix featuring Foxy Brown.
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.
Who Knew? is the second studio album by American R&B singer Keke Wyatt. It was released on February 23, 2010, by Shanachie Records. The album was preceded by the release of the title track "Who Knew?" as the lead single, which failed to chart commercially. The album contains material from her previously shelved albums Emotional Rollercoaster (2005) and Ghetto Rose (2007).
Still Standing is the sixth studio album by American R&B singer Monica. It was released on March 19, 2010, by J Records. Recording for the album began in 2007, in which the singer intended to take a more traditional approach to the genre and take away any "gimmicks". As executive producer of the album, Monica enlisted a variety of producers including involvement by Missy Elliott, Bryan-Michael Cox, Stargate, The Runners and Jermaine Dupri. Production on Still Standing was chronicled by Monica's BET reality series of the same name which aired between October 2009 and January 2010.
Do You Want the Truth or Something Beautiful? is the debut studio album by English recording artist Paloma Faith. It was released on 28 September 2009 by Epic Records. Its first two singles from the album, "Stone Cold Sober" and "New York", both peaked within the top twenty in the United Kingdom. The album spawned three more singles: "Do You Want the Truth or Something Beautiful?", "Upside Down" and "Smoke & Mirrors".
Time to Share is the thirteenth album from Japanese musician Toshinobu Kubota, released on September 21, 2004 under his alias "Toshi." It was Kubota's third English album.
Never Been Gone is the 23rd studio album by American singer-songwriter Carly Simon, released by Iris Records, on October 27, 2009.
"Gone Already" is a song by American recording artist Faith Evans. It was written by Evans, Ryan Toby, Corey "Latif" Williams, Johnathan Smith, Carvin Haggins, and Ivan Barias for her sixth studio album, Something About Faith (2010), while production helmed by Haggins and Barias under their production moniker Carvin & Ivan. Smith is credited as an additional producer on the piano-led R&B ballad, on which Evans sings about letting go of past pain and moving forward into a brighter future
Lost in Time is the fifth studio album by American R&B recording artist Eric Benét, released November 30, 2010 on Reprise Records. It is the follow-up to Love & Life (2008). Production for the album took place during 2010 at various recording studios and was handled by Benét, George Nash, Jr., and Demonté Posey. Lost in Time contains musical elements of 1970s soul music and features guest appearances by Chrisette Michele, Faith Evans, Eddie Levert, Ledisi, and Benét's daughter, India.
Rated R: Remixed is the second remix album by Barbadian singer Rihanna. It was released on May 8, 2010, in Brazil and Europe and on May 24, 2010, in the United States by Def Jam Recordings. It contains remixes from her fourth studio album, Rated R (2009). The songs were solely remixed by Chew Fu. The majority of the remixes were remastered to incorporate influences from the genre of house music, and incorporate heavy usage of synthesizers as part of their instrumentation.
Good Girl Gone Bad: Reloaded is the reissue of Barbadian singer Rihanna's third studio album Good Girl Gone Bad (2007). It was first released digitally in selected countries on June 2, 2008, by Def Jam Recordings and SRP Records. Launched to mark the first anniversary of the original album, Good Girl Gone Bad: Reloaded features three newly recorded songs and a DVD showing exclusive behind-the-scenes footage of Rihanna's worldwide tour, the Good Girl Gone Bad Tour (2007–2009). For the new material, she worked with past collaborators Ne-Yo, Stargate, and C. "Tricky" Stewart, as well as Brian Kennedy, Mark Endert, Mike Elizondo, Mark "Spike" Stent and Maroon 5.
A Perfect Contradiction is the third studio album by English recording artist Paloma Faith, released by Sony Music Entertainment on 10 March 2014. Musically, the album is a pop album, with elements of R&B, jazz, soul, Motown and disco. The album received mixed reviews; it spawned six singles; "Can't Rely on You", "Only Love Can Hurt Like This", "Trouble with My Baby", "Ready for the Good Life", "Leave While I'm Not Looking" and "Beauty Remains"; the first two of these charted within the top 10 in the United Kingdom and "Only Love Can Hurt Like This" topped the charts in Australia.
{{cite news}}
: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)