Faith
Studio album by
Faith Evans
ReleasedAugust 29, 1995
RecordedNovember 1994 – June 1995
StudioThe Hit Factory (New York City)
GenreR&B[1]
Length62:10
Label
Producer
Faith Evans chronology
Faith
(1995)		 Keep the Faith
(1998)
Singles from Faith
  1. "You Used to Love Me"
    Released: July 13, 1995
  2. "Soon as I Get Home"
    Released: September 21, 1995
  3. "Ain't Nobody"
    Released: October 26, 1995
  4. "Come Over"
    Released: January 24, 1996

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.

The album, which spawned the gold-certified hits "You Used to Love Me" and "Soon as I Get Home", was certified Platinum by the RIAA in March 1996. Faith contains a cover of the Rose Royce's single "Love Don't Live Here Anymore" which featured an appearance from Mary J. Blige on the album's original pressings.[2]

Production

Newly contracted to Bad Boy Records, Evans was consulted by executive producer Combs to contribute backing vocals and writing skills to Mary J. Blige's My Life (1994) and Usher's self-titled debut album (1994) prior to starting work on her debut record album Faith.[3] Producer Chucky Thompson - who helmed most of the album - recalls meeting Evans for the first time by her doing vocal production work on Usher's album.[4] Though she initially was a protégé of Al B. Sure!'s, she eventually signed to Bad Boy and insisted on Thompson producing her entire album after hearing him playing music on the piano in the studio.[4] Thompson said Evans' first single "You Used To Love Me" was originally planned for her labelmates Total,[5] but Evans wrote to the track after hearing the music and it was the first song finished for her album.[4] The second single "Soon As I Get Home" was done to pass the time at the studio because Thompson had a flight to catch later that day.[4][5] As he was about to leave, he received a call from Combs insisting he record the music Evans heard him play before he got on the plane.[4][5] Evans later left a message on Thompson's answering machine - which was the song she wrote and recorded.[5] Thompson said the song was finished and he didn't add any other touches to it.[4]

Another song on the album, "You Don't Understand", was primarily influenced by Evans' marriage to The Notorious B.I.G.[4][5] The music of R. Kelly was the primary inspiration for the musical arrangement, according to Thompson.[4] The third single from the album was the song "Ain't Nobody". Thompson said it was influenced by the song "Can't Let Her Get Away" by Michael Jackson from his 1991 album Dangerous.[5] When he started on the music, he didn't do the tracking until after Combs came to hear the song and gave him the go ahead to track it.[5] When Thompson attempted the first time after Combs left, the plug came out from the machine and the entire track was erased - which led him having to do it all over again from scratch.[5] The final single released from the album, "Come Over", was initially supposed to be an interlude.[5] However, Evans insisted the interlude should be made into a full song.[5] Another album track on Faith, "All This Love" was written by Evans and her boyfriend prior to her marriage to The Notorious B.I.G., but Thompson revealed the music was composed five years before he met Evans.[5] The CD bonus track "Reasons" featured uncredited background vocals from Blackstreet member Dave Hollister.[5] The reason for his appearance was due to Evans and Blackstreet recording their debut albums at the same studio, but only on different floors.[5] Also originally planned as an interlude, Blackstreet member and producer Teddy Riley came looking for Hollister and overheard the two singing "Reasons". Riley then suggested to Combs that it should be made into a full song.[5] Faith was recorded primarily at The Hit Factory and Combs' personal studio Daddy's House Recording - both of which were based in New York City.

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[6]
Entertainment WeeklyA−[1]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide[7]

Faith received critical acclaim upon its release. Entertainment Weekly gave the album an A− rating, describing Faith as "packed with sensual, smoky R&B torch songs and titanium-hard hip-hop beats--Faith seems set to take her place at the top of the mountain of young soul divas."[1] Vibe complimented the albums vocal production, noting that Evans "possesses a perfect voice. Folks have likened that voice to rain, and it's an appropriate metaphor [...] can sound as lilting as a summer shower or as electric as a thunderstorm. Her instrument's potential seems boundless [...] more Whitney than Mary, more classic than nouveau."[8] The Source praised Sean Combs production, writing that "for those closet sentimentalists or those who like to get their slow drag on [...] when you're working with the man who perfected the remix, there's still a good chance that Faith will not only be pumping on rainy nights in the crib but also on summer days in the Land Cruisers too."[9] AllMusic editor Stephen Thomas Erlewine remarked that Faith "proves that she is as powerful in the spotlight as she is behind the scenes. Evans builds on a basic, hip-hop-influenced funk, alternating between simmering grooves and sultry ballads. Faith does have a couple of dull spots, but the album is a first-class debut."[6]

Commercial performance

Released on August 29, 1995, the album became a success based on the hit singles "You Used to Love Me", "Soon as I Get Home" and "Ain't Nobody". It was certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) with over 1,000,000 copies sold.[10]

Track listing

Faith track listing
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
1."Faith (Interlude)"Faith EvansChucky Thompson0:41
2."No Other Love"EvansSean "Puffy" Combs4:24
3."Fallin' in Love"
4:33
4."Ain't Nobody"
  • Combs
  • Thompson
5:13
5."You Are My Joy (Interlude)"EvansThompson1:08
6."Love Don't Live Here Anymore"Miles Gregory
4:15
7."Come Over"
  • Evans
  • Floyd Howard
  • Combs
  • Thompson
5:35
8."Soon as I Get Home"
  • Evans
  • Combs
  • Combs
  • Thompson
5:24
9."All This Love"
  • Evans
  • Combs
  • Thompson
6:02
10."Thank You Lord (Interlude)"
  • Evans
  • Evans
0:55
11."You Used to Love Me"
  • Evans
  • Combs
  • Thompson
4:28
12."Give It to Me"
  • Evans
  • Combs
  • Thompson
4:35
13."You Don't Understand"
  • Evans
  • Combs
  • Thompson
5:01
14."Don't Be Afraid"
  • Evans
  • LaTrice Shaw
Herb Middleton4:55
CD-only bonus track
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
15."Reasons"
  • Evans
  • Combs
  • Thompson
5:01
Total length:62:10

Sample credits

Personnel

Charts

Certifications

Certifications for Faith
Region CertificationCertified units/sales
United States (RIAA)[16] Platinum 1,000,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Faith (1995)". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved April 12, 2017.
  2. ↑ Arceneaux, Michael. "It's Time We Stop Treating Faith Evans As Just Biggie's Widow". vh1.com. Viacom International, Inc. Retrieved June 19, 2016.
  3. ↑ Huey, Steve (November 16, 2006). "Full Biography". Allmusic. MTV. Retrieved March 20, 2009.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 "Interview: Chucky Thompson Talks Creating Faith Evans' Debut "Faith" and the History Behind the Notorious B.I.G.'s "Big Poppa" (Part 2)". youknowigotsoul.com. You Know I Got Soul. Retrieved August 17, 2014.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 Williams, Chris. "Producer Chucky Thompson recalls crafting Faith Evans' debut album, Faith (1995) | Return To The Classics". soulculture.com. Soul Culture. Retrieved August 17, 2014.
  6. 1 2 Allmusic review
  7. ↑ Rolling Stone Album Guide
  8. ↑ (9/95, p. 192)
  9. ↑ (9/95, p. 104)
  10. ↑ Smaldino, Denise (April 30, 2008). "Sean Combs earns platinum, gold". Variety. Archived from the original on November 30, 2009. Retrieved March 20, 2009.
  11. ↑ "Faith Evans Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved April 12, 2017.
  12. ↑ "Faith Evans Chart History (Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved April 12, 2017.
  13. ↑ "1995 Year-End Chart – Billboard 200 Albums". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved April 12, 2017.
  14. ↑ "1995 Year-End Chart – Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved April 12, 2017.
  15. ↑ "Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums – Year-End 1996". Billboard. Retrieved May 8, 2021.
  16. ↑ "American album certifications – Faith Evans – Faith". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved 2017-04-12.
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