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 Records 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]

Something About Faith
Studio album by
ReleasedOctober 5, 2010
GenreR&B[1]
Length58:38
Label
Producer
Faith Evans chronology
A Faithful Christmas
(2005)
Something About Faith
(2010)
R&B Divas
(2012)
Singles from Something About Faith
  1. "Gone Already"
    Released: August 10, 2010

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.

Background

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] Frustated with her situation, Evans waited until she got a release from Captiol to acquire own imprint Prolific Music Group through E1 Music under which she began work on her next project.[4]

Recording

Snoop Dogg (pictured) suggested Evans to work on her next album after meeting at the taping of "We Are the World 25 for Haiti."[5]

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]

Promotion

Something About Faith was preceded by the buzz single "Way You Move" featuring Snoop Dogg which was released on June 29, 2010 but failed to chart in the United States.[8] It was followed by lead single "Gone Already." The song was released on August 10, 2010.[9] 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.[10] Promoted by live performances on The Wendy Williams Show on October 8, 2010 and The Mo'Nique Show on November 12, 2010,[11][12] "Gone Already" spent seventeen weeks on the US Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart where it peaked at number 26.[13] The song was also promoted with the release of a music video on Evans' and E1 Music's official YouTube channels.[14] In further promotio of the album, a high definition music video for "Right Here" was released on Evans' official YouTube account on February 14, 2011.[15]

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
About.com[16]
Allmusic[17]
The Arizona Republic[1]
BBC Music(mixed)[18]
Billboard[19]
The Canadian Press(mixed)[20]
Mojo[21]
SoulTracks(favorable)[22]

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."[22] 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 who's luscious voice has the power to mesmerize."[16] 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".[20] 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."[17] 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."[18]

Commercial performance

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.[23] 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.[24]

Track listing

Credits from UrbanBridgez.com[25] and BestBuy.com[26]

No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
1."Something About Faith" (Intro)
  • Faith Evans
  • Kye Russaw
  • Russaw
  • Evans
2:41
2."I Still"
  • Evans
  • Kyle Stewart
  • Ebony Carr-Baskin
  • KayTwo
  • Evans
4:10
3."Way You Move" (featuring Snoop Dogg)
  • Thompson
  • Evans
4:55
4."Real Things"Malik PendletonPendleton3:02
5."Worth It"
  • Evans
  • Thompson
  • Ferguson
  • Samuels
  • Thompson
  • Evans
3:39
6."Gone Already"
3:53
7."Party" (featuring Redman)
  • City
  • Evans
3:37
8."Right Here"
  • Evans
  • Russaw
  • Ferguson
  • Coleman
  • Russaw
  • Evans
3:07
9."Your Lover"
  • Evans
  • Thompson
  • Ferguson
  • Samuels
  • Thompson
  • Brad Todd[A]
3:10
10."Can't Stay Away" (featuring Keyshia Cole)
  • Evans
  • Ibrahim "Ibe" Soliman
  • B. Briggs
  • Coleman
  • Cole
  • Ibe
  • Evans
3:20
11."Sunshine"
  • Evans
  • Flowers
  • Samuels
  • B. Briggs
  • City
  • Evans
3:33
12."Everyday Struggle" (featuring Raekwon)
  • Evans
  • Todd
  • Carvin & Ivan[B]
  • Gil Smith II[A]
4:31
13."The Love in Me"
  • Evans
  • Salaam Remi
  • B. Briggs
  • Samuels
  • Coleman
  • Ericka Watson
  • Rufus Moore
  • Remi
  • Evans
3:36
14."Change"
  • Anthony Bell
  • Darrell Robinson
  • Bell
  • Robinson
3:44
15."Troubled World" (featuring Kelly Price & Jessica Reedy)
  • Evans
  • Thompson
  • Richard Gross
  • DJ Rogers, Jr
  • Thompson
  • Evans
  • Todd[A]
  • B. Briggs[A]
3:53
16."Baby Lay"
  • Evans
  • Patrick Briggs
  • B. Briggs
  • P. Briggs
  • B. Briggs
  • Evans
3:51
Best Buy bonus track
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
17."Troubled World (Part 2)" (featuring Estelle & Lil' Mo)
  • Thompson
  • Evans
  • Todd[A]
4:32

Notes

  • ^[A] denotes additional producer
  • ^[B] denotes co-producer

Sample credits

  • "Everyday Struggle" embodies interpolation of "Either Way" as written by Harvey Mason Jr.
  • "The Love in Me" includes a sample of "Easter Clothes" as written by Salaam Remi.

Personnel

  • Bert Padell, Trevor Baptiste – Management
  • Alejandro Barajas – Mixing Assistant
  • Ivan "Orthodox" Barias – Engineer, Instrumentation, Producer
  • Joe Basurto – Design Consultant
  • Darrell Robinson, Carvin "Ransum" Haggins, Anthony Bell – Producer
  • Charlie Bereal – Guitar, Guitar Overdubs
  • Kristene Bernard – Make-Up
  • Derek Blanks – Photography
  • Ben Briggs III – Additional Production, Associate Executive Producer, Drums, Engineer, Mixing, Producer, Programming
  • Patrick "Devinaire" Briggs – Keyboards, Producer
  • Tyler Nicolo, Daniel Laporte, Joe the Butcher, Carvin Haggins, Gleyder "Gee" Disla, Shon Brooks – Engineer
  • "You Can Ask" Giz, Bob Horn, Eric "Ebo" Butler – Mixing
  • Corey Latif, Ebony Carr-Baskin – backing vocals
  • Mike City – Instrumentation, Producer
  • Jeffry Rameau, Patrick Hewlett, Brandon Henderson, George Gumbs, Gerald Deus, Fabian Cooke, A.J. Clarke – Assistant Engineer
  • Don Lee Samuels, D.J. Rogers Jr., Kirk Moore, Richard Glass, Toni Coleman, Danny Coakley, Alex Clarke – Vocals
  • Brian Culberston – Fender Rhodes, Piano, Synthesizer
  • Laurel Dann – A&R
  • Marleny Dominguez – Label Direction
  • Thomas Drayton – bass guitar
  • Faith Evans – A&R, Executive Producer, Producer, Vocal Arrangement, Vocals (Background)
  • Kenny Olsen, Chuck Gibson – Guitar
  • Paul Grosso – Creative Director, Design
  • Bernie Grundman – Mastering
  • Dae Dae Haddon – Drums
  • IBE – Engineer, Instrumentation, Producer
  • Eric Ingram – Dubs, Guitar (Bass)
  • Derek Lafayette – Marketing
  • Bianca Lewis – Grooming
  • Lex Lipsitz – Percussion
  • Arnold Mischkulnig – Mastering, Mixing
  • Bishop Moore – Consultant
  • Malik Pendleton – Instrumentation, Mixing, Producer
  • Darrell Miller, Fox Rothschild, Julian Petty – Legal Advisor
  • Shanell Red – Vocal Arrangement
  • Salaam Remi – Arranger, Bass, Drums, Guitar, Producer
  • Kye Russaw – Assistant Engineer, Engineer, Instrumentation, Producer
  • Todd Russaw – A&R, Executive Producer, Management
  • Gil Smith II – Additional Production
  • Johnnie "Smurf" Smith – Additional Production, Keyboards
  • Dee "Pitboss" Sonaram – A&R, Promoter
  • Staybent Krunk A-Delic – Programming
  • Kyle Stewart – Engineer, Instrumentation, Producer
  • Shadow Stokes – Promoter
  • Chucky Thompson – Instrumentation, Moog Synthesizer, Producer
  • Brad Todd – Additional Production, Engineer, Executive Producer, Mixing, Producer
  • Mickel Valere – Guitar (Acoustic)
  • Keonte Vincent – Engineer, Vocals (Background)

Charts

Chart (2010) Peak
position
scope="row"US Billboard 200[27] 15
scope="row"US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard)[28] 4
scope="row"US Independent Albums (Billboard)[29] 1

Release history

Region Date Formats Label Ref.
United States October 5, 2010 [23]
United Kingdom December 6, 2010 [5]

References

  1. Masley, Ed (October 4, 2010). "Faith Evans: 'Something About Faith'". AZCentral. Retrieved October 7, 2010.
  2. "Faith Evans Gets SIRIUS, Reveals Album Cover". Rap-Up.com. 2010-08-31. Retrieved 2010-09-03.
  3. Reid, Shaheem. "Faith Evans Talks About Her Drug Arrest On New Single". MTV News. Retrieved July 16, 2020.
  4. Mitchell, Gail (October 1, 2010). "Faith Evans Talks New Album, Reality Show". Billboard. Retrieved July 16, 2020.
  5. "Faith Evans: Ever Faithful". Blues & Soul. November 2010. Retrieved February 14, 2011.
  6. "YouKnowIGotSoul Interview With Faith Evans". youknowigotsoul.com. Retrieved July 16, 2020.
  7. "Faith Evans Talks New Album, DUI, and New Movie". essence.com. Retrieved July 17, 2020.
  8. "Way You Move – Single". iTunes. Apple (US). Retrieved July 17, 2020.
  9. "Gone Already - Single by Faith Evans - Download Gone Already - Single on iTunes". iTunes. August 10, 2010.
  10. Trent (October 9, 2010). "Faith Evans Performs On 'Wendy Williams'". ThatGrapeJuice.net. Retrieved October 22, 2010.
  11. "Video: Faith Evans – Gone Already (Live) on Wendy Williams". Urban Music Direct. October 8, 2010. Retrieved October 22, 2010.
  12. "The Mo'Nique Show Season 02 Episode 28 – 2030 Ed Gordon & Faith Evans Full Episode". BET. Retrieved November 22, 2010.
  13. "Gone Already - Faith Evans". Billboard.com. December 11, 2010. Retrieved May 27, 2011.
  14. "Faith Evans - 'Gone Already' Music Video". officialfaithevans. YouTube. 20 September 2010. Retrieved February 14, 2011.
  15. "Faith Evans - Right Here (Official Music Video)". officialfaithevans. YouTube. 14 February 2011. Retrieved February 14, 2011.
  16. Edward Nero, Mark. "Faith Evans - Something About Faith". About.com. Retrieved October 7, 2010.
  17. Kellman, Andy. "Something About Faith - Faith Evans". Allmusic. Retrieved October 14, 2010.
  18. Shaw, Natalie (December 2, 2010). "Review of Faith Evans - Something About Faith". BBC Music. Retrieved December 23, 2012.
  19. Concepcion, Mariel (October 15, 2010). "Faith Evans, 'Something About Faith'". Billboard. Retrieved December 23, 2012.
  20. Sims, Melanie. "Music Review: Faith Evans brings bevy of guests, but can do bad all by herself with choppy CD". The Canadian Press. Retrieved October 7, 2010.
  21. "Faith Evans - Something About Faith CD Album". CD Universe. Retrieved December 23, 2012.
  22. "Faith Evans - Something About Faith (Advance Review)". SoulTracks. Retrieved July 16, 2020.
  23. "Something About Faith - Faith Evans". Billboard.com. Retrieved October 14, 2010.
  24. Mitchell, Gail. "Faith Evans Talks 'R&B Divas' Show & Companion Album". Billboard.com. Retrieved July 16, 2020.
  25. "Exclusive: Something About Faith Tracklisting". UrbanBridgez.com. Retrieved 2010-09-05.
  26. "Faith Evans Best Buy® Exclusive". Bestbuy.com. Retrieved 2012-03-10.
  27. "Faith Evans Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved July 16, 2020.
  28. "Faith Evans Chart History (Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved July 16, 2020.
  29. "Faith Evans Chart History (Independent Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved July 16, 2020.
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