Faith is the debut album by American R&B singer Faith Evans, released on Bad Boy Records in August of 1995. The Platinum-selling album was dubbed an R&B classic and praised by critics and fans alike. Faith featured production by The Hitmen members Sean “Puff Daddy” Combs and Chucky Thompson, as well as Herb Middleton, and Jean-Claude Olivier. Spawning the Gold-selling hits “You Used to Love Me” and “Soon As I Get Home”, Faith also contains a cover of the Rose Royce’s single “Love Don’t Live Here Anymore” featuring Queen of Hip Hop/Soul, Mary J. Blige.
Hailed as the First Lady of Sean Combs’ Bad Boy Entertainment, Evans is blessed with a voice that elevates her above much of her cookie-cutter, hip hop soul peers. It’d be easy to dismiss her debut as a collection of flash-in-the-pan, trendy r&b, but the album is far better–and deeper–than you think. From start to finish, the album soars as a timeless album of street-savvy soul, and remains surprisingly consistent.
With a voice that Puffy says is reminiscent of rain, it’s no wonder it can sound as lilting as a summer shower or as electric as a thunderstorm. Faith’s instrument potential seems boundless….more Whitney than Mary, more classic than nouveau, Faith is the album poised to place Evans at the top of the mountain of young soul divas.