Evolution (Boyz II Men album)
Untitled | |
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Review scores | |
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Source | Rating |
Allmusic | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Entertainment Weekly | C[2] |
Robert Christgau | ![]() |
Rolling Stone | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Evolution is the third album by R&B group Boyz II Men, released in September 1997. It is their final album released on Motown Records. A Spanish language version, Evolución, was also issued. The Spanish edition won the Billboard Latin Music Award for Pop Album of the Year by a New Artist.[5]
History
On August 20, 1997, Boyz II Men held a press conference to talk about their first album since 1994's II. They were under pressure with their last two albums cumulatively selling almost 30 million copies worldwide. With Evolution, they worked with their regular collaborators, including Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis and Babyface. They appeared on many talk shows including The Rosie O'Donnell Show, The Oprah Winfrey Show, The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, The Vibe Show, The Keenen Ivory Wayans Show and MTV Live.
The album was released on September 23, and that night, Boyz II Men signed copies of the album at the Virgin Megastore in New York City. Evolution debuted at #1 in the Billboard 200 with 215,000 copies sold in its first week of release. The album also debuted at #1 on the R&B Album Charts. However, the album spent only one week at the #1 spot and quickly fell down the charts. Evolution sold two million copies in the United States and over four million copies worldwide, a disappointment compared with the successes of Cooleyhighharmony and II. Evolution was not received well by critics. In October 1998, Boyz II Men went to Japan and Europe to promote the album, and during that year they embarked on the Evolution Tour.
Singles
The first single released from the album, "4 Seasons of Loneliness", was released in August 1997. The song was Boyz II Men's highest debut on the Billboard Hot 100 Singles. It debuted at #2, behind Mariah Carey's "Honey". The following week, the single went to #1, became their fourth (and fifth overall) and last chart-topper to date. 4 Seasons of Loneliness became Boyz II Men's sixth platinum single. Later that year, the second single, "A Song for Mama", was released, a track which already appeared on the Soul Food soundtrack The single reached #7 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #1 on the R&B Singles Chart, making Boyz II Men the only group in history to have seven platinum singles in the United States.
Track listing
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|---|
1. | "Doin' Just Fine" | Shawn Stockman | Stockman | 5:30 |
2. | "Never" | Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds, Michael McCary, Nathan Morris, Stockman, Wanya Morris | Babyface | 4:48 |
3. | "4 Seasons of Loneliness" | James Harris III, Terry Lewis | Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis | 4:52 |
4. | "Girl in the Life Magazine" | Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds | Babyface | 3:29 |
5. | "A Song for Mama" | Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds | Babyface | 5:02 |
6. | "Can You Stand the Rain" | James Harris III, Terry Lewis | Boyz II Men | 4:02 |
7. | "Can't Let Her Go" | Sean Combs, Ron "Amen-Ra" Lawrence, Steven "Stevie J" Jordan, McCary, W. Morris, Stockman, N. Morris, Gregory Johnson, Larry Blackmon | Sean "Puffy" Combs, Ron Lawrence, Stevie J | 4:30 |
8. | "Baby C'mon" | Keith Crouch, McCary, W. Morris, Stockman, N. Morris | Keith Crouch | 4:36 |
9. | "Come On" | Sean Combs, Jeffrey Walker, McCary, W. Morris, Stockman, N. Morris, Chad Elliott, Melissa Elliott, George Pearson, Gordon Sumner | Sean "Puffy" Combs, J-Dub | 5:01 |
10. | "All Night Long" | John "Jubu" Smith, Keith Crouch, McCary, N. Morris, Stockman, W. Morris | Keith Crouch | 5:15 |
11. | "Human II (Don't Turn Your Back on Me)" | Harris III, Lewis, McCary, W. Morris, Stockman, N. Morris | Jam and Lewis | 4:43 |
12. | "To the Limit" | Walker, McCary, N. Morris, Sean Combs, Stockman, Steven "Stevie J" Jordan, W. Morris, Bobby Caldwell, Alfons Kettner | Sean "Puffy" Combs, J-Dub, Stevie J. | 5:02 |
13. | "Dear God" | Durrel Bottoms, Jamar Jones, McCary, N. Morris, Stockman, Todd Huston, Vivian S. Green, W. Morris, Richard Smallwood | Boyz II Men, Durrel Bottoms | 4:58 |
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|---|
14. | "Just Hold On" | Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds | Babyface | 4:49 |
15. | "I Can Love You" | McCary, N. Morris, Stockman, W. Morris | Boyz II Men | 4:56 |
No. | Title | Writer(s) | {{{extra_column}}} | Length |
---|---|---|---|---|
16. | "Wishes (Performed by Nathan Morris)" | James Harris III, Terry Lewis, N. Morris, Stephen Stills | Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis | 4:25 |
Spanish version
- "4 Estaciones De Soledad (4 Seasons of Loneliness)"
- "A Mi Me Va Bien (Doin' Just Fine)"
- "Te Doy Mi Amor (I Can Love You)"
- "La Chica De La Revista (Girl in the Life Magazine)"
- "Una Canción Para Mamá (A Song for Mama)"
- "Yo Te Voy a Amar (I'll Make Love to You)"
- "No Dejemos Que Muera el Amor (Water Runs Dry)"
- "Me Rindo Ante Ti (On Bended Knee)"
- "Yesterday (Spanish Version)"
- "Al Final Del Camino (End of the Road)"
Chart positions
Charts
Chart (1997) | Peak Position |
---|---|
Australian ARIA Albums Chart | 6 |
Belgian Wallonia Albums Chart | 45 |
Canadian Albums Chart | 2 |
Dutch Albums Chart | 7 |
European Albums Chart[6] | 18 |
French Albums Chart | 7 |
German Albums Chart | 8 |
Japanese Albums Chart[7] | 8 |
New Zealand RIANZ Albums Chart | 6 |
Swedish Albums Chart | 25 |
Swiss Albums Chart | 20 |
UK Albums Chart | 12 |
U.S. Billboard 200 | 1 |
U.S. Billboard Top Latin Albums (Spanish version: Evolucion) | 13 |
Zimbabwe Albums Chart[8] | 10 |
Certifications
Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
---|---|---|
Australia (ARIA)[9] | Gold | 35,000^ |
Canada (Music Canada)[10] | 2× Platinum | 200,000^ |
Hong Kong (IFPI Hong Kong)[11] | Platinum | 20,000* |
Japan (RIAJ)[12] | 2× Platinum | 400,000^ |
United Kingdom (BPI)[13] | Silver | 60,000^ |
United States (RIAA)[14] | 2× Platinum | 2,000,000^ |
* Sales figures based on certification alone. |
Singles
Year | Song[15] | Hot R&B Singles | U.S. Hot 100 |
---|---|---|---|
1997 | "4 Seasons of Loneliness" | 2 | 1 |
"A Song for Mama" | 1 | 7 |
See also
References
- ^ https://www.allmusic.com/album/r315633
- ^ Helligar, Jeremy (1997-09-26). "Evolution Review". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved 2012-06-30.
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(help) - ^ Christgau, Robert. "CG: Boyz II Men". RobertChristgau.com. Retrieved 2012-06-30.
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(help) - ^ Hardy, Ernest (1997-10-10). "Boyz II Men: Evolution : Music Reviews". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on 2008-06-18. Retrieved 2012-06-30.
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suggested) (help) - ^ Lannert, John (April 18, 1998). "Latino Artists Honored With Billboard Awards". Billboard. 110 (16): 77. Retrieved June 22, 2015.
- ^ http://books.google.ca/books?id=0wkEAAAAMBAJ&lr=&rview=1%7Ctitle=Hits of the World - Eurochart|work=Billboard|publisher=Nielsen Business Media, Inc.|date=25 October 1997|accessdate=25 July 2012
- ^ ボーイズ・II・メンのCDアルバムランキング │オリコン芸能人事典-ORICON STYLE
- ^ * Zimbabwe. Kimberley, C. Zimbabwe: albums chart book. Harare: C. Kimberley, 2000
- ^ "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 1997 Albums" (PDF). Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved 25 July 2012.
- ^ "Canadian album certifications – Boyz II Men – Evolution". Music Canada. Retrieved 25 July 2012.
- ^ "IFPIHK Gold Disc Award − 1997". IFPI Hong Kong.
- ^ "Japanese album certifications – Boyz II Men – Evolution" (in Japanese). Recording Industry Association of Japan. Retrieved July 15, 2012.
- ^ "British album certifications – Boyz II Men – Evolution". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 25 July 2012. Select albums in the Format field. Select Silver in the Certification field. Type Evolution in the "Search BPI Awards" field and then press Enter.
- ^ "American album certifications – Boyz II Men – Evolution". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved July 15, 2012.
- ^ "Artist Single Chart History - Boyz II Men". Billboard.com. Retrieved 14 July 2009.
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External links
- "Can't Let Her Go" Music Video on YouTube / VEVO official channel
- "Doin' Just Fine" Music Video on YouTube / VEVO official channel
- Evolution at Discogs (list of releases)