The First Lady by Faith Evans (CD, Apr-2005, Capitol)

Album Features
UPC:	724357729727
Artist:	Faith Evans
Format:	CD
Release Year:	2005
Record Label:	Capitol
Genre:	Contemporary R&B, R&B

Track Listing
1. Goin' Out
2. Again
3. I Don't Need It
4. Stop n Go
5. Mesmerized
6. Tru Love
7. Jealous
8. Ever Wonder
9. Catching Feelings
10. Get Over You
11. Until You Came
12. Lucky Day
13. Hope

Details
Contributing Artists:	Pharrell Williams, Twista, Mario Winans, Pusha T
Producer:	Faith Evans, Jermaine Dupri, The Neptunes, Chucky Thompson, Andre Johnson, Carvin Haggins, Ivan Barias, Toxic, Bryan Michael Cox, Mario Winans, Mike Caren, Johnnie Smith, Original Heads, Todd Russaw
Distributor:	EMI Music Distribution
Recording Type:	Studio
Recording Mode:	Stereo
SPAR Code:	n/a

Album Notes
Personnel: Faith Evans (vocals, background vocals); Faith Evans; Mario Winans, Pharrell Williams (vocals); Pusha T, Twista (rap vocals); Russ Brown, Tony Aliperti (guitar); Matt Cappy (trumpet, flugelhorn); Rod Morgan, Johnnie "Smurf" Smith (keyboards); William Rodney Prince (percussion); Jay Shawn Smith (background vocals).Audio Mixers: Manny Marroquin; Brad Todd; Jermaine Dupri; Ken "Duro" Ifill; Phil Tan; Serban Ghenea.Recording information: Big3 Studios, St. Petersburg, FL; Cherokee Studios, Holywood, CA; Cookin Studios, CA; Hit Factory Criteria, FL; Home Cookin Studios, Philadelphia, PA; Hovercraft Studios, VA; Larrabee North Studios; Paramount Recording Studios, CA; Pedigree Music House, Atlanta, GA; Record Plant, CA; SouthSide Studios, Atlanta, GA; Stankonia Studios, Atlanta, GA; Studio Atlantis, CA.Resilience is at the heart of THE FIRST LADY. Far removed from her days as an alleged pawn in the Notorious B.I.G./2Pac feud, Faith Evans, former R&B queen of the Bad Boy family, has poured herself into a selection of songs with a slight retro bent. On "Mesmerized," she invokes a sassy inflection and swagger over a Johnnie Taylor sample and a chorus of female harmonies, exuding an attitude that's seemingly channeled from Betty Wright.With a fresh start that includes a move to a different record label (Capitol Records), Evans revisits the requisite testimonial song on the lush, Philly-soul-influenced "Again," which addresses her 2004 drug bust and subsequent stint in rehab. Evans's vulnerability peeks out behind the "Nights over Egypt" sample of "I Don't Need It," as she calmly sings of giving up wealth for more time with her workaholic lover. Chief among Evans's strengths is her forte as a balladeer; witness the uncertainty she hints at amid the give-and-take of the Mario Winans duet "Ever Wonder," and "Hope," an optimistic hip-hop tune that pairs her with Twista.

Editorial Reviews
Evans' soaring, sorrowful voice and perfect control paint a powerful portrait of her difficult life.
Paste

3 stars out of 5 - [With a] gorgeous, updated-Stax sound....Elsewhere, it's all-names-on-deck, with the ubiquitous Neptunes chopping out the neat, female-friendly dance anthem 'Goin' Out'...
Uncut

[F]IRST LADY's finest moments find Evans frolicking in sunnier '70s soul soundscapes... - Grade: B+
Entertainment Weekly

3.5 stars out of 5 - [H]er voice has a lived-in grace that you don't hear from a lot of competitive wailers on the R&B charts.
Rolling Stone