Evolution (Boyz II Men album)

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Evolution
Evolution cover
Studio album by Boyz II Men
Released September 23, 1997
Recorded 1997
Genre R&B
Length 61:48
Label Motown
Producer Babyface, Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis
Professional reviews
Boyz II Men chronology
The Remix Collection
(1995)		 Evolution
(1997)		 The Ballad Collection
(2000)
Evolución
Alternate Spanish cover
Alternate Spanish cover
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Evolution is an 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.

Contents

[edit] 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 & 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, MTV Live, and others. 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. This was due in part to Motown Records' little promotion of the album. 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 went embarked on the Evolution Tour.

[edit] Singles

The first single released off 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, but lost the top spot the following week to Elton John's tribute to Princess Diana, Candle in the Wind 1997. 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.

[edit] Track listing

  1. "Doin' Just Fine" (Produced by Shawn Stockman)
  2. "Never" (Produced by Babyface)
  3. "4 Seasons of Loneliness" (Produced by Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis)
  4. "Girl in the Life Magazine" (Produced By Babyface)
  5. "A Song for Mama" (Produced by Babyface)
  6. "Can You Stand the Rain" (Produced by Boyz II Men)
  7. "Can't Let Her Go (Produced by Sean Combs)
  8. "Baby C'mon" (Produced by Keith Crouch)
  9. "Come On" (Produced by Sean Combs)
  10. "All Night Long" (Produced by Keith Crouch)
  11. "Human II (Don't Turn Your Back on Me)" (Produced by Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis)
  12. "To the Limit" (Produced by Sean Combs)
  13. "Dear God" (Produced by Boyz II Men)
  14. "Just Hold On" (Japanese Edition) (Produced by Babyface)
  15. "Can't Let Her Go" (Original Mix feat. Driver)(French Bonus Track) (Produced by Sean Combs)

[edit] Chart positions

[edit] Album

Year Chart Position
1997 Billboard 200 1

[edit] Singles

Year Song Hot R&B Singles U.S. Hot 100
1997 "4 Seasons of Loneliness" 1
1997 "A Song for Mama" 1 7
Preceded by
Butterfly by Mariah Carey		 Billboard 200 number-one album
October 11 - October 17, 1997		 Succeeded by
The Velvet Rope by Janet