Faith Evans

On 2001's scattershot Faithfully, Evans played second diva to production heavyweights who yanked her from style to style until she lost her identity. The former Mrs. Biggie Smalls has plenty of name-brand help this time, too, but Lady is a cohesive package that proves there's more to her than celebrity...

By Michael Roberts

April 14, 2005

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On 2001's scattershot Faithfully, Evans played second diva to production heavyweights who yanked her from style to style until she lost her identity. The former Mrs. Biggie Smalls has plenty of name-brand help this time, too, but Lady is a cohesive package that proves there's more to her than celebrity widowhood.

The CD sports a handful of upbeat songs, including "Goin' Out," co-starring the ubiquitous Pharrell, and the incredibly infectious "Mesmerized." For the most part, though, Evans embraces drama the Mary J. way, and the material suits her. "Again," the lead single, is a stirring confessional, while "I Don't Need It" and "Get Over You" use her mellifluous voice to survey the soul of romance.

A few missteps occur, including a spoken section that disrupts the flow of "Until You Came." (Someone should have told Evans that the phrase "You got me straight trippin', boo" has been a punchline since Eugene Levy said it in Bringing Down the House.) Still, the album as a whole is her strongest to date. She may not be the first lady yet, but have a little Faith.

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Michael Roberts began his career with Westword in 1990 as music editor. In 1999, he took on a new role, full-time media reporter, as author of a column called The Message. In 2008, he became the lead writer for Westword's news blog, The Latest Word, a position he held until January 2023. Michael continues to freelance for Westword, covering everything from business to sports and the media; he also contributes to Jazziz, a national music magazine. He holds a bachelor's degree from what is now Colorado Mesa University and master's degrees from the University of California, Los Angeles, and Northwestern University.

Contact: Michael Roberts

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