True to Myself
| True to Myself | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | September 24, 1996 | |||
| Recorded | The Crib (Milwaukee, Wisconsin) The Chapel (St. Louis, Missouri) The Enterprise (Burbank, California) Roger's Personal Palace (Dayton, Ohio) | |||
| Length | 61:17 | |||
| Label | Warner Bros. | |||
| Producer |
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| Eric Benét chronology | ||||
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| Singles from True to Myself | ||||
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True to Myself is the debut album by the American R&B musician Eric Benét.[1] It was released by Warner Bros. Records on September 24, 1996, in the United States. It was his first outing as a solo artist after the dissolution of his former group Benét, which he formed with his sister Lisa Jordan and cousin George Nash, Jr. Benét received his deal with Warner Bros. Records from former EMI Records executive Alison Ball-Gabriel after corporate shakeups caused his former group to be dropped by the record label.
Background
[edit | edit source]Benet produced most of his debut with Demonté Posey and Nash, both of whom would work with him on his later recordings. In 1995, he released the song "Let's Stay Together", which originally appeared on the soundtrack of the 1996 Martin Lawrence film A Thin Line Between Love and Hate. The music video to the song was directed by Charles Stone III.[2] The second single released from True to Myself was the McG directed "Spiritual Thang".[3] The album's biggest hit was the third single "Femininity", which was directed by a then-unknown Francis Lawrence.[4] "Femininity" also featured an appearance from then-unknown rapper Tiye Phoenix, who played a pregnant woman in the music video.[5] The title track was the fourth and final single released from the album with a video directed by Joseph Kahn.[6]
Critical reception
[edit | edit source]| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [7] |
| Muzik | 7/10[8] |
AllMusic editor Leo Stanley called found that "the album suffers from inconsistent material which prevents it from being a thoroughly impressive debut. As it stands, True to Myself is merely an appealing, promising collection of soul that usually straddles the line between classic and urban soul quite skillfully."[7] Billboard editor Paul Verna wrote: "Benét delivers sincere lyrics with an often viscous R&B flow. [He] demonstrates versatility with his voice — from the raw and gritty delivery of the previously mentioned track to the warm clarity used on the ballad "While You Were Here." Musically, the artist also shows chameleon-like diversity."[9]
Commercial performance
[edit | edit source]By December 1998, the album had sold 213,000 units domestically.[10] By August 2008, True to Myself had moved 295,000 units, according to Nielsen Soundscan.[11]
Track listing
[edit | edit source]| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "True to Myself" |
|
| 4:41 |
| 2. | "I'll Be There" |
|
| 5:19 |
| 3. | "If You Want Me to Stay" | Sylvester Stewart | Roger Troutman | 3:52 |
| 4. | "Let's Stay Together" (Midnight Mix) |
|
| 4:47 |
| 5. | "Just Friends" |
|
| 4:36 |
| 6. | "Femininity" |
| Warren | 4:49 |
| 7. | "While You Were Here" |
|
| 5:46 |
| 8. | "Spiritual Thang" |
|
| 4:00 |
| 9. | "Chains" |
|
| 4:52 |
| 10. | "All in the Game" |
|
| 4:23 |
| 11. | "More Than Just a Girlfriend" |
|
| 5:01 |
| 12. | "What If We Was Cool" |
|
| 4:12 |
| 13. | "Let's Stay Together" |
|
| 5:04 |
| Total length: | 1:01:22 | |||
Personnel
[edit | edit source]Credits adapted from liner notes.[12]
Performers and musicians
- George Nash, Jr. – Guitar, Drums, Clavinet
- Demonte Posey – Keyboards, Drums, Melodica
- Mark Lomax – Drums
- Warren Crawford – Bass
- Rio – Bass
- Skeeta – Bass, Guitar
- Gumby – Guitar
- Eric "Kenya" Baker – Guitar
- Christian Warren – Keyboards, Drums, Fender Rhodes, Piano
- Curtis "Sauce" Wilson – Drums
- Roger Troutman – Keyboards, Bass, Guitar, Vocoder
- Tyrone W. Griffin – Trumpet
- Fernando Harkless – Saxophone
- Steve Baxter – Trombone
- Barbara "Bobbi" Schneider – Violin
- Paul Gminder – Cello
- Eric Benét, Lisa Jordan-Weathers – Background vocals
- Alison Ball-Gabriel – Executive Producer
- Recording engineer – Eric Benét, Demonte Posey and George Nash, Jr., Roger Troutman, Hilary Bercovici, Skeeta
- Mixing: Eric Benét, Demonte Posey and George Nash, Jr., Kevin "K.D." Davis, Roger Troutman, Hilary Bercovici, Skeeta
- Mastering: Brian Gardner
- Brad Hitz – Photography
- Terry Robertson, Stephen Walker – Art Direction
- Stephen Walker – Design
Charts
[edit | edit source]| Chart (1996) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| US Billboard 200[13] | 174 |
| US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard)[14] | 38 |
Release history
[edit | edit source]| Region | Date | Format | Label | Ref(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| United States | September 24, 1996 | Warner Bros. |
References
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- ^ a b AllMusic review
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- ^ Eric Benet - True To Myself (CD liner notes). Warner Bros. Records. 46270-2
- ^ "Eric Benét Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved June 27, 2022.
- ^ "Eric Benét Chart History (Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved June 27, 2022.
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