Evolution (Boyz II Men album)

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. 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.

The first single released from the album, "4 Seasons of Loneliness", was released on September 8, 1997.^[2] The song was Boyz II Men's highest debut on the Billboard Hot 100 Singles. It debuted at number two, behind Mariah Carey's "Honey". The following week, the single went to number one, became their fifth (and to date, last) chart-topper. 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 in film Soul Food and its soundtrack. The single reached number seven on the Billboard Hot 100 and number one on the R&B Singles Chart, making Boyz II Men the only group in history to have seven platinum singles in the United States.

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Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[3]
Entertainment Weekly	C[4]
Los Angeles Times	[5]
Robert Christgau	[6]
Rolling Stone	[7]

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AllMusic editor Stephen Thomas Erlewine editor Stephen Thomas Erlewine observed that Evolution "is supposed to capture Boyz II Men in full maturity," but "sounds surprisingly similar to their blockbuster II." He noted that the group focused on "smooth ballads" delivered with "typical grace," yet argued that their "signature sound [was] beginning to sound like a formula" and that they "fail to offer any new twists."^[3] Entertainment Weekly's Jeremy Helligar agreed that while Boyz II Men's style remains technically strong, it felt repetitive and uninspired. He remarked that their "harmonies glide ever so smoothly," but dismissed this as "old news," adding that their focus on love and romance makes the album feel like "a quiet storm we've weathered before." Helligar concluded that true artistic growth would require them to "actually entertain us," calling such a shift "evolution."^[4]

Jon Pareles of The New York Times noted that while Boyz II Men lean on their "image as an old-fashioned vocal group," on Evolution they attempt to be "less wimpy," with songs addressing cheating and denying an ex a second chance. He highlighted their expansion into "electronic soundscapes," but found their efforts to sound lascivious or modern "awkward." Despite some experimentation, Pareles concluded that Evolution remains "nearly as unctuous as the group’s previous multimillion-sellers."^[8] Connie Johnson of The Los Angeles Times observed that the group had largely shed their boyishness, with the album showing a move to "put childish things aside," though some tracks were "low on energy." She concluded that Boyz II Men maintained their dignity without begging for love, suggesting that "to go forth and beg no more seems to be Boyz II Men’s first step" toward true evolution.^[5] Rolling Stone critic Ernest Hardy argued that despite Evolution’s claims of maturity, Boyz II Men "still sound like boys." He wrote that they "haven't tampered with an iota of their formula," relying on "sappy, sound-alike ballads" and clichéd lyrics.^[7]

Evolution debuted and peaked at number one on the US Billboard 200 with first week sales of 211,000 copies.^[9] It also reached the top of Billboard's Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart, becoming the band's third album to do so.^[10] However, the album spent only one week at the number-one spot and quickly fell down the charts. Evolution sold two million copies in the United States and over four million copies worldwide.

• List of number-one albums of 1997 (U.S.)
• List of number-one R&B albums of 1997 (U.S.)