Studio Album · No. 3
Evolution Songwriting Credits by Boyz II Men
Produced by Babyface, Jimmy Jam, Terry Lewis, Bryan-Michael Cox
Holds writing credit on 9 of 13 tracks
Authorship Breakdown 9 / 13 documented
Scored across the 13 tracks with documented writers, by whether Boyz II Men carries a lyricist or composer credit.
Share of the 13 tracks where a band member is credited, by role.
By the Numbers
Evolution arrived at a transitional moment for Boyz II Men. Smooth R&B vocal groups were losing mainstream momentum to harder-edged hip-hop, and the album's commercial returns were noticeably lower than II, though still substantial. Produced by Babyface, Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis, Sean 'Diddy' Combs, Keith Crouch, and Shawn Stockman, the album debuted at #1 on the Billboard 200 with 211,000 first-week copies. "4 Seasons of Loneliness" hit #1 on the Hot 100 and "A Song for Mama" reached #7. The album achieved 2× Platinum in the US and sold over 4 million copies worldwide, commercially significant but a clear step down from the heights of Cooleyhighharmony and II.
Evolution is the third studio album by Boyz II Men, released in October 1997 on Motown Records and produced by Tim & Bob, Michael Bivins, Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, and others. It was a deliberate expansion of the group's material beyond the Babyface ballad formula that had defined the commercial peak, with more production diversity and a broader range of influences. The group wrote or co-wrote several tracks; 'A Song for Mama,' 'I Can Love You' (featuring Mary J. Blige), and '4 Seasons of Loneliness' were the principal singles. '4 Seasons of Loneliness' spent four weeks at number one on the Billboard Hot 100 and the album reached number five on the Billboard 200 with 287,000 first-week sales, certified double platinum. Evolution is regarded as a transitional album, commercially successful without matching the extraordinary scale of II, that demonstrated the group's continued commercial viability while reflecting the changing R&B production landscape of the mid-1990s.
Track Listing & Credits 13 tracks
| # | Title | Lyricist(s) | Composer(s) | Producer(s) | Performers |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Doin' Just Fine
|
Shawn Stockman | Shawn Stockman | Shawn StockmanBoyz II Men | Nathan Morris (Baritone Vocals)Wanya Morris (Tenor Vocals)Shawn Stockman (Tenor Vocals)Michael McCary (Bass Vocals) |
| 2 |
Never
|
Kenneth EdmondsMichael McCaryNathan MorrisShawn StockmanWanya Morris | Kenneth EdmondsMichael McCaryNathan MorrisShawn StockmanWanya Morris | BabyfaceBoyz II Men | Nathan Morris (Baritone Vocals)Wanya Morris (Tenor Vocals)Shawn Stockman (Tenor Vocals)Michael McCary (Bass Vocals) |
| 3 |
4 Seasons of Loneliness
#1
|
James Harris IIITerry Lewis | James Harris IIITerry Lewis | Jimmy JamTerry Lewis | Nathan Morris (Baritone Vocals)Wanya Morris (Tenor Vocals)Shawn Stockman (Tenor Vocals)Michael McCary (Bass Vocals) |
| 4 |
Girl in the Life Magazine
|
Kenneth Edmonds | Kenneth Edmonds | BabyfaceBoyz II Men | Nathan Morris (Baritone Vocals)Wanya Morris (Tenor Vocals)Shawn Stockman (Tenor Vocals)Michael McCary (Bass Vocals) |
| 5 |
A Song for Mama
#7
|
Kenneth Edmonds | Kenneth Edmonds | Babyface | Nathan Morris (Baritone Vocals)Wanya Morris (Tenor Vocals)Shawn Stockman (Tenor Vocals)Michael McCary (Bass Vocals) |
| 6 |
Can You Stand the Rain
|
James Harris IIITerry Lewis | James Harris IIITerry Lewis | Boyz II Men | Nathan Morris (Baritone Vocals)Wanya Morris (Tenor Vocals)Shawn Stockman (Tenor Vocals)Michael McCary (Bass Vocals) |
| 7 |
Can't Let Her Go
|
Sean CombsLawrenceJordanMichael McCaryWanya MorrisShawn StockmanNathan MorrisG. JohnsonL. Blackmon | Sean CombsLawrenceJordanMichael McCaryWanya MorrisShawn StockmanNathan MorrisG. JohnsonL. Blackmon | Sean CombsLawrenceStevie J | Nathan Morris (Baritone Vocals)Wanya Morris (Tenor Vocals)Shawn Stockman (Tenor Vocals)Michael McCary (Bass Vocals) |
| 8 |
Baby C'mon
|
Andraé CrouchMichael McCaryWanya MorrisShawn StockmanNathan Morris | Andraé CrouchMichael McCaryWanya MorrisShawn StockmanNathan Morris | Andraé Crouch | Nathan Morris (Baritone Vocals)Wanya Morris (Tenor Vocals)Shawn Stockman (Tenor Vocals)Michael McCary (Bass Vocals) |
| 9 |
Come On
|
Sean CombsWalkerMichael McCaryWanya MorrisShawn StockmanNathan MorrisElliottPearsonSumner | Sean CombsWalkerMichael McCaryWanya MorrisShawn StockmanNathan MorrisElliottPearsonSumner | Sean CombsJ-DubBoyz II Men | Nathan Morris (Baritone Vocals)Wanya Morris (Tenor Vocals)Shawn Stockman (Tenor Vocals)Michael McCary (Bass Vocals) |
| 10 |
All Night Long
|
J. SmithAndraé CrouchMichael McCaryWanya MorrisShawn StockmanNathan Morris | J. SmithAndraé CrouchMichael McCaryWanya MorrisShawn StockmanNathan Morris | Andraé Crouch | Nathan Morris (Baritone Vocals)Wanya Morris (Tenor Vocals)Shawn Stockman (Tenor Vocals)Michael McCary (Bass Vocals) |
| 11 |
Human II (Don't Turn Your Back on Me)
|
James Harris IIITerry LewisMichael McCaryWanya MorrisShawn StockmanNathan Morris | James Harris IIITerry LewisMichael McCaryWanya MorrisShawn StockmanNathan Morris | Jimmy JamTerry Lewis | Nathan Morris (Baritone Vocals)Wanya Morris (Tenor Vocals)Shawn Stockman (Tenor Vocals)Michael McCary (Bass Vocals) |
| 12 |
To the Limit
|
WalkerMichael McCaryWanya MorrisShawn StockmanNathan MorrisSean CombsJordanCaldwellKettner | WalkerMichael McCaryWanya MorrisShawn StockmanNathan MorrisSean CombsJordanCaldwellKettner | Sean CombsJ-DubStevie JBoyz II Men | Nathan Morris (Baritone Vocals)Wanya Morris (Tenor Vocals)Shawn Stockman (Tenor Vocals)Michael McCary (Bass Vocals) |
| 13 |
Dear God
|
BottomsJonesMichael McCaryWanya MorrisShawn StockmanTodd HustonV. GreenRichard Smallwood | BottomsJonesMichael McCaryWanya MorrisShawn StockmanTodd HustonV. GreenRichard Smallwood | Boyz II MenBottomsJones | Nathan Morris (Baritone Vocals)Wanya Morris (Tenor Vocals)Shawn Stockman (Tenor Vocals)Michael McCary (Bass Vocals) |