Newly contracted to
Bad Boy Records, Evans was consulted by
executive producer Combs to contribute backing vocals and writing skills to
Mary J. Blige's
My Life (1994) and
Usher's self-titled debut album (1994) before starting work on her debut record album
Faith. Producer Chucky Thompson - who helmed most of the album - recalls meeting Evans for the first time by her doing vocal production work on Usher's album. Though she initially was a protégé of
Al B. Sure!'s, she eventually signed to Bad Boy and insisted on Thompson producing her entire album after hearing him playing music on the piano in the studio. but Evans wrote the track after hearing the music and it was the first song finished for her album. The second single "Soon As I Get Home" was done to pass the time at the studio because Thompson had a flight to catch later that day. As he was about to leave, he received a call from Combs insisting he record the music Evans heard him play before he got on the plane. Evans later left a message on Thompson's answering machine - which was the song she wrote and recorded. Thompson said the song was finished and he didn't add any other touches. Another song on the album, "You Don't Understand", was primarily influenced by Evans' marriage to
The Notorious B.I.G. The music of
R. Kelly was the primary inspiration for the musical arrangement, according to Thompson. The third single from the album was the song "Ain't Nobody". Thompson said it was influenced by the song "Can't Let Her Get Away" by
Michael Jackson from his 1991 album
Dangerous. When he started on the music, he didn't do the tracking until after Combs came to hear the song and gave him the go-ahead to track it. When Thompson attempted the first time after Combs left, the plug came out from the machine, and the entire track was erased - which led him to do it all over again from scratch. The final single released from the album, "Come Over," was initially supposed to be an interlude. However, Evans insisted the interlude should be made into a full song. Another album track on
Faith, "All This Love" was written by Evans and her boyfriend before her marriage to The Notorious B.I.G., but Thompson revealed the music was composed five years before he met Evans. The CD bonus track "Reasons" featured uncredited background vocals from
Blackstreet member
Dave Hollister. His appearance was due to Evans and Blackstreet recording their debut albums at the same studio but only on different floors. Also originally planned as an interlude, Blackstreet member and producer
Teddy Riley came looking for Hollister and overheard the two singing "Reasons." Riley then suggested to Combs that it should be made into a full song.
Faith was recorded primarily at
The Hit Factory and Combs' studio Daddy's House Recording - both based in
New York City. ==Critical reception==