True to Myself

True to Myself is the debut album of R&B singer Eric Benét. It was released by on Warner Bros. Records on September 24, 1996 in the United States.[1] 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.[2] 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.[2]

For the 2019 album by Lil Tjay, see True 2 Myself.
True to Myself
Studio album by
Eric Benét
ReleasedSeptember 24, 1996
RecordedThe Crib
(Milwaukee, Wisconsin)
The Chapel
(St. Louis, Missouri)
The Enterprise
(Burbank, California)
Roger's Personal Palace
(Dayton, Ohio)
Length61:17
LabelWarner Bros.
Producer
Eric Benét chronology
True to Myself
(1996)		 A Day in the Life
(1999)
Singles from True to Myself
  1. "Let's Stay Together"
    Released: January 30, 1996
  2. "Spiritual Thang"
    Released: November 19, 1996
  3. "Femininity"
    Released: April 29, 1997
  4. "True to Myself"
    Released: June 20, 1997

Benet produced most of his debut with Demonté Posey and George Nash, Jr., 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.[3] The music video to the song was directed by Charles Stone III.[4] The second single released from True to Myself was the McG directed "Spiritual Thang".[5] The album's biggest hit was the third single "Femininity", which was directed by a then-unknown Francis Lawrence.[6] "Femininity" also featured an appearance from then-unknown rapper Tiye Phoenix, who played a pregnant woman in the music video.[7] The title track was the fourth and final single released from the album with a video directed by Joseph Kahn.[8]

Critical reception
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Allmusic[9]
Muzik7/10[10]

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."[9]

Track listing
No.TitleWriter(s)ProducerLength
1."True to Myself"
  • Eric Benét
  • George Nash Jr.
  • Benét
  • Nash Jr.
  • Demonté Posey
4:41
2."I'll Be There"
  • Benét
  • Nash Jr.
  • Benét
  • Posey
  • Nash Jr.
5:19
3."If You Want Me to Stay"Sylvester StewartRoger Troutman3:52
4."Let's Stay Together" (Midnight Mix)
  • Benét
  • Nash Jr.
  • Posey
  • Benét
  • Nash Jr.
  • Posey
4:47
5."Just Friends"
  • Benét
  • Posey
  • Nash Jr.
  • Christian Warren
4:36
6."Femininity"
Warren4:49
7."While You Were Here"
  • Benét
  • Posey
  • Nash Jr.
  • Benét
  • Posey
5:46
8."Spiritual Thang"
  • Benét
  • Nash Jr.
  • Posey
  • Benét
  • Nash Jr.
  • Posey
4:00
9."Chains"
  • Benét
  • Nash Jr.
  • Posey
  • Benét
  • Nash Jr.
  • Posey
4:52
10."All in the Game"
  • Benét
  • Nash Jr.
  • Posey
  • Benét
  • Nash Jr.
  • Posey
4:23
11."More Than Just a Girlfriend"
  • Benét
  • Nash Jr.
  • Benét
  • Nash Jr.
5:01
12."What If We Was Cool"
  • Benét
  • Nash Jr.
  • Troutman
  • Dale DeGroat
  • Benét
  • Nash Jr.
  • Posey
4:12
13."Let's Stay Together"
  • Benét
  • Nash Jr.
  • Posey
  • Benét
  • Nash Jr.
  • Posey
5:04
Total length:1:01:22

Personnel

Credits adapted from liner notes.[11]

Performers and musicians

Charts
Chart (1996) Peak
position
US Billboard 200[12] 174
US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard)[13] 38

Release history
True to Myself release history
Region Date Format Label Ref(s)
United States September 24, 1996
Warner Bros. [1]

References
  1. Amazon.com
  2. "Eric Benet: Biography". answers.com. answers.com. Retrieved 2014-07-09.
  3. "A Thin Line Between Love & Hate: Music From The Motion Picture". Amazon. Retrieved 2014-07-09.
  4. Smalls, F. Romall (September 2000). Career At A Glance: He Knows "Whassup". Black Enterprise. p. 70. Retrieved 2014-07-09.
  5. "Spiritual Thang". MVDBase.com (video). ASG. 1998–2017. Retrieved 2014-07-09.
  6. "Femininity". MVDBase.com (video). ASG. 1998–2017. Retrieved 2014-07-09.
  7. "TBT - throwback". instagram.com. Instagram. Archived from the original on 2021-12-26. Retrieved 2019-09-23.
  8. "True To Myself". MVDBase.com (video). ASG. 1998–2017. Retrieved 29 January 2017.
  9. Allmusic review
  10. Springer, Jacqueline (May 1997). "Eric Benet: True To Myself" (PDF). Muzik. No. 24. p. 112. Archived from the original (PDF) on 3 April 2022. Retrieved 17 July 2022.
  11. Eric Benet - True To Myself (CD liner notes). Warner Bros. Records. 46270-2
  12. "Eric Benét Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved June 27, 2022.
  13. "Eric Benét Chart History (Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved June 27, 2022.
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