On this day in 1997, Boyz II Men followed up the massively successful ‘II’ album with ‘Evolution’.
On the date of release, the group signed copies of the album at the Virgin Megastore in New York City. This helped the album debut at #1 on both the Billboard 200 and the R&B Albums chart in the US. The album was certified 2x Platinum by the RIAA just three months after release.
The lead single from the album was ‘4 Seasons of Loneliness’, which became Boyz II Men’s fifth #1 hit in the US.
Other singles included the #1 R&B hit ‘A Song For Mama’, which was also the theme song from the 1997 movie ‘Soul Food’ and became the group’s seventh song to reach Platinum status in the US, ‘Can’t Let Her Go’, and ‘Doin’ Just Fine’. The album also included a cover of the 1988 New Edition hit ‘Can You Stand The Rain’.
‘Evolution’ charted in the Top 10 in numerous markets, and has reportedly sold over four million copies worldwide.
The group also released ‘Evolución’ with the same album artwork, featuring re-recorded tracks from the ‘Evolution’ album in Spanish, as well as hits from their previous albums in Spanish. ‘Evolución’ earned them a Billboard Latin Music Award for Pop Album of the Year by a New Artist.
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