Face2Face

Released in August 2001, Face2Face is Babyface's fifth studio album and a significant stylistic departure. After a five-year hiatus from solo recording, Kenneth 'Babyface' Edmonds moved from Epic to Arista Records, reuniting with L.A. Reid. Seeking to modernize his sound, he collaborated with a 'who's who' of then-current hitmakers, most notably The Neptunes (Pharrell Williams and Chad Hugo), Tim & Bob, and Buckwild. This shift toward uptempo, funk-driven tracks polarized his traditional fanbase, who were accustomed to his signature mid-tempo ballads. The album's commercial performance was further impacted by its release date coinciding with the September 11 attacks. Despite this, critics like Stephen Thomas Erlewine and Robert Christgau praised the album's technical sophistication and Babyface's ability to adapt his 'pretty voice' to more aggressive, syncopated environments. It remains a fascinating document of an r&b titan embracing the sonic futurism of the early 2000s.