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Before this river, becomes an ocean
Before you throw my heart back on the floor

Click here for the standard cover with lettering 
That's all I wanted
Something special something sacred in your eyes
For just one moment
To be bold and naked at your side
Sometimes I think that you never understand me (Understand me)
Maybe this time is forever; say it can be
W-h-o-a...
"Father Figure"

Faith is the debut solo studio album recorded by English pop rock musician George Michael. It was released through Columbia Records and Epic Records on 30 October 1987.

Having broken off Wham!, George sought to make a full break from the teenybopper image that he had been stereotyped with, despite the more serious subject matter of their later album, Make It Big. He would spend a year crafting songs for this album, writing all the songs himself, though one song did get some assistance from previous collaborator David Austin.

Recording would be split between SARM West Studios in London, and PUK Studios in Aarhus, Denmark. George would go back from PUK to SARM due to growing "cabin fever" in Denmark.

Commercially, it would elevate him to superstardom. The album would top the Billboard 200 and Official Charts Company album charts, going ten-times Platinum in the United States (later certified Diamond), and quadruple-Platinum in the United Kingdom. Faith would top the year-end Billboard 200 album chart for 1988, and still be #43 on the year-end Billboard 200 for 1989. It has sold 25 million copies worldwide, with Nielsen SoundScan pinning current sales in the US at 11 million copies.

The album spawned seven singles: "I Want Your Sex", the Title Track, "Hard Day", "Father Figure", "One More Try", "Monkey", and "Kissing a Fool". Although "Hard Day" didn't chart anywhere, all the others were Top 5 on the Billboard Hot 100—spawning four #1's there—and Top 20 on the UK Pop chart.

Faith won Album of the Year at the 31st Grammy Awards in 1989. He also won one Moonman off of three nominations (Best Direction for "Father Figure") at the 1988 MTV Video Music Awards, and the 1989 Video Vanguard award.

The CD and Cassette versions include two bonus tracks not included on the vinyl version: a remix of "Hard Day", and "A Last Request", which was the third part of the song "I Want Your Sex"—deleted from the vinyl version due to time constraints, but included on its single.

A remaster of the album was released on 31 January 2011. It added a second CD with 12" versions and B sides, and a DVD featuring all the music videos and a contemporary TV special on the album's making.

Tracklist:

Side One
  1. "Faith" (3:16)
  2. "Father Figure" (5:36)
  3. "I Want Your Sex (Parts I & II)" (9:17)
  4. "One More Try" (5:50)

Side Two

  1. "Hard Day" (4:48)
  2. "Hand To Mouth" (4:36)
  3. "Look At Your Hands" (4:37)
  4. "Monkey" (5:06)
  5. "Kissing a Fool" (4:35)

CD and Cassette Bonus Tracks

  1. "Hard Day" (Shep Pettibone remix) (6:29)
  2. "A Last Request (I Want Your Sex Part III)" (3:48)

"I want your tropes":

  • Album Title Drop: Naturally for the Title Track
    'Cause I gotta have faith
  • Break-Up Song: "Faith"; "Kissing A Fool".
  • Domestic Abuse: The topic of "Look At Your Hands".
  • Drugs Are Bad: "Monkey", according to George's website.
    Why can't you do it?
    Why can't you set your monkey free?
    Always giving in to it
    Do you love your monkey or do you love me?
  • Epic Rocking: At just a hair under six minutes, "One More Try" was one of the longest songs to ever hit #1 on the US charts. There's also "I Want Your Sex (Parts I & II)" that appears as one single nonstop track on this album, clocking in at 9 minutes 17 seconds total.
  • Ethical Slut: George in "I Want Your Sex". As per Word of God (noted in its showcase on Pop Up Video), "it's not about fucking, it's about fucking within a relationship". The music video prominently features the slogan Explore Monogamy.
  • Face on the Cover: George Michael's face turned to the side with part of his leather jacket pulled up to it.
  • Get Out!: In "Faith":
    Well it takes a strong man baby
    But I'm showing you the door!
  • Incest Subtext: "Father Figure" has shades of this as George paints a picture of his relationship to a woman as that of a father and his daughter.
  • Intercourse with You: "I Want Your Sex", although he encourages monogamy.
  • One-Word Title: "Faith" and "Monkey".
  • Record Producer: George Michael.
  • Sequel Song: "I Want Your Sex" is actually two parts; Part 1 (roughly the first 4:44) was the radio version. And it was originally three parts, with the third being broken off as the song "A Last Request".
  • Sex Is Good: From "I Want Your Sex (Part I)":
    Sex is natural, sex is good.
    Not everybody does it, but everybody should.
  • Song Style Shift: The multi-faceted "I Want Your Sex", with Part I being electro-funk, and Part II being an R&B-flavoured instrumental heavy in brass. The original Part III, "A Last Request", is Jazz-inspired.
  • Teacher/Student Romance: Both "Father Figure" and "One More Try" have this in opposite perspectives, though some perceive the lyrics of "Father Figure" has having some Incest Subtext.
  • Title Track: "Faith".

Alternative Title(s): Faith

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