(September 24, 2026) It is hard to believe that it has been three decades since Eric Benét first introduced himself to much of the world with his excellent debut album, True to Myself.
Released on September 24, 1996, the 13-song collection arrived at an interesting time in R&B, combining the contemporary sounds of the day with the classic soul influences that would remain an important part of Benét’s music throughout his career.
A Milwaukee native who had previously recorded as part of the family group Benét, Eric made True to Myself very much his own project. He wrote or co-wrote most of the material and was heavily involved in the album’s production and recording, working with legendary Zapp leader Roger Troutman on several tracks. Songs such as “Spiritual Thang,” “Femininity,” “Just Friends” and the title cut introduced listeners to both his distinctive tenor and an approach to R&B that respected the past without sounding trapped in it. The album also included a fine remake of Sly and the Family Stone’s “If You Want Me to Stay.”
True to Myself proved to be the beginning of a career that would make Benét one of the most recognizable voices in adult soul music. Three years later he broke through to an even larger audience with A Day in the Life, and over the ensuing years he delivered such favorites as “Spend My Life With You,” “Sometimes I Cry,” “Chocolate Legs” and “Real Love,” while establishing a consistent connection with soul music fans.
And over these three decades Benét has continued recording and collaborating with other leading singers, including a recent run of new music that has kept him firmly in the contemporary R&B conversation. In 2025, his duet with Chanté Moore, “So Distracted,” reached the top of Billboard’s Adult R&B Airplay chart, and earlier this year he returned with the socially conscious single “Who’s Gonna Save Us?”
So today we send a SoulTracks salute to Eric Benét on the 30th anniversary of True to Myself. It was an impressive introduction to an artist who, three decades after we first heard him, continues to deliver his own personal brand of soul.
