A funky breakdown, spirited backing vocals and a righteous attitude-the sentiment on this cut is guaranteed to make her soul sisters shout.' Similarly, Will Layman from PopMatters felt that the record was 'a piece of real JB-esque organ funk that allows Faith to testify as lead singer and then play call-and-response with her own overdubbed gospel chorus. Andria Lisle, writing for Paste magazine declared the song 'a delicious, modern-day love song on par with the late Lyn Collins or hizzoner Soul Brother #1. 'Mesmerized' was acclaimed by music critics who appreciated the 1960s-vibe Evans attempted and they compared the song to multiple artists and compositions of that time, including 'sweaty productions' from Lyn Collins and James Brown. I kept it more on an Aretha vibe with the ad-libs, and the whole attitude, just real gutsy and raw, was inspired by Lyn Collins.' Critical reception Д¬ritics applauded Evans attempted 1960s-vibe on the song, which they compared to James Brown's 'sweaty productions' for sidekick Lyn Collins. I just wanted to kind of get that attitude without totally redoing a Lyn Collins song or without totally taking her approach to it or her ad-libs. 'I put in her CD, just listened to three songs probably. Speaking on its creation, the singer stated: 'I was just going through CDs, and I was like 'How could I have overlooked that?'' I totally wanted to approach it as if Aretha Franklin was singing a James Brown record, so what I did was think, 'I'm like the female James Brown.' Evans' vocal performance was also influenced by Brown's sidekick Lyn Collins. Д¬rafted around a track that producer Chucky Thompson sent Evans two years before she picked it out, 'Mesmerized' was inspired by veteran soul musicians which came to prominence in the 1960s. According to Evans, it was 'also the song that sorta sealed deal with Capitol Records' in 2004.

It was one of the first songs Evans recorded in her then newly built home basement studio when she lived in Atlanta, Georgia.

Manny Marroquin mixed the track, while Ben Briggs and Brad Todd oversaw the recording of 'Mesmerized' both tasks were executed at the Larrabee Sound Studios in North Hollywood, California. The song contains interpolations from both Johnnie Taylor's 1968 single вЂњ Who's Making LoveвЂќ, written by Homer Banks, Bettye Crutcher, Don Davis, and Raymond Jackson, and George Benson's вЂњFootinвЂ™ ItвЂќ, crafted by Benson and Donald Sebesky. 'Mesmerized' was penned by Faith Evans, Andre 'AJ' Johnson, Todd Russaw, Kameelah Williams, and Chucky Thompson, while production was helmed by the latter, Russaw, and Johnson. The song was also promoted by a Bryan Barber-directed music video which features Evans performing with her band in front of a light wall. A prominent remix of the song, produced by English dance duo Freemasons, also reached number one on the US Hot Dance Club Songs chart and remained atop for three consecutive weeks. Released as the album's second single on June 13, 2005, 'Mesmerized' reached the top 20 in the Netherlands, and peaked at number 22 on the Flemish Ultratop 50, where it became Evans' highest-charting single as a solo artist. The musical composition of the song, as well as Evans' vocals and versatility, positively surprised critics, who ranked it among the album's standout tracks. A throwback to 1960s music, the uptempo funk song exhibits style similar to that of Lyn Collins, Aretha Franklin and James Brown, among others.

Inspired by producer Chucky Thompson's original track, which contains interpolations from Johnnie Taylor's 1968 single ' Who's Making Love', written by Homer Banks, Don Davis, Bettye Crutcher, and Raymond Jackson, and George Benson's 'Footin' It', crafted by Benson and Donald Sebesky, Evans wrote the song alongside Andre Johnson, Kameelah Williams, Thompson, and husband Todd Russaw its production was handled by Johnson, Thompson and Russaw. ' Mesmerized' is a song by American R&B recording artist Faith Evans from her fourth studio album, The First Lady (2005). Homer Banks, George Benson, Bettye Crutcher, Don Davis, Faith Evans, Andre Johnson, Todd Russaw, Donald Sebesky, Chucky Thompson, Kameelah WilliamsДЄndre 'AJ' Johnson, Todd Russaw, Chucky Thompson Larrabee Sound ( North Hollywood, California)

Faith evans you put that thing on me