''Return'' is an album by the American musical group the Winans, released in 1990. It was their third album for Qwest Records. The first single was "It's Time", which was re-edited to change the rap elements when gospel audiences objected. The Winans supported the album with North American tour. Some critics dubbed the album's sound "new jack gospel". The album peaked at No. 90 on the ''Billboard'' 200. It sold more than 500,000 copies. ''Return'' was nominated for a

Grammy Award The Grammy Awards, stylized as GRAMMY, and often referred to as The Grammys, are awards presented by The Recording Academy of the United States to recognize outstanding achievements in music. They are regarded by many as the most prestigious ...

for "Best Contemporary Soul Gospel Album". It won the Soul Train Music Award for Best Gospel Album.

Production

The album was produced primarily by Michael J. Powell. Teddy Riley produced some of the album's new jack swing-influenced tracks. Kenny G, Aaron Hall, and

Stevie Wonder Stevland Hardaway Morris (; Judkins; born May 13, 1950), known professionally as Stevie Wonder, is an American and Ghanaian singer-songwriter, musician, and record producer. He is regarded as one of the most influential musicians of the 20th c ...

were among the album's guest musicians.

Critical reception

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'' wrote that "the merger of their soaring sermonizing and iley'sdecidedly secular new jack swing is heaven-sent." The '' Austin American-Statesman'' opined that "It's Time" "is a tremendous leap... With its tough-talking rap and Teddy Riley-produced groove, it sounds more like a Bobby Brown single than a gospel tune." '' Spin'' deemed the album "one of the hippest, tightest—all the words ending in ''est''—gospel albums ever... ''Return'' cooks."

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wrote: "A soul act on Motown sounds like one on Epic sounds like one on Qwest—all twinkling synthesizers, obnoxious drum machines doing the same programmed beats, all low smooth bass, all the same neatly arranged vocal harmonies. It's all very professional, all very formal, and one wonders, even with gospel acts like the Winans, whether there's any soul left after the gloss has leeched out the interesting wrinkles."

Track listing

References

{{authority control The Winans albums 1990 albums Qwest Records albums