[8] R&B ballad "Tru Love," produced by Bryan Michael Cox and Jermaine Dupri and co-written by Johntá Austin, was released as the album's third and final single in October 2005 and reached number 27 on the US Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart.

[8] In support of the album, Evans embarked on the tour at the WAMO Summer Jam concert in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania on June 18, 2005, where she was joined by singer Teairra Mari and rappers Master P, Common, and Cassidy.

The American leg of the tour concluded at the House of Blues in West Hollywood, California on August 31, 2005, and was supported by opening acts Anthony David and Keke Wyatt.

With 52 minutes of silky vocals and a variation of infectious beats and slow sultry rhythm and blues, this record has all the ingredients needed making it emulate the class and tightly toned sound of Evans’ new physical appearance.

"[20] Greg Tate from The Village Voice called The First Lady Evans' "tightest set yet — song for song, production is crisp, ingenious, and bumping; lyrics meet the Chaka Khan criteria in communicating a complete thought; and Evans, often mistaken for a Blige without pitch issues, owns her emotions and isn't afraid to paint romantic pictures of them that leave pathos for the tabloids.

"[21] Billboard editor Gail Mitchell wrote: "By turns playful, sexy, soulful, funky and passionate, Evans showcases the full range of her talents on her most consistent effort yet.

"[22] Raymond Fiore, writing for Entertainment Weekly, found that while the material on the album was not as stellar as on 2001's Faithfully, The First Lady's "finest moments find Evans frolicking in sunnier '70s soul soundscapes.

It doesn’t transcend genres or attempt to reconstruct R&B, but First Lady will surely impress those with a taste for evocative bluesy vocals, dance numbers, and solid slow jams.

"[24] Tom Moon from Blender called The First Lady an "intermittently great fourth album [...] with Evans rejiggering her sordid autobiography into heartwarming tales of learning from mistakes and overcoming adversity.

"[25] Sal Cinquemani from Slant gave the album three out of five stars and said "The First Lady is decidedly less "street," boasting a more adult sound that's timely enough to keep longtime fans and possibly even earn new ones."

Though he dismissed songs such as "Ever Wonder," "Until You Came" and "Stop N Go," which he declared as either "cloying" or "sappy," he found that the album was "a mark of growth for Evans" following her slip from Bad Boy and Sean "Diddy" Combs.