Soul music combines elements from rhythm and blues, gospel music, and pop music into one genre known for call and response, handclaps, and body movement. Neo soul was an emerging subgenre in the 1990s that D’Angelo played an influential role in. His debut album Brown Sugar featured his single Lady as well.
Boyz II Men
Boyz II Men burst onto the music scene in the ’90s as high schoolers with dreams. Formed at Philadelphia’s High School for Creative and Performing Arts (or CAPA to its students) in 1988, this group initially consisted of Nathan Morris, Mare Nelson, Wanya Morris Michael McCary and Shawn Stockman before changing to Boyz II Men after being inspired by New Edition to sell millions of records worldwide and mesmerize audiences everywhere with emotional ballads.
Harmonies that made them legendary and one of the first male R&B groups to employ hypertechnical melodic embellishments made popular by divas like Whitney Houston and Mariah Carey are hallmarks of success for any male R&B act. While initially heavily influenced by new jack swing, their forte lay in lush, soulful ballads where their legendary harmonies could flourish.
Boyz II Men was one of the biggest and most successful bands of their era, earning five consecutive number one singles and selling over 25 million albums worldwide. “End of the Road” reigned supreme for 13 weeks at #1 on Billboard charts – setting an unprecedented record that still stands today. Following their immense success, they went on a world tour working alongside celebrities like Babyface, Brandy Michael Jackson LL Cool J and Mariah Carey as collaborators and performers.
Boyz II Men were caught up in the changing music business and its ever-evolving nature, struggling to keep pace. Following their album Full Circle’s poor sales performance, Arista dropped them and forced the group to self-produce its successor album; results weren’t as strong and they battled rival boy bands such as ‘N Sync, the Backstreet Boys, and 98 Degrees for young pop hearts.
But despite losing their record deal, the group remained committed to creating music. They released Throwback Vol. 1 in 2004 before following with Motown: A Journey Through Hitsville USA in 2007 and Love in 2009. Finally, in 2011, to commemorate their 20th anniversary, the band released Twenty with both original songs and cover versions.
TLC
TLC is best known for their blend of funk, rap and new jack swing, combined with liberated sexiness. Over the course of their success and famed career spanning the 90s and millennium they received four Grammy awards as well as selling millions of albums; yet not without its share of drama and personal battles – filing for bankruptcy after legal issues with LaFace Records and their manager over touring costs, taxes management costs as well as production.
TLC epitomized soul music’s new era during the 90s. While many R&B girl groups took more traditional approaches, TLC stood out by incorporating hip hop and funk elements into their sound to appeal to younger audiences and differentiate them from competitors. Their members Tionne “T-Boz” Watkins, Lisa “Left Eye” Lopes and Rozonda “Chilli” Thomas all brought unique talents that complimented each other beautifully.
TLC had an impressive roster of guest artists that contributed to their albums and singles, such as Tupac, Missy Elliott and Red Hot Chili Peppers’ Flea. However, Lopes tragically died in a car accident in 2002; nevertheless, T-Boz and Chilli continued performing and recording until their retirement in 2017.
TLC remains an influential force in popular music to this day. Many contemporary artists cite TLC as major influences and admire its message of self-expression, independence from gender norms, and acceptance of all parts of oneself. Their legacy lives on even after their final album has been released – they remain one of the top selling girl groups ever!
Jodeci
Although Jodeci hasn’t performed live for over two decades, their legacy lives on. Their pioneering fusion of hip hop beats and classic soul melodies is widely recognized as one of the most groundbreaking sounds to come out of R&B music history. Additionally, their groundbreaking vocal layering techniques and genre blending techniques are now part of modern production; often times we hear pieces of their classic hits in songs by artists like Usher or Trey Songz!
Jodeci was formed by two sets of brothers in the late 1980s: Mr. Dalvin Ertimus DeGrate and JoJo Hailey were from North Hampton, Virginia while their brothers Donald (DeVante Swing) and K-Ci were born in Charlotte, North Carolina. Joel “JoJo” Hailey, DeVante Swing and Cedric Renard Hailey made up this trio whose name became Jodeci in 1991 when three albums featuring top hits like Freek’n You and Love U 4 Life were released by this trio!
The band broke new ground by including topics like relationships and sexuality in their music in an unconventional but accessible manner. Their controversial subject matter resonated with listeners because it gave them a voice that was both authentic and honest.
With their tremendous success and music still popular today, their success was outstanding and is fondly remembered by fans who experience emotional responses when viewing their videos.
After enjoying incredible success with their third album, The Show, After Party & Hotel (1984), Jodeci continued releasing singles before finally issuing their greatest hits compilation in 1995. Although Jodeci was once an essential force in music industry, eventually disbanding in 1998.
At its height of popularity, this group made an indelible mark on modern music, inspiring many upcoming singers and black men alike to pursue their goals even in a world that had long held them back.
Marvin Gaye
Marvin Gaye was one of the most influential soul music artists of the 1980s. Born to a Pentecostal minister, Gaye formed his first group during high school called the DC Tones; upon graduation he signed with Motown Records and recorded duets with Mary Wells and Kim Weston before achieving superstar status with 1967’s hit single “I Heard It Through the Grapevine”. Unfortunately in 1968 his wife Tammi Terrel died due to brain cancer prompting Gaye into seclusion.
Gaye achieved success as both a solo artist and songwriter, producing hits for himself and other musicians such as Smokey Robinson’s “Ain’t That Peculiar” and Holland-Dozier-Holland’s “Pride and Joy.” Additionally, his duet “It Takes Two,” recorded with fellow Motown alum Kim Weston reached number 10 on Billboard charts.
Gaye made waves with his 1976 Motown album Midnight Love when it defied conventional Motown sound and featured sexually charged material that caused much debate within the industry. Yet despite these concerns, Midnight Love proved hugely successful and earned two Grammy awards. Gaye continued pushing boundaries both as an artist and writer throughout his career.
Gaye’s star rose after resolving some personal matters and the release of “What’s Going On,” an album which dealt with social issues such as Vietnam, poverty, racism and drug abuse – making an impressionable statement about them at that time and setting precedents for subsequent albums from Michael Jackson and Prince.
As his fame increased, Gaye sought more independence from Motown and signed an unprecedented $1 million contract – the richest contract ever awarded to an African American artist at that time. By 1973 he produced “Let’s Get It On,” which hit #1 and became an airplay staple; additionally his platinum album by this name went platinum, garnering him two more Grammy awards in 1974. Later, Gaye ventured deeper into more intimate and sexual material that shocked audiences at the time; becoming an influential force for soul and pop music that explored sensuous or political themes; today his legacy remains respected by millions around the globe.