Although Boyz II Men was one of the most successful vocal groups of the 1990s, over the past few years it's seemed like their time as a relevant act might be over. The hits have became fewer and farther between for them, and one member of the foursome even left the group several years ago. Their new studio album, Twenty, which was released in the U.S. on Oct. 25, 2011, is a tribute to the 20th anniversary of their debut album. And although the double-CD is split between new and old material, it manages to fully showcase the fact that the group still has a good deal of life left in it and still might for years to come.
Old to the New
Boyz II Men's Twenty consists of one CD of all-new songs, plus a disc of remakes of some of their greatest hits. And for anyone expecting the new material to sound like the older, you're both right and wrong. Although much of the material hearkens back to the group's heyday of the mid-1990s, the group also tries out some newer sounds, with pretty good results. The album kicks off with "Believe," a surprisingly modern song (for them) that sounds custom-made for the dance floor. The lyrics, which contain an uplifting message about bridging divides and sharing love with the world is typical of their style, but the atypically funky groove backing the vocals drives the song much more than the lyrics.
Another song along the same lines is "Benefit of a Fool," about how the love (and lovin') of a good woman can turn a man's life around and make him want to do right. The bouncy, high-energy tune is probably much closer to the hip-hop style of their 1991 debut album, Motownphilly than anything else they've recorded since.
But since this is Boyz II Men, you just know there has to be some emotional ballads on the album to balance things out. Among the best and least cliche of those ballads is "Refuse to Be the Reason," a heart-piercing sad song about a person who refuses to take the blame for his lover leaving him; and "Will You Be There," which is about a person wondering if his partner will be there during tough times.
Another song along the same lines is "Benefit of a Fool," about how the love (and lovin') of a good woman can turn a man's life around and make him want to do right. The bouncy, high-energy tune is probably much closer to the hip-hop style of their 1991 debut album, Motownphilly than anything else they've recorded since.
But since this is Boyz II Men, you just know there has to be some emotional ballads on the album to balance things out. Among the best and least cliche of those ballads is "Refuse to Be the Reason," a heart-piercing sad song about a person who refuses to take the blame for his lover leaving him; and "Will You Be There," which is about a person wondering if his partner will be there during tough times.
Quality Music
© Motown.
Among the album's cornier material however, is the first single, "More Than You'll Ever Know," which features former Gap Band member (and notorious oversinger) Charlie Wilson. It's exactly the type of safe, mainstream pop that the group was known for during the height of its career. But unfortunately for them, that old formula doesn't quite work anymore. The same can be said for the second single, the anthemic "One Up for Love," which has a great message about mankind loving one another, but is more syrupy than a stack of pancakes.
The second CD, which contains remakes of "On Bended Knee," "End of the Road," "A Song for Mama" and more of their iconic songs, is completely superfluous. But even though it's an unnecessary extra, it's interesting to hear the songs remade with three voices instead of four (ex-member Michael McCary, who left the group in 2003 due to problems with scoliosis, declined to participate in the project). Other than the notable exception of "Motownphilly" though, the remakes sound very similar to the originals.
But with or without the CD of remakes, Twenty is a worthwhile listen for hardcore fans of the group and casual listeners alike. Unlike many artists who've had 20-year-plus careers, the Boyz are still relatively young (two of the three members are still in their late 30s), so it's not hard to image them releasing quality music for another 20 years.
The second CD, which contains remakes of "On Bended Knee," "End of the Road," "A Song for Mama" and more of their iconic songs, is completely superfluous. But even though it's an unnecessary extra, it's interesting to hear the songs remade with three voices instead of four (ex-member Michael McCary, who left the group in 2003 due to problems with scoliosis, declined to participate in the project). Other than the notable exception of "Motownphilly" though, the remakes sound very similar to the originals.
But with or without the CD of remakes, Twenty is a worthwhile listen for hardcore fans of the group and casual listeners alike. Unlike many artists who've had 20-year-plus careers, the Boyz are still relatively young (two of the three members are still in their late 30s), so it's not hard to image them releasing quality music for another 20 years.