NICE GUYS FINISH FIRST
Boyz II Men sings romantic songs in sweet harmonies - which millions seem to want to hear
TIME - OCTOBER 3, 1994
by CHRISTOPHER JOHN FARLEY
In the 1990s in America, music isn't the food of love - it's too often the food of lust, angst, violence, misogyny and general nihilism. Grunge rockers are raging, gangsta rappers are boasting. The last thing anyone with talent seems interested in performing are sons about men and women who are crazy about each other. Love songs are for insipid, unit-moving "entertainers" like Michael Bolton - and that's as good as saying the love song is dead.
Fortunately, the situation is not quite so dire. The vocal quartet Boyz II Men is living, singing proof that the love song - like love itself - will never really disappear. Other performers may grab the headlines and spark debates, but by going against the critical tide and recording harmonious ballads, Boyz II Men have won an enormous following. Their 1991 debut album, Cooleyhigharmony, sold 7 million copies, and in 1992, their mournful, melodic single End Of The Road stayed at number one on Billboard's charts for 13 weeks, breaking a record set by Elvis Presley. The group's new song, I'll Make Love II You, has become the fastest selling single of 1994 so far. Their second major album II, generated huge orders before it was even released.
What's remarkable about Boyz II Men is that their unabashed romanticism never bogs down the members considerable musical skill. Motown is their label, and with their harmonies and lookalike outfits, they hark back to the classic Motown groups like the Temptations. The Boyz released their debut CD just after the Milli Vanilli lip-synching scandal. It was a cynical time for pop music. Vanilla Ice had a best-selling psuedo-rap album; New Kids On The Block had gone multiplatinum. Were there any real singers left? Was everyone fake? The answer to these questions was Boyz II Men. Cooleyhighharmony was quality, old-school music, and its success paved the way for a new generation of singing groups, including Shai, SWV and All-4-One.
II is so shamelessly traditional it's almost radical. While elsewhere in pop, bands like Nine Inch Nails scream such lyrics as "I want to f___ you like an animal", the Boyz uphold a quaint gentlemanliness. Women aren't objects of lust; they are cherished. "Girl you're wish is my command/I'll submit to your demands" go the lyrics to I'll Make Love II You. Monogamy is celebrated. "Wanna build a new life," goes On Bended Knee. "Gonna make you my wife/Raise a family". Boyz II Men has found a niche by seeming to be blissfully unaware of their cultural surroundings. "America right now is being bombarded with reality, whether it's talk shows or rap or trials on TV or c-span," says Jheryl Busby, president of Motown. "This is a group that once again is introducing us to fantasy. Love Affairs. Romanc