"Let Your Soul-Glo": The Experience Returns

[E-Man]

I :heart: Dolche. What's wrong with Dolche?

Nothing wrong with Dolche, but you look like the type of guy that wears those.

 

[chamber-music]

I remember exactly 2 songs from Seal, and one of them came out this decade.

Seal is famous in the Britain for only two songs 1990 Killer and 1994 Kiss From A Rose thats about it. We didn't even know the guy was still making music until he hooked up Klum.

Speaking of black brits in the music biz, that new Sade is some real talk. My dad is a massive fan, and I'm actually starting to get into her now.

corinne bailey rae has got a new album out.

I enjoyed the conversation ya'll were having earlier today about Dru Hill, Jodeci, Boyz II Men, 112, etc. It kinda struck me: We don't have ANY groups out right now. I mean, zero. And it's been like that for a while.

For almost the entirety of the 2000s we virtually went group-less. Looking back on the 1990s, all of those guy groups mentioned above were dominating, along with Troop, Tone Tony Toni, Intro, H-Town, Bell Biv Devoe, etc. And we had just as many girl groups dueling it out with the male groups on the charts: you had the heavy hitters--TLC, SWV and En Vogue--as well as list of very successful other groups i.e. Brownstone, Xscape, 702, etc. And to be fair, even in pop music you still had a lot of groups, such as Backstreet Boys, Nsync, Destinys Child et al.

And then boom...it was over and all we had was solo artists.

What happened? Why do you think the group phenomenon died out ya'll? Personally I believe it has EVERYTHING to do with American Idol--which conditioned the record-buying viewers to obsess and vote for solo artists/personalities instead of groups.

Thoughts?

R&B groups and R&B music in general is nearly non-existent in Britain as well besides X-Factor (our American Idol) winners like Leona Lewis, Alexander Burke and lone boyband JLS. Old school 90s RnB is out of fashion. The music industry signs whats popular. A couple years ago Amy Winehouse was big so industry people signed Adele, Duffy, Gabriella Cilmi, Florence and The Machine and any other soul singer sonwriter white women.

Recently its been Synth-pop solo women like Little Boots and La Roux.

Anyway Simon Cowell's JLS just signed to Jive in the U.S so you will see them on your side of the pond soon.

Here
JLS- Beat Again
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yJJEZdYQR_s

JLS-Everybody In Love
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cA2PWb9UlKM

 

[Wylie Times]

No. Last group that actually played insturments besides Mint Condition and were succesful that I can remember is, I don't know, freakin' Kool and the Gang?

That's why I'm saying, it would be pretty much unheard of in todays market. Other than the Roots, who the hell else is doing live band stuff in the hip hop age? Not many.

Wycelf, Rza, Andre 3000, a few others I'm sure I'm forgetting.

 

[chamber-music]

Alot of rappers perform with a live band these days but the number that of actual playing intrument hip hop groups is low.

 

[Wylie Times]

Alot of rappers perform with a live band these days but the number that of actual playing intrument hip hop groups is low.

All the guys I mentioned actually play instruments on stage...You're right about there being very few U.S. hip hop acts like that though.

 

[chamber-music]

Anyone like Roots Manuva?

 

[terry78]

Yeah, I downloaded a couple off Corinne's new one. I like it, but it's a whole other sound for her, mostly I think due to her late husband and her issues with that.

 

[AndThePickles]

I don't like all of Usher's recent music, but love this song

[YT]1A7YAiWk69E[/YT]

 

[E-Man]

Since my R&B thread is failing, I'll just let y'all know about the man coming back here. Jaheim has a new album coming out next week, and he has a song that easily blows my mind. Here ya go:

[YT]<object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/ncpq79VPRqw&hl=en_US&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/ncpq79VPRqw&hl=en_US&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>[/YT]

 

[Manic]

Hey, he sounds less like The Poor Man's Luther Vandross there.

 

[E-Man]

I honestly think Jaheim is a better singer than Luther. Both are great, but Jah's voice is stronger IMO. I just think that he doesn't have the nostalgia yet that Luther has.

 

[RockSP]

Hey, he sounds less like The Poor Man's Luther Vandross there.

He's rumored to have other stuff in common with Luther as well.

 

[knowsbleed]

He's gay too?

 

[RockSP]

Rumored to be, anyway.

 

[knowsbleed]

Does he sing better than Ne-Yo?

 

[Manic]

Does he sing better than Ne-Yo?

Isn't Ne-Yo's talent level the bare minimum for non-autotuned R&B? Just about everyone sings better than him.

 

[SurfDUI]

Don't he produce and write to? Usually producers make below average performers...and nobody is like Luther R.I.P., shout out to Freddie Jackson.

The last male R&B solos I've bought were Maxwell and Anthony Hamilton...that's the genre for me.

 

[PyroChamber]

He's rumored to have other stuff in common with Luther as well.

He's gay too?

Luther was gay?

 

[Wylie Times]

Don't he produce and write to? Usually producers make below average performers...and nobody is like Luther R.I.P., shout out to Freddie Jackson.

The last male R&B solos I've bought were Maxwell and Anthony Hamilton...that's the genre for me.

That's pretty much the only reason he has so much respect in the industry. Good songwriters and producers are few and far in between and apparently Ne-Yo is very good.

 

[E-Man]

Ne-Yo is decent enough to not fall into the category of weak ass singers who shouldn't have a deal, but he's not good enough to be memorable. He's got a few good songs, but I highly doubt I'll be thinking to myself, "Man I miss Ne-Yo," in 10 years.

 

[Casius--J]

You know I'm actually a Ne-Yo fan, I think he makes some strong albums although quite short but the stuff he produces is better than the garbage thats out right now.

I would agree with LS that its time for the music industry to make a huge shift and get back to some RnB groups again and just some GOOD music.

 

[Manic]

I respect Ne-Yo as a writer. His songs can be pretty dang fun/interesting when he wants them to be. I got his Because Of You album a few years ago, and I dug a couple of his non-single songs like "Sex With My Ex" and "Crazy."

 

[AndThePickles]

Yeah, I enjoyed parts of Because of You. I think he's a talented guy

 

[Lightning Strykez!]

Luther was gay?

Are you kidding? Luther loved men like a fat boi loves cake. Seeerriously. LOL

But he was a legend--I don't care what he did behind closed doors, the man gave us lyrical and vocal memories for a lifetime.

As far as Jaheim, I am LOVIN the new track. It's probably the first track of his that I actually liked. He kinda reminds me of Tank and Ruben Studdard--two singers who have such vocal talents but consistently churn out the most bland, paint-by-numbers garbage.

 

[terry78]

Don't tell my mama Luther was gay. She was all over that man.