Tan Qiu Ling
A while ago, UrbanWire got to review legendary R&B trio, Boyz II Men’s 7-year album in the making, Twenty, featuring legendary hits like “End of the Road”, “On Bended Knee” as well as newly-minted tunes like “One Up for Love” and “More than You’ll Ever Know”.
Having debuted at number 20 in the Billboard 200 Charts, 18,400 copies of the album were snatched off the shelves in its just first week of release. But if you were expecting the smooth crooners to sit on their laurels, you are most definitely mistaken.
Getting in the Christmas spirits, the industry veterans have teamed up with the teenage scream-inducing, hair-flipping pop idol, Justin Bieber for “Fa La La”, a bonus track in his Christmas album, Under My Mistletoe.
Watch their electrifying live performance during the Nov 1 broadcast of Dancing with the Stars, popular reality-dance competition programme.
Meanwhile, we take a minute to catch up with the band to talk about their exciting musical evolution, find out who’s the true ladies’ charmer in the group and the chances of a visit to our sunny island.
If you had to choose one single from Twenty, what would it be and why?
The album’s first single, “More Than You’ll Ever Know” is really special to us; we got to work with Charlie Wilson on that track which was amazing because he’s such an icon in the music industry and such a talented artist.
Looking back at the time when you debuted with the album Cooleyhighharmony in 1991, how do you think you have evolved in your music?
We’re older now, more mature with families and different views on life. Our fans grow older with us, but they also pass our music down to their children, which allows our fan base to skew much younger listeners than one would think. With every new album we strive to make it fresh and current- but at the same time, we always remember what our fans love about our music in the first place.
Having been together as a band for 20 years, what is the secret to your longevity as a music group?
It’s not so much a secret as it is a philosophy- as artists, we are committed to making timeless music, we are willing to work hard, and everything we do is for the fans. That’s how we’ve always approached our careers and I think the industry and the fans have responded to that. We don’t take success for granted, and I think that has absolutely contributed to our longevity.
How do you think the music industry has changed over the years?
We’ve been lucky enough to create enduring albums that we’re proud of, and to have the label support to create quality work, but in many cases in the business, the emphasis is now on creating one hit single, rather than on the album as a whole.
What are you doing to appeal to modern/new listeners?
We have always tried to stay true to our sound, and we’re committed to creating quality records, so both our career and our sound have progressed very organically.
If you could turn back time, what is one thing you wish you could tell yourselves back when you first started?
All the hard work will pay off!
Do you guys prefer being in the studio or touring?
Both are great for very different reasons. Being in the studio is all about the creative process; it’s about really digging into the music. Touring is when we get to bring all that hard work to the fans and connect with the audience. We all love the process of writing music and creating the songs- but sharing it with the fans and getting to watch them sing along is such a beautiful thing.
With so many love ballads under your belts, who is the true ladies man in the band?
I think we’re all romantics; you can’t create love songs for two decades otherwise. There’s not one standout ladies man in the group, but we are definitely all romantics.
Are there any plans to visit Singaporean fans anytime soon?
Our international fans are hugely important to us. We always make as many tour stops in Asia as we can, so you can expect to see us in Singapore soon!
Twenty is retailing from $16.95 at all major CD stores.