R&B trio Bell, Biv, Devoe just wrapped up a successful tour with their parent group New Edition and I’m sure they are already cooking up some dates for Summer 2023 as BBD. Since their debut breakthrough in 1990, the group has only released four albums of original material, despite their active touring schedule.
Under the radar in 2009, the group quietly released a two-song EP, “Welcome To My Heart.” Hitting digital retailers on Valentine’s Day, the songs find Ricky Bell crooning his heart out in a tale about a man who believes he is the right person for a woman who is afraid to commit. Ricky elegantly sings that he can give her the love and affection she needs. From a production standpoint, the song stays within the nineties singing style we’ve come to know Ricky for.
“You” was the other song on the EP, and it found the trio going in a route of grown man Hip Hop. Ronnie and Mike get a chance to showcase their rap-singing style. The production is suited for the 2009 era sound, and I firmly believe that if Drake, Trey Songz, or any other hot singer had released the songs, they would have been hits.
Bell Biv Devoe would continue teasing fans with songs until they released 2017’s little heard Three Stripes. I know I’m not the only NE4Lifer who remembers “Operator” (a modern-day version of “Mr. Telephone Man), “Hello,” and “With Me.” These songs and “Welcome To My Heart” and “You,” would have made for a solid five-song EP.
However, given the lukewarm response from the public and radio to their later released material and industry changes, I fully understand why BBD is content with being a nostalgia act.
Final Grade: B
“Welcome To My Heart” is available on all streaming platforms.
For this week’s Second Listen Sunday, I want to revisit 2004 and highlight Romeo’s debut solo album, formerly of Immature. Titled “Food for Thought” and released on June 22nd, this project marked the singer’s change of name to Young Rome in an effort to distance himself from the youthful sound of his group, much like his bandmate Marques Houston had done a year earlier.
In the nineties, Hip-Hop reigned supreme, and every label CEO wanted a share of the lucrative R&B market. One strategy was to keep singers on their roster who could deliver catchy hooks, keeping everything in-house and saving money. Bad Boy had Carl Thomas, Death Row had Danny Boy, and Roc-A-Fella had Rell, our featured artist for this week’s Slow Jam Saturday
Growing up in the eighties, I was surrounded by incredibly talented male R&B singers who could deliver unforgettable love songs. Artists like Luther Vandross, Jeffrey Osborne, and Peabo Bryson dominated the airwaves, but Freddie Jackson was another voice that truly deserved recognition.