When R&B fans think of musical families, three names usually come to mind: The Jacksons, The Winans, and DeBarge. For this week’s Second Listen Sunday, I want to give some recognition to Bunny DeBarge and her only solo album, “In Love.”
Following the success of the group’s fourth album, Bunny and her brother El were offered solo deals and decided to leave the group. Released on Motown in 1987, the album hit stores shortly after releases from her siblings El and Chico. Similar to The Jacksons, the remaining brothers went on to join another label.
The album’s lead single, “Save the Best for Me,” was written and produced by Aaron Zigman and Jerry Knight. This catchy pop tune ideally introduced Bunny as a solo artist. The following few songs—“Fine Line,” “So Good for You,” and “Dance All Night”—all share the same upbeat vibe and are centered around having a good time.
Bunny slows it down on the album’s title track, which I’m still surprised wasn’t released as a single. Listening to the song even at age 44, I can imagine many young men in their twenties feeling as if Bunny was singing directly to them. She reunites with her older brother from Switch fame on the midtempo track “Let’s Spend the Night,” which features that signature DeBarge sound. Towards the end of the album, there are some filler tracks, but Bunny’s vocals remain strong throughout.
While I’m not an expert on the ins and outs of the record industry, if I were A&R-ing this project, I would have had Bunny collaborate with others for songwriting and production, bringing in names like Jam & Lewis, Babyface, and Quincy Jones for potential singles.
Though the album may be forgotten by most in 2025, it stands as a testament to the talent of the DeBarge family.
Final Grade: B
“In Love” is available on all streaming platforms.
My introduction to Nate Dogg goes back to Dr. Dre’s 1992 debut, The Chronic, and the song “Deeez Nuuuts.” Even then, something about Nate’s voice set him apart from everybody else. He wasn’t just singing on rap records. He was bringing soul, gospel, street knowledge, and West Coast cool into the same space. He set the standard for hook singers in hip-hop, and dare I say, he’s still vastly underrated.
For this week’s Slow Jam Saturday, I wanted to give Stevie Wonder his due as he prepares to celebrate the 50th anniversary of his masterpiece, “Songs in the Key of Life,” on tour. While the easy choice could have been “Knocks Me Off My Feet”—a classic that still resonates fifty years later—I chose “From the Bottom of My Heart,” the second single from his twenty-third studio album, “A Time to Love,” released in 2005.
It’s hard to believe that an iconic singing competition like American Idol has produced only two Black male winners in its more than two-and-a-half-decade history. Jamal Roberts made history last year when he won the show, following Ruben Studdard’s well-deserved victory in Season Two.