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.
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.