The secret to Boyz II Men’s longevity
There is nothing to get you in the mood more then listening to your all time favourite R&B band, and there is nothing that brings more joy than to realise they are still releasing music and doing shows. I almost screamed like a little girl when I was given to opportunity to interview my childhood sweethearts Boyz II Men, a group that was taking the world by storm before I was born, and one that will always have a special place in all our hearts. Their timeless music has kept them relevant in today’s ever changing music scene, and their humble characteristics have seen them progress mentally, physically and quite literally from Boyz II Men.
We chat to Boyz II Men ahead of their UK tour, what would they be doing instead of singing, and the secret to longevity. Margaret Tra writes.
You guys have been around for a long time - what's the secret to longevity in this ever-changing music industry?
I think our secret is our core 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 very well to that.
One thing you are grateful for now that you didn't have back then in terms of the music industry?
Social media has definitely changed the music industry and I am very grateful for the opportunities it has given us to communicate with our fans. We created the Boyz II Men app that lets our fans know where we are playing and keeps them up to date on everything Boyz II Men! I love posting photos from our shows and being able to interact with our fans on a daily basis.
If you guys still weren't singing, what would you be doing instead?
I couldn’t imagine doing anything but singing! It is our passion and we started from such a young age that it has become our lives. We love seeing our fans at every show and giving them a night they won’t forget!
All your songs have been played in karaoke rooms all across the world, what is your favourite karaoke song?
There are too many, I can’t decide, but any song that is a crowd pleaser!
A part from an amazing flashback, what else can Londoner's expect from your show?
Fans can expect a mix of new tracks from our latest album Collide, which we released last fall, and all of the old hits that everyone knows and can sing along to. We love the UK- we’ve played there a lot over the years- so we’re really looking forward to this show.
You've got a new album, was it difficult creating it?
Our newest album, Collide, is very different from what we have done in the past, but it wasn’t too difficult to create. When we decided to do the album we agreed that we all needed to love each of the songs and everything else just fell into place. It was a lot of fun to work on since it truly is a collision of different sounds, styles and genres…It fuses rock, pop and funk with classic R&B.
How does it feel, that the younger generation still appreciate your music despite all this time?
It is amazing to see how our music has been passed down from the older generation. Our long-time fans have passed our music down to their children and it’s really cool to see that our audience has gotten both older and younger as time has passed. We truly appreciate all our long-time, dedicated fans and the new ones that have just started listening to all our hits and new music!
What stimulates Your Soul?
Being on stage and seeing our fans reactions when we sing their favourite song!
Tour
BOYZ II MEN
First Ever UK Tour Performing With A FULL LIVE BAND
Wednesday 6th May 2015 – Wednesday 13th May 2015
(Newcastle / Hull / Manchester / Bristol / Birmingham / London)
Links
w. http://www.boyziimen.com/
f. https://www.facebook.com/BoyzIIMen
t. @BoyzIIMen