New jack swing, new jack, or swingbeat is a fusion genre of the rhythms and production techniques of hip hop and dance-pop, and the urban contemporary sound of R&B. Spearheaded by producers Teddy Riley, Bernard Belle, Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, new jack swing was most popular from the late 1980s to early 1990s.
New Edition is an American R&B/pop group from the Roxbury neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts, formed in 1978 by singer/rapper Bobby Brown with Ralph Tresvant serving as the group's lead singer for over 40 years. Their name is taken to mean a new edition of the Jackson 5. The group reached its height of popularity in the 1980s and is considered the blueprint for what would become the modern boy band. The lineup originally consisted of Ricky Bell, Michael Bivins, Ronnie DeVoe, Bobby Brown, and Ralph Tresvant, the lead singer. Brown left the group in late 1985 to begin a successful solo career, and they continued as a quartet for one album, before adding Johnny Gill to the lineup in 1987. Early hits included "Candy Girl", "Cool It Now", and "Mr. Telephone Man". Tresvant was the lead singer on most of the songs. In 1990, both Gill and Tresvant released their own solo albums, while the remaining three members formed the trio Bell Biv DeVoe; the group ceased to work together for the first half of the 1990s.
James Samuel "Jimmy Jam" Harris III and Terry Steven Lewis are an American R&B/pop songwriting and record production team. Their productions have received commercial success since the 1980s with various artists, most extensively Janet Jackson. They have written 31 top ten hits in the UK and 41 in the US. In 2022, the duo were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in the Musical Excellence category.
Ralph Edward Tresvant is an American singer, songwriter, and record producer, best known as the lead singer of R&B group New Edition. As a solo artist, Tresvant released his double platinum-selling debut album Ralph Tresvant (1990). In 2008, he began touring with Bobby Brown and Johnny Gill in a new group named Heads of State. October 13 is Ralph Tresvant Day in Boston, MA and Little Rock, AR. In 2019 and 2020, Gill and Tresvant released two new singles, Perfect and All Mine. On February 3, 2023, Urban One Inc's Reach Media and Radio One announced that Ralph Tresvant, lead singer of New Edition, is now the new host of the network's long-running syndicated show "Love and R&B," heard nightly on all affiliate stations, effective February 13. Tresvant shares the same birthday as Janet Jackson, May 16.
Don't Be Cruel is the second studio album by American singer Bobby Brown. It was released in the United States on June 20, 1988, by MCA Records. MCA changed producers for this album and had Brown work with hit-making songwriting and production duo Babyface and L.A. Reid. Brown dedicated the album to his deceased best friend James "Jimbo" Flint who was stabbed to death when Brown was aged 11. Don't Be Cruel incorporates new jack swing, R&B, funk, dance and soul.
Heart Break is the fifth studio album by American R&B quintet New Edition, released June 20, 1988, by MCA Records. It is the first album to return the Boston-reared band as a quintet after the public exit of original member Bobby Brown, and the first album to feature Johnny Gill as a member of the group. The album was certified double platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).
"If It Isn't Love" is a song by American R&B quintet New Edition, and the first single from their fifth studio album, Heart Break (1988). The song became the biggest hit from the album, reaching the top ten of the US Billboard Hot 100, peaking at number seven, becoming their first top 10 hit following the departure of Bobby Brown, and reaching the second position on the Hot Black Singles chart. The song and video is also notable for being the introduction of fellow R&B singer Johnny Gill as a new member of the R&B quintet. Its chart performance and well-received music video garnered the quintet their first, and to date, sole nomination for which Ralph Tresvant's lead vocals were nominated for the Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals at the 31st Grammy Awards in February 1989.
After 7 is the debut album by After 7. Released in 1989, the album was certified platinum by the RIAA on November 27, 1990, and spawned two #1 R&B hits, "Ready or Not" and "Can't Stop." Those songs also reached #7 and #6, respectively, on the Billboard Hot 100.
Takin' My Time is the second studio album by R&B trio After 7. It peaked at #76 on the Billboard 200. It was their first album to be released under Virgin Records after being acquired by EMI Music in 1992. The album is notable for being their first and only album without any songs produced by L.A. Reid and Babyface. Instead, they contribute as writers, with Reid co-writing the songs "Can He Love U Like This" and "G.S.T.", and Babyface writing "Truly Something Special" and "Love By Day/Love By Night". The production was handed over to Daryl Simmons & Kayo, who co-produced and co-wrote many of the songs on their self-titled debut.
Bobby is the third studio album by American singer Bobby Brown, released in 1992 by MCA Records. The album continued the R&B/new jack swing sound of its predecessor, Don't Be Cruel. Babyface, L.A. Reid, and Daryl Simmons returned as producers and songwriters, however, Brown also worked with other producers, most notably Teddy Riley, who was considered a pioneer of the new jack swing genre. Riley also co-wrote and produced the majority of the album. Brown had more creative input and control of the album, becoming an executive producer and co-writing seven of the album's thirteen songs. The album received mixed reviews from music critics.
It's Goin' Down is the second studio album by American singer Ralph Tresvant. It was released by MCA Records on January 19, 1994 in the United States. Tresvant's second set had him take on more of a hands-on role as opposed to his debut. This time around, he wrote and produced the majority of the album, save for three songs written and produced by his longtime producers Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis. Two singles were released from the album, including "Who's The Mack" and "When I Need Somebody." It's Goin' Down was met with lukewarm reviews, as it was noticeably different in style to its predecessor.
"Every Little Step" is a 1989 single by American singer Bobby Brown, written by L.A. Reid and Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds and released by MCA Records. Released as the fourth single on his second album Don't Be Cruel it reached number three on the Billboard Hot 100, number one on the Hot Black Singles chart, and number six on the UK Singles Chart in 1989. The song also appears on Brown's remix album Dance!...Ya Know It!. The single garnered Brown's first career Grammy Award for Best Male R&B Vocal Performance at the 32nd Grammy Awards in 1990.
Tender Lover is the second studio album by American R&B singer-songwriter Babyface. The album was released on July 7, 1989. It is the follow-up to his debut Lovers (1986). It was his first album with SOLAR after the label entered into a distribution deal with Epic Records. In some regions of Europe, Tender Lover was released with a different cover picture and simply titled Babyface.
Johnny Gill is the third album by Johnny Gill, released in 1990, and his first for Motown Records. The album produced four hit singles: "Rub You the Right Way," "My, My, My," "Wrap My Body Tight" and "Fairweather Friend". The album was recorded with the label during the hiatus of New Edition. The album sold over 4 million copies worldwide. Before joining New Edition for their Heart Break album in 1988, he had already recorded two singles for the album - of which "Just a Lonely Night" and "Feel So Much Better". By February 1991, the album had already sold approximately 2,050,000 copies in the United States and 50,000 in Canada, making the album 2x platinum in the United States at the time.
Provocative is the fourth album by American R&B recording artist Johnny Gill. It was his second album for Motown Records and fourth album overall.
"Crucial" is New Edition's fourth single from the Heart Break album. The single featured production from Jellybean Johnson, Spencer Bernard, and Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis. "Crucial" hit No. 4 on the Billboard R&B singles chart. It was featured on the License to Drive soundtrack.
Mo' Money: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack is the soundtrack to the 1992 film of the same name. It was released June 23, 1992, on Perspective Records. The soundtrack peaked at six on the Billboard 200 chart. By September 1992, it was certified platinum in sales by the RIAA, after sales exceeding 1,000,000 copies in the United States.
Always is the second studio album by American recording artist Pebbles. It was released on September 11, 1990, by MCA Records and spawned two Top 20 hits on the U.S. Hot 100, which also hit #1 on the R&B chart: "Giving You the Benefit" and "Love Makes Things Happen", as well as the top-five R&B hit "Backyard", and the top 20 R&B hit "Always".
Make Him Do Right is the third album by the American singer Karyn White, released in 1994. Its first single was "Hungah".
Something Real is the thirteenth studio album by American recording R&B artist Stephanie Mills. It was released by MCA Records on November 24, 1992. Her final recording with the music label, the album peaked at number 22 on the US Top R&B Albums chart. Its lead single "All Day, All Night" reached the top 20 on the Hot R&B Singles chart. The song "All In How Much We Give" was written for the animated musical adventure comedy film Tom and Jerry: The Movie (1992).
