"Riddle" | ||||
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Single by En Vogue | ||||
from the album Masterpiece Theatre | ||||
Released | March 22, 2000 | |||
Length | 4:04 | |||
Label | Elektra | |||
Songwriter(s) | ||||
Producer(s) | Foster & McElroy | |||
En Vogue singles chronology | ||||
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Audio | ||||
"Riddle" on YouTube |
"Riddle" is a song recorded by American R&B group En Vogue. It was written by Denzil Foster and Thomas McElroy, along with band members Cindy Herron, Maxine Jones, and Terry Ellis, for their fourth studio album Masterpiece Theater (2000), while production was helmed by Foster & McElroy. An angry mid-tempo song about a sneaking, cheating lover, "Riddle" is built around a clapping game motif, and interpolates the band's 1992 song "My Lovin' (You're Never Gonna Get It)." Lyrically, it has the protagonist revealing her feelings about discovering that her love interest is having an affair with someone else over the course of the week.
En Vogue performed "Riddle" on several shows, including The Rosie O'Donnell Show and The Tonight Show with Jay Leno . "Riddle" was the last single to feature Maxine Jones before she left to make more time for her family. In 2008, all four original members reunited to perform at a music award show. The group also performed it at several shows during their "20th Anniversary Tour" in 2009, with Dawn Robinson reuniting with Cindy, Terry and Maxine with Dawn performing the second half of Maxine's verse.
Upon its release, "Riddle" received a mixed to positive reception from music critics. In his reviews of parent album Masterpiece Theater , Michael Paoletta from Billboard declared the song a "percolating single which unfolds like a direct descendant of the trio's past hits. [1] His colleague Chuck Taylor felt that "Riddle" was another smash track from the band, thought he noted that while it "does have the group's signature sound, it also seems dated." He compared "Riddle" with the band's 1992 single "My Lovin' (You're Never Gonna Get It)" whose instrumentation is interpolated near the end of the song. [2]
Norwegian record producing and songwriting team Stargate, composed of Tor Erik Hermansen and Mikkel Storleer Eriksen, was consulted to produce a radio edit of "Riddle," which contains even more elements of "My Lovin' (You're Never Gonna Get It)". [2] Additional remixes were provided by Tricky Stewart and Maurice Joshua. [3] Commercially, though, the song failed to become a hit in the United States. "Riddle" was more popular overseas, reaching top 30 in the United Kingdom, while entering the top thirty in the Benelux states.
An accompanying music video was directed by Len Wiseman. [4]
All tracks written by Denzil Foster, Thomas McElroy, Cindy Herron, Maxine Jones, and Terry Ellis.
No. | Title | Producer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|
1. | "Riddle" (StarGate Radio Mix) | 4:15 | |
2. | "Riddle" (Red Zone Remix Edit) |
| 4:08 |
3. | "Riddle" (Club Remix Edit) |
| 4:00 |
4. | "Riddle" (Radio Edit) | Foster & McElroy | 4:11 |
No. | Title | Producer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|
1. | "Riddle" (Album Version) | Foster & McElroy | 4:04 |
2. | "Riddle" (Radio Edit) | Foster & McElroy | 4:11 |
3. | "Riddle" (Red Zone Remix Edit) |
| 4:08 |
4. | "Riddle" (Red Zone Remix Instrumental) |
| 4:11 |
5. | "Riddle" (Extended Club Remix) |
| 4:15 |
6. | "Riddle" (Club Remix Instrumental) |
| 4:08 |
7. | "Riddle" (Album Version Instrumental) | Foster & McElroy | 4:04 |
8. | "Riddle" (Album Version Acapella) | Foster & McElroy | 4:03 |
Notes
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Weekly charts
| Year-end charts
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Region | Date | Format(s) | Label | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|
United States | March 22, 2000 | CD single | Elektra | [25] |
Germany | May 1, 2000 |
| [11] | |
New Zealand | June 12, 2000 |
| [26] | |
United Kingdom | June 19, 2000 |
| [27] |
En Vogue is an American vocal girl group whose original lineup consisted of singers Terry Ellis, Dawn Robinson, Cindy Herron, and Maxine Jones. Formed in Oakland, California, in 1989, En Vogue reached No. 2 on the US Hot 100 with the single "Hold On", taken from their 1990 debut album Born to Sing. The group's 1992 follow-up album Funky Divas reached the top 10 in both the US and UK, and included their second US number two hit "My Lovin' " as well as the US top 10 hits "Giving Him Something He Can Feel" and "Free Your Mind".
Denzil Foster and Thomas McElroy are an American R&B record production and songwriting duo, releasing recordings under the names Foster & McElroy and Fmob. They have written and produced songs for musicians such as Club Nouveau, Tony! Toni! Toné!, Alexander O'Neal, Regina Belle, and Swing Out Sister. Their music has been sampled in hit songs by the Luniz, Puff Daddy, Ashanti, Jay-Z, Jennifer Lopez, LL Cool J, Jessica Simpson, and others. Foster & McElroy are best known as the founders of the group En Vogue, listed by Billboard as one of the Top 10 Girl Groups of All Time. In addition to producing music for various television shows, they are also credited for songs in numerous movie soundtracks including The Great White Hype, Lean on Me, and Who's That Girl.
Funky Divas is the second studio album by American recording group En Vogue, released by Atlantic Records division East West on March 24, 1992, in the United States. Conceived after the success of their Grammy Award–nominated debut album Born to Sing (1990), En Vogue reteamed with their founders Denzil Foster and Thomas McElroy to work on the entire album. As with Born to Sing, the pair borrowed from contemporary R&B, new jack swing, and hip hop, while also incorporating classic soul, blues and doo-wop elements, particularly on its on two Sparkle cover versions, as well as, in the case of "Free Your Mind," heavy metal sounds. The album became the quartet's second album to earn a Grammy Award nomination in the Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals category, while winning the American Music Award for Favorite Soul/R&B Album and the Sammy Davis Jr. Award for Entertainer of the Year at the 1993 Soul Train Music Awards.
Dawn Sherrese Robinson is an American singer and actress best known as a founding member of the R&B/pop group En Vogue, one of the world's best-selling girl groups of all time. Following her departure from En Vogue, Robinson joined Lucy Pearl and released their self-titled debut album Lucy Pearl in 2000, which went platinum worldwide and produced the successful singles "Dance Tonight" and "Don't Mess with My Man".
Maxine Jones, is an American singer, songwriter, actress and businesswoman, best known as a founding member of the R&B/pop group En Vogue, one of the world's best-selling girl groups of all time. She sang lead vocals on the group's signature singles "My Lovin' " and "Don't Let Go (Love)", both of which garnered international success and sold over a million copies. Throughout her career, Jones has sold over 20 million records with En Vogue. Her work has earned her several awards and nominations, including two American Music Awards, a Billboard Music Award, four MTV Video Music Awards, and four Soul Train Music Awards.
Cynthia Ann Herron, professionally known as Cindy Herron and sometimes credited as Cindy Herron–Braggs is an American singer and actress. Herron is best known as a founding member of the R&B/pop group En Vogue, one of the world's best-selling girl groups of all time. She sang lead vocals on the group's first single "Hold On", which garnered mainstream success and sold over a million copies. Despite being absent from the group during certain periods, Herron and fellow group member Terry Ellis are the only original members to appear on all of the group's album releases to date. In the 1980s, Herron began her career as an actress, making her debut appearance in Up and Coming as "Valerie".
"My Lovin' (You're Never Gonna Get It)" is a song by American pop/R&B group En Vogue, released in March 1992 as the lead single from their multi-platinum second album, Funky Divas (1992).
Born to Sing is the debut studio album by American vocal group En Vogue. It was released by Atlantic Records on April 3, 1990, in the United States. Conceived after their contribution to band founders Denzil Foster and Thomas McElroy's 1988 compilation project FM2 for Atlantic, it was chiefly produced by Foster and McElroy, with additional contribution from Hughie Prince, Don Raye, and former the Independents members Marvin Yancy and Chuck Jackson, through song covers. Musically, Born to Sing contains a range of contemporary genres, blending a mix of soft hip hop soul, pop, contemporary early-1990s R&B, rap, and new jack swing.
Soul Flower is the sixth studio album by the American recording group En Vogue. Released through 33rd Street and Funkigirl Records and distributed by Bayside Entertainment on February 24, 2004 in the United States, the album marked the band's debut with the label as well as their first full-length release to feature vocals by new band member Rhona Bennett who had joined remaining founding members Terry Ellis and Cindy Herron the year before following the departure of Amanda Cole, resulting into the partial re-recording of several songs on Soul Flower that Cole had originally lent her voice to.
"Hold On" is a song by American girl group En Vogue, released in early 1990 as the first single from their debut album, Born to Sing (1990). It was produced by Denzil Foster and Thomas McElroy, and written by the former two and all members of the group. It peaked at number five in the United Kingdom and number two on the Billboard Hot 100 in the United States. In the latter country, the song reached number one on the Billboard Dance Club Play, 12-inch Singles Sales, and Hot Black Singles charts. En Vogue performed "Hold On" at the 2008 BET Awards with Alicia Keys. In 2017, it was ranked number four on Spin magazine's ranking of "The 30 Best '90s R&B Songs".
"Lies" is a song from American R&B/pop group En Vogue. It is the second single from their debut hit album, Born to Sing. Written and produced by Thomas McElroy and Denzil Foster, it became the group's second single to top the Billboard R&B singles chart. It peaked at number thirty-eight and was also their second US Billboard Hot 100 top 40 hit.
"Something He Can Feel" is a song composed by Curtis Mayfield for the 1976 motion picture Sparkle. The song, a love ballad in a Chicago-/Philly-soul style, became a number-one hit on the Billboard's R&B singles chart in the United States twice with two separate recordings: a 1976 version by Aretha Franklin from the film's soundtrack, and a 1992 cover by girl group En Vogue.
"Love Don't Love You" is a song by American R&B/pop vocal group En Vogue, released in February 1993 by Eastwest Records as the final single from their second album, Funky Divas (1992). The song was both written and produced by Thomas McElroy and Denzil Foster, and became the group's fifth consecutive top-40 single from the album in the United States. It peaked at numbers 36 and 31 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and Cash Box Top 100. The song is led by group members Terry Ellis and Cindy Herron.
"What Is Love" was the final single from En Vogue's second album, Funky Divas. The song was not released commercially, but was instead shipped to dance clubs across the United States. "What Is Love" reached the Top 10 of the US dance charts. The song appeared again in 1993 as part of the group's Runaway Love EP. This was the only song En Vogue produced for market featuring Maxine Jones and Cindy Herron sharing lead vocals. It was initially to be included on Remix to Sing as a new song, but missed the production deadline and was added to Funky Divas.
"Don't Let Go (Love)" is a song by American R&B group En Vogue. It was written by Ivan Matias, Andrea Martin, and Marqueze Etheridge, and produced by Organized Noize for the Set It Off soundtrack (1996), also appearing on the group's third album, EV3 (1997). The song was the group’s last single and music video to feature member Dawn Robinson and was En Vogue's biggest international single, making it to the top 10 in several countries. According to Billboard, the single ranked as the 83rd most successful single of the 1990s.
EV3 is the third studio album by American female vocal group En Vogue. It was released by East West Records on June 17, 1997, in the United States. Recorded after a lengthy break during which the group members became mothers or put out solo records, the album was En Vogue's first project to include a diverse roster of collaborators including credits from Babyface, David Foster, Diane Warren, Andrea Martin, Ivan Matias, and Organized Noize along with regular contributors Foster & McElroy. It marked their first album without Dawn Robinson, who decided to leave the group late into the recording of EV3 to focus on her solo career. Her absence meant much of the album had to be rerecorded to account for En Vogue's altered sound.
Best of En Vogue is the first greatest hits compilation album by the American R&B/pop group En Vogue. It was released in 1999 on East West Records. The album comprises nearly all of their hit singles released between the years of 1990 and 1998.
"Runaway Love" is a song by American R&B/pop group En Vogue, released in September 1993 by Eastwest Records as the first single from the group's extended play (EP) Runaway Love. After the huge success of their second album, Funky Divas (1992), the single was released. It was written and produced by Thomas McElroy and Denzil Foster. Group members Cindy Herron and Terry Ellis share lead vocals, Dawn Robinson leads on the bridge, and spoken intro is by Maxine Jones. Elroy and Foster contributed vocals and spoken rap, their known as the alias FMob group. In the US, the song reached numbers 51 and 43 on the Billboard Hot 100 and Cash Box Top 100.
Masterpiece Theatre is the fourth studio album by American recording group En Vogue, released worldwide by Elektra Records on May 23, 2000. It marked the band's debut with Elektra, as well as their only release following their departure from longtime label Eastwest Records. Terry Ellis, Cindy Herron, and Maxine Jones worked exclusively with regular collaborators Denzil Foster and Thomas McElroy on the album who made heavy use of samples from classical music and traditional pop music to construct songs for Masterpiece Theatre, with its title alluding to the same-titled American drama anthology television series, best known for presenting adaptations of a mix of contemporary and classic novels and biographies.
The Gift of Christmas is the fifth studio album and the Christmas album by American female recording group En Vogue, released on October 8, 2002 by Discretion Enterprises following their departure from Elektra Records. Produced and arranged by long time collaborators Thomas McElroy and Denzil Foster, featuring additional production by Timothy Eaton, it is the group's first Christmas album and their only record to feature vocals from Amanda Cole who remained two years with the group. The Gift of Christmas features original Christmas tunes as well as cover versions of classic holiday songs.