More to SWV than backstage strife and money woes
SWV. Harmony-embellished R&B gems and slow jams keep the R&B trio relevant.
IF YOU’RE looking for innovation or reinvention, there isn’t a lot of that in SWV’s “Still,” the fifth album of the female trio who popularized such ’90s hits as “Weak,” “Right Here” and “I’m So Into You”—but that isn’t always a bad thing.
Coko (soprano Cheryl Clemons), Taj (mezzo-soprano Tamara Johnson-George) and Lelee (contralto Leanne Lyons) are back with harmony-embellished R&B gems and slow jams that bank on SWV’s impeccable musicality and heart-warming melodies to keep the awesome threesome relevant.
“Leaving You Alone” and “Miss You” may sound blandly perfunctory, but the nostalgia-drenched “Still,” the sexy smolder of “MCE (Man Crush Everyday),” and the stirring breakup ballad, “When Love Didn’t Hurt,” are sparkling reminders of SWV at its peak.
The trio was first noticed in 1992, but disbanded in 1998 because of disagreements over money. Realizing that they’re better off performing than fighting, they reunited in the short-lived 2014 reality series that painted them in a negative light. But, Coko, Taj and Lelee insist there’s more to them than backstage strife and money woes.
DAUGHTRY. Collection of best tracks.
Daughtry’s ‘It’s Not Over’
With the auspicious release of their greatest-hits album, “It’s Not Over…The Hits So Far,” “American Idol” alumnus Chris Daughtry and his rock group, Daughtry, also have a treat for their followers.
The 13-track collection gathers some of the best tracks from the quintet’s previous albums, “It’s Not Over” (from their debut collection, “Daughtry”), the moody “September” (from “Leave This Town”), “Crawling Back to You” (“Break the Spell”) and “Waiting for Superman” (“Baptized”)—but, it also introduces sizzling new tunes like the fight-for-what-you-want anthem, “Go Down.”
In the ballad, “Torches,” the album’s lead single, Chris sings about the virulent power of negativity that has the world in its grip these days—and the forces of kindness that dilute its dehumanizing effects: “All the hate and lies around us/ Like an ember in the brush/ Can you picture a world without it—and turn it all into ash?/ Love is like a torch that’s burning bright/ Carry it on and you’ll see/ Fire will shine a light on the darkest side!”
Daughtry explained the message of the song to Billboard: “There’s hate and violence (everywhere). People go on in the Internet and bash others with no repercussions. All this vitriol—where did it come from? But, how awesome would it be to take some of that energy to spread positivity and love!”
