Boyz II Men to serenade Dubai

It's not easy these days for musicians to maintain longevity in a business that's becoming extremely crowded with new talents popping up everyday.  Artistes have to innovate as well as have a special hook with the audience to hold them in good stead in the long term. So what is that endearing quality that has won Boyz II Men legions of fans and kept their music relevant for nearly three decades? "It's our love songs," said the band.

"We tell a story through our songs, and we believe people 'feel' the songs."
With 25 million albums in the US alone, the group redefined popular R&B in the 90s and they still continue to create timeless hits that appeal to fans across all generations.

Layering soulful harmonies with hip-hop, they created a sound that has stood the test of time.

Boyz II Men are now headed our way to perform at their first concert in the UAE at the Coca-Cola Arena on December 19.

The band started as a quartet, but one of the original members, Michael McCary, quit in 2003 due to chronic back problems, resulting from multiple sclerosis as well as some personal issues. Nathan Morris, Shawn Stockman and Wanya Morris currently make up the line-up.

Boyz II Men has penned and performed some of the most popular romantic ballads across a long career that began with their debut album Cooleyhighharmony in 1991. From Justin Timberlake and Usher to Justin Bieber and Beyonce, some of the music industry's top artistes look to Boyz II Men as their idols.  

Known for their romantic, emotionally-loaded ballads, Boyz promise a night for all to remember as they will be singing hits from their vast repertoire as well as some surprises.

"Fans will surely hear our hits as well as some other fun surprises (in Dubai)," said Boyz II Men ahead of the gig. Expect chartbusting numbers like End of the Road, I'll Make Love To You and One Sweet Day (a collaboration with Mariah Carey).
In an interview with City Times ahead of their Dubai concert, Boyz II Men talk about what keeps them ticking and more.

What does music mean to you?
It's our life.  

Tell us a bit about the band's journey, and your global tour so far?
We have been together as a band for almost 30 years. The journey has never been easy, but when you love what you do it is all worth it. Our fans have been very loyal and our international tour has been great so far. We love seeing our fans from different countries.

Which hits from your past catalogue are most requested at your live shows?
All of them lol... it's kind of crazy!

Can you tell us what the audience at Dubai can expect to hear at the concert?
We don't want to give too much away, but fans will surely hear our hits as well as some other fun surprises!

This is your first time in Dubai, what else would you guys be doing in town, go for a desert safari perhaps?
Hopefully, we'll do some sightseeing and enjoy some of the cuisines in Dubai.  Actually, we visited Dubai a few years back and we loved it!  We even tried some indoor skiing (during the last visit) and fell a few times lol!

You guys sing mostly about love, and most of these songs have gone on to become huge hits, why this fondness for romantic stuff?
That's because every fan has gone through it (romantic experience). Our love songs are very relatable to them. We actually tell a story through our songs and we believe, people 'feel' these songs.

Harmony is the basis of your sound and all the voices in the band are important for Boyz II Men to create that magic, what do you do if one of you loses his voice ahead of a concert?
Well, we have struggled through such situations in a few of our shows (without one of the vocalists), but we give it our all and we think the crowd understands such things and help us along.

What changes have you noticed in the R&B genre over the years?
Clearly there's a dearth of R&B artistes these days. The music industry is lacking those amazing R&B songs we have all loved from the '80s and '90s.

How would you compare the music from your prime days with what's being dished out today?
Today, it's not all about making albums. It's just about singles. Kinda cool how everyone can make music, but the thing is, when you do something like that, there is very little artist development.

A lot of technological gimmickry is being used to produce music these days, in your opinion, does that enhance or hamper creativity?
Music always changes (with time) and technology is a big part of our entire business. Art has many layers, but having said that, we can say that, as far as we are concerned, we just do things the way we were taught to do.

Can you share some of your best music memories with us?
Singing The Star-Spangled Banner (US national anthem) at the Olympics (at the 1996 Atlanta Games); hearing ourselves on the radio for the first time; going to the Grammys for the first time. we have  soooooo many memories to narrate.

Name some of your favourite 'original' artistes from the current lot?
Bruno Mars, Charlie Puth, HER and Tori Kelly are our favourites.

And your all-time favourite a cappella band?
It is Take 6. There's no question about that!  

Which artist or band from the current lot would you consider worthy of passing on your R&B crown?  
No (there's no such thing as a) crown. Because every artiste has his or her own thing. We don't look at it as passing anything over to them.

What projects are you guys working on?
We have a long standing residency in Las Vegas since 2013. Then we will be launching a grape (interestingly called Chateau Harmony) next February.

What's next for Boyz II Men?
Of course more touring, you never know who we will collaborate with next. In fact, looking ahead, 2020 is shaping up to be a fun year for us. We're working on a few collaborations and have got something in the works for the summer (next year).
michael@khaleejtimes.com