#495: Boyz II Men, ‘II’

Motown, 1991

My earliest memories of “cool” American pop music are splattered with different bits of this album. When I was little, I was really into Elvis Presley and I did not quite relate to my gal pals. I went to a birthday party and thought Aaron Carter was a girl and kept referring to him as “her” when they suggested playing the song, “Candy.” Some girls made snarky comments and I felt like a real louse.

This album was my first step into normalcy. Yes, I was finally listening to it 9 years later in 2000 but I felt like I finally stepped into a relatable realm.I was listening to modern r&b crossed over to pop. These were songs other people knew. They were on the radio.

My older sister had this album along with a ton of Destiny’s Child and whenever she was gone I’d sneak into her room and listen to everything I could get my grubby little hands on.

I don’t think I ever spoke to anyone in the second grade about Boyz II Men, but there was something symbolic that happened when I listened. I felt like I was relatable.

This is a fascinating album. The Netflix docuseries, “This Is Pop” speaks specifically on this album in the first episode. Once the ballads hit, Boyz II Men hit the mainstream but they were quickly pushed aside when newer, whiter boy bands came into the scene. There is a moment when Nick Lachay is even quoted as saying they tried to copy everything they did because it was so genius.

The docuseries alleges that the band was so quickly replaced by these white groups because theirs were bodies that white suburban parents didn’t want to see immortalized into posters in their daughters’ bedrooms. They were more comfortable with NSYNC or Backstreet Boys.

I don’t doubt any of these assertions. We have a lot to do to fix this.

Anyways, thank you Boyz II Men for this album. I am so grateful that you helped me feel like I fit in and taught me the lyrics of the most epically romantic songs of my childhood.