NEW YORK (AP) — When Jagged Edge first fashioned of their teenagers, they realized the sum of their group can be better than its particular person components — an understanding that is been the primary ingredient of their success for almost three many years.
One of the iconic teams of contemporary R&B, Jagged Edge — Richard Wingo, Kyle Norman, lead singers (and equivalent twins) Brian and Brandon Casey — is again Friday with their eleventh studio album, “All Original Parts: Vol. 1.” The title of the 15-track challenge factors to the group’s solidarity: They’ve by no means damaged up or switched authentic members.
“The love is actually genuinely real. We really care about each other’s well-being,” Wingo stated. “I guess a lot of groups, they really didn’t have that. Love will keep you together.”
The “Where the Party At” artists say “Vol. 1” is the primary of three they plan to launch this yr. However the males behind traditional songs like “Promise” and “He Can’t Love You” say whereas the sonics and even material of R&B have modified since their first hit single in 1997, they’re nonetheless dedicated to telling tales about romance and relationships.
“It’s almost like love ain’t cool no more. Well, I don’t believe that. We don’t feel like that,” stated Brian Casey. “Love is always going to be cool.”
Their 1999 tune “Let’s Get Married,” in any case, remains to be almost unattainable to keep away from at weddings — the unique, a ceremony mainstay, and the remix packing dance flooring throughout receptions.
Launching a tour in March celebrating the twenty fifth anniversary of their double platinum “J.E. Heartbreak” album, the legendary group spoke with The Related Press about sacrifice, creating timeless hits, and their musical impression. The dialog has been edited for brevity and readability.
AP: Most teams appear to interrupt up in some unspecified time in the future. What’s allowed you to remain collectively?
BRIAN CASEY: That’s the advantage of us being really 4 guys who actually mess with one another. … We’ll cut up a pair {dollars} right here and there once we received to, to maintain this collectively. We’ll take the hits to maintain giving the followers what they stated they fell in love with. … What we’re in a position to do in flip is price that cut up. It’s price that sacrifice.
AP: R&B has drastically modified because you got here on the scene with “I Gotta Be.” How have you ever navigated the modifications?
BRANDON CASEY: Primary: staying true to Jagged Edge. That’s the very first thing as a result of that’s the automobile, proper? So, we by no means wish to go too removed from what our followers love us from. However we’re really musicians, so it’s laborious to only keep in a single little place. … Our sound is as eclectic because it’s ever been.
AP: If you look over the longevity of your profession, your love songs are timeless. What do you bear in mind about first getting into the trade?
BRIAN CASEY: We got here up in an period of “Bump n’ Grind,” “Freek’n You” and “Freak Me,” these are the largest songs of all time at the moment, it appeared like. So, we knew it could be a aware choice for us to be the age that we had been making songs speaking about issues like getting married. However we’ve by no means been afraid of that problem, primary. So, I consider that. However I additionally consider how taking that route allowed us to be in the identical room with a few of our heroes who now checked out us as friends. And that was assembly Luther Vandross, assembly Prince, and them having constructive issues to say about our music.
AP: Do you all really feel you get the credit score and recognition you deserve?
BRANDON CASEY: We get requested issues like that lots. So, I suppose it begins to make us suppose, “Do we?” It’s been such a layered expertise, proper? It’s so many issues to be pleased with.
We don’t don’t have anything that we’ve constructed with out our followers. And for us, that’s an important, most heartwarming, gratifying factor, that it’s any person who loves you for what you do. … We’re one of many few teams who get onstage and them women scream like we’re taking our garments off, and we by no means take no garments off. They scream like we received routines — we don’t do none of that, proper? We all the time come within the area like, “This is just us. This is who we are.” And so they love us for that. And it’s no feeling that’s even shut.
AP: Do you perceive the impression your songs have had on followers and music?
BRIAN CASEY: I don’t know which you can ever perceive it whilst you’re nonetheless in the course of it. … However I’ll say, while you meet sure individuals, it’s heartwarming and it provides you a way of what that impression is, you understand what I imply? And it’s not till you get to speak to people who find themselves taking a look at it from the outside-in that you just notice, “Man, we did an all right job.”
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Comply with Related Press leisure journalist Gary Gerard Hamilton at @GaryGHamilton on all his social media platforms.
