90s R&B
Alyna and Aidan
Central Question
How did R&B reflect the civil rights movement, and how did it evolve from the 50s into the 90s?
Rhythm and Blues was a way for African Americans to express their deeply rooted emotions that stemmed from the racial discrimination in the civil rights movement then progressed in the 90s where the music became a way of soothing the soul and producing personal emotions with provoking love songs.
How did R&B come about?
originated in african american communities in the 40s which came to replace the term "race music", soon it became popular in the after hour clubs as a whole bunch of love songs. many african americans used the music to free themselves through the limitlessness of singing from the segregation inside the cities. the music is used as an outlet for the imagination in many aspects. the music has progressed over time from being soul and funk to urban african american music and defined as a whole bunch of provoking love songs for the ages.
Some of the most influential artist were Boyz ll Men, James Brown, TLC and many more their music and performance caught so many viewers attention like the civil rights groups in the 60s.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=15TdsLhNIhg
James Brown song (so tired of standing still we got move on) released in 1991 was a song about moving on up in the world and to keep on pushing and to keep on wishing. it was motivational to many african americans to be confident in themselves for who they are and to never give up on what they want they are wishful for themselves and their community.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zDKO6XYXioc
Boyz II men were on the come up in the 90s sounding similar to New Edition, their sound was soulful and was all about love and being with someone for forever. even though the song is about a relationship that has come to the end they wants the continuous love to last a life time, music began to be more love driven within R&B.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LlZydtG3xqI
Their music began to be about relationships that may not have been the greatest but not wanting to give up on what it could be, which was what the song showed was important. This song was about women knowing their man was cheating so she would creep around to see what was going on because that feeling is still there and she isn't going to leave him astray.
The R&B of the 90s was all about love and relationships, how they perceived those should be. Many teenagers began listening to the music full of soul as entertainment, its changed throughout the years from being about how to change civil rights and the discrimination they were feeling to being about love within a relationship.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cx0xzO73Amo