Remaining members Ricky Bell, Michael Bivins and Ronnie DeVoe, felt uncertainty in the future of New Edition. Especially when rumors of their lead singer, Ralph Tresvant, considering a solo career looming above them. In anticipation in the likelihood that this would happen, Johnny Gill was voted into the group by Bell, Bivins, and DeVoe. However, in the long run, Tresvant would opt to stay, at least for now.
Now in their twenties, or on the cusp of turning over from their teens, the boys were wanting their music to go in a different direction. One which echoed their new maturity, and adulthood. The end result was 1988's Heart Break, a smoother, stronger, and more adult resonance, which would also become the groups biggest album up to that point.
Heart Break spawned multiple hit singles, which included, You're Not My Kind of Girl, Can You Stand the Rain, Crucial, N.E. Heartbreak, and my personal favorite from them, If It Isn't Love. The success of Heart Break set in motion a support tour, which saw prior member, Bobby Brown serving as an opening act for them. Brown would soon come into his own though with his 7X platinum release, Don't Be Cruel.
Playing through Heart Break, the bubblegum feel is gone, and in its place are tracks that definitely feel more mature. I can certainly see the appeal among the funk, adult contemporary, and R&B crowd.
As for me, If It Isn't Love, remains the only track that appeals, and I'm fine with that. When I started off on my journey with New Edition, I already knew they weren't going to be my new all time favorite.
Even their hits, Candy Girl, Mr. Telephone Man, Cool It Now, while good, never really resonated with me. They ultimately ended up in my collection because of their impact on the 80's. I mean, they're good, they're just not songs I'm going to go to frequently.
If I had to pull one aspect from the album that I hated, and I do, it would be the numerous skits between tracks. These are flat out annoying, and really derail the flow of everything. What's worse is that these sections are built into each track, meaning you can't simply skip them with the push of a button.
More so intriguing to me then the music is the history of the members, seeing how they came to be who they were, and then realizing this in their futures. As we all know, Bobby Brown had a massively successful solo career...well, that one time in 1988 with Don't Be Cruel, but then...well...the crack.
Ralph Tresvant found success with his first self titled solo album in 1990. He released a second album in 1994, and a third in 2006.
Ricky Bell, Michael Bivens, and Ronnie DeVoe would go on to create the group Bel Biv DeVoe, garnering a 4X platinum record with 1990's Poison. Their 1993 released Hootie Mack, was less successful, but still accredited gold. However, their third release, 2001's BBD failed, while their 2017 released Three Stripes returned them to the top ten.
Johnny Gill remained the most active. Having had a solo career prior to New Edition, he easily transitioned back to this. Between his collaborations with others, including New Edition, as well as his solo work, he's released some form of music from 1983 to 2019.
Additionally, the final track on Heart Break, Boys To Men, would inspire a new generation of musicians who would go on to create the group, Boys II Men. Their 1991 debut, Cooleyhighharmony, would usher in a new era of boy bands.
As for New Edition, they too returned to the spotlight in 1996 with their reunion album, Home Again. It would be the only to feature not only the five original members, but also keep Gill in the fold. It would also become their biggest and most popular album to date. This was followed up in 2004 with One Love. However, Brown had once again departed, and was not part of the album.
All six members reunited again in 2011 for their 30th anniversary tour, and have sporadically continued to perform together, either as a whole, or in part. Their most recent outing was a Las Vegas residency. However, this seems to have concluded as of February 15, 2025.
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| THIS WEEK ON THE CHARTS September 1, 1984 |