Unbelievable. That's the word Michael McCary uses to
describe the worldwide success of Boyz II Men since the group's
debut four years ago. Now the quartet has gone from
opening act to headliners.
Boyz II Men performs tonight at 7:00 at Pine Knob Music Theatre.
McCary, 24, begs to differ when it's suggested that the
group has become an overnight sensation.
"We may have achieved a level of success most groups that
have been around longer are seeking, but we really work
hard at what we do," he said. "But you know what? We're
having a lot of fun, too."
McCary, Nathan Morris, 24, Shawn Stockman, 23, and Wanya
Morris, 21, met each other while attending school in
Philadelphia.
The group has earned several awards and sold more than 14
million records.
On June 22, the music video channel VH1 honored the group
for its collaboration with Big Brothers/Big Sisters of
America.
Unlike most groups, which rely heavily on catchy beats and
gimmicks, Boyz II Men simply depend on their vocals, a throwback
to the classic days of Motown.
"We're just a resurgence of the past. Our focus is not on
the instrumentation, but the singin," McCary said. "We
actually sing everything, so fans will be in for a
surprise."
McCary said songs selected for their albums are signs of their own personal growth.
"I think we've grown quite considerably from our first album to now," he said. As they get older, "our work will be more and more in-depth and self reflective."
Arguably, the main reason for Boyz II Men's current success is their mastery of the ballad. Two of those are the biggest singles of all-time, putting the group in an elite category.
In 1992, they spent 13 weeks at #1 with "End of the Road," beating Elvis Presley's "Don't Be Cruel" for most time at the top.
Two years later, they beat that by spending another 14 weeks at the top with "I'll Make Love to You," the first release from their sophmore album, II. The group made more history, succeeding themselves at #1 with the follow-up, "On Bended Knee." The Beatles were the only other group to accomplish that feat.
McCary had a simple theory on why their songs about love and romance do so well-especially amony young men, who surprisingly, are their biggest fans.
"Everyone from the toughest to the most sensitive man wants romance," he said. "Our songs speak for them when they can't find the right words to say how they feel."
Do they fall into the same genre?
"We don't exactly know," said Nathan Morris. "Now it seems like a lot of women want to be with us."
He added that none of the members have girlfriends because of their hectic schedule.
Their musical influences range from soul to gospel to country. Thier string of top 10 hits, from their first smash, "Motownphilly," to their current "Water Runs Dry," has gethered a wide range of listeners, from teenagers to middle aged couples.
Morris, the appointed leader of the group, said if the term "crossover," is used to describe Boyz II Men, they don't mind.
"If crossover is bad then we'll take it. We're trying to reach everybody in our music," he said. "We think of ourselves as trying to bridge the gap between generations.
While they've bridged the gap from boys to men, do they ever tire of dressing identically?
"No. It shows that everyone is one accord." McCary said. "Being together as long as we have, you tend to know what each other's strengths are. It makes the harmony better.
The foursome recently announced their plan to do outside projects, including projects at their new recordings studio, Stonecreek, located in suburban Philadelphia.
Does this mean the end of the road for Boyz II Men? Morris said no, because the group is reaching for "the next level."
"One thing about us is no matter what, we know that we need each other," he said. "As time goes on, we'll realize what movs we need to make individually and collectively. We're one big, happy family."