En Vogue has sold over 28 million albums and singles worldwide. They have won more MTV Video Music Awards than any other female group in MTV history, a total of 7 VMAs. The group was named the second most successful girl group of the 1990s and the 18th most successful act overall of the 1990s according to Billboard magazine.
Assembled in Oakland, California in July 1989, En Vogue launched with original members Cindy Herron, Maxine Jones, Dawn Robinson and Terry Ellis. The inspiration for the group came when production duo of Foster and Mc Elroy envisioned a modern-day girl group in the tradition of the 1950s/1960s female trios. The blueprint was based on the plan of recruiting singers who possessed strong voices, noticeably good looks, and intelligence. Auditions were held in 1988, with Herron, Jones and Robinson making the final cut. Like previous girl groups, En Vogue was originally conceived as a trio, but after hearing Ellis audition, Foster and McElroy decided to create a quartet. At first, they selected the name "For You." They shifted to "Vogue", but ultimately settled on En Vogue, upon learning that another group had already claimed the Vogue moniker.
After forming, the group began working with their producers on their debut album. Recording began in August 1989 and wrapped up in December of the same year. Born to Sing was released on April 3, 1990. The album charted at number twenty-one on the Billboard 200 and number three on Billboard's R&B Albums Chart. The first single, "Hold On," was released to radio in late February 1990 and became a crossover pop hit, reaching number two on Billboard's Hot 100 singles charts, and number one on both the R&B singles and Hot Dance Music/Club Play charts. It later went to #5 in the UK, and became a hit in Europe. The next two singles, "Lies" and "You Don't Have to Worry," each went to number one on the Billboard R&B charts, while the fourth and final single, "Don't Go," charted at number three on the Billboard R&B. The album was later certified platinum by the RIAA.
"Hold On" was awarded a Billboard Music Award for "R&B Single of the Year," a Soul Train Award for "R&B/Urban Contemporary Single of the Year, Group, Band or Duo" and have been nominated for a Grammy Award for "Best R&B Vocal Performance by a Duo or Group". In 1990, En Vogue signed an endorsement deal to appear in a Diet Coke commercial directed by Spike Lee.
En Vogue's second album, Funky Divas, was released in the spring of 1992. The album debuted at number eight on the Billboard 200 and number one on the Billboard R&B and ultimately doubled the take of its predecessor, going multi-platinum. The album's first two singles: "My Lovin' (You're Never Gonna Get It)" and "Giving Him Something He Can Feel" both went top ten pop, and peaked at number one on the R&B charts. The next single, "Free Your Mind" also went top ten. The final two singles "Give It Up Turn It Loose" and "Love Don't Love You" both were top forty hits.
The album went on to sell more than three million copies, won an American Music Award for "Favorite Soul/R&B Album," and was nominated for five Grammy Awards. The music video for "Free Your Mind" earned the group three MTV Video Music Awards for "Best Choreography," "Best Dance Video," and "Best R&B Video." They were also honored with Soul Train's prestigious "Entertainer of the Year Award." In addition to this, the group were featured in Rolling Stone, Entertainment Weekly, and Essence among other major publications. Riding high on the success of Funky Divas, a six-song EP entitled Runaway Love was released in the fall of 1993, spawning the hit "Runaway Love."
The group was signed to an endorsement deal with Converse, and were featured as an opening act on Luther Vandross' 1993 tour. Among the numerous countries toured were England, Germany, the Netherlands and France which confirmed the group's live vocal and performing prowess. However, according to an article in Vibe magazine, Vandross (by his own admission in interviews) and his entourage clashed with the members of En Vogue during the tour and he vowed never to work with them again afterwards.
En Vogue also made numerous television appearances on such series as In Living Color, A Different World, Roc and Hangin' With Mr. Cooper (the latter two of which they also sang the show's theme songs.) In 1993, En Vogue were featured vocalists on Salt-N-Pepa's top ten hit "Whatta Man", from Salt-N-Pepa's Very Necessary album. The track also appeared (slightly edited) on En Vogue's Runaway Love EP.
In 1995, En Vogue was amongst numerous female vocalists featured on the song "Freedom" for the soundtrack to Panther. Also in 1995, group member Terry Ellis recorded a solo album entitled Southern Gal, which spun off the top ten R&B single "Where Ever You Are."
In 1996, En Vogue recorded "Don't Let Go (Love)" for the soundtrack to the motion picture Set It Off. Released in the autumn, it became the group's biggest hit to date; the single peaked at number two on the Hot 100, number one on the R&B singles chart, and was certified platinum by the RIAA. It, inadvertently, would also be the final En Vogue single to feature Robinson. One of Robinson's final performances with her bandmates came in October of that year, when the group sang the final National Anthem rendition in the history of Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium in Atlanta, which came in game five of the 1996 World Series.
In response to the large commercial success of "Don't Let Go (Love)", the group steadfastly went to work on its third album. As the album was nearing completion, Robinson chose to leave the group in April 1997 after difficult contractual negotiations reached a stalemate. Despite Robinson's abrupt departure, En Vogue resolved to continue on as a trio (forcing the group to re-record some of the tracks on their forthcoming album that had originally featured her on lead vocals).
EV3, the group's third album, was released in the spring and debuted at number eight on both the Billboard 200 and the Billboard R&B charts. The first single, the Babyface-penned and produced "Whatever" went on to become a top-20 pop hit, a top ten R&B hit, while also peaking at number five on the Hot Dance Music/Club Play chart. On August 26, 1997, the single was certified gold by the RIAA. The follow-up single "Too Gone, Too Long" (which was produced by David Foster and written by Diane Warren) performed more modestly, managing to only peak in the top forty.
Despite its being certified platinum, and the album being nominated for Grammy Award and a Soul Train Lady of Soul Award, sales of EV3 failed to live up to full commercial expectation. A world tour had been planned, but was canceled due to poor ticket sales. In 1998, En Vogue recorded "No Fool No More" for the soundtrack to the motion picture, Why Do Fools Fall In Love as well as a version of I Want A Monster to Be My Friend for the Elmopalooza special on ABC. The following year, a greatest hits compilation, The Best of En Vogue, was released.
In 2004, En Vogue (now composed of Ellis, Herron and Bennett) released Soul Flower on independent label 33rd Street Records. While the album failed to chart on the Billboard 200, it managed to peak at number forty-seven on the R&B charts. The albums two singles: "Losin' My Mind" and "Ooh Boy", however, failed to chart. Soon after promotion had finished on this album, Maxine Jones returned to En Vogue, turning the group back into a quartet for the first time since 1996. The group teamed with Boyz II Men for select concert dates during the summer of 2004. That same year En Vogue graced the cover of R&B Showcase magazine.
In 2005, after an eight-year absence, Robinson rejoined En Vogue. The original four went on to sign with one of the industry's largest management firms, The Firm Management Group. That September, they joined Salt N Pepa for the girl groups' first-ever joint public performance of their 1994 hit, "Whatta Man" at VH-1's Hip Hop Honors, and briefly toured. They also earned another Grammy nomination for the single "So What the Fuss", which featured Stevie Wonder and Prince (on guitar). The group also appeared in the single's music video. After failing to agree on business terms, Robinson once again chose to defect from En Vogue and Bennett returned. As a result, En Vogue was let go from The Firm. En Vogue continued to perform spot dates in North America with Terry Ellis, Maxine Jones, Cindy Herron and Rhona Bennett. This line-up also saw the group return to Europe and Japan for select concert dates. During this time, En Vogue teamed up with Belgian singer Natalia for a song called "Glamorous" where Rhona Bennett's vocals are featured. The single reached No. 2 in the Belgian charts and was followed by a DVD release of the concert, which went double platinum.
On June 24, 2008, the original lineup of En Vogue appeared on the BET Awards, performing with Alicia Keys, SWV and TLC as a tribute to girl groups of the 1990s. With speculation abuzz, En Vogue received the twenty-eighth highest number of hits on the Rock on the Net website for the month of June 2008. The following month, the group ascended to the twelfth position. As of June 30, Robinson stated via an En Vogue Yahoo! fan site that she had indeed returned to En Vogue. On August 6, the original members appeared on Los Angeles' KTLA television station and announced that they have reunited and would do spot dates around the country during the latter part of 2008. The foursome kicked off the Americana at Brand Concert Series in Glendale, California that same evening. Furthermore, En Vogue performed at the 2009 Essence Music Festival, at the Louisiana Superdome in New Orleans. They continue to tour throughout the United States. In October 2010, the band performed their first UK show in 18 years in London.
On September 26, 2011, a new single called "I'll Cry Later" was sent to select urban adult contemporary radio stations. In December 2011, Dawn Robinson left En Vogue once again.
In March 2012, a lawsuit was filed by Wells Fargo Bank against Rufftown, Inc. for breach of contract. On May 8, Cindy Herron announced on their official En Vogue Facebook page that no new album was coming out.[citation needed] En Vogue toured in 2012. In June 2012, Rhona Bennett, who was filling in for Robinson's absence announced on her Facebook page that she was in rehearsals with the group, hinting that she was once again filling in for Robinson.
In August 2012, Maxine Jones, as well as Dawn Robinson, left the group and would begin their own En Vogue with two new members and would be touring, releasing solo albums and potentially another group album. Herron and Ellis would continue to tour as En Vogue with Rhona Bennett. It was also soon announced that the members would take each other to court for use of the En Vogue name; a judge ruled that Herron and Ellis, as holders of the group's LLC, had exclusive rights to the group's name. Herron and Ellis filed suit against Jones and Robinson, demanding $1 million for unauthorized use of the name, though the damages request was ultimately determined to be without merit, as Herron and Ellis could not demonstrate harm done to the company from Jones's use of the name (although Robinson was named in the suit, she was not directly involved in the dispute, as she had surrendered her rights to use the name herself when she departed from the LLC years earlier).
In late 2012, Robinson and Jones announced that they would be starting a new group called "Heirs to the Throne". In 2013, Robinson chose not to begin a new group with Jones and joined the cast of the reality show "R&B Divas: L.A.". In early 2013, Jones began a touring with Alison Carney and Maria Freeman as her new line-up of En Vogue, entitled En Vogue to the Max.
In March 2012, a lawsuit was filed by Wells Fargo Bank against Rufftown, Inc. for breach of contract. On May 8, Cindy Herron announced on their official En Vogue Facebook page that no new album was coming out. En Vogue toured in 2012. In June 2012, Rhona Bennett, who was filling in for Robinson's absence announced on her Facebook page that she was in rehearsals with the group, hinting that she was once again filling in for Robinson.
In July 2014, Pyramid Records announced that En Vogue (Terry Ellis, Cindy Herron-Braggs, Rhona Bennett) will be recording a new studio album. Their first one in almost ten years since their last studio album Soulflower.
It Ain't Over Till the Fat Lady Sings
En Vogue Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
It ain't over 'til the fat lady sings
It ain't over 'til the fat lady sings
Here's a flow
An En Vogue hip-hop intro
Time to rap talk about the info
Pertaining to the four
(And let the vocals soar)
(Shoo wop shoo wop)
All of the gossipin' it put us in a recite mode
Unloadin' while the grooves explodin'
Just steppin' and keepin' pepin'
A vocal lethal-weapon
In this song will be givin' ev-ology lessons
About our history and our passin'
How long (steady, strong)
Will the En Vogue be lastin'?
Askin' or predictin'
The quad squad will roll
(And continue to kick it wicked)
Wicked doubts about the en-v
It's envy if you ask me
Trying to down Dawn, Maxine, Terry or Cindy
Black, beautiful, intelligent
Well structured and strong
It's gonna be along for ever hold on
repeat chorus
(It ain't over)
So, continuing my flow
Goin' back about two years ago
Lip-synching was the way to go, though
a face to a voice, a voice to a face
All the real talent was just going to waste
The word was out
A talent-search was on
Auditioned with ambition
A vision
En Vogue was born
To sing, the essential ingredients mended
Four individuals perfectly blended
Strong mind, positive, attitude is a must
Group trust
Eliminated the outside rush
Using lies as alibis to get to us it's strange
Negative attenion you gain in the world while you entertain
Stuck up - of course not
Just the knives in our back
Those coming from behind on a publicity attack
Not easy duplicating the four
There's a lot more in store
Until the fat lady roars
repeat chorus
People wonder if we're rich
I'll tell you this
More money now than before the music hit
And our hair, of course it's real
We just jazz it up a bit for the sex appeal
And no we don't lip-synch
It's all from the heart
2 Tuff-Enuff Productions put us on the charts
A few answers I thought I should give
For the minds who enquire how the En Vogue lives
Born to sing, and we proved it
A gift from the man above
Peace to our fans, and to competitors
One love
Sorry, not in it for the competition status-quo
Our only perspective is to grow
And to blow, ya know
In house, in reggae, in rock, En Vogue
Stylin' profilin' sippin' coke with a smile
2 Tuff funk it, pump it, hip-hop jump it
Now En Vogue's comin' versatile
(Shoo wop shoo wop)
repeat chorus
(It ain't over)
(Got a long way to go)
repeat chorus until fade-out
En Vogue's song "It Ain't Over Till the Fat Lady Sings" starts with a hip-hop intro where the band reminds us that it's not over until the fat lady sings. The band talks about how their harmony door was reopened, and this allowed their vocals to soar. They mention how people tried to bring them down by spreading rumors and trying to downplay the talents of the members, but they never let anything bring them down. En Vogue is determined to keep making music and keep growing musically.
The second paragraph of the song clarifies that lip-synching was the norm before En Vogue came to the forefront. However, the talent search that resulted in En Vogue's formation validated their real talent, and they feel validated. En Vogue is a group of four individuals who possess unique talents that, when blended together, create something special. However, not everyone cheered them on, and En Vogue had to face certain negativity and false rumors. Nevertheless, this talented group has managed to make a name for themselves and release great music.
"It Ain't Over Till the Fat Lady Sings" delves into the history of En Vogue, their struggles to get to where they are today, the lies that come with fame, and their determination to keep making music. The song emphasizes that this group will keep producing music and giving their best. They're true to their art and not in it for the competition. En Vogue wants to grow and evolve musically, and their music will remain as long as the fat lady doesn't sing.
Line by Line Meaning
It ain't over 'til the fat lady sings
The true meaning of this chorus is that the journey of En Vogue is not done until all members perform together. Until then, their accomplishments are still unfinished.
Here's a flow
En Vogue proceeds to rap about their personal journey and experiences through their music.
An En Vogue hip-hop intro
En Vogue is introducing themselves through the use of hip-hop rhythm and rhyme.
Time to rap talk about the info
It's time for En Vogue to rap and discuss their knowledge and experiences in the music industry.
Pertaining to the four
En Vogue is going to talk about the four members of the group.
Who re-opened the harmony door
En Vogue revitalized and modernized the harmony and vocal mixing in contemporary music.
(And let the vocals soar)
En Vogue is discussing the powerful and soaring vocals that they created together.
(Shoo wop shoo wop)
A vocal rhythm that emphasizes the group’s mastery of jazz and R&B.
All of the gossipin' it put us in a recite mode
En Vogue reacts to the negativity and rumors being spread about them, prompting them to speak out.
Unloadin' while the grooves explodin'
En Vogue is performing and expressing their outrage against the negative rumors, while their music is also powerful and explosive.
Just steppin' and keepin' pepin'
En Vogue addresses the negativity but is confident and poised in their response.
A vocal lethal-weapon
En Vogue's powerful vocal harmonies are compared to deadly weaponry because of their impact on the music industry.
In this song will be givin' ev-ology lessons
En Vogue's music will teach the audience about their personal history and experiences.
About our history and our passin'
En Vogue's personal experiences will give listeners insight into their history and path to success.
How long (steady, strong)
En Vogue is confident in their endurance and asks how long they will last, emphasizing their strength and determination.
Will the En Vogue be lastin'?
En Vogue questions their longevity and whether they will last as a group.
Askin' or predictin'
En Vogue is asking the question and predicting their future simultaneously.
The quad squad will roll
En Vogue will continue to perform as a group, with all four members at their greatest potential.
(And continue to kick it wicked)
En Vogue will continue to perform at their most excellent level.
Wicked doubts about the en-v
En Vogue has to combat negativity and doubt about their abilities.
It's envy if you ask me
En Vogue recognizes this negativity toward them as envy and jealousy.
Trying to down Dawn, Maxine, Terry or Cindy
En Vogue members are named, and the negativity is toward them and their abilities.
Black, beautiful, intelligent
En Vogue members are described, highlighting their races, beauty, and intelligence.
Well structured and strong
En Vogue is well-organized and has strength, poise, and confidence.
It's gonna be along for ever hold on
En Vogue will last forever, and listeners should hold onto their music for a long time.
So, continuing my flow
En Vogue begins to discuss their past and the journey that led them to become a group.
Goin' back about two years ago
En Vogue is taking listeners back two years to describe their early beginnings as a group.
Lip-synching was the way to go, though
Lip-synching was the norm in the music industry when En Vogue began.
A face to a voice, a voice to a face
En Vogue recognized the importance of performing live and the connection between seeing a face and hearing a voice.
All the real talent was just going to waste
En Vogue saw performative miming as a waste of real talent and skill.
The word was out
The rumor was circulating.
A talent-search was on
A search was being conducted to find authentic and real performers of music.
Auditioned with ambition
En Vogue auditioned with a strong determination to succeed.
A vision
En Vogue was born
En Vogue was founded with a vision and determination to offer a new style of music.
To sing, the essential ingredients mended
En Vogue embodies the essential qualities needed to perform vocally and create excellent music.
Four individuals perfectly blended
En Vogue's four members harmonize perfectly together to create a perfect balance in their music.
Strong mind, positive, attitude is a must
The members of En Vogue are confident and have positive attitudes, which is essential in their musical journey.
Group trust
En Vogue members trust and rely on each other to give amazing performances.
Eliminated the outside rush
They blocked out negativity and concentrated on their goals.
Using lies as alibis to get to us it's strange
En Vogue addresses the strange situation of others using lies to hurt them, as though they are alibis to achieve a specific goal.
Negative attention you gain in the world while you entertain
En Vogue recognizes that they will gain negative attention while they entertain the world.
Stuck up - of course not
En Vogue is not stuck up, despite receiving negativity and criticism from others.
Just the knives in our back
En Vogue feels they have been stabbed in the back by others in the music industry.
Those coming from behind on a publicity attack
Others in the music industry are attacking En Vogue through negative publicity.
Not easy duplicating the four
It is difficult to duplicate the talents of the four members of En Vogue.
There's a lot more in store
There is much more to come from the group.
Until the fat lady roars
Until all four members perform, En Vogue's accomplishments are not complete.
People wonder if we're rich
Many people wonder if En Vogue is financially successful.
I'll tell you this
En Vogue is about to reveal the truth about their financial status.
More money now than before the music hit
After achieving success in the music industry, En Vogue makes more money now than before they became famous.
And our hair, of course it's real
En Vogue confirms that their hair is natural and not extensions or wigs.
We just jazz it up a bit for the sex appeal
En Vogue adds some style and jazz to their hair for style and sex appeal.
And no we don't lip-synch
En Vogue denies the rumors that they perform lip-synching instead of singing.
It's all from the heart
En Vogue's singing comes straight from their hearts and not from recordings.
2 Tuff-Enuff Productions put us on the charts
En Vogue was able to climb the charts and achieve success due to their record company and producer.
A few answers I thought I should give
En Vogue is answering questions they previously thought worth revealing to the public.
For the minds who enquire how the En Vogue lives
For those who wonder about En Vogue's daily lives and experiences, they are now answering.
Born to sing, and we proved it
En Vogue was born to sing and has made it evident by achieving success in the music industry.
A gift from the man above
En Vogue recognises their talent as a gift from God.
Peace to our fans, and to competitors
One love
En Vogue sends peace and love to their fans and competitors.
Sorry, not in it for the competition status-quo
En Vogue doesn't view other performers as competition but is only focused on creating unique and excellent music.
Our only perspective is to grow
And to blow, ya know
En Vogue's only focus is to continue growing and to create excellent music.
In house, in reggae, in rock, En Vogue
En Vogue excels in various music genres, such as house, reggae, and rock.
Stylin' profilin' sippin' coke with a smile
En Vogue enjoys their success with joy and celebrate with drinks and style.
2 Tuff funk it, pump it, hip-hop jump it
Now En Vogue's comin' versatile
En Vogue excels in funk, hip-hop, and other music genres, and is excited to showcase their versatility.
Got a long way to go
En Vogue recognizes they still have a long way to go in their musical journey.
(It ain't over)
Reminding everyone that En Vogue's success and journey are not done yet.
(And continue to kick it wicked)
En Vogue will continue to create excellent and powerful music.
(Got a long way to go)
Despite their accomplishments, En Vogue is still focused on creating more excellent music to come.
repeat chorus until fade-out
The entire song is an homage to En Vogue's journey and accomplishments, and the chorus is a poetic reminder that their journey is not over yet.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: DENZIL FOSTER, THOMAS MCELROY, THOMAS DERRICK MC ELROY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind