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.
Lies
En Vogue Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Lie's, lies, just a devil in disguise
It's the same game
Played in so many ways
Everyone is the victim too
It's just a waste of time
Made for simple minds
I'll give my life a different way
Refuse to let myself become a victim
Getting caught you in a vicious web of lies, they can hurt you
And destroy you, you watch out for lies, just a devil in disguise
Lies, lies, using lies as alibis
Lie's, lies, just a devil in disguise
The nation's leaders as well as teachers
Practice lies as a way of lie, yes they do
So think before you speak
Cause what you sow you reap
The truth will always come to light
Will we ever learn one day
That telling lies always bring to matters
Misery and sometimes pain
Lies, lies, using lies as alibis
Lie's, lies, just a devil in disguise
Lies, lies, using lies as alibis
Lie's, lies, just a devil in disguise
Lies, lies, using lies as alibis
Lie's, lies, just a devil in disguise
Lies, lies, using lies as alibis
Lie's, lies, just a devil in disguise
Lies and deceit
Yes it's running real rampant
Communities suffering, yo I can't stand it
When we think of lies we tend to think of politicians
But what about the husband who's on a mission
Lying to his wife so he can get it on and get some
Coming back home with a dumb expression
Written on a face that he's guilty as a criminal
It's time to change your attitude
People do you hear me, don't listen
To a funky rhyme that's kickin' knowledge that we need
We lie about our hair
And we know we got a weave
Politicians lie about the things they're gonna do
And everybody's tale affects me and you
A smoker lies about the money that he stole
And a dope dealer never tells you how he got his gold
I guess what Debbie T. is really trying to say
When you break it all down we're all the same
I'll live my life a different way
Refuse to let myself be caught up
In a vicious web of lies
Lies, lies, using lies as alibis
Lie's, lies, just a devil in disguise
Lies, lies, using lies as alibis
Lie's, lies, just a devil in disguise
Lies, lies, using lies as alibis
Lie's, lies, just a devil in disguise
Lies, lies, using lies as alibis
Lie's, lies, just a devil in disguise
En Vogue's song "Lies" is a powerful anthem against the use of deception, whether in politics or personal relationships. The chorus proclaims that "using lies as alibis" is just "a devil in disguise." The song calls out leaders and teachers who "practice lies as a way of life," and urges listeners to think before they speak, since they will ultimately "reap what you sow."
The verses of the song are filled with examples of lies and their consequences. The second verse notes that even seemingly small lies can have devastating effects, like a husband lying to his wife in order to have an affair. The third verse broadens the scope, including lying about one's hair or political promises. The bridge, rapped by Debbie T., emphasizes the universality of lying: "I guess what Debbie T. is really trying to say / When you break it all down we're all the same." The song concludes with a refrain of the chorus, as if to underscore the message.
Overall, En Vogue's "Lies" is an invitation to honesty and integrity, and a warning about the destructive effects of deception. Whether one is a politician or simply a person in a relationship, telling the truth is the only way to avoid the "misery and sometimes pain" of living a lie.
Line by Line Meaning
Lies, lies, using lies as alibis
People often lie and use those lies to defend themselves.
Lie's, lies, just a devil in disguise
Lies are often deceptive and can cause harm to oneself or others.
It's the same game
People continue to play the game of lying repeatedly.
Played in so many ways
People lie in different ways and contexts.
Everyone is the victim too
Lies affect both the liar and the person lied to.
It's just a waste of time
Lying is not productive and can lead to negative outcomes.
Made for simple minds
Lying is often used by people who lack more creative problem-solving skills.
So why do people insist on lies
Despite its negative effects, people still choose to lie for various reasons.
I'll give my life a different way
The singer chooses to live her life with honesty and integrity.
Refuse to let myself become a victim
The singer will not allow herself to be affected by other people's lies.
Getting caught you in a vicious web of lies, they can hurt you
Lying can trap you in a cycle of deceit, which can cause emotional, psychological, or physical harm.
And destroy you, you watch out for lies, just a devil in disguise
Lies can destroy your relationships or reputation, so it's important to be careful and aware of them.
The nation's leaders as well as teachers
Leaders and educators are among those who often use lies as a means of achieving their goals.
Practice lies as a way of lie, yes they do
These groups use lying as part of their daily routine or strategy.
So think before you speak
It's important to consider the consequences of your words before saying them out loud.
Cause what you sow you reap
Your actions have consequences, and you'll experience the effects of your lies in the long run.
The truth will always come to light
Lies cannot be hidden forever, and eventually, the truth will be revealed.
Will we ever learn one day
The singer questions whether people will ever learn to stop lying.
That telling lies always bring to matters
Lying leads to undesirable outcomes and creates more problems than it solves.
Misery and sometimes pain
Lies can cause emotional distress or physical harm.
Lies and deceit
The singer highlights that lying is often accompanied by deceit.
Yes it's running real rampant
Lying is a widespread issue that affects many people.
Communities suffering, yo I can't stand it
Lying can damage communities by creating mistrust and tension.
When we think of lies we tend to think of politicians
Politicians are often associated with lying due to their public persona.
But what about the husband who's on a mission
The singer highlights that lying is not limited to public figures, but it also happens in personal relationships.
Lying to his wife so he can get it on and get some
The husband lies to his wife to justify his infidelity.
Coming back home with a dumb expression
The husband acts as if nothing happened, which deceives his wife even more.
Written on a face that he's guilty as a criminal
The husband's appearance betrays his guilt and deception.
It's time to change your attitude
The singer encourages people to adopt a more honest and truthful approach to life.
People do you hear me, don't listen
The singer uses an ironic tone to highlight the importance of taking her message to heart.
To a funky rhyme that's kickin' knowledge that we need
The singer uses her song to deliver a message of truth and wisdom that we all need.
We lie about our hair
The singer acknowledges that people often lie even about trivial matters such as their hair.
And we know we got a weave
People make an effort to conceal their insecurities or perceived flaws by lying.
Politicians lie about the things they're gonna do
Politicians often make false promises to win elections or secure public approval.
And everybody's tale affects me and you
Lies and deception have a collective impact on society as a whole.
A smoker lies about the money that he stole
The singer uses an example of a smoker lying about stealing money to show how lying can escalate from small to big lies.
And a dope dealer never tells you how he got his gold
The singer uses an example of a drug dealer hiding his illegal activities to show how lying can be addictive and habitual.
I guess what Debbie T. is really trying to say
The singer speaks in the third person to emphasize the message of the song.
When you break it all down we're all the same
Lying is a human tendency that affects everyone regardless of status or background.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Spirit Music Group, Songtrust Ave, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: MELISA JOYCE MORGAN, ROYAL IMAN BAYYAN, PAUL LAURENCE JONES
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Roger Howard
'Lies' is the second single from En Vogue's debut hit album 'Born to Sing'.
The single was released on June 27th 1990.
The song was written and produced by Thomas McElroy and Denzil Foster, it became the group's second single to top the Billboard R&B singles chart. The single peaked at number thirty-eight, it was also their second US Billboard Hot 100 top 40 hit single.
I don't know who directed the music video fo this single and would be interested in anybody who knows who directed this music video. It is interesting that you can see the process of music direction at the beginning of this music video, there is a music director in the visual frame. I presume this is the actual music video director for 'Lies'? ...although I may be wrong here.
Again, just as I mentioned in my write-up about their music video for 'You Don't Have to Worry', the music video for 'Lies' is very much a definitive Dance/R&B music video of the early 1990's era.
Like David Fincher's music video for Madonna's 'Oh Father' (1989) and 'Vogue' (1990) music videos, 'Lies' has a beautiful use of black and white photography.
What I forgot to mention in the write-ups about their music videos for 'Don't Go' and 'You Don't Have to Worry' is that En Vogue were not just about having incredible voices, incredible beauty, and elegance; they also ( and this is most important) brought in a new sensibility of a black-American middle-class visualisation to music video. They were not the first black-American female group to do this, Diana Ross was doing this type of visualisation in her music promos/videos in the 1970's and 80's previously and artists like Whitney Houston and Karen White were also portraying this visualisation of a black-American middle-class ethic in the visual frame, but with En Vogue, you really got a sense of purpose that they were pushing a black-American middle-class ethos to the forefront of the music visual.
Everything in this music video is concise to the Beauty of Black American Beauty as depicted in Black American beauty magazines and even the beauty of Vogue magazine itself.
So you have in the music video for 'Lies' where everybody's hair and makeup is naturally beautiful, in much the same way you would look after the actor or actress on a film set.
In the United kingdom, there were not many black-British music artists at the time who were making music videos this classy. Mica Paris was a fine example of an artist from the UK, who was making music videos as classy as this. En Vogue's music videos were a HUGE learning experience for Black-British artists (and all artists working in the genre of black music) in how to really make a classy music video, such as this one by En Vogue.
What is even more intriguing though... is the female mc rapper in this music video.
Generally in this period, if you saw a female rapper in a music video, they generally would be wearing the clothing attire of casual street wear. In the 'Lies' music video, the female rapper is wearing glamourous clothing, matching up to the same kind of clothing attire that En Vogue is wearing for this music video.
As a black and white music video with a Black-American female vocal group, I personally believe that the 'Lies' music video is one of the most beautifully photographed music videos ever made.
The 'Lies' music video (like most music videos En Vogue made as part of their music videography) is the perfect unison of music and visual image.
Shannon AllAround
En Vogue is the STANDARD for modern day female pop groups!
4 LEAD SINGERS (unmatched)!!!
Hair & Nails on point
Wardrobe on point
STYLE, CLASS, REAL TALENT, ELEGANCE, CHARISMA!!!
The world has never experienced and
EN VOGUE and probably never will again!
Zeebo89
SWV were a solid effort too
Geddo
This was the song that made me realize that the group didn't have just one lead singer. They took turns, and that is what made them extra special, at least to me.
Lnl Outside work
Cindy was clearly the leader tho.
Geddo
@Lnl Outside work Cindy was the secondary here. As far as keeping the group in line, that was Max.
T Robertson
Once upon a time in 1990, there was a group called EnVogue where all four members were beautiful and could sing.
Erika
Trey Robertson and they all got a chance to sing also.
*rc_
@Erika and that was key!
Dorothy
Erika W Yes Indeed
Shannon Martin
I've always said "The best year in R&B was 1990", but for someone else to write it is really quite telling. #17again