Fantasy K-Pop Collab: Brown Eyed Girls + En Vogue

Maybe it is just me, but when the Brown Eyed Girls made their comeback last month with their fifth studio album Black Box, I had the strong feeling of familiarity.

At first I tried to brush it off as nostalgia for their previous releases (I am still a huge fan of "Abracadabra"), but the feeling has stuck with me for a week.

Then it hit me - En Vogue.

The powerful, award-winning R&B quartet, En Vogue. The Brown Eyed Girls embody the same female fierceness and raw sensuality once reserved for the American quartet.

And thus, the inspiration for this week's Fantasy K-Pop Collab was born.

The Brown Eyed Girls debuted as an R&B vocal group back in 2006. Spearheaded by JeA, the other members were chosen by her. The youngest and last girl to join the group was GaIn, and she was collectively selected by the group.

As a group, the Brown Eyed Girls had a relatively slow start, first holding several small concerts before releasing their first album Your Story and the single "Come Closer."

Focusing on the vocal talents of the members, they first marketed as a "faceless group" and their R&B style, while critically acclaimed, failed to bring in the commercial success they had anticipated.

When the album was rereleased a while later, it included the song "Hold the Line," widely regarded as the group's first real success.

Their second album, Leave Ms. Kim, which featured the title track "I Got Fooled By You" was released at the same time as the Wonder Girls' Tell Me and the Brown Eyed Girls had a hard time competing.

However, in 2008 the BEG scored their first number one single with "L.O.V.E." which also marked a move away from their trademark R&B sound.

Since that time, the girls have been known to experiment with different genres and styles while still holding true to their original sound.

In 2009 the Brown Eyed Girls came back again with "Abracadabra" and not only was the song a hit, but it started a nation-wide dance craze (and later gained world-wide attention when Psy recycled the choreography for his "Gentleman" video), but revamped the group's image as fierce, mature city girls overflowing with sensuality.

Now back again with a new album, the two singles, "Recipe" and "Kill Bill" pay homage to the group's R&B roots and respected position in the K-Pop scene as serious singers and performers.


En Vogue have been around since the late 80's and, despite a few setbacks and member changes, are still going strong.

One of the most respected and talented female vocal groups in American pop history, they have six American Music Awards, seven MTV Video Music Awards, and seven Grammy nominations under their belts.

In 1990, En Vogue released their first single, "Hold On," and they became instant stars. The debut single earned the group a Grammy nod and the Billboard Music Award for R&B Single of the Year.

A very different start from that of the Brown Eyed Girls, En Vogue saw continued success with the release of their second album, Funky Divas, in 1992 and the songs "My Lovin' (You're Never Gonna Get It)" and "Giving Him Something He Can Feel."


"Free Your Mind" noted a shift in the style of the group as the song contained heavy rock guitar and was much more over the top than the previous soulful releases.

As the group continued to release albums over the years, they saw continued success and their 1996 single "Don't Let Go (Love)" was their biggest success yet.

Soon after, Dawn Robinson decided to leave En Vogue, a decision that set in motion a long line of member changes over the years.

Still performing and making appearances, the group reunites on occasion and the individual members have pursued their own careers over the years.

Because of various circumstances over the years, Terry Ellis and Cindy Herron are the only two original group members still active in En Vogue along with Rhona Bennett who joined the group in 2003.

For purposes of a collaboration, however, the fan in me would hope that the original En Vogue would choose to reunite, although any combination of old and new members would be acceptable.

The Brown Eyed Girls have proven to be talented vocalists and performers, just like their American counterparts and it would be interesting so see them cover a few En Vogue songs.

Namely "Giving Him Something He Can Feel," which is a cover song itself, would be an excellent song for BEG to sing, and help them reconnect with their soulful R&B roots.

Ideally, of course, the two groups would share the stage together in a joint concert event, but in the meantime, the Brown Eyed Girls could learn something from En Vogue - a lasting group that even with hiccups along the way, is still considered one of the greatest girl groups in American pop history.

---

Check out more Fantasy K-Pop Collabs HERE!

Tags
Brown Eyed Girls
Join the Discussion

Latest Photo Gallery

Real Time Analytics