Since the 1960s, Black girl groups have helped lay the foundation for popular music. The Motown flair of acts such as the Supremes and the Marvelettes captured radio airwaves with their prim-and-proper attire and heartfelt anecdotes on young love.
In the 1970s and ‘80s, acts such as the Pointer Sisters and Labelle wooed audiences with their brash style and impeccable ability to drift through different genres (country, funk, dance), offering a vibrant soundtrack for dance floors. And R&B in the 1990s were pervasive with girl groups such a TLC, SWV and Destiny’s Child embracing their sexual autonomy.
Atlanta produced three of those major groups — TLC, the best-selling American girl group of all time, Xscape and Blaque — underlining the city’s major role in shaping the rich history of Black girl groups. Although Atlanta groups from the early aughts such as Cherish and the OMG Girlz attempted to revive the succulent nostalgia of their forbears, they didn’t reach the same success. Today, there’s a drought of Black girl groups.
So, what does it take? Different musicians cite different reasons.
“First of all, it’s not the easiest thing,” said Brandi Williams, one-third of Blaque. “Everybody has to have the same drive and the same vision because it’s a group and not just individuals.”
Hailing from Atlanta’s east side, Blaque was founded by the late TLC rapper Lisa “Left Eye” Lopes in the late ′90s. The trio included Williams, Shamari DeVoe and Natina Reed (who died in 2012). Blaque released its eponymous debut in 1999, which boasted hits including “808″ and the ‘N Sync-assisted “Bring It All to Me.”
Credit: AJC File
Credit: AJC File
The pop-centric album went on to be certified platinum, with the group later touring with TLC and ‘N Sync. Blaque has released three more albums but none recaptured the magic of their debut. Today, the group (now a duo) tours its older music and loves reconnecting with the fans that made them stars.
“I like the fact that we can still go out and see our favorite girl groups and concerts and performances,” DeVoe said. “That’s why it’s so big for a lot of these groups from the ‘90s to go out and have all of these shows, because people miss that.”
DeVoe cited a possible reason why newer groups aren’t being developed at the same frequency as they were in the ‘90s: because record labels may not be as willing to spend the money.
“I feel like it’s more cost effective to invest in single-talent artists, [where] you don’t have to pay for all these different additional expenses with managing a group accommodations and flights for all these different members”
Members of the Atlanta-based R&B group Xscape agree.
“The industry has changed,” said Tameka “Tiny” Cottle-Harris. “Back then, you had labels that was willing to put all this money into it. Now, you have most people are trying to be independent.”
The quartet — Cottle-Harris, Kandi Burruss-Tucker, LaTocha and Tamika Scott — was discovered by megaproducer Jermaine Dupri and was the first group signed to his label, So So Def. Xscape shone with its gospel-inspired, four-part harmonies and further made an impression with its street-style tomboyish, baggy clothes.
Credit: ERIC WILLIAMS
Credit: ERIC WILLIAMS
Xscape released three albums (1993′s ”Hummin’ Comin’ At ‘Cha,” 1995′s “Off the Hook” and 1998′s “Traces of My Lipstick”). All were certified platinum.
“I just think Black girl groups brought a lot of soul to their music, whether it be the harmonies, whether it be the riffs, whether it be the style, it’s just a soul to it, Burruss-Tucker said. “I think a major thing when you’re talking about our group, you’re definitely talking about harmonies.”
The group went on a hiatus after the release of its third album then reunited in 2017. Although Xscape isn’t releasing any new music, they still tour their old songs. The inner challenges of the quartet were well-documented on reality television, such as on last year’s limited Bravo series “The Queens of R&B.” The show followed groups Xscape and SWV as they made a challenged attempt to produce a joint concert.
“But I will say that, I feel like there is a void and there’s a need for [Black girl groups],” Cottle-Harris said. “I feel like it’s just harder these days to make it happen. I love girl groups, so I feel like it would be great if we can have more girl groups that were out there doing that thing.”
Atlanta’s new wave of girl groups
Credit: Ben Gray
Credit: Ben Gray
Burruss-Tucker is co-developing a new girl group, Psiryn. Last year, the Atlanta trio went viral on social media for performing a cover of Anita Baker’s “Sweet Love.” The act has yet to release any music, but Burruss said that was intentional.
“They’re super talented,” Burruss-Tucker said. “I feel like they’re really killing it on that level, but they were three solo female artists that we decided to make a group and, I think in the very beginning, we had our challenges. Because you got to get everybody on the same page and trying to use the same lawyer — and then they were younger, so then the parents be involved. Now that we’re in it, of course, everybody wants everything to just go, go, go. For me, I wanted them to go through artist development for a while.”
Psiryn includes 21-year-old Victoria McQueen and 20-year-olds Jada Denise and Anaya Cheyenne. Although the trio is new to the scene, they don’t feel the pressure. The group is working on new music that’s targeted for a summer release. They participate in rigorous vocal training, which includes workouts and acapella exercises, at least three days a week.
Group members cite their budding friendship and penchant for authentic musicality as reasons they believe they can lead a Black girl group resurgence.
“I would say it feels good,” said Denise about being a group on the rise “Since there’s not a lot of black girl groups out right now, being as the we’re the ones a part of bringing them back, I feel like it’s kind of like trendsetting. And it’s also good, because we know that there’s millions of little girls who look like us. So if they see us doing it, you know, [they might] believe that they can do it.”
Credit: Raymond Hagans, Special to AJC
Credit: Raymond Hagans, Special to AJC
Last year, the OMG Girlz (which includes Zonnique Pullins, Bahja Rodriguez and Breaunna Womack) hinted at a reunion with the release of “Lover Boy.” The trio formed in 2009, under the tutelage of Cottle-Harris (Pullins’ mom), and became known for their colorful hairstyles and fun songs like “Gucci This (Gucci That)” and “Where the Boys At?” They disbanded in 2015 after group members wanted to pursue solo interests.
Back then, group members were teenagers. Now, in their late twenties, they feel like they’re better able to understand their worth. More music is on the horizon.
“I feel like our brand and our influence and what we brought to the industry and really just in hair and fashion transcended into so many things,” Rodriguez said. “At the time we were coming out, grown women nor little girls were wearing like bright colored hair or anything like that. Now, [on] Instagram you see girls all the time with pink wigs, with blue wigs, with purple wigs— people just trying color being daring in that way. And I feel like that’s really how we influenced beyond our music.”
Credit: Ben Gray
Credit: Ben Gray
In Snellville, the BoykinZ is a budding country group that is determined to make sure Black girls have representation in that genre. The quartet includes sisters Kylan, Anale, Nytere and Alona Boykin, ages 16 to 22.
Although the group has sung together for roughly a decade, they gained more popularity after appearing on “The Kelly Clarkson Show” last year. Since then, they’ve performed with Shania Twain and have amassed roughly 500,000 followers on TikTok.
“Girls Night,” their debut single, dropped in 2022. The group regularly travels to Nashville to record new music.
“We definitely feel like we can bring something different to the genre, because country music is still evolving,” Kylan Boykin said. “It still has yet to reach a broader space where you where you can infuse other elements, such as other genres. With pop, there’s been more infusions with different artists. . . we’re young Black women who are not falling into what everyone thinks we should be doing [with our sound]. We’re literally unicorns.”
But it may just take unicorns to help match the glory days of Black girl groups.
