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DailyBoom Your Old School Music Authority

Wednesday, October 26, 2022

Daily Boom 90's Nostalgia: En Vogue - 'Hold On'


"The art of playing games now
Is not the hearts you break
It's bound to good love you make
When it's hearts on fire
 Give him love everyday
Remember he needs space
Be patient and he'll give his heart to you
Don't waste your time
Fighting blind minded thoughts of despair
Hold on to your love
You gotta hold on"

The late 80's music scene featured several pop girl groups. You had The Bangles, Expose, The Cover Girls, Sweet Sensation... all of them had radio and chart success but there was a formula to it. I don't think that anyone really anticipated the change that was coming when the calendar flipped and a new decade began. The 90's ushered in an era of New Jack Swing, slowjamz and R&B that was just amazing. Groups like TLC, SWV, and Xscape kept women front and center.

En Vogue was a major player at the time. Dawn Robinson, Cindy Herron, Terry Ellis and Maxine Jones teamed up in 1989 and by 1990 they had a bonafide chart hit with "Hold On". It was completely different from everything else that was getting airplay and that's what grabbed my attention immediately. To me, this video and song kind of drew a line in the proverbial sand and from this point on women had to really step up their game in order to compete musically. Check out "Hold On" below. Do you think it was a game changer too?