Boyz II Men – Cooleyhighharmony

Review

There’s something magical about hearing Cooleyhighharmony for the first time — that unmistakable blend of youthful energy and gospel-rooted polish, all wrapped in velvet harmonies. Boyz II Men arrived at the dawn of the ’90s ready to redefine R&B, and this debut made good on every promise. You can feel the Motown influence all over it, but it’s the group’s precision — those layered vocals, that effortless emotion — that made them instant icons.

Songs like “Motownphilly” burst with swagger and joy, the kind that made New Jack Swing irresistible, while “It’s So Hard to Say Goodbye to Yesterday” strips everything back to raw, aching simplicity. The group walks the line between smooth and spiritual, their harmonies evoking church choirs as much as street-corner doo-wop. And underneath it all, there’s a sense of gratitude — young men humbled by their gift, yet confident enough to reshape the genre around it.

More than three decades later, Cooleyhighharmony still stands as a cornerstone of contemporary R&B, a masterclass in control, chemistry, and heart. It’s not just nostalgia — it’s proof that soul, when sung with truth, never really ages. - Emily