As two of the top R&B vocal acts of the ’90s, Xscape and SWV had shown nothing but love, respect, admiration and good will for each other over the years.
Then they signed up to do a reality TV show — the 2023 Bravo miniseries “SWV & Xscape: The Queens of R&B.” And everything drastically changed between the two groups.
“We fell out real bad,” Xscape’s Kandi Burruss remembers during recent Zoom interviews held with both acts. “And we all know it’s a lot of drama and craziness that comes with reality TV. We were friends with SWV for years — since back in the ’90s. But the tension that happens when you are shooting a show — and you have to address every little thing — sometimes things can go left. And we allowed that to happen.”
Yet, things that can go left can also apparently go right, since the two groups were eventually able to mend fences with each other and draw up plans for a hotly anticipated co-headlining tour. The roadshow — appropriately dubbed the Queens of R&B Tour — is set to launch June 27 at Toyota Pavilion at Concord. Showtime is 7 p.m. and tickets start at $41 (subject to change), livenation.com.
“We always love the Bay Area,” says SWV’s Tamara “Taj” George. “We are going to enjoy kicking off the tour there because we know that the fans will come out and really give us their perspective of what they loved about the show and how much they care about the songs and the history of both groups.”
And both acts certainly do have illustrious histories.
Formed in 1988 in New York City, SWV (which stands for Sisters With Voices) landed an album deal with RCA Records and used that platform to become one of the most successful R&B acts of the ’90s. The vocal trio — consisting of George, Cheryl “Coko” Gamble and Leanne “Lelee” Lyons — was a massive hit right from the very start, as the 1992 debut album “It’s About time” soared to triple-platinum heights on the back of the singles “Weak,” “Right Here” and “I’m So into You.”
Xscape experienced similarly great success after coming together, under the watchful eye of hitmaker Jermaine Dupri, in Atlanta in 1990. The vocal group, currently featuring Burruss, Tameka “Tiny” Harris and Tamika Scott, released three platinum-selling albums — 1993’s “Hummin’ Comin’ at ‘Cha,” 1995’s “Off the Hook” and 1998’s “Traces of My Lipstick” — which collectively birthed such hits as “Just Kickin’ It,” “Understanding,” “Who Can I Run To” and “My Little Secret.”
“We are so very excited to have so many dope vocalists on one stage together,” Burruss says of the co-headlining tour. “From the time the show starts until it gets to our performance, it’s going to be nostalgia. We are giving people the hits that they have been singing and knowing for so many years.”
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Source:: The Mercury News – Entertainment
