II (Boyz II Men album)

II
Studio album by
Boyz II Men
ReleasedAugust 30, 1994
RecordedDecember 1993–May 1994
Studios
Kajem Studios, Studio 4 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Doppler Studios, D.A.R.P. Studios, Studio LaCoCo in Atlanta, Georgia
The Enterprises, Encore Studios in Burbank, California
Flyte Tyme Studios in Edina, Minnesota
Larrabee Sound Studios, Skip Saylor Recording, Lighthouse Studios in Los Angeles, California
Backroom Studios in Glendale, California
Granny's House Studios in Reno, Nevada
Genres
Length57:38
LabelMotown
Producers
Boyz II Men chronology
Christmas Interpretations
(1993)		 II
(1994)		 The Remix Collection
(1995)
Singles from II
  1. "I'll Make Love to You"
    Released: July 26, 1994
  2. "On Bended Knee"
    Released: November 1, 1994
  3. "Thank You"
    Released: February 7, 1995
  4. "Water Runs Dry"
    Released: April 11, 1995

II is the third studio album by American R&B quartet Boyz II Men, released on August 30, 1994, on Motown Records. Motown assembled a broader production team than for their debut, Cooleyhighharmony (1991), bringing in Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, Tim & Bob, Tony Rich, Brian McKnight, and Babyface alongside previous collaborators Dallas Austin, Troy Taylor and Charles Farrar. Boyz II Men themselves also received songwriting credits on most of the album's tracks, with the members contributing to the songs to varying degrees, and served as producers on several tracks.

Critics widely praised II as a polished and more sophisticated follow-up to Cooleyhighharmony, highlighting Boyz II Men's vocals, mature romantic themes, and the album's lush production. II became the inaugural winner of the Grammy Award for Best R&B Album, first presented at the 37th Grammy Awards in 1995. Commercially, II surpassed its predecessor, debuting at number one on the Billboard 200 with 350,000 first-week sales, while eventually selling 8.6 million copies in the US and receiving a 12-times-platinum RIAA certification; internationally, it also earned additional multi-platinum, platinum, and gold certifications.

II was promoted by a series of successful singles, led by "I'll Make Love to You," which reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100 for 14 consecutive weeks. It was succeeded at the top by "On Bended Knee," making Boyz II Men only the third act after Elvis Presley and The Beatles to replace themselves at number one, while "Water Runs Dry," "Thank You," and "Vibin'" peaked at numbers two, 21, and 52, respectively. In 2020, the album was ranked number 495 on Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Albums of All Time.

Background

In 1991, Boyz II Men released their debut studio album, Cooleyhighharmony, which established the group as one of the leading acts in contemporary R&B through its blend of New Jack Swing, soul, doo-wop, and intricate vocal harmonies.[1] The album became a major commercial success, peaking at number three on the US Billboard 200 and number one on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart, with US sales approaching seven million copies.[1] It also ranked among the year's best-selling albums, reaching number 12 on the 1992 Billboard 200 year-end chart and number 10 on the year-end Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart.[2] Its 1992 reissue, particularly the international breakthrough of their single "End of the Road," propelled the group to global prominence and set high expectations for their follow-up.[1] Before beginning work on their second studio album, Boyz II Men recorded the Christmas album Christmas Interpretations, released in October 1993. Combining original songs with traditional Christmas material, the album sold 1,767,000 copies in the United States by December 2012.[3]

While production on Cooleyhighharmony had been largely overseen by Dallas Austin, with additional work from Troy Taylor and Charles Farrar of The Characters, Motown aexpanded the production team for II, with Boyz II Men themselves contributing as producers alongside Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, Bob Robinson and Tim Kelley from duo Tim & Bob, Tony Rich, Brian McKnight, and Babyface.[4] According to producer Bob Robinson, he and Tim Kelley were initially asked by Boyz II Men to produce much of the album. However, Motown president Jheryl Busby was reportedly reluctant to entrust the group's follow-up to two relatively unknown producers, given Boyz II Men's status as one of the label's biggest acts. Busby subsequently brought in Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis and Babyface, whose contributions became central to the album's polished sound.[5] More than 20 songs were recorded for II, although most were ultimately omitted from the final track listing.[5] Two songs produced by Tim & Bob, "Now That We're Done" and "Can I Touch You", were later recorded by 112 for their 1996 self-titled debut.[5] The spoken interlude "Khalil (Interlude)" pays tribute to the group's road manager, Roderick "Khalil" Rountree, who was shot and killed in Chicago in May 1992 while Boyz II Men were opening for MC Hammer's Too Legit to Quit World Tour.[5]

Promotion

The album was promoted by a series of commercially successful singles, led by "I'll Make Love to You." Released despite objections from the group, who felt there were songs that could have been much stronger singles,[5] Busby insisted on "I'll Make Love to You" being the first single.[5] It reached number one on the US Billboard Hot 100 and spent 14 consecutive weeks atop the chart. It was followed at number one by "On Bended Knee," which replaced "I'll Make Love to You" at the summit, making Boyz II Men the third act after Elvis Presley and The Beatles to replace themselves at number one and the first to do so in 30 years. The success of "I'll Make Love to You" also gave the group consecutive double-digit runs at number one, following the 13-week reign of "End of the Road," while equaling the record previously set by Whitney Houston's "I Will Always Love You." Other singles included "Water Runs Dry," which peaked at number two, "Thank You," which reached number 21, and "Vibin'," which peaked at number 52.[5]

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusicStarStarStarStarHalf star[6]
Robert Christgau(3-star Honorable Mention)(3-star Honorable Mention)(3-star Honorable Mention)[7]
Entertainment WeeklyA[8]
The Rolling Stone Album GuideStarStarStarStar[9]
SelectStar[10]

Critics generally praised II as a polished and more sophisticated follow-up to Cooleyhighharmony, highlighting Boyz II Men's vocals, mature romantic themes, lush production, and successful ballads. AllMusic editor Stephen Thomas Erlewine praised II as a "carefully constructed crowd pleaser" that built on the strengths of Boyz II Men's debut, highlighting the group's soaring vocals on its slower songs and noting the success of singles "I'll Make Love to You" and "On Bended Knee."[6] Entertainment Weekly iewed the album as a more sophisticated follow-up to the debut Cooleyhighharmony, highlighting its mature themes of romance, commitment, and communication, as well as the group's lush vocal and string arrangements and understated charm.[8] Writing for Rolling Stone, Paul Evans found II as appealing as Cooleyhighharmony, highlighting Boyz II Men’s strong vocals and the polished production of Babyface and Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis. He particularly praised the romantic ballads "I'll Make Love to You" and "On Bended Knee," while noting the album's subtle experimentation with string arrangements, jazz vocalese, and a cappella performances.[11] In 2020, II was ranked number 495 on Rolling Stone's list of the 500 Greatest Albums of All Time.[12]

Accolades

The album won Best R&B Album at the 37th Grammy Awards. The album was ranked number 495 on the September 22, 2020 edition of Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Albums of All Time.[13]

Commercial performance

In the United States, II debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 with first-week sales of 350,000 copies and spent a total of five weeks atop the chart.[14] It also reached number one on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart, improving on the respective peaks of their debut album, Cooleyhighharmony.[15] The album ranked at number 22 on the Billboard 200 year-end chart and number 10 on the year-end Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart for 1994,[16] before rising to number three and number four, respectively, on the 1995 year-end charts.[17] It also ranked at number 13 on the Billboard 200 decade-end chart for the 1990s.[2] II ultimately sold 8.6 million copies in the United States, according to Nielsen SoundScan, and was certified 12-times platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), representing 12 million certified units.[18][19]

Internationally, II also was a major success, reaching the top five in Australia,[20] France,[21] and New Zealand.[22] It peaked at number one in France and New Zealand,[21][22] while reaching number four in Australia.[20] The album also reached the top 10 in Japan and the Netherlands, peaking at numbers nine and seven,[23][24] respectively, and charted within the top 20 in Germany,[25] Spain,[26] and the European Top 100 Albums chart.[27] Its performance in the United Kingdom was comparatively modest, where it peaked at number 17 on the UK Albums Chart,[28] although it reached number six on the UK R&B Albums chart.[29] II received multi-platinum certifications in Australia and Canada,[30][31] platinum certifications in France and New Zealand,[32][33] and gold certifications in Japan,[34] the Netherlands,[35] Spain,[36] and the United Kingdom.[37] It was also certified platinum across Europe by the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI), representing one million units.[38]

Track listing

II track listing
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
1."Thank You"
Boyz II Men, Austin4:37
2."All Around the World"
Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis4:56
3."U Know"
4:46
4."Vibin'"
  • McCary
  • N. Morris
  • W. Morris
  • Stockman
  • Kelley
  • Robinson
Tim & Bob4:28
5."I Sit Away"Tony Rich
4:35
6."Jezzebel"
The Characters6:07
7."Khalil (Interlude)"
  • N. Morris
  • Stockman
Tim & Bob1:41
8."Trying Times"
  • W. Morris
  • Kelley
  • Robinson
  • W. Morris
  • Tim & Bob
5:23
9."I'll Make Love to You"BabyfaceBabyface3:56
10."On Bended Knee"
  • Harris III
  • Lewis
Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis5:30
11."50 Candles"
  • Stockman
  • Kelley
  • Robinson
  • Stockman
  • Tim & Bob
5:08
12."Water Runs Dry"BabyfaceBabyface3:21
13."Yesterday"
Boyz II Men3:09
International bonus track
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
14."Fallin'"
McKnight4:09

Notes

Charts

Certifications

Certifications and sales for II
Region CertificationCertified units/sales
Australia (ARIA)[30] 2× Platinum 140,000^
Canada (Music Canada)[31] 5× Platinum 500,000^
France (SNEP)[32] Platinum 300,000*
Japan (RIAJ)[34] Gold 100,000^
Netherlands (NVPI)[35] Gold 50,000^
New Zealand (RMNZ)[33] Platinum 15,000^
Spain (Promusicae)[36] Gold 50,000^
United Kingdom (BPI)[37] Gold 100,000*
United States (RIAA)[19] 12× Platinum 12,000,000^
Summaries
Europe (IFPI)[38] Platinum 1,000,000*

* Sales figures based on certification alone.
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

Release history

Release dates for II
Region Date Label Format
United States August 30, 1994 Motown Cassette, CD
United Kingdom September 12, 1994

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 Partridge, Kenneth (February 15, 2016). "Boyz II Men's 'Cooleyhighharmony' at 25: Classic Track-by-Track Album Review". Billboard. Retrieved August 1, 2026.
  2. 1 2 3 Geoff Mayfield (December 25, 1999). 1999 The Year in Music Totally '90s: Diary of a Decade - The listing of Top Pop Albums of the '90s & Hot 100 Singles of the '90s. Billboard. Retrieved October 15, 2010.
  3. ↑ Grein, Paul (December 19, 2012). "Chart Watch Extra: Christmas Albums, From Bing To Buble". Yahoo! Music. Retrieved August 1, 2026.
  4. ↑ Partridge, Jason (September 30, 2014). "Boyz II Men Talk Incredible 1994 Run: 'A Lot Of It Was a Blur'". Billboard. Retrieved August 1, 2026.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Williams, Chris (July 16, 2011). "Boyz II Men's II LP revisited with Bob Robinson (of Tim & Bob) | Return To The Classics". soulculture.com. Soul Culture. Archived from the original on December 20, 2014. Retrieved September 2, 2014.
  6. 1 2 Stephen Thomas Erlewine. "II". AllMusic. Retrieved January 11, 2012.
  7. ↑ "CG: Artist 182". Robert Christgau. Retrieved January 11, 2012.
  8. 1 2 "II Review". Entertainment Weekly. September 9, 1994. p. 83. Archived from the original on May 16, 2007. Retrieved June 30, 2012.
  9. ↑ Brackett, Nathan; Christian Hoard (2004). The Rolling Stone Album Guide. New York City, New York: Simon and Schuster. p. 100. ISBN 0-7432-0169-8. rolling stone boyz ii men album guide.
  10. ↑ TM (October 1994). "New Albums: Soundbites". Select. p. 95. Retrieved December 25, 2024.
  11. ↑ Evans, Paul (December 29, 1994). "Boyz II Men: II : Music Reviews". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on June 20, 2008. Retrieved June 30, 2012.
  12. ↑ "The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time". Rolling Stone. September 22, 2020. Retrieved September 28, 2020.
  13. ↑ "The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time". Rolling Stone. September 22, 2020. Retrieved September 28, 2020.
  14. 1 2 "Boyz II Men Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved June 17, 2017.
  15. 1 2 "Boyz II Men Chart History (Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved June 17, 2017.
  16. 1 2 "Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums – Year-End 1994". Billboard. Retrieved October 1, 2020.
  17. 1 2 "Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums – Year-End 1995". Billboard. Retrieved October 1, 2020.
  18. ↑ Lipshutz, Jason (September 30, 2014). "Boyz II Men Talk Incredible 1994 Run: 'A Lot Of It Was a Blur'". Billboard.com. Retrieved August 1, 2026.
  19. 1 2 "American album certifications – Boyz II Men – II". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved December 8, 2020.
  20. 1 2 3 "Australiancharts.com – Boyz II Men – II". Hung Medien. Retrieved April 2, 2018.
  21. 1 2 3 "Billboard". February 4, 1995.
  22. 1 2 3 "Charts.nz – Boyz II Men – II". Hung Medien. Retrieved April 2, 2018.
  23. 1 2 "ボーイズ・Ii・メンのアルバム売上ランキング".
  24. 1 2 "Dutchcharts.nl – Boyz II Men – II" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved April 2, 2018.
  25. 1 2 "Offiziellecharts.de – Boyz II Men – II" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved April 2, 2018.
  26. 1 2 Salaverri, Fernando (September 2005). Sólo éxitos: año a año, 1959–2002 (1st ed.). Spain: Fundación Autor-SGAE. ISBN 84-8048-639-2.
  27. 1 2 "Hits of the World – Eurochart". Billboard. October 22, 1994. Retrieved July 25, 2012.
  28. 1 2 "Official Albums Chart on 25/9/1994 – Top 100". Official Charts Company.
  29. 1 2 "Official R&B Albums Chart on 15/10/1994 – Top 40". Official Charts Company.
  30. 1 2 "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 1995 Albums" (PDF). Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved July 17, 2021.
  31. 1 2 "Canadian album certifications – Boyz II Men – II". Music Canada. Retrieved July 25, 2012.
  32. 1 2 "French album certifications – Boyz II Men – II" (in French). SNEP. Retrieved July 25, 2012.
  33. 1 2 "New Zealand album certifications – Boyz II Men – II". Recorded Music NZ. Retrieved November 20, 2024.
  34. 1 2 "Japanese album certifications – ボーイズIIメン – II" (in Japanese). Recording Industry Association of Japan. Retrieved July 15, 2012. Select 1994年9月 on the drop-down menu
  35. 1 2 "Dutch album certifications – Boyz II Men – II" (in Dutch). Nederlandse Vereniging van Producenten en Importeurs van beeld- en geluidsdragers. Retrieved December 8, 2020. Enter II in the "Artiest of titel" box. Select 1995 in the drop-down menu saying "Alle jaargangen".
  36. 1 2 Sólo Éxitos 1959–2002 Año A Año: Certificados 1979–1990 (in Spanish). Iberautor Promociones Culturales. 2005. ISBN 8480486392.
  37. 1 2 "British album certifications – Boyz II Men – II". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved July 25, 2012. Select albums in the Formats field. Type II Boyz II Men in the "Search:" field.
  38. 1 2 "IFPI Platinum Europe Awards – 1996". International Federation of the Phonographic Industry. Retrieved July 25, 2012.
  39. ↑ "Swedishcharts.com – Boyz II Men – II". Hung Medien. Retrieved April 2, 2018.
  40. ↑ "Swisscharts.com – Boyz II Men – II". Hung Medien. Retrieved April 2, 2018.
  41. ↑ Zimbabwe. Kimberley, C. Zimbabwe: albums chart book. Harare: C. Kimberley, 2000
  42. ↑ "ARIA Top 100 Albums for 1994". Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved October 1, 2020.
  43. ↑ "Top RPM Albums: Image 2686". RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved May 26, 2022.
  44. ↑ "Jaaroverzichten – Album 1994". dutchcharts.nl. Retrieved October 1, 2020.
  45. ↑ "Tops De L'annee: Top Albums 1994". SNEP (in French). Archived from the original on January 7, 2020. Retrieved May 26, 2022.
  46. ↑ "Top Selling Albums of 1994". Recorded Music NZ. Retrieved October 1, 2020.
  47. ↑ "Top Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End 1994". Billboard. Retrieved October 1, 2020.
  48. ↑ "Top RPM Albums: Image 2839". RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved May 26, 2022.
  49. ↑ "1995 Year in Review" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 12, no. 52. December 23, 1994. p. 14. Retrieved May 25, 2022 – via World Radio History.
  50. ↑ "Tops De L'annee: Top Albums 1995". SNEP (in French). Archived from the original on October 29, 2020. Retrieved May 26, 2022.
  51. ↑ "Top Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End 1995". Billboard. Retrieved October 1, 2020.
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