(I'm So Into You by SWV playing)
- [Narrator] Sisters with Voices AKA SWV
took the world by storm when they were introduced in 1992.
Not only did they live up to their name,
but they also blurred the lines between R&B and hip hop.
(upbeat music)
Hailing from New York City,
SWV released a discography of five full length albums
and one Christmas album as a group.
Signed to RCA Records in the early '90s,
their first album, It's About Time, was released in 1992.
The album immediately made huge waves in music
selling over 2 million units
and resulted in five hit singles.
SWV had fans in their feelings with their ballad, Weak.
It reached number one on Billboard Pop Charts,
and it's still one of SWVs most popular songs.
Right Here,
the Human Nature remix reached number one on R&B Charts.
The song samples Michael Jackson's Human Nature record
off his 1982 thriller album.
While fans were obviously intrigued by SWVs singing ability
and sound, they were also attracted to the girls style.
Coming from the streets of New York,
SWV had a cool fashion sense
representative of the Around the Wave Girl,
that young folks around the country related to.
After the success of their first album,
SWV appeared on the soundtrack to the 1994 film
Above the Rim.
Their song Anything shot up the charts immediately,
landing in the top 10 of R&B Charts on Billboard.
The song had several remixes,
including an extremely popular version
featuring the Wu Tang Clan.
SWVs second album New Beginning was released in 1996.
The album's first single You're the One reached number one
on the Hot R&B and Hip Hop Songs Chart.
It's another of the group's most recognizable songs.
You're the One was a highly requested song
on radio stations across the country
around the time of its release.
The song also had a remix featuring Jay Z, Busta Rhymes,
The Lost Boyz, Smoothe da Hustler and Trigga tha Gambler.
The second single off that album, Use Your Heart,
charted on Billboard's Hot 100 and on R&B Charts.
The song was produced by an up and coming production duo
we now know as The Neptunes.
A short year later in 1997,
SWV released their album Release Some Tension.
The album was very hip hop heavy
with features from Puff Daddy, Lil' Kim, Redman, E40
and more.
The song Can We featured Missy Elliott
and was produced by Timberland.
However, Can We appeared on the soundtrack for Booty Call,
a film starring Jamie Foxx,
allowing the song to chart from the Hot 100.
It did incredibly well on New Zealand and UK charts too.
Rain was released as a single
and reached the top 10 of Billboards Hot 100.
This song also did extremely well on radio.
The songs music video featured Tyrese Gibson.
SWV split after their third album to pursue solo careers.
In 1999, Coko released her first solo album.
In 2006 she released a gospel album.
Around 2007, Taj appeared on a reality show
along with her husband, Eddie George, a former NFL player.
She was also on season 18 of Survivor around 2009.
Lelee stayed out of the public eye for years.
In 2011, SWV ended their 14 year hiatus
with the release of their fourth album, I Missed Us.
They came back with a bang.
The single, If You Only Knew,
which is a remake of the Patti Labelle classic,
earned them a Grammy nomination
for Best Traditional R&B Performance.
In 2014, SWVs journey was documented on a reality show
called SWV Reunited.
The show ran on television for two seasons.
In 2016, SWV released their album Still.
The album landed at number five on the US R&B Albums Chart
and at number 11 on the Top R&B Hip Hop Albums Chart.
SWV is an R&B treasure.
They've sold over 25 million records,
placing them among the top selling girl groups in music.
They've seamlessly affected the soundtracks of our lives
with timeless songs.
They are loved by fans across genres.
They've been documented through reality television
and they continue to tour as a group.
SWV has staying power, our hearts,
and most importantly, they have voices.