SWV - New Beginning

SWV set a high bar with New Beginning, the American female trio's second studio album, released on April 23, 1996, on RCA Records. The album solidifies an artistic maturity that moves significantly away from the dominant New Jack swing grooves on their debut, It's About Time (1992).

A shift in sound towards a more organic R&B

The sonic approach adopted on this album represents a strategic shift. The group abandons specific rhythms to explore a more direct and organic R&B vibe, enriched by a new array of sonic textures that give the music unprecedented depth. AllMusic notes this evolution, where the album explores a more direct and organic R&B vibe, without completely abandoning the influence of hip-hop.

Return after It's About Time: an album of consolidation

Released on April 23, 1996, this album marks the first studio album since their debut, It's About Time (1992), marking a return to form after a period without a major new release. It immediately precedes A Special Christmas in the chronology of the group's official releases. The album is released by RCA Records and consists of 17 tracks for a total duration of 1 hour and 6 minutes. This dense structure allows the three friends, Cheryl "Coko" Gamble-Clemons, Tamara "Taj" Johnson-George, and Leanne "Lelee" Lyons, to showcase their vocal talents without excessive time constraints.

A structure framed by opening and closing interludes

The album's structure is carefully designed, with two pieces marking the beginning and end of the listening experience. The opening track is New Beginning - Interlude, while the closing track is Soul Intact - Interlude. This structural symmetry provides a narrative framework for the auditory experience, transforming a simple collection of songs into a cohesive sequence.

Precise features: Erick Sermon and Butterfly contribute to the project

The album includes two tracks with featured artists, as confirmed by official credits. On & On features Erick Sermon, who brings his credibility and expertise to the track. That's What I'm Here For highlights the vocals of Butterfly, contributing to the richness of the album's vocal performance. The list of confirmed featured artists remains strict: two tracks out of 17 include a guest artist.

The powerful vocals of the trio balance a long duration

The powerful and versatile vocals of the SWV trio are the true strength of this album. AllMusic notes that the real strength of New Beginning lies in the vocal abilities of the trio, which add depth to the production. The presence of new sound textures enriches the overall experience, but it is the vocals that remain the central element.

The documented context reveals that New Beginning represents far more than just a simple return: it's a genuine laboratory where the trio refines their sonic palette. Far from abandoning the hip-hop influence inherited from their early days, SWV incorporates a new array of sonic textures that give the music an unprecedented depth, thus validating their different approach, which has been praised by critics. This transition fits logically with their first album, It's About Time (1992), but clearly marks the necessary break from the New Jack swing grooves that had dominated their career up to that point, paving the way for the following album, A Special Christmas. This restraint reinforces the focus on the three friends' considerable vocal abilities: Cheryl "Coko" Gamble-Clemons, Tamara "Taj" Johnson-George, and Leanne "Lelee" Lyons. Their active presence on all the tracks, as noted by Genius, demonstrates a total commitment that contrasts with previous periods. The dense structure of 1 hour 6 minutes allows the trio to showcase their talent without excessive constraints, transforming the album into a cohesive suite framed by the interludes New Beginning and Soul Intact. This longevity reflects a professional trajectory where SWV, founded in 1990 by three New York friends, uses this temporal space to perfect an audacious stylistic evolution. Far from simply replicating past successes, the trio diversifies their approach without completely abandoning their hip-hop roots, thus proving the validity of their new musical vocabulary, which moves away from New Jack swing grooves while maintaining coherence with their heritage. The very structure of the album, spanning a total duration of one hour and six minutes, suggests an ambition for a complete project rather than a simple collection of singles. This arrangement allows the members of the group to focus on their vocal abilities, which is considered by critics to be the true strength of the work. By integrating a variety of sonic textures within a more direct and organic R&B framework, SWV manages to transform a simple sequence of tracks into a unified auditory experience, where each intervention, whether vocal or instrumental, contributes to the affirmation of a rare artistic maturity for a female group that dates back to 1992. The legacy of this opus is undeniable. The album has been certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), a recognition that seals its commercial and artistic impact.

Technical specifications

- Release date: April 23, 1996 - Label: RCA - Tracks: 17 (1 h 06 min) - Opening / closing: New Beginning - Interlude / Soul Intact - Interlude - Guest artists: Erick Sermon, Butterfly - Previous album: A Special Christmas (1995)