Whatever Happened to R&B Girl Groups?

The urban website MadameNoire.com posted an interesting story regarding the fading away of girl groups like SWV, EnVogue and Destiny's Child. In the 1990s, these groups represented a significant portion of R&B and pop music. Girl groups have been around for ages. But as the times progressed these groups became edgier, consistently pushing the envelope in many different ways. But for several reasons, envelope-pushing just wasn't enough to keep this particular trend in motion. Alas, the era of the Girl Group seems to be long past. Why have they all fizzled away?

Multiple Personalities

For obvious reasons, managing multiple personalities (not the mental illness variety) is a lot more difficult than handling the needs of a solo artist. The dynamics of record deals have changed drastically over the years. Gone are the days of Motown where artists were groomed for the stage and beyond. Record companies are no longer putting themselves out on a limb to ensure that girl groups remain congealed.

Women are highly competitive.

If you have observed female friendships then you have noticed that women are incredibly competitive with one another. Having better clothes, hairstyles, love lives, and everything else is as much a factor in girl groups as they are in ordinary friendships. Certainly women are capable of putting their differences aside for the good of the whole. But depending on upon any number of circumstances (especially age) the dissolution of a girl group is much more likely when the ladies are silently competing with one another.

"Musicians" vs. "Singers"

For the sake of this theory, there is a difference between girl bands and girl groups. Female bands are comprised of musicians who for the most part, have a lot more at stake than those who simply stand behind microphones. It isn't that girl groups are any less important. But playing an instrument and contributing musically to the success of the group has a tendency to create stronger bonds.

"Solo Syndrome"

There is a 99% chance that one of the singers will become "solo worthy" in the eyes of fans and management. This is one of the inevitable facts involved in the creation of girl groups. While it can be difficult to tell who might be more physically appealing to audiences, that one member will be singled out of the group is almost guaranteed. In that regard, it's much easier to skip the entire group formation altogether - and go straight for the promotion of the solo artist who would probably be recognized anyway. Additionally, advanced technology has encouraged an "every man for himself" mentality; these days it seems that people have little patience for working with others, and are especially less likely to do so if they can reap all of the rewards themselves.

SOURCES:

www.madamenoire.com
www.ivillage.com
www.mediatakeout.com