SWV (Sisters with Voices)

SWV is a black American R & B trio from New York City, New York. They originally started off an as a gospel group back in 1988. The “Sisters with Voices” took off with their music career throughout the 1990s. The female artists who make up the group are Coko, Taj, and Lelee.

Being a black female myself, black women refer to each other as “sisters” in a friendly and non-personal manner. SWV or Sisters With Voices has sold over 25 million records of R&B music. They are know for singing "Weak." It goes, "I get sooo weak in the knees, I can hardly breathe..."

The reason I chose this group of black female artist is because contrary to the popular songs today that involve heavy cursing and derogatory word usage, SWV shines a more positive light on the African American pop culture influence.

Their music is very graceful and rhythmic. What inspired me to write about them is because they wrote my all-time favorite song “Rain” in 1997 just two year before I was born in 1999.

This particular song appears in their album called “Release Some Tension.”

The song “Rain” begins:

“Sometimes its soft as the misty rain,

That gently touches my soul.

It cools the fire that burns in me,

And I simply lose control.”

This song always evokes emotions out me because I am highly sensitive. I feel this song through my veins when it is played. I usually play it when I think about my deceased father or when I am sad.

“Sometimes its soft as the misty rain, that gently touches my soul.” It does not take a lot for me to show my sensitive side, it could be something so soft as a mist of rain that I feel deeply in my soul. The softness of certain words or expressions cools the “fire that burns in me, and I simply lose control.” The burning passion in my heart that makes me sensitive, when touched by a mist of rain, it allows me to outpour my emotions in which I have hardly any control over. I am a heavy and deep crier. It can take a lot or just a little to make me cry.

“Rain down on me,

Let your love just fall like rain drops

Rain on me

Just

Rain down, on me

Let your love just shower me,

Just rain on me.”

Sometimes in this cold and lonely world, we just need some love showered on us. Whenever we are emotionally vulnerable or not in the happiest time of our lives, the rain and love just needs to be poured over us. Whenever the battles we face make us upset, we just need some rain to clear out all the toxin so we can think better.

I am a huge fan of many black female music artist, but I wanted to highlight SWV because it was a black female music group, and their music can be played anywhere around anyone. They do not curse (not that I have heard) in any of their songs and they do not get sexually explicit in their lyrics. Their music is positive, emotion evoking, and classy.

Unfortunately, they decided to go their separate ways and pursue their own dreams towards the end of the 1990s, however; they have had some reunions.

I admire 90s R&B music because of the flow and love language they use to express their feelings. African American pop culture and music has come a long way since the 90s, and I would not say it has gotten better. It has branched further away from the values of early black musician and artist which have influenced the music we listen to today.