En Vogue

Legendary! It’s a status very few music groups ever attain. But for 30 years and counting, En Vogue has reached this pinnacle on nothing but pure talent, and they are not letting up now. Still riding high off the global release of 2018’s "Electric Café" — their first album in 14 years — En Vogue is soaring as Terry Ellis, Cindy Herron, and Rhona Bennett take the group to even greater heights.

Formed in 1989 in the Bay Area, En Vogue — back then comprising Ellis, Herron, Dawn Robinson, and Maxine Jones — began their official takeover in 1990 with their hit single Hold On from their critically-acclaimed debut album "Born To Sing," which reached number one on both the dance and R&B/Hip-Hop charts. Since then, they have sold more 20 million physical albums, garnered more than 30 million streams and more than 26 million YouTube views for their top six hit singles alone, which, in addition to Hold On, include Free Your Mind, Never Gonna Get It, Giving Him Something He Can Feel, Don’t Let Go and Whatta Man featuring Salt-N-Pepa.

The new En Vogue is still thriving today, now a trio with Bennett, whose pre-group highlights include her childhood stint alongside future musical powerhouses Christina Aguilera, Justin Timberlake, and Britney Spears on the Disney Channel’s The All-New Mickey Mouse Club.

Doubling down on their En Vogue legacy has yielded tremendous fruit. Rocket, their Ne-Yo-penned and Curtis “Sauce” Wilson-produced lead radio single from "Electric Café," which blends the group’s signature harmonies with a futuristic language for romance, became their first Top 10 single in 20 years. To date, the video, playing up the intergalactic love vibe, has nearly two million YouTube views.

Their second single, Reach 4 Me, a catchy song instructing a lover how to keep the relationship alive, hit the Top 20. The album itself — on En Vogue Records, the label formed by Herron and Ellis in 2016 and distributed by eOne Music —reached the Top 20 on Billboard’s independent album chart.

The critically-acclaimed album builds on all that makes En Vogue great — killer vocals infused with class. Thirty years later, the ladies remain the epitome of beauty and grace, proving that women can not only top and control the game on their own terms long-term, but look incredible and fashionable while doing so. As for keeping their pristine vocals and their bodies fit to maintain their signature high-energy, crowd-pleasing performance standard, the divas credit a largely plant-based diet and vigorous workout routines.

The result has been stunning. In addition to Rocket, other standout tracks include I’m Good, written and produced by Raphael Saadiq; Déjà vu and Blue Skies from the group’s original production duo, Denzil Foster and Thomas McElroy; and Have a Seat featuring Snoop Dogg. Not only sonically pleasing, the album overflows with key messaging about women’s empowerment, self-love, and healthy relationships.

At the top of 2018, the trio treated their European fans to shows in Ireland, the United Kingdom, Holland, and Germany. In the United States, they stay on the road and in our ears; their music is heard in such films as "Captain Marvel" and "What Men Want," as well as such TV shows as "Pose" and "9-1-1." En Vogue also hopes to add more acting to their credits, which includes their own 2014 Lifetime film, "An En Vogue Christmas."

During their time off, the ladies enjoy spending time with loved ones, which for Herron includes a husband and four kids. They also give back with The HollyRod Foundation, which provides medical, physical, and emotional support to families living with autism and individuals battling Parkinson’s disease, as well as non-profit organizations that rescue victims from human trafficking and provide them with educational and job training, topping their philanthropic efforts.

Change may be inevitable, but some things remain magically the same. Three decades later, En Vogue continues to set a high standard for women in music. Their crowns remain intact. In a fickle industry, they have not only been able to “hold on,” but they’ve ascended to their “legendary” status on their own terms.