SWV – Still
When SWV resurfaced in 2005 after an eight-year hiatus, contemporary R&B was markedly different than it had been in their ballad-centric ’90s heyday. But as this second post-comeback effort illustrates, they’ve adapted to the times, shaking up new jack harmonies with sleek production, injections of funk, and smart samples. Clever updates run throughout: “MCE (Man Crush Everyday)” frames a ‘10s hashtag in crystalline late-’90s synths; a verse on the snappy “Love Song” interpolates Amy Winehouse’s “Rehab.” Still stands as emphatic punctuation: These sisters with voices are back to stay.