It wasn't that I'd forgotten this album; it's that I'd forgotten that I like this album. For a group that was essentially and entirely a constructed marketing concept, En Vogue is no Spice Girls — they're much better than their UK counterparts. I say that as an admirer of the magnificent gimmickry that was the Spice Girls; En Vogue excels as a group of talented musicians. The best songs are really good: "This is Your Life," "Never Gonna Get It," "Free Your Mind," Giving Him Something He Can Feel," and "Give It Up, Turn It Loose."
Unfortunately, not only are the bad songs bad, it's palpable that En Vogue knew it, too. They sound weirdly shaky on the misses — "Hip Hop Lover," "Desire," "Hooked On Your Love," etc. — lacking the confidence that must come with being true divas.
This album represents the peak of their talents and success; I enjoy that it takes risks and breaks the mold of a stereotypical girl band — even if those risks were taken by a corporate songwriter, breaking the mold of stereotypes he helped create.
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