Friday, March 29, 2024

SWV Singer Taj Talks ‘Unsung’ Episode, Touring With BBD & New Single [EUR Exclusive]

SWV

*Season 10 of “Unsung” kicks off Wednesday, Jan. 4th with a profile on female R&B trio Sisters With Voices (SWV). Group members Cheryl “Coko” Clemons, Leanne “Lelee” Lyons and Tamara “Taj” George experienced a rapid rise to stardom which led to a Grammy nomination and several chart-topping hits.

Known for their edgy New York swag, SWV brought a distinct sound to the ‘90s with hit songs like “Weak,” “Rain,” and “Downtown.” However, internal conflicts separated the group within five years.

EUR/Electronic Urban Report chatted with Taj ahead of the “Unsung” season premiere about having their story featured on the series, the Pebbles and TLC connection behind their name, and heading out on the road this year with En Vogue, BBD and Bobby Brown.

“We’ll be heading out on the road at the top of the with BBD, En Vogue and Bobby Brown,” Taj shared, adding that they also “have a single coming out with BBD. I think January 27th, called ‘Finally’.”

Check out our Q&A with the singer below:

READ RELATED STORY: Serayah: ‘Empire’ Star Talks Debut Album, Drops New Track ‘Aces High’ [EUR Exclusive]

SWV

How does it feel having your story and music featured on an episode of Unsung?
TAJ: Well, I’m a hung fan of Unsung. I’ve watched just about every episode. Unsung is tha bomb, so, I guess it’s groovy.

For our readers who want to know, who came up with the name Sisters With Voices?
TAJ: Our first manager Maureen Singleton. We were actually TLC and right before we decided to come out, we got this cute little cease and desist letter from Pebbles. There’s a little group called TLC that came out before us. We had no idea they were in Atlanta.

Who’s responsible for helping you kick in the industry door and land your first break?
TAJ: Well, Maureen helped us get our deal, she was our manager at the time. We had our demo….to take it all the way back, Donald Bowden, he was the original producer who did the song It’s About Time, and a couple of other songs that was on our original demo. With that original demo, Maureen packaged it with some Perrier water, and she made it look like a cute little basket and she sent it to a couple record labels and every one of them said no. RCA said yes, and that sealed the deal.

SWV

When you reflect on the height of SWV, what’s your fondest memory? Is there one moment that stands out that you like to revisit often?
TAJ: The day I brought my condo — the day I signed the contract on my condo, the mortgage papers…I went over there-there was not a piece of furniture and I kept saying, ‘It’s mine!,’ and you could hear an echo… (laughs). That’s funny.

Do you recall the moment you feel like SWV finally made it?
TAJ: Gosh, there are so many of them, but I think the first time we heard our record on the radio. I remember I was in my little studio apartment — it was actually a room. I was at home cleaning up, and I always clean up with my radio blasting and I had the radio blasting so loud, I could barely hear myself talk. But as I’m sweeping the floor, next thing I know I hear ‘Right Here’ on the radio, and I’m just like, ‘Ho-ly sh*t!’ I dropped the broom and started screaming.

And then, the first time we went platinum. We were like, ‘We sold a million records? People like us that much? Like, a million people like us, not just in Brooklyn?’….. Yeah, it was crazy.

The Unsung episode highlights SWV’s reunion tour a few years ago. Do you ladies plan on dropping any new music this year?
TAJ: Well you know what’s so unfortunate is that SWV just released two recent albums, one in 2012 (“I Missed Us”) and another one February 5, (2015) called “Still,” and it’s so unfortunate that many people still don’t know that. They’re such good albums and it breaks our heart that people…our fans, most of them still don’t know. They don’t get a lot of airplay. It’s just a heartbreaking experience to put that much work into something and you can’t even hear it. So yeah, we put out music, and continue to put out music. It’s just getting it to the masses, that’s the problem.

What’s your relationship like with Coko and Lelee today?
TAJ: We are still out there touring and working and doing what we do. Just the fact that we’re still out there performing and getting on stage and doing what we gotta do. It’s great.

SWV

Who do you think some of the sisters with voices are today?
TAJ: One thing that bothers me about today is that there aren’t many groups out here. Actually, who are the groups? There’s Fifth Harmony, I think they’re incredible — but there aren’t many groups. The solo artists, of course you have Brandy will never go away. She seems to get better and better every day. She’s from back in the days. You have Ariana Grande, and…. there’s not that many out there, and I hate that I can’t jog my memory to think of anybody off the top of my head, and that doesn’t mean I don’t think they’re great. I just… I’m drawing a blank and that’s probably because I’m 45. I am getting old.

When fans talk about your music, what is the one song that they say truly resonates with them?
TAJ: Everywhere we go, the first song that we always hear is Weak. They love Weak, so we love Weak. Weak has kept us on the road for 25 years. But that first album they really-really love, and of course that’s the album that sets the tone. They love Use Your Heart. They love Rain. Now honestly, off these new records they love Man Crush Everyday. They love When Love Didn’t Hurt. They love Use Me. There are so many new songs that people didn’t get a chance to hear, check ‘em out! Only if you’re a true dedicated fan and you brought those records do you get a chance to hear them.

Tune in to the “Unsung” profile on SWV on Wednesday, Jan. 4th at 8 pm ET on TV One.

 

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