Have you ever looked at the state of romance today and gotten extremely sad? We’re all too used to the days of dating apps, annoying gender wars, lousy hookups, and a rising generation of prudes. What happened to real love? What happened to that old school love we used to see in pictures, TV shows, and old R&B classics?
Ultimately, we may be looking at a lot of previous eras with rose-colored glasses. We’ve simply exchanged problems with new eras. Or at the very least, the same problems just look a little different. But what we know for sure is that the music certainly was a lot better. 90s R&B in particular made us believe in love and imagine what real romance could look like.
In the spirit of daydreaming about better love lives, we’ve selected five classic love songs from the 90s that show us falling in love wasn’t nearly as painful back in the day.
Five 90s R&B Songs That Will Make You Yearn for Old School Love
“Kiss of Life” by Sade
Falling in love is supposed to feel like a miracle. Out of the billions of people on this planet, you found your special person. You actually beat the odds and found someone that completes you in this ugly, complicated world.
Sade Adu captured this magic on “Kiss of Life”, arguing that divine intervention could be the only reason she found someone so perfect. “There must’ve been an angel by my side/something heavenly led me to you,” she cooed. It’s harder now than ever to believe in those kinds of miracles.
“Cry for You” by Jodeci
What man today would travel out to the desert with his boys in leather outfits, just to plead for you to come back home after you left an hour ago? It’s dramatic, over-the-top, and hilariously earnest in its yearning. But we could certainly afford men today to not be too cool to long for the one they love.
“Why I Love You So Much” by Monica
Monica is so unbelievably sweet and tender on “Why I Love You So Much”. She sings with a giddy warmth, swooning with an innocent love for her man. We’re far too jaded nowadays to feel so pure as this 90s R&B classic.
“Diamonds & Pearls” by Prince & The New Power Generation
Like Stevie Wonder before him, Prince mastered the art of a love song. “Adore” was an all-time declaration of eternal love, how a special woman could completely change his life.
“Diamonds & Pearls acts in direct conversation with that classic. Instead of getting caught up in the mere rosiness of love, Prince acknowledges the warts that come with even the truest love. Fights are an inevitable part of the relationship. But in choosing love every time, half of the pressures fizzle out.
“U Send Me Swingin’” by Mint Condition
If you could bottle the essence of being swept off your feet, it would feel like “U Send Me Swingin’”. The stacked harmonies and grandiose instrumentation are magical in how they capture the feeling of seeing only one person in a crowded room of dozens.
Photo by Bob Berg/Getty Images
The post 5 90s R&B Love Songs That Will Make You Feel Like You Were Born in the Wrong Generation appeared first on VICE.
