Funky Divas

Funky Divas is the second studio album by American recording R&B/pop group En Vogue. Released in 1992, it became their highest selling album to date and one of the top selling albums of the year, selling over five million copies worldwide.

Background

The lead single, "My Lovin' (You're Never Gonna Get It)," became an instant hit, peaking at #2 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #4 in the UK Singles Chart. The accompanying video for "My Lovin'" won two MTV Video Music Awards. The song samples the funk guitar line of James Brown's 1973 song "The Payback" from the album of the same name.

The second single, "Giving Him Something He Can Feel" (a cover of the Aretha Franklin hit from the film Sparkle), also became a top ten hit on the US Hot 100 (and also their fifth #1 single in the US R&B chart). Another Franklin song from Sparkle, "Hooked on Your Love," is also on the album, as is a rendition of The Beatles' hit "Yesterday."

The third single, the rock-infused "Free Your Mind," became another top ten hit. In the UK, the single made the top 20 and was backed with "Giving Him Something He Can Feel," which had failed to make the UK top 40 by itself earlier that year. The video for "Free Your Mind" won three MTV Video Music Awards in 1993.

By the time the fourth single, "Give It Up, Turn It Loose," was released in late 1992, the Funky Divas album was already certified triple platinum in the US by the RIAA. The single gave the group another UK Top 40 hit (#22).

The fifth and final single released from Funky Divas was "Love Don't Love You," which was remixed for its release. The video for the single consists of clips from previous En Vogue videos "Giving Him Something He Can Feel," "Free Your Mind," as well as two of their 1990 videos "Lies" and "You Don't Have To Worry."

A second edition of the album containing the later hits "Runaway Love" and "Whatta Man" (with Salt-N-Pepa) was released in the UK in 1994. This edition of Funky Divas also includes remixed versions of "Hip Hop Lover," "It Ain't Over Till the Fat Lady Sings," and "Love Don't Love You" (a different remix from the US single release in 1993), along with slightly altered artwork inside the CD booklet.

As with En Vogue's first album, Born to Sing, Funky Divas includes lead vocals by each member of the group on different songs.

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
Allmusic	link
Robert Christgau	link
Entertainment Weekly	(B-) link
Los Angeles Times	link
New York Times	(favorable) link
Q	link
Rhapsody	(favorable) link
Rolling Stone	1992
Rolling Stone	2004
Yahoo! Music	(favorable) link

Track listing

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Producer(s)	Length
1.	"This Is Your Life"	Denzil Foster Thomas McElroy	Denzil Foster and Thomas McElroy	5:05
2.	"My Lovin' (You're Never Gonna Get It)"	Foster McElroy	Foster McElroy	4:42
3.	"Hip Hop Lover"	Foster McElroy	Foster McElroy	5:13
4.	"Free Your Mind"	Foster McElroy	Foster McElroy	4:52
5.	"Desire"	Foster McElroy	Foster McElroy	4:01
6.	"Giving Him Something He Can Feel"	Curtis Mayfield	Foster McElroy	3:56
7.	"It Ain't Over Till the Fat Lady Sings"	Foster McElroy	Foster McElroy	4:13
8.	"Give It Up, Turn It Loose"	Foster McElroy	Foster McElroy	5:13
9.	"Yesterday"	John Lennon Paul McCartney	Foster McElroy	2:30
10.	"Hooked on Your Love"	Curtis Mayfield	Foster McElroy	3:35
11.	"Love Don't Love You"	Foster McElroy	Foster McElroy	3:56
12.	"What Is Love"	Foster McElroy	Foster McElroy	4:19
13.	"Thanks (Prayer)"	Foster McElroy	Foster McElroy	0:43

Credits and personnel

Terry Ellis, Cindy Herron, Maxine Jones, Dawn Robinson: Lead vocals, Backing vocals and Harmony vocals
Denzil Foster, Thomas McElroy: Keyboards, Drums, Vocals [Speech]
Jinx Jones: Electric guitar, Acoustic guitar, Bass
Michael Fellows: Drums [Kit]
Jon Bendich, Juan Escovedo, Peter Michael: Percussion
Chuckii Booker: Vocals [Spoken word]
Wayne Jackson: Vocals [Rap]
Tony George: Trumpet
Les Harris: Saxophone
Chris Mondt: Trombone
Denzil Foster, Thomas McElroy: Producer, Arranger

Credits from Allmusic^[5]

Charts and certifications

Charts

Chart (1992)	Peak position
Australian Albums (ARIA Charts)^[6]	66
Germany Albums (Offizielle Top 100)^[7]	58
Dutch Albums (MegaCharts)^[8]	37
New Zealand Albums (RMNZ)^[9]	36
Swedish Albums (Sverigetopplistan)^[10]	31
UK Albums (OCC)^[11]	4
Canadian Albums (RPM)^[12]	34
US Billboard 200^[13]	8
US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard)^[14]	1

Certifications

Region	Certification	Sales certified
United Kingdom (BPI)	Platinum^[15]	382,000
Canada (CRIA)	Platinum^[16]	300,000
United States (RIAA)	3× Platinum^[17]	4,000,000

References

↑ "En Vogue - My Lovin' (You're Never Gonna Get It) Genius Lyrics". Retrieved January 26, 2016.
↑ "En Vogue - Giving Him Something He Can Feel - Amazon.com Music". Retrieved January 26, 2016.
↑ "En Vogue - Free Your Mind - Amazon.com Music". Retrieved January 26, 2016.
↑ "En Vogue - Give It Up, Turn It Loose - Amazon.com Music". Retrieved January 26, 2016.
↑ Personnel at allmusic
↑ "AUS Charts > En Vogue". ARIA Charts. Retrieved 2016-10-08.
↑ "GER Charts > En Vogue". GfK Entertainment. Retrieved 2011-08-16.
↑ "NLD Charts > En Vogue". MegaCharts. Retrieved 2016-08-11.
↑ "NZ Charts > En Vogue". Recording Industry Association of New Zealand. Retrieved 2011-08-16.
↑ "SWE Charts > En Vogue". Sverigetopplistan. Retrieved 2015-11-08.
↑ "En Vogue - UK Chart history". Official Charts Company, UK
↑ "CAN Charts > En Vogue". RPM Magazine. Retrieved 2011-08-16.
↑ "En Vogue - Chart history" Billboard Top Independent Albums
↑ "En Vogue - Chart history" Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums
↑ "UK Certified Awards Search > En Vogue". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 2016-09-30.
↑ "CAN Certifications > En Vogue". Music Canada. Retrieved 2016-09-30.
↑ "US Certifications > En Vogue". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved 2016-09-30.

En Vogue

Terry Ellis Cindy Herron Rhona Bennett Maxine Jones Dawn Robinson Amanda Cole

Albums	Born to Sing (1990) Funky Divas (1992) EV3 (1997) Masterpiece Theatre (2000) The Gift of Christmas (2002) Soul Flower (2004)

Other releases	Remix to Sing (1991) Runaway Love (1993)

Compilations	Best of En Vogue (1999) Very Best of En Vogue (2001)

Singles	"Hold On" " Lies" " You Don't Have to Worry" " Don't Go" " Strange" "My Lovin' (You're Never Gonna Get It)" "Giving Him Something He Can Feel" "Yesterday" "Free Your Mind" "Give It Up, Turn It Loose" "Love Don't Love You" "Runaway Love" "What Is Love" "Whatta Man" "Don't Let Go (Love)" " Whatever" "Too Gone, Too Long" "No Fool, No More" "Riddle"

Featured singles	"Freedom (Theme from Panther)" (w/ Various Artists) "Free Your Mind" (w/ Sub7even) "So What the Fuss" (w/ Stevie Wonder & Prince) " Glamorous" (w/ Natalia)

Related articles	Discography Awards and nominations Foster & McElroy

Book:En Vogue