New jack swing
New jack swing, new jack, or swingbeat[1] is a fusion genre of the rhythms and production techniques of hip hop and dance-pop, and the urban contemporary sound of R&B. Spearheaded by producers Teddy Riley, Bernard Belle, Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, new jack swing was most popular from the late 1980s to early 1990s.
New jack swing
- New jack
- swingbeat
Mid-to-late 1980s, United States and United Kingdom
Merriam-Webster's online dictionary defines new jack swing as "pop music usually performed by black musicians that combines elements of jazz, funk, rap, and rhythm and blues."[2] Digital synthesizers were heavily used, notably the Yamaha DX7, Korg M1, and Roland D-50.[3] New jack swing took up the trend of using sampled beats and tunes and created beats using electronic drum machines, such as the SP-1200 sampler and Roland TR-808, to lay an "insistent beat under light melody lines and clearly enunciated vocals."[1] The Roland TR-808 was sampled to create distinctive, syncopated, swung rhythms, with its snare sound being especially prominent.[4][5][1]
Influences[edit]
The 1989 film Ghostbusters II helped spread new jack swing with its theme song, "On Our Own" by Bobby Brown (written by L.A. Reid, Babyface and Daryl Simmons), who was along with Riley nicknamed "The King of New Jack Swing".[20][21] NBC sitcom The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air also boosted the spread of this culture, as the star of the show, Will Smith, was known initially for his hip-hop duo with DJ Jazzy Jeff. During the first episode of the series, Will Smith dances to the Soul II Soul new jack swing single "Back to Life (However Do You Want Me)". In other episodes, he sings "Teddy's Jam" and "Rump Shaker". A Different World, Waynehead and In Living Color are other television programs of the era which exhibit influences from the new jack swing style. Video Soul, Soul Train, Showtime at the Apollo as well as the late night talk show The Arsenio Hall Show also helped to promote these acts.
House Party with Kid 'n Play, Boyz n the Hood, Juice, New Jack City, Boomerang, Above the Rim, Poetic Justice, used New Jack Swing songs in their soundtracks. Dance-oriented artists such as Michael Jackson, the Good Girls, Jane Child, Tammy Lucus, Abstrac, Nayobe, Paula Abdul and Bell Biv DeVoe also have new jack swing elements in their late 1980s and early 1990s output.
To date the most successful new jack swing album is Dangerous, released in 1991 by Michael Jackson, produced by Jackson and Riley, which has sold over 30 million copies worldwide.[22][23][24]
Incorporation into pop music[edit]
Australian pop singer Kylie Minogue incorporated a strong new jack swing sound into her 1991 album Let's Get to It, most notably the lead single "Word Is Out". The album and singles achieved notable success in the UK, Australia and throughout Europe.[31]
Revival[edit]
American pop singer Bruno Mars infused elements into his 2016 third album 24K Magic, with fifth single "Finesse" being completely influenced by new jack swing.[32] The song was a commercial success, peaking at number two in New Zealand, number three in the United States and Canada, and the top ten of Australia, Ireland, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom.
