Throwback Thursday: Bell Biv DeVoe – “Poison”

Throwback Thursday: Bell Biv DeVoe – “Poison”

When we use the word “timeless,” we’re talking about songs like “Poison” by Bell Biv DeVoe.

Released as the debut single of the New Edition spinoff, “Poison” is the quintessential new jack swing song and arguably the foremost club banger in the history of recorded music. This shit SLAPS and remains one of the most quotable songs ever.

Written and produced by Dr. Freeze, “Poison” is a harbinger of sorts for what popular music would sound like for years to come. We’d seen hip-hop blended into sung music before, but not at that scale. In the video, BBD describe their sound as “mentally hip-hop smoothed out on the R&B tip with a pop appeal to it,” and they truly couldn’t have said it better.

“Poison” peaked at No. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100 and ranked at No. 4 on the 1990 year-end chart.

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