The iconic R&B group tells PEOPLE the project was a natural fit, given that fans often mistook them for the singers on the original ad.
“I remember when the jingle first came out, we were on our fourth album [1997’sEvolution] and everybody was asking, ‘Did y’all do that?’” Wanya Morris recalled. “Because we did a lot of acapella on our records. But it wasn’t us. But it was cute.”
“Chili’sreally did an ingenious thing in creating such an iconic song,” says Shawn Stockman. “It’s hard to have a hit record. And this restaurant managed to create an actual timeless classic that will be heard for many, many years to come.”
Chili’s
Wanya adds that the nostalgia factor of the throwback promo appealed to the trio.
Reflecting on why there’s so much nostalgia for the ‘90s — the decade when Boyz II Men ruled theBillboardcharts with timeless hits such as “End of the Road,” “I’ll Make Love to You” and “On Bended Knee” — Nathan says “it was a great time for music.”
“For us growing up, there was a nostalgia for the ‘70s, the Earth, Wind & Fire and all that,” he says. “There are certain eras of music that you just can’t get around."
“We created the ‘90s from listening to the ‘70s,” he adds. “And I think that we just had some really, really good music in the ‘90s and people cared about what they wrote and they cared about how the songs felt and how presented them, and the way they performed them.”
Besides the original Chili’s jingle, Wanya says the other song people incorrectly attribute to them is All-4-One’s 1994 ballad “I Swear.”
Boyz II Men’s own harmonies have provided the soundtrack to many milestones in fans’ lives.
“We’ve been fortunate enough to have a lot of songs that connected with a lot of people,” says Stockman.
“We have a song for every occasion,” Nathan adds.
“Yeah, we really do,” says Shawn. “Mother’s Day, loss of a loved one, birth of a child, first time they met.”
Nathan says Boyz II Men would like to create a show where they assemble the next up-and-coming music group.
Wanya notes that his four sons are singers themselves, and have started an R&B group called WanMor.
“It’s going to take a little bit of time, but just as long as they stick together and keep those harmonies tight, they’ll hopefully be able to carry on somewhat of a legacy,” he says.
Stockman says his own kids have introduced him to K-pop acts like BTS, Blackpink and NewJeans.
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A limited-edition vinyl featuring Boyz II Men’s version of the jingle, and a ‘90s-inspired Boyz II Men tour T- shirt, are available for purchase onChili’s online merch store.
source: people.com
