MANILA, Philippines — This year, there seems to be a lot of 1990s throwback in Manila lately, as artists from the ‘90s, such as The Calling, Goo Goo Dolls, Bryan Adams, and The Moffatts, have recently or are about to stop over the city for a concert.
The trend extends even in Miss Universe, where Grammy Award-winning and iconic R&B group Boyz II Men joins hip-hop singer Flo Rida, another ‘90s kid, as performers for the 65th Miss Universe to be aired live on Fox in January 30, Manila time.
Boyz II Men is best known for their ballads like "I'll Make Love to You", “On Bended Knee”, and “End of the Road”, which broke Elvis Presley’s record in the Billboard Hot 100 for staying at the top of the charts for 13 weeks. In the entire Billboard history, the band ranked fourth in the world with the longest time at the number one spot (50 weeks), only behind Elvis Presley, The Beatles, and Mariah Carey, with whom the group had a collaboration song, “One Sweet Day”.
The group has won two Grammy Awards in 1995, Best R&B Performance for “I’ll Make Love To You” and Best R&B album. In 2009, their album “Motown” received nominations in the Grammy Awards. The legendary musical act, known for their smooth harmonies, holds the distinction of being the best-selling R&B group of all time, with an astounding 64 million albums sold.
The group’s latest album, “Collide”, was released in 2014 and was toured in a concert in the Philippines.
Prior to Boyz II Men and Flo Rida, Bruno Mars and Lea Salonga were rumored to be tapped by Miss Universe to perform, but these reports were never confirmed. -Deni Rose M. Afinidad-Bernardo