Pronounced Jah-Nay

by Jose F. PromisIn late 1993, the R&B vocal duo Zhané scored a Top Ten pop hit with the '70s Philly soul meets disco meets '90s hip-hop R&B smash "Hey Mr. DJ," a sleek slice of earthy, sophisticated soul that stands as one of the best R&B/pop hits of the '90s. Several months later the duo issued its highly anticipated debut, Pronounced Jah-Nay, on Motown, and the album yielded hit single after hit single for the better part of a year. Melding classic soul with honey-sweet vocals, hip-hop beats, jazz, disco, and pop, the duo stood out from the onslaught of manufactured R&B acts that dominated the airwaves and pop charts in the early to mid- '90s. The duo scored a Top 20 pop hit with its follow-up single, "Groove Thang," which, although still smooth and infectious, sounds like "Hey Mr. DJ" part two. Other singles included the glorious, elegant, and sleek "Sending My Love," which also managed to crack the pop Top 40, the funky R&B hit "Vibe," and the ballad "You're Sorry Now." The duo seems to shine brightest when tackling jazz ballads, such as the Sade-ish "La, La, La" and "Off My Mind," two songs that were never hits but easily rank as the album's overlooked treasures. Pronounced Jah-Nay is definitely one of the better R&B albums of the '90s -- unfortunately, this album's success was never repeated, and that was most likely due to lousy marketing and single choices for the duo's sophomore outing, Saturday Night.