Soul Flower

In 2000, En Vogue released their fourth studio album Masterpiece Theatre, their second project as a trio following the departure of original member Dawn Robinson in 1997. A commercial disappointment, it underperformed and was considered a drop from their previous effort EV3 (1997),[1] resulting in the release of no further singles after the weak commercial performance of the project.[2] Instead, En Vogue were soon dropped from Elektra.[3] The following year, Amanda Cole was added as a performing member to the band, but soon after original member Maxine Jones announced her desire to spend more time with her young daughter and departed.[3] Soon after, the band collaborated with producer Timothy Eaton on the Christmas album The Gift of Christmas, released through Eaton's Discretion Records in 2002.[3]

2004 marked the return of En Vogue with a new album and a new lineup. Original members Terry Ellis and Cindy Herron are joined by new member, actress and singer Rhona Bennett. The new line-up continued to showcase En Vogue's trademark harmonies, adding a mature attitude that's still sexy and strong. Bennett replaced Amanda Cole who recorded ten of the fifteen tracks with Herron and Ellis; these would later be re-recorded with Bennett who replaced all of Cole's leads on the album.[4] Five additional tracks were then added to complete the album. The song "Stop" as well as the lead single "Losin' My Mind" were brought in by Bennett, "Ez-a-Lee" was an additional track added by the group's new management, while "Ooh Boy" and "New Day Calling'" were brought to the project by the record company.

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
Allmusic	[5]
Ebony	[6]
USA Today	[7]

Soul Flower received generally mixed reviews from music critics. David Jeffries from Allmusic felt that the album "benefits from more of an eye on the groove than on the charts and better than ever tricks from longtime producers Denzil Foster and Thomas McElroy." He added that while "this isn't a return to form [...] Soul Flower finds the band revitalized, learned, and with a whole new set of opportunities in front of them."[5] In his review for USA Today, Steve Jones described the album as "a more mature, soulful outfit. The harmonies are as pristine as ever, and they are still putting lame guys in check, but they seem to have mellowed a bit."[7]

Following its release, Soul Flower debuted at number 47 on Billboard's Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums and number 15 on the Independent Albums chart in the United States. It became the En Vogue's first album neither to reach the top forty of the former not to chart on the Billboard 200. Altogether, Soul Flower produced two singles, including "Losin' My Mind" and "Ooh Boy," the latter of which reached Billboard's Bubbling Under charts.

Credits are taken from the album's liner notes.[8]

• Vocals – Cindy Herron, Terry Ellis, Rhona Bennett
• Drum Programming – Denzil Foster, Dillion Gorman, Jara Harris, Phillip Scott, Sauce, Thomas McElroy, Troy Johnson
• Guitar – Dwayne Wiggins, Earl Cooney, Kenya, Markus Henderson, Marlon McClain, Steve Counter
• Electric Bass – Jaime Brewer
• Violin – Dorian Cheah
• Engineer – Phillip Scott, Steve Counter
• Keyboards – Denzil Foster, Dillion Gorman, Jara Harris, Matt Theriault, Phillip Scott, Robbi Nevell, Rochad Holiday, Sauce, *Thomas McElroy, Troy Johnson
• Percussion – Ricky Cambell
• Executive producer – Cindy Herron, Denzil Foster, Terry Ellis, Thomas McElroy
• Producer – Denzil Foster & Thomas McElroy, Troy Johnson, Dwayne Morgan, Dave Meyers, Mo Benjamin, Marlon McClain & Matt Theriault, Jara Harris

• En Vogue - "Soul Flower" - Amazon