It was just brought to my attention that it's Karyn Layvonne White's birthday and I'm on deadline but gonna take a quick break to celebrate her because y'all do not go up for this queen enough for me.

#MusicSermon congregants, you know what it is - Birthday Devotional time.

Now, when folks mention Karyn White, most immediately think of "Superwoman" which is fair, since the Babyface-produced anthem is one of her most iconic hits, but it wasn't her BIGGEST hit.

This is also a top 10 "we were too young to be singing this song like we were" joint

We were at the 8th grade lunch table singing this sh*t like we had a man taking us for granted at home.

And I gotta shout out the Auntie Diva remake before we move on, especially since they just ran it back for #Verzuz

So FIRST of all, Karyn was that damn girl. The thing about '80s and early '90s R&B is that voices and content was so mature you couldn't be sure of age, but she was in her early 20s when she hit the scene.

Bobby saw it... they were a thing before him & Whitney and her & Terry.

SECOND, Karyn wasn't only a core R&B girl. LA & Face, who produced the majority of her first album, positioned her and Pebbles and part of the new guard of young urban to pop crossover singers (along with Jodi Watley & some others) to follow Janet.

"Superwoman" was an R&B chart topper, but "Secret Rendezvouz" is the one. I still play this song tah-day.
No 1 on the dance chart, No 1 on the Crossover chart (that doesn't exist anymore), No 6 on the Hot 100.

This is my sh*t.

I can let the Karyn White album rock right now (good production is so important). Superwoman is actually my LEAST favorite track.
This is one of my favorite Babyface duets period.

Karyn & Terry Lewis got married in 1991, the same year she released her second album. I'm not sure which came first; the production or the relationship, but Jam & Lewis took over from LA & Face.
The first single was Karyn's biggest career hit. "Romantic" hit #1 @ R&B and Hot 100

So all Karyn's singles had been Top 10 Hot 100; the uptempo's Top 10 dance, UNTIL her second single from the second album.
This one still got traction at R&B, but it was her last even moderate hit.
Which is a shame. Jimmy & Terry were maybe still too much in Rhythm Nation mode.

She relaesed one more album in 94 then took a break to focus on family (she and Terry divorced in 99).
She's still STUNNING.

And I'm HOPING there's no beef with her and Face, but if you were surprised to see Fantasia show up to sing "Superwoman" at Babyface's Soul Train tribute, so was Karyn.

This makes sense. And it felt forced, TBH.
https://twitter.com/curtisalvin/status/1316547014029533184?s=21 https://twitter.com/curtisalvin/status/1316547014029533184

But the moral is, y'all need to remember this early New Jack Swing girl and give her her things. Karyn had the package as long as she had the music.
Happy Birthday to a banger.

Oh, but I ALSO want to note that when LA was prepping for battle against Teddy, he knew to load those Karyn White jams up!!