Boyz II Men Recreates Chili’s ‘Baby Back Ribs’ Jingle 25 Years After Being Mistaken for the Original Singers
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Wanya Morris, Shawn Stockman and Nathan Morris tell PEOPLE what it was like putting their own spin on the famously catchy song
Boyz II Men have crooned about love, loss, heartbreak, and now, Chili’s baby back ribs.
The four-time Grammy winners partnered with the restaurant chain to record a new rendition of its famously catchy “I Want My Baby Back” jingle, more than 25 years after the earworm was first introduced.
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’s Evolution] 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's really 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.”
“We talk about it all the time, how a lot of companies, TV shows and things from years ago, they were built on the song,” says Nathan Morris. “Whether it was Diff’rent Strokes, whether it was Family Guy, or everything, most of it's built on the song.”
Chili's
Wanya adds that the nostalgia factor of the throwback promo appealed to the trio.
“When you are watching TV and every now and then you might scroll and you see a TV show you used to look at when you were younger, you stop,” he says. “You stop, you look, and you listen. You go back and you laugh. And we want people to feel that same way.”
Reflecting on why there’s so much nostalgia for the ‘90s — the decade when Boyz II Men ruled the Billboard charts 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.”
Related: Boyz II Men's Shawn Stockman Reveals the Group's 'Pretty Corny' Original Name: It Was 'So Gross'
“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.”
Chili's
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.”
Chili's
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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“There's good music out there and there's good music done by groups,” he says. “Coincidentally, it just seems to be more international. There aren't many groups that are from the States anymore that come out. We would love to find a group of guys or girls, or guys and girls, whatever, and rekindle that feeling again.”
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 on Chili's online merch store.
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