Can We Talk?

Roaring over hard rock riffs, sashaying their way through a steamy funk jam, dropping angelic four-part harmonies that would have done Motown proud, En Vogue were the groundbreaking R&B girl group of the early '90s, an era when the ladies really took control. With her raw-but-sweet voice, Mary J. Blige rocked the mic with a swagger of a rapper and the raspy intensity of a '60s soul queen, while Janet Jackson found her chill by trading stomping beats for whisper-in-your-ear intimacy. Sugary trio SWV spiked their pop confections with rowdy guest spots from rap crews like The Wu-Tang Clan, but the luxurious soul of British legends Sade and the yearning desire of rising diva Toni Braxton promised more grown-and-sexy thrills,