Originally published in 2003 on NE20.com (inactive)
Synopsis
“N. E. Heart Break” is a mini-opera within this concept album. The album’s title is derived from the song, which is comprised of three elements.
1. The song itself is bracketed by two skits featuring Michael Bivins. In the first skit, Mike sets the new guy (Johnny) straight as to who has first dibs on the honeys. The song ends with Mike rapping about his own heartbreaking story.
2. The first section of the song features Ralph and Ron telling NE’s story of life on the road and love on the run. And, as we heard in “That’s The Way We’re Livin’”, they are “strivin’ for perfection.”
3. The second section is Johnny’s ad-lib with the other group members repeating a chorus. Jam and Lewis create a concert atmosphere, which is featured throughout Heart Break. This is J.G.’s first extended vocal on the album. The setup is perfect and he gives a performance indicative of a great talent who’s been waiting his turn.
Commentary
Jam and Lewis deserve credit for making a conscious effort to involve all the members of the group. Sometimes this means that, in any given song, one group member doesn’t play a prominent role. In this case, Ricky takes a backseat, while Ron raps and sings the song’s opening lyrics.
The producers also deserve credit for how they wove Johnny into the fabric of New Edition. NE’s sound had been shaped in large part by Ralph’s lead vocals. The way Johnny is featured in this song reflects his presence on the entire album: enough to leave you wanting more, but not too much, which might have given the impression that there would be competition (no pun intended) for lead vocals.
Will Leon 