Forty years ago, renowned New Jack Swing R&B group New Edition released their debut and one of their top five albums, “Candy Girl.” 

The five-piece group’s career would skyrocket, leading to the release of albums like “New Edition” (1984), which comprised chart-topping hits like “Cool It Now” and “Mr. Telephone Man.” But nothing could prepare the world for one of their most beloved records, “Heart Break,” containing smooth tracks like “If It Isn’t Love,” “Can You Stand the Rain” and “You’re Not My Kind of Girl.”

The group operated as a quartet after Brown embarked on his solo career in 1985 before they recruited Johnny Gill in 1987. 

Enduring drug addictions, breakups, fights, arguments, solo careers and scandals, as depicted in the 2017 biopic series, The New Edition Story, the group overcame a lot but managed to overcome. 

Comprising Ronnie DeVoe, Brown, Ricky Bell, Michael Bivins, Ralph Tresvant and Gill, the six-member group finished their national 2023 “Legacy” tour, their last stops in Miami, Jacksonville and Tampa. 

Prior to their last dates, the Universal Hip Hop Museum commemorated New Edition’s 40th anniversary by adding the 40th anniversary “Legacy” tour jackets that the group donated into the UHHM’s permanent collection.

In a sit-down interview with Vibe, the group reflected on their 40 years as an R&B group.

DeVoe expressed how amazing it was to see and hear about New Edition’s impact on people on the outside.

“For us to come out in ’83 and really look like everybody on just about every block across America and even across the world… There’s so many people that we ran into throughout this 40 years of celebration that have told us a story about how we inspired them to be a better businessman or a better MC or that singer,” Devoe said. “Or we inspired them to pick up a briefcase and make sure that they’re handling a distribution deal the correct way.”

He continued, “So I think the impact that we left on a generation and maybe even a couple generations of entertainers and power brokers in this industry just feels amazing. Like when they say ‘the fruit doesn’t fall too far from the tree.’ That New Edition tree spreads far and wide, and it feels good to see the reflection of that.”

When asked how they felt about being considered “The GOATS,” the group responded humbly, with Brown exclaiming that each member’s hard work contributed to the group’s GOAT status. 

Tresvant added, “At the same time, we ain’t never been one of those groups that tap ourselves on the back. We just always feel like there’s more work to be done. And there’s so many that came before us that inspired us. We see them as so huge that we never really quite saw ourselves in those shoes.”