Looking at the four sisters who comprise Cherish is a bit surreal. A bit fanciful. Almost too good to be true.
Their combination of beauty, talent and intelligence is the stuff that dreams are made of, the stuff that ambitious music scouts look for when trying to concoct the perfect group.
But with Cherish, one need only look from one sister to the next. A single glance and it's clear that these ladies are music's new dreamgirls.
Comprised of Farrah, 22, Neosha, 20, and twins Felisha and Fallon, 18, Cherish could very well be the new model for girl groups: sophisticated enough to appeal to grown folks yet edgy enough to wow younger audiences. Cherish is not new to the music industry. The sisters first hit the scene in 2003 under the wing of producer/label exec Jermaine Dupri. The girls' super tight harmonies and fresh flavor made fans take notice. Still, the world only tasted a tiny morsel of the smorgasbord that Cherish brings to the table this time around. Says Farrah, "The difference is that now we're older. Our music sounds a little bit more mature." Adds, Felisha, "On the first album we didn't write the way we wanted to. On this album, it's different because our music is actually coming from us in every aspect, in every way."
And what's coming from Cherish now is a reflection of what goes on in the lives of their peers. Says Farrah, "We're writing our own music and we're targeting our own audience so we're getting everybody. Fallon and Felisha are more crunk and ready to dance. Neosha and I are more laid back and take life more seriously, so our music reflects that." Felisha adds, "We write the music that we can relate to, that we want to dance to and get crunk in a club to. It's definitely a good thing when you can portray your style and what everybody else your age, older or younger, is listening to."
The infectious lead single "Do It To It," produced by Don Vito (Jagged Edge, Mya), finds Cherish coming out the gate fresh and sassy with Sean Paul of YoungBloodZ riding shotgun. Says Felisha, "All four of us put our heads together for this song. We put our ideas down and thought about what young people wanted to hear nowadays. Being from Atlanta, we had to add that A-Town feel to it. We gotta represent where we're from." The result is a sexy street sizzler that is a sure bet for the clubs and the airwaves as well.
Also on Cherish's musical menu is a variety of ballads and uptempo joints that talk about life, love and relationships from the perspective of young women. "We have a couple of slow songs on the album that I think are just amazing," says Fallon. Among them is the enticing "Whenever," produced by Jasper (Nelly, Christina Aguilera, Monica). "Basically every girl has that guy that you've been in a relationship with for a long time," says Felisha. "He starts developing more than just feelings for you, he finds that there's a physical attraction. He says to you, ÔWhenever you're ready, I'm here. Let's take our relationship to the next level. I'm here for you, but I'm not rushing. I'm in no hurry'." Then comes "Ohh." "This is the song that is basically saying you don't know if you're ready or not," Felisha explains. And "Show and Tell" wraps it all up. "This song is saying, ÔOkay I'm ready; no more talking about it. Show me what you got,' says Felisha.
"Chick Like Me" finds the girls chopping it up about their taste in guys. "In the song, we're all explaining the type of guy that we like," says Fallon. "East coast, west coast, midwest, down south. It's a young song, one you can ride in your car and get crunk to but on a laid back tip."
Having penned most of the songs on their new cd -- their first for Sho'Nuff/Capitol -- each member of Cherish brings her own flavor to the group. "My style is really more cool and laid back," says Fallon. "I'm the lowest note out of the group and I have sort of a soothing, airy feel to my voice. Farrah's the sophisticated one out of the group. Felisha and I are kinda tomboyish while Neosha is the sexy one. She's the soprano. We all have our unique sound." Complementing that unique sound is the production handiwork of super producer/Sho'Nuff CEO Jazze Pha along with Dre & Vidal, Jasper, Don Vito and Adonis. The girls say they generally look for producers who can build songs around their concepts. "Because we write so much, we like producers that can build a song around what we do," says Fallon. "If they can produce around our ideas, that is wonderful, perfect chemistry. We like people that bring heavy beats. We love the chemistry that we have with the producers on our album."
As Fallon, Felisha, Farrah and Neosha prepare themselves and audiences for their return, they are not concerned about finding their place in the music industry. Whether they have competition or they stand alone, Cherish says this is their time. "It really doesn't matter if there are a lot of girl groups or if there's just one," says Felisha. "Everybody has their own style, their own uniqueness. The four of us have our own style to set us apart from Destiny's Child or EnVogue or any other girl group that's out right now."
And what sets them apart is exactly what every fan, every music lover is longing for: Real talent. Real beauty. Real dreamgirls.
