What’s for Dinner?

It’s safe to say that in 1989, when Kenneth “Babyface” Edmonds released his album Tender Lover, “the game” – a.k.a. male/female relations -- was changed forever. Not because the superpretty R&B soulster came out with a song crooning about whip appeal in a way that was all sex appeal and no S&M. No, the blame lies with track number eight, “Soon as I Get Home.” After he declared, “I give good love, I’ll buy your clothes/I’ll cook your dinner too, soon as I get home from work,” you could hear the collective whoosh of panties dropping around the world. It was what the singer/songwriter/keyboardist/producer said that made women go wild for Babyface. His delivery made men step up to the plate; they wanted to hear that whoosh in their house too. Babyface went on to make similarly stimulating hits for Boyz II Men, Whitney Houston, Eric Clapton, and more artists than we’ve got room to list.

Tonight he’ll be tearing down the walls at the Arsht Center with a retrospective of his hits. We hope he saves “Soon as I Get Home” for last -- our guy needs a kick in the pants right about now.
Fri., Feb. 22, 8 p.m., 2008