Chart Performance: Pop (#6) & R&B (#8); 1990
Story Behind The Song By Ed Osborne
Theater was Tyler Collins’ first love. The Harlem-born girl enrolled in dance lessons at seven years of age and followed it up with her first stage appearance a year later. After a family move from Detroit, where she was raised, to Los Angeles, Tyler joined the Willow Opera Workshop. 1987 found her fronting teen R&B group The Boys Next Door and two years later she moved out on her on. Recognizing Tyler’s talent and marketability, RCA Records signed her to a solo deal and, in 1990, her debut album appeared. The first single Whatcha Gonna Do, released in advance of the album, caught the ears of R&B fans who propelled it to #8. Single number two, Girls Nite Out, duplicated Whatcha‘s R&B peak and crossed over to #6 on the Pop side. Tyler managed a few more minor chart records, and an appearance as Teena alongside Forest Whitaker, Gregory Hines, and Robin Givens in the 1991 crime flick, A Rage In Harlem.
This content and all Song Meaning articles were created and written by Top 40 Contributing Editor Ed Osborne. © 2023 Ed Osborne. All Rights Reserved. In addition to these song meaning articles, Ed has written our “Year in Music 1960s-1990s” articles.
Produced by:
- Sheri Byers
Lyrics Written by:
- Darryl Ross
Ed Osborne
Hi. I got my first record at age two and never looked back, spending a decades-long career in radio and the music business. Even after years of reading about and listening to all types of music, I am still fascinated by it. Apart from that, I’m endlessly intrigued by art, nature, and the inner lives of people (and dogs).
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