Songoftheday 9/19/21 - Darlin' here we are again, right about now there is a need to tell you what I'm feelin'...

 

 

"When I Close My Eyes" - Shanice

from the album Shanice (1999)

Billboard Hot 100 peak: #12 (one week)

Weeks in the Top-40: 6

 

Today's song comes from R&B singer Shanice, who had landed a top ten pop hit in the beginning of 1993 with "Saving Forever For You" from the TV show Beverly Hills 90120.  Later that year, another soundtrack contribution, "It's For You" from the film The Meteor Man, went to #14 on Billboard magazine's R&B chart and #57 on their pop Hot 100. Shanice returned with her third studio album 21...Ways To Grow in 1994. Referencing the young singer's age, the set was supposed to show her evolve into more adult themed R&B. However the set only had two moderate R&B hits, with "Turn Down The Lights" doing the best at #21, while neither reached the pop Hot 100 at all ("Turn Down" "bubbled under" at #114). She did score her third and final club hit from the set with "I Like" (#38 Dance Club Play). 

That third album was partly produced by Kenny "Babyface" Edmonds, and Shanice moved to his LaFace label for her self-titled fourth release in 1999. The lead single from the record was "When I Close My Eyes". Written by young songwriter Tamara Savage with producer Waryn Smiley Campbell, the song brings her back to the urban contemporary love song that she's much better suited for than trying to be sexual. And by spotlighting her powerful voice, the song overcomes its vague resemblance to DeBarge's "The Dream"...

 

 "When I Close My Eyes" became Shanice's fourth and so far last top-40 pop hit in April of 1999. The song also landed the singer her sixth top ten R&B hit at #4. The Shanice album, released in March of that year, peaked at #56 on the Billboard 200 sales tally, and #15 on the R&B Albums list. 

Shanice's next single, the breakup ballad "Yesterday" (not to be confused with the Beatles classic), managed to get to #40 on Billboard's R&B chart, but only "bubbled under" the pop Hot 100 at #122. That was followed by "You Need A Man", which was a minor R&B hit at #53. After that, Shanice and LaFace parted ways.

Since then, Shanice has gone the independent route, releasing her most recent album Every Woman Dreams in 2006. Title track "Every Woman Dreams" went to #62 on the R&B chart, followed by "Take Care Of U", her most recent urban radio hit at #82. The album popped on to the Billboard 200 at #194, while getting to #30 on the R&B Albums list. In 2020, Shanice released two new singles with "Gone In The Morning", and "They Go" with Anouska Assisi. 

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Here's Shanice performing "When I Close My Eyes" live on a TV appearance promoting the album in 1999...

Up tomorrow: Fallon's band gets with Tyrone's ex.