Neneh "Neneh Cherry" Karlsson was born in Stockholm, Sweden, daughter of a Swedish painter and a Sierra Leonean musician, and she takes his stepfather's surname. After moving in New York with the family, at the age of 15 years-old, Neneh Cherry moved to London, joined punk rock band The Cherries, and several other bands. In 1989, she publishes her debut album. The music is created by Booga Bear, Mark Saunders, Tim Simenon, The Bubble Bunch, Nick Plytas, The Dynamik Duo, DJ Mushroom, Wil Malone, Bryan "Chuck" New, Alvin Moody and Vincent Bell, with some live instruments.
The global hit "Buffalo Stance" launches Neneh Cherry on the London pop scene: the Swedish girl builds on it a lively disco-pop dance album, and delivered by combining rapping and singing together. Her husband Cameron "Booga Bear" McVey realizes the production and uses several excellent samples (Rock Steady Crew, Malcolm McLaren, Whodini, George Clinton, Bob James, Stevie Wonder, Bill Whiters, Public Enemy, Kool & the Gang, Bill Whiters and James Brown), providing a fresh sound that mixes many genres, making this LP difficult to catalog. The album is quite accessible and livable, full of light-hearted and funny songs, in general, it's a decent-good pop rap album, sometimes boring despite its banger nature.
The disk is supported by several singles. "Buffalo Stance" receives a tremendous critical reception and flies in charts, peaking #3 on the Hot 100 and in UK, #2 in West Germany, #1 in Netherlands and Sweden, and becoming one of the best-sellings of the year in half-Europe. "Manchild" is another international hit (#5 in UK), followed by "Kisses on the Wind" (#8 on the Hot 100), "Heart" and "Inna City Mamma".
Published by UK label Circa and distributed by Virgin, the album is literally selling like hotcakes in Europe, peaking #2 in UK (platinum in few months), #40 in US and sells over two million copies worldwide. Welcomed in a magnificent way even by retrospective critics, is hailed as one of the finest pop album of the late eighties, even if there is little for a hip-hop fan.
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