Boyz II Men with The Philly Pops – The Mann Center – Philadelphia, PA – September 18, 2026

“We belong together, and you know that I’m right” is not the sort of line you’d expect to hear referring to 1990s superstar smooth soul balladeers Boyz II Men and the venerable local classical institution The Philly Pops. After all, beyond both groups being Philadelphia-bred institutions, what does a trio of quiet storm singers have in common with an adventurous genre-spanning symphonic orchestra?

It turns out that they have a lot in common and are able to complement each other in surprising and beautiful ways. As the members of Boyz II Men explained from the stage, which they shared with the local orchestra, they had originally met in school band classes. They acknowledged that they’ve always had an appreciation for classical musicianship, even as they lamented it as a dying art. They hoped that by introducing some of their audience to the work of the Philly Pops, perhaps some people would come back to see their artistry in the orchestra’s more traditional programming.

And if some of the band’s more up-tempo tunes were avoided in the setlist for this special melded performance – after all, what could a full-orchestral performance of “Motownphilly” even possibly sound like? – the symphonic backdrop gave their most moving ballads new shadings.

This was not just a traditional hits show for Boyz II Men – although several of their biggest smashes were revisited in the show. Still, the performance mined their back catalog for intriguing deep cuts, overlooked singles, and even an adventurous cover or two. (Who would have thought that Boyz II Men and the Philly Pops would tackle a Journey song? More about that later…)

The concert opened with the Philly Pops and conductor Anthony Parnther performing a symphonic reinterpretation of the 1995 Boyz II Men/Mariah Carey duet “One Sweet Day.”

After a second orchestral suite, the members of Boyz II Men – baritone Nathan Morris, tenor Wanyá Morris, and tenor Shawn Stockman – came onstage to do the lovely ballad “Oh Well” from the 2002 album Full Circle. The group has performed as a trio since 2003, when original bass singer Mike McCary retired due to health issues.

The hits started with the second song, a scorching, desperate version of their devastated heartbreak ballad “On Bended Knee.” The vocals intricately danced and intertwined as the beefed-up orchestral backing only heightened the song’s aching pathos. They followed it up with the band’s last chart-topping single, the 1997 slow jam “4 Seasons of Loneliness.”

They dipped back into the deep cuts with “Girl in the Life Magazine” and “Pass You By.” (“Girl” was an album track from the Evolution record, “Pass” was a single which barely charted from the 2000 album Nathan Michael Shawn Wanyá). Amusingly, the guys told everyone they were going to get a chance to dance as they led into “Pass You By,” but honestly it was only very slightly more upbeat than any of the other songs played, or at least that was how it felt in the orchestral arrangements.

It was back onto the hits train with a gorgeous rendition of their fan-favorite hit “Water Runs Dry.” The vocals throbbed with restrained emotional tension as the orchestral backing both soothed and ramped up the quandary of a couple trying to save a strained relationship. Then they closed the first half with the inspirational ballad “I Will Get There,” before taking a brief break.

Returning after the intermission, they discussed how they have always loved performing covers of other people’s songs. They pulled out one of the group’s earliest hits – “It’s So Hard to Say Goodbye To Yesterday.” That was a song which Boyz II Men knew as kids because it had originally been recorded by G.C. Cameron, a former singer for The Spinners and the voice behind the classic “It’s a Shame,” for the soundtrack to the 1975 film Cooley High. Hearing the song – which is normally performed a cappella in a doo-wop style – with symphonic musical background was interesting, if a tiny bit jarring. It was one of the few moments when the orchestra’s beautiful musicianship slightly overwhelmed the group’s subtle vocal calisthenics.

Then Shawn Stockman explained that their cover choices came from some unusual directions. For example, growing up listening to classic local R&B station WDAS, Stockman remembered one song by a white artist that aired regularly – a track he’d always felt connected to. Then he did a passionate, soulful version of Journey’s prototype power ballad “Open Arms.”

From the stage, Shawn discussed why they chose the underappreciated later single “The Color of Love” in the set. Apparently, when it was first released, a famous DJ (pointedly not named) started playing the song on his show, only halfway through, saying it was nothing new from the band. That DJ proceeded to never play it again and the song never caught on. However, the guys in the band loved that song and felt it was very different and beautiful, and their devotion to it was only strengthened by the pushback.

Then it was back to the smash hits. Where are all the guys in here? Nathan Morris asked, having the house lights brought up to reveal the packed shed. Then he smiled and said, sorry, this one is for the ladies. He started serenading the women with their classic seduction ballad “I’ll Make Love to You,” as he and his bandmates gave out flowers to the women in the front rows and they traded off on the well-known verses and harmonies.

After the tender “So Amazing,” they launched into the encore.

Although they have been playing together since those long-ago classical music classes, the Boyz have long ago grown… older… to be the Men in their band name. “53 [Wanyá], 54 [Shawn, who actually won’t turn 54 until a week after this show], and 55 [Nathan] years old,” Wanyá revealed.

Then brother Nathan had some warm words for their hometown. “Philly is Philly, man,” he said. “No matter where we go, no matter where we live, it’ll always have an impact on us. We carry it wherever we go. I never take off my Phillies hat, 90% of the time.”

“I never take off my Eagles hat,” Wanyá interjected.

“We thank you guys for supporting us,” Nathan continued. “Not just for tonight, but for the last 36 years of our career.”

As they came to the “End of the Road” with an encore of Boyz II Men’s biggest smash, the Mann erupted in musical and vocal fireworks. Nathan Morris sang the gorgeous opening, before handing the vocals for the second verse to brother Wanyá and eventually Shawn Stockman, with all of their voices interjecting and adding melodic seasoning and spice to the song and eventually spinning around and around. This showstopping crowd-pleaser had everyone singing along and led the excited audience back out into the warm, sultry Philly night, hopefully looking up some future Philly Pops shows.

Jay S. Jacobs

Copyright ©2026 PopEntertainment.com. All rights reserved. Posted: September 20, 2026.

Photos by Jay S. Jacobs © 2026. All rights reserved.