R&B trio After 7 takes care of 'Business' with new album

ATLANTA - Since first hitting the music charts back in 1989 – then topping them with hits like "Ready Or Not" and "Can’t Stop" – Grammy-nominated vocal trio After 7 has been a constant presence at R&B radio.

But according to founding member Keith Mitchell, longevity wasn’t even the goal.

"Absolutely, positively not," Mitchell said, laughing. "We were so green coming into this business, we were so humble to even get the opportunity because people thought we were a lot younger than we were. We really weren’t that young. We looked like we were 22, 23 years old, but actually we started out at 30. So, we were so green and so new to the business that we were just so excited to be here and to get the opportunity."

And After 7 is still creating hits; current single "Bittersweet" is riding the charts and generating major heat on the radio. The song is taken from the group’s latest album, titled "Unfinished Business."

"We went in there with the idea that we’ve got something to say," says newest member Danny McClain. "We’ve got something to show everybody. Especially during the time of the pandemic, when things were going crazy…it seems like everybody was looking for something that could make them feel good.  You had a lot of people trying to find some new music, but a lot of new music was not being released."

"Unfinished Business" also serves as a tribute to founding member Melvin Edmonds, who passed away in 2019.

"Absolutely," says the late group member’s brother, Kevon.  "Undoubtedly Melvin has a place. So, he’s not here with us physically, [but] he’s here with us and he was there with us in the process of recording. He is a part in this whole project and I think you’ll get a sense of that once you listen to this whole record."

"Unfinished Business" is set for release on Friday, Aug. 20; to pre-order the album and read more about After 7, click here.

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