Inspirations, influence, and impact

By this time, Boyz II Men were a popular act, not only in the U.S, but worldwide. Boyz II Men became recognized as something of a 1990s version of The Temptations, the 1960s Motown act that became the label's best-selling male group act. Many of the elements that made The Temptations, other classic Motown artists such as The Four Tops and Smokey Robinson & the Miracles, and Boyz II Men's mentors New Edition successful were adapted by the group, including a clean-cut image, smooth harmonies, and synchronized dance and performance movements. The members of Boyz II Men were particularly noted for their vocal abilities, and helped continue a trend in R&B towards an emphasis on emotive singing with significant use of melisma, a trademark of Wanya Morris' singing. Boy II Men also credit legendary gospel supergroup Commissioned (gospel group) as a heavy influence of their silky smooth harmonies.
Several R&B competitors began showing obvious inspiration from Boyz II Men's work and singing style, among them, Shai, Soul for Real, BLACKstreet, All-4-One, and later Dru Hill, Jagged Edge, and (featuring old Boyz II Men member Marc Nelson) Az Yet. Boyz II Men's closest competitor, Uptown Records act Jodeci, were, with their more sexually charged style, quite different from Boyz II Men's wholesomeness. Jodeci's style had its own followers (many of them, Dru Hill and Jagged Edge in particular, they shared with Boyz II Men), but their influence on the music industry as a whole was not as widespread as that of Boyz II Men.
Also notable is that several record producers, Lou Pearlman in particular, developed several acts in the same style as Boyz II Men, but with male Caucasian singers instead of African-American ones. Because of this, Boyz II Men is often considered to have continued the "boy band" craze started by New Edition in the US (a genre already popular in the UK and Europe with bands such as Take That, Boyzone and East 17 selling millions across the globe) that reached a climax by the end of the 1990s, with groups such as The Backstreet Boys and *NSYNC, going on to widespread international success, and others, such as Motown act 98 Degrees, finding more moderate mainstream success.

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