After a shift from clean-cut pop around the millennium, Boyz II Men's emotive balladry and cap-and-suit fashion quickly became the butt of jokes.
They were dropped by two labels, Universal and Arista, and forced to downsize from arena concerts to gigs in distant markets such as Indonesia and China.
Throughout their changing fortunes and several line-ups, Boyz II Men persevered for the sake of the music and despite a short touring break, they never officially split.
As tastes have gradually turned back to more authentic styles of songwriting, the harmonising trio have come back in vogue.
At a recent 4000-capacity show in London the group were pleading with fans to quieten down so they could hear their own voices through the monitors.
Celebrating their 20th anniversary with a world tour, Boyz II Men - comprising Nathan Morris, Shawn Stockman and Wanya Morris - are glad they stuck to their guns.
"We know that being together for 20 years is a feat for any band, and we know that because of a lot of imitators have come and gone in that time," says Wanya Morris over the phone from New Jersey.
"Real music is what put Boyz II Men together and real music will always triumph regardless of whatever's going on with changing tastes of fashions."
One young fan who always appreciated the value of Boyz II Men was Justin Bieber, who invited the group to perform on his Never Say Never film.
Having also recorded with him on Bieber's Christmas album, Boyz II Men are thankful to the teen star for opening up a new audience.
"For us it was awesome because it's introduced us to a whole new audience and now our shows are family affairs, with kids singing along to all the songs," says Morris.
Live preview
Who: Boyz II Men, old-school boy band
When and where: Wellington's Opera House, Dec 2; Napier's Pettigrew Green Arena, Dec 3; Auckland's Logan Campbell Centre Dec 4; Hamilton's Claudelands Arena, Dec 5
- AAP
