Musical Montage: En Vogue “Don’t Let Go (Love)”
One of the biggest hits for 90s R&B superstars En Vogue, “Don’t Let Go (Love)” came off the soundtrack for the 1996 heist movie Set It Off. The movie starred Jada Pinkett Smith, Queen Latifah, Vivica A. Fox and Kimberly Elise as friends who decide to start robbing banks in Los Angeles. Fox’s character uses the knowledge of her previous job as a bank teller to give them an advantage. The movie was the second film from F. Gary Gray, coming off his breakout film Friday in 1995. He had previously worked with Queen Latifah, directing the music video for her song “Black Hand Side.” “Don’t Let Go (Love)” was one of seven charting singles off the Set It Off soundtrack, with the album certified platinum. The song was En Vogue’s biggest hit internationally and peaked at #2 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #7 on the year-end Hot 100. The music video features En Vogue performing for a crowd in some loft or apartment while clips from the movie are intercut. A second version of the video removed the movie clips. It featured an original storyline where actor Mekhi Phifer was dating each member of En Vogue, which they discovered and confront him about. Check out the Set It Off version below.
