How Stella Got Her Groove Back (Soundtrack)

The soundtrack for How Stella Got Her Groove Back, released August 11, 1998, was the first release from Flyte Time Records. This new label was Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis' joint venture with Universal Records, and their first since shuttering their successful label Perspective Records with A&M in the early 90’s.

For the label’s maiden voyage, Jam & Lewis brought out big-gun collaborators like Janet Jackson, Mary J. Blige, Boyz II Men, and Stevie Wonder. The team even managed to reunite Brit group Soul II Soul to make the compilation an affair to remember.

In order to compliment the island-themed movie about a tropical vacation that turned into a May-December romance, artists like Beenie Man, Wyclef Jean, Maxi Priest, Shaggy, and Diana King were brought in to lend their authentic Caribbean feel.

Unlike many soundtrack albums, Stella only had a couple single releases promoting it: Boyz II Men & Chanté Moore’s “Your Home Is In My Heart” and Mary J. Blige’s “Beautiful.”

Virgin Records disallowed releasing the Janet & Shaggy collaboration “Luv Me, Luv Me” as a single, so the song was re-recorded without Janet and released 3 years later as a single on Shaggy’s Hot Shot album.

Nonetheless, the soundtrack reached #8 on the Billboard 200 albums chart, and #3 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums. It was certified gold on September 22, 1998 by the RIAA.