POP MUSIC : The Class of ’89 Moves On

Here’s how The Times’ Freshman Class of ’89 fared during the past 12 months:

Neneh Cherry: Dubbed “the Joni Mitchell of hip-hop,” the young Londoner capped 1989 with a Grammy nomination for best new artist. But Cherry was quiet during 1990 except for a radical version of “I Got You Under My Skin” on “Red, Hot and Blue,” the new Cole Porter anthology album. She is now working on a new album, due next spring.

De La Soul: The flower-power rap trio’s “3 Feet High and Rising” album finished first in both the Village Voice and New Musical Express critics’ polls in 1989 and earned the group a Grammy nomination for best rap album. A new album, “De La Soul Is Dead,” is scheduled for release in early 1991.

Lenny Kravitz: The New Yorker became an MTV favorite with “Let Love Rule” and was the opening act on tours with Tom Petty and David Bowie. He wrote and produced Madonna’s new single, “Justify My Love,” contributed to the “Return of Superfly” score and is finishing a second album, featuring collaborations with Guns N’ Roses guitarist Slash.

Mary’s Danish: Picked by Rolling Stone magazine as one of the five new acts to watch, the energetic Los Angeles-based alternative-rock band fronted by singers Julie Ritter and Gretchen Seager has just released a live EP and video, and will release its second album early next year.

N.W.A: The rap group that put Compton on the musical map drew national attention as the target of a letter from an FBI official accusing its stark, urban “documentaries” and fantasies of encouraging violence against law enforcement officers. Chief lyricist Ice Cube went solo, but the recent N.W.A EP “100 Miles and Runnin’ ” shows the remaining four quite capable of raising issues and eyebrows. An new album is due in early 1991.

Soul II Soul: Jazzie B’s musical “family” became the most honored new soul group during 1990. It won two Grammys, virtually swept the Soul Train Awards and garnered more American Music Awards nominations than any other act for the debut album “Keep On Movin’.” A second album, “Vol. II--1990--A New Decade,” got mixed reviews, but has sold nearly a million copies in the U.S.

Stone Roses: The leading act of the heady, “neo-psychedelic” scene in Manchester, England (as featured in major stories in Calendar and Rolling Stone) continues to be the sensation of the British pop world and a hit on college/alternative radio in the U.S. But its long-awaited U.S. tour was cancelled in favor of working on the crucial second album, which is promised for spring.

Soundgarden: The most prominent act of the dark-hued new-metal/alternative-rock Seattle sound received a heavy-metal Grammy nomination, while singer Chris Cornell earned kudos from no less a wailer than Axl Rose. The band’s at home in the studio now preparing its second major-label album.

Texas: From the Scottish Highlands but influenced by the wide open spaces of its namesake state, the young group proved even more stirring in concert than on its atmospheric, enticing debut album. A second album is due in the spring.

Tone Loc: The long-awaited follow-up to the 2-million-selling debut album “Loc-ed After Dark” is still a ways off, but Tone (who was nominated for a best new artist Grammy last year) been busy contributing songs to film scores (including “Marked for Death” and “The Return of Superfly”) and making cameo acting appearances (the “Ferris Bueller” TV series and the film “The Adventures of Ford Fairlane”).