Karyn White was born in Los Angeles, where her father played trumpet and her mother was a church choir director. White gained experience singing in choir and also in local talent shows and beauty pageants. She sang with local band Legacy and then toured with R&B vocalist O'Bryan in 1984. A lead vocal on instrumentalist Jeff Lorber's "Facts of Life" led to Warner Bros. signing her. The self-titled debut, released in 1988, featured "The Way You Love Me," "Love Saw It," and "Superwoman"; the album sold two million copies. Her gold follow-up, Ritual of Love (1991), featured production by Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis.