“Whip Appeal” was released as the third single from Babyface’s sophomore album, Tender Lover. The song is about a couple keeping the fire burning by communicating in a non-verbal way that only they can understand. The title came from singer Pebbles mentioning the phrase “whip appeal” in a conversation, which prompted Babyface to write a song about it.

The single peaked at #6 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #2 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop songs chart. “Whip Appeal” was nominated for a Grammy Award in 1991 in the Best R&B Vocal Performance, Male category but lost to Luther Vandross' “Here and Now.”

The “Whip Appeal” music video features a remixed version of the song and a cameo from actress Holly Robinson (Peete).