Toni Braxton - Classic or Dud?

Holy shit! Why hasn't this been done? I say classic: "Breathe Again," "Another Sad Love Song," "Un-break My Heart."

classic 4evz! agree on those three definitely - love the way that 'unbreak my heart' works equally well as ballad and as banger - & would add 'you're main' me high', so sultry, and especially 'take this ring' off her 05 failed comeback album, which is like the creeping, anguished, molasses-slow flipside of '1 thing'.

she has a new track out & i can't remember anything about it, though.

I'm looking at The Essential, and it's waaaay too many songs, but she was on a roll - maybe my favorite nineties balladeer.

wtf hasn't this been done

classiccc

Classic for her music. Classic for going bankrupt and then going #1 -- now that's a comeback.

But a bit of a dud for making this:
http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_VpqqKgeSNDM/RyTn4lAkLDI/AAAAAAAAAOI/Mz1CcbThfLs/s1600-h/week30.jpg
A reality:
http://img2.timeinc.net/people/i/2006/news/060605/taylor_hicks8.jpg

forgot about "He Wasn't Man Enough."

At the time "He Wasn't Man Enough For Me" seemed like one of the first truly generic millenial R&B productions (Rodney Jerkins production lol) but I think it has aged well.

"You're Making Me High" is pure sex. "Un-Break My Heart" is marvellously gay in all its versions.

Amazingly, given the ubiquity of Whitney Houston as a quoted reference point for aspiring R&B singers, Toni's very clear post-Whitney vibe seems rather distinct to me.

a much more fruitful influence too.

wait what was #1 after she went bankrupt?

her voice in Unbreak my heart is at once hilarious and breathtaking

It's a pretty hilarious/breathtaking song in general.

The best treatment ever given to a Dianne Warren composition.

That or "Rhythm of the Night."

"There's No Me Without You" is one of the most gorgeous ballads ever sung. The last minute-plus, from "no, no, no-OOH!" to that shameless abrupt ending, is a vocal tour de force, damn near baroque as Braxton just owns the staff. It's so perfect it could make one forgive all those shoes.

And I love how she appropriates the sainted Impressions for her own sassy ends in "Let Me Show You The Way (Out)."

can someone tell me why this jam&lewis jam was never released cuz wtf
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AWErM9wk_1w&feature=player_embedded#at=46

^^whoa now who knew that's great

yeah i remember that one, never knew it was j&l though. cool song

iirc the label didnt really know/care where they were going with libra and that wasn't a partic trendy cut or anything so

kinda comparable to 'pro lover' off the last usher album (though it made the final tracklist in the end) - just a great solid jam that didnt really "fit in" with the marketable sound of now

some fave mixezzzz

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S0c9WPbo0KM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mrjaL1tSt5g

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OYvhVyTIE-g

Let's do it one more time (come on)
Let's do it one last night (come on)
Let's do it for the memories of when we had it right
Let's do it for the good (come on)
Let's do it for the bad (come on)
Let's do it for the sex that we may never have again
Let's do it one more time (come on)
Let's do it one more time

new album is terrific, and only 30 minutes

Yeah, I love it. The first three songs Kind of overshadow the second half for me atm but it’s all good.

"Long as I Live" is gorgeous.

New song, "Do It": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dJF9Emix3Ps

Spell My Name sounds really good. Can't tell if there's a song I'll love as much as "Long As I Live," but seems likely.

Yep, "Dance" got there :)

i like "dance" a lot. i know r&b stations don't do too much w/ disco nowadays but i was still surprised not to hear it more on the radio

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=516jYBwXdAk

rhythm track of this song caving my head in atm

I sang loudly "baby baby baby BAYBAH" at CVS a few minutes ago and half the store turned around

recently went through all her releases and shes just so consistent.

really surprised with how good Libra is specifically

i wanna be your baby im completely hooked on (babyface produced of course)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ZuzSNZTpis

midnite too
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3RT_ldXCbH8