Music Times believes that it's never too late to go back and try something old. Throwback Thursdays will go back and pull out an album that's at least 10 years old, so that you can find something new, or revisit something you've forgotten about.
Week of 11/07/2013
WHO: Toni Braxton
WHAT: Toni Braxton
WHEN: 1993
Toni Braxton had the right sound at the right time when she released her self-titled debut in 1993. The Bodyguard and its soundtrack had amplified Whitney Houston's star power, and America was ready for another songstress that could deliver a little bit of R&B, a little bit of soul, and little bit of pop.
Toni Braxton wasn't an instant hit, debuting at no. 36 on the Billboard 200, but second single "Breathe Again" brought her to the spotlight later that year. The track peaked at no. 2 on the Hot 100 and the album spent two nonconsecutive weeks atop the album sales chart during 1994.
Braxton may have fit the mold for what Houston fans were looking for, but the former wasn't looking to match the grandiosity of the latter's voice. Braxton made the vocalist popular among both R&B and adult contemporary fans thanks to its similarities to Anita Baker. Considering that producers L.A. Reid and Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds wrote the song "Love Shoulda Brought You Home" for Baker before giving it to Braxton, the direction they took with Braxton's sound shouldn't be surprising.
All of the emphasis is on the vocals, exercising the "quiet storm" approach to R&B. Backing tracks are soft, allowing Braxton (not especially loud herself) to keep all the attention on her. She extols love ("How Many Ways") and deplores heartbreak ("Another Sad Love Song"), ranging her voice from sweet to husky accordingly.
The album helped Braxton to win 3 Grammys, for Best New Artist and two for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance. It's sold more than 8 million copies in the United States.
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