"He Wasn't Man Enough" is the lead single by American R&B singer, songwriter and actress Toni Braxton from her third studio album, The Heat (2000). It peaked at number two on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 and also topped the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs for four weeks. The song also earned Braxton her fourth Grammy Award for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance in 2001.Source URL: https://popmusicrecords.blogspot.com/search/label/Toni%20Braxton Visit pop music records for Daily Updated Hairstyles Collection
"Spanish Guitar" is the third single by American R&B singer, songwriter and actress Toni Braxton from her third studio album, The Heat (2000). Although the song was never released as a commercial single in the United States, it remains a fan favorite as Braxton often performs the dance version live. The dance version of the song topped the U.S. Billboard Hot Dance Club Play chart.Source URL: https://popmusicrecords.blogspot.com/search/label/Toni%20Braxton Visit pop music records for Daily Updated Hairstyles Collection
The return of Toni Braxton is one of 2010's most welcome surprises. I loved her first three albums and still blast classics like "You're Making Me High", "I Don't Want To" and "He Wasn't Man Enough" all the time. There's just something about that deep, soulful voice that gets to me. She's a total throwback to a time when divas could actually sing and talent counted for something. Which is one of the reasons I was so disappointed when "Pulse" first leaked a few months ago. The material was patchy and, to be honest, beneath her. It was almost as if she had rifled through the demos Beyoncé and Rihanna rejected in a desperate bid for relevance. Toni doesn't need to talk her way through songs about texting her man in a nightclub - reference to the so bad it's hilarious "Don't Talk, Just Text" - leave that stuff for the girls who can't sing like Cassie and Ciara. As it turns out, someone at Atlantic Records obviously agreed with me because "Pulse" was given a last minute overhaul. Half of the original tracklist was axed and new songs were commissioned. The end result is a strong collection of largely mid-tempo urban pop songs that hold up to anything in Toni's amazing back catalogue. However, it leaves us with the unusual situation of having two very different versions of the one album.
THE ORIGINAL VERSION
"Pulse" originally had the following tracklist:
1. Pulse 2. Stay 3. Yesterday 4. Hands Tied 5. Clockwork 6. I Hate Love 7. It's You 8. Wardrobe 9. Lookin' At Me 10. Don't Call, Just Text 11. My Ring 12. Make My Heart 13. Melt 14. Yesterday ft. Trey Songz
The songs in red were scrapped, while "My Ring" was renamed "The Wave". This is a rare example of a record company actually getting it right - with one glaring exception. "It's You" is an absolute gem and one of the few tracks on either version of the album with real hit potential. If you like your mid-tempo pop piano driven and pretty, with a belter of a chorus, then I highly recommend hunting this down. I'm less fussed about the rest of the songs that were cut. "I Hate Love" and "Melt" are nice but it feels like Toni was covering old ground. I've already mentioned "Don't Call, Just Text", while "Clockwork" is just another slow jam about the diva's sizzling bedroom antics. Interestingly, most of axed songs were the Rihanna/Beyoncé B-sides. Team Braxton clearly made a decision to follow a more traditional route and "Pulse" is so much better for it. Toni has returned to her R'n'B roots with an album that perfectly showcases her powerful pipes.
The original album cover
THE FINAL VERSION
Here is my track by track review of the final version of "Pulse".
Yesterday
The album's lead single reached a not so lofty #112 in America, which is surprising given its quality. I blame the ridiculous video (below) which finds Toni lounging around on a plastic table like the world's laziest pole dancer. Tamar has a lot to answer for! Apart from that, "Yesterday" is rather lovely. Sure, it's another in a long line of "Halo" rip offs but who cares when it's done this well? DJ Frank E's production is intricate and delicate, while Toni really gets her teeth into the lyrics. She can play the woman scorned as well as anyone in pop. If pretty ballads aren't your thing, check out the fabulous Fred Falke remix.
Make My Heart
"Make My Heart" should have been thrown into the same bin as "Don't Call, Just Text". Toni's attempt to get down with the kids is an epic fail and it's got nothing to do with her age. The stunning diva still looks 25 and could easily pull off a club anthem but this just sounds like the homeless homosexual's "Single Ladies". Lucas Secon is a great producer and I love the brass but this has all been done before and better. And don't even get me started on that video. Whoever chose this as a single needs to find a new job.
Hands Tied
Now this is old school. "Hands Tied" is a juicy R'n'B groove that allows Toni to show off her vocal range. I can almost see the power grabs and hair flicks when I listen it. The song is a nice throwback for fans but it's missing the big hook it needs to raise it to the next level. "Hands Tied" won't win over too many newcomers but nobody is making this kind of music at the moment - probably because it requires vocal talent - and there is definitely a market for quality R'n'B. I just wouldn't have picked it as a single.
Woman
I've already examined Toni's shocking decision to cover Dulta inan earlier post. I'm still coming to terms with it!
If I Have To Wait
And the award for my favourite song on "Pulse" goes to the utterly gorgeous "If I Have To Wait". Toni switches things up with an unexpected excursion into gentle pop/rock. I love the sentiment of this song. It's so self-destructive and depressing yet simultaneously touching and romantic. If that makes any sense. I hope Toni explores this sound again in the future. Her voice sounds amazing against the soft wave of guitars and the vocal acrobatics at the end are a nice touch.
Lookin' At You
Lucas Secon returns for the second time and it's another fizzer. I'm a bit worried because this guy has a song on "Aphrodite" and I really hope he hasn't unloaded an equally dull club banger on poor Kylie. Again, the song isn't awful but Rihanna and Beyoncé just do it better. "Lookin' At You" needed a bigger chorus or a vocal hook to work. Instead it falls flat and sounds more than a little embarrassing.
Wardrobe
This is another track that I would deleted. It's pleasant enough but completely unremarkable.
Hero
Now this is more like it. Yes, it sounds like a Ryan Tedder production (it's not) but I'm still sick for synth driven ballads and "Hero" is something of a monster. I love the melodramatic lyrics ("my heart never had a hero") and bombastic production (bringing in the orchestra was a nice touch). Toni is just so much more at home when she's wailing like a crazy woman. She needs to release this as a single. Radio would lap it up and despite the content, I'm sure Ms Braxton would find a way to be semi-naked in the video. It's not very original but "Hero" is a rare example of a knock off that matches the quality of the song/genre it's imitating.
No Way
The guitars make another appearance on this subtle gem. The lyrics are pretty and the diva's vocal delivery is admirably low key. I can't see "No Way" burning up the charts but this is my idea of high quality filler. It's cute, simple and showcases the versatility of Toni's voice.
Pulse
Chuck Harmony (the man behind Rihanna's "Russian Roulette") produced the album's title track and it is something of a corker unlike Riri's dull suicide anthem. The difference is that Toni actually has soul and she serves it up in spades on "Pulse". What a relief that the years haven't wearied her voice one iota. Whitney and Christina must be jealous. The chorus could be bigger but I think this is pretty special.
Why Won't You Love Me
Think of this as a sequel of sorts to "If I Have To Wait". The lyrics are almost as heartbreaking/pathetic but this isn't as elegantly constructed or memorable. That said, I love the subtle production and Toni's pouty voice is in its element. It's a fitting conclusion to a low key but ultimately satisfying album by one of music's lost superstars.
BONUS TRACKS
Yesterday ft Trey Songz
I vastly prefer this version of "Yesterday" to the original. Trey's voice drives me wild and tranforming the song into a duet is a masterstroke.
Stay
This stunning anthem has been wasted as a bonus track. It's one of the best songs on the album and could easily be a single. I love the lyrics and piano driven production. "Stay" is effortlessly catchy and classy. Definitely worth downloading.
Rewind
Boring.
The Wave
"The Wave" is pretty tragic but I find it amusing and find myself listening to it more often than I care to admit. Any song that begins with the line "they see me walkin' through the mall wit' my man, tryin' to get at him any which way they can" has to be worth a listen. Right?
Caught (Don't Take Your Hat Off) ft Mo'Nique
Mo'Nique makes this track pop. Her spoken interlude is fierce, particular when she quotes Beyoncé's "Irreplaceable"!
7.5/10
"Pulse" is in stores now. Check out the Trey Songz remix of "Yesterday" below. Toni's desperate antics are a joy to behold. Oh and Brooke Hogan makes an unexpected cameo as her love rival. You can buy that kind of class!
This week saw the release of Toni Braxton's 6th studio album "Pulse". And to my great surprise - given the dubious singles - it's a rather lovely return to form. I'll get around to reviewing it eventually but I can no longer restrain myself from commenting on her potentially career ending decision to cover a Delta Goodrem track. Seriously, was the Pia Zadora back catalogue too expensive? Admittedly, "Woman" isn't the worst song Dulta has ever recorded - probably because she didn't write it. Which means there are no bad metaphors or "inspirational" lyrics about overcoming obstacles in order to live your dreams. In fact, it's quite pretty but I still think the track should be gathering dust on 2007's biggest international flop. Toni's reputation has been tarnished by association. I guess it's not her fault. A superstar of her stature can't be expected to know every Z grade vocalist in the music industry but it is embarrassing and raises the question of who did it better.
If it took you longer than five seconds to shout TONI BRAXTON then click on the little red cross on the top of the page and fuck off. There hasn't been a debate this redundant since the time that sad Janatic otherwise known as The Prophet had the nerve to maintain that La Toya isn't the most talented Jackson. Whatever! Toni has this in a first round KO. First of all, she can actually sing. That gloriously deep voice is a thing of beauty and her pipes are still smoother than Kylie's forehead. The less glamorous Braxton injects "Woman" with some much needed soul and emotion. Dulta's decade of after school singing lessons can't compete against raw natural talent. Then there's the fact that the lyrics actually suit a lady of a certain vintage. I know it's hard to believe that Toni is a day over 25 given her flawless complexion and endless sex appeal but she's almost twice Dulta's age and that brings a certain gravitas to the proceedings. I believe her pain. She has decades of failed relationships to draw from. Last but not least is the production. Toni's version is slick yet soulful. The original, by comparison, sounds like it was recorded on the lap top Dulta bought for half price at Bing Lee's last clearance sale. We have a winner!
If you're stone deaf or just deluded, here are 5 more irrefutable reasons why Toni Braxton is better than Dulta:
1. Toni only sounds like she has a dick in her mouth when she sings. 2. Ms Braxton has never been penetrated by Brian McFadden. To my knowledge. 3. She is related to this heavenly goddess:
Last week's 'season opener' turned out to be something of a blockbuster thanks to a stampede of angry Ciara fans. I should put that skank on every Pop Panel! This week's line-up is a little different. Instead of trying to unearth a diverse bunch of soon to be released singles, I just lazily picked out 8 songs that I like and hoped for the best. In retrospect, it wasn't the smartest idea - particularly in the week that I invited two trash connoisseurs to join the Panel because one of my fucking low brow anthems actually won. I'm glad my blog never had any credibility to begin with because it sure as hell won't have any left once you've scrolled to the bottom of the page. And I wouldn't have it any other way! The following culprits are responsible for the most fabulous 'Single Of The Week' in Pop Panel history:
Tommie (Sweden) who used to update Donna Martin Graduates every blue moon but is now better known as my favourite stalker.
As usual, the results are ranked from lowest to highest. Before we get stuck into it, I'd like to congratulate the lovely Tony Tornado on his marriage to Jose Luis. Save some cake for me!
This stunning anthem is set to conquer the UK on the 28th of June.
D'Luv: I understand that the full $7.50 it cost to record this song was likely eaten up by Kyrah's addiction to vanilla frapuccinos, but did they really have to cast the 43-year-old janitor from the local bingo hall as her love interest in the video? Not much else to say about this [insert name of any five current pop starlets] knock off. She doesn't even have good tits. 0/5 Joe: The poor man's Ke$ha has unleashed her debut single. I really, really want to like this. Really I do. But I'm finding it a little uninspiring. 2/5 Mike: You're all fired! Next week I'm stacking the Panel with a higher class of homosexual. "Uh Oh" transcends pop music to become modern day poetry. If Shakespeare were alive he'd probably be the head of Kyrah's fanclub. Sad H8TRS! 5/5 Paul: Oooh the sound of nu-skank and I like it. Like Ke$ha there's something utterly repugnant about Kyrah's music and yet that is what makes it so more-ish. She clearly has gone for that Ke$ha sound and works it well. Great chorus, I feel like I've gotten herpes just listening to it though. 3/5 The Prophet: I liked this briefly for the trash factor, but time moves fast in the world of pop and now I'm more pre-occupied in the latest Ke$ha TiK ToK rip-off "Stay The Night" by Millionaires, so this song has become redundant for me. 1/5 Tommie: Oh Kyrah. She's too pretty for this song really, even if I enjoy the over-the-top skankiness of the track. 3/5 Total: 14/30
D'Luv: Don't own a single Christina Aguilera album, and wasn't really expecting much from this new single. But it's steadily grown on me over the past month. The video is a wreck the likes of which hasn't been witnessed since Khia last took three guys at once up her chipped ham ditch. But the song gets a 3/5. Joe: I know all you CaCa queens are calling her a copycat, blah blah. Boring. She didn't invent electropop. Madonna did however invent Lady CaCa. It's a fact. I digress, this song is hot and Xtina's powerful pipes sound better than ever. The video is a trash lover's wet dream come true! The fact that this song has flopped harder than a drunk tranny in a wet alley wearing a broken heel makes me love it even more! I for one can not wait for BIONIC. Welcome back Xtina! 5/5 Mike: What Joe said! 4/5 Paul: She's clearly not herself in the video, she's every other bloody female pop singer from the past ten years. I do like the song, it's grown on me a lot over the past few weeks. It does feel a bit like it's trying to hard and not quite ticking all the right boxes. So not quite the amazing comeback single I was hoping for (it's no "Dirrty") but still quite good. A better effort next time though please. 3/5 The Prophet: Make way people, Legentina is returning! The visionary artist has been in the industry for over 10 years and is still pushing the boundaries with her edgy and provocative new single "Not Myself Tonight". Becoming a mother has made the legend more in-tune with her sexuality and her body and she's not ashamed of it, as evident in the song's jaw dropping music video. Who else would have the courage to do on-screen girl-on-girl action and say "fuck you" on their first single? Legentina already defined the past decade and she's about to do it again. Truly epic! 0.5/5 Tommie: When this first starts to play you think to yourself that it's going to be quite good - but by the time it's over, boy how wrong you were! Hook-less and seriously un-catchy. Christina girl, you should do something with Khia! You know what I'm saying? 0/5 Total: 15.5/30
D'Luv: You know how drag queens sometimes pick these left-of-center songs to lip sync to—the kind that when you watch the performance, you're like, "Who the hell cares about this boring trash enough to pour their fat ass into a horrid knockoff dress and humiliate themselves for the 12 bucks in tips they're gonna have shoved between their knees?" Well, Gabriella will always have that, at least. 1.5/5 Joe: I'm glad she's ditched the pseudo Amy Whinehouse sound of her debut and has given dance music a chance. I like her new single. It's kinda Scissor Sisters meet Anastacia (minus the lesbo biker shades). 3.5/5 Mike: Why is Gabi wearing an old curtain in the video? Who chose this shit as a single? "Ten" is a great pop album but "Hearts Don't Lie" has flop written all over it. Not that it's a bad song - I like the disco beats and Gabi's vocal is lovely but she has so much better to choose from. And as Tommie rightly points out - Toy Toy did it first and better way back in 1983. Here's the proof! 3/5 Paul: I hated her first album, love the second. While this isn't is camptastic as the still wildly bonkers "On A Mission", it's still a jolly good disco infused ditty that has these absolutely feral choruses where Gabriella really seems to let loose. Quite magnificent. 4/5 The Prophet: I loved Gabby's last single "On A Mission" and I love this one too. I can't believe Australia managed to spawn a female artist who is talented, beautiful and makes fantastic pop music. Well we have Dannii, but besides her nobody else comes to mind. 4/5 Tommie: My ears don't lie and there's only one girl that can Toy with my heart. 2/5 Total: 18/30
D'Luv: Ah, the latest broad returning from the brink and trying to remake "Just Dance." Don't worry—the gays will eat this up, right? Anyone? 1.5/5 Joe: This is what, her 17th single from her latest release? Does anyone even care anymore? Then again the gays do. Obviously that's why she featured drag queens, trannies, dykes and voguers galore in the gayest video of her career. She proves once again not all good singers can dance (Whitney Houston anyone?). Kudos to her for going back to short hair. Back to the song. It's a nice little number but I don't think it's anything special. I'll have to check out the remixes for further satisfaction. But Toni, let's face it. You're not 25 anymore. Hell you're not 40 anymore! 3/5 Mike: Toni has briefly emerged from Tamar's long shadow in a desperate attempt to reclaim her former glory. It's sad, unintentionally hilarious and more than a little tragic. In other words, I love it. For more accurate preview of her new album, check out the gorgeous "So Yesterday". 3.5/5 Paul: Desperation, Mike? Oh no no no. I really like this - it could have easily been on the Whitney album and been a song that she strolled off the stage to for a nice rest mid chorus! Will it be a massive comeback for her? Probably not, but some nice remixes will jazz it up a bit. It's nice to see singers like this still eeking out a living! Next Debbie Gibson and Wilson Phillips please! 3.5/5 The Prophet: I'm gonna be a lazy bitch and just quote a line from my original review of the song which was posted on my site. "Watching Toni recycle Britney’s old dance moves to a Beyonce B-side while rocking Victoria Beckham's old haircut and a see through catsuit is just so tragic that it’s… what’s the word… endearing!" 4/5 Tommie: Poor Toni. She's seriously bordering on a Nicki French budget these days. The song is nice enough, but hardly the making of a smash hit! 3/5 Total: 18.5/30
María José - Adelante Corazón (above)
The pride of Mexico releases another single from her smash hit album.
D'Luv: In honor of Cinco de Mayo, which I just celebrated at one of my favorite authentic Mexican restaurants in L.A. (it's called Taco Bell, all my fine dining brethren), I'm giving this bimbo a near-perfect score! 4.5/5 Joe: Covering one of Mexico's greatest divas of all time, Daniela Romo, is no easy feat. I give her an A for at least not going with the obvious covers that have been done to death. That said, this is nice a nice ditty from her sophmore solo effort. Though I wish she would have done more w/ her cover. What's up with the cheap video? Those panties are fierce and all but Mexico's reigning pop princess deserves a better budget! 3/5 Mike: María José can do no wrong in my book. "Adelante Corazón" doesn't quite match the once in a career brilliance of "No Soy Una Señora" but it is an outstanding ballad with an absolutely breathtaking chorus. Think Pat Benatar crossed with Gloria Estefan. Yes, it's that amazing! I also love her dramatic air grabs and general lack of clothing in the video. Now please release "Este Hombre No Se Toca" as the next single! 4.5/5 Paul: Another sparse percussive groove that goes nowhere. Actually it has a touch of the Ryan Tedder about it, which doesn't exactly fill me with joy. She has a nice voice though and I do enjoy being sung to in Spanish so I've upped her still quite low mark. 2.5/5 The Prophet: Um, this isn't Thalia! 2/5 Tommie: Sounds very sinister, doesn't it? I wish the punch of the chorus was bigger though. 3/5 Total: 19.5/30
The Queen of rap returns to put the pretenders in check.
D'Luv: My problem with this is that two weeks ago, when I first watched the clip, it seemed the video was a 10 while the song was a three. Sadly, not much has changed since then—well, except of course the number of guys who've slammed Khia from behind, probably. 1.5/5 Joe: The 'Queen of da South' is back and ready to take nobody's sh*t! I must admit the first time I heard this song, I kinda liked it, but now that I've seen the video...gurl I am in love! Thug Misses proves why she's the baddest bitch out there. And those neon green eyelashes are DELICIOUS! Props to her for having a budget this time. The chorus is catchy and the entire song has that Khia quality only she can bring. Ms. Chambers you can do no wrong. 5/5 Mike: I love Khia. I would lick her neck, hairy back, beat-up pussy and loose crack. And enjoy it. As such, I was ready to give rap's favourite motor mouf a perfect score but the song just doesn't do it for me. That said, it's still one thousand times better than anything Trina or Nicky Minaj has ever recorded. The Kween still reigns supreme. 4/5 Paul: First off the demented yellow eye make up is both brilliant and out of control! I love the whispering over the minimal percussion in the verses. I love the cute guy in the video. And I keep expecting it to explode into something magnificent. It doesn't, but I like it well enough anyway - it's like being impotent (I should imagine): you're grinding away, getting the pleasure feelings but the big explosion doesn't quite happen. 3/5 The Prophet: Nicki Minaj may be the femcee garnering all the spotlight at the moment, but Khia is the true Queen of Hip-Hop as she proves with 2010's biggest urban anthem "Been a Bad Girl". Not only does the song cement Khia as the greatest lyricist of our generation, but it also establishes her as a true style icon. Ciara should've called up Khia for the feature on "Ride" instead of using Ludacris again! 5/5 Tommie: The Queen of Rap returns! What else can I say? Been A Bad Girl is something to live by. 5/5 Total: 23.5/30
SEB’s new single was released in the UK last week.
D'Luv: I give this babe props for always sticking to her guns and making quirky pop. Not my favorite song from her (that would be "Love Is Here" off her last album), but still pleasant enough to wash Khia's minge out of my mouth. 3.5/5 Joe: The most glamorous woman in pop has unleashed another delicious dance track. It has that signature icy sound that I've come to love. Can she get anymore beautiful? 4/5 Mike: I've had a grudge against this bitch ever since the tragic queen in my Spanish class tried to pick me up by telling me that I look like a male Sophie Ellis-Bextor. As Liz Lemon would say - Dealbreaker! Anyway, I think "Bittersweet" is SEB's best single since "Murder On The Dancefloor". Her music is always icily beautiful but this has a yearning and darkness to it that I love. Sophie really should have won single of the week - pop music doesn't get much better. 5/5 Paul: Ah the lovely Ms Bextor. At first I was disappointed that this wasn't as glorious as "Heartbreak Make Me A DaRn-Sar", but a few listens in and it utterly spins my world into a beat driven frenzy! So sad it's not doing well on the UK charts but it's classic Sophe and a brilliant tune. Plus her husband Richard (from the Feeling) looks like a right good boff. 4/5 The Prophet: If the porcelain princess recorded herself removing a tampon I'd still think it was amazing, but "Bittersweet" is a genuinely stunning gay dance anthem so there's no need to be biased when giving it a high score. 4.5/5 Tommie: I really like Sophie, but this screams "fifth single/fan favourite that never gets released". 2.5/5 Total: 23.5/30
SINGLE OF THE WEEK
Ayna – Prisoner (below)
Seriously, words escape me.
D'Luv: I think we all know that it's impossible to comment on "Prisoner" without mentioning Ayna's stunning video. In so many ways, the train wreck clip reminds me of the 2003 cult flick The Room, which if you haven't seen, you're really not a true pop trash addict yet. Anyway, WTF are we talking about? Oh, right—Ayna. One point for the song, one for the low rent tits and three for the video. 5/5 Mike: Fags, you're stealing my act! I only choose these stunning "undergound" anthems so I can defiantly proclaim their brilliance while the rest of you tear them apart. They're not supposed to win! That said, I understand the appeal. Ayna is the most glamorous diva I've ever set eyes upon and her video clip makes "Avatar" look like a cheap home movie. Girlfriend has special effects and everything! As for the song - I genuinely love it. And have already ordered her sure to be amazing debut album "To Know Ayna" from her website. Pop music has a new icon! 5/5 Joe: OMG It's like a lost freestyle video circa 1991! Why have I never heard of this siren before? Seriously can I give it a 10? It's all kinds of cheap. Cheap video, cheap production, cheap broad (the fact that she didn't wax her upper lip makes me love her even more). According to her myspace bio she's a model and cable access television host. I think I'm in love. 5/5 Paul: Oh my stars. It's the video production values of lamented US soap Sunset Beach mixed with the musical quality of Lisa Scott Hyphen Lee. And entirely awful. 1/5 The Prophet: OMG! Iconic! Her chair dance is better than Mariah's tragic Fantasy Remix chair dance from the Around The World DVD! 4.5/5 Tommie: Oh my. I... I... I think I'm in love. Where does this woman live and when is she available to have my babies? She's perfection, like Dannii said before she went down on Jupiter! 5/5 Total: 25.5/30
"Hands Tied" is the third official single from Toni Braxton's upcoming album, Pulse, scheduled for a May 4, 2010 release. The song was released on February 23, 2010 on the U.S. urban radio stations. It has reach #57 on the Billboard's Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs.Source URL: https://popmusicrecords.blogspot.com/search/label/Toni%20Braxton Visit pop music records for Daily Updated Hairstyles Collection
Don't get me wrong. I love Toni Braxton. Anthems like "Breathe Again", "You're Making Me High" and "Un-Break My Heart" defined the 90s. It's difficult then to explain my total lack of enthusiasm about her soon to be released comeback album despite being one of the few people who actually likes her floptastic lead single "Yesterday". The problem is that everytime I see or hear Toni - I get the urge to kneel down and pray for the return of her infinitely more fabulous sister. Tamar Braxton hasn't released a song since 2000 but the intervening decade has only made my heart grow fonder. Much like La Toya, this long suffering songbird never got a fair go from music fans. It seems there was only room for one deep tranny voice on the charts and Toni got in first. Either that or Tamar was simply too tasteful and elegant (see picture below) for the mainstream. I'm going with the latter! For the uninitiated, the youngest Braxton sister was discovered in the bathroom singing "please get me some toilet paper". Believe me, I wish I was joking. That should have been some kind of omen for the tone of the diva's career but more about that later.
Tamar's stunning approach to fashion inspired a generation
Tamar first came to prominence as part of the family group (who else remembers The Braxtons' amazing cover of "The Boss"?) but was singled out by super producer Christopher "Tricky" Stewart as a solo star and released her first and only album in 2000. The first single was a fierce urban jam that managed to be entertaining despite the unwanted presence of Janet's troll husband. I remember being absolutely transfixed by the classy video, which features some of the best stripper moves ever captured on film. However, the album's finest moment was undoubtedly its second single. "If You Don't Wanna Love Me" is one of my all time favourite ballads. Everything about Tamar's timeless anthem is beautiful - from the heartbreaking lyrics to the diva's powerhouse vocal delivery. The song is as good as, if not better than, anything in Toni's back catalogue and should have been a massive hit. Unfortunately, it barely scraped into the top 30 of the R'n'B chart and effectively killed Tamar's career. Since then she's been reduced to singing back up for Toni. The indignity! Make sure you listen to the original ballad version of "If You Don't Wanna Love Me" because I've decided to post something a little more uplifting. I noticed that the brilliant Hex Hector mix was missing from Youtube - a glaring omission that I decided to rectify immediately. In my opinion, this is one of the legendary DJ's best remixes. Tamar's legacy lives on!
"Yesterday" is the lead single by American R&B singer–songwriter Toni Braxton from her upcoming studio album, Pulse, which will be released February 2010. This remix version of the song features Trey Songz.Source URL: https://popmusicrecords.blogspot.com/search/label/Toni%20Braxton Visit pop music records for Daily Updated Hairstyles Collection
"You're Makin' Me High" is the lead single from Toni Braxton's second studio album, Secrets, released in May 1996. The song became her first #1 single on both the Billboard Hot 100 and the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs charts. It went on to earn Braxton her third Grammy Award for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance in 1997.Source URL: https://popmusicrecords.blogspot.com/search/label/Toni%20Braxton Visit pop music records for Daily Updated Hairstyles Collection
"Another Sad Love Song" is the first single from Toni Braxton's 1993 self-titled debut album. The song peaked at #7 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 and narrowly missed the top position of the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs by peaking at #2. Braxton won her first Grammy Award, for Best R&B Vocal Performance, Female in 1984 for this song.Source URL: https://popmusicrecords.blogspot.com/search/label/Toni%20Braxton Visit pop music records for Daily Updated Hairstyles Collection
"Regresa a mí" is the Spanish rendition of Toni Braxton's hit "Un-Break My Heart" by pop vocal group Il Divo from their 2004 self-titled debut album, Il Divo. The group's appearance on The Oprah Winfrey Show on April 5, 2005, where they performed the song, resulted in the album hitting the #1 slot on both Amazon.com and BarnesandNoble.com.Source URL: https://popmusicrecords.blogspot.com/search/label/Toni%20Braxton Visit pop music records for Daily Updated Hairstyles Collection
"Breathe Again" is the second single from Toni Braxton's multi-platinum debut album Toni Braxton in 1993. This R&B ballad was the most successful single released from the album. Written and produced by Babyface, the single peaked at number three on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 and number four on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs and Adult Contemporary charts.
"Un-Break My Heart" is the second single from Toni Braxton's second studio album, Secrets (1996). The song became her second consecutive number-one single on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart. Braxton won a Grammy Award for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance in 1997.
The return of Toni Braxton is one of 2010's most welcome surprises. I loved her first three albums and still blast classics like "You're Making Me High", "I Don't Want To" and "He Wasn't Man Enough" all the time. There's just something about that deep, soulful voice that gets to me. She's a total throwback to a time when divas could actually sing and talent counted for something. Which is one of the reasons I was so disappointed when "Pulse" first leaked a few months ago. The material was patchy and, to be honest, beneath her. It was almost as if she had rifled through the demos Beyoncé and Rihanna rejected in a desperate bid for relevance. Toni doesn't need to talk her way through songs about texting her man in a nightclub - reference to the so bad it's hilarious "Don't Talk, Just Text" - leave that stuff for the girls who can't sing like Cassie and Ciara. As it turns out, someone at Atlantic Records obviously agreed with me because "Pulse" was given a last minute overhaul. Half of the original tracklist was axed and new songs were commissioned. The end result is a strong collection of largely mid-tempo urban pop songs that hold up to anything in Toni's amazing back catalogue. However, it leaves us with the unusual situation of having two very different versions of the one album.
Hero
This week saw the release of Toni Braxton's 6th studio album "Pulse". And to my great surprise - given the dubious singles - it's a rather lovely return to form. I'll get around to reviewing it eventually but I can no longer restrain myself from commenting on her potentially career ending decision to cover a Delta Goodrem track. Seriously, was the Pia Zadora back catalogue too expensive? Admittedly, "Woman" isn't the worst song Dulta has ever recorded - probably because she didn't write it. Which means there are no bad metaphors or "inspirational" lyrics about overcoming obstacles in order to live your dreams. In fact, it's quite pretty but I still think the track should be gathering dust on 2007's biggest international flop. Toni's reputation has been tarnished by association. I guess it's not her fault. A superstar of her stature can't be expected to know every Z grade vocalist in the music industry but it is embarrassing and raises the question of who did it better.
Source URL: https://popmusicrecords.blogspot.com/search/label/Toni%20Braxton
Last week's 'season opener' turned out to be something of a blockbuster thanks to a stampede of angry Ciara fans. I should put that skank on every Pop Panel! This week's line-up is a little different. Instead of trying to unearth a diverse bunch of soon to be released singles, I just lazily picked out 8 songs that I like and hoped for the best. In retrospect, it wasn't the smartest idea - particularly in the week that I invited two trash connoisseurs to join the Panel because one of my fucking low brow anthems actually won. I'm glad my blog never had any credibility to begin with because it sure as hell won't have any left once you've scrolled to the bottom of the page. And I wouldn't have it any other way! The following culprits are responsible for the most fabulous 'Single Of The Week' in Pop Panel history:
Ayna – Prisoner (below)
, scheduled for a May 4, 2010 release. The song was released on February 23, 2010 on the U.S. urban radio stations. It has reach #57 on the Billboard's Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs.Source URL: https://popmusicrecords.blogspot.com/search/label/Toni%20Braxton
Don't get me wrong. I love Toni Braxton. Anthems like "Breathe Again", "You're Making Me High" and "Un-Break My Heart" defined the 90s. It's difficult then to explain my total lack of enthusiasm about her soon to be released comeback album despite being one of the few people who actually likes her floptastic lead single "Yesterday". The problem is that everytime I see or hear Toni - I get the urge to kneel down and pray for the return of her infinitely more fabulous sister. Tamar Braxton hasn't released a song since 2000 but the intervening decade has only made my heart grow fonder. Much like La Toya, this long suffering songbird never got a fair go from music fans. It seems there was only room for one deep tranny voice on the charts and Toni got in first. Either that or Tamar was simply too tasteful and elegant (see picture below) for the mainstream. I'm going with the latter! For the uninitiated, the youngest Braxton sister was discovered in the bathroom singing "please get me some toilet paper". Believe me, I wish I was joking. That should have been some kind of omen for the tone of the diva's career but more about that later.
