From The Vault time-travels 20 years back this week with a Grammy winning single from a TGJ favourite: our pick is ‘Another Sad Love Song‘ by Toni Braxton.
The first single from the diva’s 1993 debut self-titled LP, ‘Song’ was helmed by former dynamic duo of LA Reid and Babyface – who played a crucial role in Toni’s earlier career. With those silky smooth vocals, Braxton tells the tale of a girl who is not over her ex yet and is reminded of that every time a love song is played on the radio.
Launching the album’s campaign with this track proved to be a wise decision as not only it was a chart smash – #7 on the Billboard Hot 100, #2 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop chart and #15 in the UK – but it also scored her her first of many Best Female R&B Vocal Performance Grammy awards. (Side note: she won the Best New Artist gong on the very same night)
The video, directed by Ralph Ziman, conveys a similar classy vibe as the track and sees a short-haired Toni singing in the rain on a vintage New York-like street. Kudos to the ‘Un-break My Heart‘ belle for looking as stunning today as in this visual.
Clearly one of the saddest news to hit the headlines this year was Ms. Braxton’s impending retirement from music after “falling out of love with it”. When we think about it we kinda sorta get where she’s coming from. With the industry being a far cry from how it used to be two decades ago, now prioritizing trash over class, it must be rather difficult for the vocal gemstone to fit in and find excitement especially when she already has a full plate on the personal side, as evidenced with WeTV’s Braxton Family Values.
Still, we remain optimistic at the (slim) prospect of future releases from our favorite contralto. And in the event that new material really isn’t on the horizon, at least we will always have her impressive catalogue to cherish.
Be it fast or slow, it doesn’t let go and it’s all because of you and your talent, Toni!
Still cant believe she retired damn…
You’re making me high
The Legendary Toni Braxton
Queen of Midnite Soul.
I was just playing her first two albums just yesterday.
That rare deep contra-alto is amazing.
I was playing Toni on shuffle all day today. The best singers and music lives on. All Toni’s albums have been quality
The album version is better.
Ms Burke take notes, take notes from Toni, Laylah, Anita, KeKe and Whitney, a bit of Esther from Eternal, some ad libs, runs….
MY FAVORITE ARTIST! MY FAVORITE SONG! MY FAVORITE CD! LOOVEEEEEEEEEE MS. TONI BRAXTON!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
She’s only retiring from making new music but she’s still going to be performing from time to time…just when you couldn’t get enough of this song,she dropped BREATHE AGAIN,like OMG,that song was everyFUCKINwhere.. and her debut album went 8X platinum…LAFACE sure hit a goldmine with Toni & TLC…
Such an amazing vocalist. One of the best, always.
Toni the real star in the family I love her
toni at her best
Toni Braxton is the real deal.I love my sister but I hope that she’s not stepping aside with a misguided notion that if she moves out of the way Tamar would have a better shot at success. Toni may even be concerned that the media would pit her against her little sister by comparing their talents. In any case I believe that Ms. Braxton could stand toe to toe with any of these Johnny come lately’s. That includes Tamar.
I was wondering if you ever considered changing the layout of your
blog? Its very well written; I love what youve got to
say. But maybe you could a little more in the way of content so people could
connect with it better. Youve got an awful lot of text for only having one or two pictures.
Maybe you could space it out better?