Toni Braxton Covers UPTOWN With Babyface / Talks Depression, Retirement, & Return To Music

Earlier this Summer That Grape Juice was privy to preview several tracks from Toni Braxton and Babyface‘s new album ‘Love, Marriage, & Divorce’. The taste had us salivating for more, yet more so had us happy that Braxton re-considered her retirement.

The latest issue of UPTOWN magazine sees the Grammy winning diva not only pose it up alongside her longtime collaborator, but wax honest about her reasons for wanting to retire – which she says revolved around depression and career insecurity.

However, as the #1 success of current single ‘Hurt You’ highlights, the singer has little reason to fret, for there clearly remains ample demand for her brand of grown and sexy.

Toni on reason she wanted to retire:

“I was in a small place in my life and I was going to retire. It’s not even a question. I said, ‘I’m tired of fighting.’ I was feeling sorry for myself. I was depressed over where my career was going. I was also down with my health. I found out that I developed blood clots and I couldn’t get a grip on this lupus. I didn’t know what was going on with me. I was just in a very uncomfortable place in my life and where I wouldn’t wish my worst enemy to be.

[I was] not suicidal, but it was a close relative. I’ve got my kids to live for, but I was in a hopeless stage in my life. It’s like when you’re going through things and you think you’re the only one. [Industry friends such as Michael McDonald, Fantasia and Missy Elliott] told me, ‘We’ve all felt that, and we’ve been there but it’s not time.’ It helped me a bit. But Babyface was the most influential of all those people in getting me back to it”

Babyface on convincing Toni to come back

“Toni was kind of just talking about giving up, just not really wanting to record anymore—she was not just having fun at it anymore,” Face shares. “I didn’t think that was a very good idea. I talked her into changing her mind.”

You know, you can get frustrated with the music industry, but I never get frustrated with the music. The music is what drives us to begin with. So I don’t think I ever lost sight of that.”

Babyface & Toni talk difference working together now vs past

Babyface:

“Working with Toni was a little bit different than working with her years ago, because now, we’re dealing with a grown-up Toni who certainly has her own opinion in how she thinks things should be. So we went through a lot of compromises putting this record together.

We were kind of on and off. We started off good, then we slowed down for a bit and just tried to find the things that made sense. We battled on certain songs.”

Toni:

“When I first met Babyface, I was this wide-eyed artist, I was green and I was just happy to be there. I had the mindset of, ‘Mold me, make me, what do you think I should be?’

But, now, I’m an artist like he is: established. I have my own opinions. I know how I want my music to be, so I had to remind him: ‘Kenny, I’m your baby sister, but I have breasts and I have boyfriends. You have to accept that I’m grown up now.’ That was the one big adjustment for him. It was nothing negative, nothing negative at all.”

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Great shoot and an equally engaging interview. Very insightful. {Source}

‘Love, Marriage, & Divorce’ arrives February 4th via Motown.