This week’s pick for Second Listen Sunday is from the R&B songstress Toni Braxton catalog. She was already a force in the music world when her sixth album, Libra, arrived in stores in the fall of 2005.
Braxton’s fifth album, “More Than a Woman,” undersold, and she had to cancel many scheduled performances due to complications after discovering she was expecting her second child, resulting in a three-year gap before her next album. Wanting a change, Braxton left her label and signed with Blackground Records.
The initial version of Libra, produced by Braxton and her former spouse Keri Lewis from Mint Condition, heavily focused on ballads. However, to prevent a potential failure, the record label insisted on a re-recording with a more commercially appealing sound. To achieve this, Barry Hankerson, the label’s head, enlisted in-demand producers such as Scott Storch, Rich Harrison, and The Underdogs to create a more current and trendy sound.
Scott Storch produced the album’s first single, “Please,” which also opens the album. Catchy and upbeat “Please” aligns with the popular sound of female empowerment. Braxton’s voice is as soulful and captivating as ever, and it’s clear that she was having a good time recording the record,
The legendary Bryan Michael Cox brought his talents to the second single, piano-heavy R&B slow jam “Trippin’ (That’s the Way Love Works)”. Braxton effortlessly navigates through a range of emotions throughout the song. The highly sought-after producer, Rich Harrison, infused his signature sound into the third single, “Take This Ring,” influenced by Go-Go music. Although some critics dismiss the song as Harrison simply repeating the groove he created for Beyonce’s “Crazy In Love” and Amerie’s “1 Thing”, it also works well for Braxton.
The rest of the album shows that Braxton can adapt to modern trends after a decade in the game and still appease her core fan base. Midnite” and “I Wanna Be Your Baby” would feel right at home on a project from one of Braxton’s younger counterparts. A young Keri Hilson contributed her writing talents to the infectious “Sposed to Be,” while “Stupid” and “Finally” recall Braxton’s early sound.
Despite being appreciated by Braxton’s fans, Libra went unnoticed upon release to the public. Nevertheless, it’s a solid album from one of the best voices to emerge from nineties R&B.
Final Grade: B
Libra is available on all streaming platforms.
There are some albums you revisit because of nostalgia, and then there are albums you return to because they remind you just how high the standard used to be. Anita Baker’s Rapture falls into that second category. Released in 1986, the album did more than make Baker a star. It helped define what sophisticated, grown R&B could sound like without losing any soul, sensuality, or personality.
Gwen Stefani had already established herself as a significant force with No Doubt when she released her debut solo album, *Love. Angel. Music. Baby* in 2004. This week, while my iPod was on shuffle, one of my favorite songs from that project, “The Real Thing,” came on. Although the original version has an upbeat new-wave feel, the Slow Jam Mix takes it to another level and is the perfect choice for this week’s Slow Jam Saturday.
Unless you’re a music purist, mentioning Randy Jackson from the famous family is likely to elicit a joke. However, any serious Jackson fan knows that Randy had musical achievements long before the punchlines. Before he was old enough to buy a drink, he had already co-written “Shake Your Body (Down to the Ground)” and “Lovely One” with Michael Jackson.