this in review
Artist: Toni Braxton & Babyface
Album: Love, Marriage, & Divorce
Label: Motown Records
Genre: R&B
Release Date: February 4, 2014
By Michael T. Brewer
The dynamic duo of Toni Braxton and Babyface join forces after nearly 10 years since her 2005 release Libra. This
collaborative project sees both Toni and Babyface starring in this tale of marriage and heartbreak. Every song is sung
as a duet aside from the few solo tracks. The album opens with moody R&B tune “Rollercoaster” which sets the tone
for the entire album and becomes the blueprint for the record thematically. The metaphor is well-developed on the
album with each song placing a different aspect and emotion at the forefront. The tender “Where Did We Go Wrong”
has both Toni and Babyface retracing their steps, searching for the reasons for their relationships’ untimely demise.
Babyface’s signature acoustic guitar-laden production recounts his 90s template. The greatest moment of the record
is Toni’s solo ballad “I Wish.” With just the sound of a piano, strings and her voice, Toni showcases her amazing vocals.
Not to mention the honesty of a scorn woman singing “I wish, I wish, I wish she’d break your heart like you did me.”
Toni lamenting over love lost is so gripping, theatrical yet still beautiful. Toni’s second solo track “I’d Rather Be Broke”
is a testament to women who sometimes feel burdened by being in a marriage because their husband is the financial
backbone. However, leaving a marriage with nothing is better than being a loveless marriage with financial stability.
Another exceptional and unexpected moment is the Soul-Club pound of “Heart Attack.” Babyface singing under a
vocal filter and Toni on the hook, the song is a great uptempo. It brings the album to a different space that’s fun, flirty
and sexy. Toni and Babyface is a marriage that should never end in divorce.