Toni Braxton & Babyface
Love, Marriage & Divorce
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R&B’s royalty rekindles a dying genre.
Back in the ’90s, the names Toni Braxton and Babyface were synonymous with chart-topping hits. One was a music executive while the other was a poster girl who got a lot of men crazy all over the world. Between them, they contributed immensely to the shape and direction in which R&B went. However, it is no secret that sad love songs lost their place, thanks to the rise of other genres such as hip-hop and dance music.
The good thing for fans of R&B is that several artists have made strides to keep it alive. An addition to this movement is the Love, Marriage & Divorce album. This is the stuff that will make Eddie Zondi and his followers happy.
The pair have both been married and divorced, so all the material makes for the emotions that come with different relationship statuses.
Songs to look out for are The D Word, in which he describes lingering feelings after all is said and done, and Toni’s I Wish, where she spits curses of disease and bankruptcy to her ex. Their popular hit Hurt You is quite catchy, but there is a lot more about love and pain to make it a balanced album. – Munya Vomo