The story of contemporary R&B cannot be told without Toni Braxton.
Before the Maryland songstress came on the scene in the early 1990s, there wasn’t another young singer with her particular blend of pure talent, an instantly recognizable deep vocal tone, and youthful exuberance. She took home a GRAMMY Award for Best New Artist in 1993 and in the preceding decades, has sold over 70 million records, scored multiple Top 10 hits, and taken home a total of seven golden gramophones.
Braxton's career is an ongoing lesson in unshakeable self-belief. Before she rose to prominence on L.A. Reid and Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds' LaFace Records, and before she set her sights on Broadway, Vegas, and reality television, Braxton found music through praise. Growing up in the church in the '70s, the daughter of a pastor and a clergyman, music was instrumental in Toni’s life from the start.
"I always wanted to sing. My mom was a singer, her sister, it was always around me," she tells GRAMMY.com. Dreaming of being a guest on Soul Train one day, Braxton committed to her dream of being a singer at 13 years old, and quickly "knew it was going to happen, [not] as big as it did, but always felt it inside. I think when you have a gift, you know it."
Looking at her past, starting with her 1993 self-titled debut, or her timeless singles like "Breathe Again" or "He Wasn’t Man Enough," Toni Braxton’s is one of one. She has seven GRAMMY Awards, starred as Belle in Broadway’s production of Disney’s "Beauty and the Beast" and sold 8 million albums each on her debut and sophomore LPs. Along with all of her accolades, she has still remained relevant, influencing today’s R&B stars and having "He Wasn’t Man Enough" sampled on Burna Boy’s 2022 hit "Last Last."
After debuting in Vegas with her Toni Braxton: Revealed residency in 2006, Braxton is headed to The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas for a collaboration with legendary comic and close friend Cedric The Entertainer. Their Love & Laughter residency, which features Toni and Cedric on blending their singing and comedy skills simultaneously, has been extended through July 12, 2025.
Toni Braxton spoke with GRAMMY.com about taking creative risks, the classic rap song that inspired her to make hits of her own, and how Babyface convinced her to keep singing during a tough time.
This interview has been edited for clarity.
Before you broke as a solo artist, you were part of a group with your sisters called The Braxtons and released a song called "Good Life" in 1990. The following year, you were taking off as a solo artist. How did being in a group with your sisters contribute to your development?
I remember when I first heard ["Good Life"] on WPGC [radio in the DMV]; they played us right after "Summertime" with Will Smith. And I was like, this song is not gonna happen for us. [Laughs.]
So from that day, every time I've released a single, I always had to hear it together [with] whatever the most current song was, to see if it can compare. That moment prepared me, so when I heard "Breathe Again" the first time, I knew it was a hit. The first time I heard "Another Sad Love Song," I knew it was a hit. My gift aside from being a singer is having a good ear.
I'm going to be honest, I've been wrong about some songs. The song "Seven Whole Days" — I hated that song. I didn't get it, didn't want to do it. Why am I singing this song? It sounds like the Wild Wild West. Am I a rapper? And L.A. and Kenny said, "Trust us." I'm so glad, I'm very, very lucky.
By 1991, you're under the tutelage of Babyface and L.A. Reid and on track to become LaFace Records’ first superstar. Your 1992 single from the Boomerang soundtrack, "Love Shoulda Brought You Home," turned you into a name to watch. How did you deal with all of this sudden success?
I felt blessed and I didn't get to enjoy it because it happened so fast. But it took me 10 years to get there overnight, because I've been trying to be a singer since I was 13 years old.
What was it about L.A. Reid and Babyface that convinced you they were the right fit for you?
They believed in me more than anyone else, aside from my family. I was always told that I would be a background singer, my voice is too androgynous. They thought I was the lead singer; they thought it was something special about my tone. I loved Anita Baker, and I remember Kenny said, "You sound like Anita Baker, but you don't."
They helped me find my sound, because I would only be an impressionist for Anita Baker. I would sing songs and Kenny was saying I sing like I have water in my mouth. And L.A. would say," I like the water. Just give me some conjunctions in the middle of that so that the people can understand what you're saying a little bit more." They helped me find my way, they saw the talent. I will forever be grateful to them for that.
Your self-titled debut album comes out in the summer of 1993, selling 8 million copies, launching you into superstardom. You always knew you’d be successful, but when were you shocked by how well things were going?
I wanted to be on "Soul Train" because that was a staple in my community. I was inspired, I saw all the artists on there and they would sing on stage and be completely out of breath, when Don Cornelius came up and interviewed them.
When I won the GRAMMY for Best New Artist, I was excited. I said, "Whoa, never thought about this." I hoped to eventually get there, but I never thought my first run, would be there [on the GRAMMY stage]. I was totally surprised when they said my name, "Best New Artist, Toni Braxton."
I rewatched the video of when you won the Best New Artist GRAMMY, and I could tell you were genuinely surprised.
I remember Jody Watley whispered in my ear at rehearsal, "You're going to win Best New Artist." I said, "Huh?" She said, "I can tell." I was like, oh, everyone's just being so nice and so kind. I was floored when they said the winner is Toni Braxton.
It was a big moment in my life. I didn't think I had any peers yet; I'm just trying to be like all those big artists on the stage. I wanted to be like Whitney Houston; I always thought she was the biggest, she was the beacon. We all wanted to make her proud. She was the new generation, the Black girl who crosses over while still being authentic to who you are. I loved her.
You won the Best Female R&B Vocal Performance GRAMMY for both "Another Sad Love Song" and "Breathe Again" in 1993 and 1994, respectively. Did you know that those songs would become tremendous hits on a classic album?
I knew they would be great songs for me. The first I recorded of the two was "Another Sad Love Song." I loved the lyrics; [some] songs can really lure you and transport you to a time in life. I remember where I was when I first heard it, where I was when I recorded it. Everything about it.
By the time we got to "Breathe Again," [it] was not for me, it was for Pebbles. Then it went to TLC. It would have been Tionne [Watkins, a.ka. T-Boz]. Can you imagine her singing it? She would have killed it! It wasn't TLC, because they were going a little bit more on the hip-hop side. I heard the song and loved it. I recorded it four times; L.A. had me sing it heavier, more of my tone. It was "Breathe Again" that gave me the tone.
How do you think "Breathe Again" became such a huge hit that has stood the test of time?
Sometimes as an artist, you're lucky enough to find the perfect song for your voice. It just goes together like peanut butter and jelly, salt and pepper. When I heard that song and I heard my vocals after they were completed, I knew that's what I had found. I knew that it would live forever. Music and artists are soulmates, and I found my soulmate in that song.
Your sophomore album Secrets was released in 1996 and sold another 8 million records. Secrets also featured two Billboard Hot 100 chart toppers: the timeless power ballad "Un-Break My Heart" and the sultry club jam "You're Makin’ Me High," the latter being a departure from your usual sound. What led to you trying out the more upbeat sound of "You’re Makin’ Me High"?
It was a little challenging, I'm not going to lie. That adult contemporary style worked so great for me. So when I heard "You're Makin’ Me High," Babyface said, "I think this would be good for her, she has all her life to be AC, so let's try something new."
And that worked perfectly for me. I remember being very happy. Not that I didn't love my adult contemporary music, but it was something nice about a little dance, a little bump and grind. I was a little nervous just trying something new because we were so successful in what we had been comfortable with. But the second album is when most artists add a little more on their plate; what else can I stretch a little more?
Your 2000 follow-up, The Heat was both of its time and uniquely your own. The album featured "He Wasn’t Man Enough," which sounded futuristic and had an edge to it that wasn’t common in female R&B at the time. How did you know this was the single to push when it was so far from the norm?
It was a risk. My third album is when L.A. and Babyface went in different directions; L.A. was a great record company guy, he headed Arista then. Babyface has his solo career, and he's producing all these people. I had [their] guidance, but I didn't have, "Okay, This is what we're going to do." I turned 21 on that album, career-wise. I remember L.A. said, "Rodney [Jerkins] has this great song, Toni, I need you to go do it. But it's up to you, whatever you want to do."
It was three days before Christmas. And I flew where Rodney was and I did the song in about two, three hours. L.A. heard it and said, "This is a single. We're putting this out. Hurry up and finish the album." I think it's one of [Rodney's] best songs, except for Michael Jackson’s stuff, of course.
You fully committed to doing things your way, and went on to win yet another Best Female R&B Vocal Performance GRAMMY for "He Wasn't Man Enough." What was that night like?
I was really happy. I didn't know I got the GRAMMY until I got to the award show because [it was awarded] off-camera. People were saying congratulations, I thought [that was] for the nomination.
In 2006, you headed to Vegas for your nearly three-year residency, Toni Braxton: Revealed. How did that experience prepare you for Love & Laughter, your current Vegas show alongside Cedric The Entertainer?
That was one of the greatest things I've ever done for myself; Revealed was wonderful. It made me a better performer, it made me more personable with my audience. It set the foundation for up close and personal performances. I thought I knew it, but I didn't know it until I did Vegas.
Performing in Vegas is a little bit like Broadway, but by the time I got to Love & Laughter with Cedric, I was just easy breezy. I could do stadiums, arenas, or theaters. But something intimate, night after night, is discipline, no two audiences are the same. Now, it's nothing for me to do Vegas, I could do it in my sleep.
You teamed up with Babyface for Love, Marriage and Divorce in 2014. It was heralded as a return to traditional R&B and won Best R&B Album at the GRAMMYs that year. How was the creative process different from your early days with Babyface?
We laugh about it now. [Babyface] teases me; he was like, "Love, Marriage And Divorce is different from Toni Braxton's first couple of albums because now Toni Braxton has an opinion. Now Toni Braxton is Toni Braxton, and she's not listening to me right now." I said "Kenny, well, you are my teacher and I am the student. But now we are brother and sister, right?"
It was a wonderful work of art. That's when I was thinking about retiring; I found out I had lupus, I wasn't gonna perform again. He pulled me out of that, like, "Toni, it's not time." He had everybody call me, "You can't retire." I was really down in my life. That album resurrected me and reminded me of the gift that I had and how much I loved doing it. After that, I did Sex and Cigarettes, which pushed me to do the music again on my own. So I'm always going to love him and be grateful to him.
Your style, voice, and approach to R&B is constantly evolving, and your impact cannot be understated — whether it’s fashion, music, or your talent as a performer. Have you put your influence in perspective for yourself?
I do feel proud of myself. I feel like I'm part of the change. I'm part of the culture that got the culture where it is today. Just like artists before me: Anita Baker, Gladys Knight, Patti LaBelle, Dionne [Warwick]. Whitney Houston, I like to think she set it, she was the pinnacle, what we all wanted to be. She reminded us that even though we are women of color, we're R& B singers, we can appeal to everyone.
Even all my ups and downs in my life, it's part of a career, it's part of life. When I hear people reference, oh, "She sings like Toni Braxton." Or when I heard "Last, Last" by Burna Boy and this little girl on TikTok said, "Why is that lady singing Burna Boy’s song?" when she heard "He Wasn’t Man Enough," I was actually proud because she was 3 or 4 years old. I'm still affecting the culture. My music is part of the aquarium of life, and it was swimming my way through. I'm proud of myself, I have to thank all the people that helped me get here. It's okay to blow your own horn and give yourself a hug sometimes.