You have to give props to Toni Braxton. Closing in on twenty years in the music business, she’s definitely a survivor. She’s gone through bankruptcy, health problems, mismanagement, divorce and more than her share of label drama. Even if it weren’t for her reputation as a singer of torchy, breakup songs, you’d feel for the woman.
After starting her career off with a pair of smash Grammy-winning albums and a string of hit singles (most of which were helmed by Babyface), Toni has struggled to find her way commercially and creatively over the course of the past decade. Her material has been fairly mediocre, and she’s seemed a lot more comfortable following trends instead of setting them. While she definitely can sing and has one of the most versatile voices in contemporary music, her material over the past decade has been wildly inconsistent.
The material on “Pulse”, her sixth album (and her third straight on a different label) continues this streak of inconsistency. While Toni’s not lost a thing vocally (which is more than one can say for her contemporaries Mariah and Whitney), “Pulse”‘s material is decidedly B-list. There are very few songs on this effort that stick to the ribs.
In addition, Toni hasn’t yet figured out whether she wants to be an urban diva, a pop balladeer or a disco queen, so she tries on various styles, hoping one fits. Occasionally it works (“Make My Heart”, driven by an uptempo horn sample, is one of the album’s highlights). Other times, not so much. The most embarrassing track is probably “Lookin’ at Me”, which is a baldfaced rewrite of Beyonce’s “Single Ladies”. It smacks of desperation, and Toni’s both a) a little too old and b) a little too talented to be saddled with material that’s so reminiscent of B’s. Even when she brings in pros like David Foster and Kara Dioguardi (who co-wrote the uber-dramatic “Hero”) to handle some of the more ballad-centric material, the songs end up being hit-or-miss in terms of quality.
While a reunion with Babyface (who always seemed her most sympathetic musical collaborator) might be the best idea, it’s obvious from “Libra” that Toni needs to do SOMETHING to get her mojo back. I’m assuming that naming the album “Pulse” was an ironic act, ’cause there’s barely any life to be found on this incredibly mediocre album.
Grade: C
5 comments
GG says:
May 19, 2010
Sucks to see her get stuck in this terrible zone for former successful artists. It’s like no man’s land. Maybe she should get naked for Vibe again?
HA!
Melliza says:
May 19, 2010
I don’t believe this reviewer knows what he is talking about,there is nothing mediocre about this album or was there anything mediocre about libra. Those are the two best cd’s Toni has made in her career. I believe people should join us in the millenium, and leave the 90’s where it belongs in the 90’s.Artists grow and change there styles as their careers evolve.We shouldn’t expect Toni to be only an ubreak my heart type singer,a record company is about the bottom line, they want to make money,so they are going to make music that appeals to all audiences.I personally think this cd is fabulous,especially lookin at me.
blerdwords says:
May 19, 2010
Everyone’s entitled to his or her opinion, right?
I don’t think anyone would ever accuse me of being stuck in the Nineties. I’ve had very good things to say about many kinds of current music. My opinion just happens to be that this album is weak. I’m entitled to my thoughts just the same as you’re entitled to yours.
Sini says:
May 24, 2010
I think you should grade Miss Braxton on a curve. The woman went bankrupt just to give us the video to “You’re Making Me High.”
blerdwords says:
May 24, 2010
Point taken!