Pros: Strong, contemporary R&B songwriting, accented by Braxton's evolving maturity as a singer
Cons: The album tends to lean toward the typical Braxton ballads at times
The Bottom Line: Deeply emotional and lyrical, Toni Braxton's Libra is a career high for her, displaying a maturity previously not represented. It's a strong showcase for her beautiful, emotive voice.
With her heart fully unbroken (but not so healed that she’s given up on her trademark tales of woe), Toni Braxton returns with her most stellar set of smooth jams yet. Working with a who’s who of up-and-coming writers and producers (Scott Storch, the Underdogs’ Soulshock & Karlin and Antonio Dixon, etc.) and firmly ensconced in her new home at Blackground after departing longtime collaborator L.A. Reid’s fold, the honey-voiced soul siren proves her mettle on the record’s first single (the addictively singable “Please”) alone, but the nine tunes that follow find her spreading her wings with all the confidence of someone who’s found freedom in seeking—and accepting—change.
Braxton can’t help but go back to the drama well here and there—the lovely, supple “Trippin’ (That’s the Way Love Works”) is yet “another sad love song,” an Usher-ready ballad of woeful love rooted in Braxton’s urgent crooning (with solid vocal backup from co-writer Johnta’ Austin)—but she also manages to celebrate “What’s Good” (a shoulder-bopping homage to virtuous love) and rhapsodize herself silly about standing by her man (the oh-so-righteous “I Wanna Be Your Baby”).
“Midnite” finds her in a more characteristically torn-up mode (“It’s midnite/Tell me, do you know where your man is?”), while “S’posed to Be” is a delectable confection on which Toni conjures up the perfect lover. “Stupid,” meanwhile, is classic Toni, the kind of deeply mournful stunner that she’s become famous for.
Indeed, if there’s a fault with the record, it’s that it’s a bit heavy with Braxton-branded ballads of heartache, but when the tunes are this gorgeously rendered (the production is absolutely impeccable) and delivered, it’s hard to fault the lady for wanting to sing the blues.
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