megstar's Full Review: More Than a Woman by Toni Braxton
Toni Braxton, with the help of Babyface (now I realize just how much help he was), was once a Grammy winning, deep soulful voiced diva. She had the voice, the looks, the personality, and some of the best material a female performer could ask for. No other female sounded like her and though her range was limited in comparison to Whitney and Mariah, it just didn’t matter. With hits like “Breathe Again”, “Unbreak My Heart”, “You're Making Me High” and “He Wasn’t Man Enough”, Toni had proven herself to be one of the best and brightest. So, what the hell happened?
While some (TLC, Pink) can afford to let go of Babyface, there are others who just can’t - Toni is one of those “others”. Not only did she let go, but she reached for her husband (Keri Lewis), sister (Tamar Braxton), and Irv Gotti to contribute their um, expertise? If that doesn’t scream “what the hell?” then I don’t know what would. Toni obviously felt the need to change everything that was working for her and go for the TRL crowd. Hence, Babyface only contributing to one song on the album and therefore, leaving her with an album that sucks in comparison to her first three. Actually, it sucks in comparison to a lot of things.
The album opens with the mid tempo Let Me Show You the Way (Out) written by her sister, husband, Curtis Mayfield and a few other people. I won’t say it isn’t somewhat “catchy” but it’s just not that interesting or original. When the first track is skip worthy, that’s just never a good sign. The hook throughout the song is “Let me show you the way” as Toni tells a guy she’s through with him for good. She’s been lyrically through with this guy for about a decade now, but who’s counting? (since you went and broke the rules(ooh) /this is what I got for you(ooh) /take your jacket and your shoes /you never play me for a fool )
Give It Back featuring boring rappers the Big Tymers solidifies that this album isn’t going to go in the direction that a Toni Braxton fan would hope it to go. And so, the depression sets in. Lyrically, Toni tells a guy she’s through with him for good. (I heard it, heard it on the street/You were steppin' out on me/No coupons, no recalls/I want my refund, yeah) She’s not the only one that wants a refund.
A Better Man is Toni lyrically saying that she’s through with a guy and in search of a better one. (Hell no/ Oh no not this again /I'll be counting down /Your bags are packed/ And they're at the door) There’s some sort of pointless, digitized beeping throughout the song and if you don’t skip it then you’re a more dedicated Toni fan than I could ever be.
The first single Hit the Freeway featuring Loon is one of the brighter spots on the album. Yes, Toni calls upon the overused Pharrell to write and produce, and yes, her vocals are not strong and sometimes covered up by the production. But, it’s got an interesting, upbeat, catchy, feel to it and at this point - I’ll take it, replay it, and thank god I didn’t have to skip it (Just when I made up my mind/ I thought I put you all out/ now you had your chance/ you owned me/ what makes you wanna call now?
Lies, Lies, Lies and Rock Me, Roll Me are both contributions from the family (husband, Keri and sister, Tamar) and thankfully, they continue the somewhat interesting trend that Pharrell started for them. Lies, Lies, Lies is yet again Toni telling a guy she’s had enough and leaving for good, but at least this time she changes the sound up a little to have a more rock, powered edge. (It's a quarter past four/ And I smell the scent of cheap perfume/ Who is she?/You step in the room/With a guilty look upon your face/Busted )
Selfish is a nice slow to mid tempo track about finally finding the “right” guy and being selfish to keep him to herself. At times there’s too much background vocals going on that it covers Toni’s voice, but it’s actually one of my favorites as it slightly reminds you of older Toni songs. (I'm selfish/ I don't wanna share you with anybody else /Don't want them hugging you/ Touching you, feeling you, kissing you/You could call me selfish.)
Do You Remember When? is a catchy mid tempo track, in which Toni reminisces about the way things used to be between her and her man. ( I believe we can be whatever we want to be/And I know we'll be alright/I can see what you need/and what you need is me/Like you did on our first night)
Me and My Boyfriend is probably the most popular from the album just because she accused Jay-Z of stealing her idea to use the Tupac sample that had been previously used by Mariah featuring Usher(and a pointless, talking Jermaine). Considering the fact that Irv Gotti produced Toni’s version, I’m sure Jay-Z did know ahead of time that they were using the sample but it’s not like she and Irv were the first to think it was a good idea. If I were her, I probably would have complained too cause let’s face it, Jay-Z and Beyonce make hers (and especially the Mariah version) look pointless and boring. Now, had Toni performed the chorus on the Jay-Z track, we could have had something special. Instead, Irv helped her to deliver a disinteresting track of wasted vocal ability and disinteresting lyrics. (Gonna be there with me oh yeah/ even until the end/He is my everything/Will be as Bonnie and Clyde/And we gonna always ride).
Tell Me is catchy slow jam but the woman who brought us “You’re Makin Me High” tries and fails to deliver a tune as racy as her song about pleasuring herself. With this track she tells a guy that he can tell her whatever he wants and she’ll deliver, unless it’s a threesome. (Ooh, If you want a little private dance/ If you want it baby with romance/I've got you/If you want a little ménage e trois/Baby, that's too far) It’s a sexy song, but lacks the “what did she just say?” response that her boldness got her in “You’re Makin me High”.
The last two tracks are And I Love You and Always . The standout of the two being the Babyface penned and produced And I Love You . I fully believe that sometimes writers and producers get too much credit for their outcomes when they’re working with greatness to begin with, but Babyface clearly proves that he can still bring out the best in Toni. She doesn’t need a great deal of production or her sister overpowering her with background vocals, she just needs to showcase her voice, which she does here. (you are my sunshine/Even though you bring the rain/I don't care what they do/I don't care what they say/I'm gonna love you anyway)
Overall, I hope that this album is to Toni what Glitter was to Mariah. A mere learning experience to bounce back from and prove herself to be just as good as we gave her credit for way back when. Lose the family act and head back to Babyface. Forget Irv’s number. Ask Jay-Z for a duet instead of whining because his Tupac sampled track turned out better than yours. And most importantly, remember that even in this overproduced, disinteresting mess of an album, your deep, sultry voice shined through and luckily it is still the same incredible voice you had on your debut. If only you thought more of yourself to keep using it on worthy material.
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