J.Says Online
  • Home
  • Entertainment
    • THE J. LIST
    • J.LIST BLOG
    • GENERAL HOSPITAL
  • Seriously Beyonce`, WTH?!?
  • Society/Culture
  • So This is Life?
    • J.Says Daily
    • J.Says & the "Quarter-Life Crisis"
  • Contact/ Info
  • Feedback

Toni Braxton's "Spell My Name" is Secretly An Artist Survival Guide

2/15/2022

0 Comments

 
Picture
I've steadily been listening to "Spell My Name" since its release, and it *Chrisette Michele voice* came to me...like an epiphany...that it holds some crucial keys for artists. No, that wasn't a Krucial Brothers/Alicia Keys joke.
 
In the latter half of 2020, Toni Braxton released her tenth studio album, Spell My Name. Though its performance on Billboard’s R&B charts was relatively acceptable (including singles), it didn’t gain much steam overall. Moreover, it didn’t earn any RIAA certifications. It’s a shame the record didn’t have more ears on it. Not only was it of great quality, it presented solutions to a problem many artists encounter.
 
The longer an artist is around, it can become challenging to keep things fresh. There’s a tendency to respond to this by working in extremes. Attempts to be overwhelmingly contemporary and sit at the ‘cool kid’s table’ usually come off as contrived. Shifts in tone are frequently too hard and fast, leading to calls for a return to the old guard. Conversely, sticking to their own status quo garners audience complaints of creative rigidity and datedness. Landing sweetly between the two antipodes is a delicate balancing act. Spell My Name should be considered a blueprint of how to master it.
 
For starters, Braxton doesn’t shy away from her position as an established artist over the age of 50. She doesn’t treat this as something to be ashamed of or camouflaged with Gen Z-targeted gimmicks. Case in point, the title track is about entertaining the affections of a much younger man, and wondering if he can rise to her occasion (i.e. The burgeoning Johnny Yukon, who lent both his vocals and pen to the cut). Further, the demand to map out her name by the letter isn’t just sexual innuendo; it’s a subliminal reminder that she is indeed music royalty. When she activates the lingo and brio of recent eras, it’s in a playful and deliberately campy manner (ex. Repeatedly saying “check it” on “Fallin’,”and over-pronouncing her R’s on “O.V.E.Rr”). She doesn’t try to convince the listener that she’s 'hip.' 

To modernize their sound or vie for commerciality, acts will often have a surplus of album features with the latest 'it' people. It isn't important how seemingly random or ill-fitting the pairing is, and how it might ultimately affect the project. Collaborations should be complimenting and/or elevating, but that isn’t always prioritized. 


Read More
0 Comments

Toni Braxton: Sex & Cigarettes

4/5/2018

0 Comments

 
Picture
​Album Review.
Dislikes: FOH
Overall: The sleepy, monotonous production drags the whole project down
 
I wish I could say the most disappointing thing about Toni Braxton's newest release (and first on Def Jam Recordings), Sex & Cigarettes, is that it's a very short, 8-track EP. Rather, I say with regret that I stand relieved at its brevity. It's damning liability is its narcoleptic music. Bare-bone arrangements that rely on acoustic guitars, strings and/or piano have their purpose. They're soothing and are a welcomed alternative to heavy rhythms, effects and other production clutter. The minimalism often helps in playing up emotion and creating the perception of intimacy. However, a little adornment is still needed to prevent a 'bare-bones' piece from being a snooze. There are no musical upsurges, noteworthy vocal moments or particularly etching lyrics to awaken the compositions on Braxton's album. They all plateau by the end of the first chorus. I was reminded of every TV scene I've viewed where a police officer yelled "Move on; there's nothing to see here!" On the production team are several individuals Braxton has collaborated with before, including Paul Boutin (ex. The Heat, engineering), Antonio Dixon (ex. Love, Marriage & Divorce, songwriting) and Kenneth 'Babyface' Edmonds (ex. producing and/or writing on every Toni album except Pulse).
 
Though it's unlikely people will be quoting or tattooing lyrics from Braxton's octet, the material is respectable. This excludes the childishly and regressively worded "FOH," the text message acronym for 'f*ck out of here.' Man, do I miss the days where I could get through an album without hearing a song that's phrased like a street or online conversation. I also miss the days of the ever-regal diva who saved the F-bombs for the house (the expletive is also unnecessarily used on "Sex and Cigarettes"). The other thing the content has going for it is that it's conceptually consistent. All the romance-related regret and misery might've been prickling, if the production wasn't so dry. Daryl Simmons, Stuart Crichton, Patrick "J.Que" Smith and singer Colbie Calliat are among those who co-wrote with Braxton. Simmons is a long-time Babyface collaborator whose robust R&B resume includes work with Mariah Carey, Whitney Houston, TLC, Destiny's Child and Boyz II Men. Crichton and Smith have credits with Kylie Minogue, Delta Goodrem, Britney Spears and Jennifer Lopez.
 
The most interesting thing about the EP is that the title track's subject matter isn't what you'd expect it to be. It's actually about a no-good cheater who's been coming to bed smelling like sex and cigarettes. It was smart to name the record after that song, because I'm sure it sparked some curiosity. Sadly, it's probable inquiring parties will quickly move on, because "there's nothing to see here."

0 Comments

Toni Braxton's "Unbreak My Heart": Movie Review

1/26/2016

0 Comments

 
PictureLifetime's "Unbreak My Heart" aired Jan. 23rd
​This was my reaction when I heard that R&B legend Toni "THEE" Braxton (as her youngest sibling Tamar would say) was getting a TV biopic: *Gasps* Really?!! Yes! Who's doing it? *Exasperated* Lifetime?! *Face-palms* They need to quit; haven't they made enough disastrous, poorly executed and ridiculously inaccurate biopics? Oh, it's based on Toni's book (Unbreak My Heart)? Then there may be hope, and I'll catch any errors because I've read it. *Grins*
 
I indeed caught errors and changes, but let me first address the film's overall quality. To my relief, nothing struck me as particularly awful. From the jump, this venture had a leg up from its Lifetime predecessors because material was being pulled from an authorized source and Braxton's actual vocals were used. There was a perceptible disconnect with 2015's Whitney, because not only did model-actress Yaya DaCosta not look or behave like Whitney Houston, she didn't sound like her either (singer Deborah Cox rerecorded the tracks needed for the movie). The principal (and most obvious) requisite for any biographical film is that the presence of its subject must be felt. Voice-over narration and an appearance by Braxton once the story was brought to present-day, which included an outro of her playing the piano and performing the title song, was a very nice touch and provided additional credibility (fun fact: Braxton contributed her own performance and award gowns to wardrobe).  
 
So, the music was there and a reasonable amount of reliability was established, but what about the portrayals? The casting aesthetics weren't ideal; without dialogue or a certain wig, it was hard to tell who was who, especially with the Braxton sisters. Tyler Perry team-members Gavin Houston (The Haves and The Have Nots) as Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds and Andre Hall (Love Thy Neighbor) as Keri Lewis were the closest resemblances. Starring lead Lex Scott Davis wasn't exactly a dead ringer for Toni Braxton, but she's so stunning, I didn't care. More importantly, she nailed her part and it felt like she did her homework. Mannerisms and body language were emulated naturally, and her lip-sync game was on point. The incomparable and grossly underrated Debbi Morgan (her credits include All My Children and Eve's Bayou) showed exactly why those adjectives apply to her with award-flair delivery as Evelyn, Toni's strict and commanding mother. Collectively, everyone gave acceptable performances, making likeness less of an issue. 


Read More
0 Comments

Toni Braxton & Babyface: Love, Marriage & Divorce (Target Edition)

2/12/2014

0 Comments

 
Picture
Album Review.
Favorites: Hurt You, Where Did We Go Wrong?, I Wish, I’d Rather Be Broke
Overall: Not as catchy or hard hitting as hoped, but still a great love/loss album

There are many dream-teams in R&B; there’s Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis with Janet Jackson, Missy Elliott & Timbaland with Aaliyah and Kenneth “Babyface” Edmonds with Toni Braxton. As seen on the WeTV reality series “Braxton Family Values,” Braxton became disillusioned with recording following her divorce from Mint Condition keyboardist Keri Lewis, and she considered retiring from music. Having been through the same situation, Edmonds convinced Braxton to do otherwise, offering to help her put her emotions to song. From that heart-to-heart, “Love, Marriage & Divorce” was born. After over 10 years of not working together in the studio, the dynamic duo was finally doing a collaborative album and it had this amazing back-story. So, was it the earth-shaking, R&B taste of heaven we all fantasized it would be? Maybe not, but I still truly enjoyed it.

There’s nothing horrible about this album; I didn’t overwhelmingly hate or dislike anything. The theme was stuck to and the lyrics are relatable, heartfelt and bluntly candid in places (ex. on “I Wish:” ‘I hope you’re unhappy. I hope she gives you a disease…not enough to make you die, but only make you cry like you did to me…I hope your new baby is a boy, please don’t have a girl because you’ll give that woman the world’). There’s a generic instance or two in the content, but nothing obstructing. The problem for “Love, Marriage & Divorce” is that it’s far too relaxed. There are no sweeping or swinging melodies, no big vocal moments and few parts that are particularly “catchy.” You have to listen to the tracks several times before they glue to you, like “Roller Coaster,” poorly chosen for the album’s opening. The island-flavored “Sweat,” “Take it Back” and “Let’s Do it” show that ‘tranquil’ was the intended feel for the record, but a little ‘dramatically sad’ would’ve helped make things more biting overall. Despite the absence of a “Love Should’ve Brought You Home” or “How Could an Angel Break My Heart,” the album still has a very listenable quality, especially if you’re in a quiet mood or at a challenging point in your love life. I had recent fight with my significant other and I went straight to it on my IPod. It did the trick. For me, I got through the 1st half of the album without wanting to skip tracks. In the 2nd part, I was most attracted to “I’d Rather Be Broke;” maybe the Babyface-Braxton magic works best when Babyface is just the writer and producer, because some of the best tracks are those with Toni alone on vocal (“I Wish,” “Broke”). In the end, I was glad for 3 things: 1) That they finally did a duet album, 2) Toni didn’t quit the business and 3) I bought this album.

0 Comments
    Picture

    Entertainment

    Rants and raves about all things entertainment industry. Includes my own movie, music and concert reviews. You can find topics under "Tags and Categories" below.

    Note: Occasionally, articles will be posted by other writers and they will be marked as such. Want to be a contributor for this part of the site? Click the "Contact/info" tab and fill out the form to apply.

    Picture

    Archives

    February 2022
    August 2021
    July 2021
    March 2021
    July 2020
    June 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    January 2020
    October 2019
    September 2019
    July 2019
    December 2018
    September 2018
    July 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    April 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012
    November 2012
    October 2012
    September 2012
    August 2012
    July 2012
    June 2012
    May 2012
    April 2012
    March 2012
    February 2012
    January 2012
    December 2011
    November 2011
    October 2011
    September 2011
    August 2011
    July 2011
    June 2011
    May 2011
    April 2011
    March 2011
    February 2011
    January 2011
    December 2010
    November 2010
    September 2010
    August 2010
    July 2010
    June 2010
    May 2010
    April 2010
    March 2010
    January 2010
    December 2009
    November 2009
    October 2009
    September 2009
    August 2009
    June 2009
    January 2009
    November 2008

    Tags/Categories

    All
    1a. Album Reviews
    1b.Concert Reviews
    1c.Stuck In My Head
    1d.The State Of The Music
    1e.The Curious Case Of...
    1g.You Should Hear This
    1h. Song/Video Reviews
    1I. Rock&Rant
    1j. Artist Spotlight
    1k. Contributing Writers
    1 Music
    2a.movie Reviews
    2 Television/movies
    3 Books
    4:44
    50 Shades Of Grey
    98 Degrees
    Aaliyah
    Adele
    Aj Dugger
    Aladdin
    Alexis Jordan
    Alicia Keys
    Allen Stone
    Alt-pop
    American Idol
    Amy Winehouse
    Angela Bassett
    Anhayla
    Annie
    Ariana Grande
    Art
    Ashanti
    Ashford & Simpson
    Ashlee Simpson
    Ashley Tisdale
    Aston
    Aubrey O
    Babyface
    Banks
    Beauty And The Beast
    Being Mary Jane
    Bellamy Young
    Ben Savage
    Best Man Holiday
    Bet
    Bette Midler
    Beyonce`
    Biopic
    Black Community
    Black-ish
    Black Media
    Blink 182
    Blogging
    Blonde
    Bluebird Of Happiness
    B.O.B.
    Bobby Brown
    Bow Wow
    Boy Meets World
    Brandy
    Britney Spears
    Calling All Lovers
    Capra
    Carly Rae Jepsen
    Carrie Underwood
    Catfish
    Caution
    Celeb Journalism
    Changes
    Charity Music
    Charles Esten
    Chike Evans
    Chris Brown
    Chrisette Michele
    Christina Aguilera
    Ciara
    City & Colour
    Clarence Clemons
    Cletus
    Clipped
    Clive Davis
    Coldplay
    Connie Britton
    Conrad Murray
    Cookie Lyon
    Daley
    D'Angelo
    Danity Kane
    Daughter
    Dawn Richard
    Deacon Claybourne
    Dee Pimpin
    Deliver Us From Eva
    Delta Goodrem
    Demi Lovato
    Derek Yates
    Descendants
    Descendants 2
    Destinys Child
    Diddy Dirty Money
    Disney
    Disney Channel
    Divas
    Django Unchained
    Dove Cameron
    Drake
    Dreamgirls
    Eddie J.
    Empire
    Esperanza Spalding
    Eternally In Awe
    Etta James
    Evanescence
    Fantasia
    Feeling Myself
    Feminism
    Feminism In Music
    Fifth Harmony
    Fiona Apple
    Formation
    Franco
    Frankmusik
    Frank Ocean
    Fuller House
    Full House
    Gabrielle Union
    General Hospital
    Gil Scott-Heron
    Girl Meets World
    Girls Generation
    Gladiators
    Glory
    Gone But Not Forgotten
    Good To Know
    Grammys
    Grease
    Halloween
    Hayden Panettiere
    Hayley Reinhart
    Hip Hop & Rap
    Hocus Pocus
    Hugh Jackman
    Illegal Downloading
    Independent Artists
    Interviews
    It's Dio
    Jamaal D. Pittman
    James Lewis
    James Morrison
    Jamie Foxx
    Janelle Monae`
    Janet Jackson
    Jason Derulo
    Jay Z
    J.Cole
    Jennifer Hudson
    Jennifer Lopez
    Jessica Sanchez
    Jessie J
    Joe Jonas
    John Legend
    John Mayer
    JoJo
    Jonas Brothers
    Jordin Sparks
    Joss Stone
    Julianne Hough
    Juliette Barnes
    Jungle Book
    Junior Martinez
    Jurassic World
    Justin Bieber
    Justin Timberlake
    Kanye West
    Karmin
    Kate Winslet
    Katharine Mcphee
    Katy Perry
    Kelly Clarkson
    Kelly Rowland
    Kendrick Lamar
    Kenny Ortega
    Keri Hilson
    Kerry Washington
    Kevin Costner
    Keyshia Cole
    Kickstarter
    Kimbra
    Kings Of Leon
    K-pop
    Kris Allen
    Lady Antebellum
    Lady Gaga
    Lana Del Rey
    Lauren Alaina
    Lauryn Hill
    Leah Labelle
    Lea Michele
    Lee Crain
    Lemonade
    Lennon Stella
    Leonardo Dicaprio
    Lianne La Havas
    Liberation
    Lifetime
    Lip Synching
    Little Mix
    Luke James
    Madetobenow
    Madonna
    Man Of The Woods
    Mariah Carey
    Marie` Digby
    Maroon 5
    Match.com
    Mathew Knowles
    Meaning Of Life
    Media
    Megan Thee Stallion
    Meghan Trainor
    Mgmt
    Michael Jackson
    Michelle Williams
    Mick Jagger
    Miguel
    Miley Cyrus
    Misogyny
    Mj Johnson
    Morris Chestnut
    Mtv
    Musicals
    Music Business
    Music Consumers
    Music Nerd
    Music On Facebook
    Music Quotes
    Music Videos
    Nashville
    Nashville CMT
    Nelly Furtado
    N.E.R.D.
    Netflix
    Network Tv
    Nev Schulman
    Ne-Yo
    Nick Ashford
    Nicki Minaj
    Nick Jonas
    Nick Lachey
    Nick Nittoli
    Nikki & Rich
    No Doubt
    Now You See Me
    Octavia Spencer
    Olivia Rodrigo
    One Direction
    One Life To Live
    Pharrell
    Phylicia Rashad
    Pink
    Playlists
    Positions
    Power Rangers
    Prince
    Princess Jasmine
    Producers
    Proud Mary
    Queen Of Pop
    Quvenzhane Wallis
    Rare
    Raven's Home
    Raven Symone
    Rayna James
    R&B
    Reality Tv
    Reputation
    Rihanna
    Robin Thicke
    Robin Williams
    Roger Howarth
    Rolling Stone
    Ronald Matters
    Ron Carlivati
    Rowan Blanchard
    Roxie Bardo
    Ryan Tedder
    Sales
    Sam Smith
    Sam Sparro
    Sanaa Lathan
    Scandal
    Selena Gomez
    Seth Macfarlane
    Sex
    Sex And Cigarettes
    Shannon Bex
    Shannon Sanders
    Shonda Rhimes
    Simon Cowell
    Sister Act 2
    SNSD
    Soap Operas
    Social Media
    Solange
    Song Writing
    Sorry Not Sorry
    Sour
    Spell My Name
    Spotify
    Streaming
    Suga
    Superheavy
    Sweetener
    Sza
    Tamar Braxton
    Taraji P. Henson
    Taye Diggs
    Taylor Swift
    Tell Me You Love Me
    The Band Perry
    The Cosby Show
    The Day That Music Dies
    The Dealers
    The Dream
    The Exciters
    The Greatest Showman
    The Lion King
    The PinkPrint
    The Roots
    The Script
    The Seatbelts
    The Voice
    Three. Two. One.
    T.I.
    TIDAL
    Titanic
    Tlc
    Tlc Movie
    Tlc Story
    Toni Braxton
    Tori Kelly
    Trey Songz
    Tribute
    Tricky Stewart
    Tyler Perry
    Unbreakable
    Unbreakable Tour
    Unbreak My Heart
    Usher
    Vanessa Carlton
    Vanessa Hudgens
    Videoblogs
    Video Uploads
    Vontae`
    Wale
    Whitney
    Whitney Houston
    Whoopi Goldberg
    Will.i.am
    Women In Music
    Xfactor
    You Cant Win
    Younger Now
    Youtube Talent
    Zac Efron
    Zayn Malik
    Zendaya

    RSS Feed

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.