Libra (Toni Braxton album)

Libra is the sixth studio album by American recording artist Toni Braxton. It was released by Blackground Records on September 27, 2005 in the United States, while its international release was handled by several partners. It marked Braxton's debut on the label, following her split with longtime record company Arista Records in 2003 after the release of her album More Than a Woman (2002), which was commercially less successful than its predecessors. The album's title is a reference to Braxton's astrological sign, Libra.

Libra
Studio album by Toni Braxton
Released	September 27, 2005
Recorded	2003–2004
Studio	Various DenDiezel, Soulpower Studio, The Underlab (Los Angeles, California) Doppler Studios, Silent Sound Studios, Upstairs Studio (Atlanta, Georgia) Encore Studios (Burbank, California) The Hit Factory Criteria (Miami, Florida) Ocean Way Recording (Hollywood, Los Angeles, California) The Poolhouse (New York City, New York) The Village (West Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California)
Genre	R&B pop soul
Length	40:00
Label	Blackground
Producer	Various Braxton (exec.) Barry Hankerson (exec.) Jomo Hankerson (exec.) Vincent Herbert (exec.) Keri Lewis (also exec.) Babyface Bryan-Michael Cox Eric Dawkins Antonio Dixon Rich Harrison Steve Mac Richard Marx Cory Rooney Dan Shea Soulshock & Karlin Scott Storch The Underdogs WyldCard
Toni Braxton chronology
Breathe Again: Toni Braxton at Her Best (2005) Libra (2005) The Essential Toni Braxton (2007)
Singles from Libra
"Please" Released: May 30, 2005 "Trippin' (That's the Way Love Works)" Released: September 26, 2005 "Take This Ring" Released: December 2005 "Suddenly" Released: February 2006 "The Time of Our Lives" Released: June 15, 2006

Upon its release, the album debuted at number four on the Billboard 200 and at number two on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums, selling 114,000 copies in its first week. A steady seller, Libra gained gold status by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) on November 4, 2005, having sold over 441,000 copies to date.[1] Singles such as "Please" and "Trippin'" failed to sell or chart noticeably on both the pop and the R&B chart, though "The Time of Our Lives," Braxton's collaboration with the group Il Divo for the 2006 FIFA World Cup, prompted her German label Edel Records to re-released the album in Continental Europe in June 2006.

Background

In 1992, Braxton signed a solo recording contract with LaFace Records, a joint venture between the producing duo Antonio "L.A." Reid and Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds from former recording group The Deele, and distributor Arista Records.[2] Her subsequently released first two albums Toni Braxon (1993) and Secrets (1996) became critical and commercial hits and sold a combined 21 million copies, earning $170 million in worldwide sales.[2] By late 1996, Braxton was still waiting for fair financial rewards.[3] Her recording contract with LaFace was substantially below those of other recording artists and bound her to refund all kinds of expenses the label had financed in advance.[4] In December 1997, after learning that she had accumulated more than $1 million in debts, Braxton became embroiled in a legal dispute with LaFace,[5] when she filed a lawsuit asking to be freed from her long-term contractual obligations to the label.[6] After then being counter-sued by the label for breach of contract, the singer eventually filed for bankruptcy protection in 1998.[7] In 1999, Braxton mended her relationship with LaFace and the lawsuit was settled.[5] Soon after, she released her third album The Heat (2000). A breakaway from the ballad-heavy and adult contemporary-oriented material on her previous albums,[8] it sold four million copies worldwide and produced the Grammy Award-winning uptempo hit single "He Wasn't Man Enough."[9]

The following year, Braxton released the commercially unrecognized Christmas album Snowflakes (2001) and began work on her next album More Than a Woman. A continuation of The Heat, it saw her reteaming with a variety of famed hip hop producers and rappers such as Irv Gotti, The Neptunes, Mannie Fresh, and Loon in favor of a "harder sound."[10] In September 2002, while gearing up for the release of the album, Braxton discovered she was pregnant with her second child and she was subsequently forced to cancel many scheduled performances due to complications.[11] Executives at Arista Records were reportedly frustrated with the timing of her second pregnancy since it prevented her from doing the extensive promotion for More Than A Woman,[2] and though Braxton asked to push the album's release to 2003,[12] the label refused.[11] Released in November 2002, More Than A Woman garnered lackluster sales and failed to produce a hit single.[13] Disappointed by its performance, which Braxton attributed to the little promotion activities that the Arista management had arranged for her due to her second pregnancy, she requested her manager Barry Hankerson to obtain a release for her from any future recording obligations to the label,[14] and in March 2003, Braxton issued a press statement saying she was leaving Arista for Hankerson's Universal-distributed Blackground Records.[15] The album was pulled off of streaming services like many other Blackground albums. In 2019 the album was released as a compilation on Japan Spotify as 'Midnite'.[16]

Recording and conception

Blackground consulted Harvey Mason, Jr. of The Underdogs to work with Braxton on Libra.[17]

Breaking away from her usual formula which saw her setting up projects with a variety of music producers, Braxton began recording her Blackground Records debut exclusively with husband Keri Lewis, who she had married in 2001.[17] The former Mint Condition member had been involved to varying degrees in all of Braxton's three prior albums, also serving as an executive producer alongside Braxton and L.A. Reid on previous effort More Than a Woman (2002).[17] Together, the pair worked on several tracks for Libra, about seven or eight songs which made the first record they turned in to Blackground and was majorly done by her and Lewis.[17] However, Universal Records, Blackground's distributor in the United States at this time, was reportedly dissatisfied with the material and refused to consider releasing it.[17] Similarly, Blackground's international partners questioned the commercial appeal of the couple's ballad-heavy work.[17] While Braxton insisted on Lewis' further involvement with the album,[17] Blackground CEO Barry Hankerson requested the singer to make significant changes to Libra, prompting them to book additional recording sessions with producers such as Scott Storch, Rich Harrison and The Underdogs to place it in more hard-edged productions.[18]

Commenting on the album's modification process, Braxton expressed her uncertainty about whether her music should follow trends.[19] With the record company trying to make her sound more commercially viable, she felt pressured to approach a more uptempo, hip hop-oriented sound with the songs.[19] In an interview with The Baltimore Sun, Braxton admitted, that she was forced to put her artistry on the back burner to be more commercial on some songs: "We tried to be clever and incorporate new sounds in my old sound. It was hard at first," she said, though she also conceded: "I do wish the album had a few more slow songs. Overall, I'm satisfied."[19] While promoting Libra, she further elaborated on how her cast as a particular sort of artist influenced the genre of the album: "I'm trying to incorporate my style and still make it current, which is really, really hard with a lot of things being so hip-hop [...] When you're an African American artist, you're R&B and hip-hop, and so that's the category they put you in based on your color first. So how do I do my mainstream style of music, still be who I am without being hip-hop? Because there's not a hip-hop bone in my body."[18] With Braxton also experiencing a happy family life during the album's production, she became less involved with the songwriting on the album: "They like [to] hear a little bit more controversy, and that's not necessarily my lifestyle [...] I don't have to be seen at every party, because that's not me. I'm not an industry person. I'm not a taste-maker person. I just make a living at singing. So it's what I love. But the after-party thing, they pretty much gotta make me go."[18]

Songs

The album's first track and lead-single "Please" is produced by Scott Storch and it's an arresting danceable ballad recalling the glory moments of her early days. The second track, the ballad "Trippin' (That's the Way Love Works)", is sung in a rapping way, with fast talking where the melody isn't lost and harmonizing is inserted at the right moments.[20] The album's third track "What's Good" is a decidedly traditional ballad, Isley Brothers-esque throwback and uses a clip from Joe Sample's "In My Wildest Dreams".[20][21] The fourth track "Take This Ring" produced by Rich Harrison, is an upbeat heavily percussion driven record. An aggressive song that is balanced by well managed vocal arrangements led by unapologetic lyrics.[20] It was compared to Amerie's 1 Thing, also produced by Harrison.[22] It has drum-and-bass-heavy accusational fire.

"Suddenly", which only appears on the European edition of the album, is a relatively jazzy track.[20] It's easily comparable to How Could an Angel Break My Heart" and it features the trumpeter Chris Botti.[20] "I Wanna Be (Your Baby)" is a ballad written by Babyface and Daryl Simmon.[21] "Sposed to Be" is a "tranquil song" with a finger snapping groove.[20] The self-recriminating "Stupid" was compared to the work of Anita Baker.[21][23] "Finally" makes lyrical references to past hits like "Breathe Again".[21] "Shadowless" is an acoustic guitar ballad in which she sings about a love lost and a plea to win it back.[20]

Critical reception

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
Allmusic	[22]
Billboard	(favorable)[24]
Entertainment Weekly	B+[25]
People	[26]
Slant Magazine	[21]
Sputnikmusic	[20]
USA Today	[23]

Upon release, Libra earned generally mixed reviews from music critics, who complimented Braxton vocal performance and her return to form on the album's ballads, but were critical towards its uptempo material. In his review for USA Today, Steve Jones noted that Libra broadens "her perspective while growing increasingly feisty [...] Still, the more mature Braxton is no longer waiting around for someone else to un-break her heart."[23] Sputnikmusic was very positive with Libra, finding it "rich with serene mellow tunes," while declaring it "an album worthy of a place in your R&B collection."[20] People called it a "sumptuous fifth studio album," complimenting its balance between contemporary R&B and Braxton's "own classic sound." He added that she "is still at her husky-voiced best on signature slow jams."[26] Margeaux Watson, writing for VIBE Vixen, compared Libra with Mariah Carey's highly successful comeback album The Emancipation of Mimi (2005) and summed the album as a "welcome return to form."[27]

Allmusic editor Andy Kellman felt that "Libra offers no surprises. It's lean and balanced, just like all other Braxton albums, though too many songs are tepid and merely functional for background listening, so it winds up a safe distance from the likes of the self-titled debut and Secrets."[22] Similarly, Billboard wrote that the album "finds the singer doing what she does best: tapping into her R&B siren muse. Braxton still owns the road when it comes to slow jams [but] it's when she veers into the fast lane that things become a little uneven."[24] Sal Cinquemani wrote a mixed review for Slant Magazine, writing that "while Braxton meshed impeccably with her hip-hop counterparts on More Than A Woman, her collaboration with Rich Harrison sounds forced, even desperate. And with the Babyface and Daryl Simmons-penned "I Wanna Be (Your Baby)", the team that once delivered multiple R&B classics all on one Braxton record struggles to produce just one for their old friend here."[21]

Commercial performance

Libra debuted at number four on the US Billboard 200 for the issue dated ending October 5, with 114,000 copies sold.[28] Braxton's fourth top five entry, it marked a significant lift for the singer, whose previous release More Than a Woman (2002) had opened at number 13 with first week sales of 98,000 copies.[28] In addition, Libra opened at number two on Billboard's Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart.[28] The album sold 355,000 copies within its first five months on release, and has since sold 441,000 units in the United States.[29] In November 2005, it was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) for the shipment of over 500,000 copies in the United States.[29]

The album would remain Braxton's only release with Blackground Records. In January 2007, she sued label head Barry Hankerson, claiming that he owed her at least $10 million for maneuvering to have her abandon her long relationship with Arista and jump to his own record label.[30] He reportedly duped Braxton into signing a multi-album deal with Blackground, only to deprive the singer of her rights under the recording agreement by failing to send her accounting statements and by lying about deals he had made.[30] The lawsuit was settled in February 2007 after Braxton's agreed on returning a $375,000 advance and paying royalties from her next album to Hankerson.[31] An ABC News article, published in 2012, revealed Braxton's discontent with the success of the project when asked about the commercial failure of her albums from the mid to late 2000s, including Libra: "Those albums – that's like that one-night stand that you don't want to talk about," she said. "You don't want anyone to know about those records that didn't do well. I had a few of those. Definitely a few."[13]

Track listing

Libra – Standard edition[32]

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Producer(s)	Length
1.	"Please"	Scott Storch Makeba Riddick Vincent Herbert Kameron Houff	Storch Keri Lewis^[C]	3:57
2.	"Trippin' (That's the Way Love Works)"	Bryan-Michael Cox Kendrick Dean Johnta Austin Braxton	Cox Lewis^[A] WyldCard^[B]	4:05
3.	"What's Good"	Cox Austin Braxton Joe Sample	Cox Lewis^[A]	4:14
4.	"Take This Ring"	Rich Harrison	Harrison	4:35
5.	"Midnite"	Carsten Schack Kenneth Karlin Harold Lilly	Soulshock & Karlin	4:11
6.	"I Wanna Be (Your Baby)"	Harvey Mason, Jr. Damon Thomas Kenneth Edmonds Daryl Simmons	The Underdogs Babyface	3:48
7.	"Sposed to Be"	Antonio Dixon Keri Hilson Patrick Smith Mason Thomas	Dixon Lewis^[C]	4:07
8.	"Stupid"	Cory Rooney Braxton Lewis	Rooney Lewis Dan Shea	3:36
9.	"Finally"	Mason Thomas Dixon Eric Dawkins Durrell Babbs	Dixon Lewis^[C] Eric Dawkins^[C]	3:30
10.	"Shadowless"	Alex Cantrall Philip White	Lewis	3:57

Walmart bonus track

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Producer(s)	Length
11.	"Places"	Schack Karlin Cantrell Lindy Robbins Robert Math	Soulshock & Karlin	4:02

Circuit City digital download bonus track

No.	Title	Length
11.	"Happily Unhappy"	6;18

Libra – European edition[33]

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Producer(s)	Length
1.	"Please"	Storch Riddick Herbert Houff	Storch Lewis^[C]	3:57
2.	"Trippin' (That's the Way Love Works)"	Cox Dean Austin Braxton	Cox Lewis^[A] WyldCard^[B]	4:05
3.	"What's Good"	Cox Austin Braxton Sample	Cox Lewis^[A]	4:14
4.	"Suddenly"	Richard Marx	Marx	4:43
5.	"Take This Ring"	Harrison	Harrison	4:35
6.	"Midnite"	Schack Karlin Lilly	Soulshock & Karlin	4:11
7.	"I Wanna Be (Your Baby)"	Mason Thomas Edmonds Simmons	The Underdogs Babyface	3:48
8.	"Sposed to Be"	Dixon Hilson Smith Mason Thomas	Dixon	4:07
9.	"Stupid"	Rooney Braxton Lewis	Rooney Lewis Shea	3:36
10.	"Finally"	Mason Thomas Dixon Dawkins Babbs	Dixon	3:30
11.	"I Hate You"	Mason Thomas Dixon Dawkins Edmonds	The Underdogs	4:01
12.	"Shadowless"	Cantrell White	Lewis	3:57
13.	"Long Way Home"	Schack Karlin Cantrell White	Soulshock & Karlin	4:32

Re-release bonus track

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Producer(s)	Length
14.	"The Time of Our Lives" (with Il Divo)	Jörgen Elofsson	Steve Mac	4:39

Notes

• ^{^[A]} denotes co-producer
• ^{^[B]} denotes additional producer
• ^{^[C]} denotes vocal producer

Sample credits

• "What's Good" contains a sample of "In All My Wildest Dreams" by Joe Sample
• "Take This Ring" contains a sample of "Here Comes the Meter Man" by The Meters, written by Leo Nocentelli, Art Neville, George Porter, Jr., and Joseph Modeliste.

Personnel

Toni Braxton – vocals; backing vocals (tracks 1–3, 5–9); executive producer Johnta Austin – backing vocals (tracks 2, 3) Babyface – producer, backing vocals, performer (track 6) Nuno Bettencourt – guitar (track 10) Steve Mac – producer (track 14) Susan Blonde – publicity Tamar Braxton – backing vocals (tracks 1–3, 5–9) David Brokaw – publicity Braddon Williams – engineer (track 14) Marie Brown – hair stylist Terrence Cash – assistant engineer Fran Cooper – make-up Bryan-Michael Cox – producer (tracks 2, 3); instrumentation (track 3) Eric Dawkins – backing vocals (track 6); vocal producer (track 9) Kendrick "WyldCard" Dean – strings, additional producer (track 2) Antonio Dixon – producer, performer (track 7, 9) Gerard Dure – hair stylist Daniela Federici – photography Brad Fisher – legal representation Paul Foley – engineer (track 4, 10) Morgan Garcia – engineer (track 3); assistant engineer Chris Gehringer – mastering (track 1) Gene Grimaldi – mastering Mike Guidotti – assistant engineer Barry Hankerson – executive producer Heather Hankerson – creative director Jomo Hankerson – executive producer Rich Harrison – producer, instrumentation (track 4) Dabling "Hobby Boy" Harward – engineer, editing (tracks 6, 9) Vincent Herbert – executive producer Keri Hilson – backing vocals (tracks 1, 7)

Kameron Houff – engineer (track 1) Tavia Ivy – backing vocals (track 6) Dave Arch – string arrangements (track 14) Kim Johnson – backing vocals (tracks 1, 9) Karlin – producer, arranger, instrumentation (track 5) Tom Kelly – engineer, editing (track 7) Thom "TK" Kidd – engineer, editing (track 7) Saro Lyn Killian – assistant engineer Keri Lewis – producer (tracks 8, 10); co-producer (tracks 2, 3); executive producer; additional keyboards, mixing, programming (track 8); vocal producer (tracks 1, 7, 9) Jonathan Mannion – photography Manny Marroquin – mixing (tracks 5, 10) Ren Swan – mixing (track 14) Michael Muller – photography Greg Phillinganes – piano (track 6) John Ricard – photography Makeba Riddick – backing vocals (track 1) Cory Rooney – producer, arranger, programming, piano (track 8) Dave "Natural Love" Russell – mixing (tracks 1, 4, 6, 7, 9); engineer, editing (tracks 6, 9) Dan Shea – producer, programming, guitar, piano (track 8) Latrelle Simmons – backing vocals (track 6) Siete – guitar (track 2) Rob Skipworth – assistant engineer, editing assistant Soulshock – producer, arranger, instrumentation, mixing (track 5) Sean Spellman – stylist Gary Stiffelman – legal representation Scott Storch – producer (track 1) Anthony Terrabonne – assistant engineer Sam Thomas – engineer (track 2); mixing (tracks 2, 3) The Underdogs – producers, performers (track 6) S. Wade – art design

Charts

Weekly charts Chart (2005) Peak position German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[34] 60 Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)[35] 25 US Billboard 200[36] 4 US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard)[37] 2

Year-end charts Chart (2005) Position US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard)[38] 68 Chart (2006) Position US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard)[39] 99

Certifications

Region	Certification	Certified units/sales
United States (RIAA)[40]	Gold	500,000^^
^^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

Release history

Region	Date	Label
United States	September 27, 2005	Blackground Records
Europe	October 21, 2005	Edel Records
	June 23, 2006 (re-release)

References

1. "RIAA – Gold & Platinum". Recording Industry Association of America. November 4, 2005. Retrieved January 27, 2009.
2. Morgan, Joan (2002-12-01). "Fully Exposed". Vibe. Retrieved 2012-12-23.
3. "Toni Braxton Files For Bankruptcy". MTV News. Viacom. 1998-02-02. Retrieved 2012-12-24.
4. Mokoena, Tshepo (2015-07-15). "Riches to Rags: A Brief History of Bankruptcy in Pop". The Guardian. Retrieved 2012-12-24.
5. "Toni Braxton Back On Top After Bankruptcy". Jet. 2000-02-17. Retrieved 2012-12-23.
6. Tannenbaum, Rob. "L.A. Comes to New York". New York. Retrieved 2012-12-23.
7. "Toni Braxton Settles With LaFace Records, Starts Work On Album". MTV News. Viacom. 1999-01-13. Retrieved 2012-12-23.
8. Davis, Clive (19 February 2013). The Soundtrack of My Life. ISBN 9781476714806. Retrieved February 18, 2016.
9. "Toni Braxton Tops R&B Albums, Singles Charts". MTV News. Viacom. May 4, 2000. Retrieved May 24, 2014.
10. Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. More Than a Woman - Toni Braxton at AllMusic. Retrieved 2012-02-17.
11. "Is Toni Braxton Pregrant Again?". Groovevolt.com. 2002-09-13. Archived from the original on 2002-12-26. Retrieved 2012-12-23.
12. VH1 Inside Out – Toni Braxton: Family Comes First (Television production). United States: VH1. 2002.
13. Diaz, Joseph (2012-11-30). "Confessions of a Diva: Toni Braxton Reveals Story Behind Bankruptcy Headlines". ABC News. Retrieved 2016-12-24.
14. Neumeister, Larry (2007-01-12). "Toni Braxton Sues Her Former Manager". The Washington Post. Retrieved 2016-12-24.
15. "Toni Braxton Splits Arista, Inks With Blackground". Billboard. 2003-03-14. Retrieved 2016-12-24.
16. Midnite, retrieved 2020-09-10
17. Pryor, DeBorah B. (2007-03-01). "Music Mogul Dished On Toni Braxton". EURweb.com. Retrieved 2012-12-26.
18. Gordon, Ed (2005-09-23). "'Libra': The Latest Sound from Toni Braxton". NPR. Retrieved 2012-12-26.
19. Ollison, Rashod O. (2005-09-25). "Toni Braxton's Back, With A Pretty Please". The Baltimore Sun. Retrieved 2012-12-26.
20. K, Jazzy (March 6, 2006). "Toni Braxton: Libra (album review) - Sputnikmusic". Sputnikmusic. Retrieved February 20, 2012.
21. Cinquemani, Sal (September 24, 2005). "Toni Braxton: Libra - Music Review - Slant Magazine". Slant Magazine. Retrieved July 23, 2011.
22. Kellman, Andy (September 27, 2005). "Libra - Toni Braxton - Allmusic". Allmusic - Rovi Corporation. Retrieved July 23, 2011.
23. Jones, Steve (September 26, 2005). "'Jacked Up' Wilson defies stereotypes". USA Today. Retrieved July 23, 2011.
24. "Reviews – Spotlights & Albums". Billboard. 2005-10-01. Retrieved 2016-12-27.
25. "Libra Review". Entertainment Weekly: 155. October 14, 2005.
26. Arnold, Chuck; Novak, Ralph (October 17, 2005). "Picks and Pans Review: Toni Braxton (Libra)". People. Retrieved April 8, 2013.
27. Watson, Margeaux (2005). "Taster's Choice – Not-to-be-missed Releases For Fall". VIBE Vixen. Retrieved 2016-12-27.
28. Mar, Alex (2005-10-05). "Gretchen Wilson, Sheryl Crow Are Tops on the Chart". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 2016-12-27.
29. Maza, Erik (2011-04-11). "Midnight Sun: Toni Braxton's decade-long sales slump". The Baltimore Sun. Retrieved 2016-11-11.
30. Neumeister, Larry (2007-01-12). "Toni Braxton Sues Her Former Manager". The Washington Post. Retrieved 2016-12-27.
31. "Braxton Settles Lawsuit Against Ex-Manager". Billboard. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. 2007-02-14. Retrieved 2016-12-25.
32. "Libra by Toni Braxton". Amazon. com (US). Retrieved 2016-11-02.
33. "Libra by Toni Braxton". Amazon. com (DE). Retrieved 2016-11-02.
34. "Longplay-Chartverfolgung at Musicline" (in German). Musicline.de. Phononet GmbH. Retrieved March 6, 2015.
35. "Swisscharts.com – Toni Braxton – Libra". Hung Medien. Retrieved March 6, 2015.
36. "Toni Braxton Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved March 6, 2015.
37. "Toni Braxton Chart History (Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved March 6, 2015.
38. "Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums – Year-End 2005". Billboard. Retrieved August 9, 2020.
39. "Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums – Year-End 2006". Billboard. Retrieved August 9, 2020.
40. "American album certifications – Toni Braxton – Libra". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved 2016-12-27. If necessary, click Advanced, then click Format, then select Album, then click SEARCH. 

External links

• Libra at Discogs (list of releases)