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Have Yourself A Very Toni Christmas
10/26/2001 9:00 PM, Yahoo! Music
Adell Henderson
Right now, autumn leaves are falling in October, but it's only a matter of time before they'll be blanketed by snow falling from the chilly winter sky. Just the thought of Old Man Winter paying a visit brings to mind the happy times we've shared with loved ones during the holiday season, and after this year, those fond memories are sure to include six-time Grammy-winner Toni Braxton's new Christmas album, Snowflakes.
It's been nearly a decade since the world first laid eyes and ears upon the sexsational Braxton, while she was dueting with Babyface on "Give You My Heart," the lead single from Eddie Murphy's 1992 romantic comedy Boomerang. That soundtrack also conveniently featured her follow-up smash, "Love Should've Brought You Home Last Night," and since then she's been able to maintain consistent multiplatinum success with her 1993 self-titled debut, 1996's Secrets, and 2000's triumphant comeback The Heat.
But it hasn't all been good times and good fortune for the sassy Severn, Maryland native. In the late '90s, she survived three traumatic years of what she describes as being "broke, dumped, and pimped"; this unhappy period in year life reached its nadir when she filed for bankruptcy in 1998. Fortunately, a wiser and more focused Toni was able to settle her disputes, renegotiate her contract with her label LaFace, and get true peace of mind. Earlier this year, she co-starred in her first feature film, Doug Mc Henry's comedy Kingdom Come, alongside LL Cool J, Vivica A. Fox, and Jada Pinkett-Smith; she also recently wed collaborating producer and good friend Keri Lewis (formally of the R&B band Mint Condition), and the two are expecting their first child soon.
Somehow during her pregnancy and always hectic schedule, Braxton managed to find time to team up with her new hubby, along with other close relatives and friends, to record Snowflakes, a holiday album of new songs as well as some classic holiday tunes we've all grown to know and love. The set opens up with the blissful midtempo burner "Holiday Celebrate," co-written and produced by Lewis and Braxton (who shared those responsibilities throughout most of the project). Longtime reggae-pop phenomenon Shaggy makes his presence felt on "Christmas In Jamaica," which was inspired by Toni's childhood dream of spending Christmas on a tropical island in exchange for one of her many cold winter nights back in Maryland. Babyface comes through on "This Time Next Year," another sad love song he penned and produced for his former protégé; the song also features background vocals from Chanté Moore. And, of course, Christmas just wouldn't be Christmas without timeless tunes like "Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas," "Christmas Time Is Here" (the theme from Toni's favorite holiday special, A Charlie Brown Christmas), and "The Christmas Song" (produced by Arista Records top gun L.A. Reid). Although Christmas albums have been recorded many times, many ways, Toni's dreamy, soothing vocals fit the format like a glove, making Snowflakes an album sure to be enjoyed for many seasons to come.
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