Note: this release was originally purchased as a cassette tape, later replaced by a CD.
So it's part Anita Baker and part Janet Jackson, mashed together by '90s R&B titans Antonio "L.A." Reid and Kenny "Babyface" Edmonds. Toni didn't try to copy Mariah Carey; there’s no oversinging, just a steady, calm voice fully in control. The recipe worked because this album was a veritable hit machine for years. I liked it in the '90s, I still like it in the '20s.
Press of the time:
- CashBox: "She has established herself as a female balladeer to be reckoned with"
- Billboard: "R&B/pop siren's debut album delivers"
- Rolling Stone (★★½): "Braxton has got chops and spunk"
Grammy Awards:
- Won - Best New Artist (1994)
- Won - Best Female R&B Vocal Performance (1994): Another Sad Love Song
- Won - Best Female R&B Vocal Performance (1995): Breathe Again
- Nominated - Best Female R&B Vocal Performance (1996): I Belong To You
- Nominated - Best R&B Song (1995): You Mean The World To Me
Album chart peaks:
- US Billboard 200: #1
- Billboard R&B: #1
Tracks:
| Track | Song | Hot 100 | R&B | AC | |
| 7 | Love Shoulda Brought You Home | 33 | 4 | ||
| 1 | Another Sad Love Song | 7 | 2 | 8 | |
| 2 | Breathe Again | 3 | 4 | 4 | |
| 3 | Seven Whole Days | * | |||
| 10 | You Mean The World To Me | 7 | 3 | 4 | |
| 8/9 | I Belong to You b/w How Many Ways | 28 | 6 |
*peaked at #1 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay chart.
The race for my favorite track has ended in a draw between Seven Whole Days and You Mean The World To Me.
Personal Memory Associated with this CD: I can't even remember if I bought the cassette in '93 or '94. I do remember, however, that this was one album about which neither my wife nor I complained when it was in the car stereo.
Previously revisited for the blog:
Un-break My Heart (1996)
