It All Started With a Purr.

Not quite the kind of vocal purr that Eartha Kitt famously once possessed. This purr was vastly different: vaguely androgynous, with a fry that would horrify most experienced vocal coaches, yet intrinsically worked for her. The purr was deep. One now disgraced singer once facetiously quipped that the owner sounded like “the female Elvis.” This proved to be untrue, as the purr was strangely feminine and unmistakably seductive, yet tinged with an innate and sometimes guttural hint of pain. It was deceptive, mostly coming from the proverbial “basement” of the owner’s register, while seemingly out of nowhere, reaching a falsetto a singer like that rarely has in their wheelhouse.

Church Girl

When the owner of this vocal purr, a diminutive 25-year-old woman hailing from Severn, Maryland, linked up with pioneering singer-songwriter Kenneth “Babyface” Edmonds, what resulted was not only one of the most enduring musical partnerships of all time but one of the greatest debut albums the world has ever seen. In July 1993, Toni Michele Braxton arrived and proved she was here to stay.

By the time her self-titled debut album dropped, Toni Braxton up until that point had lived a life that was a far cry from the glitz and glamor of Hollywood. Born the first of six children, Braxton had grown up with the strict religious teachings of her clergyman father, and under the restrictive tutelage of her mother. She’d known minimal success previously, as along with her four sisters, she served as the lead singer of the original incarnation of the R&B group, The Braxtons. While it was obvious that the sisters were talented to varying degrees, it was Toni who was the unmistakable star.

A “Musical Marriage”

By 1993, Kenneth Edmonds and L.A. Reid had found a way to exploit their new star’s talents in the best way possible. It began of course, with the music. Recording of the album began just under a year earlier in Atlanta, where by that point, Braxton had already recorded her duet with Edmonds, “Give U My Heart” and her first solo single “Love Shoulda Brought You Home”, both for the soundtrack to the 1992 film, Boomerang. Love as it turned out, would be the album’s center-point, as the work perfectly embodies the ebbs and flows of relationships. We take a seamless journey throughout a love story in its different phases.

With a relatable ear, we journey with Braxton as she girlishly describes “the honeymoon phase” in tracks such as “How Many Ways” (Shemar Moore, anyone?), “Best Friend,” “I Belong To You” and “Candlelight.” We feel through her the emotional uncertainty during rougher times with “You Mean The World To Me.” We even condoned more immoral behavior from Toni, as she coyly entertains the thought of infidelity in “Love Affair,” just because it was so damn sexy. Come on, when she sings the line, “I have a boyfrieeeennnd!” you can’t tell me that you didn’t want her to choose chaos, and cheat!

The Boomerang Effect

There is a strong chance that you’ve seen your mamas or your aunties recreating the famous scene in Boomerang, in which Halle Berry’s Angela “muffs” Eddie Murphy’s Marcus in the forehead, while cooly saying, “Loooove, shoulda brought your ass HOME last night!” – an obvious reference and evidence of the aforementioned track’s impact. Continuing that wave of accountability, the track “Seven Whole Days” sees Braxton sassing her man ALL the way together. Flanked by her younger sisters (R.I.P. Tracie), this visual is easily my favorite of the era. By the time we reach the stage of full-on heartache with songs like “Another Sad Love Song” (one of my absolute favorite songs of all time), and “Breathe Again,” we’ve run the whole emotional gamut that one can expect in a romantic relationship.

Living Legend

With one stroke of the proverbial wands of Babyface and L.A. Reid, Toni “Living Legend” Braxton had arrived. By shedding her homely Maryland aesthetic – repackaged as a tantalizing, lovesick R&B goddess – she easily stood toe-to-toe with her admitted influences of Anita Baker and Sade. With the sensual stage presence of a 1940s torch singer, Braxton quickly developed a sex appeal that rivaled her contemporaries Janet Jackson, Mariah Carey, and Whitney Houston.

Donning her iconic pixie cut, denim jeans, bold red lipstick, and black leather jacket on the album’s cover, Braxton would go on to shift not only what an R&B diva looks like, but would shatter the whole notion of what one is. Toni Braxton’s debut album, which would go on to nab her three GRAMMYs including one for Best New Artist, easily rendered the newcomer as one of the most commercially viable artists of the 1990s. The little plain girl from Severn, Maryland with the funny purr in her voice went on to become a living legend because she has one of the most distinguishable voices of all time.

Listen to or purchase Toni Braxton’s debut album

The post Big Purr: The Debut of Toni Braxton appeared first on THE 97.

Six years ago, I ventured to New Orleans for my first visit to the city, my first Janet Jackson concert, and my first Essence Music Festival experience. Make no mistake of it – I was there for Janet (as well as Monica and Chrisette Michele). However, after my first, one-night-only Essence experience I vowed that one day I would return for an entire weekend. And, for the last 6 years I waited for the right moment… and there were many times I was tempted, but for one reason or another, I did not return until this year.

The stars seemed to align: I wasn’t working this summer, my favorite diva was headlining alongside Kendrick Lamar and Maxwell, and it had been 3 years since my last visit to New Orleans, one of my favorite cities (I went in 2013; not for Essence). I wanted to see Mariah’s Vegas show again this summer, but I didn’t really want to go to Vegas again – this seemed like the perfect compromise. Plus, I found an affordable flight from my local airport (Islip) instead of NYC, so I decided to go and take my mother along with me.

Friday, July 1st

We arrived to New Orleans at 11:20am and I saw a tweet from one of my other favorite artists, Michelle Williams, that she’d be performing at the Convention Center in 20 minutes. I was in an Uber, nearly arriving at our AirBNB. When we arrived, we quickly freshened up and hopped in another Uber to the convention center in hopes of catching Michelle. Unfortunately we missed her performance, but were able to catch her moderating a panel later that afternoon, as well as another panel moderated by Melissa Harris Perry. Both were wonderful experiences. Aside from that, we wandered the convention center and checked out all the booths and what not they had available. I bought the Walmart exclusive version of Maxwell’s new album, and got a wristband for his meet and greet the next day. A success? I thought so.

Next, we had dinner and then headed to the Superdome to catch the first performer we wanted to see: Faith Evans. Faith came out and did a set of the hits you’d expect, like “Soon As I Get Home” and “Love Like This” – It was barely 7pm and we were already lit. Faith killed it and brought out Keke Wyatt to slay some ad-libs on “Love Like This.” So far, damn good. Next, we rushed over to the Ford Superlounge to catch the end of Tweet’s set, and then rushed back to the MainStage to learn that Tyrese wasn’t coming to perform his 7:30 set. As a consolation prize, we got to see Avery Wilson. Not only is he bae, but the boy can sing and play his guitar too – so, he definitely gained a new fan (side note: I walked past him on the street on Saturday but of course he was in the middle of a conversation and I didn’t want to be rude).

After the disappointing absence of Tyrese, we went to see The Internet for a bit in the Ford Superlounge (I wasn’t too impressed, tbh), then headed to see Daley in the Coca-Cola Hip-Hop Superlounge (even though… he isn’t hip-hop, but whatever); I had never heard any of his music, but he came highly recommended by my friend Shannon. He was awesome, and did a killer Prince tribute too.

Then, we rushed back to the MainStage to see Babyface. To be honest, the start of his set was a bit of a snooze, until he broke into a medley of hits he wrote for other artists. Then it got a little awkward when he started doing a string of New Edition songs… when New Edition was the next artist on the schedule for the MainStage. I was a bit lost, but Babyface killed it. Though, it came off a little arrogant, like “yeah I wrote these songs.” He ended his set with a Forest Gump-esque run through the floor of the Superdome, singing “End of the Road.” He unbuttoned his shirt and hopped off the stage and BOLTED through the crowd like someone was chasing him. It was hilarious, albeit a bit odd. But, do you, Kenny, do you…

When Babyface was done with his nightly workout, we continued ours by rushing over to the Walmart “For the Love of R&B” Superlounge where we caught the end of Estelle’s set. Luckily, we caught her for the two songs I wanted to see the most: “Conqueror” and “American Boy” as well as another old favorite “Thank You” and a new favorite “Something Good.” I’ve always been a casual fan of Estelle’s, but this was Part 1 of me becoming a now-big-fan of hers. More on that to come.

When Estelle was done, we went back to the MainStage to watch New Edition. Admittedly, I only knew a few of their songs, but they put on a great show. The one song I knew 100% was “Poison” and I was expectedly turnt up for that performance. The men of New Edition could still sing, move, and make the crowd go wild. Undoubtedly, it was full of women who loved them in their teenage years – my mother included! Following New Edition, was headliner Maxwell. Just as he did when I saw him on Valentine’s Day, he put on a fantastic performance filled with great vocals, energy and that classic grown and sexy vibe you’d expect. Maxwell did not disappoint, and we went home exhausted!

Saturday, July 2nd

Now, originally, I didn’t plan to show up to the Superdome until 8:00 for Common, but after a long day in the heat and Estelle’s prompt slayage the night before, I wanted to skip over by 6:45 to catch her for a second time. She slayed the MainStage, and then we headed over to see her one last time. This time, she was hosting a performance in the Essence Global Stage Superlounge, featuring up and coming artist Lady LeShurr. A young female rapper from the UK, LeShurr put on a great performance and definitely has skills. I plan to look into her music further when I get the chance. However, this set was extra special for me because… while we were waiting for LeShurr to take the stage, Estelle was trying to hype up the (small) crowd and I yelled out, “come down here with us!” Estelle, misunderstanding me, thought I wanted to come up on the stage with her… so she told me to! And, well, when a diva tells you to get on stage you can’t say so – so I went! I was super embarrassed, because I am not much of a dancer, but luckily a girl standing next to me came along for moral support. Estelle taught us some dance moves, pulled two more girls up on stage, and we had fun. We even took a selfie on Estelle’s iPhone (that I am still waiting for her to upload!). Before we walked off stage, Estelle gave me a hug and a kiss on the cheek and my day was MADE. Estelle has left a permanent mark on my heart; she was so down to earth, sweet, and is, of course, super-talented.

Unfortunately, we had to leave Estelle’s event a bit early – to catch Common. I was so excited when he was announced as an additional performer for Essence because I am a big fan, but have never seen him live. I had tickets to see him in 2011 – in Paris – but I missed the show. You see, the venue it was supposed to be in burned down and I, because I don’t speak French nor follow French news, was unaware that it had been rescheduled for a different venue on a different day. The problem was, I found out after it had already happened – when I arrived to the burned down theater, very confused… it turned out the show happened a few days prior, on the same night that I was at a Trey Songz concert. So yeah; 5 years later, I was hype to finally be seeing Common. As expected, his set was great (though, unfortunately short) and he squeezed in a number of classics, like “Come Close,” “The Light,” “I Used to Love Her” and Oscar winning “Glory.” I was happy to have gotten a taste of what a Common show is like, but I’m gonna need him to go on tour soon so I can get the full experience. Preferably, in a venue not prone to fires…

After Common’s set finished, we walked around to the Superlounges to catch a bit of Doug E. Fresh and Lalah Hathaway’s performances. Unfortunately, we weren’t able to catch either in full. Though, it was cool to see Doug E. Fresh do live beat boxing, and get a sampling of Ms. Hathaway’s amazing vocals. We worked our way back to the MainStage to see Uncle Charlie do his thing before, the highlight of my weekend – Ms. Carey. Uncle Charlie had the crowd expectedly hype as he slid through his Gap Band classics and otherwise. While I don’t really know many of his songs either, its impossible not to enjoy his performance.

Finally, after being a half hour late, Mariah took the stage at 11:30. She started off with “Shake It Off” followed by “It’s Like That,” a welcomed change from the Vegas setlist. She brought out special guest Jermaine Dupri for “It’s Like That,” and again for the “Honey” So So Def Remix, for which she also brought Da Brat to the stage. Mimi had the crowd up and turnt more than they probably expected her to. Then, she slayed the vocals in a series of moments via “Don’t Forget About Us” (the climax!!!) “My All” (ALL OF IT!!!) and “Vision of Love” (the END! LAWD!). There were numerous people around me yasssing up a storm for MC’s vocals, clearly impressed. Certainly, Mariah cemented her status as a vocal force in front of the Superdome crowd of around 60,000. I live streamed the whole show, so be sure to check out the videos on our Facebook page.

Sunday, July 3rd

Bittersweet, Sunday marked our last day in New Orleans and the last day of the Essence Festival. We started at the Convention Center again to see Keke Wyatt, a surprise from Chrisette Michele, Yolanda Adams and Ledisi performing to honor the Clark Sisters. We even ran into a surprise performance by Mario on the CenterStage.  Then, we got dinner before heading to the Superdome for the Prince Tribute. It featured Prince’s band the New Power Generation and performances from Luke James, Larry Graham, Marsha Ambrosias, Ashling Cole, and Doug E. Fresh. It ended with a New Orleans themed Second Line down the floor of the Superdome. It was a well-orchestrated tribute, for sure.

Following the Prince Tribute was Andra Day. With her old school mic, classic beauty, and soulful vocals, Andra proved just why she is one of music’s most praised new acts through her immense talent that shined on the MainStage. By the time Andra finished, there wasn’t much time between her set and Ciara’s, so we grabbed some cake and rushed back to see Ciara in all her back-bending glory. She started by trying to push some of her newer music I didn’t know, but then quickly jumped into slaying hits like “Promise,” “Like a Boy,” and “Goodies.” She delivered on the dance front, and respectably did not mime; opting instead for live vocals despite how shaky she might’ve sounded. Regardless, Ciara put on an excellent show and is certainly an energetic entertainer.

Next up was Kendrick Lamar, fresh off the heels of an Earth-shattering performance with Beyoncé at the BET Awards, hip-hop’s Top Dawg did not disappoint. He came out with the intensity you’d expect, barreling through a set of some of his hottest tracks; from “Backseat Freestyle,” “Swimming Pools,” “Hood Politics,” to “Bitch Don’t Kill My Vibe,” the energy remained high all the way to the fitting closer, “Alright.” At a festival celebrating Black music, “Alright” made for the perfect moment.

Bouncing to perhaps the opposite side of the hip-hop spectrum, the Festival closed with Puff Daddy and the Family’s Bad Boy 20th anniversary set. As expected, Diddy, Puffy, whatever he wants to be called today, turned the Festival into a party by doing what he does best – being the hype man. His special guests were indeed the highlights – 112 ran through their string of hits, as well as Faith Evans returning to the stage. French Montana represented the new Bad Boy, meanwhile, the highlight of the set for sure, was Ma$e performing his mid-90s hits and, of course, the homages to Biggie. The emotional end to Essence Festival came with the Family’s performance of “I’ll Be Missing You,” the 1997 classic and Bad Boy’s biggest hit. And, indeed, I’ll be missing the Essence Festival… until next year; hopefully!

I have been to a few music festivals, and I’ve heard about plenty more, but there is no festival out there that is as organized and well-done as Essence. It is in the perfect location – both its city and its venue. The Superdome allows for there to be five stages running simultaneously without the sound ever mixing or disrupting the other stages. As well, you get your own seat for the MainStage and don’t have to fight anyone in any insane crowd or line. The SuperLounges do require you to stand, but the Festival has such a chill, mature atmosphere that you’ll never feel overwhelmed. I got a taste of it in 2010, but after a full weekend’s experience, I am hooked. Provided the lineup is as great as it was this year, I’ll be back next year for sure. No other festival compares.

Again, please check our Facebook page for more videos from the Festival, being uploaded throughout the day!

The post ESSENCE: Highlights from music’s best festival appeared first on THE 97.

In 1993, Toni Braxton strutted onto the scene with a sultry voice and a seeming penchant for sad love songs. She quickly became an R&B superstar and racked up the hits. Naturally, the follow up to her debut was hotly anticipated, coming three years after her debut, arriving on June 18th, 1996. Secrets went on to become Toni’s most successful set, spawning two #1 singles and an 8x platinum certification from the RIAA. She had successfully avoided the sophomore slump – both in the creative and commercial sense of the phrase. In many ways, Secrets defined Ms. Braxton’s sound from that point on and at the same time made her a household name around the world. Label and financial dramas aside, Secrets was the commercial highlight of Toni’s career and, likely for many fans, the musical highlight too. To honor this phenomenal body of work, THE 97 writers Mario and Vincent will take a look at Toni Braxton’s Secrets, track-by-track.

Secrets opens up with the bop that is “Come on Over Here.” This R&B jam slides into your speakers, and is a perfect mix of what made Toni’s debut great, yet what Secrets did to set her apart from the standard R&B sound. It makes for the perfect transition – it sounded old school, yet modern all the while having an extra layer of uniqueness in Toni’s signature low tones. Such notions continued on the album’s second track and lead single, “You’re Making Me High.” Inspired by the mid-90s explosion of hip-hop-influenced R&B tracks, “You’re Making Me High” took on a more hard, hip-hop-inspired bassline as well as a bit of Janet Jackson-esque sexual exploration. Rumor has it that Toni was also alluding to the use of marijuana. However, the song comes off as a not-so-subtle innuendo and drips sexiness. Her sultry voice and the damn near sticky lyrics made for one of 90s music’s greatest moments in sexual liberation. With “You’re Making Me High,” Toni shed any expectations that she was a good, innocent church girl from the South. And she never looked back.

Toni’s chief collaborator, Babyface, in fact, did write “High,” but the following track “There’s No Me Without You” was more of what you’d expect of him. The fact that Babyface can write an R&B song is not a secret. This song is reminiscent in some ways of Kenny’s own “When Can I See You” in terms of tempo and sound, but it’s a great song for Toni to display the beautiful and rich low tones of her voice. Just further confirmation of the magic the Babyface-Braxton duo could create in the 90s.

The next track on Toni Braxton’s Secrets is of course its centerpiece for many casual fans. There’s always that one song that an artist doesn’t like but ends up being a favorite for the public and a huge success. “Un-Break My Heart” is it for Toni. Written by Diane Warren and produced by David Foster, this song was presented to LA Reid and Babyface, who immediately felt it was going to be a big hit. Toni has admitted that she wasn’t initially fond of it, but she eventually decided to record it and when it was released as a single, it had an immediate reaction from the public. “Un-Break My Heart” is now widely considered the Toni Braxton record, her signature song. It’s the number that closes her concerts and the song that’s widely associated with her. The soaring production, the dramatic lyrics about a lost love, and the pristine vocal performance make it an undisputed Pop classic.

Perhaps a total opposite of “Un-Break My Heart,” is its follow-up in Toni Braxton’s Secrets tracklisting, the totally not-Pop “Talking in His Sleep.” With lyrics penned by Toni herself, “Talking in His Sleep” calls to mind the atmosphere of a jazz bar or speakeasy with smoke in the air, cocktails in hand, and a single spotlight on an R&B crooner upon the stage. Here, that crooner is of course Toni. She delivers a half-spoken monologue about her lover who’s talking in his sleep about his infidelity. Musically, it recalls “Seven Whole Days” from her debut, but its lyrics and delivery act as a predecessor to “Just Be a Man About It” from her third album, 2000’s The Heat.  It is a unique standout from the album both in style and quality.

Though, she didn’t stray too far. While Toni found “Un-Break My Heart” to be “very Disney,” well… “How Could an Angel Break My Heart” is perhaps the most Disney moment on Secrets and is the only other song she co-penned on the album. That doesn’t mean, however, that this song hasn’t become one of her most recognizable songs, and Kenny G’s saxophone feature contributed to making the atmosphere even more magical. Make sure not to miss the music video if you feel like living in a fairytale for a few minutes.

Meanwhile, “Find Me A Man” is probably the weakest link of the album. It just doesn’t feel as inspired as the rest of the tracks do, but it’s still a good song and the good thing about classic albums like this one is that even the tracks that may feel like “fillers” have their strong points. Here, it’s definitely Toni’s vocals that elevate an otherwise by the numbers song and give enough reason not to just skip on to the next one.

Though, it wouldn’t be a bad choice to skip onto the masterpiece that is “Let It Flow.” Lifted from the Waiting to Exhale soundtrack, “Flow” is yet another classic in Toni’s catalog. If someone were to ask for a song that defines Babyface’s sound in the 90s, “Let It Flow” would work. If someone were to ask to define Toni Braxton’s sound in the 90s, “Let It Flow” would work. So, similarly, if someone asked for a song that encapsulated 90s R&B in general – “Let It Flow” would work. A rare spot in Toni’s catalog up until that point, “Let It Flow” was unique in that it was a bit uplifting and inspirational rather than being simply sad, longing, and yearning for love lost or unattainable.

However, good habits don’t die easily. Surprisingly, the sensuality of Toni’s voice is fully displayed on “Why Should I Care,” despite being about love gone wrong. It’s one of the best songs Babyface created for her because it combines the sultriness of Toni’s instrument and the unique way she has of delivering a song about heartbreak. Here, she’s completely dismissing an ex-lover but totally keeping her composure. This song has some of Babyface’s finest production moments. There’s a certain warmth and richness to the track that he created that just captures you.

And, in fact, Toni and Babyface had captured us for the last four songs, in succession, without the appearance of any other writers or producers. Possibly in a cheeky choice of tracklisting, the next track, written and produced by R. Kelly, was a literal antithesis to Toni’s work with Babyface – sort of. Before Ne-Yo was “So Sick” in 2006, 1996’s “I Don’t Want To” found Toni not wanting to sing another sad song but in all actuality, that’s what the song turned out to be. While R. Kelly’s style was not very much different from Babyface’s in all honesty, it was different enough to make for yet another standout (and single) from Secrets. 

Indeed, the great thing about Toni Braxton’s Secrets is that while the majority of it was curated by the same team, there are still some great songs that came from other writers and producers. “I Love Me Some Him” is yet another song on the album that doesn’t bear the Babyface signature and yet it’s one of the strongest tracks. It’s so incredibly 90s in its sound and theme that every time you play it, you can’t help but feel nostalgic. This is one of those songs that should never be left out of a throwback playlist for this reason and because, well, it’s always a pleasure to listen to Toni Braxton.

The album of course goes back to its heart on its final performance, “In the Light of Night.” This moody, atmospheric track is the perfect closer and a ballad that encompasses all that makes Toni great. While the album is full of phenomenal vocal performances, it is “Night” that delivers one of the most impressive of the set and maybe Toni’s career. The song flows on as if its the musical equivalent of a Shakespearian masterpiece. It builds and builds in emotion, tempo, instrumentation, and vocal escalations all the while somehow remaining within the realm of “Quiet Storm” territory. And, really, that is a place Toni and Babyface can claim to be King and Queen. “In the Late of Night” could be considered their coronation song, and it would be wonderful to see them perform it together as a duet somehow.

While Toni’s debut introduced us to their Braxton-Babyface tag team, it was Secrets that proved they were a force to be reckoned with. It was unfortunate that it took nearly 18 years and the threat of Toni’s retirement to see them fully reunite once again on Love, Marriage and Divorce, but it was glorious. However, Secrets should best be remembered not for the union that was Toni and Kenny. No, it should be remembered for cementing the place of one of R&B’s greatest voices into the memories of the masses. After Secrets, it became no secret that Toni Braxton is one of the best; and the fact that we are still lauding it all these years later proves that secrets are uniquely unforgettable, as is she, as is Toni Braxton’s Secrets.

Listen to Toni Braxton’s Secrets

The post Toni Braxton’s Secrets is unforgettable appeared first on THE 97.

As a child of divorce myself, I don’t find it entertaining. I find it disgustingly disheartening, especially in both of these two cases. Why? Because there are children involved. While they might be toddlers, too young to understand the stories from the media, let’s not forget that the internet lives on forever. The last thing those children need is to hear or read things about their parents as they grow older. Yes, their parents are celebrities and the gossip comes with it, but they are still human.

Imagine they were your parents; how would you feel seeing these stories in the news? Ask yourself that question next time you excitedly gossip about whether or not Jay-Z cheated on Beyoncé, or if Nick is leaving Mariah because he thinks she’s “crazy.” Yes, they’re celebrities and yes, they’ve shared their happy moments with the world by sharing photos and videos of their weddings and children, but that’s only natural. We all want to share our happiness with others. Moments of pain should be handled sensitively and respected – kept private until that person is comfortable speaking openly about it.

It’s been confirmed by Nick that he and Mariah are separated, so why must the media hound them about it any further? Let it be until they are ready to speak. Personally, it breaks my heart to think of how Monroe and Moroccan’s lives will be forever changed as a result of their parents’ split. Ironically, Mariah’s parents split when she was 3 as well. I can imagine the pain she must be feeling, as I have been in similar circumstances.

Beyoncé and Jay-Z haven’t directly spoken about it, but at the VMA’s last night they displayed their love for each other. Of course, this won’t be enough to quell the rumors, because people opt for the negative story; it’s more dramatic and entertaining.

As a result, this latest weekly series on our site will highlight a selection of songs about divorce by some of music’s most popular artists. There will be songs where the artists sing from the perspective of being a child of divorce themselves, and others where they sing as a participant in the divorce. The goal is to raise a bit of awareness of the pain that divorce causes, so perhaps people will think twice before speaking about it like some kind of entertaining joke.

Here are the first four song selections:

“Love For a Child” by Jason Mraz
Well, we might as well get right into it. “Love For a Child” is one of the most heartbreaking songs on the list. On this ballad, Mraz opens up about his experiences as a child of divorce himself, saying that “the song pieces together some memories. I remember hearing all the arguments, but I also felt their love.” On VH1 Storytellers, Mraz shared his mother’s reaction to the song with the audience: “I try not to listen to that song very much. It’s a beautiful song, but I just wish it was about somebody else.” Two of the song’s most poignant, hard hitting moments are:

Was it mom who put my dad out on his ass or the other way around
Well I’m far too old to care about that now

It’s kinda nice to work the floor since the divorce
I’ve been enjoying both my Christmases and my birthday cakes

With both of these quotes, Mraz encapsulates the feelings of most other children of divorce. Children often wonder: “whose fault is it?” and, “who is the blame?”. The first set of lyrics does a great job of relaying that state of mind. Additionally, the second set about the “positives” of the divorce are tongue-in-cheek. While these things may seem fun to a child, and are the parents’ way of distracting the child from the harsh reality, the two Christmases and the two birthdays will never quite compare to a unified holiday celebration.

“The D Word” by Toni Braxton and Babyface
Last year, Toni Braxton and Babyface released their first album of collaborations, Love, Marriage and Divorce. Having both experienced divorce, they seemingly felt it apt to address the issue on their album. “The D Word” obviously insinuates divorce and the song finds the pair grappling with the emotions that a couple would feel as they go through a divorce. They battle with the feelings of separating yet still wanting to be together on some level. They acknowledge the harsh realization of becoming single once again, and thus being rendered alone. The song ends with the reminder that, “although we’re apart, you still own my heart, Forever and ever, and ever, ’cause I’ll always love you, forever think of you…”

“I’m OK” by Christina Aguilera
With this song, we go back to the child’s perspective. On “I’m OK,” from 2002’s Stripped, Christina opens up like never before. On this heart-wrenching track, Aguilera tells the story of her childhood and the challenges she faced growing up. Mostly, “I’m OK” is about her abusive father. Christina recounts memories of her father abusing her mother, and the pain that it brought her as a child. “Hurt me to see the pain across my mother’s face as my father’s fist would put her in her place,” is one of the songs saddest lyrics. However, probably the only lyric in the song that isn’t completely sad is: “Every morning that I wake, I look back on yesterday, and I’m ok.” There is strength in her confessions, and makes “I’m OK” one of the highlights in Christina’s catalogue.

“Bye Baby” by Nas
Nas is renowned for his honest, poetic storytelling and “Bye Baby” is no exception. He speaks very candidly about his divorce from Kelis on the track, outlining his reasons for the divorce, and pouring out his feelings. From Nas’ point of view, the blame lies on Kelis, and his pain is evident in the song’s first verse. However, on the second verse he opts to reminisce on the happier moments of their relationship. Finally, he finds solace in the situation and acknowledges the good that came from their relationship: his son, ending the song by saying, “It’s a beautiful life, goodbye.”

The post Songs About Divorce, Week 1 appeared first on THE 97.