R&B Xmas Ball Review – Toni Braxton Melts Hearts and Boyz II Men Blows Minds on a Trip Back to the 90s | music

AAll of the artists participating in the second annual R&B

Dru Hill deliver an R&B classic in matching outfits, as their 2000s music videos – as seen on kebab shop TVs across the country – play behind them, while a set of mostly slow jams from Joe pave the way for Braxton.

The opening seconds of Burna Boy’s final transition into He Wasn’t Man Enough, a song that samples: cleverly connecting and hybridizing Braxton’s legacy. But like Drew Hill, Braxton and her live band initially seem stuck in the era in which the music was made, with the same vocal prowess and charismatic charm, just a little different in the costuming and choreography.

Then, nine songs in, she discusses her battles with lupus, and is told she will never perform live again. “Breathe Again” is sung through tears in one highlight. “As long as I live, I will never forget this night,” she says seriously. Strings of power toss us to what I live, and now Braxton holds our melting hearts in her hands. She appeared with Un-break My Heart, which she sang flawlessly but one verse short.

In dazzlingly matching white outfits, Boyz II Men opens with Motownphilly and then moves through Water Runs Dry and On Bent Knee. Their three-part harmony is stunning: absolutely tight and flawless, but also responsive to their live band.

They cover the music that influenced them – Sean Stockman’s purple guitar solo during their cover of Prince’s Purple Rain is a highlight – and the music that influenced them, with Wanya Morris heading up Bruno Mars’ “Locked Out of Heaven”.

We finally get into the Christmas spirit with Silent Night and the beloved Let It Snow, both good enough for year-round listening, before the closing round of One Sweet Day, I’ll Make Love To You and End of the Road. The production throughout the evening was not as smooth as these musicians deserved, with technical glitches during early sets, and despite the rich vocals, it seemed as if the stars were performing an act in tribute to themselves. But, temporarily transported to the golden age of R&B and some of its architects, the audience goes home bathed in glitter dust rather than snow.