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Recorded for Island, Spell My Name follows the Def Jam-issued Sex & Cigarettes by only two years. That's the shortest period between proper Toni Braxton studio albums. Granted, this is similarly compact, even with its appended tracks: the solo version of the pre-album single "Do It," and another Babyface collaboration, a devotional ballad grounded in classic Southern soul that doesn't fit with what precedes it. The title song is pulsing modern quiet storm concerning a dalliance with a lover half Braxton's age, played by duet partner Johnny Yukon with Drake-like deference (thereby flipping the standard older man/younger woman scenario more than her Trey Songz collaboration a decade earlier). Apart from the finely applied strings and a sense of temptation, it's not really representative of the album. Braxton spends the rest of the set succumbing to desire recognized as ill-fated, mourning unfulfillment, waving off a cheating ex, and swearing during the emotional peak -- in one of many piano ballads -- that she wishes nothing but the best for the one who got away, while each wrenched note conveys devastation. Only the pleasant if indistinctive neo-disco opener is uptempo. The rest is mostly glowering ballads and conflicted slow jams, exemplified by the smoldering slow stepper "Move On," featuring the compatible H.E.R. on sympathetic background vocals and guitar. Braxton's elegant distress cuts through everything with conviction.
© Andy Kellman /TiVo
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Benjamin Wright, String Arranger, AssociatedPerformer - Antonio Dixon, Producer, Programmer, Horn Arranger, Bass, Keyboards, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Eric Walls, Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Herb Powers Jr., Mastering Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Reggie Dozier, Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel - DEMONTE POSEY, String Arranger, Horn Arranger, AssociatedPerformer - Toni Braxton, Vocal Producer, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Paul Boutin, Mixer, Percussion, Vocal Producer, Recording Engineer, AssociatedPerformer, StudioPersonnel
℗ 2020 Island Records, a division of UMG Recordings, Inc.
Missy Elliott, Producer, Engineer, Remixer, MainArtist, StudioPersonnel - Antonio Dixon, ComposerLyricist - Percy Bady, ComposerLyricist - Hannon Lane, Producer, Co-Producer - Toni Braxton, MainArtist, ComposerLyricist - Paul Boutin, Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Glenn Schick, Mastering Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Melissa Elliott, ComposerLyricist - Kenny "Babyface" Edmonds, ComposerLyricist - Ky, Engineer, StudioPersonnel
℗ 2020 Island Records, a division of UMG Recordings, Inc.
Eric Walls, Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Herb Powers Jr., Mastering Engineer, StudioPersonnel - DEMONTE POSEY, String Arranger, Programmer, AssociatedPerformer - Toni Braxton, Vocal Producer, Background Vocalist, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Kenneth Coby, Engineer, StudioPersonnel, ComposerLyricist - Jeremy Felton, ComposerLyricist - Paul Boutin, Mixer, Engineer, Vocal Producer, AssociatedPerformer, StudioPersonnel - Soundz, Producer - H.E.R., Guitar, FeaturedArtist, AssociatedPerformer - Raymon 'Big Play Ray' Holten, Guitar, Bass, AssociatedPerformer
℗ 2020 Island Records, a division of UMG Recordings, Inc.
Herb Powers Jr., Mastering Engineer, StudioPersonnel - DEMONTE POSEY, String Arranger, Programmer, AssociatedPerformer - Toni Braxton, Producer, Vocal Producer, Background Vocalist, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Paul Boutin, Mixer, Engineer, Percussion, Vocal Producer, AssociatedPerformer, StudioPersonnel - Jonathan Martin, Producer, Keyboards, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Ashante Reid, ComposerLyricist - Kam Corvet, ComposerLyricist - Jordon Manswell, Producer, Drums, Percussion, Beatbox, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist
℗ 2020 Island Records, a division of UMG Recordings, Inc.
Antonio Dixon, Producer, ComposerLyricist - Herb Powers Jr., Mastering Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Toni Braxton, Vocal Producer, Background Vocalist, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Pete Johnson, Strings, AssociatedPerformer - Paul Boutin, Mixer, Engineer, Percussion, Vocal Producer, AssociatedPerformer, StudioPersonnel - Akeel Henry, Producer, Co-Producer, ComposerLyricist - johnny yukon, Additional Vocals, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Sammy Perez, Guitar, AssociatedPerformer
℗ 2020 Island Records, a division of UMG Recordings, Inc.
Antonio Dixon, Producer, ComposerLyricist - Patrick "J. Que" Smith, ComposerLyricist - Herb Powers Jr., Mastering Engineer, StudioPersonnel - DEMONTE POSEY, String Arranger, Programmer, AssociatedPerformer - Toni Braxton, Vocal Producer, Background Vocalist, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Paul Boutin, Mixer, Engineer, Vocal Producer, AssociatedPerformer, StudioPersonnel - Angelica Vila, ComposerLyricist
℗ 2020 Island Records, a division of UMG Recordings, Inc.
Herb Powers Jr., Mastering Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Toni Braxton, Vocal Producer, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Frank Brim, ComposerLyricist - Paul Boutin, Mixer, Engineer, Vocal Producer, AssociatedPerformer, StudioPersonnel - Kevin Ross, ComposerLyricist - Gharah Degeddingseze, ComposerLyricist - Kirby Dockery, ComposerLyricist - G'harah "PK" Degeddingseze, Producer
℗ 2020 Island Records, a division of UMG Recordings, Inc.
Chris Braide, Producer, ComposerLyricist - Herb Powers Jr., Mastering Engineer, StudioPersonnel - DEMONTE POSEY, String Arranger, Programmer, AssociatedPerformer - Toni Braxton, Producer, Vocal Producer, Background Vocalist, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Paul Boutin, Mixer, Engineer, Vocal Producer, AssociatedPerformer, StudioPersonnel - Tyler Johnson, ComposerLyricist - Badriia Bourelly, ComposerLyricist
℗ 2020 Island Records, a division of UMG Recordings, Inc.
Antonio Dixon, Producer, Keyboards, Programmer, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Percy Bady, Keyboards, Programmer, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Herb Powers Jr., Mastering Engineer, StudioPersonnel - DEMONTE POSEY, String Arranger, Programmer, Strings, AssociatedPerformer - Toni Braxton, Vocal Producer, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Paul Boutin, Mixer, Percussion, Vocal Producer, Recording Engineer, AssociatedPerformer, StudioPersonnel - Kenny "Babyface" Edmonds, ComposerLyricist
℗ 2020 Island Records, a division of UMG Recordings, Inc.
Dapo Torimiro, Producer, Bass, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Herb Powers Jr., Mastering Engineer, StudioPersonnel - DEMONTE POSEY, Programmer, Drum Programmer, AssociatedPerformer - Toni Braxton, Producer, Co-Producer, Vocal Producer, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer - Paul Boutin, Mixer, Engineer, Percussion, Vocal Producer, AssociatedPerformer, StudioPersonnel - Kenny "Babyface" Edmonds, Producer, Electric Guitar, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Kameron Glasper, ComposerLyricist
℗ 2020 Island Records, a division of UMG Recordings, Inc.
Album review
Recorded for Island, Spell My Name follows the Def Jam-issued Sex & Cigarettes by only two years. That's the shortest period between proper Toni Braxton studio albums. Granted, this is similarly compact, even with its appended tracks: the solo version of the pre-album single "Do It," and another Babyface collaboration, a devotional ballad grounded in classic Southern soul that doesn't fit with what precedes it. The title song is pulsing modern quiet storm concerning a dalliance with a lover half Braxton's age, played by duet partner Johnny Yukon with Drake-like deference (thereby flipping the standard older man/younger woman scenario more than her Trey Songz collaboration a decade earlier). Apart from the finely applied strings and a sense of temptation, it's not really representative of the album. Braxton spends the rest of the set succumbing to desire recognized as ill-fated, mourning unfulfillment, waving off a cheating ex, and swearing during the emotional peak -- in one of many piano ballads -- that she wishes nothing but the best for the one who got away, while each wrenched note conveys devastation. Only the pleasant if indistinctive neo-disco opener is uptempo. The rest is mostly glowering ballads and conflicted slow jams, exemplified by the smoldering slow stepper "Move On," featuring the compatible H.E.R. on sympathetic background vocals and guitar. Braxton's elegant distress cuts through everything with conviction.
© Andy Kellman /TiVo
About the album
- 1 disc(s) - 10 track(s)
- Total length: 00:35:25
- Main artists: Toni Braxton
- Composer: Various Composers
- Label: Island Records
- Genre: Soul/Funk/R&B R&B
© 2020 Island Records, a division of UMG Recordings, Inc. ℗ 2020 Island Records, a division of UMG Recordings, Inc.
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