A night out at the R&B Xmas Ball was exactly what the artists had in store for the crowd - a trip back to the 90s, where classic R&B ruled supreme. As Dru Hill, Joe, Toni Braxton and Boyz II Men took the stage, it was clear that this Christmas concert wasn't about reinventing old songs or showcasing new Christmas classics, but rather about reviving the essence of 90s R&B.
The evening kicked off with Dru Hill delivering their signature smooth sound in matching outfits, accompanied by vintage music videos from their heyday. Meanwhile, Joe's solo set provided a gentle warm-up for Braxton's performance, which was expertly woven together to pay tribute to her own heritage and resilience as an artist.
A particularly memorable moment came when Burna Boy's 'Last Last' transitioned into Toni Braxton's timeless hit 'He Wasn't Man Enough', cleverly tying in the two through a nod to her Nigerian roots. But it was only after nine songs that Braxton opened up about her personal struggles with lupus, and shared an emotional performance of 'Breathe Again' while standing alone under a spotlight. The moment catapulted into the powerful anthem 'Long As I Live', where Braxton truly captured the hearts of the audience.
The evening was equally thrilling for Boyz II Men, who arrived in dazzling white outfits to open with Motownphilly and then treated the crowd to hits like Water Runs Dry and On Bended Knee. Their harmonies were nothing short of awe-inspiring - completely polished but also effortlessly responsive to their live band.
One of the standout moments was when Shawn Stockman paid a beautiful tribute by performing an instrumental on his purple guitar during their rendition of Prince's 'Purple Rain'. It demonstrated how deeply these artists draw from the music that inspired them, and it added to the evening's sense of reverence for 90s R&B pioneers.
The performance did stumble at times, with some technical issues and a somewhat rough production quality. However, despite these minor drawbacks, the end result was nothing short of magical. As the night drew to a close, with sets like Silent Night and Let It Snow providing welcome respite from the nostalgia-fueled festivities, it felt more like an intimate tribute act than anything else - an evening where both artists and audience were united in their celebration of R&B's golden age.
The evening kicked off with Dru Hill delivering their signature smooth sound in matching outfits, accompanied by vintage music videos from their heyday. Meanwhile, Joe's solo set provided a gentle warm-up for Braxton's performance, which was expertly woven together to pay tribute to her own heritage and resilience as an artist.
A particularly memorable moment came when Burna Boy's 'Last Last' transitioned into Toni Braxton's timeless hit 'He Wasn't Man Enough', cleverly tying in the two through a nod to her Nigerian roots. But it was only after nine songs that Braxton opened up about her personal struggles with lupus, and shared an emotional performance of 'Breathe Again' while standing alone under a spotlight. The moment catapulted into the powerful anthem 'Long As I Live', where Braxton truly captured the hearts of the audience.
The evening was equally thrilling for Boyz II Men, who arrived in dazzling white outfits to open with Motownphilly and then treated the crowd to hits like Water Runs Dry and On Bended Knee. Their harmonies were nothing short of awe-inspiring - completely polished but also effortlessly responsive to their live band.
One of the standout moments was when Shawn Stockman paid a beautiful tribute by performing an instrumental on his purple guitar during their rendition of Prince's 'Purple Rain'. It demonstrated how deeply these artists draw from the music that inspired them, and it added to the evening's sense of reverence for 90s R&B pioneers.
The performance did stumble at times, with some technical issues and a somewhat rough production quality. However, despite these minor drawbacks, the end result was nothing short of magical. As the night drew to a close, with sets like Silent Night and Let It Snow providing welcome respite from the nostalgia-fueled festivities, it felt more like an intimate tribute act than anything else - an evening where both artists and audience were united in their celebration of R&B's golden age.
I'm so here for this throwback concert 
! The 90s R&B vibes were real, and the performers totally slayed it 
. Toni Braxton's emotional performance about her struggles with lupus was genuinely heart-wrenching 
, but also super empowering. It's awesome that she used her platform to raise awareness for the condition. I'm loving how they wove in different genres like Burna Boy's 'Last Last' - it was a cool nod to African roots 
. The harmonies from Boyz II Men were pure magic 
, and Shawn Stockman's tribute to Prince was such a beautiful gesture 
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. And can we talk about Shawn Stockman's tribute to Prince? 
. It felt like a warm hug from the past, reminding us of why R&B is so special in the first place 
i mean its literally a blast from the past but still super magical. Toni Braxton giving that emotional performance of 'Breathe Again' still got me teary-eyed 
and Shawn Stockman's instrumental during 'Purple Rain' was sooo cool 
they totally got it right, takin us back to that sound we loved but still makin it fresh for our generation 
! Toni Braxton slayed her set, especially that emotional performance of 'Breathe Again' standing alone under the spotlight gave me ALL the feels 
... a little technical issues aside, it felt like we were all transported back to the 90s R&B heyday - I swear I was singing along to every song! 
I'm not sure about this "magical" night out at the R&B Christmas Ball... sounds like a whole lot of nostalgia to me 
. And what about original Christmas classics? Were those completely left out of the setlist? Also, I'm intrigued by Burna Boy's involvement... how did he get involved with Toni Braxton's performance? Can someone provide some sources on that? 
Dru Hill, Joe, Toni Braxton and Boyz II Men killin it on stage 
! burna boy's feature with toni braxton though? genius 
shawn stockman's tribute to prince during their rendition of purple rain tho? pure magic 
overall though, it felt like an intimate celebration of 90s R&B's golden age, and I'm here for it 
Toni Braxton's performance was really emotional tho, sharing her struggles with lupus on stage took a lot of courage 
. But what really stood out to me was how Shawn Stockman's instrumental tribute to Prince's 'Purple Rain' added this extra layer of depth to the performance 
but overall it felt like an intimate tribute to 90s r&b - can't wait to see what these legends come up with next! 
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