Sex & Cigarettes | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Studio album by | ||||
Released | March 23, 2018 | |||
Length | 30:50 | |||
Label | ||||
Producer | ||||
Toni Braxton chronology | ||||
| ||||
Singles from Sex & Cigarettes | ||||
|
Sex & Cigarettes is the ninth studio album by American singer Toni Braxton. It was released on March 23, 2018, by Def Jam Recordings. [1] Her first solo album in eight years, it served as her debut for the label after signing a new record deal. Braxton worked with a variety of producers on the album, including Fred Ball, Antonio Dixon, Kenny "Babyface" Edmonds, Dapo Torimiro, Stuart Crichton, Tricky Stewart, and Pierre Medor. Its release was preceded by the release of two singles, "Deadwood" and "Long as I Live" as well as a remix EP of the song "Coping" which features on the album.
The album received mainly positive reviews from music critics and debuted and peaked at number 22 on the US Billboard 200. It was nominated for three Grammy Awards, including Best R&B Album at the 61st awards ceremony. [2] In promotion of Sex & Cigarettes, Braxton launched her As Long As I Live Tour which began in January 2019 in Northern America, visiting 21 cities, and concluded in United Kingdom in November 2019. It was Braxton's first album to be issued with a Parental Advisory warning, and an edited version was also made available.
Braxton began recording the album in 2016. [3] In contrast to the fast recording of her previous albums, Braxton acknowledged that it took her a second to find her way to the title Sex and Cigarettes. [3] Following her divorce from musician Keri Lewis in 2013, she was still going through a period of self-reflection, and while Braxton felt great about herself, she decided to write her experiences down, looking for an outlet for her emotions. [3] Encouraged by friend and frequent collaborator Babyface who suggested to her to start telling her story, [3] Braxton conceived an album about infidelity, [4] telling Interview magazine: "I found out about that stuff the hard way, and it left me stronger [...] So this is about love and love gone wrong and trying to fix it and demanding that you make things better and having respect for yourself and demanding to be respected, but at the same time being vulnerable and knowing that love can make you do silly things and it’s okay to be silly." [4]
Soundwise, Braxton was looking for an organic approach during the conceptualization of the album. In the same article with Interview she remarked: "On this album, I said, I’m just gonna let it be organic and let it be indicative of who I am, have fun and be creative. I didn’t want to put myself in a box this time. I’ve been doing this type of music for a long time and I didn’t want it to sound dated." [4] While she reteamed with Babyface and regular producers Daryl Simmons, Antonio Dixon, and Dapo Torimiro, Braxton also consulted several new collaborators to work with her on the album, including Fred Ball, Stuart Crichton, Pierre Medor, and Tricky Stewart. [4] In 2018, she told Us Magazine : “Sex and Cigarettes [is] the next step. I go back to my original work and listen to those songs [...] I’m always pushing the envelope for sexy and for my sound. I think as an artist you have push the envelope even further and that’s what I think I did with this album.” [5]
On August 28, 2017, Braxton revealed via her social media she had shot the first music video "Deadwood" for her upcoming album, stating: "Had so much fun shooting @thunderstudios with my BFF @billewoodruff". [6] On September 5, 2017, in an interview with The Insider , Braxton confirmed the title, Sex & Cigarettes, stating: "I feel like I'm older, I wanna say what I feel. I don't wanna be censored". [7] To promote the album, Braxton held a private album listening session in London [8] and also appeared on the daytime show Loose Women to promote the album and the single "Long as I Live". [9] On March 9, 2018, Braxton announced the album was available for pre-order, revealing its cover and track listing of eight songs. [10] [11]
"Deadwood" was released as the lead single on September 15, 2017. [12] The audio video was released to Braxton's Vevo account on September 13, 2017. [13] The music video was released on Braxton's Vevo account October 6, 2017. [14] On December 2, 2017, the song peaked at number thirty-four on the Billboard R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay chart and spent a total of seventeen weeks on the chart. [15] On December 9, 2017, the song peaked at number seven on the Billboard Adult R&B Songs chart and spent a total of twenty-one weeks on the chart. [16] A remix EP of "Coping" featuring five remixes of the song was released on November 10, 2017. [17] On February 10, 2018, the song reached number one on the Billboard Dance Club Songs chart and has currently spent a total of sixteen weeks on the chart and two weeks at number one. [18]
"Long as I Live" was released as the second single on February 9, 2018. [19] The audio video was released on Vevo on February 8, 2018. [20] It reached no. 1 on US Adult R&B Songs (Billboard) and is the most successful single from this album. In October 2018, "FOH" was announced as the third single from the album. It was serviced to Urban/UAC stations with an edited version. [21]
Aggregate scores | |
---|---|
Source | Rating |
Metacritic | 74/100 [22] |
Review scores | |
Source | Rating |
AllMusic | [23] |
Exclaim! | [24] |
The Guardian | [25] |
Knoxville News Sentinel | [26] |
Pitchfork | 6.8/10 [27] |
Sex & Cigarettes received mainly positive reviews from music critics. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album received an average score of 73, which indicates "generally favorable reviews", based on 6 reviews. [22] Ben Beaumont-Thomas of The Guardian gave the album four out of five stars. He wrote that "Braxton may have just got engaged to hip-hop mogul Birdman, but there isn’t any sign of a heel-clicking, lamppost-swinging flush of love here — she seems permanently marooned in a Mariana Trench of post-breakup misery [...] Like Billie Holiday, Braxton’s voice reflexively bends towards sadness, and it continues to do so even when there’s a diamond on her finger." Beaumont-Thomas noted that "a very strong trio of songs open this record" and summed the album as a whole as "exquisitely anguished R&B." [25]
In a positive review, Matt Bauer of Exclaim! wrote that "like Mary J. Blige, pain and heartbreak are inescapably right in Braxton's wheelhouse. So it is with Sex & Cigarettes [...] while not a classic, [the album] is a solid effort from R&B's true queen of heartbreak." [24] AllMusic writer Andy Kellman rated the album three and a half out of five stars and wrote that "the productions, typically polished for a Braxton album, are subtly diverse," ranging from "contemporary country [to] classic Southern soul [and] tropical pop." He found that Braxton delivered "with her distinctive mix of fire and finesse [but] his has more of the former element than any previous Braxton release." [23] Los Angeles Times ' Mikael Wood gave the album a positive review, stating: "Even in her excitement, though, Braxton's singing — low and smoky, with just the right rawness around the edges — suggests she can sense trouble on the horizon." [28]
Pitchfork editor Claire Lobenfeld concluded that Braxton "is still innately part of R&B’s fabric, even now that her heyday has passed." Songs such as “FOH” are "not a powerhouse single like “He Wasn't Man Enough,” but it’s confirmation that no matter which way pop’s tides turn, Braxton has a way to find her own voice and make it work." [27] Chuck Campbell from The Knoxville News Sentinel called Sex & Cigarettes a "predictable [...] but absolutely satisfying" album, while L. Michael Gipson from SoulTracks noted that the album was "sonically pleasing" but a "lyrical disappointment." [29] Rich Juzwiak, writing for Spin , found that "Braxton’s tunes here rarely warrant her gusto, and the coupling of virtuoso performances with rather mediocre material squares with Sex & Cigarettes's larger theme of the dissatisfaction that results from pouring one’s heart into an undeserving relationship. It’s a depressing album, but not quite in the way that’s intended." [30]
The album was nominated for three Grammy Awards: Best R&B Performance and Best R&B Song for "Long as I Live", and for Best R&B Album at the 61st Annual Grammy Awards. [2] Braxton won the Outstanding Song – Traditional for "Long as I Live" at the 50th NAACP Image Awards. [31]
The album debuted at number 22 on the US Billboard 200 and number 14 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart with 16,000 album equivalent units. [32] [33] The album debuted at number 33 on the UK Albums Chart [34] and number one on the UK R&B Albums Chart. [35]
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|---|
1. | "Deadwood" |
|
| 3:59 |
2. | "Sex & Cigarettes" |
| 3:46 | |
3. | "Long as I Live" |
| 4:50 | |
4. | "FOH" |
| 2:47 | |
5. | "Sorry" |
| 3:56 | |
6. | "My Heart" (featuring Colbie Caillat) |
| 4:08 | |
7. | "Coping" |
| 3:54 | |
8. | "Missin'" |
|
| 3:30 |
Total length: | 30:50 |
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|---|
9. | "Forgiven" (from the movie The Forgiven ) | Braxton |
| 4:01 |
10. | "Coping" (Disco Killerz Remix) |
| 3:30 | |
11. | "Coping" (Eden Prince Remix) |
| 3:10 |
Notes
Chart (2018) | Peak position |
---|---|
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia) [37] | 189 |
Dutch Albums (Album Top 100) [38] | 170 |
Greek Albums (IFPI) [39] | 70 |
Scottish Albums (OCC) [40] | 46 |
Spanish Albums (PROMUSICAE) [41] | 71 |
South African Albums (RISA) [42] | 6 |
UK Albums (OCC) [43] | 33 |
UK R&B Albums (OCC) [44] | 1 |
US Billboard 200 [33] | 22 |
US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard) [45] | 14 |
Region | Date | Format(s) | Label | Ref |
---|---|---|---|---|
Worldwide | March 23, 2018 | Def Jam | [1] [46] |
Toni Michele Braxton is an American singer, songwriter, actress and television personality. She has sold over 70 million records worldwide and is one of the best-selling female artists in history. Braxton has won seven Grammy Awards, nine Billboard Music Awards, seven American Music Awards, and numerous other accolades. In 2011, Braxton was inducted into the Georgia Music Hall of Fame. In 2017 she was honored with the Legend Award at the Soul Train Music Awards.
Secrets is the second studio album by American singer Toni Braxton, released on June 18, 1996, by LaFace Records and Arista Records. The album was nominated for Best Pop Album at the 1997 Grammy Awards. Secrets has been certified eight-times platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). Worldwide, the album has sold over 15 million copies. In support of the album, Braxton embarked on the Secrets Tour, playing dates in North America and Europe from August 1996 to October 1997.
The Heat is the third studio album by American singer Toni Braxton, released on April 25, 2000, by LaFace Records. The album marked Braxton's departure from her ballads in favor of a more urban sound. Most of the songs were written and produced by Braxton and her husband Keri Lewis ; two ballads were penned by Diane Warren, and collaborations featured rappers Dr. Dre and Lisa "Left Eye" Lopes.
Tamar Estine Braxton is an American singer, songwriter, actress and television personality.
Toni Braxton is the debut studio album by American singer Toni Braxton, released on July 13, 1993, by LaFace Records and Arista Records. The album was primarily produced by L.A. Reid, Babyface, and Daryl Simmons.
More Than a Woman is the fifth studio album by American singer Toni Braxton, released on November 18, 2002, by Arista Records. The album contained both hip hop and urban adult contemporary sounds, as well as some softer and more contemporary melodies. Throughout the project, Braxton worked with her sister Tamar and husband Keri Lewis on most of the songs, who had written and produced material for her previous album. She also worked with hip hop producers and rappers such as Irv Gotti, The Neptunes, Mannie Fresh and Loon, as well as Rodney "Darkchild" Jerkins, protégé Big Bert and his domestic partner, singer Brandy.
American singer Toni Braxton has released ten studio albums, five extended plays, six compilation albums, two remix albums, thirty-four singles, two video albums and twenty-two music videos in a career spanning over 30 years. She was born in Severn, Maryland, on October 7, 1967. Her mother, an opera vocalist, encouraged Braxton and her four sisters to sing in church at a young age. In 1990, songwriter Bill Pettaway discovered the sisters and helped them obtain a record deal with Arista Records, as the group titled The Braxtons; the group's debut single, "Good Life", was released the same year. Although the song failed to chart, Braxton's voice caught the attention of producers, L.A. Reid and Babyface, who signed her to their newly formed LaFace Records. In 1991, Braxton recorded songs for the soundtrack to the 1992 film Boomerang. Her solo debut single, "Love Shoulda Brought You Home", reached the top forty of the US Billboard Hot 100 chart and the top five of the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart. Two years later, her self-titled debut album was issued through LaFace. The album topped the US Billboard 200 and R&B/Hip-Hop Albums charts and was certified eight-times platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). It spawned four singles, including "Breathe Again", which peaked within the top ten in the United States, Australia, Canada, Ireland, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom. The album has sold over ten million copies worldwide.
"Another Sad Love Song" is a song by American singer-songwriter Toni Braxton. Written and produced by Daryl Simmons and Babyface, featuring additional production from L.A. Reid, it was released as the lead single and its opening track from Braxton's self-titled debut album (1993) on June 11, 1993, by LaFace Records and Arista Records. Lyrically, it talks about Braxton complaining that every song played on the radio is a reminder of her ex-boyfriend.
"Breathe Again" is a song by American R&B singer Toni Braxton. It was written by Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds and produced by Edmonds, L.A. Reid, and Daryl Simmons for Braxton's first album Toni Braxton (1993). Its lyrics evokes a sense of nostalgia from a relationship that has run its course. The ballad was released as the album's second single on October 6, 1993, by LaFace and Arista Records.
"You Mean the World to Me" is a song by American singer-songwriter Toni Braxton. It was written and produced by Antonio "L.A." Reid, Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds, and Daryl Simmons for her self-titled debut album (1993). Selected as the album's fourth single, it was released on CD on April 21, 1994, by LaFace and Arista Records. It peaked at number seven on the US Billboard Hot 100 and number three on the Billboard Hot R&B Singles chart, while reaching the top ten of the Canadian Singles Chart. The music video for "You Mean the World to Me" was directed by Lionel C. Martin.
Pulse is the seventh studio album by American singer and songwriter Toni Braxton. It was released on May 4, 2010, by Atlantic Records. Her first album in five years and served as Braxton's debut for the Atlantic label, after signing a new record deal. Production for the album took place during September 2008 to March 2010 and was handled by several record producers, including David Foster, Harvey Mason, Jr., Frank E, Oak Felder, Lucas Secon, Simon Franglen and Stargate. Pulse features up-tempo songs and R&B ballads with production varying from smooth to dance-based styles.
Dapo Torimiro is a Nigerian songwriter, record producer, multi-instrumentalist and singer. Born in Lagos, he has worked in the music industry in the US for several years writing and producing music for artists' album projects, touring with numerous artists, as well as scoring various television and film projects. He is based in Los Angeles.
Love, Marriage & Divorce is a collaborative studio album by American singers Toni Braxton and Babyface, released on February 4, 2014, by Motown Records. The album debuted at number 4 on the Billboard 200 and as of July 2, 2014 the album had sold 211,000 copies in the U.S. The album won Best R&B Album at the 57th Annual Grammy Awards.
Paul Boutin is a French-born American music mixer, audio engineer and a long-time collaborator with producer/songwriter/artist Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds.
Braxton Family Christmas is a Christmas album, and second studio album overall, by R&B female group The Braxtons. It is the only album to feature all five Braxton sisters. The album was released on October 30, 2015, by Def Jam.
"Deadwood" is a song by American recording artist Toni Braxton released on September 14, 2017. The song serves as the lead single from Braxton's eighth studio album Sex & Cigarettes (2018). Written by Braxton, Royce Doherty, Kwame Ogoo and Fred Ball and produced by Ball.
"Long as I Live" is a song by American singer Toni Braxton from her eighth studio album Sex & Cigarettes (2018). Written by Braxton, Paul Boutin, and Antonio Dixon, whom also produced the track, it is a "soulful '90s-style" R&B and soul track that finds the singer struggling with breaking up and moving on from her past lover. The song was released on February 9, 2018 by Def Jam Recordings as the second single from the album, with an accompanying music video premiered on March 23, 2018 to coincide with the parent album's release.
The As Long as I Live Tour was the fifth concert tour by American R&B/pop singer Toni Braxton in support of her eighth studio album, Sex & Cigarettes. The tour kicked off on January 19, 2019, in Columbia, South Carolina and ended on November 19 in London, U.K. The tour also included female R&B group SWV and singer Babyface as featured special guests in selected Northern America dates.
"Do It" is a song by American singer Toni Braxton. It was written by Braxton along with Percy Bady, Paul Boutin, Kenneth Edmonds, and Antonio Dixon for her tenth studio album Spell My Name (2020), while production was helmed by Dixon. The R&B ballad was released as the album's first single on April 6, 2020, also serving as Braxton's debut with Island Records. It peaked at number 1 on the US Adult R&B Songs chart.
Spell My Name is the tenth studio album by American singer Toni Braxton. It was released by Island Records on August 28, 2020. Her debut with the record label, following a short-lived stint with Def Jam Recordings on her eighth album Sex & Cigarettes (2018), Braxton assumed more control on Spell My Name, again taking a greater hand in writing and producing the material. Her collaborations included frequent collaborators Paul Boutin, Antonio Dixon, and Babyface as well as singers and songwriters Patrick "J. Que" Smith, Chris Braide, Dapo Torimiro, Soundz, H.E.R. and Missy Elliott.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)