R&B Xmas Ball Review: An Emotional Trip Back to the Nineties
The second annual Rhythm and Blues Christmas Concert featured a lineup of artists known for their Christmas albums. Instead of focusing on carols, the night served as a sentimental reason for a voyage back to the earnest and heart-rending sound of 1990s R&B.
Opening Performances: Classic Feelings
Dru Hill delivered iconic R&B in coordinated outfits, with music videos from the 2000s playing on screens behind them. Following this, a performance of mostly ballads from the artist Joe set the stage for the headlining artists.
The Powerful Performance
The opening of the song Last Last skillfully transitioned into He Wasn’t Man Enough, tying in Braxton's musical heritage. Initially, her performance with a backing band appeared rooted in the time period of her greatest fame.
However, nine songs into her set, she opened up about her battles with lupus and being told she might never perform live again. Singing Breathe Again in a solitary beam of light, she delivered a deeply emotional moment. “For as long as I live, I will never forget tonight,” she stated earnestly.
Power chords then catapulted the audience into Long As I Live, cementing her command over the audience's hearts. She encored with an flawless, though slightly shortened, rendition of her iconic hit, Un-break My Heart.
The Group Boyz II Men: Vocal Masters
Taking the stage in strikingly matching all-white outfits, Boyz II Men began with Motownphilly. They performed classics like Water Runs Dry and On Bended Knee, showcasing breathtaking three-way vocals that were both tight and reactive to their accompaniment.
Their performance included covers of inspirations, including a standout guitar piece on Purple Rain, and tracks influenced by them, like Bruno Mars’s Locked Out of Heaven.
A Touch of Christmas Spirit
Towards the end, the concert turned to the Christmas theme with renditions of Silent Night and Let It Snow. The show ended with a powerful closing run of anthems including One Sweet Day, I’ll Make Love To You, and End of the Road.
Overall Thoughts
While the evening's production had some hiccups, and the feeling at points was of artists performing a tribute to their past selves, the net effect was transformative. The audience was briefly taken back to the golden age of R&B, leaving sprinkled with sparkle rather than frost.
