Rhythm and Blues Xmas Ball Recap: An Emotional Trip Back to the Nineties
This yearly R&B Xmas Ball featured a roster of performers known for their holiday albums. Rather than focusing on seasonal songs, the night acted as a sentimental excuse for a voyage back to the earnest and heart-rending sound of 90s R&B.
Opening Performances: Timeless Vibes
Dru Hill delivered iconic R&B in coordinated attire, with music videos from the 2000s playing on screens behind them. Following this, a performance of primarily ballads from the artist Joe prepared the audience for the headlining artists.
Toni Braxton's Powerful Set
The beginning of the song Last Last cleverly transitioned into He Wasn’t Man Enough, connecting Braxton's artistic heritage. At first, her show with a live band appeared rooted in the time period of her peak success.
However, deep into her performance, 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. “As long as I live, I will never forget tonight,” she stated sincerely.
Power chords then launched the audience into Long As I Live, cementing her command over the audience's emotions. She encored with an flawless, though somewhat shortened, rendition of her signature hit, Un-break My Heart.
The Group Boyz II Men: Harmony Masters
Appearing on stage in dazzlingly coordinated white suits, Boyz II Men began with Motownphilly. They performed classics like Water Runs Dry and On Bended Knee, demonstrating awe-inspiring three-part harmonies that were both precise and reactive to their accompaniment.
Their performance featured covers of inspirations, including a memorable 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 embraced the holiday theme with performances of Silent Night and Let It Snow. The performance concluded with a powerful closing run of anthems including One Sweet Day, I’ll Make Love To You, and End of the Road.
Final Impressions
While the evening's technical execution had some hiccups, and the feeling at points was of stars performing a tribute to their younger selves, the overall result was transformative. The audience was briefly transported to the peak era of R&B, leaving dusted with glitter rather than frost.
