🔗 Share this article

This yearly R&B Xmas Ball featured a lineup of performers renowned for their holiday records. Rather than focusing on carols, the night served as a sentimental reason for a trip back to the earnest and heart-rending style of 90s R&B.

Opening Performances: Timeless Vibes

Dru Hill presented iconic R&B in coordinated outfits, with music videos from the 2000s era displaying behind them. Next, a set of primarily ballads from Joe set the stage for the headlining acts.

Toni Braxton's Moving Performance

The opening of the song Last Last cleverly segued into He Wasn’t Man Enough, connecting Braxton's musical legacy. Initially, her performance with a backing band seemed rooted in the era of her greatest fame.

Then, deep into her set, she opened up about her battles with lupus and being told she might never sing live again. Performing Breathe Again in a solitary beam of light, she delivered a deeply heartfelt performance. “For as long as I live, I will never forget tonight,” she stated sincerely.

Power chords then catapulted the audience into Long As I Live, cementing her command over the audience's emotions. She finished with an flawless, though somewhat abridged, rendition of her iconic hit, Un-break My Heart.

Boyz II Men: Harmony Masters

Appearing on stage in strikingly matching white outfits, Boyz II Men opened with Motownphilly. They moved through hits like Water Runs Dry and On Bended Knee, demonstrating awe-inspiring three-way vocals that were both precise and responsive to their accompaniment.

Their set included interpretations of influences, such as a memorable solo on Purple Rain, and tracks influenced by them, like Bruno Mars’s Locked Out of Heaven.

A Dash of Christmas Spirit

Finally, the evening embraced the Christmas mood with renditions of Silent Night and Let It Snow. The performance ended with a strong closing run of hits including One Sweet Day, I’ll Make Love To You, and End of the Road.

Overall Impressions

Although the night's technical execution experienced some hiccups, and the feeling at points was of stars paying homage to their past selves, the net effect was transformative. The crowd was temporarily transported to the peak era of R&B, going home dusted with glitter rather than frost.