R&B Xmas Ball Recap: A Emotional Journey Back to the Nineties
The second annual R&B Xmas Ball featured a roster of performers renowned for their Christmas records. Rather than focusing on seasonal songs, the evening served as a sentimental reason for a trip back to the earnest and heart-rending sound of 90s R&B.
Opening Performances: Classic Feelings
Dru Hill presented iconic R&B in coordinated attire, with videos from the 2000s era playing on screens behind them. Following this, a set of primarily ballads from the artist Joe set the stage for the main acts.
Toni Braxton's Moving Performance
The beginning of Burna Boy’s Last Last cleverly segued into He Wasn’t Man Enough, tying in Braxton's musical legacy. At first, her performance with a live band seemed anchored in the time period of her peak success.
However, nine songs into her performance, she spoke about her battles with lupus and being told she might not perform on stage again. Performing Breathe Again in a solitary beam of light, she gave a profoundly 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, solidifying her grip over the crowd's emotions. She encored with an impeccable, though slightly abridged, rendition of her signature hit, Un-break My Heart.
Boyz II Men: Harmony Virtuosos
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 breathtaking three-part harmonies that were both tight and reactive to their accompaniment.
Their set included covers of inspirations, such as a memorable guitar piece on Purple Rain, and tracks inspired by them, like Bruno Mars’s Locked Out of Heaven.
A Dash of Christmas Cheer
Towards the end, the evening embraced the Christmas mood with renditions of Silent Night and Let It Snow. The show concluded with a strong finale of anthems including One Sweet Day, I’ll Make Love To You, and End of the Road.
Final Impressions
Although the evening's production experienced some hiccups, and the feeling at times was of artists performing a tribute to their past selves, the overall result was transformative. The crowd was temporarily transported to the peak era of R&B, leaving sprinkled with glitter rather than frost.
