Libra 19th Anniversary

 

19 years ago today, Toni Braxton released her sixth studio album “Libra” on September 25, 2005, by Blackground Records. It marked Braxton’s debut on the label, following the long term split with longtime record company Arista Records in 2003 after the release of her fourth studio album “More Than a Woman” (2002), which was less successful than its predecessors. The albums title is a reference to Braxton’s astrological sign, Libra. 

Breaking away from her usual formula which saw her setting up projects with a variety of music producers, Braxton began recording her Blackground Records debut exclusively with husband Keri Lewis. Together, the pair worked on several tracks for Libra, about seven or eight songs which made the first record they turned in to Blackground and was majorly done by her and Lewis. However, Universal Records, Blackground's distributor in the United States at this time, was reportedly dissatisfied with the material and refused to consider releasing it.Similarly, Blackground's international partners questioned the commercial appeal of the couple's ballad-heavy work. While Braxton insisted on Lewis' further involvement with the album,Blackground CEO Barry Hankerson requested the singer to make significant changes to Libra, prompting them to book additional recording sessions with producers such as Scott Storch, Rich Harrison and the Underdogs to place it in more hard-edged productions.

“Please” was released as the lead single from the album on May 30, 2005. Written by Scott Storch, Makeba Riddick, Vincent Herbert, Kameron Houff and produced by Scott Storch. Background vocals on the song feature sister Tamar Braxton and singer Keri Hilson. While a promotional CD was released during 2005, Blackground and its distributor Universal Records produced no physical CD single in support of the single. The song charted in the Netherlands (#53) and the U.S. on the Adult R&B Songs (#7), Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles (#4), and Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart (#36).

 

“Trippin’ (That’s the Way Love Works)” was released as the second single on September 26, 2005. Written by Braxton, Johntá Austin, Bryan-Michael Cox and Kendrick "WyldCard" Dean. Produced by Cox with co-production from Keri Lewis and additional production by Dean. The piano-heavy R&B ballad was released to US radios on September 26, 2005, followed by a European release in fall 2005. Commercially, it missed the US Billboard Hot 100 and charted on the Adult R&B Songs (#19), and Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart (#67). A CD single was only released in Germany on December 9, 2005, which can be purchased here (Discogs) 

 

“Take this Ring” was released as the third single in December 2005. The song features an uncredited sample from the song "Here Comes the Meter Man" by The Meters. "Take This Ring was released as the album's third and final stateside single in the U.S. as the single also failed to reach the Hot 100 due to lack of promotion from the record label. The song charted on the Bubbling Under R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart (#12). 

“Suddenly” was released as the lead single from the European edition of her fifth studio album, Libra in February 2006. Written and produced by Richard Marx, it failed to make the charts anywhere. The track features Chris Botti on the trumpet. 

 

“The Time of Our Lives” with multi-national classical group Il Divo was released as the official song of the 2006 FIFA World Cup held in Germany on June 9, 2006. Written by Jörgen Elofsson and produced by Steve Mac, the song appears on the compilation album Voices from the FIFA World Cup (2006) and on the 2006 European reissue of Braxton's fifth studio album, Libra. Il Divo and Braxton performed "The Time of Our Lives" during the 2006 FIFA World Cup opening festivities at Allianz Arena in Munich on 9 June 2006.

From being released as a single in Europe, the song was a moderate success and  charted in Switzerland (#8), Belgium (#9), Norway (#16), Germany (#17), Austria and Italy (#24) and European Hot 100 Singles chart (#52).

 

Libra debuted at number four on the US Billboard 200 for the issue dated ending October 5, with 114,000 copies sold. Braxton's fourth top-five entry, it marked a significant lift for the singer, whose previous release More Than a Woman (2002) had opened at number 13 with first-week sales of 98,000 copies. In addition, Libra opened at number two on Billboard's Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart. The album sold 355,000 copies within its first five months on release, and has since sold 441,000 units in the United States. On November 4, 2005, it was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) for the shipments in excess of 500,000 copies in the United States.

Outside the U.S., the album charted in Switzerland (#25), and Germany (#60).

Slipcase for the European release.

The album would remain Braxton's only release with Blackground Records. In January 2007, she sued label head Barry Hankerson, claiming that he owed her at least $10 million for maneuvering to have her abandon her longtime relationship with Arista and jump to his own record label. He reportedly duped Braxton into signing a multi-album deal with Blackground, only to deprive the singer of her rights under the recording agreement by failing to send her accounting statements and by lying about deals he had made. The lawsuit was settled in February 2007 after Braxton's agreed on returning a $375,000 advance and paying royalties from her next album to Hankerson. In a 2012 interview with ABC News, Braxton expressed discontentment with the project when asked about the commercial failure of her albums from the mid-to-late 2000s, including Libra: "Those albums – that's like that one-night stand that you don't want to talk about," she said. "You don't want anyone to know about those records that didn't do well. I had a few of those. Definitely a few."

Buy the album here: 

US CD (Amazon), CD (Walmart), CD (Target), Vinyl (Walmart), Vinyl (Target), Vinyl (Amazon)

UK CD (Amazon), CD (HMV), CD (Roughtrade), Vinyl (Amazon), Vinyl (HMV), Vinyl (Roughtrade)