She has won 7 Grammy Awards. The RIAA named Braxton as one of the top selling R&B artists of all time.
She first burst onto the scene in 1992 on the Boomerang soundtrack, after Anita Baker turned down the opportunity. In 1993 Toni released her self-titled debut album, which stayed at the top of the charts for a year and was a critically acclaimed album.
Toni released her sophomore effort, Secrets in 1996 which also did very well on both R&B and Pop charts. From that album Toni got two #1 hits; "You're Making Me High "and "Unbreak My Heart", which spent 14 consecutive weeks at #1 on the Billboard top 100, and was a worldwide hit. After 5 Grammy awards and a little break, Toni Braxton came back strong with her 2000 album The Heat. Though not as successful as her first two albums, The Heat went on to sell 4 million copies and spawned the huge hits "He Wasn't Man Enough"and "Just Be A Man About It".
Toni has released two further albums, 2002's More Than a Woman and 2005's Libra. Toni's sixth studio album Pulse was released in May 2010 via Atlantic Records. The singles "Yesterday" and "Hands Tied" were the biggest hits. Subsequent singles to be released from "Pulse" include "Make My Heart" and "Woman."
In January 2011, the WE Television Network confirmed that it had signed Toni and the rest of the Braxton family for a reality series, Braxton Family Values, which will be marketed as one of the network's flagship shows. The series debuted April 12, 2011, and looks at the relationship between Toni, her mother, and her four sisters; Trina, Tamar, Traci and Towanda — all aspiring singers themselves — along with the interpersonal relationships of each family member. The show also looked at Braxton's heavily publicized separation from estranged husband, singer Keri Lewis. Toni parted ways with her long time manager Vincent Herbert (who was also the husband of sister Tamar Braxton at the time), and signed a new management deal with Los Angeles-based entertainment/production company 'The Collective'.
In 2014, Toni released a collaborative album with Babyface entitled Love, Marriage & Divorce; primarily inspired by their individual divorces (Toni with Keri, and Babyface with Tracey Edmonds). The album was supported by the singles "Hurt You", "Where Did We Go Wrong" and "Roller Coaster"; and won Best R&B Album in the 57th Annual Grammy Awards (2015).
Toni's long-awaited eighth album Sex & Cigarettes was released on Def Jam in March 2018, which was supported by the singles "Deadwood", "Long as I Live" and "FOH". The album also featured a sole guest appearance from singer Colbie Caillat, and was nominated for three Grammy Awards, including Best R&B Album in the 61st awards ceremony (2019).
Signing to Island Records in 2020, Toni released her ninth album Spell My Name in August 2020, featuring collaborations with H.E.R. & Missy Elliott. The album was released to positive reception, but was her lowest-charting album yet, peaking at #163 on the Billboard 200.
Yesterday
Toni Braxton Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Gave you the benefit of the doubt
Till you showed me what you were about
Your true colors came out
Oh
And your words couldn't hide the scent
'Cause the truth about where you've been
Is in a fragrance I can recognize
Standing there
Scratching your head
Blood shot eyes
Drunk with regret
Hanging yourself ten feet over the edge
I'm done with this
Feeling like an idiot
Lovin' you--I'm over it
I just don't love you, don't love you no more
You, you are so yesterday
Never thought you'd lose my love this way
Now you come begging me to stay
See, you, you are so yesterday
I won't let you rain on my parade
I don't wanna hear a thing you say
So yesterday
Funny now how I'm gone
The little light in your head came on
Now you realize it's all your fault, ooo, ooo
Don't you wish you had a time machine?
That way you could change history
That's the only way that you could be with me
Standing there
Scratching your head
Blood shot eyes
Drunk with regret
Hanging yourself ten feet over the edge
I'm done with this
Feeling like an idiot
Lovin' you--I'm over it
I just don't love you, don't love you no more
You, you are so yesterday
Never thought you'd lose my love this way
Now you come begging me to stay
See, you, you are so yesterday
I won't let you rain on my parade
I don't wanna hear a thing you say
So yesterday
And now you wanna reminisce
Say you wanna try again
Started with a little kiss
(We can't even regret) no, no
Now I never wanna see you
Never wanna feel you
Never wanna hear you
I don't love you
Don't need you
Can't stand you
No more
You, you are so yesterday
Never thought you'd lose my love this way
Now you come begging me to stay
See, you, you are so yesterday
I won't let you rain on my parade
I don't wanna hear a thing you say
So yesterday
So yesterday
So yesterday
So yesterday
The song "Yesterday" by Toni Braxton speaks about a failed and painful love relationship. The song addresses a partner who took the singer's love for granted, squandered the relationship, and now wants to make amends. The song is about a woman who gave her partner the benefit of the doubt and was willing to trust him but was ultimately disappointed when she found out the truth about his infidelity. The singer is no longer in love with him, and she stands her ground, refusing to be manipulated, lied to, or taken for granted.
The chorus of the song is an accusation aimed at the careless partner, who took the singer's love and loyalty for granted. The chorus repeats "You are so yesterday," which is a way of saying that her partner's time is over, and he is no longer relevant to her. The song is also about personal growth and learning to assert oneself. The singer realizes that love should not hurt and that she deserves better.
Line by Line Meaning
Gave you the benefit of the doubt
I believed in you, even though there were some doubts about you.
Till you showed me what you were about
I continued to trust you, until you revealed your true character.
Your true colors came out
You revealed your true self, and it was not what I had expected.
And your words couldn't hide the scent
Your words failed to conceal the evidence of your actions.
'Cause the truth about where you've been
The reality of where you have been and what you have done
Is in a fragrance I can recognize
Is something I can perceive and identify, even if you try to hide it.
Standing there
You are now in front of me.
Scratching your head
You are confused about what happened.
Blood shot eyes
Your eyes are red and swollen due to crying.
Drunk with regret
You feel guilty and remorseful for your actions.
Hanging yourself ten feet over the edge
You are on the brink of losing everything and feeling helpless.
I'm done with this
I am finished with this situation.
Feeling like an idiot
I feel foolish for having trusted you.
Lovin' you--I'm over it
I no longer have feelings of love for you.
You, you are so yesterday
You are a thing of the past.
Never thought you'd lose my love this way
I did not expect to lose my love for you in this manner.
Now you come begging me to stay
You are pleading with me to stay with you.
See, you, you are so yesterday
You are no longer relevant to me.
I won't let you rain on my parade
I am not going to let you ruin my happiness.
I don't wanna hear a thing you say
I do not want to listen to anything you have to say.
Funny now how I'm gone
It is interesting how you realize my worth now that I am gone.
The little light in your head came on
You finally understand what you did wrong.
Now you realize it's all your fault, ooo, ooo
You acknowledge that you are the one responsible for our situation.
Don't you wish you had a time machine?
You wish you could go back in time and change things.
That way you could change history
You could alter the outcomes of our past events.
That's the only way that you could be with me
That would be the only chance of us being together in the future.
And now you wanna reminisce
You want to remember the past, but it is too late.
Say you wanna try again
You express a desire to start over, but I am not interested.
Started with a little kiss
Our relationship began in a small way, but escalated quickly.
(We can't even regret) no, no
We cannot take back the things that we have done, so there is no point in regretting them.
Now I never wanna see you
I do not want to see you again.
Never wanna feel you
I do not want to feel your touch or your presence.
Never wanna hear you
I do not want to hear your voice or your words.
I don't love you
My feelings of love for you are gone.
Don't need you
I do not require your presence in my life anymore.
Can't stand you
I cannot tolerate being near you.
No more
Our relationship has reached an end.
So yesterday
You are a thing of the past, and I have moved on.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Peermusic Publishing, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: TONI BRAXTON, JEROME ARMSTRONG, TERRENCE CARL BATTLE, JUSTIN SCOTT FRANKS, MICHAEL DAVID WHITE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind