Kenneth Edmonds was born on April 10, 1958, in Indianapolis, Indiana, to Marvin and Barbara Edmonds. Barbara was a pharmaceutical plant manager. Edmonds, who is the fifth of six brothers (including future After 7 band members Melvin and Kevon Edmonds, the latter of whom went on to have a modestly successful solo career), attended North Central High School in Indianapolis, Indiana, and as a shy youth, wrote songs to express his emotions.
When he was in eighth grade, Edmonds's father died of lung cancer, leaving his mother to raise her sons alone. At this stage, Edmonds became determined to have a career in music.
Edmonds later played with funk performer Bootsy Collins, who tagged him "Babyface" because of his cute face while he was still a teen.
He also played in the groups Manchild (which had a 1976 hit "Especially for You" with band member Daryl Simmons), as he was a guitarist for the band. Then, as a keyboardist in the light-funk and R&B group The Deele (which also included drummer Antonio "L.A." Reid, with whom he would later form a successful writing and producing partnership).
One of his first major credits as a songwriter for outside artists came when he wrote the tune "Slow-Jam" for the R&B band Midnight Star in 1983. The tune was on Midnight Star's double-platinum No Parking on the Dance Floor album, and while it never hit the charts, the song is still played on quiet storm shows. Babyface remained in The Deele until 1988, when both he and Reid left the group.
In the late 1980s, he contributed to the creation of new jack swing, writing and producing music for the likes of Bobby Brown, Karyn White, Pebbles, Paula Abdul and Sheena Easton.
In 1989, Edmonds co-founded LaFace Records with Reid. Three of the label's early artists TLC, Usher, and Toni Braxton were successful, the former becoming one of the best selling female groups in music history.
Braxton's eponymous 1993 debut album went on to sell over eight million copies, and earned her the 1994 Grammy Award Best New Artist. TLC's first two albums on LaFace—1992's Ooooooohhh... On the TLC Tip and 1994's CrazySexyCool—combined to sell more than 15 million copies in the U.S. CrazySexyCool won the 1996 Grammy Award for Best R&B album.
Babyface helped form the popular late-90s R&B group Az Yet.
Edmonds works with many successful performers in contemporary music. “I’m Your Baby Tonight,” produced for Whitney Houston, was his first #1 Top 40 hit in the US.
He also wrote and produced Boyz II Men's "End of the Road" and "I'll Make Love to You," both of which established records for the longest stay at #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.
He co-wrote, co-produced, and provided backing vocals on Madonna's 1994 Bedtime Stories, which featured the 7-week #1 hit "Take a Bow," and shared billing with Eric Clapton on the chart-topping Grammy winner "Change the World" from the Phenomenon soundtrack.
He also wrote and produced the #1 hit "Exhale (Shoop Shoop)" for Whitney Houston as well as the rest of the critically acclaimed 10 million selling Waiting to Exhale soundtrack in 1995, which spawned additional hits for Houston, Brandy and Mary J. Blige.
Additionally, Edmonds has produced and written music for many artists including Carole King, Patti LaBelle, Chaka Khan, Aretha Franklin, Madonna, Janet Jackson, Faith Evans, Al Green, Beyoncé, Diana Ross, Sheena Easton, Toni Braxton, Michael Jackson, Michael Bolton, Paula Abdul, Pebbles, Tevin Campbell, Bobby Brown, Whitney Houston, Brandy, Mary J. Blige, Tamia, Shola Ama, 3T, Sisqó, Dru Hill, Fall Out Boy, Céline Dion, Honeyz, Katharine McPhee, Mariah Carey, Vanessa L. Williams, Chanté Moore, En Vogue, Kenny G, Kristinia DeBarge, Lil Wayne, Japanese singer Ken Hirai, P!nk, Marc Nelson, TLC, and Phil Collins among others.
He received three consecutive Grammy Awards for Producer of the Year in 1995–1997.
In 1994, he appeared and performed on an episode of Beverly Hills, 90210 entitled "Mr. Walsh Goes to Washington (Part 2)".
In the mid-1990s, Edmonds and his then wife Tracey Edmonds expanded into the business of motion pictures, setting up Edmonds Entertainment Group and producing films such as Soul Food (1997), Josie and the Pussycats (2001), and also the soundtrack for the film The Prince of Egypt, which included contributions from numerous artists, including Mariah Carey and Whitney Houston.
They are the current executive producers of the hit BET reality series College Hill. Edmonds also worked with David Foster to compose "The Power of the Dream," the official song of the 1996 Summer Olympics, performed by superstar Céline Dion. Linda Thompson provided the lyrics.
Babyface also participated as a duet partner on the Fox reality show Celebrity Duets.
Babyface was in the studio for about two years with Ashanti to produce her album The Declaration.
His album Playlist consists of eight cover songs and two original works. It was released on September 18, 2007. It was the first album on the newly re-launched Mercury Records label.
He worked on the Lil Wayne album Tha Carter III, on the Kanye West-produced "Comfortable." He also worked with R&B singer Monica for her sixth studio album Still Standing.
He has written and produced over 26 #1 R&B (many of which hit the pop charts at either #1 or the top ten) hits throughout his career.
Breathe Again
Babyface Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
If I never feel you in my arms again
If I never feel your tender kiss again
If I never hear I love you now and then
Will I never make love to you once again
Please understand if love ends
Then I promise you, I promise you
That, that I shall never breathe again
Breathe again
That I shall never breathe again
Breathe again
And I can't stop thinkin' about
About the way things used to be
And I can't stop thinkin' about
About the love that you make to me
And I can't get you outta my head
How in the world will I begin
To let you walk right out my life
And blow my heart away
And I can't stop carin' about
About the apple of my eye
And I can't stop doin' without
Without the center of my life
And I can't get you outta my head
And I know I can't pretend
That I won't die if you decide
You won't see me again
[Chorus:]
And I can't stop thinkin' about
About the way my life would be
No I can't stop thinkin' about
How could your love be leavin' me
And I can't get you outta my mind
God knows how hard I tried
And if you walk right out my life
God knows I'd surely die
And I can't stop doin' without
Without the rhythm of my heart
No I can't stop doin' without
For I would surely fall apart
And I can't get you outta my mind
'Cause I know I can't deny it
And I would die if you decide
You won't see me again
[Chorus:]
The song Breathe Again by Babyface featuring Shanice Wilson captures the excruciating pain of losing the love of one's life. The lyrics of the song speak of the fear of never holding one's lover again, never feeling that tender kiss, or hearing "I love you" from them. If love ends, the singer promises that they will never breathe again. The song is about the desperate and painful search to find meaning in life after a devastating loss of love.
The lyrics evoke a sense of longing in the listener's mind. The singer deeply cares for their lover and can't stop thinking about the way things used to be, the love they used to share, and the moments they spent together. They can't forget their lover no matter how hard they try. The singer can't imagine living without them and how their life would be like if they left. The pain of not having their significant other is so intense that they feel like they would die if they were never to see them again.
In summary, the song is a powerful expression of grief, loss, and heartbreak felt by many people when they lose someone they love. It speaks to the universal human experience of seeking love and connection and the agony of losing something so precious.
Line by Line Meaning
If I never feel you in my arms again
If I'm never able to hold you close again
If I never feel your tender kiss again
If I never experience your gentle touch on my lips again
If I never hear I love you now and then
If I never hear you say 'I love you' every now and then
Will I never make love to you once again
Will I never have the chance to share intimate moments with you
Please understand if love ends
You should comprehend that love sometimes ends
Then I promise you, I promise you
But I vow to you, yes, I solemnly swear
That, that I shall never breathe again
That, indeed, I would never be able to breathe again
Breathe again
Catch my breath again
Breathe again
Catch my breath again
That I shall never breathe again
That, indeed, I would never be able to breathe again
Breathe again
Catch my breath again
And I can't stop thinkin' about
I can't help but dwell on
About the way things used to be
How things were before things changed
And I can't stop thinkin' about
I can't help but dwell on
About the love that you make to me
The passionate love that we share(d)
And I can't get you outta my head
You just keep lingering in my thoughts
How in the world will I begin
How on earth can I even think of moving on
To let you walk right out my life
Letting you go forever and out of my life
And blow my heart away
It would shatter me
And I can't stop carin' about
I can't help but still care a lot about
About the apple of my eye
About my most beloved, my priority
And I can't stop doin' without
I can't do without
Without the center of my life
Without the one who meant the world to me
And I can't get you outta my head
You just keep lingering in my thoughts
And I know I can't pretend
I'm aware that I can't fake it
That I won't die if you decide
That it wouldn't hurt and break me if you chose
You won't see me again
Not to see me again
And I can't stop thinkin' about
I can't help but dwell on
About the way my life would be
How empty my life would be
No I can't stop thinkin' about
I just can't stop thinking about
How could your love be leavin' me
How could your love for me stop and go away
And I can't get you outta my mind
You just keep lingering in my thoughts
God knows how hard I tried
I tried so hard, it was difficult
And if you walk right out my life
If you really decide to leave me
God knows I'd surely die
I'd be devastated and it would end me
And I can't stop doin' without
I can't do without
Without the rhythm of my heart
Without the pulsing force that keeps me alive
No I can't stop doin' without
I just can't stop doing without
For I would surely fall apart
I'd crumble into pieces without you by my side
And I can't get you outta my mind
You just keep lingering in my thoughts
'Cause I know I can't deny it
Because I acknowledge that I can't deny it
And I would die if you decide
I'd be devastated if you chose
You won't see me again
Not to see me again
That, that I shall never breathe again
That, indeed, I would never be able to breathe again
Breathe again
Catch my breath again
Breathe again
Catch my breath again
That I shall never breathe again
That, indeed, I would never be able to breathe again
Breathe again
Catch my breath again
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Kenneth Edmonds
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind