Babyface (Kenneth Brian Edmonds) is a multi-platinum selling rnb singer, so… Read Full Bio ↴Babyface (Kenneth Brian Edmonds) is a multi-platinum selling rnb singer, songwriter and record producer. He has written and produced for artists such as Whitney Houston , Karyn White, Johnny Gill , Vanessa Williams, Pebbles, Madonna and Boyz II Men, and has also worked on various film soundtracks in his successful career.

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.

When Your Body Gets Weak
Babyface Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Tonight I'm gonna hold you
I'm gonna touch you, and lay you down
Tonight I'm gonna kiss you
I'm gonna taste you, all the way down

Tonight you don't have to be lonely
You need only to call me
And I will be down

When your body gets weak
And you need some affection, oh baby
I'll lay you down
When your body's in need
And you need some attention, oh lady
I'll lay you down

Tonight when I've been inside you
I'll lay down beside you, and stay all night long, yes I will
Tonight I just want you to teach me
Girl I just want to please thee
So just let's get it on, baby

Tonight there be no intermissions
I have only one mission
That's turning you on

When your body gets weak
And you need some affection, oh baby
I'll lay you down
When your body's in need
And you need some attention, oh lady
I'll lay you down

Tonight you don't have to be lonely
You need only to call me
And I will be down

When your body gets weak
And you need some affection, oh baby
I'll lay you down
When your body's in need

And you need some attention, oh lady
I'll lay you down

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Babyface's song "When Your Body Gets Weak" are sensual and intimate. The song expresses the idea that physical touch and intimacy are essential for human connection, especially when one is feeling weak or alone. The singer promises to be there for his partner when she needs him, to hold her, touch her, and provide her with affection and attention.

Throughout the song, the use of repetition and imagery reinforces the themes of physical touch and emotional connection. The repeated phrase "I'll lay you down" suggests a sense of comfort and protection that the singer wants to give his partner. The use of words like "taste," "teach," and "pleases" create a sense of exploration and mutual desire between the two lovers.

Overall, the song is a beautiful tribute to the importance of intimacy and affection in human relationships. It highlights the deep emotional and physical bonds that can form between two people when they share moments of vulnerability and connection.

Line by Line Meaning

Tonight I'm gonna hold you
I will physically embrace and comfort you tonight

I'm gonna touch you, and lay you down
I will touch you sensually and then lay you down

Tonight I'm gonna kiss you
I will kiss you romantically tonight

I'm gonna taste you, all the way down
I will fully indulge in every part of your body tonight

Tonight you don't have to be lonely
You don't have to feel alone tonight

You need only to call me
Just one call from you and I'll be there

And I will be down
I will come to see you immediately

When your body gets weak
When you're feeling physically exhausted

And you need some affection, oh baby
When you need to feel loved and cared for

I'll lay you down
I'll lay you down comfortably to rest

When your body's in need
When your physical needs require attention