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.
Toni's Secrets
Toni Braxton Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I did not think that I
Would hear you say goodbye
And I always heard you led another life
I doubted every time
I guess my love was blind
'Cause in my eyes
Love was always something magical
And all I know is in love
The thing that I want most
I can't possess
There's only emptiness
In the late of night
Just before I closed my eyes
You lied
As you kissed me goodnight
In the late of night
Just before I closed my eyes
I cried
As you kissed my lips goodbye
In my eyes
You will always be the lucky one
'Cause you know you'll always have my love
For all times until I die
Through the end I gave to you my best
You gave, you gave me loneliness
In the late of night
Just before I closed my eyes
You lied
As you kissed me goodnight
In the late of night
Just before I closed my eyes
I cried
As you kissed my lips goodbye
The song Toni's Secrets by Toni Braxton tells the story of a woman who thought her relationship was for life and was blindsided when her partner decided to leave. She had doubts about her partner's fidelity, but her love was so strong that she didn't want to see the truth. The lyrics reveal her inner turmoil as she struggles to come to terms with the end of the relationship.
The chorus of the song speaks to the tragic nature of love, how the thing we want most, we can't possess. This sentiment is echoed throughout the song, as the singer grapples with the fact that she gave her all to her partner, yet was left with emptiness and loneliness. The final verse seems to suggest a sense of bitterness toward her former partner, as she notes that he will always be "the lucky one" because he'll always have her love, even though he gave her loneliness in return.
Overall, Toni's Secrets is a powerful ballad that explores the complicated emotions that come with the end of a relationship. It is a testament to the strength of the human spirit in the face of heartbreak and loss.
Line by Line Meaning
Always thought your promise was for life
I believed that you would always keep your promise to stay with me forever
I did not think that I Would hear you say goodbye
I never expected that you would leave me and end our relationship
And I always heard you led another life
I constantly heard rumors that you were living a double life or seeing someone else behind my back
I doubted every time I guess my love was blind
Although I had doubts about your loyalty, I ignored them and trusted you completely
'Cause in my eyes Love was always something magical
I always believed that love was a beautiful and enchanted feeling
But the feeling is so tragical
However, the reality of love can be heartbreaking and devastating
And all I know is in love The thing that I want most I can't possess There's only emptiness
I have come to realize that the one thing I desire the most in love is unattainable and it has left me feeling empty inside
In the late of night Just before I closed my eyes You lied As you kissed me goodnight
You deceived me with false affection and promises of commitment, even as we said goodnight to each other
In the late of night Just before I closed my eyes I cried As you kissed my lips goodbye
As you ended our relationship with a final kiss, I cried myself to sleep
In my eyes You will always be the lucky one 'Cause you know you'll always have my love For all times until I die
In my eyes, you will always have my love, even though you left me. You are the lucky one because you will always have a piece of my heart
Through the end I gave to you my best You gave, you gave me loneliness
Until the very end of our relationship, I gave you my all, but you only gave me sadness and loneliness in return
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: JONATHAN BUCK, KENNETH EDMONDS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Alexander Phillips
Always thought your promise was for life
I did not think that I
Would hear you say good-bye
And I always heard you led another life
I doubted every time
I guess my love was blind
But in my eyes
Love was always something magical
But the feeling is so tragical
And all I know is in love
The thing I want most
I can't possess
There's only emptiness
In the late of night
Just before I closed my eyes
You lied
As you kissed me goodnight
In the late of night
Just before I closed my eyes
I cried
As you kissed my lips good-bye, good-bye
In my eyes
You will always be the lucky one
'Cause you know you'll always have my love
For all times
Until I die
Through the end I give to you my best
You gave—you gave me loneliness
In the late of night
Just before I closed my eyes
You lied
As you kissed me goodnight
In the late of night
Just before I closed my eyes
I cried
As you kissed my lips good-bye
T Malone
Man this song is an absolute masterpiece
Jada Williams
What I love about this cd is that I didn't have to skip any tracks... every song was a smash .... ❤
Edward Martins
Rare to find that . All the tracks were dope
Anthony Guerrero
There's only emptiness, in the late of 🌙 night just before I close my eyes you lied as you kissed me goodnight. In the late of night just before I close my eyes I cry as you kissed my lips goodbye, goodbye...goodbye. - toni braxton (secrets album 1996). "In the late of night es mi cancion favorita de toni braxton".
T Malone
Exactly!
Brown Lady
Yes that is so true
Yolande Best
So true very true i love every single song.
Silent Jaguar
No background singers...just her beautiful voice.
Obi Braxton
Wow how did I not realise that Lmaoo but it’s the same in unbreak my heart
theodore braden
i just thought about that..