Toni Braxton Joins ‘Atlantic’

Atlantic Records is proud to announce the addition of legendary R&B superstar Toni Braxton to its storied roster. The multiple Grammy Award-winning singer will unveil her hugely anticipated label debut on February 2nd, 2010.

“Atlantic Records has a rich heritage of great soul voices, from Ray Charles to Aretha Franklin, from Otis Redding to Roberta Flack,” said Atlantic Chairman/CEO Craig Kallman. “Last year, we had the rare opportunity to bring another R&B icon into the Atlantic family, and for me it was an opportunity of a lifetime. Toni Braxton is not only one of the greatest voices of all time, but she is a charismatic superstar with an incredible list of achievements. She has sold over 40 million records worldwide, has had 15 Top Ten Billboard hits, earned six Grammy Awards, and the list goes on and on. Above all, there has always been that fantastic voice, filled with passion and beauty and soul. I believe that Toni has made the most spectacular album. It’s the culmination of everything that has come before… a brilliant reflection of her experiences in music and in life. It’s the start of an exciting new chapter – one which all of us at Atlantic are so very proud to be part of.”

“Yesterday,” the first single from the album, is currently on sale at Braxton’s official home online, www.tonibraxton.com. A companion video – directed by famed filmmaker Bille Woodruff, known for such classic Braxton clips as “Un-Break My Heart” and “He Wasn’t Man Enough” – was filmed earlier this month in Los Angeles and is currently in post-production with a premiere date to be announced later.

The as-yet-untitled album looks to be Toni’s most powerful and personal musical statement to date. Braxton personally chose to collaborate with a veritable who’s-who of red-hot producers and songwriters, including Frank E (Madonna, T.I., Plies, Flo Rida), Steve Mac (Leona Lewis, Il Divo), Lucas Secon (Britney Spears, The Pussycat Dolls), Harvey Mason & Oak (Chris Brown, Joe, Mario), Troy Taylor (Trey Songz, Kevin Lyttle), Dapo Torimiro (John Legend, David Archuletta, Brandy), and David Foster (Whitney Houston, Barbra Streisand, Celine Dion). What’s more, the album features a guest appearance from Toni’s new Atlantic labelmate, R&B/hip-hop sensation Trey Songz, who lends his distinctive vocal stylings to the aforementioned single, “Yesterday.”

This past weekend saw Braxton singing the National Anthem before the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ NFL International Series game against the New England Patriots at London’s Wembley Stadium, a rendition broadcast here in the US as part of CBS’ The NFL Today’s “Golden Anniversary 50th Year of the NFL” coverage. Toni is further scheduled to be the opening performance at the upcoming CENTRIC Presents: 2009 Soul Train Awards Show, taping next week at the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta, Georgia. The event will then premiere on both CENTRIC and BET in a special simulcast on Sunday, November 29th at 9:00 PM (check local listings).

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Toni Braxton has been at the forefront of modern R&B and soul since her 1991 debut single, “Love Shoulda Brought You Home” (featured in the film, Boomerang). Her self-titled debut, which followed in 1993, proved a true pop phenomenon, earning 8x-platinum certification from the RIAA for sales in excess of 8 million. The album also saw Braxton receiving her first round of Grammy Awards, including “Best New Artist” and two “Best R&B Vocal Performance, Female” trophies, honoring the singles, “Another Sad Love Song” and “Breathe Again.”

“SECRETS” arrived in 1997 and indelibly confirmed Toni’s status as a true international superstar. The 8x-platinum certified collection spawned a string of major hit singles, including the #1 hits, “You’re Makin’ Me High” and “Un-Break My Heart.” The latter track became an instant pop classic, topping Billboard’s “Hot 100” for 11 consecutive weeks, while also dominating a variety of other charts around the world. “Un-Break My Heart” and “You’re Makin’ Me High” earned Braxton two more Grammy Awards, for “Best Pop Vocal Performance, Female” and “Best R&B Vocal Performance, Female,” respectively.

Toni followed the stunning success of “SECRETS” by embarking on a further career as a stage actress. She drew rave reviews for her history-making turn as “Belle” in Disney’s Beauty and the Beast – the first African-American woman to star in a Disney musical production.

Braxton’s long-awaited third album, “THE HEAT,” was released to worldwide acclaim in 2000. At year’s end, Toni was named Billboard’s “Top R&B/Hip-Hop Artist – Female,” “Top R&B/Hip-Hop Album Artist – Female,” “Top R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks Artist – Female,” while the gold-certified, chart-topping smash, “He Wasn’t Man Enough,” brought home still another Grammy Award for “Best R&B Vocal Performance, Female.”

In 2001, Toni made her big-screen debut in 2001’s hit comedy, Kingdom Come, earning a BET Black Oscar for her performance. 2002’s “MORE THAN A WOMAN” and 2005’s “LIBRA” saw her continuing to expand her musical range of expression, while her 2006 collaboration with Il Divo, “The Time of Our Lives,” was named the official anthem of the 2006 FIFA World Cup. That same year saw Toni making history once again, this time with Toni Braxton: Revealed, her blockbuster stage show at Las Vegas’ Flamingo Hotel & Casino. Though initially slated for a brief three-month run, the show proved such a success that it was ultimately extended through mid-2008.

As if all that weren’t enough, Braxton was also among the top competitors on the 2008 season of ABC’s Dancing with the Stars. She followed the reality series’ success by appearing in the “Dancing with the Stars – The Tour 2008/2009” roadshow, which played to sold-out arenas across the country.