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Image Courtesy James Minchin III/UniversalBabyface and Toni Braxton are touring together in South Africa through September 3, and Babyface recalls how he convinced her to end her retirement.
The Grammy-winning artist, composer and producer told the South African website IOL, “It was more about trying to get her back into wanting to be in music again.” He adds, “It made sense because she had a lot of things she wanted to talk about and emotions she wanted to get out and there’s no better way to do that than through song.”
Braxton launched her career in 1993 on the La’Face label owned by Babyface, born Kenneth Edmonds, and L.A. Reid. She briefly retired in 2013, however she returned with the 2014 Grammy -winning duet album she recorded with Babyface, Love, Marriage & Divorce. They also performed together in the Broadway musical After Midnight.
Edmonds is now completing his tenth solo album called Return to Tender Lover, a title inspired by his second album, Tender Lover, in 1989.
“I listened to Tender Lover and remembered the feeling of it,” says Babyface. “Not that I’m trying to re-do it, but I want to go back to the feeling of hopeful love — which is what that song was about and what I want my music to be about today, being hopeful. It’s new music with the same feeling.”
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