Libra (album)

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Libra
Libra cover
Studio album by Toni Braxton
Released September 27, 2005 (2005-09-27)
(see release history)
Recorded 2004–2005
Genre R&B
Length 40:00
Label Blackground
Producer Rich Harrison, Scott Storch, Bryan-Michael Cox, The Underdogs, Antonio Dixon, Babyface, Soulshock & Karlin, Cory Rooney, Keri Lewis, Dan Shea
Professional reviews
Toni Braxton chronology
Un-Break My Heart: The Remix Collection
(2005)		 Libra
(2005)		 Essential Toni Braxton
(2007)
Alternate cover
European re-release cover
European re-release cover
Singles from Libra
  1. "Please"
    Released: June 2005
  2. "Trippin' (That's the Way Love Works)"
    Released: September 2005
  3. "Take This Ring"
    Released: December 2005
Singles from Libra (European re-release)
  1. "Suddenly"
    Released: February 2006
  2. "The Time of Our Lives"
    Released: June 15, 2006

Libra is the fifth studio album (ninth overall) by American R&B singer Toni Braxton, released on September 27, 2005 (see 2005 in music) in the United States on Blackground Records. The album's title is a reference to Braxton's astrological sign, Libra.

The album debuted at number four on the Billboard 200 and number two on the Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums, selling 114,593 copies in its first week. Only three singles were released from the album, and due to lack of promotion from Blackground Records, Braxton's then-record label, all of them failed to chart on the Billboard Hot 100—subsequently causing Braxton to finish her contract with Blackground. Nonetheless, as a result of the European success of "The Time of Our Lives"—Braxton's collaboration with the group Il Divo which served as the official 2006 FIFA World Cup theme song—, German label Edel Records re-released the album in Europe in late June 2006 including "The Time of Our Lives" as well as a brand-new cover art. Previously, the European edition of the album included only three bonus tracks: "Suddenly", "I Hate You", and "Long Way Home".

Libra gained gold status by the RIAA two months after its release.

Contents

[edit] Track listing

  1. "Please" (Scott Storch, Vincent Herbert, Kameron Houff, Makeba Riddick) – 3:57
  2. "Trippin' (That's the Way Love Works)" (Toni Braxton, Bryan-Michael Cox, Johnta Austin, Kendrick Dean) – 4:05
  3. "What's Good" 1 (Braxton, Cox, Austin, Joe Sample) – 4:14
  4. "Take This Ring" 2 (Rich Harrison) – 4:35
  5. "Midnite" (Harold Lilly, Soulshock, Kenneth Karlin) – 4:11
  6. "I Wanna Be (Your Baby)" (Babyface, Harvey Mason, Jr., Damon Thomas, Daryl Simmons) – 3:48
  7. "Sposed to Be" (Antonio Dixon, Keri Hilson, Mason, Thomas, Patrick Smith) – 4:07
  8. "Stupid" (Braxton, Cory Rooney, Keri Lewis) – 3:36
  9. "Finally" 3 (Dixon, Eric Dawkins, Mason, Thomas, Durrell Babbs) – 3:30
  10. "Shadowless" (Alex Cantrell, Philip White) – 3:57

1 Contains a sample of The Crusaders' "In All My Wildest Dreams" written by Joe Sample.
2 Contains a sample of The Meters' "Here Comes the Meter Man" written by Art Neville, George Porter, Jr., Ziggy Modeliste, and Leo Nocentelli.
3 Contains a sample of Mobb Deep's "Give Up the Goods (Just Step)" written by Jonathan Davis, Albert Johnson, Kejuan Muchita, TaJuan Perry, and M.W. Small, Jr.

[edit] European edition

  1. "Please" – 3:57
  2. "Trippin' (That's the Way Love Works)" – 4:05
  3. "What's Good" – 4:14
  4. "Suddenly" (Richard Marx) – 4:43
  5. "Take This Ring" – 4:35
  6. "Midnite" – 4:09
  7. "I Wanna Be (Your Baby)" – 3:48
  8. "Sposed to Be" – 4:07
  9. "Stupid" – 3:36
  10. "Finally" – 3:30
  11. "I Hate You" – 4:01
  12. "Shadowless" – 3:56
  13. "Long Way Home" – 4:32

[edit] European re-release

  1. "Please" – 3:57
  2. "Trippin' (That's the Way Love Works)" – 4:05
  3. "What's Good" – 4:14
  4. "Suddenly" – 4:43
  5. "Take This Ring" – 4:35
  6. "Midnite" – 4:09
  7. "I Wanna Be (Your Baby)" – 3:48
  8. "Sposed to Be" – 4:07
  9. "Stupid" – 3:36
  10. "Finally" – 3:30
  11. "I Hate You" – 4:01
  12. "Shadowless" – 3:56
  13. "Long Way Home" – 4:32
  14. "The Time of Our Lives" (with Il Divo) (Jörgen Elofsson) – 4:44

[edit] Personnel

[edit] Musicians

  • Nuno Bettencourt – guitar
  • Kendrick Dean – strings
  • Greg Phillinganes – piano
  • Cory Rooney – piano
  • Dan Shea – piano

[edit] Production

  • Executive producers: Toni Braxton, Keri Lewis, Barry Hankerson, Jomo Hankerson, Vincent Herbert
  • Producer: Rich Harrison, Scott Storch, Bryan-Michael Cox, The Underdogs, Babyface, Soulshock & Karlin, Cory Rooney, Keri Lewis, Dan Shea
  • Vocal producer: Eric Dawkins
  • Vocal assistance: Johnta Austin, Tamar Braxton, Eric Dawkins, Keri Hilson, Tavia Ivey, Kim Moore Johnson, Makeba Riddick, Latrell Simmons
  • Engineers: Peter Wade Keusch, Paul Boutin, Morgan Garcia, Paul Foley, Dabling Harward, Kameron Houff, Tom Kelly, Thom "TK" Kidd, Dave Russell, Sam Thomas
  • Assistant engineers: Terrence Cash, Mike Guidotti, Saro Lyn Killian, Rob Skipworth, Anthony Terrabonne
  • Mixing: Saro Lyn Killian, Manny Marroquin, Dave Russell, Sam Thomas
  • Mastering: Chris Gehringer, Gene Grimaldi
  • Photography: Daniela Federici, Jonathan Mannion, Michael Muller, John Ricard
  • Stylist: R.K
  • Makeup artist: R.K

[edit] Leftover tracks

  • "Almost There" (Melvin Coleman, Traci Hale, Keri Hilson, Patrick Smith)[1]
  • "Can't Stop" (Babyface, Damon Thomas, Harvey Mason Jr) (recorded by Babyface as "Can't Stop Now" for his 2005 album Grown & Sexy)
  • "Happily Unhappy"
  • "I Like It Like That"
  • "Places"
  • "Shake & Move"

[edit] Digital downloads

Some American retail stores, such as Best Buy, Target, and Wal-Mart, included a bonus digital download when Libra was first released. The tracks given for digital download were either a leftover track or one of the bonus tracks featured on the album's 2006 European pressing. The track "Places" was included as a digital download at Wal-Mart stores.

[edit] Charts

Chart (2005) Peak
position
German Albums Chart 60
Swiss Albums Chart 25
United World Chart 19
U.S. Billboard 200 4
U.S. Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums 2

[edit] Release history

Region Date Label
United States September 27, 2005 Blackground
Europe October 21, 2005 Edel
Europe (re-release) June 23, 2006 Edel

[edit] References

  1. ^ Almost There - ASCAP
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