🔗 Share this article Rhythm and Blues Christmas Ball Recap: A Heartfelt Trip Back to the Nineties The yearly Rhythm and Blues Christmas Concert showcased a roster of performers known for their holiday records. Instead of focusing on seasonal songs, the evening acted as a sentimental reason for a voyage back to the earnest and emotional style of 1990s R&B. Opening Performances: Timeless Feelings Dru Hill presented iconic R&B in coordinated outfits, with videos from the 2000s era playing behind them. Following this, a performance of mostly ballads from Joe prepared the audience for the headlining acts. Toni Braxton's Powerful Performance The beginning of the song Last Last cleverly transitioned into He Wasn’t Man Enough, connecting Braxton's artistic legacy. At first, her show with a live band appeared rooted in the era of her greatest fame. Then, nine songs into her set, she opened up about her battles with lupus and being told she might never perform on stage again. Singing Breathe Again in a solitary beam of light, she delivered a profoundly emotional performance. “For as long as I live, I will never forget tonight,” she stated sincerely. Power chords then catapulted the crowd into Long As I Live, cementing her command over the audience's emotions. She finished with an impeccable, though somewhat shortened, rendition of her signature hit, Un-break My Heart. Boyz II Men: Vocal Masters Taking the stage in strikingly matching white outfits, Boyz II Men opened with Motownphilly. They moved through hits like Water Runs Dry and On Bended Knee, demonstrating awe-inspiring three-way vocals that were both tight and responsive to their accompaniment. Their set featured covers of influences, including a standout solo on Purple Rain, and songs inspired by them, like Bruno Mars’s Locked Out of Heaven. A Dash of Christmas Cheer Towards the end, the evening embraced the holiday theme with performances of Silent Night and Let It Snow. The performance ended with a powerful closing run of hits including One Sweet Day, I’ll Make Love To You, and End of the Road. Overall Impressions Although the evening's production had some hiccups, and the feeling at points was of stars performing a tribute to their younger selves, the overall result was transportive. The crowd was briefly transported to the peak era of R&B, leaving dusted with glitter rather than frost.