(Atlantic Records) 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).