Libra (album)

Infobox Album
Name = Libra
Type = studio
Artist = Toni Braxton


Released = Start date|2005|9|27
(see release history)
Recorded = 2004–2005 at
DenDiezel
(Los Angeles, California)
Doppler Studio
(Atlanta, Georgia)
Encore Studios
(Burbank, California)
Ocean Way Recording
(Hollywood, Los Angeles, California)
Silent Sound Studios
(Atlanta, Georgia)
Soulpower Studio
(Los Angeles, California)
The Hit Factory Criteria
(Miami, Florida)
The Poolhouse
(New York City, New York)
The Underlad
(Los Angeles, California)
The Village Studios
(Los Angeles, California)
Upstairs Studio
(Atlanta, Georgia)
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
Reviews = *Allmusic rating|3|5 [http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:3263mpb09f3o link]
Last album = ""
(2005)
This album = "Libra"
(2005)
Next album = "Essential Toni Braxton"
(2007)
Misc = Extra album cover 2
Upper caption = Alternate cover
Type = studio


Lower caption = European re-release cover Singles
Name = Libra
Type = studio
Single 1 = Please
Single 1 date = June 2005
Single 2 = Trippin' (That's the Way Love Works)
Single 2 date = September 2005
Single 3 = Take This Ring
Single 3 date = December 2005 Singles
Name = Libra "(European re-release)'
Type = studio
Single 1 = Suddenly
Single 1 date = February 2006
Single 2 = The Time of Our Lives
Single 2 date = 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 114,000 copies in its first week. [cite web |url=http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/news/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1001260244 |title=Gretchen Wilson Zooms Straight To No. 1 |accessdate=2008-08-23 |last=Whitmire |first=Margo |date=October 5, 2005 |work=Billboard] 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 had included three bonus tracks: "Suddenly", "I Hate You", and "Long Way Home".

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

Track listing

#"Please" (Scott Storch, Makeba Riddick, Vincent Herbert, Kameron Houff) – 3:57
#"Trippin' (That's the Way Love Works)" (Bryan-Michael Cox, Kendrick Dean, Johnta Austin, Toni Braxton) – 4:05
#"What's Good" (Cox, Austin, Joe Sample) – 4:14
#*Contains a sample of Joe Sample's "In All My Wildest Dreams" (Joe Sample).
#"Take This Ring" (Rich Harrison) – 4:35
#*Contains a sample of The Meters' "Here Comes the Meter Man" (Leo Nocentelli, Art Neville, George Porter, Jr., Joseph Modeliste).
#"Midnite" (Carsten Schack, Kenneth Karlin, Harold Lilly) – 4:11
#"I Wanna Be (Your Baby)" (Harvey Mason, Jr., Damon Thomas, Babyface, Daryl Simmons) – 3:48
#"Sposed to Be" (Antonio Dixon, Keri Hilson, Patrick "j.Que" Smith, Mason, Thomas) – 4:07
#"Stupid" (Cory Rooney, Braxton, Keri Lewis) – 3:36
#"Finally" (Mason, Thomas, Dixon, Eric Dawkins, Durrell Babbs) – 3:30
#*Contains a sample of Mobb Deep's "Give Up the Goods (Just Step)" (Albert Johnson, Kejuan Muchita, Jonathan Davis, TaJuan Perry, Mayfield Worth Small, Jr.).
#"Shadowless" (Alex Cantrell, Philip White) – 3:57

European edition

#"Please" – 3:57
#"Trippin' (That's the Way Love Works)" – 4:05
#"What's Good" – 4:14
#"Suddenly" (Richard Marx) – 4:43
#"Take This Ring" – 4:35
#"Midnite" – 4:09
#"I Wanna Be (Your Baby)" – 3:48
#"Sposed to Be" – 4:07
#"Stupid" – 3:36
#"Finally" – 3:30
#"I Hate You" (Mason, Thomas, Babyface, Dixon, Dawkins) – 4:01
#"Shadowless" – 3:56
#"Long Way Home" (Schack, Karlin, Cantrell, White) – 4:32

European re-release

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

Personnel

Musicians

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

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

Digital downloads

Some U.S. 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.

Charts

Release history

References