🔗 Share this article

This yearly Rhythm and Blues Christmas Concert featured a lineup of performers renowned for their Christmas albums. Rather than centering on carols, the evening acted as a sentimental reason for a trip back to the earnest and heart-rending sound of 1990s R&B.

Starting Acts: Classic Vibes

Dru Hill presented classic R&B in matching outfits, with music videos from the 2000s playing on screens behind them. Following this, a performance of mostly ballads from the artist Joe prepared the audience for the main acts.

Toni Braxton's Powerful Set

The opening of Burna Boy’s Last Last cleverly transitioned into He Wasn’t Man Enough, tying in Braxton's musical legacy. Initially, her show with a backing band seemed rooted in the time period of her greatest success.

However, nine songs into her performance, she spoke about her struggle with lupus and being told she might not perform live again. Performing Breathe Again in a solitary beam of light, she gave a deeply heartfelt moment. “As long as I live, I will never forget tonight,” she stated earnestly.

Power chords then launched the crowd into Long As I Live, cementing her grip over the crowd's hearts. She encored with an flawless, though somewhat shortened, rendition of her signature hit, Un-break My Heart.

Boyz II Men: Vocal Virtuosos

Taking the stage in dazzlingly coordinated white outfits, Boyz II Men began with Motownphilly. They moved through hits like Water Runs Dry and On Bended Knee, demonstrating breathtaking three-way harmonies that were both precise and responsive to their live band.

Their performance included covers of inspirations, such as a memorable guitar piece on Purple Rain, and tracks inspired by them, like Bruno Mars’s Locked Out of Heaven.

A Dash of Holiday Spirit

Towards the end, the evening turned to the holiday theme with renditions of Silent Night and Let It Snow. The show concluded with a strong closing run of hits including One Sweet Day, I’ll Make Love To You, and End of the Road.

Overall Thoughts

While the night's technical execution experienced some glitches, and the feeling at points was of stars paying homage to their younger selves, the overall result was transportive. The crowd was temporarily taken back to the peak era of R&B, leaving dusted with sparkle rather than frost.