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This yearly R&B Xmas Ball featured a lineup of performers known for their Christmas records. Instead of focusing on seasonal songs, the evening acted as a nostalgic reason for a voyage back to the earnest and emotional style of 90s R&B.

Starting Performances: Classic Feelings

The group Dru Hill delivered iconic R&B in coordinated outfits, with videos from the 2000s era displaying behind them. Next, a performance of mostly slow jams from Joe prepared the audience for the headlining acts.

Toni Braxton's Powerful Performance

The opening of the song Last Last cleverly transitioned into He Wasn’t Man Enough, connecting Braxton's artistic heritage. Initially, her show with a live band appeared rooted in the era of her peak success.

Then, nine songs into her performance, she opened up about her struggle with lupus and being told she might not perform on stage again. Performing Breathe Again in a solitary beam of light, she gave a deeply emotional performance. “As long as I live, I will never forget tonight,” she declared earnestly.

Power chords then catapulted the audience into Long As I Live, cementing her command over the crowd's emotions. She finished with an flawless, though somewhat shortened, version of her iconic hit, Un-break My Heart.

The Group Boyz II Men: Vocal Virtuosos

Appearing on stage in dazzlingly matching all-white outfits, Boyz II Men began with Motownphilly. They performed classics like Water Runs Dry and On Bended Knee, demonstrating awe-inspiring three-way harmonies that were both precise and reactive to their accompaniment.

Their set included covers of influences, such as a standout solo on Purple Rain, and songs inspired by them, like Bruno Mars’s Locked Out of Heaven.

A Dash of Christmas Spirit

Finally, the concert embraced the holiday theme with renditions of Silent Night and Let It Snow. The show ended with a powerful finale of hits including One Sweet Day, I’ll Make Love To You, and End of the Road.

Final Thoughts

Although the evening's production had some hiccups, and the sense at points was of stars performing a tribute to their past selves, the overall result was transformative. The crowd was temporarily taken back to the peak era of R&B, going home sprinkled with sparkle rather than frost.