🔗 Share this article Rhythm and Blues Christmas Concert Review: An Emotional Trip Back to the 90s The yearly R&B Xmas Ball featured a lineup of artists renowned for their Christmas records. Rather than centering on carols, the evening served as a sentimental excuse for a trip back to the earnest and emotional style of 1990s R&B. Starting Acts: Timeless Feelings Dru Hill delivered classic R&B in matching outfits, with music videos from the 2000s playing on screens behind them. Next, a performance of mostly ballads from Joe set the stage for the headlining acts. Toni Braxton's Powerful Performance The opening of Burna Boy’s Last Last skillfully segued into He Wasn’t Man Enough, connecting Braxton's artistic heritage. Initially, her show with a backing band seemed anchored in the time period of her peak fame. However, deep into her performance, she spoke about her battles with lupus and being told she might never perform live 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 stated sincerely. Driving guitar chords then catapulted the crowd into Long As I Live, cementing her command over the audience's emotions. She encored with an impeccable, though somewhat abridged, version of her iconic hit, Un-break My Heart. The Group Boyz II Men: Vocal Virtuosos Taking the stage in strikingly coordinated white outfits, Boyz II Men began with Motownphilly. They performed hits like Water Runs Dry and On Bended Knee, showcasing awe-inspiring three-part harmonies that were both tight and reactive to their accompaniment. Their performance included interpretations of inspirations, such as a memorable guitar piece on Purple Rain, and tracks influenced by them, like Bruno Mars’s Locked Out of Heaven. A Dash of Christmas Cheer Finally, the evening embraced the Christmas theme with renditions of Silent Night and Let It Snow. The performance concluded with a strong 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 technical execution had some hiccups, and the feeling at times was of artists performing a tribute to their past selves, the net result was transportive. The crowd was briefly transported to the peak era of R&B, going home dusted with sparkle rather than snow.