Toni Braxton’s newest release is a compilation of what claims to be the best existing remixes of her songs. In short, this means that the album does not offer us any new information. A more thorough look, however, reveals that the remixes included are not exactly complete. Shortened cuts of lengthy sets characterize the album and this preference for brevity, although necessary for the sake of fitting multiple songs on the compilation, proves detrimental to the overall musical experience.
Although the album exists under the blanket classification of Braxton’s name, her voice is hardly the main focus of the music created. Progressive, provocative mixes of songs like the classic, “Un-Break My Heart” make the album tolerable. Once you realize, however, that these mixes already exist in their original, uncut form via other mediums, The Remix Collection becomes slightly less appealing. The album tends to juxtapose several different mixes of the same song, which is slightly annoying. But highlights like the Peter Rauhofer NYC Club Mix of “He Wasn’t Man Enough” slightly alleviate the pain.
Archived article by Tracy Zhang
Arts and Entertainment Editor