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The yearly R&B Xmas Ball showcased a roster of performers known for their holiday records. Instead of focusing on seasonal songs, the night served as a nostalgic excuse for a voyage back to the sincere and emotional style of 90s R&B.

Starting Acts: Classic Feelings

Dru Hill delivered iconic R&B in coordinated attire, with videos from the 2000s displaying on screens behind them. Following this, a set of primarily slow jams from the artist Joe prepared the audience for the main acts.

Toni Braxton's Moving Set

The beginning of Burna Boy’s Last Last cleverly segued 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 fame.

Then, deep into her performance, she opened up about her struggle with lupus and being told she might never sing live again. Performing Breathe Again in a solitary beam of light, she gave a deeply emotional moment. “As long as I live, I will never forget tonight,” she declared sincerely.

Driving guitar chords then catapulted the crowd into Long As I Live, solidifying her grip over the crowd's hearts. She finished with an flawless, though slightly shortened, version of her iconic hit, Un-break My Heart.

The Group Boyz II Men: Vocal Masters

Appearing on stage in strikingly coordinated white suits, Boyz II Men opened with Motownphilly. They performed classics like Water Runs Dry and On Bended Knee, demonstrating breathtaking three-way harmonies that were both precise and reactive to their accompaniment.

Their set featured covers of influences, including a memorable solo on Purple Rain, and songs inspired by them, like Bruno Mars’s Locked Out of Heaven.

A Dash of Holiday Cheer

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

Final Impressions

While the evening's production experienced some glitches, and the feeling at points was of artists paying homage to their past selves, the net effect was transformative. The audience was briefly taken back to the peak era of R&B, leaving sprinkled with glitter rather than snow.