Toni Braxton has been at the vanguard of sophisticated R&B since the early ‘90s, and her sonic influences are a master class in ferocious female power. Braxton's throaty, expansive vocals pay homage to Aretha Franklin's towering delivery, while her sultry, smoldering sound traces a direct line to Sade's searing jazz-inflected pop and Dionne Warwick's refined, subtle storytelling.