"Breathe Again" is a song by American R&B singer

Toni Braxton Toni Michele Braxton (born October 7, 1967) is an American Contemporary R&B, R&B singer, songwriter, actress and television personality. She has sold over 70 million records worldwide and is one of the best-selling female artists in history. ...

. It was written by

Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds Kenneth Brian Edmonds (born April 10, 1959), better known by his stage name Babyface, is an American singer, songwriter, and record producer. He has written and produced over 26 number-one R&B hits throughout his career and has won 12 Grammy A ...

and produced by Edmonds,

L.A. Reid Antonio Marquis "L.A." Reid (born June 7, 1956) is an American record executive, A&R representative, and record producer. He is the founder and served as co-chairman of Hitco Entertainment. He also previously served as the chairman and CEO of Ep ...

, and

Daryl Simmons Daryl L. Simmons is an American R&B musician, songwriter and record producer, who worked with the production duo of L.A. Reid and Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds. In 1977–1980 Daryl, with Manchild (band) recorded 2 soul & funk albums & the minor h ...

for Braxton's self-titled debut album (1993). Its lyrics evokes a sense of

nostalgia Nostalgia is a sentimentality for the past, typically for a period or place with happy personal associations. The word ''nostalgia'' is a learned formation of a Greek language, Greek compound, consisting of (''nóstos''), meaning "homecoming", ...

from a relationship that has run its course. The

ballad A ballad is a form of verse, often a narrative set to music. Ballads derive from the medieval French ''chanson balladée'' or ''ballade'', which were originally "dance songs". Ballads were particularly characteristic of the popular poetry and ...

was released as the album's second

single Single may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media * Single (music), a song release Songs * "Single" (Natasha Bedingfield song), 2004 * "Single" (New Kids on the Block and Ne-Yo song), 2008 * "Single" (William Wei song), 2016 * "Single", by ...

on August 6, 1993 by

LaFace LaFace Records was an American record label based in Atlanta, Georgia, that operated as a unit of Sony Music Entertainment from 2008 to 2011 and was historically a part of Bertelsmann Music Group from 1989 to 2004. It was most active and achie ...

and

Arista Records Arista Records () is an American record label owned by Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America, the North American division of the Japanese conglomerate Sony. The label was previously handled by BMG Entertainmen ...

. The single peaked at number three on the US ''Billboard'' Hot 100 and number four on the ''Billboard''

Hot R&B Singles The Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart ranks the most popular R&B and hip hop songs in the United States and is published weekly by ''Billboard''. Rankings are based on a measure of radio airplay, sales data, and streaming activity. The chart had 100 p ...

and

Adult Contemporary Adult contemporary music (AC) is a form of radio-played popular music, ranging from 1960s vocal and 1970s soft rock music to predominantly ballad-heavy music of the present day, with varying degrees of easy listening, pop, soul, R&B, quie ...

charts. "Breathe Again" became one of Braxton's most successful international hits, reaching number two in Australia, New Zealand and the United Kingdom and peaking within the top 10 in several European countries and Canada. The song earned Braxton her second consecutive

Grammy Award for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance The Grammy Award for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance (previously called Best Rhythm and Blues Solo Vocal Performance, Female) was an honor presented at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards ...

1995 File:1995 Events Collage V2.png, From left, clockwise: O.J. Simpson is O. J. Simpson murder case, acquitted of the murders of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ronald Goldman from the 1994, year prior in "The Trial of the Century" in the United States; The ...

. "Breathe Again" was included in all of the

greatest hits A greatest hits album or best-of album is a type of compilation album that collects popular and commercially successful songs by a particular artist or band. While greatest hits albums are typically supported by the artist, they can also be crea ...

collections released by Braxton, including ''

Ultimate Toni Braxton Ultimate Toni Braxton, released in 2003, is the first greatest hits collection by Contemporary R&B, R&B singer Toni Braxton. It features many of her greatest hits, and includes all the singles from her debut ''Toni Braxton (album), Toni Braxton'' ...

'' (2003), '' Platinum & Gold Collection'' (2004), ''

The Essential Toni Braxton ''The Essential Toni Braxton'' is a compilation album by the American recording artist Toni Braxton in Sony BMG's ''The Essential'' series. Released in February 2007, it follows the earlier compilations ''Ultimate Toni Braxton'', released in 2003, ...

'' (2007), '' Playlist: The Very Best of Toni Braxton'' (2008) and ''Breathe Again: The Best of Toni Braxton'' (2009).

Background and composition

After the success of the previous single, "

Another Sad Love Song "Another Sad Love Song" is a song by American singer-songwriter Toni Braxton. Written and produced by Daryl Simmons and Babyface, featuring additional production from L.A. Reid, it was released as the lead single and its opening track from Brax ...

", "Breathe Again" was released as the second official single from Toni Braxton's self-titled album, on August 6, 1993. "Breathe Again" was written and produced by

, with co-production being handled by

and

. Lyrically, in "Breathe Again", Braxton would crumble and have a nervous breakdown if her boyfriend were to break up with her, singing, "If I never feel you in my arms again/If I never feel your tender kiss again/If I never hear I love you now and then/Will I never make love to you once again/Please understand/If love ends/Then I promise you, I promise you, that/That I shall never breathe again."

Chart performance

"Breathe Again" was Braxton's first worldwide hit. In the United States, the song was a success, reaching number three for three non-consecutive weeks on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100. It spent 17 weeks in the top ten. On the ''

Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertise ...

'' genre charts, "Breathe Again" also reached high positions, peaking at number two on the

Mainstream Top 40 Pop Airplay (also called Mainstream Top 40, Pop Songs, and Top 40/contemporary hit radio, CHR) is a 40-song music chart published weekly by Billboard (magazine), ''Billboard'' Magazine that ranks the most popular songs of pop music being played o ...

and number four on both the

and

charts. It sold 500,000 copies domestically, earning a

gold certification Music recording certification is a system of certifying that a music recording has shipped, sold, or streamed a certain number of units. The threshold quantity varies by type (such as album, single, music video) and by nation or territory (see ...

from the

Recording Industry Association of America The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) is a trade organization that represents the music recording industry in the United States. Its members consist of record labels and distributors that the RIAA says "create, manufacture, and/o ...

. In the United Kingdom, "Breathe Again" debuted and peaked at number two on January 15, 1994, becoming her best charting-single in the UK along with "

Un-Break My Heart "Un-Break My Heart" is a song by American singer Toni Braxton for her second studio album, '' Secrets'' (1996). The song was written by Diane Warren and produced by David Foster. It was released as the second single from the album on October 7, 1 ...

". In Australia, the song debuted at number 47 on the

ARIA Singles Chart The ARIA Charts are the main Australian music sales charts, issued weekly by the Australian Recording Industry Association. The charts are a record of the highest selling songs and albums in various genres in Australia. ARIA became the offici ...

on March 20, 1994, and reached number two on May 1, 1994, remaining at the same position for two further weeks. It spent 17 weeks on the ARIA Singles Chart and ranked at number 20 on ARIA's year-end chart for 1994. In New Zealand, the song debuted at number 20 on the

RIANZ Recorded Music NZ (formerly the Recording Industry Association of New Zealand (RIANZ)) is a non-profit trade association of record producers, distributors and recording artists who sell recorded music in New Zealand. Membership of Recorded Mus ...

chart on December 12, 1993. In its eighth week, the song climbed to number two, its peak position. It spent four non-consecutive weeks at the position and 21 weeks on the RIANZ chart, becoming Braxton's best-performing single in New Zealand. The song earned a

in 1995, becoming Braxton's second consecutive

Grammy Award The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pres ...

in the same category.

Critical reception

"Breathe Again" received mostly positive reviews from

music critics Music journalism (or music criticism) is media criticism and reporting about music topics, including popular music, classical music, and traditional music. Journalists began writing about music in the eighteenth century, providing commentary on w ...

. Ron Wynn of

AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databas ...

named the song a highlight from the album, writing that "Braxton's husky, enticing voice sounds hypnotic on the track." According to Daryl Easlea of

BBC Music BBC Music is responsible for the music played across the BBC. The current director of music is Bob Shennan, who is also the controller of BBC Radio 2, BBC Radio 6 Music, and the BBC Asian Network. Officially it is a part of the BBC's Radio o ...

, the song "fully established Braxton," calling it "a delicate

that refused to resort wholly to cliché, it is brought to life by Braxton’s dreamy, breathy delivery."

Larry Flick Larry Flick is an American journalist, former dance music columnist, single reviewer, and Senior Talent Editor for ''Billboard'' magazine, where he worked for 14 years. Now he produces and hosts Sirius XM radio shows. Flick started in the music ...

from ''

'' described it as "a yearning, R&B-framed ballad." He explained, "Once again, her vocal is expressive and moving—mostly due to an unusual willingness to let some rough-edged notes mingle with the sweet diva-like tones. Braxton's earthy personality makes her seem more accessible than a lot of other chest-pounding singers." Also Mitchell May of ''

Chicago Tribune The ''Chicago Tribune'' is a daily newspaper based in Chicago, Illinois, United States, owned by Tribune Publishing. Founded in 1847, and formerly self-styled as the "World's Greatest Newspaper" (a slogan for which WGN radio and television ar ...

'' was very positive, writing that "the way her voice throbs when she sings, 'I can't stop thinking about you,' conveys a sense of despair and longing that is rare." John Martinucci from the ''

Gavin Report The ''Gavin Report'' was a San Francisco-based radio industry trade publication. The publication was founded by radio performer Bill Gavin in 1958. Its Top 40 listings were used for many years by programmers to decide content of programs. The pu ...

'' viewed it as "melancholy". Alan Jones from ''

Music Week ''Music Week'' is a trade publication for the UK record industry distributed via a website and a monthly print magazine. It is published by Future. History Founded in 1959 as '' Record Retailer'', it relaunched on 18 March 1972 as ''Music W ...

'' declared it as "pretty and radio friendly", adding that "this seems sure to launch Braxton here

n the UK N, or n, is the fourteenth letter in the Latin alphabet, used in the modern English alphabet, the alphabets of other western European languages and others worldwide. Its name in English is ''en'' (pronounced ), plural ''ens''. History ...

though it will struggle to repeat its Top 10 placing." A reviewer from ''

People A person (plural, : people) is a being that has certain capacities or attributes such as reason, morality, consciousness or self-consciousness, and being a part of a culturally established form of social relations such as kinship, ownership of pr ...

'' magazine called the song "haunting", writing that "the quaver in her voice says more about love's promise and deceit than many singers manage in a career." John McAlley from ''

Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first kno ...

'' named it "the album's best material", concluding that "Braxton's love hangover has reached ludicrously epic proportions."

Charles Aaron Charles Aaron is an American music journalist and editor, formerly for '' Spin'' magazine, where he worked for 23 years. Personal Charles Aaron was born in Rockingham, North Carolina, and raised in Asheboro, North Carolina and Rome, Georgia. He ...

from ''

Spin Spin or spinning most often refers to: * Spinning (textiles), the creation of yarn or thread by twisting fibers together, traditionally by hand spinning * Spin, the rotation of an object around a central axis * Spin (propaganda), an intentionally b ...

'' felt "this Babyface ballad-under-glass invokes heartache more then heartbreak". He added that "Braxton's fitful vocal flourishes dazzle (and less obviously than on "

Love Shoulda Brought You Home "Love Shoulda Brought You Home" is the debut solo single by American singer Toni Braxton. It was written by Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds, Daryl Simmons, and Bo Watson and produced by Edmonds and Simmons along with L.A. Reid. Originally written for ...

")." Steve Pick from ''

St. Louis Post-Dispatch The ''St. Louis Post-Dispatch'' is a major regional newspaper based in St. Louis, Missouri, serving the St. Louis metropolitan area. It is the largest daily newspaper in the metropolitan area by circulation, surpassing the ''Belleville News-De ...

'' commented, "Here's another sad love song from a sultry

alto The musical term alto, meaning "high" in Italian (Latin: ''altus''), historically refers to the contrapuntal part higher than the tenor and its associated vocal range. In 4-part voice leading alto is the second-highest part, sung in choruses by ...

singer who seems to be getting the best of the LaFace production team's work this year. This pretty tune benefits greatly from Braxton's ability to hint at the over-the-top histrionics she never quite falls into. As a result, it's both smooth and edgy." James Hunter from ''

Vibe ''Vibe'' is an American music and entertainment magazine founded by producers David Salzman and Quincy Jones. The publication predominantly features R&B and hip hop music artists, actors and other entertainers. After shutting down productio ...

'' said that Babyface's writing on "Breathe Again" "gives the deserving future star melodic peaks and valleys to explore with her gorgeously detailed, unconceited voice." Mike Joyce from ''

The Washington Post ''The Washington Post'' (also known as the ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'') is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C. It is the most widely circulated newspaper within the Washington metropolitan area and has a large nati ...

'' felt the song "have a poignancy".

Music video

The accompanying

music video A music video is a video of variable duration, that integrates a music song or a music album with imagery that is produced for promotion (marketing), promotional or musical artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a m ...

for "Breathe Again" was directed by Randee St. Nicholas. It was filmed in

England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...

and is set in

black-and-white Black-and-white (B&W or B/W) images combine black and white in a continuous spectrum, producing a range of shades of grey. Media The history of various visual media began with black and white, and as technology improved, altered to color. ...

format. The concept was Braxton running through a

maze A maze is a path or collection of paths, typically from an entrance to a goal. The word is used to refer both to branching tour puzzles through which the solver must find a route, and to simpler non-branching ("unicursal") patterns that lea ...

, clearing her thoughts of a special kind of love. On her DVD, '' From Toni with Love... The Video Collection'', two other versions of the video are also featured: the "European version" and the "Spanish version". On the same DVD, Braxton commented about the video, saying, "This video was originally filmed in color and Randee St. Nicholas, the director, didn't like the maze part, she said it looked like piles of dirt, instead of these beautiful green .. she said it looked like chunks of rock, so she put it in black and white." About her look, she said, "I remember my stylist was going crazy, trying to find a 17th-century dress, and my hair was short, and I didn't want to wear wigs and my stylist put these little extensions in my hair and It was so cold and the dress was so heavy." The video for "Breathe Again" was later published on Braxton's official

YouTube YouTube is a global online video platform, online video sharing and social media, social media platform headquartered in San Bruno, California. It was launched on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim. It is owned by ...

channel in October 2009. It has amassed more than 56 million views as of September 2021.

Track listings and formats

* US CD single #"Breathe Again" (Radio Edit) #"Breathe Again" (Extended Mix) #"Breathe Again" (Breathless Mix) #"Breathe Again" (Club Mix) #"Breathe Again" (Spanish Version) * UK and German CD single #"Breathe Again" (Radio Edit) #"Breathe Again" (D'Jeep Mix) #"Breathe Again" (Extended Club Mix) #"Breathe Again" (D'Moody Mix) #"Breathe Again" (Breathless Mix) #"Breathe Again" (Spanish Version) * Spanish CD single #"Breathe Again" (Versión en Castellano) #"

" (Album Version)

Charts and certifications

Weekly charts

Year-end charts

Certifications

Cover versions

*In 1996, contemporary jazz guitarist

Chuck Loeb Charles Samuel "Chuck" Loeb (December 7, 1955 – July 31, 2017) was an American jazz guitarist and a member of the groups Steps Ahead, Metro and Fourplay. Early years and education Loeb was born in Nyack, New York, near New York City. At a ...

presented his version from the album ''The Music Inside.'' *In 2002, Jazz trumpeter Greg Adams covered the song on his album "Midnight Morning". *In 2004, Sweet Tea covered the song on the compilation album ''Reggae Gold 1994''. *In 2006, R&B singer Margot B. covered the song on her album ''Margot B. Inspired''.

References

{{authority control 1990s ballads 1993 singles 1993 songs Arista Records singles Contemporary R&B ballads LaFace Records singles Music videos directed by Randee St. Nicholas Number-one singles in Zimbabwe Song recordings produced by Babyface (musician) Song recordings produced by Daryl Simmons Song recordings produced by L.A. Reid Songs written by Babyface (musician) Toni Braxton songs