Released June 29, 1993 Recorded 1992 Label LaFace | Format CD single, 7" single Length 5:01 | |
Genre New jack swing
soul
R&B | ||
"Another Sad Love Song" is the first official single from Toni Braxton's self-titled debut album, Toni Braxton (1993). After the success of "Love Shoulda Brought You Home", Braxton followed up with this R&B mid-tempo single. The song proved to be a success, giving Braxton her first U.S. Billboard Hot 100 top ten hit (number seven) and her first Adult Contemporary hit (number eight), and narrowly missing the top position of the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs by peaking at number two, being held from the summit by SWV's "Right Here/Human Nature"/"Downtown". Internationally, "Another Sad Love Song" reached number fifteen in the United Kingdom, number twenty-three in the Netherlands, and number sixty in Germany.
Contents
The music video was released in three different versions. The first version was filmed in 1992 in black-and-white and featured the original music. The second version was filmed in May 1993 and was shown in color with exterior scenes from the first version. The third version was remixed to appeal to a wider audienced and was primarily shown in Europe. All three versions were successful and stayed in heavy rotation during the summer of 1993. "Another Sad Love Song" earned Braxton her first-ever Grammy Award, under the Best R&B Vocal Performance, Female category in 1994.
"Another Sad Love Song" was included in many greatest hits collections released by Braxton, including Ultimate Toni Braxton (2003), Platinum & Gold Collection (2004), The Essential Toni Braxton (2007) and Breathe Again: The Best of Toni Braxton (2009).
Background and composition
After releasing her first solo single, "Love Shoulda Brought You Home", in 1992, as the soundtrack of the film Boomerang, which became her first top-forty on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, Braxton released "Another Sad Love Song" as the lead-single from her self-titled debut album, Toni Braxton, on June 28, 1993. According to Braxton, the song is a take-off of "Love Shoulda Brought You Home".
"Another Sad Love Song" was written and produced by Babyface and Daryl Simmons, with L.A. Reid also producing it. Lyrically, "Another Sad Love Song" talks about Braxton complaining that every song played on the radio is a reminder of her ex-boyfriend. In the chorus, she sings, "It’s just another sad love song/Rackin’ my brain like crazy/Guess I’m all torn up/Be it fast or slow/It doesn’t let go/Or shake me/And it’s all because of you."
Critical reception
The song received positive reviews from the majority of the music critics. Ron Wynn of Allmusic picked the song as a highlight from the album, writing that "Braxton's husky, enticing voice sounds hypnotic on the dismayed track." Mitchell May of Chicago Tribune was very positive, writing that on the track, "the ache in her voice is all too real." Connie Johnson of Los Angeles Times praised Braxton for "going to town on the soul-infused track." Daryl Easlea of BBC Music praised that the song "showed how well an accomplished production team could perform when married with a superior vocalist." People Magazine called its intro "coiling, almost eerie", "bolstered by her full-throated alto."
John McAlley of Rolling Stone was extremely positive, writing that, "Another Sad Love Song – with its dynamic vocal, gargantuan hook and clever song-with-in-a-song lyric – surely ranks with 'End of the Road,' 'I'm Your Baby Tonight' and 'Every Little Step' as one of LaFace's greatest triumphs." McAlley also wrote the song "reinforces Braxton's lovelorn persona, as do several other midtempo ballads that L.A., Babyface and Daryl Simmons have front-loaded into Toni Braxton."
"Another Sad Love Song" became Braxton's first song to receive a Grammy Award nomination in 1994, for the category "Best R&B Vocal Performance, Female", ultimately winning the award.
Chart performance
"Another Sad Love Song" became Braxton's first top-ten on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, peaking at number seven. It was also the peak position on the Pop Songs chart, while on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, the song reached higher, peaking at number 2. The single sold 500,000 copies domestically, earning a gold certification from the Recording Industry Association of America. In 1993, the song charted on the UK Singles Chart, reaching a peak of number 51, on September 18. However, in 1994, the song peaked at number 15, becoming its official peak position, on April 2. Elsewhere, the song performed modestly, reaching number 23 on the Dutch Top 40 chart and number 44 on the New Zealand Singles Chart.
Music video
The music video was released in three different versions. The first version was directed by Antoine Fuqua and filmed in 1992 in black-and-white and featured the original music. The second version was directed by Fuqua and Ralph Ziman and filmed in May 1993 and was shown in color with exterior scenes from the first version. The third version was remixed to appeal to a wider audienced and was primarily shown in Europe.
On her DVD, "From Toni with Love... The Video Collection", two versions of the video are also featured: the "black and white" and the "colorful version". Braxton commented that she "was really feeling the song, because I was ending a relationship," she said. Cover Version in 1994, Hong Kong singer Sally Yeh covered this song in Cantonese.