Video: Toni Braxton “Hands Tied”

Double dose of Toni this week and we’re not mad at all! This time it’s just her and a pole, doing what she does best: causing hypertension. More of a signature Braxton ballad, the “Hands Tied” video has something for everyone: fine men of all shades for the ladies and Toni for the—well, whole damn universe. This one has a cameo by Michael Jai White (who we prefer over Raz B by far) and that kid that was in all those teen movies in the ’90s that kinda reminds us of Lurch. (No shots!!) Make sure you have a glass of cold water and then you can work off all that pent-up energy by watching the other video she dropped yesterday. It’s a mega-jam and we’ve watched it like 75 times. Don’t judge us!

Video: Toni Braxton “Make My Heart”

We would have loved to hang out on the set of “Make My Heart.” Either it was the most awkward day ever or completely awesome. We imagine the latter since everyone was hanging with Toni Braxton, even Raz B (cameo!). Before female celebrities were shaving their heads and putting weave tracks to the side, Toni was owning the game for short-haired girls. Over a decade later she’s still rocking it better than the rest. Sultry, sexy, that entire swag was Toni’s first.

The woman basically paved the way for all the nubile R&B singers to get crazy/fierce/naked. This song is just right—upbeat—made for Toni’s proper comeback. We have to say it’s been a while since we’ve seen a video with serious dancing in a circle, but it’s also been a while since we’ve seen Toni in a sheer body suit. How can she still look this damn good?! Click to see for yourself.
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5 Videos To Remind Christina Aguilera of Herself

Just when you think you know Christina Aguilera, you don’t. That girl claiming to be a “genie in a bottle,” that wasn’t her? On Stripped she said she was a fighter, and above all beautiful. Impostor? Take it from Christina’s new single, “Not Myself Tonight” the real Xtina Aguilera isn’t ready to stand up.
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Olivia f. Maino, “Take It Off (Remix)” MP3

All R&B should have harp. Just straight harp joints for the summer. It’s like the most underrated instrument after the xylophone. It helps that most imagery associated with harps includes super-sexy people feeding each other grapes (in the buff is optional).
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Can Kelis Make A Comeback?

Can’t get along without you.

Say it ain’t so; Kelis and Nas are officially divorced. The news about the breakup of hip-hop’s other power couple was confirmed this week by Nas and Kelis’ attorney, Laura Wasser. As it turns out, the actual divorce papers that are circulating the blogosphere stated their relationship was already south-bound when they separated on April 20th, 2009.

But as their personal lives go through the ringer, both of their careers are also kind of hanging by a thread. Nas may continue to release material to lukewarm responses like he did with his last album, but now Kelis won’t be there to help finish his sentences on his press runs. So where does that leave Harlem’s finest (sorry Teyana Taylor), Kelis Rogers? Kelis hasn’t put out a studio album since Kelis Was Here in 2006, and she’s due with lil baby Nas this July. The former Fader mag cover girl’s hiatus from music isn’t as extreme as say, Lauryn Hill’s, but we’d hate to see her fade into pop/r&b obscurity. So before we cry “the milk’s gone bad,” here are five steps Kelis can take to shake things up again.

#5 USE A MAJOR LAZER

When Diplo and Switch joined forces for their (soon-to-be-classic) dancehall-baltimore-electronica genre-bender, Kelis was rumored to be a featured guest on the album. The tag team known as Major Lazer have had hands in molding the careers of M.I.A., and Santogold. We expected Kelis, who mothered their eccentric style of dress to have the same chemistry. Lo and behold, her song isn’t on the tracklist. Only time will tell if this collaboration will ever see the light of day.

#4 GO M.I.A.

Now that Kelis has shed the dead weight of a relationship with Nas, she’s built for bigger things like motherhood. History has shown us that pregnancy can inspire, like it did on The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill, to M.I.A.’s string of appearances sporting a baby bump. But while Kelis may not be on every rapper’s radar like Mrs. Paper Planes, her sultry voice is still unmatched in the pop world.

#3 REUNITE WITH THE NEPTUNES

If Nas can make amends with Jay-Z, anything is possible. When Kelis parted ways with the Neptunes, it seemed like she was washed up. Being synonymous with Pharrell though, hasn’t pigeonholed her the way it did the Clipse when they went out on their own. Producers like Polow da Don, Bangladesh, and Will.i.Am prove that Kelis has versatility. Still though, there’s only one way to make a milkshake, and it takes the Neptunes’ ecclectic mix of ingredients to bring out her best.

#2 PLOT A U.K. TAKEOVER

Kelis was already pretty far left when she debuted with “Caught Out There.” It took a minute for folks to grasp a less than traditional, happy I’m raspy voice, especially when aimed over a male-bashing anthem like “Caught Out There.” By the time her sophomore album Wanderland was due, it made a greater impact internationally than it did stateside. Could the U.K. be where Kelis re-establishes herself?

#1 BREAK-UP TO MAKE-UP

Now that Nas and Kelis are trying to annul their marriage, let’s look at the brighter side: they still have to deal with each other because of the baby. While we’re at it, let’s not forget that Nas and Kelis have also made beautiful music together. Ok, maybe it didn’t pop like Jay and Beyoncé’s, but we’re still rooting for them.