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This yearly Rhythm and Blues Christmas Concert showcased a lineup of performers known for their Christmas albums. Instead of centering on seasonal songs, the night acted as a nostalgic reason for a voyage back to the sincere and heart-rending style of 1990s R&B.

Starting Acts: Classic Feelings

Dru Hill presented classic R&B in matching outfits, with videos from the 2000s playing behind them. Following this, a performance of mostly ballads from Joe prepared the audience for the main artists.

Toni Braxton's Moving Performance

The opening of Burna Boy’s Last Last cleverly segued into He Wasn’t Man Enough, tying in Braxton's musical heritage. Initially, her show with a live band seemed rooted in the time period of her greatest success.

However, nine songs into her performance, she opened up about her struggle with lupus and being told she might never perform on stage 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 stated earnestly.

Driving guitar chords then catapulted the crowd into Long As I Live, solidifying her command over the crowd's hearts. She encored with an impeccable, though slightly shortened, rendition of her signature hit, Un-break My Heart.

Boyz II Men: Vocal Masters

Appearing on stage in dazzlingly coordinated all-white suits, Boyz II Men opened with Motownphilly. They moved through classics like Water Runs Dry and On Bended Knee, demonstrating awe-inspiring three-way vocals that were both tight and responsive to their live band.

Their performance included covers of inspirations, such as a standout solo on Purple Rain, and songs influenced by them, like Bruno Mars’s Locked Out of Heaven.

A Dash of Holiday Cheer

Towards the end, the evening 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.

Overall Impressions

While the evening's production experienced some glitches, and the sense at points was of artists performing a tribute to their past selves, the overall effect was transportive. The audience was briefly taken back to the peak era of R&B, going home sprinkled with glitter rather than snow.