Pulse
Studio album by Toni Braxton
Released	May 4, 2010 (2010-05-04)
Recorded	September 2008 – March 2010
Studio	Side 3 Studios (Denver, CO)[1] Paramount Studios (Los Angeles, CA)[1] Mason Sound Studios (North Hollywood, CA)[1] Record Plant (Los Angeles, CA)[1] Mux Music Studios (London, UK)[1] Rokstone Studios (London, UK)[1] Fool on the Hill Studios (Nashville, TN)[1] Legacy Recording Studios (New York, NY)[1]
Genre	R&B dance-pop pop
Length	42:18
Label	Atlantic
Producer	Busbee D'Mile DJ Frank E David Foster Simon Franglen Chuck Harmony Steve Mac MaddScientist Harvey Mason, Jr. Warren "Oak" Felder Lucas Secon Stargate
Toni Braxton chronology
Playlist: The Very Best of Toni Braxton (2008) Pulse (2010) Love, Marriage & Divorce (2014)
Singles from Pulse
"Yesterday" Released: September 29, 2009 "Hands Tied" Released: February 23, 2010 "Make My Heart" Released: February 23, 2010

Pulse is the seventhstudio album by American singerToni Braxton. It was released on May 4, 2010, byAtlantic Records. Her first album in five years and served as Braxton's debut for the Atlantic label, after signing a new record deal. Production for the album took place during September 2008 to March 2010 and was handled by several record producers, includingDavid Foster,Harvey Mason, Jr.,Frank E,Oak Felder,Lucas Secon,Simon Franglen andStargate.Pulse features up-tempo songs and R&B ballads with production varying from smooth todance-based styles.

Upon its release,Pulse was released to positive reception from music critics, who complimented its execution, calling a return to form. Criticism mainly targeted the album's trend-chasing nature. Commercially,Pulse debuted and peaked at number 9 on the USBillboard 200, selling 54,000 copies in its first week. It also entered the top 10 in Switzerland as well as the top 20 in Germany and Greece. By February 2014,Pulse had sold 156,000 copies in the United States.^[2] Its three singles, "Yesterday", "Hands Tied" and "Make My Heart," achieved moderate chart success.^[3][4]

In October 2009,Atlantic Records chairmanCraig Kallman revealed that the label had signed Braxton.^[5] Production for the album took place during September 2008 to March 2010 and was handled by several record producers, includingDavid Foster,Harvey Mason, Jr.,DJ Frank E,Oak,Lucas Secon,Simon Franglen andDapo Torimiro.^[6][7] The entertainment outletRap-Up revealed, that Braxton also collaborated withRobin Thicke,Trey Songz,Usher,^[8] while other reported collaborations includedClaude Kelly, andSteve Mac.^[5] R&B songwriter and singerNe-Yo also worked on songs for the album.^[9]

Speaking of the thinking behind titling the albumPulse, Braxton explained to UK R&B writer Pete Lewis, Deputy Editor ofBlues & Soul, in May 2010: "It comes from when I got ill. I went into cardiac rehab, and there was this older lady there. She was like 'What are you doing here so young? It must have been your heart. You know what? This is my fourth heart-attack and you're so young, you can't be AFRAID! You can't stop LIVING!'... Then she told me how she'd just got back from holiday with her 40-year-old boyfriend! And because I'd lost hope – the doctors had told me I'd never be able to record again – her conversation was like that heartbeat, that pulse that gave me back the love of life."^[10]

In an interview withDigital Spy, Braxton explained that she had recorded around 30 songs and would like to collaborate with artists, such asAlicia Keys.^[7] Braxton also explained the delay of the album: "The album was supposed to come out in February, but we held it back because seven of the ten songs we picked were leaked. We decided to go back to the studio, record four or five more songs and then pick. Now we send everything via Federal Express – nothing's going through the internet – and that's why none of the new songs have leaked so far."^[7] The song "Woman" is a cover version of the original song byDelta Goodrem from her 2007 albumDelta.^[11]

For the collaborations which none of them made the final album pressings. However, the deluxe edition of the album on theiTunes Store^[12] contains several of them as bonus tracks including the remix of "Yesterday" featuringTrey Songz, "The Wave" written byJesse McCartney andMakeba Riddick, "Stay", "Rewind" and "Yesterday (Cutmore Radio Remix)". It also features the high publicised "Caught (Don't Take Your Hat Off)" featuringAcademy Award winning actressMo'Nique,^[13] who appears in the middle of the song with a dramatic monologue.^[14]

The collaboration with R&B singerRobin Thicke called "Don't Leave" would have featured on Braxton's vocals with Thicke providing production.^[15] Whilst the high-profile collaboration with fellow R&B singer Usher also failed to materialize.^[8] Amongst reports that Braxton was working with Rodney "Darkchild" Jerkins, a song tipped to be produced by Darkchild called "Get Loose" was also omitted from the album.^[16] Additionally reggae singerSean Paul recorded some vocals for a remix of "Lookin' At Me" but it is currently unknown what will become of the remix since it is not featured on the album.^[17]

The album were scheduled to be released in 2009, but it was then being pushed back to February 2, 2010, before ultimately being released May 4, 2010, byAtlantic Records.^[18] Braxton toldRap-Up, that the album had been pushed back, because all 7 of those album's ten songs were leaked and so she has decided to go back into the studio to begin recording some new songs.^[19] The official cover art of the album was released on March 9, 2010.^[20]Amazon.com streamed a different song fromPulse each week up until the album's release day.^[21] Braxton performed "Make My Heart" onThe Ellen DeGeneres Show on April 27, 2010,The Wendy Williams Show and gave an interview onGood Day L.A..^[22] On May 3, 2010, she performed "Hands Tied" and "Breathe Again" onThe Mo'Nique Show.^[23] "Hands Tied" was also performed on May 4, 2010 onThe Today Show along with her most successful single "Un-Break My Heart".^[24]

The album's first single, "Yesterday" was released digitally on November 20, 2009. This version, which features guest vocals from a fellow singerTrey Songz, was also released with the latter serving as the US single, whilst the former was serviced internationally. The song peaked at number 12 on the USHot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart.

The music videos for the next two singles; "Hands Tied" and "Make My Heart" with directorBille Woodruff, who worked with Braxton previously, including on the videos for "Un-Break My Heart" and "He Wasn't Man Enough".^[25] The video for "Make My Heart" premiered on April 13^[26] whilst the video for "Hands Tied" was released on April 14, 2010.^[27] "Hands Tied" peaked at number 29 on theHot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs.^[28][29]

The music video for the song "Woman" premiered June 28, 2010, onYahoo! Music. The video shows a live performance of the song.^[30]

"Stay", previously only available on the deluxe edition of the album, was made available for streaming on August 23, 2019 byX5 Music Group.^[31]

Professional ratings

Aggregate scores
Source	Rating
Metacritic	(71/100)[32]
Review scores
Source	Rating
411Mania	(6.5/10)[33]
About.com	[34]
Allmusic	[35]
Billboard	(favorable)[36]
BBC Music	(mixed)[37]
The Boston Globe	(favorable)[38]
Robert Christgau	[39]
Los Angeles Times	[40]
USA Today	[41]
The Washington Post	(favorable)[42]

Upon its release, the album received positive reviews from most music critics, based on an aggregate score of 71/100 fromMetacritic.^[32]Allmusic writer Andy Kellman gave it 4 out of 5 stars and commended its material's themes, noting "a high level of conviction that does not waver, and it's particularly impressive given that the album covers so many stages of a romantic relationship".^[35]USA Today's Steve Jones gave the album 3 out of 4 stars and viewed it as "a return to form" for Braxton.^[41] Ken Capobianco ofThe Boston Globe gavePulse a positive review and wrote favorably of its execution, stating "Braxton and her star producers and songwriters mix old-school R&B balladry and modern dance pop while always keeping that luxurious voice as the focus".^[38]

In contrast,Los Angeles Times writer Mikael Wood gave it 2 out of 4 stars and expressed a mixed response to "her attempt to keep up with" contemporary R&B artists, writing that "the flimsy material can't quite conceal her hit-hungry desperation".^[40]BBC Music's Natalie Shaw shared a similar sentiment, writing that the album "misfires when its slower numbers are interspersed with uptempo tracks ready-made for the younger market".^[37] Mark Edward Nero ofAbout.com gave the album 3 out of 5 stars and wrote that "no new ground is broken, no significant risks are taken and the album as a whole doesn't really have any must-hear tracks", but recommended it to listeners of Braxton's previous work and noted that she "can still sing strongly and passionately".^[34]The Washington Post's Sarah Godfrey commended the album's "club tracks" and wrote favorably of Braxton's "trusty album architecture of scorching dance songs, soft-focused up-tempo ballads and "Un-Break My Heart"-style tear-jerkers without going too over-the-top".^[42]

The album debuted at number 9 on the USBillboard 200, with first-week sales of 54,000 copies, making it Braxton's fifth US top-ten album.^[43] It also entered at number one onBillboard'sR&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart.^[44] In its second week,Pulse dropped to number 22 and has sold 16,588 in the United States. On the third week, the album dropped to number 41. In Canada,Pulse debuted at number 72 on theTop 100 Albums chart,^[45] and in the United Kingdom, it debuted at number 28 on theTop 40 Albums and at number 7 on theR&B Albums chart.^[46][47]

Notes

• ^{^[a]} signifies vocal producer
• ^{^[b]} signifies additional producer

Sample credits

• "Make My Heart" contains elements of "We're Going to a Party" (1977), performed byEvelyn "Champagne" King.

Musicians

Production

• Pulse atMetacritic
• Official website

• 2010 albums
• Toni Braxton albums
• Atlantic Records albums
• Albums produced by DJ Frank E
• Dance-pop albums by American artists
• Albums produced by Oak Felder
• Albums produced by D'Mile
• Albums produced by Stargate
• Albums produced by busbee
• Albums produced by Chuck Harmony
• Albums produced by David Foster

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