‘Braxton Family Values’: Why Trina Braxton Stopped Releasing Music
Trina Braxton is part of music industry royalty with her singing sisters, the famous Braxton family. Aside from releasing music with her sisters and working with them on their We TV reality series Braxton Family Values, Trina has also embarked on a solo singing career. Unfortunately, Trina admits to allowing fans criticism of her music to discourage her.
Trina Braxton released two singles and also several albums with her sisters
Trina began singing alongside her sisters as a young child. The group put out a single, “The Good Life,” in 1989, along with an album. Due to the age differences amongst the sisters, the record label dropped them as they had issues marketing the group. Toni was chosen as a solo act by LaFace Records but hired her sisters as background singers.
Trina, Towanda, Tamar, and Traci continued as a group, with the group (sans Traci) releasing an album in 1996. Infighting caused the group to split. Trina continued touring as a background singer for Toni and also appeared in stage plays, including Tyler Perry’s Confessions of a Marriage Counselor.
Related: Which Braxton Sisters Appeared In Tyler Perry’s Stage Plays?
Once Braxton Family Values premiered on We TV, Trina opted to record her own solo music. Unlike her R&B singing sisters, Trina recorded pop music. She released two singles, “Party Or Go Home” and “Game Time.” An accompanying music video for “Party Or Go Home” was also released.
In 2015, she released a Christmas album with her sisters but has not released any solo music since.
Trina Braxton says comparisons to Toni Braxton and fan criticism led her to stop releasing music
Trina says criticism of her music and constant comparisons to her sisters Toni and Tamar’s sound discouraged her from continuing to put out music. She revealed such during a recent episode of Braxton Family Values while speaking to her best friend, fellow singer Tamika Scott of the R&B group Xscape.
“I stopped releasing music because I was no longer in love with it,” Trina said during a confessional. “I was afraid and I was a skeptic about what people would have to say and I should have never allowed for that to happen because I’m stronger than that. But I was also not making the music that I loved.”
Related: ‘Braxton Family Values:’ How Did The Braxtons Do As a Singing Group?
She also admits that she does not like the hustle associated with promoting her music. In an interview with Shadow and Act, Trina explains that she grew tired of all of the hard work, despite her love of singing.
“This is a difficult time to begin again. I’m 46, not 26. I feel like that time has elapsed,” she declared. “If God opened that window or that door and says, ‘Hey, Trina, you need to step through it,’ I’m not going to spit in God’s face. But I have no real true desire anymore because the politics of the music business snatched the fun out of it. I love singing but I am enjoying expanding my businesses right now and the work-life balance it allows.”
The season 7 finale of Braxton Family Values airs Thursday, Dec. 17 at 9 pm EST.
