Tamar Braxton

Tamar Braxton has built a multifaceted presence as both a performer on screen and a vocalist whose work centers on emotionally charged contemporary R&B. She first appeared in 1990 as a member of the family ensemble the Braxtons before stepping out on her own with the Dreamworks release Tamar in 2000. Although that project leaned toward pop-oriented songs, it also highlighted her skill with intensely expressive ballads that later defined her breakthrough releases. The 2013 album Love and War reached number two on the Billboard 200 and earned three Grammy nominations, while Calling All Lovers returned her to the Top Ten in 2015 and included the nominated single “If I Don’t Have You.” After issuing Bluebird of Happiness in 2017, she concentrated more on television and film, yet continued issuing singles such as “Changed” in 2023 and “Notice Me” in 2024.

Born in Severn, Maryland, Braxton entered the industry alongside her sisters Traci, Trina, Towanda, and the prominent Toni in the Braxtons. The group placed the single “Good Life” at number 79 on the Billboard R&B chart for Arista in 1990, after which the label ended the deal; Toni then secured a LaFace contract and used her siblings for backing vocals. Without Toni and Traci, the remaining members moved to Atlantic and delivered So Many Ways in 1996, highlighted by a Masters at Work remix of the Diana Ross cover “The Boss” that topped Billboard’s club chart. Braxton later pursued a solo path on Dreamworks, releasing her self-titled album in 2000 after an earlier attempt stalled; it yielded two charting singles, among them the Top 40 R&B entry “If You Don’t Wanna Love Me,” co-written by Christopher “Tricky” Stewart and Xscape’s LaTocha Scott. She supplied background vocals on Toni’s projects and briefly aligned with Casablanca before the arrangement dissolved. Appearances on the reality programs Braxton Family Values and Tamar & Vince preceded her Epic signing and the December 2012 single “Love and War,” which climbed to number five on the R&B/Hip-Hop chart and preceded the September 2013 album of the same name that debuted at number two on the Billboard 200. Winter Loversland, a holiday set, followed two months afterward. Three Grammy nominations arrived soon after, recognizing Love and War for Best Contemporary R&B Album and the co-written title track for Best R&B Performance and Best R&B Song.

While sustaining her television visibility and screen roles, Braxton launched Tamartian Land and recorded Calling All Lovers, which opened at number five on the Billboard 200 in October 2015. The album generated two Top 20 R&B/hip-hop singles: the slow jam “Let Me Know” featuring Future and the ballad “If I Don’t Have You,” the latter earning her another Grammy nomination for Best R&B Performance. Bluebird of Happiness appeared in September 2017, reached the Top 20, and was propelled by “My Man,” a number 21 R&B/hip-hop single drawn from personal experiences involving her relationship and her parents’ divorce stemming from her father’s infidelity. Subsequent years brought occasional releases, including the 2023 single “Changed,” another number 21 R&B/hip-hop hit, followed by “Notice Me” in 2024 and a duet with Eric Benét titled “Something We Can Make Love To.”