As any fan of Vh1’s “Braxton Family Values” knows, the Braxton family is full of musical talent and competition. However, baby of the family, Tamar, is now stepping out of Toni’s shadow with the video for her first single, “Love and War.”
“Love and War” is a sweeping ballad that shows off Tamar’s strong vocals. Her voice isn’t quite as rich as sister Toni’s, but still very powerful and clear. Tamar called the video concept “sexy and vulnerable” to Hip Hollywood.
The video is black and white, with dramatic shots of Tamar and a hunky costar at a Hollywood mansion.
Many are surprised she chose a ballad, having threatened to put out a “thug” anthem on the show. Braxton admits, “I really did want to put out “Hot Suga” but “Love & War” is really necessary to my life, personally. Only because I’ve been in love before, had my feelings hurt before, but I never experienced passion until I met Vince. I’ve never argued or fought before with somebody so much and we love each other so much.”
Tamar is married to Vincent Herbert, who discovered Lady Gaga. For Tamar, a big part of “Love and War” was taking charge, after the disappointing sales of her first album. “I do believe my first album had great material, and I think a lot of people identified with it because it sounded exactly like Toni Braxton,” she admits.
On “Love and War,” Tamar was forced to reevaluate her sound. “I was fighting then. I think that’s a part of growing as an artist. You kinda have to put a lot of pressure and blame on yourself because at the end of the day you are the artist. It’s a job for someone else. But it’s your career.”
“Love and War” is now sitting at the top of the iTunes Soul Songs chart, a happy milestone for Tamar. In her interview with Hip Hollywood, Braxton revealed a shifting focus from reality TV, “it’s [now] about singing and people appreciating my music.”
