Toni Braxton - How Many Ways

What this video is

Released in June 1994 as the fifth and final single from Toni Braxton's self-titled debut album on LaFace/Arista Records, 'How Many Ways' arrived at the height of Braxton's commercial ascent. The album had already produced crossover hits and earned Braxton Grammy Awards for Best New Artist and Best Female R&B Vocal Performance. The video's Miami beach location and warm romantic visuals embodied the aspirational…

Why it matters

Represents the late phase of Toni Braxton's debut album campaign and the refinement of early-90s urban adult contemporary R&B music video language — romantic realism, performance-narrative hybridity, and warm location cinematography that would define the genre's visual identity through the decade.

The director

Lionel C. Martin is an American music video director, film director, and VJ from Queens, New York. He co-created and co-hosts Video Music Box, one of the first television programs to feature hip-hop videos. He directed over 100 music videos for artists…