In 2000 Toni Braxton enlisted the help of record producer Darkchild to update her sound and add variety to her artistry. From their collaborative sessions for her third studio album ‘Heat’, “He Wasn’t Man Enough” was born. The track was both written and produced by Darkchild and is an uptempo dance-pop song with heavy urban undertones. Sonically it’s ‘classic Darkchild of the early 00′s’ and features trademarked low, almost mumbled vocals from Toni, while her sisters Trina and Tamar sing the airy hook—a winning combination indeed.

Step back into 2000 to relive one of the biggest singles of Toni’s rollercoaster ride of a career, “He Wasn’t Man Enough”, after the jump.

(Peep Trina and Tamar on back-up vocals)

Lead single “He Wasn’t Man Enough” was released March 7, 2000 and peaked at No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 the week of May 6, 2000 where it remained for several weeks. The song also peaked at No. 1 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs for four weeks and received Platinum Certification(s) in numerous countries around the world (including the U.S.). The song earned Braxton her fourth Grammy Award for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance in 2001.

“He Wasn’t” marked a refreshing departure from the R&B love ballads like “Another Sad Love Song” and “Un-Break My Heart” that Toni became renowned for because it showed her versatility as an artist and ability to adapt with the times. Also, it was a successful attempt to make some headway within the lucrative urban R&B market that was dominating the charts by the turn of the millennium. The accompanying music video for the track was a big budget affair based around exposing an unfaithful lover (Keri Lewis)—equipped with notable guest appearances (Robin Givens), a saucy strip tease, and a shimmy-tastic dancebreak from Miss Braxton herself! Good times.