Pulse (Toni Braxton album)

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Pulse is the seventh studio album by American singer Toni Braxton, released on May 4, 2010, by Atlantic Records. It was Braxton’s first album in five years and marked her debut with Atlantic after signing a new record deal. Recorded from September 2008 to March 2010, the album was produced by a large team including David Foster, Harvey Mason, Jr., Frank E, Oak Felder, Lucas Secon, Simon Franglen, Stargate, Busbee, D’Mile, Chuck Harmony, Steve Mac, MaddScientist, Warren “Oak” Felder, and others. Pulse blends up-tempo dance-pop with R&B ballads, delivering a mix of smooth and club-ready sounds.

Braxton has explained that the title Pulse reflects a renewed heartbeat and will to live after a health scare she faced, making the album feel like a comeback. The album features collaborations that were discussed but not all made the final track list, with some bonus tracks and remixes including a version of “Yesterday” with Trey Songz on the deluxe edition.

The first single, “Yesterday,” featuring Trey Songz, was released on September 29, 2009. Other singles released ahead of the album included “Hands Tied” and “Make My Heart” (both released February 23, 2010). Music videos for the singles were directed by Bille Woodruff. A cover of Delta Goodrem’s “Woman” appears on Pulse, and the deluxe edition includes bonus tracks such as remixes and a track titled “Stay,” along with a standout moment featuring Mo’Nique in a spoken monologue in the song “Caught (Don’t Take Your Hat Off).”

Pulse received generally positive reviews from critics, who praised Braxton’s vocal performance and regarded the project as a strong return, though some felt it chased contemporary trends. It earned a Metacritic score around 71 out of 100. Commercially, Pulse debuted at number 9 on the US Billboard 200 with 54,000 copies sold in its first week and topped the Billboard R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart. By February 2014, U.S. sales had reached about 156,000 copies. The album also charted in Switzerland, Germany, Greece, Canada, and the United Kingdom.

To promote the album, Braxton performed on shows such as The Ellen DeGeneres Show, The Wendy Williams Show, Good Day L.A., The Mo’Nique Show, and The Today Show. The official cover art was released on March 9, 2010.