Love Shoulda Brought You Home

"Love Shoulda Brought You Home" is the debut solo single by American singer Toni Braxton. It was written by Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds, Daryl Simmons, and Bo Watson and produced by Edmonds and Simmons along with L.A. Reid. Originally written for singer Anita Baker, who had to decline due to her pregnancy, it was eventually recorded by Braxton and featured on the soundtrack to Reginald Hudlin's romantic comedy film Boomerang (1992). The song was later also included on Braxton's self titled debut album (1993). Lyrically, the slow-groove R&B song is saga of betrayal and infidelity that depicts a heartbroken Braxton.

"Love Shoulda Brought You Home"
Single by Toni Braxton
from the album Boomerang: Original Soundtrack Album and Toni Braxton
Released	September 28, 1992 (1992-09-28)
Genre	R&B
Length	4:56
Label	LaFace
Songwriter(s)	Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds Daryl Simmons Bo Watson
Producer(s)	L.A. Reid Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds Daryl Simmons
Toni Braxton singles chronology
"Give U My Heart" (1992) "Love Shoulda Brought You Home" (1992) "Another Sad Love Song" (1993)
Music video
"Love Shoulda Brought You Home" on YouTube

The song was one out of several songs from the Boomerang soundtrack that were issued as a single by LaFace Records. Released in October 1992, "Love Shoulda Brought You Home" became Braxton's second consecutive top 40 hit on the US Billboard Hot 100, following "Give U My Heart," her duet with Babyface, charting at number thirty-three. It also reached the top five on Billboard's Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, peaking at number four, and entered the top 40 of the UK Singles Chart. An accompanying music video for "Love Shoulda Brought You Home" was directed by Ralph Ziman.

Background and release

"Love Shoulda Brought You Home" was written by Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds, Daryl Simmons, and Bo Watson, and originally to be recorded by Anita Baker.^[1] Production on the track was overseen by Edmonds and Simmons along with L.A. Reid, while mixing was handled by Reid and Barney Perkins.^[1] Background vocals were provided by Braxton, Edmonds, Debra Killings, and Trina Broussard, with Watson playing keyboards and Vance Taylor playing acoustic piano.^[1] Reid and Edmonds also served as executive producers on "Love Shoulda Brought You Home".^[1]

The song served as the follow-up to Braxton's duet with Babyface, titled "Give U My Heart", her debut as a solo singer, which was also included on the soundtrack of Eddie Murphy's film, Boomerang (1992). Both songs "Give U My Heart" and "Love Shoulda Brought You Home" were originally to be recorded by Baker, but due to Baker's pregnancy, she had to decline.^[2][3] The title of the song is a direct line from Boomerang. In the film, Halle Berry's character, Angela Lewis, angrily tells her man, Marcus Graham, played by Murphy, after he spent the night with another woman, "Love should've brought your ass home last night."^[4]

Critical reception

Marisa Fox from Entertainment Weekly said that "Love Shoulda Brought You Home" "is a bit too much of an Anita Baker ”Real Love” clone".^[5] James Hamilton from Music Week's RM Dance Update described the song as a "pleasant rolling 87.8bpm sultry swayer".^[6]

Commercial performance

In the United States, "Love Shoulda Brought You Home" peaked number five on the Billboard's Hot R&B Singles chart on December 5, 1992. The song spent a total of twenty nine weeks on the chart.^[7] A months later, on January 16, 1993, it peaked at number nineteen on Billboard's Rhythmic Songs chart and number thirty-three on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.^[8][9] "Love Shoulda Brought You Home" also peaked at number thirty six on the Radio Songs chart.^[10]

In the United Kingdom, on November 27, 1994, "Love Shoulda Brought You Home" debuted at number thirty three on the UK Singles Chart.^[11] In its second and third week the song fell to numbers forty six and seventy five.^[12][13] On January 14, 1995, the song re-entered the UK Singles Chart, charting at number ninety three before falling out the top 100.^[14]

Music video

The music video for "Love Shoulda Brought You Home", directed by Ralph Ziman, shows an angry Braxton—alternating between a long sweater, worn as a dress, and a suit complete with tie. She is fed up with her boyfriend and testifies that if he really cared, then love should have brought him home last night.^[15]

Track listing

UK CD Single^[16]

No.	Title	Length
1.	"Love Shoulda Brought You Home" (Radio Edit)	4:16
2.	"How Many Ways" (R. Kelly Radio Edit)	4:02
3.	"How Many Ways" (Radio Edit Album Version)	4:20
4.	"The Christmas Song"	3:25

US CD Single^[17]

No.	Title	Length
1.	"Love Shoulda Brought You Home" (Radio Edit)	4:16
2.	"Love Shoulda Brought You Home" (Album Version)	4:56
3.	"Love Shoulda Brought You Home" (Slow Sensual Mix)	3:33

Credits and personnel

Credits lifted from the single's liner notes.^[18]

Carlton Batts – mastering Toni Braxton – vocals Vance Taylor - acoustic piano Fil Brown – recording engineering Milton Chan – mixing engineering Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds – production, writing Barney Perkins – engineering L.A. Reid – mixing, production

Steve Schwartzberg – recording engineering Daryl Simmons – production, writing Bo Watson – writing Matt Westfield – recording engineering Sean Young – recording engineering Jim Zumpano – recording engineering

Charts

Weekly charts Chart (1992–94) Peak position Scotland (OCC)^[19] 69 UK Singles (OCC)^[20] 33 UK Hip Hop/R&B (OCC)^[21] 4 US Billboard Hot 100^[22] 33 US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs (Billboard)^[23] 4 US Rhythmic (Billboard)^[24] 19

Year-end charts Chart (1993) Position US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs (Billboard)^[25] 31

Release history

List of release dates, showing region, release format, label catalog number, and reference

Region	Date	Format(s)	Label(s)	Ref.
United States	September 28, 1992	Cassette	LaFace	^[26]
	December 4, 1992	CD		^[17]
United Kingdom	November 21, 1994	7-inch vinyl 12-inch vinyl CD cassette	Arista LaFace	^[27]

References

1. Toni Braxton (Media notes). Toni Braxton. LaFace Records. 1993.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
2. "Braxton, Toni Biography: Contemporary Musicians". eNotes.com. Retrieved January 5, 2008.
3. Hunt, Dennis. "Toni Braxton Leftovers are Torch Singer's Entree to Deal". L.A. Times. Retrieved July 17, 2017.
4. Folk, Antwane. "THROWBACK THURSDAY: Toni Braxton – 'Love Shoulda Brought You Home'". Rated RnB. Retrieved November 7, 2013.
5. Fox, Marisa (July 23, 1993). "Toni Braxton". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved October 20, 2021.
6. Hamilton, James (December 3, 1994). "Dj directory" (PDF). Music Week, in Record Mirror (Dance Update Supplemental Insert). p. 11. Retrieved April 23, 2021.
7. "Billboard HOT R&B/HIP-HOP SONGS December 5, 1992". Billboard. Billboard. Retrieved November 13, 2016.
8. "Billboard Rhythmic Songs Chart JANUARY 16, 1993". Billboard. Billboard. Retrieved November 13, 2016.
9. "Billboard Hot 100 Chart JANUARY 16, 1993". Billboard. Billboard. Retrieved November 13, 2016.
10. "Billboard Radio Songs Chart Toni Braxton". Billboard. Billboard. Retrieved November 13, 2016.
11. "Official Singles Chart Top 100 27 November 1994 - 03 December 1994". Official Charts Company. Official Charts Company (UK). Retrieved November 13, 2016.
12. "Official Singles Chart Top 100 04 December 1994 - 10 December 1994". Official Charts Company. Official Charts Company (UK). Retrieved November 13, 2016.
13. "Official Singles Chart Top 100 11 December 1994 - 17 December 1994". Official Charts Company. Official Charts Company (UK). Retrieved November 13, 2016.
14. "Official Singles Chart Top 100 08 January 1995 - 14 January 1995". Official Charts Company. Official Charts Company (UK). Retrieved November 13, 2016.
15. "Toni Braxton - Love Shoulda Brought You Home (Official Music Video)". YouTube. September 28, 2010. Retrieved October 20, 2021.
16. "Toni Braxton – Love Shoulda Brought You Home (CD) at Discogs". Discogs. Discogs. Retrieved November 13, 2016.
17. "Toni Braxton - Love Shoulda Brought You Home Amazon.com Music". Amazon. Amazon (U.S.). Retrieved November 13, 2016.
18. Love Shoulda Brought You Home (booklet). Toni Braxton. LaFace Records. 1992.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
19. "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved July 4, 2018.
20. "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved July 4, 2018.
21. "Official Hip Hop and R&B Singles Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company. Retrieved July 4, 2018.
22. "Toni Braxton Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved December 3, 2017.
23. "Toni Braxton Chart History (Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved December 3, 2017.
24. "Toni Braxton Chart History (Rhythmic)". Billboard. Retrieved April 20, 2022.
25. "Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs – Year-End 1993". Billboard. from the original on August 3, 2015. Retrieved November 8, 2021.
26. "Love Shoulda Brought You Home - Amazon.com Music". Amazon. Amazon (U.S). Retrieved November 13, 2016.
27. "New Releases: Singles". Music Week. November 19, 1994. p. 39.