Toni Braxton celebrates her 58th birthday with a stunning cover of Kehlani's 'Folded'

On Tuesday, October 7, Grammy-award-winning powerhouse Toni Braxton celebrated her 58th birthday with a surprise for R&B fans. 

The legendary singer shared her own version of Kehlani’s viral hit “Folded”, bringing her signature warm and silky tone to the song.

Braxton shared her cover on Instagram as a birthday treat, with the caption “My birthday gift to you. When I sing ‘Folded’— it’s UNFOLDED!”

Kehlani could hardly contain her excitement as she commented, “AAAAAAAHHHHHHHH WHAAAAAAAAAAAAT,” after hearing Braxton’s rendition.

Braxton joins a list of artists who have all added their own flair to “Folded”, including Brandy, JoJo and Mario. 

Her version stands out as a birthday gift not just to Kehlani but also to the wave of R&B fans. Her warm, timeless tone brings a classic feel to Kehlani’s modern sound.

The song has reportedly become Kehlani’s highest-charting single to date, reaching number 18 on the Billboard Hot 100, and continues to inspire both fans and industry peers.

The song garnered so much attention with fans recreating mashups on TikTok. When it was released, the song was a popular sound on the app, including mashups by fans. 

The singer later released a package of three versions of the song, an a cappella version, a stripped-down version, which she titled “(un)Folded”, as well as an instrumental version.

When Brandy released her own version in September, Kehlani shared how much it meant to her.

“This is the reason I know how to use my voice. This is still who I study, who I reference, who I consider to be my absolute number one,” Kehlani wrote. 

“When she reached out, saying she just wanted to play with ‘Folded’… I think I sat there for like 10 minutes speechless. It’s one thing for the world to love what you made, and it’s another for your idols to reach back,” she added.

Brandy also expressed her excitement about recording the song and said: “While I’m busy getting ready for the almost sold-out ‘The Boy Is Mine’ tour, I took a little break from rehearsal to hop on the hottest song of the summer - my little sis @kehlani ‘Folded’.

“Adding some Brandy sauce to the mix feels so special because Kehlani is truly like my little sister, and I love her so much,” she wrote.

Fans were quick to praise Braxton’s version as well, noting how effortlessly she made the song her own.

Kehlani has celebrated every artist who has joined the trend, commenting on their rendition of her chart-topping song.