The album A Love Story was to be Babyface return to the old style of music before it became cool to be thugged out in R&B and instead, had a deeper focus on love and relationships. The album released The Loneliness as a single in 2004 and received a respectable amount of play time. Advertisements were put out and it looked like everything was on track until the release came and went without the album ever being shipped. Some people were reportedly able to purchase the album but it has essentially disappeared (and is no longer listed on Babyface main page.

In its planned form, the album was designed to reflect the various stages of a relationship. Its early tracks speak of the beginnings of a relationship with "Red Dress" - "Buy you some flowers/ Get you red roses/ make sure you notice/ that I'm with you/ Cuz this is my first night with you." As the album develops, so too does the relationship being described.

Unfortunately, this high point in the relationship is probably the weakest point of the album as two terrible songs, Makin Love and Love Song fail to inspire one right after the other. "Makin Love" begs a little too much and just lacks real strong vocals. "Love Song" is as bland as its name makes it sound.

Ironically, the album hits its high point when the relationship enters its hard time. The breakout song of the album is "The Sentimental Reasons." The song resonates with emotions as the line "Hurt, Caught, Confused, Guilty" runs throughout. The beat mimics the darkness of the songs and the lyrics are on point. Babyface croons "I'm not trying to make no excuses/I took your love and used and abused it/ Now I'm sitting all alone and you're the reason for this song." The song is a little long but it fits perfectly with the album and hopefully will one day see a wider release. "The Loneliness," the album's one single, reflects the desperation of the continued solitude and makes more sense as to what's going on when put side by side with the earlier track. The lyrics are solid in the song and like "The Sentimental Reasons", the emotions run high.

The album closes on a happy note with uplifting tracks about the relationship getting better and with the couple making amends. "Together Forever" is about their success at making it through the bad times and is a perfect end to the album. It calls back all the earlier moments of the album, when they were makin love, and when she put on that red dress. Unfortunately, between this song and the end of the album is "Still My Boo," a boring, easily skipped track. However, a bonus track redeems the back half of the album with the promise of continued love and loyalty in a well done, catchy track. In this bonus track, "I Promise," Babyface reflects on his poor choices earlier on in the relationship but promises a better future. "I promise I'll love you, til the end of our days/ I promise I'll love you, baby I'll change/ I promise I'll love you, lets start over again"

Babyface truly succeeds at making this album A Love Story. While many of the tracks are strong pieces on their own, it is only when listened from beginning to end that the album truly stands tall. You truly feel for the protagonist as you travel along with him from that first date to the peak in the relationship to the foolish actions he makes. While there are bumps on this cd like the rather boring/uninspiring Makin Love in which the singer pleads for his lover to give in to him tonight, it meshes well with the album and is more than made up for by the spotlights. The Loneliness was a tremendous single, with strong lyrics and a great arrangement, and acts as the climax of the piece. It is complemented by the creative makings of Red Dress and The Sentimental Reasons and overall the album is solid.