Brandy Through the Years- Part 1

I've previously written a few posts about the careers of singers over the years. You can see them at the links below:

JoJo Through the Years: https://starsparklex.blogspot.com/2016/08/jojo-through-years.html

Ashanti Through the Years- Part 1: https://starsparklex.blogspot.com/2022/11/ashanti-through-years-part-1.html

Ashanti Through the Years- Part 2: https://starsparklex.blogspot.com/2023/02/ashanti-through-years-part-2.html

Today I'm taking a look at the career of Brandy, another American singer. I've split it into two parts, since she has been singing for nearly 30 years (!!), and this is already a long post! This is Part 1. :)

Brandy (full name Brandy Norwood) has been involved in music since she was a child. She comes from a musical family, since her dad Willie is a gospel singer and choir director, and her cousins are the rappers Snoop Dogg and the late Nate Dogg. (Her other cousin wrestler Mercedes Mone is also in the public eye, although not related to music.) Her younger brother Ray J is a singer too.

Brandy sang in her father's choir and later attended a performing arts school and entered talent shows. In 1990 aged 11, she signed with Teaspoon Productions. During her time with them she recorded a demo tape and was a backing vocalist for the boy band Immature/IMx (whose members included Marques Houston aka Roger from Sister, Sister!). In 1993 she signed a record deal with Atlantic Records and her mum Sonja became her manager. 

While working on her debut album, Brandy also launched an acting career, appearing in the American sitcom Thea as the daughter of the title character. The show only had 1 season, which was shown in 1993 to early 1994. 

She didn't act again until two years later, this time playing the title character herself in the teen TV series Moesha. It was a popular show that had 6 seasons and ran for over 5 years (from January 1996 to May 2001). I watched it as child/teen and have seen repeats more recently. There was also a spin-off called The Parkers (featuring the family of Moesha's best friend Kim), which I used to watch as well.

In September 1994 she released her debut album Brandy which did well. Its lead single was I Wanna Be Down (also released in September 1994), followed by Baby in December. A year later saw the release of Sittin' Up in My Room, from the 1995 film Waiting to Exhale. It was her most successful single at the time, reaching No. 2 on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart. 

Brandy's career really took off both in America and internationally, with the release of The Boy Is Mine, a duet with fellow teen singer Monica, in May 1998. It was the lead single from both Brandy's 2nd album Never Say Never and Monica's 2nd album, also called The Boy Is Mine. The song was the first No. 1 for both girls.

To date she has released 5 more studio albums- Full Moon (2002), Afrodisiac (2004),  Human (2008), Two Eleven (2012) and B7 (2020). She has also brought out a compilation album The Best of Brandy (2002) and an EP U Don't Know Me (1999), and was featured on the VH1 Divas Live '99 live album, along with other singers including LeAnn Rimes and the late Tina Turner and Whitney Houston.  

Brandy's other singles include Top of the World featuring rapper Mase, Have You Ever?, Another Day in Paradise with her brother Ray J, What About Us?, Full Moon, Talk About Our Love featuring rapper Kanye West, Afrodisiac, Right Here (Departed), Love Again with Daniel Caesar, Baby Mama featuring Chance the Rapper, Starting Now and The Roof with Mariah Carey.

She has also continued to act and her credits include playing Cinderella in the 1997 live action version, the movie I Still Know What You Did Last Summer and TV series The Game, Zoe Ever After and Queens. In addition, she has appeared on reality TV, most notably in her own MTV documentary Brandy: Special Delivery following her when she was pregnant with her daughter Sy'rai and the VH1 reality show Brandy & Ray J: A Family Business (along with their parents) and as a judge and advisor on America's Got Talent and The Voice respectively. 

Here are some of Brandy's hit songs through the years!

 

I Wanna Be Down

I Wanna Be Down was the debut single from Brandy's self-titled debut album. It was released in September 1994, a few weeks before the album came out. The song also appears on the 2005 compilation album The Best of Brandy. A hip hop remix featuring all female rappers MC Lyte, Queen Latifah and Yo Yo was released in 1995.

I don't know I Wanna Be Down as well as some of her other songs but I've seen the video before. It has a nice, relaxed vibe. Real 90s R'n'B nostalgia!. :)

 

Watch the video for the remix here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zfE2gBhwsM4

Sittin' Up in My Room

Sittin' Up in My Room was recorded for the soundtrack of the 1995 romantic film Waiting To Exhale.  It was released in December 1995 and became Brandy's most successful single in her career at the time.

There is also a remix which features LL Cool J (one of my favourite rappers!).

Listen to the Doug Rasheed Remix featuring LL Cool J here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4TvCac648WE

 

The Boy Is Mine (with Monica)

Brandy and Monica's smash hit duet The Boy Is Mine came out in May 1998. It was inspired by the 1982 duet The Girl Is Mine, which was sung by Michael Jackson and Paul McCartney, but with the lyrics changed to fighting over a man.  

The single was the first No. 1 hit for both Brandy and Monica, and was successful internationally as well as in the US, reaching Top 5 in a lot of countries. It was No. 2 in the UK Singles Chart and the music video is still often shown on music channels here. 

The Boy Is Mine was the lead single from Brandy's 2nd album Never Say Never, which was released in June 1998. It served as the lead from Monica's 2nd album of the same name (released that July) too. The song can also be found on Brandy's greatest hits album The Best of Brandy (2005). The two singers reunited for the single It All Belongs To Me in 2012.

The music video features Brandy and Monica fighting over a love interest played by American actor Mekhi Phifer. I was 14 when this came out and it gives me nostalgia! lol. Brandy and Monica themselves were only 19 and 17 at the time.

 

 

Top of The World feat. Mase

In July 1998 Brandy teamed up with American rapper Mase for the Top of the World. It was the second international single from Never Say Never and a follow-up to The Boy Is Mine. It did especially well in the UK and mainland Europe.

There was a remix version called Top of the World Part II which featured rappers Fat Joe and the late Big Pun (I had never heard it until today!). This June Nigerian singer Burna Boy sampled the original track for his single Sittin' On Top Of The World, which features 21 Savage.

 

Listen to the remix here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Tq1QZmdXZ8

 

Have You Ever?

Have You Ever? was the 3rd single from Never Say Never and came out in October 1998. It reached No. 1 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and also did well internationally. 

It's a slow song about being secretly in love with someone. The track can also be found on The Best of Brandy.

 

 

Almost Doesn't Count

This song was the 4th single from Never Say Never. It's a balled mainly in pop and R'n'B style, with some country and Latin elements. It was written by American songwriters Shelly Peiken (whose songwriting credits include What A Girl Wants and Come On Over (All I Want is You) by Christina Aguilera and Bitch by Meredith Brooks) and Guy Roche.

Almost Doesn't Count was inspired by a relationship Shelly had when she was at college and was originally more of a country song. However, it was given a different style when Brandy recorded it. She performed it as part of her role in the 1999 musical drama TV movie Double Platinum (in which she starred with Diana Ross).

 

 

Another Day in Paradise (with Ray J)

Brandy and her bother Ray J covered British singer Phil Collins' single Another Day in Paradise (released in 1989) in 2001. Their version was the lead single from Urban Renewal, a tribute album to Phil, which was made up of remakes of his songs recorded by R'n'B and hop hop artists. (I didn't know at the time that it was originally a Phil Collins song!)

The single was released in March 2001 and later appeared on the European edition of Brandy's 3rd album Full Moon, which came out in March 2002. 

 

What About Us?

What About Us? was the lead single from Brandy's 3rd album Full Moon and it came out in January 2002, two months before the album. It was a different style to her previous releases, a more grown-up sound. Brandy also showcased a sexier style in the music video. 

This is one of my favourite songs from Full Moon. I also like the title song (see below).

 

 

Full Moon

The title track from the album Full Moon was the second single to be released, coming out in April 2002. It's a pop and R'n'B song about experiencing love at first sight, believed to be influenced by the full moon, and has a smooth style. I think it's one of the best songs from the album.

Brandy was pregnant with her daughter Sy'rai when she filmed the music video. Sy'rai is now 21 (which makes me feel a bit old! lol) and has launched a music career of her own.

 

 Talk About Our Love feat. Kanye West

Talk About Our Love was the first single from Brandy's 4th album Afrodisiac, which was released in June 2004. I remember looking forward to the album coming out, which was 19 years ago now!! The song featured rapper Kanye West (who also co-wrote it along with Harold Lilly). It samples the 1978 song Gilly Hines by the American funk band Mandrill.

American producer Timbaland worked on the album with Brandy and the song Black Pepper which he produced was originally supposed to be the lead single. However, it was replaced by Talk About Our Love at the last minute (and ultimately not included on the album), which wasn't Brandy's decision. The single was moderately successful (it got to No. 6 in the UK, so did well here) and while not my favourite song from the album, I do like it. :) 

The video doesn't seem to be on Brandy's official YouTube channel, although the audio is. 

 

 

Hope you liked the post! Look out for Part 2 soon. :) What's your favourite Brandy song?

Update 18/6/24: Read Part 2 here: https://starsparklex.blogspot.com/2024/06/brandy-through-years-part-2.html