September 27, 2019 marked the 25th anniversary of the multiplatinum self-titled debut album by one of R&B’s greatest voices, Brandy Rayana Norwood, or simply Brandy. She was already well on her way to stardom prior to her debut as a background vocalist for Immature and one of the stars of the short-lived ABC series, Thea. However, it was the album Brandy that set her on the path to tremendous success.
Since officially bursting onto the scene in 1994 sporting her well-known braided crown of glory, she has been a force to be reckoned with. She was handpicked by her idol, the late Whitney Houston, to portray the role of the first Black Cinderella in the 1997 film Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Cinderella. Her show Moesha was one of the longest-running black sitcoms. Brandy was also a CoverGirl in 1999 and became a friend of Barbie that same year when Mattel released the Brandy Doll. In music, she’s released six studio albums, sold more than 40 million records worldwide, headlined three world tours, and won more than 30 awards including seven Billboard Music Awards, a Grammy and the Soul Train Lady of Soul Award. Brandy deserves her flowers.
Let’s check out the top 15 songs that helped solidify Brandy as your favorite singer’s favorite singer (just ask Solange) and earned her the title of the “Vocal Bible.”
“Angel In Disguise” | 'Never Say Never' (1999)
If your dance group did not have a routine for this song, they weren’t legit. “Angel in Disguise” from Brandy’s second studio album, Never Say Never, proved to be one of the singer’s biggest singles that was never officially a single. It was strictly an airplay release that originally started as an interlude. However, when a song is written and produced by several musical heavyweights, including frequent Brandy collaborator Rodney “Darkchild” Jerkins, LaShawn Daniels and more, it’s no surprise that “Angel in Disguise” was Brandy’s eighth consecutive Top 20 hit after peaking at No. 17 on the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs. In fact, “Angel in Disguise” hit the charts before the sophom*ore album’s official second single, “Top of the World” featuring Ma$e. As if Brandy’s raspy tone wasn’t already the cherry on top, R&B crooner Joe sealed the deal with background vocals.
“Put It Down” feat. Chris Brown | 'Two Eleven' (2012)
As the lead single from Brandy’s sixth studio album Two Eleven, “Put It Down” was a step outside of the box for the singer as she teamed up with Chris Brown for an up-tempo, hip-hop fused bop. When speaking about her hopes for the song’s release in a Billboard interview from August 2012, Brandy stated, “I just felt like, [when] being gone for such a long time, you need to come back with something strong and shock people…Because it’s completely different than anything I’ve ever done.” For the video, the Brandy fans have grown to know and love was also back with her signature braids. Brandy had a chance to showcase her dancing skills for the bright video directed by Hype Williams, who worked with the singer on a number of ‘90s videos. Frank Gatson Jr. and Jaquel Knight served as the video’s art director and choreographer, respectively.
“Talk About Our Love” feat. Kanye West | 'Afrodisiac' (2004)
Leading the way as the first single from Afrodisiac, “Talk About Our Love” was the perfect marriage of R&B and hip-hop as Brandy teamed up with the then self-proclaimed “Louis Vuitton Don” Kanye West. At the urging of the Gee Roberson, the album’s executive producer and West’s manager at the time, the collaboration came together as one of the last songs added to the project, with West serving as the producer and sampling the 1978 song “Gilly Hines” by funk band Mandrill. The last-minute collab proved to be a success, peaking at No. 36 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and even earning a 2004 MTV Video Music Award nomination for Best R&B Video. The video, directed by Dave Meyers, served as a visual depiction of the singer’s life at the time with nosy family and friends popping in and out of her relationship. Fans were treated to behind-the-scenes footage in May 2004 when “Talk About Our Love” was featured on the popular MTV series “Making the Video.”
Fun fact: Kanye West first met his now-wife Kim Kardashian while in the studio recording “Talk About Our Love” with Brandy in 2003. Kim served as Brandy’s stylist at the time and was also dating Ray J.
“Right Here (Departed)” | 'Human' (2008)
This song was a brand new start for Brandy, as it was her first release with Epic Records after leaving Atlantic three years prior. “Right Here (Departed)” was the first of two singles released from her fifth studio album, Human. This song and album also proved to be a reunion for Brandy and Darkchild after her long-time collaborator was left out of the recording process for her previous album, Afrodisiac. Although the song and album didn’t achieve the same success that Brandy had grown accustomed to with prior albums, it still gave the singer her biggest chart success since Full Moon in 2002. “Right Here (Departed)” peaked at No. 34 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and marked the first time that Brandy appeared on Billboard’s Hot Dance Club Party chart. The video, directed by Little X, reached the top spot on the premier show at the time for black music videos, BET’s 106 & Park.
“Best Friend” | 'Brandy' (1995)
As most know, Brandy and Ray J are not just siblings but also one another’s biggest fans. So, it’s only right that the third single from her debut album was named “Best Friend,” dedicated to Ray J, and even features an appearance by him in the video. The siblings even gave the people a good boomkack at one point during the video. The song achieved moderate success, reaching No. 34 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.
“Missing You” feat. Brandy, Gladys Knight, Tamia, and Chaka Khan | 'Set It Off' soundtrack (1996)
“Missing You,” written by Gordon Chambers and Barry Eastmond and released in August 1996, was the lead single for the action-packed film, Set It Off. The song brought Brandy together with three other leading ladies in music, including veterans Gladys Knight and Chaka Khan and then-newcomer Tamia to sing about the film’s themes of missing a loved one. It became the highest-charting single for Tamia and also a major ‘90s hit for the veterans. In addition to great success on the charts, “Missing You” also earned the ladies a Best Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals nomination at the 39th annual Grammy Awards.
“Full Moon” | 'Full Moon' (2002)
“Full Moon” was one of the few songs not written or produced by Darkchild on Brandy’s same-titled third studio album. Those credits, instead, went to Mike City. Although fans were used to the magic created by Brandy and Darkchild, “Full Moon” was still a successful single, reaching No. 18 on the Billboard Hot 100 and was driven by the singer’s melodic tones mixed with a heavy bass production. In the accompanying video, directed by Chris Robinson, he and the stylists accomplished a great feat by camouflaging and hiding the singer’s nearly six-month pregnant stomach during the shoot.
“Almost Doesn’t Count” | 'Never Say Never' (1999)
This Shelly Peiken and Guy Roche-penned ballad was the fourth single from the chart-topping Never Say Never album. In addition to success on the Hot 100 and R&B charts, “Almost Doesn’t Count” also appeared on the Country Songs charts thanks to country musician Mark Wills covering the song for his third album the following year. As with most singles, particularly in the ‘90s, “Almost Doesn’t Count” was brought to life in video form. Only Brandy could give us a full moment walking down a dusty Georgia road, riding in the back of a pick-up truck, and getting dressed up for a random fair while singing the truth in a video that had absolutely nothing to do with anything.
“Brokenhearted” | 'Brandy' (1995)
Whether listening to the album version or the remix featuring then-boyfriend and Boyz II Men member Wanya Morris, you have no choice but to get your fingers snapping when listening to “Brokenhearted.” Brandy was a typical 14-year-old. She completed the song in one take because she was ready to be a kid and hit the amusem*nt park with friends, as the singer recounted in a Billboard article in 2014. The Soulpower Remix, featuring Morris and produced by Soulshock and Karlin, started as an idea by the two artists while Brandy was on tour with Boyz II Men and evolved into a Top 10 single. To bring the song to life, Hype Williams brought the two singers together for a video shot in a beautiful castle in New York.
“What About Us” | Full Moon (2002)
“What About Us” saw the emergence of sexier, edgier Brandy. The teen pop star from the ‘90s had grown up and wanted to let the world know through this Darkchild-produced lead single from Full Moon. She empowered women to ask their neglectful significant others “what about us” while rising to the No. 7 spot on the Billboard Hot 100. For the video, Brandy worked with Dave Meyers to deliver a futuristic feel while bringing her acting skills to life in front of a green screen.
“I Wanna Be Down” | 'Brandy' (1994)
Brandy’s debut single, “I Wanna Be Down,” spent four weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot R&B Singles chart and peaked at No. 6 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. And that’s before people even had a chance to indulge in the iconic remix featuring hip-hop’s forever leading ladies Yo-Yo, MC Lyte and Queen Latifah. Brandy gave us a song to leave on the voicemail for our crushes, complete with a dance that many of us can still do to this day from the original Keith Ward-directed video released in 1994. Several months later, the remix video was released, where director Hype Williams drew inspiration from Craig Mack’s “Flava in Ya Ear” remix video—simple yet impactful and forever relevant.
“Baby” | 'Brandy' (1994)
Produced by Keith Crouch, “Baby” served as the second single from Brandy’s self-titled debut album. The song soared to the top of the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart where it spent four weeks. “Baby” also reached No. 4 on the Billboard Hot 100. In the Hype Williams-directed video, Brandy was a vision in white ski gear with a host of dancers, choreographed by Fatima Robinson, in the middle of Times Square and various other locations, including a dance studio.
“Sittin’ Up In My Room” | 'Waiting to Exhale: Original Soundtrack Album' (1995)
When Kenneth “Babyface” Edmonds writes and produces a song, it’s sure to be a hit. You instantly start bopping along as soon as you hear the funky guitar chords played by Michael Thompson and hear Brandy swoop in with the lower register that we know and love. “Sittin’ Up In My Room” was one of several singles released from arguably one of the best soundtracks ever released, Waiting to Exhale: Original Soundtrack Album. The single went platinum and soared the charts, culminating in a video directed by none other than the master himself, Hype Williams, and featured Clueless and Waiting to Exhale actor, Donald Faison.
“Have You Ever?” | 'Never Say Never' (1998)
As if the entire Never Say Never album wasn’t a mood already, “Have You Ever” was released as the album’s third single and put everyone in their feelings, as is the case on most songs written by Diane Warren. Famed producer David Foster forced Brandy out of her comfort zone so she could hit the “money notes.” The song resonated with R&B fans as the singer scored her second No. 1 single on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and earned the No. 14 spot on the year-end list for 1998. In the simplistic video directed by Kevin Bray, Brandy looks after her best friend’s house while thinking about her one-sided love for him. A moment.
“The Boy Is Mine” | 'Never Say Never' (1998)
“The Boy is Mine” brought together two of R&B’s biggest stars at the time for a collaboration that was monumental and had everyone grabbing a fake mic to claim their part. The song is the most successful single for the two singers, earning them both their only Grammy Award for Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group at the 41st annual ceremony in 1999. In addition to winning in that category, the song was also nominated for Best R&B Song and the prestigious Record of the Year category. Thanks to the song’s amazing production by Darkchild, “The Boy is Mine” caught everyone’s attention. It was the best-selling song in the U.S. in 1998, selling more than 2.6 million copies, and also sat at the top of the Billboard Hot 100 chart for 13 weeks after its release, even earning the No. 8 spot on the Billboard Hot 100 decade-end chart.
The Joseph Kahn-directed video featured Brandy and Monica in their respective apartments arguing over love interest, Mekhi Phifer. In the end, the two came together and dropped Phifer. Although the song was playful banter between the two, the collaboration sparked real-life tension that went away for a short while during a brief “come to Jesus” moment with the release of the joint single “It All Belongs to Me” in 2012. Although the ladies may never be friends, they did what had to be done on “The Boy is Mine” and helped solidify their place in R&B history.
