Even when enduring a no doubt taxing day of media interviews, Brandy is bubbling over with positive energy — infectious, even — when I connect with her over the phone. Through her laughter, jovial tone and honest candour, one quickly gets the sense the soulful singer is truly happy to be part of the R&B conversation once more with the arrival of her new project, Two Eleven — her first in nearly six years.
“I'm so amped about the new album that I can't even believe it that an album is actually coming out from me. It's amazing,” the 33-year-old says giddily from Los Angeles.
Full name Brandy Norwood, the recording artist known to millions as Brandy has come a long way since bursting onto the scene way back in 1994. Her self-titled album took the Mary J. Blige-esque groundwork of hip-hop soul that informed mid-’90s R&B and fashioned a fresh and funky best-selling debut, spawning hits like “I Wanna Be Down,” “Baby” and “Brokenhearted.” Wider success soon followed, with a hit TV show (Moesha), a burgeoning film career, subsequent smash singles like “Have You Ever” and, of course, the 1998 Grammy Award-winning "The Boy is Mine" with fellow R&B star Monica. Brandy also became a mother, giving birth to Sy'rai Iman Smith in 2002.
But with dizzying career highs often come severe lows, and Brandy was no exception to the rule. The early to mid-2000s had her experience a couple of underperforming albums, several unfruitful management changes, severed ties with her record label and a highly publicized, traumatic car accident in 2006 that tragically claimed the life of the other driver.
“It was hard,” Brandy says of the personal and professional challenges she went through. “It was a very low place, a dark place and I wasn't even singing around my house and that's not normal. I was at a low point and I just got through it with my family and friends who were there for me. And at the same time I felt unfulfilled, because music was just a big part of my life. I just started to feel that I wasn't doing what I was supposed to be doing.”
Brandy credits strong faith, a strong family and fan support for keeping her going. “My fans have stuck with me through everything that I’ve been through,” she notes. “They believed in me when I didn't believe in myself. This is my purpose, I know that this is what I want to do, to relate, to share and give back to the people that love my music. My family inspires me, my daughter inspires me, the love of my life inspires me. Music is the only way that I can express myself the best. I can talk about it but I would rather sing about it.”
Now back with a new record deal (with RCA/Chameleon Records) and outlook on life, Brandy reappears within an R&B landscape that is dramatically different than the sound she’s accustomed to — and that’s not a bad thing, she notes.
“I definitely think it's a great thing that R&B has evolved,” she continues. “I think the genre is something that touches the soul, and for it to be on its way back to the forefront is amazing. And I just want to contribute to that on this new album but also to bring things with a different edge.”
The new album, Two Eleven, represents a fresh start for the R&B veteran. The title for her sixth studio effort refers to her birthday, and the project features producers like Bangladesh, Rico Love and Mario Winans, along with songwriting credits from names like Chris Brown and Frank Ocean.
“[Two Eleven] isn't typical R&B,” Brandy explains. “It's R&B with an edge, more of a grit to it, a hip-hop flavour to it, as well as some classic ballads. So I'm excited about it.”
One ballad, “Scared of Beautiful," was penned by none other than Ocean, an artist Brandy’s worked with previously (2006’s Human) and someone she’s truly proud of.
“To see him where he is right now is mind-blowing to me and at the same time it's not,” she says. “He's very particular, very talented, very poetic. I told him at the time that he will change the game when he does music. And he did it. I remember listening to [his 2012 debut album] Channel Orange and broke out in tears. This is my boy and he is doing it.”
Brandy’s first single, the Bangladesh-produced “Put It Down,” features Brown on vocals, and it recently cracked the R&B top 10 — her first song in nearly 10 years to do so.
“I loved it when I first heard it,” she says. “It's edgy and it was so different from anything I had ever done.”
Considering all the negative publicity Brown has received lately, Brandy notes that she didn’t think twice about working with the singer.
“This is the nicest guy you ever want to meet,” she offers. “We all go through our things, we all go through our down moments but at the core, this is a good man. I pray for him all the time and I really believe that Chris is going to come out to be an amazing man. We just need to ease up on him a little bit.”
In addition to the new album, Brandy’s set to co-star in the upcoming Tyler Perry comedy-drama film The Marriage Counselor, and has a concert tour in the works. And to hear her say it, the singer is in a great place right now.
“It's hard to define success [but] I’m having a great run,” she says. “I really want people to love the album. I really want people to say that this is what we've been waiting on for a long time. I’m in a very good place right now and I want to stay here. I know there are ups and downs, but for the most part I don't think I've ever been happier.”
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