SO WHAT HAPPENED?: BRANDY From "Full Moon" to "Afrodisiac"..
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 14 ก.ค. 2024
- In this episode we discuss some of the circumstances that played a role into the commercial reception of Brandy's "Full Moon" and "Afrodisiac" albums.
Also please remember that music opinions are subjective and not the law of the land. This is just my synopsis and perspective.
0:00- Intro
0:26- The Early Struggle to Launch Black Teenage Girls as Commercial Acts
6:35- The Emergence of Aaliyah, Brandy, & Monica
7:25- Brandy's Early Career and Momentum 1994-2001
12:25- The Consequence of a Very Demanding Schedule
13:20- Brandy's Image Amongst Her Peers
22:45- Where Brandy Fits Within The Teen Pop Explosion 1998-2002
25:55- The Early "Full Moon" Era, Marriage, & Pregnancy
29:09- How the Music Industry Treated Pregnancy in the Past
32:16- "Full Moon" the Era
37:04- Commercial Success & Music Industry Shifts
44:20- Afrodisiac Beginnings, Talk About Our Love
50:56- The Release, The Scandal, The Reaction, The Public....
1:01:33- The Wrap Up
Also a special shout out to the many Brandy fans and youtube channels that have shared their Brandy and music footage on this platform. It definitely helped to enhance this video. Some of those users include"
"Rickyr", "KlassicThrowbackTV", "Brandy Fans", "20x11", "xxxTIN0xxx", "Norwoodlove", "Terrance Johnson", "Gubsotat A Memoir", "Kazu310", "Eric Wolfe", "Music Box Channel", "StarxNuFFxSaid", "Rico Vrihoeven","Mymusicfootage", "Restless Rick" "Brandy Music" "Klassicalmuzik", "Olaf Lopez", "Music Latte" "Mobran96" "Nineties Diva", "Naszah Streater", "John Brook", "JWL Publishing",
This video is for educational purposes and is not intended to infringe any copyright ownership laws.
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Yasss! Brandy needs a biopic. Shes terribly underappreciated.
Bo she isnt lol she I as big in the 90s and early 2000s . . . Everyone has their season
@@WenNRome brandy is independent I believe now or have her own label ... but no one want a record deal these days lol. Ppl want all their money !!
@@WenNRome she has done her time in the business. She still big and still collects $$ from streams and stuff.
Absolutely! She had so many firsts as an African American girl and now woman! She needs to really be given these accolades.
I would take it further and say brandy’s legacy has surely been forgotten in the general public and black community. Music heads know and respect brandy, but anything outside of that she gets none. Even in the 90’s ppl usually bring up aaliyah more than brandy when brandy broke records. And I get it, Aaliyahs untimely demise catapulted her “potential” and threw brandy’s “reality” away. Brandy’s story is just tragic to me. A biopic that encapsulates how she was trashed because of Monica being lighter and the whole afrodisiac era, and the terrible accident afterwards , might finally make people give her her flowers while she is here, because it’s obvious as it stands people will only give her flowers once she is gone.
Giving Brandy her flowers while she’s here! Great and detailed synopsis, Calvin
If u havent seen his TLC video babeh ya need to see it! It was the TALK of the town when he did a detailed ACCURATE synopsis on them!
Yess seriously ! Celebrate them while there here 🤍🤍
Yeah she so deserving of it she is the vocal Bible. Can still sing a lot of artist under the table period .
Brandy is underrated and birth the sound that is R&B today... now everyone uses her runs and vocal stacking whether they know it or not... Her single borderline is dope and her new album is out now, They not gonna give her flowers until shes gone as always.
cardashian77 I think Rodney Jerkins was her writer?
Definitely agreed but lately I’ve been seeing her getting her praise so that’s good about damn time.
@@cortezmiller1899 Brandy haven't work with Rodney in years like since Human. She worked with Lashawn Daniels on her new album B7 before he passed away.
India Arie beautifully gave Brandy her flowers in this tribute- th-cam.com/video/JsThLkuGsZM/w-d-xo.html
VOCAL STACKING HAS BEEN AROUND BEFORE BRANDY. MARIAH DID IT IN THE 90'S, WHITNEY IN THE 80'S, & MICHAEL IN THE 70'S, 80'S, 90'S & 00'S.
"Monica had the 'don't try me' haircut" 🤣🤣🤣
Loooved this video & learning more about Brandy and the history of R&B!
Chile we all knew an auntie who had that hair cut with that you Did Not Try. Lol. And they listened to their haircut contemporaries..... Toni Braxton and Anita Baker and saying _I like that lil Monica girl. She grown but she be singin'_ while watching Boomerang with the queen of the haircut Halle Berry.
@@smarti1144 ahhh! 🤣🤣😭😭 but why is it true
Full Moon & Afrodesiac are my jams. I never really payed attention to Brandy's image as much as her music, so I'm still a big fan.
Right! I was buying her stuff regardless. So many secret gems on hers albums.
Full moon is like rnb pop and afrodesiac is more hip hop
Actually, she was truly the reason why I chose to never perm my daughter’s hair although I wore one..
I kept her hair braided!!
That's cause we just wanted be fans and just enjoy the artist..These days artist get tarnished quick cause of social media
SAME!
Brandys biggest mistake was that reality show on mtv about her marriage and pregnancy
I said the same thing too
@@jonesbunny she could had dodged the backlash if she hadnt done it and kept her business to herself-not claiming anything on camera or audio. Her babydaddy used her and threw her mangled body to the wolves for profit-we STILL dont know him or his artist. Just as bad as janets exes. They cant hold water
THA LIES!!!..(in my Kandi voice) That whole series was an attempt to repair her wholesome image..I see momager Sonya's hands all over that..
I concur. It was unnecessary.
@@miamonroe3246 eew you sound anger. Girl bye😒
The reason why Brandy had a harder time transitioning for people to respect her as an adult artist was because of her mother. I feel like this part doesn't get discussed enough. Brandy's mother was a manager and she was very active in the decision making. Everything Brandy did was calculated - by her mother. Her mother didn't want her to be taken advantage of by record labels and business people. Her mother was very hated by the industry because she was in all the meetings. This did not happen with Aaliyah and Monica. Aaliyah and Monica at 14 and 15 year-olds old didn't have their parents traveling everywhere with them and making all these deals on their behalf and sitting in on all the meetings. Brandy didn't get to be "grown" at 14 hanging with all the adults without her mother around. The question - was Brandy's mother doing too much? Or ....where were Aaliyah and Monica's parents? I will just leave it there without it going into a whole other conversation. It has been well-known for years that parents aren't allowed in meetings when they do business deals with minors. Can you believe that? The fact that Brandy's mom had the audacity to ask questions on behalf of her child pissed off the industry. Is it sad? Or is it telling? I'm just saying.
I agree with your comment! Beyoncé was a teen star that was able to transition to an adult artist with her father being her manager in the girl Group...her image didn’t get tarnish but then again Beyoncé wasn’t put out as a “good girl”...I get your post though
I say where was they parents
Such an excellent point!
Except Brandy had a bigger more diverse career than those other two... so I think her mother did great work! Brandy came out the gate with a hit album and hit tv shows (plural), while still a teen. And Brandy had two albums as a teen. So... what did her mom do wrong????????
Ummm no Aaliyah’s mom and dad after the R Kelly shit they started traveling with her every where
Afrodisiac is one of my favorite albums from Brandy. This album is one of the reasons why we have Alternative R&B. This album should've been more successful than it was. This album had so many good songs. Good Video.
The last song on that album "Should I go" hits all the feels. I think it explained where she was at that moment in time: if she wanted to quit or continue music.
It was ahead of it's time smh
It was my favorite of hers tho would not say it is alternative rnb I think it felt the most interesting sonically in her discography and the second most timbaland-rnb pairing since Aaliyah whose sound was definitely missed at the time rnb was in either a neo soul mood like floetry or angie stone or more in going in different directions like OutKast or usher.
My favorite album. I still listen from beginning to end
Afro is nothing but rnb. Alt rnb would be rockish lmao like nerd. U dont kniw what music is if u think genuine rnb is alt lmao
Countess Vaughn is another black teen who deserved so much more success. Her single ‘Wait For Me’ is so good.
Yep, Idabel 💞
She used to be so beautiful when she was on The Parkers, now she looks like Nell Carter
Bottom line is Brandy had difficulty transitioning from teen-star to grown-woman artist. It's wild how everybody today talking about how Brandy has always been the goat but the majority of them didn't support her during those transition years. I'm glad she's getting her respect now, but I wish people would stop being fake like they *always* held her up on this pedestal. Even people who were vocally inspired by her didn't start acknowledging that until recent years. Only one to give Brandy her due was Chris Brown.
I agree 100% wit this comment. Every single word from BOTTOM to CHRIS BROWN. ✊🏾✊🏾✊🏾✊🏾✊🏾THANK YOU!!!!!!❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥
I'm a Brandy fan but I still favor her earlier work, same with Toni Braxton.
She didn’t have trouble in terms of music and artistry. It was the image part that was the issue. With Afrodisiac she tried to give sex-kitten which didn’t really suit her at all. That was also post-Beyoncé solo debut so the pressure was on
Brandy’s undoing was that she did not have solid management to help transition smoothly into the adult years of her career.
Sooooo true about Monica. Girl came out grown.
And she dated hardcore thugs. She was 16 when she got with C Murder who was 26. Also, her late ex, Jarvis Weems who committed suicide in front of her.
Joshua McDowell wtf?! Isn’t that rape? How was that allowed? What about her damn parents? Was it a secret relationship 🤨🤨🤨
@@imtiredoftheseniggas6618 Her mother supported the relationship. Her whole family did. Monica even said C Murder helped to raise her younger brother.
Growling like a grown woman lol he’s funny 😄
Joshua McDowell That is gross. 🤮
That's why I've never had a problem with Brittany Spears...she stayed in her lane, she does the bubblegum pop, doesn't appropriate culture, never said anything racist...(publicly).
(Pubically) wasn't necessary
"she does the bubblegum pop, mever approproate culture"
Ummm, we're just gonna forget the I'm a Slave 4 U era? When she worked with Lil Jon and Ying Yang Twins(?) and Pharrell to have more of an "urban"pop sound?
And she worked with Rkelly and Snoop in the video. I think that's the video where she hurt her knee.
Blackout album is one of my faves from Ms. Brittany Spears!
@@NYCbabyJes actually it was very necessary because we don't know who people are when the cameras aren't rolling/they're behind closed doors.
People didn’t want Brandy to grow up.. that was the problem
Not even that, Brandy received a lot of shade for her African features. Nose. Lips. Cheeks. And much of that was from black people!!!!
I've always loved her unique features. 😍😍😍😍😍
@@bluscorpion Brandy is beautiful.
She never presented a believable, charismatic transition into adulthood. Who was she? What did she stand for? After Never Say Never, we didn't get a distinct stylistic persona to hold onto; she was always defined by her circumstances. I don't think she ever got the chance to grow comfortable in her skin.
@@ExtravertmE That part.
The vocal layering in Full Moon and Afrodisiac are so beautiful. These two albums are a whole vibe sonically. I use to put on noise cancelling headphones and get lost in the stacked vocals. Brandys hypnotic, raspy voice is everything 🙌🏽🙌🏽🙌🏽
Wow... I never thought about how differently Brandy, Monica and Aaliyah were presented to us - you're SO right! I'm the same age as those ladies and remember really being into Brandy when I was in high school, but switching more to Aaliyah and Monica while in college. They were exploring their womanhood like I was so I identified with them more.
And what you said about Monica having a more mature sound then is ON POINT! As a grown woman, I listened to 'Just One of Those Days' and 'Before You Walk Out of My Life' because they fit issues I was facing - not to be nostalgic. However, Brandy's music puts me right back into teenage angst, lol. *GREAT* review!👍🏽👍🏽
brandy much better singer
crazy so many people can't tell gaps in vocal talent and only listen to songs for apparent lyrical content.
Young Gladys Knight kinda looks like Kelly Rowland.
Gladys wants her to play in a biopic
Yep!
Kelly played her in the American Soul series
I saw that too!
Yes!!
I fell in love with Brandy from the moment I heard The Boy Is Mine, bought the NeverSayNever, Full Moon and Afrodisiac albuns but had NO IDEA what was going on behind her music. Down here in Brasil nobody has the MOESHA image because the show wasn''t aired
Full Moon and Afrodisiac were bangers! I also think the fact that she lied about the marriage hurt her career as well. She said herself that was the worse thing she could've done and she wishes that she didn't.
I still bump those two albums.
Bangers?? Really? I guess
As a huge fan, I never cared about her being pregnant. I didn’t understand why she went on Oprah and lied but I didn’t love and support her any less.
Monique Langston yes Bangers are you deaf ???
99% of Brandy albums are bangers. Her first album isn't perfect. The singles were great(I'm Yours is great also)
Finally a video on one of the arist that vocally inspired me so much. no other voice like Brandys
Factz and she still can sing
Seriously no other artist sounds like Brandy her voice is like silk sheets and clean air 🥰
Calvin this is so dope. The in depth breakdown and analysis. We need more of these videos.✌🏾✊🏿
Agreed! He did an amazing job.
@@krisselna agreed!
Calvin, you are a wonderful story teller! Warner need to put you on payroll full-time. You were born to do this, from the commentary to the editing. Keep up the good work.
Yep somebody from Brandy's camp owes him a check
In regards to the stark differences between the way Brandy was marketed and the way Monica was marketed, look no further than their individual verses on The Boys is Mine…. Both are essentially saying the same thing, that the man is theirs and theirs only, but they both are going about approaching the situation using their words VERY DIFFERENTLY. Monica is much more defensive and hostile while Brandy was meek and almost timid. Fit their respective brands very well. That is why the song worked so well, it was very believable
I'm ready for Toni, from The Heat to More Than a Woman.
Yesss I love this idea. I always felt she should have been a bit more mainstream throughout the 00’s at least the first half
If Toni’s voice was a person -we’ll be married on God.
@Jalil Manson yessss one if not my fav r and b singers yesss
@Calvin Michaels please do one on the iconic Toni B like @Jalil Manson said !!! Lol
Philip Moore Toni Braxton and brandy are similar in that they both got pregnant during a crucial album rollout, and it played a role in sabotoging the era of the album and therefore shelving the project’s full potential.. I would love a Toni Braxton one, the heat is such a good album. I love the title track and he wasn’t man enough.
On point! Getting boxed in really didn't allow Brandy to bloom into her own womanhood as Janet, Aaliyah or Monica were able to do. Whitney got boxed in as well. Its only so long you can live up to the public's persona. The best thing she's done has been to take long breaks from music and live her life while raising her child, doing tv shows and Broadway. Her voice is still like butta!
People are SO sleep on TWO ELEVEN! that album was a complete banger 🔥🔥🔥
To know that AALIYAH was the reason why the industry wanted a TEENAGE success story is incredible 😩
Afriodisiac was critically acclaimed when it dropped. Atlantic didn’t do a good job marketing the album
Yep because the public & media weren’t a sexy Brandy at that time if she wasn’t pregnant during the full moon she could’ve done whole sexy but classy like Aaliyah was doing for Aaliyah album
I think Brandy's mother was very key in making sure that she was marketed properly and not taking advantage of...when she was a teen, her songs generally weren't overly sexual or inappropriate. The industry is infamous for wanting to make younger artists "too grown", which isn't a surprise when you know how wild the industry is...it typically is no place for a child or teen. If parents weren't heavily involved (or if they cared about the money more), young artists were exposed to all kinds of mess and taken advantage of--ESPECIALLY IF THEY WERE BLACK. Many artists (and actors/actresses) have shared their experiences regarding what they were exposed to as youth in the entertainment industry. Kudos to Brandy's mother 💯
Brandy is underrated in my opinion, but there are those of us who obviously recognize her gift and have an appreciation for good music ❤️. May she get the recognition that she absolutely deserves.
S/N: Songs like "Put it down" ft Chris Brown further proves Brandy's musical perseverance... able to adapt to the new sounds, yet maintain her originality and unique sound 🙂 She's truly an R&B gem
Afrodisiac is actually my favorite Brandy album. I love it from beginning to end & just found out today that there was a deluxe version with 3 additional songs, one of which I had already heard, "Sirens".
Literally found out there was one as I was putting this together.
I just found out from these comments thank you
@@PandorasTmrw No problem.
Brandy is so, so multi-talented and an amazingly underrated entertainer. It really boggles my mind why she isn’t right up there with the likes of Beyoncé. I saw her a few years back in NYC on Broadway in the musical Chicago, and she was superb. Wish she had done more on Broadway; I think that was her calling.
Beyoncé is one of those once in a lifetime artists. She’s extremely talented in every aspect of her art. Yes, there are so many other talented artists who have been right there throughout the years, but Beyoncé has that thing that sets her apart. Like Michael and Mj, Mariah and Whitney.
It's not just the industry's fault why brandy is not as big as Beyonce... The kind of music Beyonce puts out is mass-produced..... Pop r&b pop hip-hop... Beyonce's Katy Perry or Rihanna Lady Gaga.... And so many more... They have catalogs of songs to choose from.... And secondly sex sells more than natural beauty...
Finally someone compared another artist but didn’t bash the other thank you 👏🏾 honestly I think both brandy and Beyoncé are good in their own right.💯
Junior Jr. Brandy didn’t really evolve as an artist as the years went by. She didn’t play with her sound while staying true to her R&B roots. I wouldn’t say Beyoncé’s music is mass produced, she just appeals to a wider audience. Like she can make true R&B, but do pop, rock, gospel, country, etc or mix them all together. Beyoncé is definitely above Rihanna, Katy Perry, and Lady Gaga. I’d like to think Brandy is as well. They are generic artists in this industry. Artists like Beyoncé and Mariah have such a wide ranging catalogue, it can reach every audience. In the latter half of Brandy’s career, her music is for a specific audience. I also don’t like your sex sells comment. Beyoncé, Brandy, Mariah, and Rihanna are all natural beauties and don’t have to use sex to sell. Women are sexual beings and they should be allowed to express it. The sex only sells talking point is used to shame female artists. We never talk about men being half naked all the time and making music about sex, and making sex and sex appeal their image. It’s not fair to all the women who make art.
@@JCole-fg3rr I understand and I agree with what you're saying...but I also think there's other factors to take into account... It's hard to compare artist with other artists... But at the same time sex sells.... On TH-cam alone.... video views.... You can take Katy Perry vs brandy... On a scale 1 to 5.... Vocally Brandy's a four-and-a-half Katy Perry's 2 and 1/2.... But the image they put in their videos is what helps make a hit.... If you would have said that to me before the generation of social media.... I would agree with you.... And like I stated in my other post... Brandy did not evolve with the times... And music is being so mass-produced... Because of technology... Anybody can write a song... America's got talent American idol The voice .... There's so many executives that put casting calls out over social media.... And now with TH-cam there's so many independent artist.... For the last 10 years generation of pure music is dead.... Especially with r&b... And like I said certain artists like Mariah.... Have lasted so long because she knew how to evolve.... She even created a new genre of music... Mariah Carey's fantasy remix change pop music forever... So many old School artists have tried to make a comeback... And maybe 1 out of 50 make it... And if you compare all the female artist that are on the top of the charts .... Maybe 10 out of 50... Have pure talent.. they don't use a made-up image.... To sell records.... When it comes to female artist... I would say 70% out of 100%.... Their image is more powerful then their voice...
Listen. This is girl was a superstar. People forget how HUGE her celebrity was.
Brandy deserved the Album of the year Grammy for Never Say Never
I can agree with that!
For the record, ‘Full Moon’ is a legendary, trail blazing masterpiece. Drop 🎤 .
Omg. I love this. Idky I cried when you highlighted how Brandy, Aaliyah and Monica helped breakdown that barrier between black girl entertainers and mainstream success. I love this so much. ❤
People keep asking why I didn’t mention the car accident. Remember this video is about everything leading up to the Afrodisiac era. The car accident was in January of 2007. Afrodisiac came out in the summer of 2004.
I remember seeing Tia Tamera at Brandy's baby shower on her reality show
Afrodisiac was and still is my favorite album to date. “I Tried”, “Necessary”, “Say You Will” and “Where You Wanna Be” are definitely my go to’s! I would for sure tell anyone trying to discovery Brandy’s artistry to listen to “Never Say Never”, “Full Moon” and “Afrodisiac”.
I'll give them Two Eleven Human and B7. I love it all🎙🎙🎙🎙🎙. Expect the 2nd half of her first album
I’m so glad you made this video. So many of my friends think I’m crazy for loving Brandy and thinking she caught a lot of bad luck. When her “good girl” image cracked, she unfortunately was never able to regain her standing. Many of her core fans still love her though, and I pray she’s found peace and her own inner light ❤️
Mya was another huge part of the late 90’s as a black female teenager as well. People need to just admit it Brandy literally paved the golden wave for alot of soulful R&B artists/singers today. She was a multi artist who had her hands in many directions in her close to 30 years in the game. She’s a true veteran.
I loved this video. Brandy has always been one of my favourite artists. I used to be a Tour Manager in that era for other R&B artists, so I can relate to a lot of your content regarding artist exhaustion, always working, whilst they are trying to break through a threshold as well as staying relevant and staying within the confines of their image. Brilliant just seeing her body of work after all this time.
This episode is excellent. It's well researched, presented and I got nostalgic. I grew up to her music and loved her talent.
Brandy's career ended when she got pregnant and lied about being married.
He came out exposing that it never happened, and was only for her image -- they were never really "together".
Who is she to you is still the jam. I miss the old Kanye as talk about our love is a house cleaning staple
I love the different types of remixes to those songs if I get tired if the original
I still play “talk about our love.” A great throwback to my childhood
My favorite tracks on "Afrodisiac" are "Who I Am" "Necessary" "Come As You Are" "Where You Wanna Be" "Talk About Our Love" and "Turn It Up"
Basically the whole album 👌🏾
“ How I feel”is “nothing” Big sister 😍💕✨❤️
I love the whole album but come as you are is my jam!
Yessss! How I feel and Say you will are my favs.
@@lekeshiaoten3274 see what I love about brandy artistry is that she kinda has a album for Everybody like for an example A lot people like never say never full moon and self titled the most mine is Afrodisiac because like at the age where I’m in right now I kinda can relate to every song !😂😍 “How I feel” “I Tried” “should I Go” “Focus” “Come as You Are” “Who I am” “Afrodisiac” (The song😍) and I Like B7 too her recent work I just love that she is open and Free and talk about stuff that people really go Trough💖✨❤️ This Album is the more mature version of “Human”✨💗 I love it she definitely Legend💯
Come on HISTORY LESSON!!!! I love how you explain the history of young, black female marketing in the music industry.
Love how you told the Brandy Story...My Favourite Track on the Afrodisiac Album is Say you will,Who is She 2 You and the Afrodisiac.....My Favorite Albums are Full Moon,Afrodisiac,Human and B7 The Two Eleven I never really listened to it that much I only ran to it recently bit it also has some great songs amazingly.....Thank You for sharing this information about the Vocal Bible...You know your story Man✌
The Velvet Rope would be very interesting. We all know it’s Janet’s magnum opus, but it only sold half of the what the janet. album did.
We can't forget colorism played a part too. Monica and AAliyah were lighter.
@Starlin Peña Yes, more by whites, by our own she was dissed alot. They would boo her on stage and call her ugly. Don't miss with me with that ish
nene henry exactly! The self hate within the black community is ALIVE! Still to this day
@@alphacharm and we need to deal with this. We deny and blame others. But we have to look at us
I think all of brandys albumd are INCREDIBLE! This one is no different ! My absolute faves are focus and necessary … I don’t care if it didn’t sell like the others it’s a classic and brandy is a legend
I live South East Asia and over here we know nothing about all those scandals and stories you spoke about concerning Brandy. We only know her by her music releases and it's all good.👍
This is a great video!! I think Brandy was more like a childstar than Aaliyah and Monica. Aaliyah wouldn't even tell people how old she was trying to give off that she might be older than she was. She was more of a sex symbol.. Monica did always seem grown LOL. I think one thing that was missed here is that Brandy was not seen as desirable or beautiful in our community whereas the other two were and I think that played a role in her having trouble moving into adulthood because female artist had to be desired by men and women had to want to look like and be like them. I heard some really mean things about Brandy's looks back in the day.
If I compare Brandy Monica and Aaliyah today if Aaliyah lived obviously Aaliyah would’ve been bigger right now and the more successful out of the three of them! And it wasn’t just beauty that made Aaliyah so successful, it was her work ethic and passion for he craft ! If that woman lived!👀
@@thegoat7043 I agree with that to some extent. I'm not trying to say that beauty is the reason why she was successful at all. I do think that she fit into what is more marketable in the music industry because she was beautiful and her image was sexy and grown but fun. Men were crazy about her and women wanted to look like. I don't think people felt that way about Brandy. That's obviously helpful in someone's career in the music industry. I think it's hard to say who would be most successful because we're speaking hypothetically and who knows where her life would have gone or what she would have chosen. I honestly think they had very different careers and vibes and were in very different lanes. It's a little sad that we have to compare them just because they were the few female r&b artists who had huge success at that time.
Givenchy Diamonds I’m a big Aaliyah fan but the standard for beauty in the black community is the Aaliyah/beyonce type. Her looks got her very far.
TheDaydreamfiend I agree
@@thegoat7043 aaliyah could not sing compared to brandy
I've been watching Moesha. I forgot how major Brandy was
Ayyyyyeeeee so excited for this! Afrodisiac is my favorite Brandy album after Never Say Never. I would run to the TV whenever I heard the opening to Who Is She 2 U. I saved up my allowance and walked to Walmart in Cali summer heat to buy it lol I know every song frontwards and backwards on this album😍
Thanks for the insightful breakdown. It puts so much into perspective, I never really understood why Full Moon was not as succesful as I thought it should have been. It's my all time favourite Brandy album. I love Afrodisiac, and on her B7 album, "Borderline" is on repeat, I love "No Tomorrow" too.
I remember seeing the clip of the grammy announcement back in the day and thought her response was so adorable and endearing.
I LOVED THIS TYPE OF VIDEO. Just like the tlc one. Plz do one at least erry month
Brandy will forever be a whole mood, the legendary vocal bible❤️ despite all the craziness that Brandy has gone through, she is still standing in 2020. She will go down as one of the best and greatest ever!!!
So shady, they even tried to make a Christina Milan a thing. LOL LOL
Lol no shade intended. I was trying to address that they initially pushed her as a pop star but she wouldn’t catch on until she went more Contemporary R&B with “Dip It Low”
How was she terrible ???
That song, "AM 2 PM" was my jam!
@@BluDrop5 Somebody hit the lights lol... and she was on Ja's between me and you
@@BluDrop5 Yeah, I liked that song and I liked "Whateva U Want". Christina used to jam a lil piece.
Thank you for doing this video. I was a huge Brandy as kid. Brandy was branded has your girl next door black girl. Which was never really ever in the mainstream media
This album is so underrated! I definitely think she dropped the ball in how she handled her pregnancy and all that baggage from Full Moon dragged over to this album. One of her best albums.
Great commentary. You are truly one of a kind in these TH-cam streets. I’m a loyal Brandy fan. I was gonna get her CD regardless of what was going on. There are so many gems on these albums. I love to Play Full Moon and Afrodesiac on Road Trips especially.
"In Highschool years three months is like 4 years in adult years."
This is deep LMAO
Brandy was closely monitored by her mom in her teens
Facts. I went to elementary school with Bran.
Wow Kelly Rowland looks like a younger Gladys Knight
Righttttttttt
I said the same thing
You killed this video bro!!! Afrodisiac is probably my favorite album by one of my favorite artists and I appreciate you takin the time to do an episode on it because this album and Full Moon imo are both masterpieces and they both deserved so much better when they came out. This was great...salute!!!
Funny growing up in this era, context is so necessary when talking about the industry changing post 2000. Especially the decline of sales with R&B.
Now subscribing. Thanks for this in-depth synopsis.
I LOVE THIS MAN! This video was done perfectly. You took us through the history of her career and the industry, as always!
I obviously have not watched it yet, but I love this idea and hope you make a ton more like this. Its a cool lane, it's fascinating stories of the industry and our favorite artists, but without being redundant or treading the same ground as others.
Also, off topic, but congrats again on that sponsorship my man!👍🏻
I loved all of Brandys albums, including the underrated afrodisiac. But, I can tell you what happend.......BEYONCÉ. and Brandy was a triple threat but yet when they put beyonce to the forefront and she had Rhianna on her heels, that was it. The major sex kitten demonic era was being ushered in.
You did an excellent job with this Calvin. All of these women are my era as im 37, thanks for the trip down memory lane.
Brother!!! Very thorough and very accurate. I appreciate you putting this together. Both FM and A are two of my favorite albums from Brandy and you did them both justice. Keep the content coming.
Wow! Very thorough presentation. I'm amazed at the depth of your knowledge when it comes to music and its industry. I'm older than you and I'm always in awe of how well-read you are on artists that had their runs during eras that are before both of our times! Great job!
I just love your breakdowns!!! You are amazing with your research, and delivery!!! Another good one!!❤️
There have been several moments in this video when I jumped up and said “THAT’S IT!!!”
Great video. Highly insightful and well researched. Much respect.
Thank you for taking the time to dive into Brandy's career over the years. I didn't even know a few of the tidbits you provided. Brandy has definitely had an interesting career. Definitely looking forward to her biopic.
PLEASE DO MORE OF THESE! This video was so informative. I loved it!
1. Never Say Never was on repeat every morning while I was getting ready for school.
2. Full Moon was my late teen grown up sh**t. The Full Moon video was something. I used to remake the video in my bathroom lol
3. Afrodisiac was very well received in Europe. I lived there around the time it dropped. Imagine my surprise when I came to the States and most people did not know about it. The video was so tame to me. What an album!
This was EXCELLENT !!! I love how you do your research for the artists you discuss. I love Brandy and being 36 i fm got really nostalgic watching this
Wow this was amazing you didn’t miss any details and I can tell you were well versed in all information which was so refreshing. I hope to see more of your work 👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾
Wow! I really enjoyed this music documentary on Brandy! It was well put together and you are hilarious without trying to be funny, you had me laughing at some parts of this video. 😂Thank you for taking the time to put this music documentary together for us, your veiewers, take care.
Wow! This really made me think about a lot as far as the entertainment industry, marketing and just the music alone. Thank you for this Cal 🙏🏾
I've been telling people for years to wake up. The entertainment industry was built on smoke and mirrors. You can't get caught up...because all of it is fabricated. You have to make lots of sacrifices to get to the top tier of the industry. It is what it is. I have many family members who have been in the industry since the 1980s so I know. The thing is though - it's all about what matters to a person. If you want the fame and fortune...yeah...you have to do some strange things for some change. If you just enjoy making music and the artistry and don't care about being a multi-millionaire...you can still make your music and keep your integrity. Very very very very few people fall into the category of being able to keep their integrity and still be famous. It is what it is.
Very well put together and love the timestamps you've added
Great Job Calvin! I appreciate your commentary in this video. You definitely did your homework on this. Brandy is a Legend and deserves all the accolades!
I love all of Brandy's albums from Brandy to B7. Afrodisiac was a really great album. You could definitely tell that Brandy was a grown ass woman who was very much in love with Quentin Richardson at the time. That album was about their beautiful love story.
🅱️👇🏽💯
The ENTIRE album was Amazing! I was so pissed that it didn't receive the reception it deserves. Her vocals with Tim's production was a perfect marriage.
I am 64 and still love this very talented woman! Often copied and but she is the original! Keep going young lady!!!
FUN FACT- VH1 Soul did a segment called Soulphrodisiac in honor of Afrodisiac and her face would be on the credit information back in the day on cable logo. It was dope. She truly changed again giving a segement dedicated to love R&B Songs
B7 dont play. I still have my Brandy dolls in storage!!! Always been a fan B rocka. 😘 Taina was good mad they cancelled that.
I have my Brandy dolls too! Lol
Taiiiiiiinnaaaaa Taiiiinnnaaa.. these kids don’t even know 😂😭👏🏾
I personally love that album. You covered so much in that hour and I will re listen to it again, well done bro! I have to admit I always wondered why the album didn’t do as well as it did considering how good it was. Thanks for the breakdown and insight, goes to show that “the business” plays a big part of success of a project if not more than “the art” does! J
never liked afrodisiac but full moon was a classic. Never say never will always be my favorite
I didn't get into Afro until I got older and honestly it's probably my favourite Brandy album. It's a very mature sounding album experimental for it's time and the vocals, lyrics, it's a vibe album
Agreed, Never say never her best album
Yes, Never Say Never will always be my favorite Brandy Album!
Whaaaat??? Everything but that first part was on point. How could you not like Afrodisiac?
Never say never is the best because the songs were strung together effortlessly. The albums after that come off a little choppy. I didn't care for the Full Moon album much, but Afrodisiac brought me back to the table. That's why I'm shocked by the negative comments.
Calvin you did an wonderful job discussing Brandy's career! Hoping to hear more content like this soon. Keep up the great work bro!👍💯
Calvin thanks for all your hard work researching for this video..I like Brandy and I now have a better understanding of what artists have to go through to get their work out there ..sending ❤️from the UK
Always wished brandy went Neo-soul vibe around full moon vibe, it was such a soulful album.
The next videos he should do:
Mary J. Blige: No More Drama to Love & Life
Fantasia: Free Yourself to Fantasia
Monica: After The Storm to The Making Of Me
Chris Brown: Exclusive to Graffiti
Whitney Houston: My love is your love to Just Whitney
Mariah Carey: The Emancipation of Mimi to E=mc2
Beyoncé: I Am Sasha Fierce to 4
Ciara: The Evolution to Fantasy Ride
Michael Jackson: Future to Invincible
Well Done Calvin! Love your perspective! Brandy is my favorite Artist! ❤️
I love the whole analysis and how you dissected this video....perfect from beginning till the end! Beautiful and accurate .
This was a great video! I always get sad when I think about Brandy's albums not getting the recognition they deserved after never say never. I've loved her since her debut. I did cringe when you talked about some of the problematic things she said and the whole marriage controversy but I love her regardless and wish her success. I LOVED Afrodesiac. She looked beautiful on the album art and the songs got me through a huge transition in my life. and this B7 Album is quickly becoming a favorite of mine. I can't choose an order just yet because she's that amazing vocally.
Thanks so much for breaking this down! One of my friends was asking for a trajectory or overview of Brandy's career the other day, the type that can't simply be told through Wikipedia entries, but you have to really have lived through it and have the cultural knowledge, context, and storytelling ability. So I'm excited to send this to them!
I think in terms of Brandy's 90s image, she was very much marketed as having a kid-friendly, America's sweetheart image. Everything you mentioned, plus the audience projecting Moesha's identity onto Brandy, made it even more difficult for her to transition into adulthood in the public eye. We also can't forget that systems like racism and colorism are still operating, whether explicitly or subtlety. And so for dark skinned women in entertainment, often they are put into even tighter boxes with even more limited options.
It's so interesting to see this retrospective, and how other 90s teen sensations navigated growing up in the public eye. Especially as someone who was a child, actively consuming and not having the same critical lens as an adult in 2020.
You need an award for these videos...I LOVE them!!
Absolutely fantastic analysis and a historical look back surrounding an album release and all the converging situations playing a part in the success or lack of.