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.
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.
@@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.
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.
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
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????????
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 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.
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.
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.
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
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).
"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?
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.
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.
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!👍🏽👍🏽
@@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
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.
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 🙌🏽🙌🏽🙌🏽
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
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
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!
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. ❤
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.
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
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.
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 ❤️
The fact that Foxy Brown and Brandy were the same age - should be noted - once again it’s about marketing , I appreciate Brandy being a wholesome image of a young black teen girl.
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
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.
You did such a great job with this video. Great job. Great job. Great job! I actually love aphrodisiac. It’s probably one of my favorite albums from Brandy. If not my favorite it was specifically tied to a memory that I share with my mom. I had her buy it for me. We were like some swapping shop place and it was the first gift she had ever bought meand I listened to the album over and over and over and over and over and over and over and I just still love that album so much and I was probably in like the fourth grade. I saw nothing wrong with it made me a big fan of brandy. I still love her.
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...
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...
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.
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.
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✌
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.
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
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.
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 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!👍🏻
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'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.
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".
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
@@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💯
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
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!
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.
Such a great video. thank you for the well-researched and thoughtful analysis! My opinion of the Afrodisiac album is pretty mixed. I love the singles "Talk About our Love" and "Who Is She to You". To me the album is not sonically and musically cohesive and lacks vision and identity. Reason being is that it's really 2.1 albums mashed together (poorly). The Mike City/Robert Smith album, the Timbaland album, and the Kanye West singles. I would have loved all of those projects individually, but not the Frankenstein-ing of all of them together. My favorite Brandy albums are the ones that have a sonic and thematic thread that connect the whole project: Never Say Never, Full Moon, and Human. I think they are all timeless, genius. Two Eleven for me is similar to Afrodisiac. The idea is "let's throw a bunch of random stuff at the wall and see what sticks. Hopefully the album has something for everyone." I think that's the worst possible approach to creating an album. If she had just stuck with Bangladesh and Sean Garret and the "Put it Down"/"So Sick" vibe it would be an absolutely classic Brandy album. Instead the albums is a chaotic mess. b7 is honestly my least favorite Brandy project ever but mad respect to it. She's always been an innovator and trailblazer in R&B music. I think b7 illustrates the reality that when you do something highly experimental, sometimes it results in something magical, sometimes it causes a huge paradigm shift, and sometimes it just fails. I admire the courage to make experimental music and run that risk of it not really connecting with listeners. But I think Brandy is at her best when united with a producer and a writer working as a team with a very clear vision for the aesthetic and musical themes of the album.
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
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!!!
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.
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
" Full Moon" is Brandy's best album, bar none. "Afrodisiac" was an AMAZING album though. I'll never forget getting up at 6 a.m. and going to Music4Less to grab my copy. What I didn't like about it was we didn't get the version of "Talk About Our Love" with the violins which was a more fully produced sound and I wanted the original version of "Come As You Are" which had more breaks and cool production value. Other than that, the record was ahead of it's time. If it came out in '06, it would've SMASHED!
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
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
I’m a huge Brandy fan. Thank you for making this video, Afrodisiac is one my faves from her. Necessary, Focus, and I Tried are bops. She’s a true talent with and incredible voice. She’s influenced so many artist today with her distinctive riffs and runs.
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!
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😍
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.
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!!!
I still watch the Sitting Up In My Room Video for that Dance Sequence with the 2 Brothers and Brandy in that Black and White Raincoat Girlfriend was Working IT. I Love That. The Full Moon video is My favorite The musical arrangement is amazing. Turn it up when you Listen to it.
Because Brandy was on TELEVISION, playing a popular character, regularly beaming into people’s homes, she was in a whole different situation than her contemporaries when it came to making her industry transition to adulthood. TV Networks do not joke with their brands. Apart from the fact that they are paying you a lot of money, they are making millions (sometimes billions) of dollars from advertisers and/or setting their show up to sell it around the world. Clearly it worked, because original Moesha is on Netflix, still generating money 19 years later (!!!), with Brandy in the middle of talks for a reboot. Great, informed analysis Calvin!
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 love this series! Your thoughtfulness & deliberateness is so refreshing! I love your attention to details & the grace your story building gives the artist! Brandy is such an incredible artist, that definitely deserves better than she got! I’m glad this video gives her, her flowers! The expectations on Black female artists are so insane, yet they somehow manage to preserver! I’d love to see you breakdown Ciara’s - Fantasy Ride era, because it’s truly a phenomenal project that due to mismanagement & leaks didn’t make the impact it could’ve. I think that’s the album that changed Ciara’s career trajectory, but it had the makings of a blockbuster!
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.
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
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
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!
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
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 🥰
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.
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
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
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!
@@babyJes444 actually it was very necessary because we don't know who people are when the cameras aren't rolling/they're behind closed doors.
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. 🤮
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
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)
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.
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!
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😒
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!!
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 🙌🏽🙌🏽🙌🏽
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
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
Brandy’s undoing was that she did not have solid management to help transition smoothly into the adult years of her career.
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!
You explained that PERFECTLY ❤
This episode is excellent. It's well researched, presented and I got nostalgic. I grew up to her music and loved her talent.
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. ❤
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.
I Love All Of Brandy's Albums All Of Her Albums Speak To Me In Different Ways Brandy Is The Queen
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.
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 ❤️
The fact that Foxy Brown and Brandy were the same age - should be noted - once again it’s about marketing , I appreciate Brandy being a wholesome image of a young black teen girl.
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
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.
You did such a great job with this video. Great job. Great job. Great job! I actually love aphrodisiac. It’s probably one of my favorite albums from Brandy. If not my favorite it was specifically tied to a memory that I share with my mom. I had her buy it for me. We were like some swapping shop place and it was the first gift she had ever bought meand I listened to the album over and over and over and over and over and over and over and I just still love that album so much and I was probably in like the fourth grade. I saw nothing wrong with it made me a big fan of brandy. I still love her.
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...
This was so good!!
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.
I loved loved loved this video. You really do your research. Much respect. If possible can you do the Human and Two eleven era?
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.
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✌
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
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.
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
People are SO sleep on TWO ELEVEN! that album was a complete banger 🔥🔥🔥
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.
For the record, ‘Full Moon’ is a legendary, trail blazing masterpiece. Drop 🎤 .
I LOVED THIS TYPE OF VIDEO. Just like the tlc one. Plz do one at least erry month
Come on HISTORY LESSON!!!! I love how you explain the history of young, black female marketing in the music industry.
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.
Listen. This is girl was a superstar. People forget how HUGE her celebrity was.
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!👍🏻
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
To know that AALIYAH was the reason why the industry wanted a TEENAGE success story is incredible 😩
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
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.
I am 64 and still love this very talented woman! Often copied and but she is the original! Keep going young lady!!!
Masterful, insightful, as we as instructional breakdown!!
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.
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
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💯
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
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!
Very well put together and love the timestamps you've added
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.
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.
Such a great video. thank you for the well-researched and thoughtful analysis! My opinion of the Afrodisiac album is pretty mixed. I love the singles "Talk About our Love" and "Who Is She to You". To me the album is not sonically and musically cohesive and lacks vision and identity. Reason being is that it's really 2.1 albums mashed together (poorly). The Mike City/Robert Smith album, the Timbaland album, and the Kanye West singles. I would have loved all of those projects individually, but not the Frankenstein-ing of all of them together. My favorite Brandy albums are the ones that have a sonic and thematic thread that connect the whole project: Never Say Never, Full Moon, and Human. I think they are all timeless, genius.
Two Eleven for me is similar to Afrodisiac. The idea is "let's throw a bunch of random stuff at the wall and see what sticks. Hopefully the album has something for everyone." I think that's the worst possible approach to creating an album. If she had just stuck with Bangladesh and Sean Garret and the "Put it Down"/"So Sick" vibe it would be an absolutely classic Brandy album. Instead the albums is a chaotic mess. b7 is honestly my least favorite Brandy project ever but mad respect to it. She's always been an innovator and trailblazer in R&B music. I think b7 illustrates the reality that when you do something highly experimental, sometimes it results in something magical, sometimes it causes a huge paradigm shift, and sometimes it just fails. I admire the courage to make experimental music and run that risk of it not really connecting with listeners. But I think Brandy is at her best when united with a producer and a writer working as a team with a very clear vision for the aesthetic and musical themes of the album.
I remember seeing the clip of the grammy announcement back in the day and thought her response was so adorable and endearing.
my two favs are FULL MOON and B7
I remember seeing Tia Tamera at Brandy's baby shower on her reality show
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
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!!!
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.
Brandy deserved the Album of the year Grammy for Never Say Never
I can agree with that!
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
Throughly enjoyed this. We need more. Awesome stuff
First. So here for this discussion!
" Full Moon" is Brandy's best album, bar none. "Afrodisiac" was an AMAZING album though. I'll never forget getting up at 6 a.m. and going to Music4Less to grab my copy. What I didn't like about it was we didn't get the version of "Talk About Our Love" with the violins which was a more fully produced sound and I wanted the original version of "Come As You Are" which had more breaks and cool production value. Other than that, the record was ahead of it's time. If it came out in '06, it would've SMASHED!
You need an award for these videos...I LOVE them!!
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
woah, the time invested in this video. As a brandy fan, i know a lot about her, but i learned soooooo much from this. what a woooww!
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
I’m a huge Brandy fan. Thank you for making this video, Afrodisiac is one my faves from her. Necessary, Focus, and I Tried are bops. She’s a true talent with and incredible voice. She’s influenced so many artist today with her distinctive riffs and runs.
I've been watching Moesha. I forgot how major Brandy was
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!
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😍
PLEASE DO MORE OF THESE! This video was so informative. I loved it!
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.
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!!!
I still watch the Sitting Up In My Room Video for that Dance Sequence with the 2 Brothers and Brandy in that Black and White Raincoat Girlfriend was Working IT. I Love That.
The Full Moon video is My favorite The musical arrangement is amazing. Turn it up when you Listen to it.
Because Brandy was on TELEVISION, playing a popular character, regularly beaming into people’s homes, she was in a whole different situation than her contemporaries when it came to making her industry transition to adulthood. TV Networks do not joke with their brands. Apart from the fact that they are paying you a lot of money, they are making millions (sometimes billions) of dollars from advertisers and/or setting their show up to sell it around the world. Clearly it worked, because original Moesha is on Netflix, still generating money 19 years later (!!!), with Brandy in the middle of talks for a reboot. Great, informed analysis Calvin!
truiessss !!
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
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 wore out both my ‘Full Moon’ & ‘Afrodisiac’ CD. I loved those records so much! Thanks for this breakdown. 🙏🏼
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 love this series! Your thoughtfulness & deliberateness is so refreshing! I love your attention to details & the grace your story building gives the artist! Brandy is such an incredible artist, that definitely deserves better than she got! I’m glad this video gives her, her flowers! The expectations on Black female artists are so insane, yet they somehow manage to preserver!
I’d love to see you breakdown Ciara’s - Fantasy Ride era, because it’s truly a phenomenal project that due to mismanagement & leaks didn’t make the impact it could’ve. I think that’s the album that changed Ciara’s career trajectory, but it had the makings of a blockbuster!
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.
Brandy was closely monitored by her mom in her teens
Facts. I went to elementary school with Bran.