R&B of the 1990s: Brandy's Never Say Never Album

Brandy Norwood is super talented and has achieved great success acting and singing. Her sophmore album Never Say Never is a sample of her great work.

Brandy Norwood has been in our eyesight since the early 1990s sharing her talents. We have been seeing her on sitcoms, movies, reality shows and judging America's Got Talent . When we first met Brandy on the TV show Thea in 1993, no one probably thought that she would be an  R&B  star. She released her self-titled Brandy in 1994 and captured fans with "I Wanna Be Down" and "Brokenhearted".

Brandy in the 1990s

Brandy was quite busy and after the release of Brandy, she started the sitcom Moesha (1996) as the leading character, then she copped a role in Disney's Cinderalla (1997) opposite Whitney Houston. Brandy continued acting in the 1998 sequel I Still Know What You Did Last Summer.

The Songs of Never Say Never

After a four year hiatus, Brandy released Never Say Never. She had fans hooked with several megahits from this album including an unlikely duet with Monica and the sensitive "Have You Ever". Sixteen tracks make up Never Say Never including a short intro and an "In the Car Interlude". Other songs include "Put That on Everything", "Happy", "Truthfully" and "Tomorrow".

• "Top of the World" featuring Mase: Mase, rapper turned pastor, was featured on Brandy's "Top of the World" song. Brandy seemed to be expressing the struggles with fame and getting people to understand her in this song. Brandy sings "I'm just trying to be me/ doing what I got to do/ some people think that I'm/ just sittin' on top of the world".
• "Never Say Never": "Never Say Never" is the title track and in this song, Brandy shares her frustration with everyone who seems to be against her happiness in her relationship. "We didn't let the thoughts that we had/ we didn't let the words that they said/ keep us from the love we now have/ never say never". It has been proven in aspect of life that there are people who always seem to be against one's happiness.
• "(Everything I Do) I Do It for You":  Brandy took a fresh twist on Bryan Adam's original "Everything I Do) I Do It for You" which was released on his 1991 album Waking Up The Neighbours. Brandy gives a lustrious performance on this song that was written by Adams, Michael Kamen and Robert John "Mutt" Lange.
• "Angel In Disguise": "Angel In Disguise is a very interesting song because it sings of deception. The 'angel' apparently was a beautiful woman who swept a man off his feet, thus ignoring the woman who truly loves him. "Angel is disguise she was/ but somehow you fell for her/ until she broke your heart that day/ and left you in rain" sings Brandy in the chorus.
• "The Boy Is Mine" featuring Monica: "The Boy Is Mine" follows "Angel In Disguise" on the album and it makes me think that this was intentional. Brandy sings of the deceit and then in the following song, seems to put up a fight against that 'angel' for her man. Anyone watching BET and MTV in the 1990s can remember Monica and Brandy in the music video for this song with leading man, Mekhi Phifer.
• "Almost Doesn't Count":  Guy Roche and Shelly Peiken wrote this song, which is my favorite track on Never Say Never. This song is a great break-up song because it expresses the shortcomings that cause for the end of a relationship. Sample lyrics are "I can't keep loving you/ one foot outside the door/ I hear a funny hesitation/ of a heart's that never really sure".
• "Have You Ever": "Have you ever had someone steal your heart away/ you'd give anything to take them feel the same/ Have you ever searched for words to get you in their heart/ but you don't know what to say" are part of the first verse of "Have You Ever". Dianna Warren wrote this song and it clearly expresses the feelings of been jilted by a loved one.

Brandy's career since 1998 has continued to sky-rocket. She has since released Full Moon in 2002, Afrodisiac in 2002 and Human in 2008. She has also appeared on the sitcom One on One, numerous talk shows and the reality show Brandy & Ray-J. She has since started a family and has appeared on Dancing With The Stars. There is no doubt that Brandy has a lot more to share with her fans.