Brandy
B7
Brand Nu/eOne Urban
Listen Below
For over two decades—via the mediums of music, television, and film—Brandy Norwood has kept audiences engaged and curious about what was coming next. Trends have come and gone, but Brandy has continued to remain a constant. Although her musical output grew infrequent after 2004, this only lent Brandy an air of mystique; and whenever a record was confirmed for release, the anticipation that greeted the project orbited the sort of reverence reserved for the likes of Sade—this comparison isn’t at all hyperbolic.
Because of the consistent quality over quantity tenor of Brandy’s musical canon, she has transcended the limitations of chart commerce to enter that rare breed of creatives capable of appealing to multiple generations of R&B devotees. Now, twenty-six years removed from her eponymous debut effort Brandy (1994)—and eight years on from her most recent LP Two Eleven (2012)—Brandy reveals her hand with her superb seventh album, the appropriately titled B7, which represents a shift in her business and artistic consciousness.
On the former tip, it is her first affair parted from the major label system and serviced by her own Brand Nu imprint and distributed by Entertainment One Music. Regarding the latter, B7 has Brandy taking on the role of primary co-writer and co-producer for the bulk of the long player. No stranger to a songwriter’s pen—as there are nuggets to be found throughout Brandy’s discography that she has helmed—she has never presided over the entire expanse of an album before in this capacity. Eager to ensure that her vision for B7 was skillfully enacted, Brandy handpicked an eclectic coterie of writer-producers to join her; notables include (but aren’t limited to) Darhyl Camper Jr., Kim Krysiuk, Akil King, Jordan Evans, Cory Rooney, Alonzo Smalls II and the late LaShawn Daniels.
Almost all of the soundscapes on B7 are digitally rendered to mesmeric effect. However, Brandy weaves in live instrumentation—bass guitar, piano, various percussion elements, string facsimiles—and a panoply of samples to lend the productions an alternative dimension and depth. From the irregular beat patterning of “Unconditional Oceans,” to the ebon synth-soul of “Rather Be,” around to the rock-n-soul bounce of “I Am More,” Brandy revels in sonic spaces smithed to suit her strengths and tastes but that are accessible to the open ear too.
This is particularly true of the nebulous “All My Life” interlude triptych spread throughout B7 and the one-two anthemic punch of “High Heels” and “Baby Mama.” Featuring guest spots from Brandy’s daughter Sy’rai Smith and Chance the Rapper respectively, this pair of songs matches feverish tempos to luxe instrumental accompaniment (undulating violins on “High Heels,” mock brass on “Baby Mama”). Both jams are sure to beckon audiophiles to turn the volume up in their headphones to study their compositional intricacies at length. Of course, Brandy understands what separates a great song from a mere track: its lyrics and the voice delivering them. Brandy has these bases covered on the LP.
The narratives on B7 speak to Brandy’s experiences fielding challenges with her own personhood (“Saving All My Love”), mental health (“Lucid Dreams”) and adult romance (“Say Something”). Still, these pieces, and the rest of the stock on B7, are fashioned so that the respective listener will be able to find themselves in the song scripts and connect to Brandy as well; not since Human (2008) has she tendered such an emotionally charged set.
But what would any of these selections be without the vocal color and texture of her incomparable lyric-mezzo soprano? Everything on this collection is compellingly sung, but “Borderline,” “Love Again” (her Grammy nominated duet with Daniel Caesar) and “Bye Bi-Polar” are three vibrant performances that will go down as some of Brandy’s finest.
B7 is a watershed moment for the singer-songwriter. The album beams with the certitude of a woman very much aware of who she is and how she wants to communicate this ethos. In the R&B genre where some of its purveyors are occasionally susceptible to the siren call of artifice and theatrics, Brandy sidesteps manufactured drama and goes for music imbued with heart and technical prowess.
Notable Tracks: “Borderline” | “High Heels” | “Lucid Dreams” | “Unconditional Oceans”
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