Photo: Mike D. Photography, CC BY 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0>, via Wikimedia Commons
Our Top 10 Brandy songs list looks at a successful r&b and pop star who was coined the “vocal bible” by critics and her peers because of her voice layering and intricate riffs. She started her career as a child star in the 90’s and has maintained a successful career. She is a multifaceted artist because she is a singer, songwriter, actress, model and producer. She is also one of the few African American artists to have a doll. Let’s get to know her better.
Brandy was born Brandy Rayana Norwood on February 11, 1979. Many people may assume that she started her career as a singer, but she didn’t. She was actually an actress first. She appeared on the TV show Thea in 1993. The show lasted for one season. She didn’t let the failure of that show stop her. She decided to pursue a music career. She was signed to Atlantic Records in 1993.
She released her self-titled album in 1994. The songs on this album were a mix of soft hip-hop soul, pop and r&b. It received positive reviews from the critics. The sales for this album were initially slow, but it proved to be a little-engine-that-could. Two of the songs on this album were number one r&b singles. “I Wanna Be Down” and “Baby” reached number one on the r&b charts. “Best Friend” and “Brokenhearted” also appeared in the top 10 on the r&b charts. This album helped establish Brandy as a successful r&b artist. The album sold over six million copies.
She contributed a song on the Waiting to Exhale soundtrack. Whitney Houston personally picked her to perform on the soundtrack. She sang the song “Sittin’ Up in My Room”. It was a massive hit single for the r&b princess. The acting bug bit her again when she starred on her own TV show Moesha. The show came out in 1996 and lasted for six seasons. She made history as the first African American actress to portray Cinderella in 1997. She co-starred with her idol Whitney Houston.
She couldn’t let music go so she decided to get back in the studio. She released her sophomore album Never Say Never in 1998. She worked with heavy hitters like David Foster, Diane Warren, Rodney Jerkins, Dallas Austin, Harvey Mason Jr. as well as other songwriters. She didn’t suffer from the sophomore jinx with this album. It proved to be more successful than her debut album. The album debuted at number three on the charts. It sold 160,000 copies its first week. It was in the top 20 for 28 weeks. The album features the singles “The Boy Is Mine,” “Top of the World,” “Have You Ever?,” “Angel in Disguise,” “Almost Doesn’t Count,” “U Don’t Know Me (Like U Used To),” “(Everything I Do) I Do it for You” and “Never Say Never.” The album sold over 15 million copies.
Brandy contributed to another soundtrack. She lent her vocals on the soundtrack to Set It Off. She sang the song “Missing You” with Gladys Knight, Tamia and Chaka Khan. She appeared in the movie I Still Know What You Did Last Summer in 1998. Brandy took a three-year hiatus before she released her third album Full Moon in 2002. She worked with Rodney Jerkins, Mike City, Warryn Campbell, Keith Crouch as well as other songwriters and producers. The album debuted at number one on the r&b charts and number two on the pop charts. It sold 156,000 copies in its first week. It features the singles “What About Us?,” “Full Moon” and “He Is.” It sold over one million copies.
Brandy released her fourth album Afrodisiac in 2004. The album debuted at number three on the pop charts. It features the singles “Talk About Our Love,” “Who Is She 2 U” and “Afrodisiac.” The album sold over 500,000 copies. In 2008, she released her fifth album Human. This was her lowest charting debut album. It debuted at number 15 on the charts. It features the singles “Right Here (Departed)” and “Long Distance.”
In 2012, she released her sixth album Two Eleven. This album is in reference to her birthday. It is also the day in which her idol Whitney Houston passed away. She worked with different songwriters on this project. She worked with Frank Ocean, Chris Brown and Sean Garrett. The album debuted at number three on the Billboard Top 200 and number one on the r&b charts. It sold 65,000 copies in its first week. It features the singles “Put It Down” and “Wildest Dreams.” She released her seventh album B7 in 2020. It was her first album in eight years. It debuted at number 12 on the charts. It sold 25,000 copies in its first week. It features the singles “Baby Mama” and “Borderline.”
Brandy has been able to maintain her career despite uphill battles. She had to compete with other female artists to keep her fan base. She also had to deal with personal issues that could have sidelined any other artist. She was able to persevere. She is able to be a successful singer as well as an actress. She is a very talented artist who has a lot of hit singles. It was hard to narrow the list down to 10 because a lot of her songs could have made the Top 10 Brandy Songs list. This list will feature some of her hit songs.
# 10 – Angel in Disguise
The number one song on our Top 10 Brandy Songs list is the addictive “Angel in Disguise” from the highly successful Never Say Never album. This ballad has an r&b sound. This anthemic song is about her loving a man who cheated on her. Here is some trivia about the song. The song was inspired by Aaliyah’s “One in a Million.” This song managed to make history because it was a hit without being a single. This song is a ballad with tempo. It has a funky production. It is something that Janet Jackson would sing. It will have you moving around in your seat. This song shows off Brandy’s beautiful vocal skills. It gives the listener a chance to hear an adult side to her with the provocative lyrics. The song will attack you as soon as you hear it. Her vocals are emotional. She wears her heart on her sleeve. You can feel her pain through her voice. R&b singer Joe is singing in the background. Brandy and Joe do an excellent together.
# 9 – Talk About Our Love ft. Kanye West
The next song on our Top 10 Brandy Songs list is the impressive “Talk About Our Love” from the Afrodisiac album. This midtempo song has an r&b and hip-hop sound. This heart pounding song is about people being in your business when you’re in love. Here is some trivia about the song. This song was a last minute addition to the album. The producers made the right decision to add this wonderful track to the album because it’s one of the best songs on the album. The music is a perfect marriage of r&b and hip-hop. This attention-grabbing song will grab you as soon as she opens the song with her sultry voice.
Brandy does an amazing harmony in the beginning of the song. Her voice is soothing and sensual. Her voice is perfect for this banging beat. She is a little hard to understand in some of the lyrics, but that is a minor complaint. Her breezy and melodic voice sells the song. She uses a double in the background. She has incredible harmony in the hook. Kanye West appears in the bridge of the song. His rhyme is pretty decent, but he wasn’t really needed in the song. His rap doesn’t hurt the song, but it could have worked without it.
# 8 – Baby
This affectionate song is from the self-titled album. This midtempo song has an r&b, funk and hip-hop soul sound. This emotional song is about letting a guy know she’s interested in him. The guitar riffs and drumbeats will grab your attention immediately. It’s a mash up of r&b and hip-hop. It has an old school sound without sounding dated. The lyrics are appropriate for a girl her age. She was 15 at the time when she sang this song so it’s age appropriate. Her vocals are feisty and demanding. You can tell that she wanted the boy she liked to be interested in her. She wanted the world to take notice of her strong vocals. The way her voice gets deeper in the hook is jaw dropping. This track is one of the reasons why she is considered the “vocal bible.” She shows versatility in the track. She sings in an upper to mid register in the verses while she sings in a lower register in the background and hook.
# 7 – What About Us
This angry song is from the Full Moon album. This up-tempo song has an electro r&b sound. This bitter song is about being in a relationship that wasn’t working anymore. This song is relatable to anyone in a similar situation and feels his or her relationship isn’t working anymore. This bouncy beat is infectious. It’s sexy and edgy. The production is very bass heavy and gritty. It has a futuristic feel to it. She wanted the world to take notice that she was a grown up. She didn’t usually sing angry songs like this. She mostly sang songs about love. It was a great change to hear her sing an adult song like this. It brought out the best in her vocals. Her vocals are layered because she has a double throughout the track. Her vocals are deep and sultry. She took a chance in the bridge by doing a mini rap and it paid off. She showed that she could spit bars as well as sing.
# 6 – Brokenhearted
This heartbreaking song is from the self-titled album. This ballad has an r&b and soul sound. This emotional song is about her moving on with her life after breaking up with someone. The stripped music has a thumping and infectious beat. It also features snaps in the background that will have snapping along. It’s hard to believe that she is a teenager singing these heartfelt lyrics. An adult could have easily been singing this song. Her vocals are strong and impressive. She put her vocal ability on display. You can tell she has a gospel background. She does a vibrato towards the end. She is demanding that listener hear that she is moving on with her life. There is another version of this song with Boyz II Men’s Wanya Morris. The duet is good, but the version with just Brandy is better. You get a chance to focus on how beautiful her voice is without her having to share the spotlight with anyone else.
# 5 – I Wanna Be Down
The next song on our Top 10 Brandy Songs list is the groundbreaking “I Wanna Be Down” from the self-titled album. This midtempo song has an r&b, hip-hop and soul sound. This purring song is about her wanting to be with the guy she likes. This is the song that made Brandy a star and introduced the world to an amazing singer. This is an age appropriate song for her because it isn’t too grown up. She’s not being overtly sexual. It’s a sweet song about having a crush on somebody. You don’t have to be a teenager to relate to it. The music has a banging drumbeat. The bass line is magnificent. There isn’t too much instrumentation in the song. It’s just enough to move around and still enjoy her vocals. This is her first single, but she sounds like a professional. She has incredible vocal strength that once again shows that she is the vocal bible.
# 4 – Sittin Up in My Room
This alluring song is from the Waiting to Exhale soundtrack. This midtempo song has an r&b sound. This endearing song is about her thinking about the guy she likes. You will find yourself instantly bopping to the funky guitar chords as soon as the song starts. The drums are thumping and catchy. The music is very energetic. Babyface wrote an excellent song for Brandy. He gave her an age appropriate song. He usually writes baby-making music, but he was able to write a song appropriate for her. Her vocals are on point in this song. Her vocals are smooth like butter. She starts the song with low notes and works her way up to high notes. She was still a new artist when this single came out, but she had one of the best songs on the soundtrack. Whitney Houston picked one of the best people to be on the soundtrack.
# 3 – Have You Ever
This heartwarming song is from the Never Say Never album. This ballad has an r&b and pop sound. This captivating song is about losing the guy she thought was the one. This song is relatable to anyone who has lost the person they love. Brandy was 19 when she sang this song, but anyone can relate to it. The music has a smooth groove. The keyboard and guitar are soft and melodic. The song’s melody is satisfying and has a harmony filled chorus that is easy to remember. The song will stick in your head long after it ends. This song proves how versatile Brandy is. Her voice is strong and pure. She tries for the money notes when her vocals soar in the bridge. She’s not one of the big powerhouse balladeers, but she gave it an excellent try. She didn’t sing like that on her previous songs so it was nice to hear her do that in this song. She could have played it safe and not attempt any high notes, but she went for it and scored.
# 2 – The Boy Is Mine ft. Monica
This antagonistic song is from the Never Say Never album. This midtempo song has an r&b and pop sound. This attention grabbing song is about them fighting over the man they each say is theirs. This song is a take on the Michael Jackson/Paul McCartney song “The Girl Is Mine.” This song brought together two of the big r&b acts of the time. Brandy and Monica were rumored to be arguing at the time so they wanted to put the rumors to rest by recording this song together. There is no way to sit still through this banger. The electric harp runs are hypnotic and engaging. The beat is pulsing. Brandy and Monica are having a heated conversation with each other. They both get their equal chance to shine in this sleek and soulful jam. They were both young when they recorded this song, but they both sound like seasoned professionals. They both sound amazing and win the vocal battle. Their vocal styles are different, but they manage to make the track work.
#1 – Full Moon
The number one song on our Top 10 Brandy Songs list is the club banger “Full Moon” from the album of the same name. This up-tempo song has an r&b and pop sound. This impressive song is about her falling in love at first sight. The song will grab you the minute the piano chords start. The groove is infectious. The bass line is out of this world. The drumbeat is banging. She utilizes her smooth and deep vocals. Her voice glides over the music. Her vocal timing is impeccable. She sings in time with each thumping beat change. Her harmonies in the background are hypnotic. Her voice is rich and sensual in the unforgettable hook. Her voice is layered at the end when she sings the chorus. She has a double that sings different lines towards the end of the song. It’s hard to know which part to sing because each part is phenomenal. This song is absolutely flawless and deserves its spot as number one on this list.
