Brandy Rayana Norwood (born February 11, 1979), better known by her
mononym
A mononym is a name composed of only one word. An individual who is known and addressed by a mononym is a mononymous person. In some cases, a mononym selected by an individual may have originally been from a polynym, a word which refers to one o ...
Brandy, is an American singer, songwriter, record producer, actress and model. She is known for her distinctive sound, characterized by her peculiar timbre,
voice-layering, and intricate
riff
A riff is a repeated chord progression or refrain in music (also known as an ostinato figure in classical music); it is a pattern, or melody, often played by the rhythm section instruments or solo instrument, that forms the basis or acc ...
s, which has earned her the title of "
the Vocal Bible". As of August 2020, she has sold over 40 million records worldwide, with approximately 8.62 million albums sold in the United States alone.
Her work has earned her
numerous awards and accolades, including a
Grammy Award
The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pr ...
and an
American Music Award
The American Music Awards (AMAs) is an annual American music awards show, generally held in the fall, created by Dick Clark in 1973 for ABC when the network's contract to air the Grammy Awards expired, and currently produced by Dick Clark Produ ...
.
Born in
McComb, Mississippi
McComb is a city in Pike County, Mississippi, United States. The city is approximately south of Jackson. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 12,790. It is the principal city of the McComb, Mississippi Micropolitan Statist ...
, Norwood was raised in
Carson, California, beginning her career as a
backing vocalist
A backing vocalist is a singer who provides vocal harmony with the lead vocalist or other backing vocalists. A backing vocalist may also sing alone as a lead-in to the main vocalist's entry or to sing a counter-melody. Backing vocalists are us ...
for teen groups. After signing with
Atlantic Records in 1993, she released her
self-titled debut album the following year, which sold six million copies worldwide. Norwood ventured into acting with the
UPN
The United Paramount Network (UPN) was an American broadcast television network that launched on January 16, 1995. It was originally owned by Chris-Craft Industries' United Television. Viacom (through its Paramount Television unit, which pr ...
sitcom
A sitcom, a portmanteau of situation comedy, or situational comedy, is a genre of comedy centered on a fixed set of characters who mostly carry over from episode to episode. Sitcoms can be contrasted with sketch comedy, where a troupe may use ...
''
Moesha'' (1996–2001), which won her an
NAACP Image Award, and resulted in numerous other roles, such as the
titular character
The title character in a narrative work is one who is named or referred to in the title of the work. In a performed work such as a play or film, the performer who plays the title character is said to have the title role of the piece. The title of ...
in the
television film
A television film, alternatively known as a television movie, made-for-TV film/movie or TV film/movie, is a feature-length film that is produced and originally distributed by or to a television network, in contrast to theatrical films made for ...
''Cinderella'' (1997) and Karla Wilson in the
slasher film
A slasher film is a genre of horror films involving a killer stalking and murdering a group of people, usually by use of bladed or sharp tools like knife, chainsaw, scalpel, etc. Although the term "slasher" may occasionally be used informally as ...
''
I Still Know What You Did Last Summer'' (1998). Her musical breakthrough came with the wildly successful single "
The Boy Is Mine" (1998), a duet with fellow
R&B contemporary
Monica, which went on to become one of the best selling female duets of all time and won her the
Grammy for Best R&B Vocal by a Duo or Group. In 2002, Norwood starred in the reality series ''
Brandy: Special Delivery'', documenting the birth of her daughter. Her third and fourth albums, ''
Full Moon
The full moon is the lunar phase when the Moon appears fully illuminated from Earth's perspective. This occurs when Earth is located between the Sun and the Moon (when the ecliptic longitudes of the Sun and Moon differ by 180°). This means ...
'' (2002) and ''
Afrodisiac'' (2004), were released to critical success.
Norwood served as a judge on the
first season of ''
America's Got Talent'' before being involved in a heavily publicized car accident in 2006. Norwood's fifth album, ''
Human
Humans (''Homo sapiens'') are the most abundant and widespread species of primate, characterized by bipedalism and exceptional cognitive skills due to a large and complex brain. This has enabled the development of advanced tools, cultu ...
'' (2008), was released to positive reviews, although it was a commercial failure. In 2010, she returned to television as a contestant on the
eleventh season of ''
Dancing with the Stars'' and starred in the reality series ''
Brandy & Ray J: A Family Business''. She was a series regular in the
BET
Black Entertainment Television (acronym BET) is an American basic cable channel targeting African-American audiences. It is owned by the CBS Entertainment Group unit of Paramount Global via BET Networks and has offices in New York City, Los ...
series ''
The Game'' (2012–2015) and released her sixth album ''
Two Eleven
''Two Eleven'' is the sixth studio album by American recording artist Brandy. Released on October 12, 2012, it served as the singer's debut release with Chameleon Entertainment and RCA Records after departing from Epic Records soon after releasin ...
'' (2012) thereafter, both earning her critical praise. In April 2015, Norwood made her
Broadway
Broadway may refer to:
Theatre
* Broadway Theatre (disambiguation)
* Broadway theatre, theatrical productions in professional theatres near Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, U.S.
** Broadway (Manhattan), the street
**Broadway Theatre (53rd Stree ...
debut as
Roxie Hart
Roxanne "Roxie" Hart is a fictional character. She is the main character of the 1926 play ''Chicago'' and its various remakes and derivatives.
Development
The playwright, reporter Maurine Dallas Watkins, was inspired by the trials, both of whic ...
in the musical ''
Chicago
(''City in a Garden''); I Will
, image_map =
, map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago
, coordinates =
, coordinates_footnotes =
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdivision_name ...
''. She starred in and executive produced a sitcom titled ''
Zoe Ever After
''Zoe Ever After'' is an American sitcom starring Brandy Norwood as Zoe Moon, a recent divorcee who starts her own cosmetics company. The show was Norwood's first leading role in a television series since '' Moesha'' (1996–2001) premiered twenty ...
'' on BET which premiered in January 2016. In July 2020, Norwood released her seventh studio album, ''
B7'', also her first project as an independent artist, to critical acclaim.
In 2021, Norwood starred alongside
Naturi Naughton
Naturi Cora Maria Naughton (born May 20, 1984) is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. Naughton is best known as one-third of the R&B group 3LW and for her acting roles in the films '' Fame'' and '' Notorious'', in which she played rapp ...
,
Eve
Eve (; ; ar, حَوَّاء, Ḥawwāʾ; el, Εὕα, Heúa; la, Eva, Heva; Syriac: romanized: ) is a figure in the Book of Genesis in the Hebrew Bible. According to the origin story, "Creation myths are symbolic stories describing how the ...
and
Nadine Velazquez
Nadine E. Velázquez (born November 20, 1978) is an American actress and model known for her roles as Catalina Aruca on ''My Name Is Earl'' and Sofia Ruxin on ''The League''. She has also appeared in films such as ''War'' (2007), ''Flight'' (20 ...
in
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company (ABC) is an American commercial broadcast television network. It is the flagship property of the ABC Entertainment Group division of The Walt Disney Company. The network is headquartered in Burbank, Cali ...
's music drama series ''
Queens
Queens is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Queens County, in the U.S. state of New York. Located on Long Island, it is the largest New York City borough by area. It is bordered by the borough of Brooklyn at the western tip of Long ...
'' to critical acclaim.
In June 2022, Norwood announced her major label return after signing with
Motown Records under which she is expected to prepare her eighth studio album.
Early life
Norwood was born on February 11, 1979, in
McComb, Mississippi
McComb is a city in Pike County, Mississippi, United States. The city is approximately south of Jackson. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 12,790. It is the principal city of the McComb, Mississippi Micropolitan Statist ...
, the daughter of
Willie Norwood, a
gospel
Gospel originally meant the Christian message (" the gospel"), but in the 2nd century it came to be used also for the books in which the message was set out. In this sense a gospel can be defined as a loose-knit, episodic narrative of the words a ...
singer and choir director, and Sonja Norwood (
née Bates), a district manager for
H&R Block
H&R Block, Inc., or H&R Block, is an American tax preparation company operating in Canada, the United States, and Australia. The company was founded in 1955 by brothers Henry W. Bloch and Richard Bloch.
As of 2018, H&R Block operates approxim ...
.
Brandy is the older sister of entertainer
Ray J
William Ray Norwood Jr. (born January 17, 1981), known professionally as Ray J, is an American singer, actor, and television personality. Born in McComb, Mississippi, and raised in Carson, California, he is the younger brother of recording a ...
, as well as a cousin of rapper
Snoop Dogg and WWE wrestler
Sasha Banks
Mercedes Justine Kaestner-Varnado (born January 26, 1992) is an American professional wrestler and actress. She is currently signed to WWE, where she performs on the SmackDown brand under the ring name Sasha Banks.
Banks previously wrestled o ...
.
Raised in a
Christian home, Norwood started singing through her father's work as part of the local church choir, performing her first gospel
solo
Solo or SOLO may refer to:
Arts and entertainment Comics
* ''Solo'' (DC Comics), a DC comics series
* Solo, a 1996 mini-series from Dark Horse Comics
Characters
* Han Solo, a ''Star Wars'' character
* Jacen Solo, a Jedi in the non-canonical ''S ...
at the age of two.
In 1983, her parents relocated to
Carson, California, and Norwood was schooled at the
Hollywood High Performing Arts Center.
Norwood's interest in music and performing increased after becoming a fan of singer
Whitney Houston
Whitney Elizabeth Houston (August 9, 1963 – February 11, 2012) was an American singer and actress. Nicknamed " The Voice", she is one of the bestselling music artists of all time, with sales of over 200 million records worldwide. Houston i ...
at the age of seven,
but at school, she experienced trouble with persuading teachers to send her on auditions as she found no support among the staff.
Norwood began entering talent shows by the time she was eleven, and, as part of a youth singing group, performed at several public functions.
In 1990, she signed with Teaspoon Productions, headed by
Chris Stokes and Earl Harris, who gave her work as a
backing vocalist
A backing vocalist is a singer who provides vocal harmony with the lead vocalist or other backing vocalists. A backing vocalist may also sing alone as a lead-in to the main vocalist's entry or to sing a counter-melody. Backing vocalists are us ...
for their R&B
boy band Immature
Mature is the adjectival form of maturity, as immature is the adjectival form of immaturity, which have several meanings.
Mature or immature may also refer to:
* Mature, a character from ''The King of Fighters'' series
*"Mature 17+", a rating in ...
, and arranged the production of a
demo tape.
In 1993, amid ongoing negotiations with
East West Records
East West Records (stylized as east''west'') is a record label formed in 1955, distributed and owned by Warner Music Group, headquartered in London, England.
History
Upon its creation in 1955 by Atlantic Records, the label had one hit with t ...
, Norwood's parents organized a recording contract with the
Atlantic Recording Corporation
Atlantic Recording Corporation (simply known as Atlantic Records) is an American record label founded in October 1947 by Ahmet Ertegun and Herb Abramson. Over its first 20 years of operation, Atlantic earned a reputation as one of the most i ...
after auditioning for Darryl Williams, the company's director of A&R.
To manage her daughter, Norwood's mother resigned from her job,
while Norwood herself dropped out of Hollywood High School, and was tutored privately from tenth grade on.
Career
1993–1996: ''Brandy'' and television stardom
During the early production stages of her debut album, Norwood was selected for a role in the short-lived
ABC sitcom ''
Thea'', portraying the daughter of a single mother played by comedian
Thea Vidale
Thea R. Vidale (born November 20, 1956) is an American stand-up comedian and actress. Vidale is perhaps best known for her role as Thea Armstrong-Turrell in the ABC sitcom '' Thea'', which originally aired from 1993 until 1994. Vidale is noted as ...
.
Initially broadcast to high ratings, the series' viewership dwindled and ended up running for only one season, but earned her a
Young Artists Award nomination for Outstanding Youth Ensemble alongside her co-stars.
Norwood recalled that she appreciated the cancellation of the show as she was unenthusiastic about acting at the time, and the taping caused scheduling conflicts with the recording of her album. She stated, "I felt bad for everybody else but me. It was a good thing, because I could do what I had to do, because I wanted to sing."
Norwood's
self-titled debut album was released in September 1994 and peaked at number twenty on the U.S.
''Billboard'' 200.
Critical reaction to ''Brandy'' was generally positive, with
AllMusic
AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databa ...
writer Eddie Huffman declaring Brandy "a lower-key
Janet Jackson or a more stripped-down
Mary J. Blige
Mary Jane Blige ( ; born January 11, 1971) is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. Often referred to as the " Queen of Hip-Hop Soul" and " Queen of R&B", Blige has won nine Grammy Awards, a Primetime Emmy Award, four American Music Award ...
..with good songs and crisp production." Anderson Jones of ''
Entertainment Weekly
''Entertainment Weekly'' (sometimes abbreviated as ''EW'') is an American digital-only entertainment magazine based in New York City, published by Dotdash Meredith, that covers film, television, music, Broadway theatre, books, and popular cu ...
'' asserted, "Teen actress Norwood acts her age. A premature effort at best, that seems based on the philosophy 'If
Aaliyah can do it, why can't I?'."
''Brandy'' went on to sell over six million copies worldwide,
and produced three top ten hits on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100, including "
I Wanna Be Down
"I Wanna Be Down" is the debut single of American recording artist Brandy from her self-titled debut album (1994). It was written by musicians Keith Crouch and Kipper Jones, with production helmed by the former, it was released on September 5 ...
" and "
Baby
An infant or baby is the very young offspring of human beings. ''Infant'' (from the Latin word ''infans'', meaning 'unable to speak' or 'speechless') is a formal or specialised synonym for the common term ''baby''. The terms may also be used to ...
", both of which reached the top of the
Hot R&B Singles
The Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart ranks the most popular R&B and hip hop songs in the United States and is published weekly by '' Billboard''. Rankings are based on a measure of radio airplay, sales data, and streaming activity. The chart had 100 ...
chart and were certified gold and platinum by the
Recording Industry Association of America.
"
Brokenhearted", a duet with
Wanya Morris
Wanyá Jermaine Morris ( ) (born July 29, 1973) is an American singer, best known as a member of the R&B group Boyz II Men.
Television and film appearances
Morris was announced as one of the celebrities who would compete on season 22 of '' ...
of
Boyz II Men, became a number-two hit on the charts.
The album earned Norwood two
Grammy Award
The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pr ...
nominations for
Best New Artist
The Grammy Award for Best New Artist has been awarded since 1959. Years reflect the year in which the Grammy Awards were handed out, for records released in the previous year. The award was not presented in 1967. The official guidelines are as ...
and
Best Female R&B Vocal Performance
The Grammy Award for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance (previously called Best Rhythm and Blues Solo Vocal Performance, Female) was an honor presented at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards ...
the following year, and won her four
Soul Train Music Awards
The Soul Train Music Awards is an annual music awards show which previously aired in national broadcast syndication, and honors the best in African-American culture, music and entertainment. It is produced by the makers of '' Soul Train'', the p ...
, two
Billboard Awards, and the New York Children's Choice Award.
In 1995, she finished a two-month stint as the
opening act on Boyz II Men's national tour, and contributed songs to the soundtracks of the films ''
Batman Forever
''Batman Forever'' (on-screen title is simply ''Forever'') is a 1995 American superhero film directed by Joel Schumacher and produced by Tim Burton, based on the DC Comics character Batman by Bob Kane and Bill Finger. The third installment o ...
'' and ''
Waiting to Exhale
''Waiting to Exhale'' is a 1995 American romance film directed by Forest Whitaker (in his feature film directorial debut) and starring Whitney Houston and Angela Bassett. The film was adapted from the 1992 novel of the same name by Terry McMil ...
'', with the single "
Sittin' Up in My Room
"Sittin' Up in My Room" is a song by American recording artist Brandy Norwood. It was written and produced by Babyface and recorded by Norwood for the soundtrack of the 1995 film ''Waiting to Exhale'', starring Whitney Houston and Angela Bassett. ...
" becoming another top-two success.
In 1996, Norwood also collaborated with
Tamia
Tamia Marilyn Washington Hill (born May 9, 1975) is a Canadian singer, songwriter, and producer. Born and raised in Windsor, Ontario, Tamia performed in various singing and dancing competitions as a child. In 1994, after signing a development de ...
,
Chaka Khan, and
Gladys Knight
Gladys Maria Knight (born May 28, 1944), known as the "Empress of Soul", is an American singer, actress and businesswoman. A seven-time Grammy Award-winner, Knight recorded hits through the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s with her family group Gladys K ...
on the single "
Missing You", released from the soundtrack of the F. Gary Gray film ''
Set It Off''. The single won her a third Grammy nomination in the
Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals category.
In 1996, her short-lived engagement on ''Thea'' led Norwood to star in her own show, the
UPN
The United Paramount Network (UPN) was an American broadcast television network that launched on January 16, 1995. It was originally owned by Chris-Craft Industries' United Television. Viacom (through its Paramount Television unit, which pr ...
-produced sitcom ''
Moesha''. Appearing alongside
William Allen Young
William Allen Young (born January 24, 1954) is an American actor and director who has starred in over 100 television, stage, and film projects, including two Academy Award-nominated films, ''A Soldier's Story'' and ''District 9''. He is best k ...
and
Sheryl Lee Ralph
Sheryl Lee Ralph OJ is an American actress and singer. She made her screen debut in the 1977 comedy film '' A Piece of the Action'', before landing the role of Deena Jones in the Broadway musical '' Dreamgirls'' (1981), for which she received ...
, she played the title role of
Moesha Mitchell, a Los Angeles girl coping with a stepmother as well as the pressures and demands of becoming an adult. Originally bought by
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc., commonly shortened to CBS, the abbreviation of its former legal name Columbia Broadcasting System, is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the CBS Entertainm ...
, the program debuted on UPN in January 1996, and soon became their most-watched show. While the sitcom managed to increase its audience every new season and spawned a
spin-off titled ''
The Parkers
''The Parkers'' is an American television sitcom aired on UPN from August 30, 1999, to May 10, 2004. A spin-off of UPN's ''Moesha'', ''The Parkers'' features the mother-daughter team of Nikki (played by Mo'Nique) and Kim Parker (played by Counte ...
'', the network decided to cancel the show after six seasons on the air, leaving it ending with a
cliffhanger
A cliffhanger or cliffhanger ending is a plot device in fiction which features a main character in a precarious or difficult dilemma or confronted with a shocking revelation at the end of an episode or a film of serialized fiction. A cliffhang ...
for a scrapped seventh season.
Norwood was awarded an
NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Youth Actor/Actress for her performance.
In 1997, Brandy, Ray J, and their parents started The Norwood Kids Foundation, which helps disadvantaged, at-risk youths in Los Angeles and Mississippi through the arts and self-help programs.
1997–2001: ''Never Say Never'' and film career
![Brandy Essence Awards](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/59/Brandy_Essence_Awards.jpg)
In 1997, Norwood was hand-picked by producer
Whitney Houston
Whitney Elizabeth Houston (August 9, 1963 – February 11, 2012) was an American singer and actress. Nicknamed " The Voice", she is one of the bestselling music artists of all time, with sales of over 200 million records worldwide. Houston i ...
to play the title character in
Rodgers and Hammerstein
Rodgers and Hammerstein was a theater-writing team of composer Richard Rodgers (1902–1979) and lyricist-dramatist Oscar Hammerstein II (1895–1960), who together created a series of innovative and influential American musicals. Their popular ...
's television version of ''
Cinderella
"Cinderella",; french: link=no, Cendrillon; german: link=no, Aschenputtel) or "The Little Glass Slipper", is a folk tale with thousands of variants throughout the world.Dundes, Alan. Cinderella, a Casebook. Madison, Wis: University of Wisconsi ...
'' featuring a multiracial cast that also included
Jason Alexander,
Whoopi Goldberg
Caryn Elaine Johnson (born November 13, 1955), known professionally as Whoopi Goldberg (), is an American actor, comedian, author, and television personality.Kuchwara, Michael (AP Drama Writer)"Whoopi Goldberg: A One-Woman Character Parade". ' ...
, and Houston.
The two-hour ''
Wonderful World of Disney
The Walt Disney Company has produced an anthology television series since 1954 under several titles and formats. The program's current title, ''The Wonderful World of Disney'', was used from 1969 to 1979 and again from 1991 to the present. The p ...
'' special garnered an estimated 60 million viewers, giving the network its highest ratings in the time period in 16 years, and won an
Emmy Award for Outstanding Art Direction for a Variety or Music Program the following year.
Fledgling producer
Rodney "Darkchild" Jerkins
Rodney Roy Jerkins (born July 29, 1977), also known by his stage name Darkchild, is an American record producer, rapper, and songwriter. He has collaborated with a broad range of popular artists.
Jerkins has won multiple Grammy Awards. Among hi ...
was consulted to contribute to Norwood's second album ''
Never Say Never''. Norwood co-wrote and produced six songs for the record, including her first number-one song on the U.S. ''Billboard''
Hot 100, "
The Boy Is Mine", a duet with singer
Monica that has become the most successful song by a female duo in the music industry. Exploiting the media's presumption of a rivalry between the two young singers, the song was one of the most successful records in the United States of all time,
spending a record-breaking thirteen weeks atop the ''Billboard'' charts, and eventually garnering the pair a
Grammy Award
The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pr ...
for
Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal The Grammy Award for Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal was awarded between 1970 and 2011. From 1967 to 1969 and in 1971 the award included instrumental performances. The award had several minor name changes:
*From 1967 to 1968 the ...
. ''Never Say Never'' was released in June 1998 and became Norwood's biggest-selling album, selling over 16 million copies worldwide and reaching number two on the
''Billboard'' 200.
Critics rated the album highly, with AllMusic's Stephen Thomas Erlewine praising Norwood and her team for wisely finding "a middle ground between
Mariah Carey and
Mary J. Blige
Mary Jane Blige ( ; born January 11, 1971) is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. Often referred to as the " Queen of Hip-Hop Soul" and " Queen of R&B", Blige has won nine Grammy Awards, a Primetime Emmy Award, four American Music Award ...
—it's adult contemporary with a slight streetwise edge."
Altogether, the album spawned seven singles, including Norwood's second number-one song, the
Diane Warren-penned "
Have You Ever?
"Have You Ever?" is a song by American recording artist Brandy Norwood for her second studio album, ''Never Say Never (Brandy album), Never Say Never'' (1998). The song was written by Diane Warren, while production was handled by David Foster. I ...
"
To promote the album she went on the
Never Say Never World Tour in 1999, consisting of shows in Europe, Asia, and the United States.
After backing out of a role in
F. Gary Gray
Felix Gary Gray (born July 17, 1969) is an Americans, American film director, film producer, and music video director. Gray began his career as a director on numerous critically acclaimed and award-winning music videos, including "It Was a Good ...
's 1996 film ''
Set It Off'',
Norwood made her
big screen debut in the supporting role of Karla Wilson in the
slasher film
A slasher film is a genre of horror films involving a killer stalking and murdering a group of people, usually by use of bladed or sharp tools like knife, chainsaw, scalpel, etc. Although the term "slasher" may occasionally be used informally as ...
, ''
I Still Know What You Did Last Summer''.
The movie outperformed
the original with a total of $16.5 million at its opening weekend, but critical reaction to the film was largely disappointing, with the film review site
Rotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes is an American review-aggregation website for film and television. The company was launched in August 1998 by three undergraduate students at the University of California, Berkeley: Senh Duong, Patrick Y. Lee, and Stephen Wang ...
calculating a poor rating of 7% based on 46 reviews.
Norwood, however, earned positive reviews for her "bouncy" performance,
which garnered her both a
Blockbuster Entertainment Award
The Blockbuster Entertainment Awards was a film awards ceremony, founded by Blockbuster Entertainment, Inc., that ran from 1995 until 2001. They were produced each year by Ken Ehrlich.
Formation and first awards
The awards were first held on J ...
and an
MTV Movie Award
The MTV Movie & TV Awards (formerly the MTV Movie Awards) is a film and television awards show presented annually on MTV. The first MTV Movie Awards were presented in 1992. The ceremony was renamed the MTV Movie & TV Awards for its 26th editio ...
nomination for
Best Breakthrough Female Performance.
In 1999, she co-starred with
Diana Ross in the
telefilm
A television film, alternatively known as a television movie, made-for-TV film/movie or TV film/movie, is a feature-length film that is produced and originally distributed by or to a television network, in contrast to theatrical films made for ...
drama
Drama is the specific mode of fiction represented in performance: a play, opera, mime, ballet, etc., performed in a theatre, or on radio or television.Elam (1980, 98). Considered as a genre of poetry in general, the dramatic mode has b ...
''
Double Platinum
Music recording certification is a system of certifying that a music recording has shipped, sold, or streamed a certain number of units. The threshold quantity varies by type (such as album, single, music video) and by nation or territory (see ...
'' about an intense, strained relationship between a mother and daughter.
Shot in only twenty days in
New York City
New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the Un ...
, both Norwood and Ross served as executive producers of the movie which features original songs from their respective albums ''Never Say Never'' (1998) and ''
Every Day Is a New Day
''Every Day is a New Day'' is the twenty-second studio album by American singer Diana Ross, released on May 4, 1999 by Motown Records. Ross consulted a number of new collaborators to work with her on the album, including Arif Mardin, Chuckii Booke ...
'' (1999), as well as previously unreleased duets. The same year, Norwood headlined
VH-1's Divas Live '99, alongside Whitney Houston,
Tina Turner
Tina Turner (born Anna Mae Bullock; November 26, 1939) is an American-born Swiss retired singer and actress. Widely referred to as the " Queen of Rock 'n' Roll", she rose to prominence as the lead singer of the Ike & Tina Turner Revue before ...
, and
Cher.
After a lengthy hiatus following the end of ''
Moesha'', and a number of tabloid headlines discussing her long-term battle with
dehydration
In physiology, dehydration is a lack of total body water, with an accompanying disruption of metabolic processes. It occurs when free water loss exceeds free water intake, usually due to exercise, disease, or high environmental temperature. Mil ...
, Norwood returned to music in 2001, when she and brother
Ray-J
William Ray Norwood Jr. (born January 17, 1981), known professionally as Ray J, is an American singer, actor, and television personality. Born in McComb, Mississippi, and raised in Carson, California, he is the younger brother of recording a ...
were asked to record a
cover version
In popular music, a cover version, cover song, remake, revival, or simply cover, is a new performance or recording by a musician other than the original performer or composer of the song. Originally, it referred to a version of a song release ...
of
Phil Collins' 1990 hit "
Another Day in Paradise
"Another Day in Paradise" is a song recorded by English drummer and singer-songwriter Phil Collins. Produced by Collins along with Hugh Padgham, it was released as the first single from his number-one album '' ...But Seriously'' (1989). As wi ...
" for the
tribute album
An album is a collection of audio recordings issued on compact disc (CD), vinyl, audio tape, or another medium such as digital distribution. Albums of recorded sound were developed in the early 20th century as individual 78 rpm records c ...
''
Urban Renewal: A Tribute to Phil Collins''. Released as the album's first single in Europe and Oceania, the song became an instant international success overseas, scoring top-ten entries on the majority of all charts it appeared on. Norwood also contributed the Mike City track “Open” to the soundtrack from ''Osmosis Jones''. The track remained unavailable on digital download and streaming sites until its rerelease twenty years later on October 8, 2021.
2002–2005: ''Full Moon'' and ''Afrodisiac''
''
Full Moon
The full moon is the lunar phase when the Moon appears fully illuminated from Earth's perspective. This occurs when Earth is located between the Sun and the Moon (when the ecliptic longitudes of the Sun and Moon differ by 180°). This means ...
'', Norwood's third studio album, was released in February 2002. It was composed of R&B and pop-oriented songs, many of them co-created with Jerkins, Warryn Campbell and
Mike City
Mike City (born Michael Flowers) is an American singer, songwriter and record producer. He is best known for producing the singles " I Wish" for Carl Thomas, " Heard It All Before" for Sunshine Anderson, "Full Moon" for Brandy and "One Woman ...
. The album debuted at number two on the ''Billboard'' 200 and topped the
Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums
Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums is a music chart published weekly by '' Billboard'' magazine that ranks R&B and hip hop albums based on sales in the United States and is compiled by Nielsen SoundScan. The chart debuted as Hot R&B LPs in the issue dated ...
chart.
Its lead single "
What About Us?" became a worldwide top-ten hit, and the album's title track was a Top 20 hit in the United States and the UK. Media reception was generally lukewarm, with ''
Rolling Stone
''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first known for its ...
'' describing the album as "frantic, faceless, fake-sexy R&B." Within the coming year, Norwood and Robert "Big Bert" Smith began writing and producing for other artists such as
Toni Braxton
Toni Michele Braxton (born October 7, 1967) is an American R&B singer, songwriter, actress and television personality. She has sold over 70 million records worldwide and is one of the best-selling female artists in history. Braxton has won ...
,
Kelly Rowland
Kelendria Trene Rowland (born February 11, 1981) is an American singer, actress, and television personality. She rose to fame in the late 1990s as a member of Destiny's Child, one of the world's best-selling girl groups of all time. During the gr ...
, and
Kiley Dean
Kiley Dean (born April 12, 1982) is an American contemporary R&B singer. Dean was born and raised in a small town in Arkansas. When she was about 7 years old, her family decided to move to Orlando. She grew up singing in school and church, which l ...
. Norwood's foray into reality television began in 2002 with the
MTV series ''Diary Presents Brandy: Special Delivery''; the show documented the final months of Norwood's pregnancy and the birth of her daughter Sy'rai.
![BrandyNorwoodJuly04](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d8/BrandyNorwoodJuly04.jpg)
Returning from yet another hiatus, Norwood's fourth album ''
Afrodisiac'' was released in June 2004, amid the well-publicized termination of her short-lived business relationship with entertainment manager
Benny Medina
Benny Medina (born January 24, 1958) is an American record executive, talent manager, and television producer.
Early life and education
Medina was born in East Los Angeles, California, of Dominican parents into a poor family. The death of hi ...
.
Norwood ended her contract with his Los Angeles-based Handprint Entertainment after less than a year of representation following controversies surrounding Medina's handling of the lead single "
Talk About Our Love
"Talk About Our Love" is a song recorded by American singer Brandy for her fourth studio album '' Afrodisiac'' (2004). It was written by Kanye West, who also appears as a featured artist on it, and Harold Lilly, while production was handled by ...
", and failed negotiations of a purported co-headlining tour with R&B singer
Usher.
Despite the negative publicity, ''Afrodisiac'' became Norwood's most critically acclaimed album, with some highlighting the "more consistently mature and challenging" effect of Timbaland on Norwood's music, and others calling it "listenable and emotionally resonant", comparing it to "
Janet Jackson at her best." A moderate seller, the album debuted at number three on the
''Billboard'' 200, and received certifications in the United States, Europe and Japan.
"Talk About Our Love" reached number six in the
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the European mainland, continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...
, but subsequent singles failed to score successfully on the popular music charts. Later that year, she guest-starred as
Gladys Knight
Gladys Maria Knight (born May 28, 1944), known as the "Empress of Soul", is an American singer, actress and businesswoman. A seven-time Grammy Award-winner, Knight recorded hits through the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s with her family group Gladys K ...
in the third-season premiere of ''
American Dreams
''American Dreams'' is an American drama television series that ran on NBC for three seasons & 61 episodes, from September 29, 2002, to March 30, 2005. The show tells the story of the Pryor family of Philadelphia during the mid-1960s, with many ...
'', in which she performed "
I Heard It Through the Grapevine
"I Heard It Through the Grapevine" is a song written by Norman Whitfield and Barrett Strong for Motown Records in 1966. The first recording of the song to be released was produced by Whitfield for Gladys Knight & the Pips and released as a ...
".
After eleven years with the company, Norwood asked for and received an unconditional release from Atlantic Records at the end of 2004, citing her wish "to move on" as the main reason for her decision.
Completing her contract with the label, a compilation album titled ''
The Best of Brandy
''The Best of Brandy'' is the first greatest hits album by American singer Brandy. It was released on March 28, 2005 by Atlantic Records, completing her contract with the label after being signed since 1994. The album comprises nearly all of Nor ...
'' was released in March 2005. Released without any promotional single, it reached the top 30 in Australia, the United Kingdom and the United States, where the collection was appreciated by contemporary critics who noted the creativity of Norwood's back catalogue.
Andy Kellman of
AllMusic
AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databa ...
expressed, "This set, unlike so many other anthologies from her contemporaries, hardly confirms dwindling creativity or popularity."
Thereupon she reportedly began shopping a new record deal under the auspices of
Knockout Entertainment
Knockout Entertainment is singer Ray J's vanity label, founded in 2001. The label specializes in R&B, hip hop, and gospel. Originally released under Sanctuary Records, a press release in December 2007 announced a new partnership with E1 Records. ...
, her brother's
vanity label
A vanity label (see related topic on vanity press) is an informal name sometimes given to a record label
A record label, or record company, is a brand or trademark of music recordings and music videos, or the company that owns it. Sometim ...
.
2006–2014: ''Human'', acting return and ''Two Eleven''
In February 2006, Norwood began appearing in a recurring role on
UPN
The United Paramount Network (UPN) was an American broadcast television network that launched on January 16, 1995. It was originally owned by Chris-Craft Industries' United Television. Viacom (through its Paramount Television unit, which pr ...
sitcom ''
One on One'', playing the sister to brother
Ray J
William Ray Norwood Jr. (born January 17, 1981), known professionally as Ray J, is an American singer, actor, and television personality. Born in McComb, Mississippi, and raised in Carson, California, he is the younger brother of recording a ...
's character D-Mack. In June, she was cast as one of three talent judges on the
first season of ''
America's Got Talent'', an amateur talent contest on
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an American English-language commercial broadcast television and radio network. The flagship property of the NBC Entertainment division of NBCUniversal, a division of Comcast, its headquarters are l ...
executive-produced by
Simon Cowell
Simon Phillip Cowell (; born 7 October 1959) is an English television personality, entrepreneur and record executive. He is the creator of '' The X Factor'' and ''Got Talent'' franchises which have been sold around the world. He has judged on ...
and hosted by
Regis Philbin
Regis Francis Xavier Philbin (; August 25, 1931 – July 25, 2020)Archived aGhostarchiveand thWayback Machine was an American television presenter, talk show host, game show host, comedian, actor, and singer. Once called "the hardest working ma ...
. The broadcast was one of the most-watched programs of the summer, and concluded on August 17, 2006, with the win of 11-year-old singer
Bianca Ryan
Bianca Taylor Ryan (born September 1, 1994) is an American musician, singer and songwriter from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Ryan was the first winner of NBC's ''America's Got Talent'' at the age of eleven. Singing two Broadway show tunes along t ...
. Norwood was originally slated to return for a second season in summer 2007, but eventually decided not to, feeling that she "couldn't give the new season the attention and commitment it deserved," following the fatal 2006 car accident in which she was involved.
She was replaced by reality TV star
Sharon Osbourne.
Norwood's fifth studio album, ''
Human
Humans (''Homo sapiens'') are the most abundant and widespread species of primate, characterized by bipedalism and exceptional cognitive skills due to a large and complex brain. This has enabled the development of advanced tools, cultu ...
'', was released in December 2008, produced by
Toby Gad
Tobias "Toby" Gad (born 28 March 1968) is a Los Angeles-based German music producer/songwriter, best known for co-writing John Legend's biggest hit, " All of Me," the fifth-highest certified single in RIAA history, and for co-writing and produc ...
,
Brian Kennedy, and
RedOne.
Distributed by
Koch Records
MNRK Music Group (pronounced "monarch", formerly known as Koch Records and eOne Music) is a New York City-based independent record label and music management company. It was formed in 2009 from the music assets of Koch Entertainment, which had ...
and
Sony Music
Sony Music Entertainment (SME), also known as simply Sony Music, is an American multinational music company. Being owned by the parent conglomerate Sony Group Corporation, it is part of the Sony Music Group, which is owned by Sony Entertainme ...
, the album marked Norwood's debut on the
Epic Records label,
and her reunion with long-time contributor and mentor Rodney Jerkins, who wrote and executive produced most of the album.
Generally well received by critics, ''Human'' debuted at number fifteen on the U.S. ''Billboard'' 200 with opening week sales of 73,000 copies.
With a domestic sales total of 214,000 copies, it failed to match the success of its predecessors. While lead-off single "
Right Here (Departed)
"Right Here (Departed)" is a song by American recording artist Brandy Norwood. It was written by Rodney "Darkchild" Jerkins and The Writing Camp members Evan "Kidd" Bogart, Victoria Horn, Erika Nuri, and David "DQ" Quiñones and produced by Jerk ...
" scored Norwood her biggest chart success since 2002's "
Full Moon
The full moon is the lunar phase when the Moon appears fully illuminated from Earth's perspective. This occurs when Earth is located between the Sun and the Moon (when the ecliptic longitudes of the Sun and Moon differ by 180°). This means ...
", the album failed to impact elsewhere, resulting in lackluster sales in general and the end of her contract with the label, following the controversial appointment of
Amanda Ghost as president of Epic Records, and Norwood's split with rapper
Jay-Z's
Roc Nation
Roc Nation is an entertainment agency founded by Jay-Z in 2008. The company is headquartered in Manhattan and has additional offices in Los Angeles and London. Roc Nation comprises a comprehensive talent agency, sports agency, record label, mana ...
management.
In December 2009, she officially introduced her rapping alter-ego Bran'Nu with two credits on Timbaland's album ''
Timbaland Presents Shock Value 2
''Shock Value II'' is the third studio album by American record producer Timbaland. It serves as the sequel to ''Shock Value''.
Initially slated for a 2008 release, the project was pushed into 2009 and tentatively confirmed for November 23, 2009 ...
'',
and was cast in the pilot episode for the
ABC series ''This Little Piggy'', also starring
Rebecca Creskoff
Rebecca Creskoff (born February 1, 1971) is an American actress.
Career
Creskoff graduated from the University of Pennsylvania before attending New York University, where she received her master of fine arts degree.
She has guest-starred in a nu ...
and
Kevin Rahm
Kevin Rahm (born January 7, 1971) is an American actor known for his television roles as Kyle McCarty on ''Judging Amy'', Lee McDermott on ''Desperate Housewives'', and Ted Chaough on ''Mad Men''.
Early life and education
Rahm attended and g ...
, which was recast the following year.
![Brandy in 2011a (cropped)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/7f/Brandy_in_2011a_%28cropped%29.jpg)
In April 2010, Norwood and Ray J debuted in the
VH1 reality series ''
Brandy and Ray J: A Family Business'' along with their parents. The show chronicled the backstage lives of both siblings, while taking on larger roles in their family's management and production company, R&B Productions.
Executive produced by the Norwood family, the season concluded after eleven episodes, and was renewed for a second season, which began broadcasting in fall 2010. ''
A Family Business'', a compilation album with previously unreleased content from the entire cast was released on
Saguaro Road Records
Time Life, with sister subsidiaries StarVista Live and Lifestyle Products Group, a holding of Direct Holdings Global LLC, is an American production company and direct marketer conglomerate, that is known for selling books, music, video/DVD, ...
in June 2011. Critics such as ''
The Washington Post
''The Washington Post'' (also known as the ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'') is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C. It is the most widely circulated newspaper within the Washington metropolitan area and has a large nati ...
'' declared it an "awkward and adorable and really, really wholesome collection." While the album failed to chart, it produced three promotional singles, including the joint track "Talk to Me".
In fall 2010, Norwood appeared as a contestant on
season 11 of the
ABC reality show ''
Dancing with the Stars'', partnered with
Maksim Chmerkovskiy
Maksim "Maks" Aleksandrovich Chmerkovskiy ( uk, Максим Олександрович Чмерковський ; born January 17, 1980) is a Ukrainian-American Latin–ballroom dance champion, choreographer, and instructor. He is widely known ...
. She ultimately placed fourth in the competition, which was a shock to the judges, viewers, studio audience, and other contestants that considered her one of the show's frontrunners throughout the entire competition. In August 2011, it was confirmed that Norwood had signed a joint record deal with
RCA Records
RCA Records is an American record label currently owned by Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America. It is one of Sony Music's four flagship labels, alongside RCA's former long-time rival Columbia Records; also A ...
and producer Breyon Prescott's Chameleon Records. In September, a new talent show, ''
Majors & Minors
''Majors & Minors'' is an American reality television singing competition, that premiered on The Hub on September 23, 2011. Auditions were held for 8-16 year olds, and the winner received a chance to have a partnership with Sony
, com ...
'', created by musician
Evan Bogart
Evan Bogart (born January 23, 1978), better known as E. Kidd Bogart, is an American songwriter, music publisher, record executive and film & television producer. He is the son of Casablanca Records founder Neil Bogart and former music manager Joyc ...
, premiered on
The Hub. It followed a group of young performers age 10–16 and their chance to be mentored by some established artists such as Norwood,
Ryan Tedder
Ryan Tedder (born June 26, 1979) is an American singer, songwriter, and record producer. As well as being the lead vocalist of the pop rock band OneRepublic, he has an independent career as a songwriter and producer for various artists since th ...
and
Leona Lewis
Leona Louise Lewis (born 3 April 1985) is a British singer, songwriter, actress and activist. Born and raised in the London Borough of Islington, she attended the BRIT School for Performing Arts and Technology in Croydon. Lewis achieved nationa ...
. Later that same year, Norwood returned to acting roles with recurring appearances on
The CW
''The'' () is a grammatical Article (grammar), article in English language, English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite ...
's
teen drama
In film and television, drama is a category or genre of narrative fiction (or semi-fiction) intended to be more serious than humorous in tone. Drama of this kind is usually qualified with additional terms that specify its particular super-g ...
series ''
90210'', and in the fourth season of the
Lifetime's comedy series ''
Drop Dead Diva
''Drop Dead Diva'' is an American legal comedy-drama/fantasy television series that aired on Lifetime from July 12, 2009, to June 22, 2014. The series was created by Josh Berman and produced by Sony Pictures Television. It stars Brooke Elliott ...
'', in which she played the role of Elisa Shayne.
In 2011, Norwood joined the cast of the
BET
Black Entertainment Television (acronym BET) is an American basic cable channel targeting African-American audiences. It is owned by the CBS Entertainment Group unit of Paramount Global via BET Networks and has offices in New York City, Los ...
comedy series ''
The Game'', playing the recurring role of Chardonnay, a bartender. She became a regular cast member by the next season. In February 2012, Norwood reteamed with Monica on "
It All Belongs to Me", which was released as a single from the latter's album ''
New Life''. Norwood's own comeback single "
Put It Down" featuring singer
Chris Brown was released later that year. The song reached number three on ''Billboard''s
Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs
The Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart ranks the most popular R&B and hip hop songs in the United States and is published weekly by '' Billboard''. Rankings are based on a measure of radio airplay, sales data, and streaming activity. The chart had 100 ...
chart, becoming her first top ten entry in ten years. Her sixth album ''
Two Eleven
''Two Eleven'' is the sixth studio album by American recording artist Brandy. Released on October 12, 2012, it served as the singer's debut release with Chameleon Entertainment and RCA Records after departing from Epic Records soon after releasin ...
'', which was released in October, saw a return to her R&B sound, but with what Norwood described a "progressive edge".
A moderate commercial success, it was viewed as a humble comeback from Norwood, reaching number three on the US
''Billboard'' 200, and the top of the ''
Billboard'' US
Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums
Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums is a music chart published weekly by '' Billboard'' magazine that ranks R&B and hip hop albums based on sales in the United States and is compiled by Nielsen SoundScan. The chart debuted as Hot R&B LPs in the issue dated ...
chart.
In March 2013, Norwood returned to film, joining an ensemble cast consisting of
Jurnee Smollett-Bell
Jurnee Diana Smollett (born October 1, 1986) is an American actress. She began her career as a child actress appearing on television sitcoms, including '' On Our Own'' (1994–1995) and ''Full House'' (1992–1994). She gained greater recognition ...
,
Lance Gross
Lance Darnell Kwaku Gross (born July 8, 1981) is an American actor. He is best known for his role as Calvin Payne on the TBS sitcom '' Tyler Perry's House of Payne'' and OWN sitcom '' Tyler Perry's The Paynes''., as well as appearing in other Ty ...
and
Vanessa L. Williams in
Tyler Perry
Tyler Perry (born Emmitt Perry Jr., September 13, 1969) is an American actor, comedian, filmmaker, and playwright. He is the creator and performer of the Madea character, a tough elderly woman. Perry's films vary in style from orthodox filmma ...
's drama ''
Temptation: Confessions of a Marriage Counselor''. Norwood plays supporting character Melinda, a woman with secrets. The film received generally negative reviews from critics but became a moderate US box office success. In June 2013, Norwood signed with
Creative Artists Agency
Creative Artists Agency LLC (CAA) is an American talent and sports agency based in Los Angeles, California. It is regarded as an influential company in the talent agency business and manages numerous clients. In March 2016, CAA had 1,800 emplo ...
, headquartered in Los Angeles, and in early 2014, she arranged a management deal with MBK Entertainment with CEO Jeff Robinson. In July, she was also inducted as an honorary member of
Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority. The same month, Norwood released a cover version of
Coldplay
Coldplay are a British rock band formed in London in 1997. They consist of vocalist and pianist Chris Martin, guitarist Jonny Buckland, bassist Guy Berryman, drummer Will Champion and creative director Phil Harvey. They met at University ...
's song "
Magic
Magic or Magick most commonly refers to:
* Magic (supernatural), beliefs and actions employed to influence supernatural beings and forces
* Ceremonial magic, encompasses a wide variety of rituals of magic
* Magical thinking, the belief that unrela ...
" to her
TwitMusic account; it peaked at number one on ''
Billboard''s
Trending 140 chart. Also in 2014, Norwood made guest appearances on VH1's ''
Love and Hip Hop: Hollywood'' and the
TV Land
TV Land is an American pay television channel owned by Paramount Global through its networks division. Originally a spinoff of Nick at Nite consisting exclusively of classic television shows, the channel now airs a combination of recent and cl ...
sitcom ''
The Soul Man
''The Soul Man'' is an American sitcom created by Suzanne Martin and Cedric the Entertainer. The series is a spin-off from ''Hot in Cleveland'', in which Cedric guest starred in the 2011 episode "Bridezelka", the backdoor pilot for ''The Soul Ma ...
''. At the
2014 BET Hip Hop Awards, she reunited with
Queen Latifah
Dana Elaine Owens (born March 18, 1970), known professionally as Queen Latifah, is an American rapper, actress, and singer. Born in Newark, New Jersey, she signed with Tommy Boy Records in 1989 and released her debut album '' All Hail the Qu ...
,
MC Lyte
Lana Michele Moorer (born October 11, 1970), better known by her stage name MC Lyte, is an American rap music, rapper, Disc jockey, DJ, actress and entrepreneur. Considered one of the pioneers of female rap, Lyte first gained fame in the late 19 ...
, and
Yo-Yo
A yo-yo (also spelled yoyo) is a toy consisting of an axle connected to two disks, and a string looped around the axle, similar to a spool. It is an ancient toy with proof of existence since 500 BCE. The yo-yo was also called a bandalore in ...
to perform the hip hop remix of "
I Wanna Be Down
"I Wanna Be Down" is the debut single of American recording artist Brandy from her self-titled debut album (1994). It was written by musicians Keith Crouch and Kipper Jones, with production helmed by the former, it was released on September 5 ...
" in celebration of its 20th anniversary.
2015–2020: Broadway and ''B7''
After finishing the filming of the final season of ''The Game'', Norwood made her
Broadway
Broadway may refer to:
Theatre
* Broadway Theatre (disambiguation)
* Broadway theatre, theatrical productions in professional theatres near Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, U.S.
** Broadway (Manhattan), the street
**Broadway Theatre (53rd Stree ...
debut in the musical ''
Chicago
(''City in a Garden''); I Will
, image_map =
, map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago
, coordinates =
, coordinates_footnotes =
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdivision_name ...
'', in which she played the lead role of
Roxie Hart
Roxanne "Roxie" Hart is a fictional character. She is the main character of the 1926 play ''Chicago'' and its various remakes and derivatives.
Development
The playwright, reporter Maurine Dallas Watkins, was inspired by the trials, both of whic ...
, beginning in April 2015. Although initially a six-week run, her engagement was extended until August 2015, prompting Norwood to reprise the role on several occasions in 2016 and 2017.
Also in 2015, Norwood appeared on British house duo
99 Souls
99 Souls are a British house duo. They are best known for their 2015 single "The Girl Is Mine (99 Souls song), The Girl Is Mine", a mash-up of Destiny's Child, Destiny's Child's "Girl (Destiny's Child song), Girl" and Brandy Norwood, Brandy and M ...
's mashup single "
The Girl Is Mine
"The Girl Is Mine" is a song recorded by American singer Michael Jackson and English musician Paul McCartney. The track was written by Jackson and produced by Jackson and Quincy Jones. It was released as the first single for Jackson's sixth s ...
", for which she re-recorded her vocals from "The Boy Is Mine". The song reached the top five in Belgium and the United Kingdom as well as the top 40 on other international charts, where it became her highest-charting single in years.
In January 2016, Norwood co-executive produced and starred as the lead in the
BET
Black Entertainment Television (acronym BET) is an American basic cable channel targeting African-American audiences. It is owned by the CBS Entertainment Group unit of Paramount Global via BET Networks and has offices in New York City, Los ...
sitcom ''
Zoe Ever After
''Zoe Ever After'' is an American sitcom starring Brandy Norwood as Zoe Moon, a recent divorcee who starts her own cosmetics company. The show was Norwood's first leading role in a television series since '' Moesha'' (1996–2001) premiered twenty ...
'', a multi-camera romantic comedy about a newly single mom stepping out of the shadow of her famous boxer ex-husband. While it debuted to respectable ratings, Norwood decided not to return to the show, and it was soon after cancelled. The same month, Norwood released the standalone single "
Beggin & Pleadin" through her own label Slayana Records, after receiving a positive response to initially unveiling the track on
SoundCloud
SoundCloud is an online audio distribution platform and music sharing website that enables its users to upload, promote, and share audio. Founded in 2007 by Alexander Ljung and Eric Wahlforss, SoundCloud is one of the largest music streaming s ...
.
That February, Norwood announced her
Slayana World Tour
The Slayana World Tour (sometimes referred to as the Slayana ''In These Streets'' Tour) was the third headlining concert tour by American singer Brandy. The tour was announced on February 23, 2016, and started on June 15, 2016 in Auckland, New Z ...
, which highlighted stops in both Europe and Oceania. Her first headlining tour in eight years, it was ended ahead of schedule on June 30 after Norwood was hospitalized due to exhaustion. In March, Norwood sued Chameleon Entertainment Group and its president, Breyon Prescott, after the label reportedly refused to allow her to record and release new albums. After the lawsuit was
thrown out of court due to one particular clause, Norwood filed another one several months later, demanding $270,000 in compensation and a "court declaration that she is contractually freed from Chameleon." Both parties reached a settlement in 2017.
In November 2016, Norwood became the second recipient of the
Lady of Soul Award at the
Soul Train Music Awards
The Soul Train Music Awards is an annual music awards show which previously aired in national broadcast syndication, and honors the best in African-American culture, music and entertainment. It is produced by the makers of '' Soul Train'', the p ...
. Her stripped-down nine-minute song medley was met with praise. Two months later, Norwood competed with her brother Ray J on the
FOX
Foxes are small to medium-sized, omnivorous mammals belonging to several genera of the family Canidae. They have a flattened skull, upright, triangular ears, a pointed, slightly upturned snout, and a long bushy tail (or ''brush'').
Twelve sp ...
reality cooking series ''
My Kitchen Rules
''My Kitchen Rules'' (often abbreviated as ''MKR'') is an Australian competitive cooking game show broadcast on the Seven Network since 2010. The show is currently hosted and judged by chef Manu Feildel, who has appeared in every season of the s ...
''. In July 2018, Norwood became a series regular on the Fox musical drama television series ''
Star''. She played the role of Cassie, starting as a recurring role in the second season, and remained a series regular until the series' ending in 2019. The same year, she appeared on "
Optimistic
Optimism is an attitude reflecting a belief or hope that the outcome of some specific endeavor, or outcomes in general, will be positive, favorable, and desirable. A common idiom used to illustrate optimism versus pessimism is a glass filled ...
", a
Sounds of Blackness
Sounds of Blackness is a vocal and instrumental ensemble from Minneapolis/St. Paul, Minnesota who perform music from several genres music including gospel, R&B, soul, and jazz. The group scored several hits on the ''Billboard'' R&B and Hot Dan ...
cover that preceded the self-titled debut of supergroup
August Greene, consisting of
Common,
Robert Glasper
Robert Andre Glasper (born April 6, 1978) is an American pianist, record producer, songwriter, and musical arranger with a career that bridges several different musical and artistic genres, mostly centered on jazz. To date, Glasper has won fou ...
and
Karriem Riggins
Karriem Riggins is an American jazz drummer, hip hop producer, DJ and songwriter.
Biography
Riggins was born in Detroit, Michigan, United States, son of keyboardist Emmanuel Riggins. As a child, he would often watch his father perform with G ...
, as well as on Dutch DJ's
Lucas & Steve
Lucas & Steve is a Dutch DJ duo formed by Lucas de Wert and Steven Jansen from Maastricht.
History
The duo was formed in 2010 and joined Spinnin' Records in December 2014. They released many singles on the sub-label Spinnin' Deep.
In 2014, t ...
's "I Could Be Wrong", a
dance-heavy rework of her 1994 single "I Wanna Be Down" that became a minor hit on the dance charts.
In 2019, Norwood was honored with the BMI President's Award at the
BMI R&B/Hip-Hop Awards, organized by
Broadcast Music, Inc.
Broadcast Music, Inc. (BMI) is a performance rights organization in the United States. It collects blanket license fees from businesses that use music, entitling those businesses to play or sync any songs from BMI's repertoire of over 20.6 milli ...
In June, she appeared on Canadian singer
Daniel Caesar
Ashton Dumar Norwill Simmonds (born April 5, 1995), known professionally as Daniel Caesar, is a Canadian singer and songwriter. After independently building a following through the release of two critically acclaimed EPs, ''Praise Break'' (201 ...
's second album ''
Case Study 01'', lending vocals to their duet "
Love Again". Released as a single, it earned them a
Grammy Award
The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pr ...
nomination for
Best R&B Performance
The Grammy Award for Best R&B Performance is an award presented at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards. According to the 54th Grammy Awards description guide it is designed for s ...
at the
62nd awards ceremony and reached the top of the ''Billboard''
Adult R&B Songs
The Adult R&B Songs chart (formerly called Adult R&B Airplay) is an airplay chart that is published weekly by ''Billboard'' magazine. The chart tracks and measures the airplay of songs played on urban adult contemporary radio stations, whose playl ...
chart, becoming Norwood's first song to do so. In September 2019, she released the buzz single "
Freedom Rings" which was released to coincide with the 25th anniversary of her self-titled debut album.
Norwood's seventh studio album ''
B7'', her first album in eight years, was released in July 2020. Her first project as an independent artist, it was released through her own label Brand Nu Inc., with distribution handled by
eOne Music
MNRK Music Group (pronounced "monarch", formerly known as Koch Records and eOne Music) is a New York City-based independent record label and music management company. It was formed in 2009 from the music assets of Koch Entertainment, which had ...
. A departure from her previous work, Norwood co-wrote and co-produced the majority of the album, which was chiefly produced by
Darhyl Camper.
The release was preceded by lead single "
Baby Mama
A baby mama (also baby mother, or hyphenated baby-mama) is a slang term for a mother who is not marriage, married to her child's father, although the term often carries other connotations as well. This term is associated with African Americans ...
" featuring
Chance the Rapper. ''B7'' debuted at number 12 on the
''Billboard'' 200, also reaching number 2 on UK R&B Albums. The album received generally positive reviews from critics, with numerous publications including it on their lists of the best albums of 2020, and earned a nomination in the Album of the Year category at the
2020 Soul Train Awards.
In August 2020, Norwood and Monica battled in the webcast series ''
Verzuz
''Verzuz'' is an American webcast series created by record producers Timbaland and Swizz Beatz, that airs on Verzuz TV.
Verzuz was introduced during the COVID-19 pandemic as a virtual DJ battle, with Timbaland and Swizz Beatz facing off in ...
''. Filmed at
Tyler Perry Studios in
Atlanta, Georgia
Atlanta ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is the seat of Fulton County, the most populous county in Georgia, but its territory falls in both Fulton and DeKalb counties. With a population of 498,7 ...
, it was watched by a record-breaking 1.2 million viewers on the Instagram live stream alone.
BET
Black Entertainment Television (acronym BET) is an American basic cable channel targeting African-American audiences. It is owned by the CBS Entertainment Group unit of Paramount Global via BET Networks and has offices in New York City, Los ...
listed the moment as number one on its "The 20 Most OMG Viral Moments of 2020" list. Two months later, Norwood performed a medley at the
''Billboard'' Music Awards, which were held at the
Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles, California.
2021–present: ''Queens'' and eighth studio album
In March 2021, Norwood was chosen by
John Legend
John Roger Stephens (born December 28, 1978), known professionally as John Legend, is an American singer, songwriter, pianist, and record producer. He began his musical career by working behind the scenes, playing piano on Lauryn Hill's " Eve ...
as a mentor on the
twentieth season of the singing competition series ''
The Voice
The Voice may refer to:
Fictional entities
* The Voice or Presence, a fictional representation of God in DC Comics
* The Voice (''Dune''), a fictional ability in the ''Dune'' universe
* The Voice, a character in the American TV series ''Cleo ...
''. Also that month, Norwood collaborated with
Disney
The Walt Disney Company, commonly known as Disney (), is an American multinational mass media and entertainment conglomerate headquartered at the Walt Disney Studios complex in Burbank, California. Disney was originally founded on October ...
on the single "Starting Now", which was critically praised. The track was expected to be featured in ''Disney Princess Remixed — An Ultimate Princess Celebration'', a music special that will also feature other princesses, premiering August 2021 on the Disney Channel and
Disney+
Disney+ is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service owned and operated by the Media and Entertainment Distribution division of The Walt Disney Company. The service primarily distributes films and television se ...
. Also that month, Norwood, alongside
Naturi Naughton
Naturi Cora Maria Naughton (born May 20, 1984) is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. Naughton is best known as one-third of the R&B group 3LW and for her acting roles in the films '' Fame'' and '' Notorious'', in which she played rapp ...
,
Eve
Eve (; ; ar, حَوَّاء, Ḥawwāʾ; el, Εὕα, Heúa; la, Eva, Heva; Syriac: romanized: ) is a figure in the Book of Genesis in the Hebrew Bible. According to the origin story, "Creation myths are symbolic stories describing how the ...
and
Nadine Velazquez
Nadine E. Velázquez (born November 20, 1978) is an American actress and model known for her roles as Catalina Aruca on ''My Name Is Earl'' and Sofia Ruxin on ''The League''. She has also appeared in films such as ''War'' (2007), ''Flight'' (20 ...
, joined the cast of
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company (ABC) is an American commercial broadcast television network. It is the flagship property of the ABC Entertainment Group division of The Walt Disney Company. The network is headquartered in Burbank, Cali ...
's music drama series ''
Queens
Queens is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Queens County, in the U.S. state of New York. Located on Long Island, it is the largest New York City borough by area. It is bordered by the borough of Brooklyn at the western tip of Long ...
''. The series debuted to reviews largely positive reviews; with ''Variety'' praising the quartet's musical offering, calling their raps “sharp and distinct
making clear their talent as both individuals and a swaggering collective,” but was not renewed the following year.
In March 2022, Norwood released "Nothing Without You", a duet alongside daughter Sy'Rai, recorded for the soundtrack to the comedy film ''
Cheaper by the Dozen
''Cheaper by the Dozen'' is a semi-autobiographical novel written by Frank Bunker Gilbreth Jr. and Ernestine Gilbreth Carey, published in 1948. The novel recounts the authors' childhood lives growing up in a household of 12 children. The bestsel ...
'' (2022). In April,
Mariah Carey revealed a re-recorded and re-imagined version of her 1998 single "
The Roof (Back in Time)" (retitled "The Roof (When I Feel the Need)") featuring new vocals from Norwood, for the former's course on
MasterClass
Yanka Industries, Inc., doing business as MasterClass, is an American online education subscription platform on which students can access tutorials and lectures pre-recorded by experts in various fields.
The concept for MasterClass was conceiv ...
. Although due to perform at the Lovers & Friends Festival in
Las Vegas
Las Vegas (; Spanish for "The Meadows"), often known simply as Vegas, is the 25th-most populous city in the United States, the most populous city in the state of Nevada, and the county seat of Clark County. The city anchors the Las Vegas ...
, on May 15, 2022, Norwood announced that she had contracted
COVID-19
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious disease caused by a virus, the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The first known case was identified in Wuhan, China, in December 2019. The disease quickly ...
and had to pull out of the shows. In June 2022, Norwood announced her major label return after signing with
Motown Records under which she is expected to preprare her eighth studio album.
In October 2022, Norwood was nominated for the
All Africa Music Awards 2022
The 2022 All Africa Music Awards (also known as AFRIMA) was scheduled to be held on December 8 to 11, 2022. But, it was announced that the ceremony would be held in Dakar, Senegal
Senegal,; Wolof: ''Senegaal''; Pulaar: 𞤅𞤫𞤲𞤫 ...
, in the "Best Global Act" category and for her collaboration with
Tiwa Savage
Tiwa Savage (born 5 February 1980) is a Nigerian singer-songwriter and performing artist. Born in Isale Eko, she relocated to London at the age of 11 for her secondary education. Five years later, she began her music career doing backup voc ...
, "Somebody's Son". The awards show is scheduled for January 2023.
In November 2022, it was announced that Norwood had joined the cast of ''
Descendants: The Pocketwatch'', an upcoming film sequel. Norwood will play Cinderella.
Artistry
Voice and style
Norwood possesses a
contralto
A contralto () is a type of classical female singing voice whose vocal range is the lowest female voice type.
The contralto's vocal range is fairly rare; similar to the mezzo-soprano, and almost identical to that of a countertenor, typica ...
vocal range. Her voice has often been described as soft, raspy, and husky by music critics and Norwood herself. Music critic and ''
Slant Magazine'' writer Andrew Chan describes Norwood's vocal tone as having "an unusual mix of warmth and cold, hard edges". He further describes her vocal quality, saying, "Like little else in pop-music singing, Brandy's subtle manipulation of timbre and texture rewards close listening.
..Her main claim of technical virtuosity has always been her long, cascading riffs, a skill many R&B die-hards revere her for." Norwood is also noted for her use of
multitrack recording to create intricate vocal arrangements and layering. Terry Sawyer of ''
PopMatters
''PopMatters'' is an international online magazine of cultural criticism that covers aspects of popular culture. ''PopMatters'' publishes reviews, interviews, and essays on cultural products and expressions in areas such as music, television, fi ...
'' writes on this skill, remarking, "While it's been said that Brandy's voice isn't exactly a barn burner, it's not mentioned enough that she does more than enough with what she's got. She never leaves her voice hanging in spotlit scarcity, folding its variegated terracing, whispering out the lead track, shouting in the back-up, and piling each song with enough interlocking sounds to create the tightly packed illusion of vocal massiveness."
Norwood's initial sound was "street-oriented"
R&B,
that incorporated elements of
hip hop and
pop-soul
Pop music is a genre of popular music that originated in its modern form during the mid-1950s in the United States and the United Kingdom. The terms ''popular music'' and ''pop music'' are often used interchangeably, although the former describes a ...
.
Her lyrics spoke of various types of love, from casual and friendly love to romantic and spiritual affairs On her second album ''Never Say Never'', she went for a more
adult contemporary
Adult contemporary music (AC) is a form of radio-played popular music, ranging from 1960s vocal and 1970s soft rock music to predominantly ballad-heavy music of the present day, with varying degrees of easy listening, pop, soul, R&B, quie ...
oriented direction while maintaining "a slight streetwise edge".
Her third studio album ''
Full Moon
The full moon is the lunar phase when the Moon appears fully illuminated from Earth's perspective. This occurs when Earth is located between the Sun and the Moon (when the ecliptic longitudes of the Sun and Moon differ by 180°). This means ...
'' saw Norwood, and her then-creative partner
Rodney Jerkins, experiment with blending her previous R&B sounds with futuristic, forward-thinking productions, including influences of
2-step garage
2-step garage, or simply 2-step, is a genre of electronic music and a subgenre of UK garage.''A transcription of this article is availablhere as a PDF file.'' One of the primary characteristics of the 2-step sound – the term being coined to de ...
and
.
Along with her style, her voice had gone through an evolution, with her light, girlish voice becoming much deeper, warmer, and smokier than it had been throughout the 1990s. The lyrics also reflected the change, as the album explored more adult, sexual topics and focused on both physical and emotional aspects of an intimate relationship.
In 2004, her recent motherhood, life experiences, and growing affinity for British rock band
Coldplay
Coldplay are a British rock band formed in London in 1997. They consist of vocalist and pianist Chris Martin, guitarist Jonny Buckland, bassist Guy Berryman, drummer Will Champion and creative director Phil Harvey. They met at University ...
, caused her to shift toward a more experimental vision for her fourth studio album ''
Afrodisiac''. The album, a collaboration with producers
Timbaland
Timothy Zachery Mosley (born March 10, 1972), known professionally as Timbaland, is an American record producer, rapper, singer, songwriter, and record executive. He has received widespread acclaim for his innovative production work and distinc ...
and
Kanye West
Ye ( ; born Kanye Omari West ; June 8, 1977) is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, record producer, and fashion designer.
Born in Atlanta and raised in Chicago, West gained recognition as a producer for Roc-A-Fella Records in the ea ...
, utilized the distinctive
illbient
Illbient is a genre of electronic music and an art movement that originated among hip hop-influenced artists from Williamsburg, New York City around 1994. DJ Olive, and DJ Spooky, pioneers of the genre, have both claimed to have coined the ter ...
aesthetic, which fuses
ambient pop
Ambient music is a genre of music that emphasizes tone and atmosphere over traditional musical structure or rhythm. It may lack net composition, beat, or structured melody.The Ambient Century by Mark Prendergast, Bloomsbury, London, 2003. It ...
,
dub, and
breakbeat soundscapes with progressive sampling methods. A four-year hiatus and a few life-changing occurrences caused Norwood to return to the music industry in late 2008 with ''
Human
Humans (''Homo sapiens'') are the most abundant and widespread species of primate, characterized by bipedalism and exceptional cognitive skills due to a large and complex brain. This has enabled the development of advanced tools, cultu ...
'', her fifth studio album, which discussed topics of love, heartache and honesty. Experiencing a career and personal rejuvenation in 2012, Norwood was eager to scale back her previous album's pop style and return to R&B on her sixth studio album ''
Two Eleven
''Two Eleven'' is the sixth studio album by American recording artist Brandy. Released on October 12, 2012, it served as the singer's debut release with Chameleon Entertainment and RCA Records after departing from Epic Records soon after releasin ...
''. The album was a melding of both Norwood's
1990s R&B sound and the bass-heavy trends of
post-2000s contemporary hip-hop.
Influences
Since the start of her career, Brandy has named
Whitney Houston
Whitney Elizabeth Houston (August 9, 1963 – February 11, 2012) was an American singer and actress. Nicknamed " The Voice", she is one of the bestselling music artists of all time, with sales of over 200 million records worldwide. Houston i ...
as her most prominent music and entertainment influence. Early in her career, she would often describe Houston as her “idol”, crediting her voice, music, and performances as critical to her, both personally and professionally. In a 2014 interview, Brandy stated that, “as a professional musician, I would say that Whitney Houston is the greatest voice of all time.” She elaborates, saying “She was always the idea for me. I wanted to be like her, sing like her, and do everything she was doing.” Beginning in the late 1990s, Houston would evolve as a personal friend and mentor to Brandy, with Houston nicknaming herself as Norwood's “godmother”.
Brandy also names her father, vocal coach
Willie Norwood, as instrumental to her discovery and development as a musician. She exclaims that her dad “taught me everything that I know
bout singing. About her dad, Brandy states: “I grew up singing in church with my dad, where he was the musical director and we sang gospel songs in a cappella almost exclusively. He bought me my first 4-track tape recorder. At first, I didn't like my own voice, but he encouraged me to embrace the unique qualities of my voice.”
While developing her own style and vocal sound, Brandy would credit gospel-jazz singer
Kim Burrell
Kimberly Jean Burrell (born August 27, 1972) is an American, Grammy–nominated, gospel singer-songwriter, producer, and pastor from Houston, Texas, United States.
Biography Early life
Born Kimberly Jean Burrell on August 27, 1972 in Houston, Te ...
,
new age
New Age is a range of spiritual or religious practices and beliefs which rapidly grew in Western society during the early 1970s. Its highly eclectic and unsystematic structure makes a precise definition difficult. Although many scholars consi ...
artist
Enya
Enya Patricia Brennan (; ga, Eithne Pádraigín Ní Bhraonáin; born 17 May 1961), known professionally by the mononym Enya, is an Irish singer, songwriter, and musician known for modern Celtic music. She is the best-selling Irish solo arti ...
, and English singer-songwriter
Sade
Sade may refer to:
People
* Marquis de Sade (1740–1814), French aristocrat, writer, and libertine
* Sade (singer) (born 1959, Helen Folasade Adu), British Nigerian musician and lead singer of the eponymous band
* Sade Baderinwa (born 1969), WAB ...
as major influences. In speaking about them, she said, "...it was listening to those women, along with my own creative voice, that helped me to find my niche, my own sound."
Brandy has also noted several other musical inspirations, including
Michael Jackson
Michael Joseph Jackson (August 29, 1958 – June 25, 2009) was an American singer, songwriter, dancer, and philanthropist. Dubbed the "King of Pop", he is regarded as one of the most significant cultural figures of the 20th century. Over a ...
,
Mariah Carey,
Boyz II Men,
the Clark Sisters
The Clark Sisters are an American gospel vocal group consisting of five sisters: Jacky Clark Chisholm (born 1948), Denise "Niecy" Clark-Bradford (born 1953), Elbernita "Twinkie" Clark (born 1954), Dorinda Clark-Cole (born 1957), and Karen Cla ...
,
Stevie Wonder,
Aretha Franklin,
Coldplay
Coldplay are a British rock band formed in London in 1997. They consist of vocalist and pianist Chris Martin, guitarist Jonny Buckland, bassist Guy Berryman, drummer Will Champion and creative director Phil Harvey. They met at University ...
,
Janet Jackson,
Timbaland
Timothy Zachery Mosley (born March 10, 1972), known professionally as Timbaland, is an American record producer, rapper, singer, songwriter, and record executive. He has received widespread acclaim for his innovative production work and distinc ...
, and her brother
Ray J
William Ray Norwood Jr. (born January 17, 1981), known professionally as Ray J, is an American singer, actor, and television personality. Born in McComb, Mississippi, and raised in Carson, California, he is the younger brother of recording a ...
.
Over the course of her acting career, Brandy has noted
Lucille Ball
Lucille Désirée Ball (August 6, 1911 – April 26, 1989) was an American actress, comedienne and producer. She was nominated for 13 Primetime Emmy Awards, winning five times, and was the recipient of several other accolades, such as the Golde ...
,
Jenifer Lewis
Jenifer Jeanette Lewis (born January 25, 1957) is an American actress. She began her career appearing in Broadway musicals and worked as a back-up singer for Bette Midler before appearing in films ''Beaches'' (1988) and '' Sister Act'' (1992). Le ...
,
Gabrielle Union
Gabrielle Monique Union-Wade ( Union; born October 29, 1972) is an American actress. Her career began in the 1990s, when she made dozens of appearances on television sitcoms, prior to landing supporting roles in 1999 teen films ''She's All That' ...
,
Niecy Nash
Carol Denise Betts (née Ensley; born February 23, 1970), known professionally as Niecy Nash-Betts (), is an American actress, comedian and television host, best known for her performances on television.
Nash hosted the Style Network show '' C ...
, and
Kim Fields
Kim Victoria Fields-Morgan ( Fields, formerly Freeman; born May 12, 1969) is an American actress and director. Fields is best known for her roles as Dorothy "Tootie" Ramsey on the NBC sitcom '' The Facts of Life'' (1979–1988), and as Regine H ...
as being integral to her development as an actress, and the discovery of her strength in comedic roles.
Legacy and impact
Since her 1994 debut album, Brandy has sold more than 40 million records worldwide with over 8.62 million albums sold in the United States alone.
According to the
RIAA Brandy has 10.5 million certified units.
In 2008, Billboard ranked her song "The Boy Is Mine" third on a special
The 40 Biggest Duets of All Time listing.
In 1999, ''
Billboard'' ranked Norwood among the top 20 of the Top Pop Artists of the
1990s. In 2010, ''Billboard'' included Norwood in their Top 50 R&B and Hip Hop Artists list of the past 25 years. Norwood was one of the youngest artists nominated for the
Grammy Award for Best New Artist
The Grammy Award for Best New Artist has been awarded since 1959. Years reflect the year in which the Grammy Awards were handed out, for records released in the previous year. The award was not presented in 1967. The official guidelines are as ...
. Her second album ''
Never Say Never'' appeared in the "Top 100 Certified Albums" list by the RIAA.
Norwood's vocal stylings have had a significant impact on the music industry, most notably with
contemporary R&B
Contemporary R&B (or simply R&B) is a popular music genre that combines rhythm and blues with elements of pop, soul, funk, hip hop, and electronic music.
The genre features a distinctive record production style, drum machine-backed rhy ...
,
pop and
gospel
Gospel originally meant the Christian message (" the gospel"), but in the 2nd century it came to be used also for the books in which the message was set out. In this sense a gospel can be defined as a loose-knit, episodic narrative of the words a ...
genres, where she is often subjectively referred to as the "Vocal Bible". Her work has influenced numerous artists,
including
Jessie J,
JoJo,
Bridget Kelly
Bridget Kelly (born April 8, 1986) is an American singer and songwriter from New York City. In 2008, Kelly, a pop and R&B recording artist, who has written songs for fellow American singers such as Kelly Clarkson, secured a recording contract ...
,
Olivia Olivia may refer to:
People
* Olivia (name), including a list of people and fictional characters with the name
* Olivia (singer) (Olivia Longott, born 1981), American singer
* Olívia (basketball) (Carlos Henrique Rodrigues do Nascimento, born 19 ...
,
Ariana Grande,
Emeli Sandé
Adele Emily Sandé, ( ; born 10 March 1987), known professionally as Emeli Sandé, is a Scottish singer and songwriter. Born in Sunderland, Tyne and Wear, and raised in Alford, Aberdeenshire, Scotland, by an English mother and a Zambian father ...
,
Jordin Sparks
Jordin Sparks-Thomas (born December 22, 1989) is an American singer and actress. She rose to fame in 2007 after winning the sixth season of ''American Idol'' at age 17, becoming the youngest winner in the series' history. Her self-titled debu ...
,
Ryan Destiny
Ryan may refer to:
People and fictional characters
* Ryan (given name), a given name (including a list of people with the name)
* Ryan (surname), a surname (including a list of people with the name)
Places Australia
* Division of Ryan, an elect ...
,
Tank
A tank is an armoured fighting vehicle intended as a primary offensive weapon in front-line ground combat. Tank designs are a balance of heavy firepower, strong armour, and good battlefield mobility provided by tracks and a powerful engi ...
,
Teyana Taylor
Teyana Me Shay Jacqueli Shumpert ( Taylor; born December 10, 1990) is an American singer, actress, dancer and choreographer. In 2005, she signed a record deal with Pharrell Williams' Star Trak Entertainment imprint. Afterwards, she choreographed ...
,
Lil' Mo,
Megan Rochell,
Jhené Aiko,
Eric Bellinger
Eric Aldwin Bellinger Jr. (born March 26, 1986) is an American singer, songwriter, and record producer from Los Angeles. He began songwriting in 2010, and his co-writing credits including "Lemme See" by Usher, " New Flame" by Chris Brown, "You D ...
, and
Elle Varner
Gabrielle Serene Varner (born February 12, 1989) is an American singer-songwriter. Born into a musical family in Brooklyn, New York and raised in Los Angeles, Varner studied at New York University's Clive Davis Department of Recorded Music. In ...
, while Norwood's vocals have been praised by several of her peers, including
Natasha Bedingfield
Natasha Anne Bedingfield (born 26 November 1981) is a British singer and songwriter. Bedingfield released her debut album, '' Unwritten'', in 2004, which contained primarily up-tempo pop songs and was influenced by R&B music. It enjoyed intern ...
,
Missy Elliott,
Jennifer Hudson
Jennifer Kate Hudson (born September 12, 1981), also known by her nickname J.Hud, is an American singer, actress, and talk show host. Throughout her career, she has received various accolades for her works in recorded music, film, televisio ...
,
Syleena Johnson
Syleena Johnson ( Thompson; September 2, 1976) is an American singer-songwriter, actress and television presenter from Chicago, Illinois.
Personal life
Johnson is the daughter of 1960s R&B Hi Records singer Syl Johnson and Brenda Thompson, wh ...
,
Gladys Knight
Gladys Maria Knight (born May 28, 1944), known as the "Empress of Soul", is an American singer, actress and businesswoman. A seven-time Grammy Award-winner, Knight recorded hits through the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s with her family group Gladys K ...
,
Brian McKnight
Brian Kelly McKnight (born June 5, 1969) is an American singer, songwriter, actor, record producer, radio host and multi-instrumentalist. He is most recognized for his strong head voice, high belting range and melisma.
McKnight is known for h ...
,
Jill Scott,
Angie Stone
Angela Laverne Brown (born December 18, 1961) known professionally as Angie Stone, is an American singer, songwriter, actress, and record producer. She rose to fame in the late 1970s as member of the hip hop trio The Sequence. In the early 1990s ...
,
Tamia
Tamia Marilyn Washington Hill (born May 9, 1975) is a Canadian singer, songwriter, and producer. Born and raised in Windsor, Ontario, Tamia performed in various singing and dancing competitions as a child. In 1994, after signing a development de ...
,
Ty Dolla Sign
Tyrone William Griffin Jr. (born April 13, 1982), known professionally as Ty Dolla Sign (stylized as Ty Dolla $ign or Ty$), is an American singer, songwriter and record producer. He first gained major recognition in 2010 for his feature on Ameri ...
and
Tamar Braxton
Tamar Estine Braxton (born March 17, 1977) is an American singer and television personality.
Braxton began her career in 1990 as a founding member of The Braxtons, an R&B singing group formed with her sisters. The Braxtons released their debut ...
among others. Additionally, on many occasions, Norwood has been thought of as a talented artist that music producers and songwriters have used to enhance their own artistic and creative energies.
Songwriter
Sean Garrett
Garrett Robin Hamler, known professionally as Sean Garrett, is an American singer, songwriter, and record producer. He is responsible for a series of chart-topping compositions, most notably Usher's " Yeah!" which ranks second on the ''Billboa ...
credits the vocal work on the album ''Full Moon'' for his approach to writing, saying "I take a lot from what
randyand
Rodney did on the ''Full Moon'' album. I was extremely impressed with it and I always try to outdo that album".
B.Slade
Anthony Charles Williams II (born May 16, 1975), better known by his stage name B. Slade, formerly known under the gospel moniker Tonéx ( ), is an American singer, songwriter, actor, multi-instrumentalist, rapper, dancer, producer, and activi ...
spoke of the album, commenting ''Full Moon'' single-handedly changed the vocal game. "It has been the template for vocal choices and background vocal arrangements
or years" R&B singer
Melanie Fiona
Melanie Fiona Hallim (born July 4, 1983) is a Canadian singer and songwriter. She was born and raised in Toronto, Ontario.[Neo soul
Neo soul (sometimes called progressive soul) is a genre of popular music. As a term, it was coined by music industry entrepreneur Kedar Massenburg during the late 1990s to market and describe a style of music that emerged from soul and contempo ...](_blank)
singer
India.Arie
India Arie Simpson (born October 3, 1975), also known as India Arie (sometimes styled as india.arie), is an American singer and songwriter. She has sold over five million records in the US and ten million worldwide. She has won four Grammy Awards ...
often cites the album, particularly the song "He Is" as being the template for a wide array of singers." The oft-praised vocal work on the album sparked the idea of Norwood gaining the subjective nickname the
"vocal bible". Canadian R&B singer
Keshia Chanté
Keshia Chanté Harper (born June 16, 1988) is a Canadian singer, television host, actress, songwriter and philanthropist. As a teenager, Chanté gained recognition with the release of her singles "Unpredictable", "Bad Boy" and "Does He Love Me" " ...
credited the album for inspiring her writing for her album ''
Night & Day'', while American singer
Luke James referred to ''Full Moon'' as the "bible" of 2000s contemporary R&B, calling it the "blueprint of how to do vocals."
''Afrodisiac'' has been credited as one of predecessors to the
Alternative R&B subgenre. In a 2014 music and fashion conversation with
NPR
National Public Radio (NPR, stylized in all lowercase) is an American privately and state funded nonprofit media organization headquartered in Washington, D.C., with its NPR West headquarters in Culver City, California. It differs from other ...
, singer and model
Solange
Solange (died 10 May, c. 880) was a Frankish shepherdess and a locally venerated Christian saint and cephalophore, whose cult is restricted to Sainte-Solange, Cher. Saint Solange was the patron of the traditional Province of Berry, of which C ...
discussed the album, saying "Brandy is really the foundation of a lot of this very innovative, progressive, experimental R&B. Brandy really influenced a lot of that.
Frank Ocean
Christopher Francis "Frank" Ocean (born Christopher Edwin Breaux; October 28, 1987), is an American singer, songwriter, and rapper. His works are noted by music critics for featuring avant-garde styles and introspective, elliptical lyrics. Ocean ...
will say it.
Miguel will say it." In an interview with ''
MalcolmMusic'', Miguel revealed that he was a "huge fan growing up", stating that Brandy had "killed it from the first album".
American
neo soul
Neo soul (sometimes called progressive soul) is a genre of popular music. As a term, it was coined by music industry entrepreneur Kedar Massenburg during the late 1990s to market and describe a style of music that emerged from soul and contempo ...
singer
Erykah Badu
Erica Abi Wright (born February 26, 1971), known professionally as Erykah Badu (), is an American singer-songwriter, record producer and actress. Influenced by R&B, soul, and hip hop, Badu rose to prominence in the late 1990s when her debut al ...
noted that her 1997 debut album, ''
Baduizm
''Baduizm'' is the debut studio album by American singer-songwriter Erykah Badu. It was released on February 11, 1997, by Kedar Records and Universal Records. After leaving university in order to concentrate on music full-time, Badu then began ...
'', was partly influenced by Norwood's debut album, while Barbadian singer
Rihanna said of her 2007 album ''
Good Girl Gone Bad
''Good Girl Gone Bad'' is the third studio album by Barbadian singer Rihanna. It was released on May 31, 2007, by Def Jam Recordings and SRP Records. Rihanna worked with various producers on the album, including Tricky Stewart, The-Dream, Neo d ...
'', "
randyreally helped inspire that album. I listened to
'Afrodisiac''every day
hile in the studio"
Kelly Rowland
Kelendria Trene Rowland (born February 11, 1981) is an American singer, actress, and television personality. She rose to fame in the late 1990s as a member of Destiny's Child, one of the world's best-selling girl groups of all time. During the gr ...
cited Norwood, who also wrote and produced for Rowland's
debut album, as one of the inspirations for her second studio album ''
Ms. Kelly'' (2007). musician
John Frusciante
John Anthony Frusciante (; born March 5, 1970) is an American musician, best known as the guitarist for the Red Hot Chili Peppers across three stints since 1988. He has released 11 solo albums and 7 EPs, ranging in style from acoustic guitar to e ...
, guitarist for
Red Hot Chili Peppers
Red Hot Chili Peppers are an American rock band formed in Los Angeles in 1983, comprising vocalist Anthony Kiedis, bassist Flea, drummer Chad Smith, and guitarist John Frusciante. Their music incorporates elements of alternative rock, funk ...
cited Norwood as the "main inspiration" behind the guitar work on Red Hot Chili Peppers' 2006 album, ''
Stadium Arcadium''. When discussing the work on her debut project ''
H.E.R.
Gabriella Sarmiento Wilson (born June 27, 1997), known professionally as H.E.R. (pronounced "her", an acronym for "Having Everything Revealed"), is an American singer, songwriter, musician and actress.
She has received several awards includin ...
'', singer
H.E.R.
Gabriella Sarmiento Wilson (born June 27, 1997), known professionally as H.E.R. (pronounced "her", an acronym for "Having Everything Revealed"), is an American singer, songwriter, musician and actress.
She has received several awards includin ...
, who worked with the producer
DJ Camper, revealed that Brandy was a "huge inspiration" to her, and that her being inspired Brandy impacted her musical output.
Norwood has made her impact in the film and television industry as well. Norwood was the first African American to play the role of Cinderella.
Her role as Cinderella inspired many African American actors. Speaking on the role, Keke Palmer said "I feel like the reason I'm able to do this
ecoming the first African American Cinderella on Broadwayis definitely because Brandy did it on TV".
Norwood's TV-show ''Moesha'' on UPN was also one of the longest-running Black sitcoms of all time. On stage, Norwood made Broadway history along with co-star Lana Gordan by becoming the first black co-leads in ''Chicago the Musical'' in 2017.
Other ventures
Norwood has had many endorsements in her career. In 1999, she became a CoverGirl, appearing in a number of commercials. She also represented the brands Candie's in 1998 and DKNY in the Spring of 2000.
In the late 1990s Norwood was represented by Wilhelmina Agency, one of the leading modeling agencies in the industry.
In 1999, Mattel released the Brandy Doll. The doll featured Norwood in a reddish orange blouse and orange long skirt. Next to this, the Holiday Brandy Doll was released in 2000 along with another "Brandy Doll". Millions of the dolls were sold and they were one of the biggest selling toys for Mattel. In 2005, Brandy became the spokesperson for Ultima, a company for hair weaves and wigs. As of 2014, she no longer represents them.
Philanthropy
In 1996, Norwood along with her brother Ray J, created the Norwood Kids Foundation. Its goal of is to "use performing arts as a catalyst to shape the youth of today into self-confident, disciplined, responsible, and caring individuals capable of making a positive impact in their communities." In 1999, Brandy was the first international spokesman person for youth by
UNICEF
UNICEF (), originally called the United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund in full, now officially United Nations Children's Fund, is an agency of the United Nations responsible for providing humanitarian and developmental aid to ...
. She is an avid supporter of the
Make A Wish Foundation
The Make-A-Wish Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in the United States that helps fulfill the wishes of children with a critical illness between the ages of and 18 years old.
Make-A-Wish was founded in 1980 and headquar ...
and
RAINN
The Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network (RAINN) is an American nonprofit anti-sexual assault organization, the largest in the United States. RAINN operates the National Sexual Assault Hotline, as well as the Department of Defense Safe Helplin ...
.
In 2000, Brandy donated $100,000 to 2000 WATTS, an entertainment community center founded by singer and actor
Tyrese Gibson
Tyrese Darnell Gibson (born December 30, 1978) is an American actor and singer. He released his self-titled debut album in 1998, which featured the single " Sweet Lady", peaking at number twelve on the U.S. ''Billboard'' Hot 100. His second ...
in the underprivileged community of
Watts, Los Angeles, California
Watts is a neighborhood in southern Los Angeles, California. It is located within the South Los Angeles region, bordering the cities of Lynwood, Huntington Park and South Gate to the east and southeast, respectively, and the unincorporated comm ...
.
Brandy teamed up with shoe company
Skechers
Skechers USA, Inc. is an American multinational footwear company. Headquartered in Manhattan Beach, California, it was founded in 1992 and is now the third largest footwear brand in the United States.
History
Skechers was founded in 1992 by Rob ...
' “Nothing Compares to Family” campaign in 2008. In 2010, Norwood became involved with Get Schooled, a national non-profit mobile phone calls by celebrities to wake up students for school. In 2014, Norwood teamed up with "text4baby", which spreads health and wellness to expecting moms via text message, and became an honorary co-chairman of the 2014 Unstoppable Foundation. In 2018, she also appeared in a PSA for the
American Heart Association and Hands-Only CPR with fellow Chicago the Musical cast members.
Personal life
Relationships
Norwood attended
Hollywood High School but studied with a private tutor beginning in tenth grade.
In 1996, she had a brief relationship with future
Los Angeles Lakers player
Kobe Bryant, whom she accompanied to his
prom
A promenade dance, commonly called a prom, is a dance party for high school students. It may be offered in semi-formal black tie or informal suit for boys, and evening gowns for girls. This event is typically held near the end of the school y ...
at
Lower Merion High School
Lower Merion High School is a public high school in Ardmore, a community in Philadelphia's Main Line suburbs. It is one of two high schools in the Lower Merion School District; the other one is Harriton High School. Lower Merion serves both Lo ...
in
Ardmore,
Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania (; ( Pennsylvania Dutch: )), officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state spanning the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes regions of the United States. It borders Delaware to its southeast, ...
. She also dated
Boyz II Men lead singer
Wanya Morris
Wanyá Jermaine Morris ( ) (born July 29, 1973) is an American singer, best known as a member of the R&B group Boyz II Men.
Television and film appearances
Morris was announced as one of the celebrities who would compete on season 22 of '' ...
, whom she cited as her "first love". Morris, who is over five years older, reportedly ended their relationship a month before her nineteenth birthday. Also during their work on the ''Never Say Never'' album, she briefly dated rapper
Mase
Mason Durell Betha (born August 27, 1975), better known by his mononym Mase (formerly Murda Mase and stylized as Ma$e), is an American rapper and minister. In the late 1990s, he recorded on the Bad Boy Records label alongside its founder Sean ...
.
During the production of her album ''
Full Moon
The full moon is the lunar phase when the Moon appears fully illuminated from Earth's perspective. This occurs when Earth is located between the Sun and the Moon (when the ecliptic longitudes of the Sun and Moon differ by 180°). This means ...
'' in mid-2001, Norwood became romantically involved with producer
Robert "Big Bert" Smith. The couple kept their relationship secret until February 2002, when Norwood announced that she was expecting her first child. However, a year after the birth of their daughter, Sy'rai Iman Smith, Norwood and Smith separated. In 2004, Smith revealed that the pair had never been legally wed, but that they had pretended to marry to preserve Norwood's public image.
Norwood responded that she regarded her relationship with Smith as a "spiritual union and true commitment to each other,"
though she later confirmed Smith's statement and justified her actions with the pressure of having to be a role model.
By the following year, Norwood had begun a relationship with
NBA guard
Quentin Richardson
Quentin Lamar Richardson (born April 13, 1980) is an American former professional basketball player who was formerly the director of player development for the Detroit Pistons of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Nicknamed "Q-Rich", he p ...
, who was then playing for the
Los Angeles Clippers
The Los Angeles Clippers are an American professional basketball team based in Los Angeles. The Clippers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Pacific Division in the league's Western Conference. The Clipper ...
. The couple became engaged in July 2004, but Norwood ended their 14-month engagement in September 2005. It was reported that Norwood had to get a tattoo of Richardson's face on her back transformed into a cat.
In 2010, she briefly dated rapper
Flo Rida. At the end of 2012, Norwood became engaged to music executive Ryan Press. In April 2014, Norwood called off her engagement with Press following their breakup earlier that year.
Following the release of ''B7'', fans speculated on the meaning behind the album's closing track, "Bye BiPolar". Whilst Norwood does not have
bipolar disorder
Bipolar disorder, previously known as manic depression, is a mental disorder characterized by periods of depression and periods of abnormally elevated mood that last from days to weeks each. If the elevated mood is severe or associated with ...
, according to notes that the singer wrote to accompany the album, "Bye BiPolar" is a metaphor for her love life and discussing the way that her mental health struggles have been exacerbated by toxic relationships. Norwood told the ''
New York Post
The ''New York Post'' (''NY Post'') is a conservative daily tabloid newspaper published in New York City. The ''Post'' also operates NYPost.com, the celebrity gossip site PageSix.com, and the entertainment site Decider.com.
It was established ...
'': "I have not been diagnosed as bipolar
..but I've had moments where trauma has caused me to not be myself, and I felt at a point that I could've experienced moments of that." In an interview with ''The Grio'', Norwood said, "I've dealt with depression in the most severe ... like severe depression. I've dealt with trauma. I've dealt with
PTSD
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a mental and behavioral disorder that can develop because of exposure to a traumatic event, such as sexual assault, warfare, traffic collisions, child abuse, domestic violence, or other threats on ...
. I've gone through a lot and I had to overcome a lot, but I had to overcome everything that I've overcame by doing the work," turning to therapy, prayer, journaling and meditation.
I-405 collision
On December 30, 2006, while driving on the
405 Freeway
Interstate 405 (I-405) is a major north–south auxiliary Interstate Highway in Southern California. The entire route is known as the northern segment of the San Diego Freeway. I-405 is a bypass auxiliary route of I-5, running along the ...
in Los Angeles,
Norwood struck a Toyota driven by 38-year-old Awatef Aboudihaj, who later died from her injuries at the L.A.
Providence Holy Cross Medical Center
Providence Holy Cross Medical Center is a hospital in the Mission Hills district of Los Angeles, California, US. The hospital has 377 beds, and is part of Providence Health & Services.
History
Holy Cross Medical Center was founded in 1961 by ...
.
Law enforcement officials later reported that Norwood was driving her car at 65 miles per hour and did not notice that vehicles ahead of her had slowed considerably. Her vehicle then collided with the rear of Aboudihaj's, causing the Toyota to strike another vehicle before sliding sideways and impacting the center divider. As the Toyota came to a stop, it was hit by yet another vehicle. However, a source in the
California Highway Patrol
The California Highway Patrol (CHP) is a state law enforcement agency of the U.S. state of California. The CHP has primary patrol jurisdiction over all California highways and roads and streets outside city limits, and can exercise law enforcem ...
later reported that Aboudihaj actually struck the car in front of her and then slammed on her brakes before Norwood made contact. The sudden stop caused Norwood to hit Aboudihaj's car. As confirmed,
toxicology
Toxicology is a scientific discipline, overlapping with biology, chemistry, pharmacology, and medicine, that involves the study of the adverse effects of chemical substances on living organisms and the practice of diagnosing and treating e ...
reports showed that Aboudihaj had "slight traces" of
marijuana in her system at the time of the crash.
Norwood was not arrested.
Nevertheless, there have been multiple lawsuits filed against Norwood, all of which were ultimately settled out of court by her attorney Ed McPherson. Aboudihaj's parents filed a $50 million
wrongful death
Wrongful death claim is a claim against a person who can be held liable for a death. The claim is brought in a civil action, usually by close relatives, as enumerated by statute. In wrongful death cases, survivors are compensated for the harm, ...
lawsuit against Norwood. Initially set to go to trial in April 2009, the lawsuit was eventually cancelled as Norwood had settled out of court with Aboudihaj's parents. Aboudihaj's husband also filed a lawsuit against Norwood, suing her for an undisclosed amount of financial relief to cover medical and funeral expenses, as well as legal costs and other damages. He rejected his part of a $1.2 million settlement offer in February 2009,
but did settle in November of that year. The couple's two children received $300,000 each,
while two other drivers who were involved settled with Norwood for undisclosed amounts. In May 2009, Norwood stated, "The whole experience did completely change my life, and I can say that I think I'm a better person from it. You know, I still don't understand all of it and why all of it happened, but I definitely have a heart, and my heart goes out to everyone involved. I pray about it every single day, and that's all I can really say on the subject."
Discography
* ''
Brandy'' (1994)
* ''
Never Say Never'' (1998)
* ''
Full Moon
The full moon is the lunar phase when the Moon appears fully illuminated from Earth's perspective. This occurs when Earth is located between the Sun and the Moon (when the ecliptic longitudes of the Sun and Moon differ by 180°). This means ...
'' (2002)
* ''
Afrodisiac'' (2004)
* ''
Human
Humans (''Homo sapiens'') are the most abundant and widespread species of primate, characterized by bipedalism and exceptional cognitive skills due to a large and complex brain. This has enabled the development of advanced tools, cultu ...
'' (2008)
* ''
Two Eleven
''Two Eleven'' is the sixth studio album by American recording artist Brandy. Released on October 12, 2012, it served as the singer's debut release with Chameleon Entertainment and RCA Records after departing from Epic Records soon after releasin ...
'' (2012)
* ''
B7'' (2020)
Tours
Headlining
*
Never Say Never World Tour (1999)
*
Human World Tour
The Human World Tour is the second solo concert tour by American recording artist, Brandy. Often acknowledged as the Just Human Tour, the outing supported her fifth studio album, ''Human''. The tour was the singer's first concert tour in nearly ...
(2009)
*
Slayana World Tour
The Slayana World Tour (sometimes referred to as the Slayana ''In These Streets'' Tour) was the third headlining concert tour by American singer Brandy. The tour was announced on February 23, 2016, and started on June 15, 2016 in Auckland, New Z ...
(2016)
Opening act
* II World Tour (with
Boyz II Men) (1995)
Filmography
Film and television
Stage
Broadway
* ''
Chicago
(''City in a Garden''); I Will
, image_map =
, map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago
, coordinates =
, coordinates_footnotes =
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdivision_name ...
'' (April–August 2015; August 2017)
Regional
* ''Chicago'' (2016) (the
Hollywood Pantages Theatre in Los Angeles)
* ''Chicago'' (2017) (the
Kennedy Center
The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts (formally known as the John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts, and commonly referred to as the Kennedy Center) is the United States National Cultural Center, located on the Potom ...
in
Washington, D.C.
)
, image_skyline =
, image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...
)
See also
*
Brandy videography
*
List of songs recorded by Brandy
American singer Brandy Norwood has recorded songs for her seven studio albums and has collaborated with other artists for duets and featured songs on their respective albums and charity singles. After signing a record contract with Atlantic Re ...
*
List of awards and nominations received by Brandy
Brandy Norwood, an American singer and actress, has accumulated numerous awards since her career began in the early 1990s. This lists is a condensed list of her most notable awards and nominations.
All Africa Music Awards
, -
, rowspan="2", ...
References
External links
*
*
*
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Norwood, Brandy
1979 births
20th-century American actresses
21st-century American actresses
Actresses from Mississippi
African-American female models
African-American women singer-songwriters
African-American record producers
Record producers from California
African-American television personalities
American child singers
American female dancers
Atlantic Records artists
Epic Records artists
Grammy Award winners
Living people
Singer-songwriters from Mississippi
Singers with a three-octave vocal range
Participants in American reality television series
Actresses from Los Angeles County, California
People from McComb, Mississippi
RCA Records artists
American female hip hop musicians
American hip hop singers
American voice actresses
American television actresses
African-American actresses
American film actresses
American child actresses
American women pop singers
Musicians from Los Angeles County, California
American contemporary R&B singers
20th-century African-American women singers
21st-century African-American women singers
Child pop musicians
American women record producers
Dance-pop musicians
African-American women in business
20th-century American businesswomen
21st-century American businesswomen
American contraltos
Singer-songwriters from California