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''Full Moon'' is the third studio album by American singer
Brandy Brandy is a liquor produced by distilling wine. Brandy generally contains 35–60% alcohol by volume (70–120 US proof) and is typically consumed as an after-dinner digestif. Some brandies are aged in wooden casks. Others are coloured with ...
. It was released by
Atlantic Records 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 ...
on March 5, 2002 in the United States. The album was recorded primarily during the summer and fall of 2001 at the Hit Factory Criteria in Miami, amid a three-year musical hiatus following the success of her
multi-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 ...
previous studio album '' Never Say Never'' (1998) and the finale of her highly successful television sitcom ''
Moesha ''Moesha'' () is an American television sitcom that aired on UPN from January 23, 1996, to May 14, 2001. The series stars R&B singer Brandy Norwood as Moesha Denise Mitchell, an African-American teenager living with her upper middle class famil ...
'' in May 2001. As with ''Never Say Never'', Brandy collaborated with producer
Rodney 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 ...
and his Darkchild production and songwriting team on the majority of the album's composition, while
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 M ...
,
Warryn Campbell Warryn Stafford Campbell, Jr. (born August 21, 1975) is an American record producer. He has worked with a number of gospel, hip hop and R&B artists. Campbell originally got his start as a session musician and producer under the tutelage of DJ Q ...
, and
Keith Crouch Keith Edward Crouch is an American songwriter and music producer. Crouch began his career as a songwriter at the age of fifteen and landed his first gig at seventeen. From 1993 to 1994, Crouch produced six songs for Brandy's self-titled debut al ...
contributed additional production. Brandy credited
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 in ...
,
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 ...
and
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 ...
for inspiring her to push the limits of her voice and vocal arrangements. Jerkins credited
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 ...
, Brandy's voice, and his experiences at European
nightclub A nightclub (music club, discothèque, disco club, or simply club) is an entertainment venue during nighttime comprising a dance floor, lightshow, and a stage for live music or a disc jockey (DJ) who plays recorded music. Nightclubs gener ...
s for influencing the sound of the album. Her prior relationship and then-private relationship with Darkchild in-house producer
Big Bert Robert Anthony Smith, known as Big Bert, is an American record producer, songwriter and musician. He made a break in the industry when Rodney "Darkchild" Jerkins consulted him to join his Darkchild collective in the late 1990s. He went on to co ...
inspired the lyrics and song concepts. Musically, ''Full Moon'' drew inspiration from
UK garage UK garage, abbreviated as UKG, is a genre of electronic dance music which originated in England in the early to mid-1990s. The genre was most clearly inspired by garage house, but also incorporates elements from dance-pop, R&B, and jungle. It ...
, electro,
dance Dance is a performing art form consisting of sequences of movement, either improvised or purposefully selected. This movement has aesthetic and often symbolic value. Dance can be categorized and described by its choreography, by its repertoir ...
,
glitch A glitch is a short-lived fault in a system, such as a transient fault that corrects itself, making it difficult to troubleshoot. The term is particularly common in the computing and electronics industries, in circuit bending, as well as among ...
, and
funktronica Funk is a music genre that originated in African American communities in the mid-1960s when musicians created a rhythmic, danceable new form of music through a mixture of various music genres that were popular among African Americans in the mid ...
, while blending
soul In many religious and philosophical traditions, there is a belief that a soul is "the immaterial aspect or essence of a human being". Etymology The Modern English noun ''soul'' is derived from Old English ''sāwol, sāwel''. The earliest attes ...
and R&B elements into
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 ...
ballads. The album was initially met with mixed reviews from critics, but later earned recognition from musicians, singers, and producers, primarily for Brandy's vocal work. It debuted at number two on the US ''Billboard'' 200 and atop the 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 J ...
, selling 156,000 copies in its first week, and has been certified
platinum Platinum is a chemical element with the symbol Pt and atomic number 78. It is a dense, malleable, ductile, highly unreactive, precious, silverish-white transition metal. Its name originates from Spanish , a diminutive of "silver". Platinu ...
by the
Recording Industry Association of America The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) is a trade organization that represents the music recording industry in the United States. Its members consist of record labels and distributors that the RIAA says "create, manufacture, and/o ...
(RIAA), selling over one million copies in the United States. ''Full Moon'' was nominated for several awards, including the
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 pres ...
for
Best Contemporary R&B Album The Grammy Award for Best Contemporary R&B Album was an honor presented at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards, to recording artists for quality works on albums in the contemporary ...
. The album spawned three singles–" What About Us?", "
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 coordinate system, ecliptic longitudes of the Sun and Moon opp ...
" and "
He Is He or HE may refer to: Language * He (pronoun), an English pronoun * He (kana), the romanization of the Japanese kana へ * He (letter), the fifth letter of many Semitic alphabets * He (Cyrillic), a letter of the Cyrillic script called ''He'' ...
".


Background

In June 1998, Norwood released her second album '' Never Say Never''. Boosted by the success of its number-one lead single " The Boy Is Mine", a duet with singer
Monica Monica may refer to: People *Monica (actress) (born 1987), Indian film actress *Monica (given name), a given name (including a list of people and characters with the name) *Monica (singer) (born 1980), American R&B singer, songwriter, producer, ...
, it facilitated Norwood in becoming a viable recording artist with cross-media appeal. In total, the album sold sixteen million copies worldwide and spawned seven singles, including Norwood's second number-one song, the
Diane Warren Diane Eve Warren (born September 7, 1956) is an American songwriter. She has received several awards including a Grammy Award, a Primetime Emmy Award, two Golden Globe Awards, three ''Billboard'' Music Awards and an Honorary Academy Award. Wa ...
-penned "
Have You Ever? "Have You Ever?" is a song by American recording artist Brandy Norwood for her second studio album, '' Never Say Never'' (1998). The song was written by Diane Warren, while production was handled by David Foster. It was released as the album's t ...
". Also in 1998, Norwood made her
big screen A feature film or feature-length film is a narrative film (motion picture or "movie") with a running time long enough to be considered the principal or sole presentation in a commercial entertainment program. The term ''feature film'' originall ...
debut in a supporting role in the
slasher Slasher may refer to: * Slasher (basketball), a style of play in basketball * Slasher film, a subgenre of the horror film * Slasher (tool), a scrub-clearing implement * ''Slasher'' (2004 film), a 2004 documentary film * ''Slasher'' (2007 film) ...
sequel A sequel is a work of literature, film, theatre, television, music or video game that continues the story of, or expands upon, some earlier work. In the common context of a narrative work of fiction, a sequel portrays events set in the same ...
, ''
I Still Know What You Did Last Summer ''I Still Know What You Did Last Summer'' is a 1998 slasher film directed by Danny Cannon and written by Trey Callaway. Jennifer Love Hewitt, Freddie Prinze Jr. and Muse Watson reprise their roles, with Brandy, Mekhi Phifer and Matthew Settle jo ...
'', 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 editi ...
nomination for Best Breakthrough Female Performance. The following year, she co-starred with
Diana Ross Diana Ross (born March 26, 1944) is an American singer and actress. She rose to fame as the lead singer of the vocal group the Supremes, who became Motown's most successful act during the 1960s and one of the world's best-selling girl groups o ...
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 been ...
''
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. Both Norwood and Ross served as executive producers of the movie, which features original songs from ''Never Say Never'' and Ross's ''
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). Norwood suffered a
nervous breakdown A mental disorder, also referred to as a mental illness or psychiatric disorder, is a behavioral or mental pattern that causes significant distress or impairment of personal functioning. Such features may be persistent, relapsing and remitti ...
in November 1999the result of her then-hectic and unhealthy lifestyle and a failed relationship in which she had experienced emotional abuse. Frightened by the idea that a yet-to-be-made third album would not be able to live up to the success of her previous albums, Norwood went on a lengthy hiatus to reflect and introspect. "I needed to rejuvenate, get my creative juices flowing, balance my life with some privacy, to find my confidence, find my love of music again," she told ''Jet'' magazine in 2002. In mid-2000, she started refocusing herself on her musical career, contributing songs to albums such as ''
Urban Renewal Urban renewal (also called urban regeneration in the United Kingdom and urban redevelopment in the United States) is a program of land redevelopment often used to address urban decay in cities. Urban renewal involves the clearing out of blighte ...
'' (2001) and the ''Osmosis Jones'' soundtrack (2001), which introduced a scratchy, evocative edge to Norwood's voice, now having a deeper and warmer tone with a textured lower register and notably stronger
head voice Head voice is a term used within vocal music. The use of this term varies widely within vocal pedagogical circles and there is currently no one consistent opinion among vocal music professionals in regard to this term. Head voice can be used in re ...
.


Recording and production

In fall 2000, Norwood finally began conceiving ideas for a third studio album with the Atlantic label. While
Rodney 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 ...
, the main producer of her previous album ''Never Say Never'', and his
Darkchild 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 ...
crew, including
Fred Jerkins III Fred Jerkins III, also known as Uncle Freddie, is an American songwriter and record producer who is best known for his work with his brother Rodney "Darkchild" Jerkins. Jerkins has co-written several hit songs with Rodney Jerkins and LaShawn Dani ...
and
LaShawn Daniels LaShawn Ameen Daniels (December 28, 1977 – September 3, 2019) was an American songwriter, vocal producer and arranger known for his songwriting credits on songs by artists such as Brandy, Lady Gaga, Beyoncé, Destiny’s Child, Michael Jacks ...
, had been working on several new songs for the singer's upcoming project in hopes of recreating the winning chemistry of ''Never Say Never'', Norwood wanted to make sure she was gaining more creative control over the project and thus, arranged meetings with all her writers and musicians to discuss the lyrical topics and sounds she wanted for the album. "I was involved from A to Z," she said. "Every song on the album was inspired by my life ..I wanted to talk about how I feel on so many levels. I wanted to be in touch with all of my emotions and share them. I've taken three years off for myself and got a chance to find things I like to do, things I don't like and things I want to change about myself." While Jerkins maintained his status as the album's executive producer, contributing most to its track listing with his team that also consisted of regular songwriters Nora Payne and
Kenisha Pratt Kenisha LaCarol Pratt (February 13, 1980 – December 19, 2019) was an American songwriter and vocal producer, known for her songwriting credits on songs by artists such as Brandy, Toni Braxton, TLC, Yahzarah, Burhan G and Hadise, and her brot ...
, Norwood also worked with frequent collaborators
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 M ...
and
Keith Crouch Keith Edward Crouch is an American songwriter and music producer. Crouch began his career as a songwriter at the age of fifteen and landed his first gig at seventeen. From 1993 to 1994, Crouch produced six songs for Brandy's self-titled debut al ...
, as well as
Warryn "Baby Dubb" Campbell Warryn Stafford Campbell, Jr. (born August 21, 1975) is an American record producer. He has worked with a number of gospel, hip hop and R&B artists. Campbell originally got his start as a session musician and producer under the tutelage of DJ Q ...
, Stuart Brawley, Jason Derlatka, and Jerkins' cousin
Robert "Big Bert" Smith Robert Anthony Smith, known as Big Bert, is an American record producer, songwriter and musician. He made a break in the industry when Rodney "Darkchild" Jerkins consulted him to join his Darkchild collective in the late 1990s. He went on to c ...
, with whom she became romantically involved during the project. In addition, she also recorded with
Pharrell Williams Pharrell Lanscilo Williams (; born April 5, 1973) is an American record producer, rapper, singer, and songwriter. Alongside close colleague Chad Hugo, he formed the hip hop and R&B production duo the Neptunes in the early 1990s, with whom he ...
and
Chad Hugo Charles Edward Hugo (born February 24, 1974) is an American record producer, multi-instrumentalist, singer and songwriter. With close friend Pharrell Williams, he formed the production duo the Neptunes in the early 1990s, with whom he has prod ...
from
The Neptunes The Neptunes are an American songwriting and production duo composed of Pharrell Williams and Chad Hugo, formed in Virginia Beach, Virginia, in 1992. Williams often provides additional vocals on records and appears in the duo's music videos, ...
. With Norwood fearing that the pair's material would not fit the concept of the album and break her type of production unit, it was left unused. Rapper
Ja Rule Jeffrey Bruce Atkins (born February 29, 1976), better known by his stage name Ja Rule (), is an American rapper and actor. Born and raised in New York City, he debuted in 1999 with ''Venni Vetti Vecci'' and its lead single "Holla Holla". Durin ...
, singer
Babyface Babyface or Baby Face can refer to: Nicknames * Lester Joseph Gillis a.k.a. Baby Face Nelson, an infamous 1930s bank robber * Roosevelt "Baby Face" Willette (1933–1971), an American hard bop and soul-jazz musician * "Baby Face", Jimmy McLarnin ...
and production duo
Soulshock & Karlin Soulshock & Karlin is a duo of Danish record producers and songwriters, Carsten Schack and Kenneth Karlin. They have produced many successful songs, including Monica's "Before You Walk out of My Life", Whitney Houston's "Heartbreak Hotel", JoJo' ...
were reportedly also involved into the project but none of their songs eventually made the album's final track listing. Though Norwood has acknowledged that the creative focus of the album was very much on its technical realization and its sound, she declared ''Full Moon'' a
concept album A concept album is an album whose tracks hold a larger purpose or meaning collectively than they do individually. This is typically achieved through a single central narrative or theme, which can be instrumental, compositional, or lyrical. Som ...
based on the development of a male-female relationship: "It's definitely the concept for the albumme falling in love, then going through some turbulence, and then, at the end, I find the person that I really want to be withso it's a great concept and it's a great experience that I had. I found out a lot about myself. I found a lot out about love, and I'm just happy to have that reflect in my music." Norwood decided to name the album after its title track and in reference to the previous three years of her life, stating: "I have done a complete circle and I feel whole. All of that's reflected in the music. That's why I entitled y album''Full Moon''. It's a concept album, it's autobiographical. Everything that I've gone through in the last three years is reflected." In a 2022 retrospective of the ''Full Moon'' recording process, Norwood shared to ''Billboard'', " Aaliyah_and_Timbaland.html"_;"title="Aaliyah.html"_;"title="Aaliyah">Aaliyah_and_Timbaland">Aaliyah.html"_;"title="Aaliyah"> Aaliyah_and_Timbaland.html"_;"title="Aaliyah.html"_;"title="Aaliyah">Aaliyah_and_Timbaland">Aaliyah.html"_;"title="Aaliyah">Aaliyah_and_Timbaland_">Aaliyah">Aaliyah_and_Timbaland.html"_;"title="Aaliyah.html"_;"title="Aaliyah">Aaliyah_and_Timbaland">Aaliyah.html"_;"title="Aaliyah">Aaliyah_and_Timbaland_were_our_biggest_inspirations._Rodney_Jerkins.html" ;"title="Aaliyah_and_Timbaland_.html" ;"title="Aaliyah">Aaliyah_and_Timbaland.html" ;"title="Aaliyah.html" ;"title="Aaliyah">Aaliyah and Timbaland">Aaliyah.html" ;"title="Aaliyah">Aaliyah and Timbaland ">Aaliyah">Aaliyah_and_Timbaland.html" ;"title="Aaliyah.html" ;"title="Aaliyah">Aaliyah and Timbaland">Aaliyah.html" ;"title="Aaliyah">Aaliyah and Timbaland were our biggest inspirations. Rodney Jerkins">Rodney will tell you that Timbaland is one of his favorite producers. I will tell you the same thing. Aaliyah, her tone, and she stacked vocals, too. She was so amazing. Her music still today is timeless. There’s a song on Full Moon, it’s called “Anybody,” and it’s like an Aaliyah song ..We just loved how they did what they were guided to do. And I was like, “We gotta do that"."


Music and lyrics

''Full Moon'' opens with "B Rocka Intro", a shortened and rearranged version of "What About Us?" that starts with a robot voice. The title of the intro references producer Rodney Jerkins's nickname for Brandy. The first full song on the album is title track "
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 coordinate system, ecliptic longitudes of the Sun and Moon opp ...
", producer
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 M ...
's only contribution to ''Full Moon''. A piano-dominated up-tempo song with a "lulling drumbeat and heavy bass," Norwood characterized it as urban contemporary, explaining that "Full Moon" is "pop music, pop and [ R&B at the same time uthas a lot of elements to it." Lyrically, the song deals with a
love at first sight Love at first sight is a personal experience as well as a common trope in literature: a person or character feels an instant, extreme, and ultimately long-lasting romantic attraction for a stranger upon first seeing that stranger. Described by p ...
during a
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 coordinate system, ecliptic longitudes of the Sun and Moon opp ...
night. "I Thought", a Jerkins-crafted adamant break-up song about female empowerment, features electro bass lines and crunchy drums. Jerkins described it as an "anthem nda flip off" of Brandy's previous single " The Boy Is Mine." "When You Touch Me" is a ballad that revolves around the planning of a rendezvous. Initially conceived by Big Bert, it was significantly polished by Jerkins. Singer-producer
Teddy Riley Edward Theodore Riley (born October 8, 1967) is an American singer, songwriter, and record producer credited with the creation of the New Jack Swing genre. Riley credits Barry Michael Cooper with giving the genre its name.Hogan, Paul. " Tedd ...
with whom Jerkins worked on
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 ...
's ''
Invincible Invincible may refer to: Film and television * ''Invincible'' (2001 drama film), a drama by Werner Herzog about Jewish cabaret during the rise of Nazism * ''Invincible'' (2001 TV film), a fantasy / martial arts TV movie starring Billy Zane ...
'' (2001) during the creation of ''Full Moon'' appears on the
talk box A talk box (also spelled talkbox and talk-box) is an effects unit that allows musicians to modify the sound of a musical instrument by shaping the frequency content of the sound and to apply speech sounds (in the same way as singing) onto the sou ...
segment of the song. The "hand-clapping, funky" song "Like This" sees Brandy continue to discuss her intimate desires with her lover. On "All in Me", a "futuristically funked-out" song built on keyboards and a sped up breakdown, the singer pleads with her lover to have faith in her, promising him she will provide whatever he needs. Jerkins produced a 2-step groove section for the middle of the song, following a gig in
London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...
months before where he was inspired by artists like
Craig David Craig Ashley David (born 5 May 1981) is a British singer and songwriter who rose to fame in 1999, featuring on the single "Re-Rewind (The Crowd Say Bo Selecta), Re-Rewind" by Artful Dodger (UK band), Artful Dodger. David's debut studio album, ' ...
and
Artful Dodger Jack Dawkins, better known as the Artful Dodger, is a character in Charles Dickens's 1838 novel '' Oliver Twist''. The Dodger is a pickpocket, so called for his skill and cunning in that occupation. He is the leader of the gang of child criminals ...
. "Apart", produced by
Keith Crouch Keith Edward Crouch is an American songwriter and music producer. Crouch began his career as a songwriter at the age of fifteen and landed his first gig at seventeen. From 1993 to 1994, Crouch produced six songs for Brandy's self-titled debut al ...
, blends
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 ...
sensibilities, airy pop, and modern R&B with
Middle Eastern music The various nations of the region include the Arabic-speaking countries of the Middle East, the Iranian traditions of Persia, the Jewish music of Israel and the diaspora, Armenian music, Kurdish music, Azeri Music, the varied traditions of Cypriot ...
. Lyrically, it has the protagnoist lamenting for her partner's attention, resulting in her decision to leave him for the better. "Can We" is a lightweight hip-hop track coated in a batter of futuristic elements on which Brandy requests her partner to clarify their problems, while committing to working through them. " What About Us?" is an offbeat, aggressive high-tech uptempo song, seemingly "set amid a steel factory's sonic churns, whirs and crunches." Brandy described it as "edgy, sexy" and a "little bit ahead of its time." On post-break song "Anybody", another "edgy, eclectic offering," Brandy reminds a lover he is supposed to keep their hurtful relationship a secret. "Come a Little Closer" is a soft pop ballad that was originally written for
NSYNC NSYNC (, ; also stylized as *NSYNC or 'N Sync) was an American boy band formed by Chris Kirkpatrick in Orlando, Florida, in 1995 and launched in Germany by BMG Ariola Munich. Their self-titled debut album was successfully released to European ...
's ''
Celebrity Celebrity is a condition of fame and broad public recognition of a person or group as a result of the attention given to them by mass media. An individual may attain a celebrity status from having great wealth, their participation in sports ...
'' (2001) but eventually recorded by Canadian boy band I.D. Titled "Make It Last Forever," it appeared on their debut album ''Identically Different'' (2001). "It's Not Worth It" finds Brandy trying to hold her relationship together after it has deteriorated to shambles. Initially penned in 1999, Jerkins built the song around Michael Jackson's ad-libbed vocals, resulting from a joint recording session for Jackson's 2001 studio album. "
He Is He or HE may refer to: Language * He (pronoun), an English pronoun * He (kana), the romanization of the Japanese kana へ * He (letter), the fifth letter of many Semitic alphabets * He (Cyrillic), a letter of the Cyrillic script called ''He'' ...
", the next song, is a jazzy love song with "a classy piano and sparse drum track," produced by
Warryn Campbell Warryn Stafford Campbell, Jr. (born August 21, 1975) is an American record producer. He has worked with a number of gospel, hip hop and R&B artists. Campbell originally got his start as a session musician and producer under the tutelage of DJ Q ...
. Speaking about
God In monotheism, monotheistic thought, God is usually viewed as the supreme being, creator deity, creator, and principal object of Faith#Religious views, faith.Richard Swinburne, Swinburne, R.G. "God" in Ted Honderich, Honderich, Ted. (ed)''The Ox ...
in
third person Third person, or third-person, may refer to: * Third person (grammar), a point of view (in English, ''he'', ''she'', ''it'', and ''they'') ** Illeism, the act of referring to oneself in the third person * Third-person narrative, a perspective in p ...
, Brandy was unaware the song was conceptualized as 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 an ...
song by its writers. "Love Wouldn't Count Me Out" is a "sweeping" hymn that has the singer seeking understanding in the midst of romantic trial, while album closer "Wow" is an upbeat ballad that has Brandy singing about the joy of finally finding the perfect lover over a "sun kissed groove." International editions of ''Full Moon'' contain the cover versions "
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 with ...
" and " Die Without You", both being duets with her younger 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 ...
, as well as the beat-heavy, hand-clapping song "I Wanna Fall in Love."


Title and artwork

Norwood recognized the album's creative focus was based on her own technical achievement and sonority, she stated that the album's concept was based on developing the relationship between a man and a woman: "It's definitely the concept for the album – me falling in love, then going through some turbulence and then, right at the end, I meet the person I really want to be with – so it's a wonderful concept and it's an incredible experience that I had. I found out a lot about myself. I found a lot out about love, and I'm just happy that it's reflected in my music." Norwood decided to name the album in honor of its title track and in reference to the previous three years of her life: "I made a complete circle and I feel complete. All of this is reflected in my music. That's why I named y album''Full Moon'' . It's a concept album , it's autobiographical . Everything I've been through in the past three years is reflected
n it N, or n, is the fourteenth Letter (alphabet), letter in the Latin alphabet, used in the English alphabet, modern English alphabet, the alphabets of other western European languages and others worldwide. Its name in English is English alphabet# ...
" Although the sound of the album was described as "futuristic", Norwood stated that the concept of
futurism Futurism ( it, Futurismo, link=no) was an artistic and social movement that originated in Italy, and to a lesser extent in other countries, in the early 20th century. It emphasized dynamism, speed, technology, youth, violence, and objects such ...
happened by chance and was not taken into account throughout the composition of the music and writing of the lyrics. The album's
cover artwork Cover art is a type of artwork presented as an illustration or photograph on the outside of a published product such as a book (often on a dust jacket), magazine, newspaper (Tabloid journalism, tabloid), comic book, video game (box art), Album, ...
was photographed by Marc Baptiste. It features Norwood up to just beyond the shoulders, sporting long, "lustrous" straight hair, in addition to "heavy" makeup credited to Rea Ann Silva. Additional photos for the album artwork were taken by
Jonathan Mannion Jonathan Mannion (born December 3, 1970) is a photographer and film director. Mannion has shot over 300 album covers working with hip hop and R&B performers including Jay Z, Dr. Dre, Aaliyah, Outkast, Nas, Nicki Minaj, Brandy Norwood and Kendri ...
and
Matthew Rolston Matthew Russell Rolston is an American artist, photographer, Music video director, director and creative director, known for his lighting techniques and detailed approach to art direction and design. Rolston has been identified throughout his care ...
.


Release and promotion

''Full Moon'' was originally set to be released on November 20, 2001, but was delayed for March 5, 2002. The album's promotional tour started in the United Kingdom with live performances of "What About Us?" on '' CD:UK'' on February 21 and on ''
Top of the Pops ''Top of the Pops'' (''TOTP'') is a British Record chart, music chart television programme, made by the BBC and originally broadcast weekly between 1January 1964 and 30 July 2006. The programme was the world's longest-running weekly music show ...
'' the following day. The promotion continued in Germany with an interview which aired on
VIVA Plus VIVA Plus was a German music television channel that went on air on 7 January 2002 at 13:00 based in Cologne, Germany. It was the successor to VIVA Zwei and was initially managed by ''VIVA Media AG'' and later by Viacom, based in Berlin, Germa ...
in March. Afterwards, the album's release party was held on March 4 in New York City and was attended by celebrities such as
Jay-Z Shawn Corey Carter (born December 4, 1969), known professionally as Jay-Z, is an American rapper, record producer, entrepreneur, and founder of Manhattan-based conglomerate talent and entertainment agency Roc Nation. He is regarded as one of ...
,
Ananda Lewis Ananda Lewis (born March 21, 1973) is an American television host, carpenter, former model, and social activist. She was an MTV veejay from the late 1990s until 2001, when she left the network to host her own broadcast syndicated television tal ...
,
Al Sharpton Alfred Charles Sharpton Jr. (born October 3, 1954) is an American civil rights activist, Baptist minister, talk show host and politician. Sharpton is the founder of the National Action Network. In 2004, he was a candidate for the Democratic ...
,
Zab Judah Zabdiel Judah (born October 27, 1977) is an American former professional boxer who competed from 1996 to 2019. He held multiple world championships in two weight classes, including the IBF and WBO junior welterweight titles between 2000 and 2004 ...
,
Kid Capri David Anthony Love Jr. (born February 7, 1967) is an American DJ and rapper better known by his stage name Kid Capri. Early life Kid Capri's humble roots can be traced back to his parents' home in the Bronx, where ten year old David Antho ...
and
Bill Duke William Henry Duke Jr. (born February 26, 1943) is an American actor and film director. Known for his physically imposing frame, Duke works primarily in the action and crime drama genres often as a character related to law enforcement. Frequently ...
. Norwood promoted the album in the United States by performing on
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 A ...
's ''
106 & Park ''106 & Park'' is an American hip hop and R&B music video show, set up in a countdown format, that was broadcast on weekdays at 6:00 pm ET/5:00 pm CT on BET; it aired on a one-day delay on BET International. It was the network's highest- rated ...
'' on March 4, ''
Total Request Live ''Total Request Live'' (known commonly as ''TRL'') was an American television program broadcast on MTV that premiered on September 14, 1998. TRL featured popular music videos played during its countdown, and was also used as a promotion tool by ...
'' and ''
The Early Show ''The Early Show'' is an American morning television show that aired on CBS from November 1, 1999 to January 7, 2012, and the ninth attempt at a morning news-talk program by the network since 1954. The program aired Monday through Friday from ...
'' on March 5, ''
Late Night with Conan O'Brien ''Late Night with Conan O'Brien'' is an American late-night talk show hosted by Conan O'Brien. NBC aired 2,725 episodes from September 13, 1993, to February 20, 2009. The show featured varied comedic material, celebrity interviews, and music ...
'' on March 8, ''
Live with Regis and Kelly ''Live with Kelly and Ryan'' (or simply ''Live'') is an American syndicated morning talk show hosted by Kelly Ripa and Ryan Seacrest. Executive produced by Michael Gelman, the ''Live with...'' show formula has aired under various hosts since ...
'' on March 12, ''
The Oprah Winfrey Show ''The Oprah Winfrey Show'', often referred to as ''The Oprah Show'' or simply ''Oprah'', is an American daytime broadcast syndication, syndicated talk show that aired nationally for 25 seasons from September 8, 1986, to May 25, 2011, in Chicag ...
'' on March 18, and ''
The Tonight Show with Jay Leno ''The Tonight Show with Jay Leno'' is an American late-night talk show hosted by Jay Leno that first aired from May 25, 1992, to May 29, 2009. It resumed production on March 1, 2010 and ended on February 6, 2014. The fourth incarnation of the ...
'' on March 28. On April 19, Norwood performed the album's title track on
Dick Clark Richard Wagstaff Clark (November 30, 1929April 18, 2012) was an American radio and television personality, television producer and film actor, as well as a cultural icon who remains best known for hosting ''American Bandstand'' from 1956 to 198 ...
's '' American Bandstand's 50th Anniversary Celebration'', which aired on
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 ...
(ABC) on May 3. Furthermore, she appeared on the covers of ''
Vibe ''Vibe'' is an American music and entertainment magazine founded by producers David Salzman and Quincy Jones. The publication predominantly features R&B and hip hop music artists, actors and other entertainers. After shutting down productio ...
'' and ''Honey''s April 2002 issues. However, the promotion was halted as Norwood gave birth to her and
Big Bert Robert Anthony Smith, known as Big Bert, is an American record producer, songwriter and musician. He made a break in the industry when Rodney "Darkchild" Jerkins consulted him to join his Darkchild collective in the late 1990s. He went on to co ...
's daughter Sy'rai Iman Smith on June 16, 2002. The end of her pregnancy and the birth were documented via the four-episode
reality television Reality television is a genre of television programming that documents purportedly unscripted real-life situations, often starring unfamiliar people rather than professional actors. Reality television emerged as a distinct genre in the early 19 ...
series '' Brandy: Special Delivery'', which aired on
MTV MTV (Originally an initialism of Music Television) is an American cable channel that launched on August 1, 1981. Based in New York City, it serves as the flagship property of the MTV Entertainment Group, part of Paramount Media Networks, a di ...
from June 18 until July 9; the series also chronicled events related to the promotion of ''Full Moon'', including the release of its third and final single "He Is".


Singles

" What About Us?" was released as the album's
lead single A lead single (also known as a debut single) is the first single to be released from a studio album by an artist or a band, usually before the album itself is released and also occasionally on the same day of the album's release date. Release s ...
on January 2, 2002, receiving mixed to positive reviews from music critics. Debuting at number 42 on the US ''Billboard'' Hot 100, it went on to peak at number seven, as well as peaking at number three on the
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 ...
. Internationally, the song reached the top ten in Australia, Denmark, New Zealand, Scotland, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom, while peaking atop the
UK R&B Chart The UK Hip Hop and R&B Singles Chart and the UK Hip Hop and R&B Albums Chart (also known as The Official UK Hip Hop and R&B Charts, the Top 40 Hip Hop and RnB Singles and the Top 40 Hip Hop and RnB Albums, or simply the UK Urban Chart) are 40-posi ...
. The song's highly animated, futuristic accompanying music video, directed by Dave Meyers, introduced a sexier image of Brandy, portraying her as a male-ruling character in an alternate universe. "What About Us?" has been certified gold by the
Australian Recording Industry Association The Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) is a trade association representing the Australian recording industry which was established in the 1970s by six major record companies, EMI, Festival, CBS, RCA, WEA and Universal replacing th ...
(ARIA) for shipments of 35,000 copies. At the
2002 MTV Video Music Awards The 2002 MTV Video Music Awards aired live on August 29, 2002, honoring the best music videos from June 9, 2001, to May 31, 2002. The show was hosted by Jimmy Fallon at the Radio City Music Hall in New York City. During the show, Michael Jackson a ...
, the song's accompanying music video was nominated for Viewer's Choice. "
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 coordinate system, ecliptic longitudes of the Sun and Moon opp ...
" was released as the second single on April 1, 2002 and was met with critical acclaim. Debuting at number 68 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100, it peaked at number 18 in its tenth week on the chart, also peaking at number 16 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs. In the United Kingdom, the song peaked at numbers 15 and four on the
UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart (currently titled Official Singles Chart, with the upper section more commonly known as the Official UK Top 40) is compiled by the Official Charts Company (OCC), on behalf of the British record industry, listing the top-s ...
and the R&B chart, respectively. The song's accompanying music video, directed by Chris Robinson, features nearly-six-months-pregnant Norwood telescoping at night and attending a
house party A house party is a type of party where people gather at the residence of the party's host. Organization A house party might be organized several months or just a few hours in advance. News of a party may be spread by personal invitations, ...
where she meets a man with whom she is eventually riding off through Los Angeles, watching the rising full moon. "
He Is He or HE may refer to: Language * He (pronoun), an English pronoun * He (kana), the romanization of the Japanese kana へ * He (letter), the fifth letter of many Semitic alphabets * He (Cyrillic), a letter of the Cyrillic script called ''He'' ...
" was released as the third and final single exclusively in the United States on September 17, 2002. The song itself received positive response from critics, but was dismissed as a weak choice for a single. It failed to enter the ''Billboard'' Hot 100, peaking at number 78 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs.


Critical reception

''Full Moon'' was met with generally mixed reviews. At
Metacritic Metacritic is a website that review aggregator, aggregates reviews of films, TV shows, music albums, video games and formerly, books. For each product, the scores from each review are averaged (a weighted arithmetic mean, weighted average). M ...
, it received an average score of 60 out of 100. Album of the Year rated the album 62 out of 100, based on their assessment of the critical consensus. In his review for ''
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 cul ...
'', journalist
Craig Seymour Craig Seymour (born November 25, 1968) is an American writer, photographer, celebrity interviewer, music critic and former stripper. He was born in Washington, D.C. He has written for ''The Washington Post'', ''Entertainment Weekly'', ''Vibe'', an ...
gave ''Full Moon'' an A− rating, saying that "where
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Jerkins' herky-jerky stylings come off cold on Jacko's latest, they embolden 23-year-old Brandy as she learns the difference between teen heartbreak and grown-up betrayal, uggestingmaturity and the high price that often comes with it."
Stephen Thomas Erlewine Stephen Thomas Erlewine (; born June 18, 1973) is an American music critic and senior editor for the online music database AllMusic. He is the author of many artist biographies and record reviews for AllMusic, as well as a freelance writer, occ ...
from
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 databas ...
was critical with the album's length of over 70 minutes but considered it Norwood's most assured, risky album yet, stating: "''Full Moon'' comes the closest to being a full-fledged, well-rounded album, as well as establishing a personality as a singer ..There are plenty of moments here that are seductively smooth and even the filler goes down smoothly." He gave the album four out of five stars. ''
Slant Magazine ''Slant Magazine'' is an American online publication that features reviews of movies, music, TV, DVDs, theater, and video games, as well as interviews with actors, directors, and musicians. The site covers various film festivals like the New York ...
'' writer Sal Cinquemani rated the album three stars out of five and compared it to
Janet Jackson Janet Damita Jo Jackson (born May 16, 1966) is an American singer, songwriter, actress, and dancer. She is noted for her innovative, socially conscious and sexually provocative records, as well as elaborate stage shows. Her sound and choreog ...
's 1986 album ''
Control Control may refer to: Basic meanings Economics and business * Control (management), an element of management * Control, an element of management accounting * Comptroller (or controller), a senior financial officer in an organization * Controllin ...
'', commenting: "For the most part, ''Full Moon'' is certainly a forward-minded album, lifting Brandy's typically schmaltzy brand of pop-R&B to a new, edgier plateau ..The all-grown-up Miss Moesha seems to be making her final transition from sitting up in her room to sitting on top of the world." J. Victoria Sanders from ''
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 ...
'' considered ''Full Moon'' "an achievement" and added: "As she proclaims her womanhood with throaty whispers and assertive wails, ..this grown-up Brandy ..has one thing in common with the cherubic girl she used to be: she still sings with relaxing humility and stylequalities the music world is in dire need of right about now." ''
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 ...
'' writer Britt Robson called the album a "refreshingly sexy" record "of honest growth and modest virtues" as well as "of slight refinements and logical maturation". John Aizlewood from ''
The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers ''The Observer'' and ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the Gu ...
'' found that "without Jerkins, Brandy stumbles more easily. At 73 minutes ''Full Moon'' is far too flabby, but there's nothing here to derail her." ''
Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertise ...
'' praised ''Full Moon'' for its ballads and the leading single but was unsatisfied with the album as a whole, stating that "those expecting more from the same s 'What About Us?'will be disappointed, it's a fairly paint-by-numbers affair." Similarly, ''
People A person (plural, : people) is a being that has certain capacities or attributes such as reason, morality, consciousness or self-consciousness, and being a part of a culturally established form of social relations such as kinship, ownership of pr ...
'' found that "the rest of ''Full Moon'' can't sustain the bizarre brilliance of 'What About Us?'. While much of the CD brandishes a similar edge, with electronic wizardry made for headphone listening, it showcases the producing team more than its singer. Brandy has one of the more distinctive voices around, so it's a shame that she so often gets lost in the beat-heavy mix." Devon Thomas, writer for ''
The Michigan Daily ''The Michigan Daily'' is the weekly student newspaper of the University of Michigan. Its first edition was published on September 29, 1890. The newspaper is financially and editorially independent of the University's administration and other stu ...
'', was generally disappointed with the album. He said that "heavily producer-driven, the album follows the template that catapulted her sophomore album to multi-platinum status. The tradition (or condition) continues on her junior outing,
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exhibits the same ole Jerkins production we've heard time and time before, just slightly altered (or 'updated') and equipped." Critical with mainstream R&B in general, he further summed: "We know it'll be another hit, another platinum plaque for the Moe-ster, but will this album go down on any 'Best of the Decade' lists? Highly unlikely." ''
Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first kno ...
'' dismissed the album as "frantic, faceless, fake-sexy R&B", while Piers Martin from ''
NME ''New Musical Express'' (''NME'') is a British music, film, gaming, and culture website and brand. Founded as a newspaper in 1952, with the publication being referred to as a 'rock inkie', the NME would become a magazine that ended up as a f ...
'' declared it a "velvet-lined bucket of slush". In his "Consumer Guide",
Robert Christgau Robert Thomas Christgau ( ; born April 18, 1942) is an American music journalist and essayist. Among the most well-known and influential music critics, he began his career in the late 1960s as one of the earliest professional rock critics and ...
gave the album a "dud" rating.


Accolades

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,
MTV Video Music Award The MTV Video Music Awards (commonly abbreviated as the VMAs) is an award show presented by the cable channel MTV to honour the best in the music video medium. Originally conceived as an alternative to the Grammy Awards (in the video category) ...
, Viewer's Choice , " What About Us?" , , , - ! scope="row",
2003 File:2003 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: The crew of STS-107 perished when the Space Shuttle Columbia disintegrated during reentry into Earth's atmosphere; SARS became an epidemic in China, and was a precursor to SARS-CoV-2; A des ...
,
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 pres ...
,
Best Contemporary R&B Album The Grammy Award for Best Contemporary R&B Album was an honor presented at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards, to recording artists for quality works on albums in the contemporary ...
, ''Full Moon'' , , , - ! scope="row", 2003 ,
Soul Train Lady of Soul Award 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 pro ...
, Best R&B/Soul or Rap Song , "
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 coordinate system, ecliptic longitudes of the Sun and Moon opp ...
" , ,


Commercial performance

In the United States, ''Full Moon'' debuted at number two on the ''Billboard'' 200 and atop 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 J ...
in the issue dated March 23, 2002, marking Brandy's highest debuts on both charts. Selling 156,000 copies in its first week, the album fell short of the ''
O Brother, Where Art Thou? ''O Brother, Where Art Thou?'' is a 2000 comedy drama film written, produced, co-edited, and directed by Joel and Ethan Coen. It stars George Clooney, John Turturro, and Tim Blake Nelson, with Chris Thomas King, John Goodman, Holly Hunter, and C ...
'' soundtrack (2000) by less than 4,000 copies. Spending thirty weeks on the latter chart, the album shifted about 700,000 copies within the first three months of its US release. It also debuted and peaked at number eleven on the US
Top Internet Albums The ''Billboard'' charts tabulate the relative weekly popularity of songs and albums in the United States and elsewhere. The results are published in ''Billboard (magazine), Billboard'' magazine. ''Billboard'' biz, the online extension of the '' ...
. The album was certified
platinum Platinum is a chemical element with the symbol Pt and atomic number 78. It is a dense, malleable, ductile, highly unreactive, precious, silverish-white transition metal. Its name originates from Spanish , a diminutive of "silver". Platinu ...
by the
Recording Industry Association of America The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) is a trade organization that represents the music recording industry in the United States. Its members consist of record labels and distributors that the RIAA says "create, manufacture, and/o ...
(RIAA) on April 5, 2002, and has sold 1.1million units in the country. ''Full Moon'' peaked at number eight on the
Canadian Albums Chart The Canadian Albums Chart is the official album sales chart in Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocea ...
. On July 19, 2002, it was certified gold by
Music Canada Music Canada (formerly Canadian Recording Industry Association (CRIA)) is a non-profit trade organization that was founded 9 April 1963 to represent the interests of companies that record, manufacture, produce, and distribute music in Canada. It a ...
for shipments of 50,000 copies in the country. In the United Kingdom, the album became Brandy's first top-ten album, debuting and peaking at number nine on the UK Albums Chart with first-week sales shy of 25,000 units. Upon its release, it was immediately certified gold by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI), indicating shipments of 100,000 copies. ''Full Moon'' also became Brandy's second album to top the UK R&B Singles and Albums Charts, UK R&B Albums Chart. As of 2021 the album has sold 148,000 units in the UK. In Japan, ''Full Moon'' debuted at number 15 on the Oricon Albums Chart, becoming her second top-twenty entry on the chart. It was eventually certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of Japan (RIAJ) for shipments of more than 100,000 units. ''Full Moon'' also became Brandy's first top-ten entry in Germany and Switzerland, reaching numbers eight and seven, respectively.


Impact and legacy

Since its release, ''Full Moon'' has garnered retrospective recognition from musicians, vocalists and music producers, particularly within the R&B and urban contemporary gospel genres. Regarded as "the blueprint of modern R&B," the album is credited with "continuing Norwood's artistic progression and introducing a new facet of herself, destroying the image of a teenager in exchange for that of a grown woman," with ''Billboard'' calling it "the one to cement her as an R&B trailblazer" as well as the "gold standard for modern R&B vocalists". Music analyst Khaaliq Crowder wrote in a retrospective review published in blog ''Leeky Crowder'' that with ''Full Moon'' "Brandy abandoned the old image to successfully present a fully developed new one. She no longer used boxer braids nor did it carry the image of the girl-next-door, the singer of "
Have You Ever? "Have You Ever?" is a song by American recording artist Brandy Norwood for her second studio album, '' Never Say Never'' (1998). The song was written by Diane Warren, while production was handled by David Foster. It was released as the album's t ...
" returned in 2002 with long, sleek straight hair and heavy makeup, adding warm, sultry mannerisms to her music on songs like "Like This" and "Come a Little Closer"." Musicians such as Ambré, Chris Brown (American singer), Chris Brown, Jacob Latimore, Lil Mo, Mary Mary, PJ Morton, Keke Palmer, Kierra Sheard, Hope Tala and Tank (American singer), Tank referenced the album and its vocal work as influential. The vocal work on the album sparked the idea of Norwood gaining the subjective nickname "honorific nicknames in popular music, Vocal Bible". Norwood herself has ranked ''Full Moon'' among her favorites in her album discography numerous times. Songwriter Sean Garrett credits the vocal work on the album for his approach to writing, saying "I take a lot from what [Brandy] and Rodney did on the ''Full Moon'' album. I was extremely impressed with it and I always try to outdo that album." B.Slade 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 [for years]." R&B singer Melanie Fiona especially admired the singer's work on that album, dubbing Norwood the "Harmony Queen". Neo soul singer India.Arie often cites the album, particularly the song "He Is" as being the template for a wide array of singers. Canadian R&B singer Keshia Chanté credited the album for inspiring her writing for her album ''Night & Day (Keshia Chanté album), Night & Day'', while American singer Luke James (singer), Luke James referred to ''Full Moon'' as the "bible" of 2000s contemporary R&B, calling it the "blueprint of how to do vocals". British soul performer Daley (musician), Daley included a cover version of the album cut "When You Touch Me" on his Daley, Unplugged tour; the song was also paid tribute to in gospel form by ''Sunday Best (American TV series), Sunday Best'' artist Y'anna Crawley. German pop singer Rüdiger Skoczowsky, who cites Brandy as one of his main vocal inspirations, included a cover of "Love Wouldn't Count Me Out" on some of his live shows.


Track listing

Notes * signifies a vocal record producer, producer * signifies an additional producer


Personnel

Credits adapted from the liner notes of ''Full Moon''. * J.D. Andrew – assistant engineer * Lori Andrews – strings * Marc Baptiste – photography * Jim Bottari – engineer * Stuart Brawley – engineer * Thomas Bricker – design, art director * David Campbell (American arranger/composer), David Campbell – string arrangements, conducting * Tom Coyne – mastering * Reginald Dozier – engineer * Jan Fairchild – engineer * Andrew Feigenbaum – A&R * Aaron Fishbein – guitar * Jon Gass – mixing * Brad Gilderman – mixing * Larry Gold – cello * Edward Green – strings * Kenneth B. Hertz – assistant engineer * Gerald Heyward – drums * Michael Huff – assistant engineer *
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 ...
– vocal assistance *
Rodney 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 ...
– executive producer * Jubu – guitar * Craig Kallman – executive producer, A&R * Suzie Katayama – conductor * Lila Kazakova – strings * Kimbo – violin * Thor Laewe – engineer * Marc Stephen Lee – assistant engineer * Manny Marroquin – mixing * Eugene Mechtovich – strings * Patrick Morgan – strings * Michele Nardone – strings * Brandy Norwood – executive producer, vocal producer, A&R * Dave Pensado – mixing * Isaac Phillips – guitar * Ray-J – vocal assistance * Michael "Wolf" Reaves – engineer * Steve Robillard – assistant engineer * Robin Ross – strings * Ron Shapiro – executive producer * Dexter Simmons – mixing * Marston Smith – strings * Thomas Tally – strings * Joe Lewis Thomas – vocal assistance * Javier Valverde – assistant engineer * Charles Veal, Jr. – strings * Zheng Wang – strings * Joe "Flip" Wilson – piano * Tibor Zelig – strings * Yihuaw Zhao – strings


Charts


Weekly charts


Year-end charts


Certifications


Release history


See also

* Album era * List of Billboard number-one R&B albums of 2002, List of ''Billboard'' number-one R&B albums of 2002 * List of UK R&B Albums Chart number ones of 2002


Notes


References


Bibliography

*


External links

* * {{Authority control 2002 albums Albums produced by Rodney Jerkins Albums produced by Warryn Campbell Atlantic Records albums Brandy Norwood albums