''Never Say Never'' is the second 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 on June 9, 1998, 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 ...
. Atlantic consulted
David Foster
David Walter Foster (born November 1, 1949) is a Canadian musician, composer, arranger, record producer and music executive who chaired Verve Records from 2012 to 2016. He has won 16 Grammy Awards from 47 nominations. His music career spans mor ...
, as well as 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 ...
and his team to work with Norwood on the record; Jerkins went on to craft the majority of the album and would evolve as Norwood's mentor and head producer on her succeeding projects.
The lyrical themes on the album include the singer's personal experiences with love,
monogamy
Monogamy ( ) is a form of dyadic relationship in which an individual has only one partner during their lifetime. Alternately, only one partner at any one time (serial monogamy) — as compared to the various forms of non-monogamy (e.g., polyga ...
,
media bias
Media bias is the bias of journalists and news producers within the mass media in the selection of many events and stories that are reported and how they are covered. The term "media bias" implies a pervasive or widespread bias contravening of ...
, and maturity. Influenced by
Mariah Carey
Mariah Carey (; born March 27, 1969) is an American singer, songwriter, actress, and record producer. Referred to as the " Songbird Supreme", she is noted for her five-octave vocal range, melismatic singing style and signature use of the whi ...
and
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 ...
, Norwood wanted to present a more mature facet of herself with the album, incorporating a ballad-heavy style and an
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 ...
feel into her
urban pop
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 rhythm ...
sound for the album.
Upon its release, ''Never Say Never'' facilitated Norwood in becoming a viable recording artist with media-crossing appeal. It debuted at No. 3 on the US
''Billboard'' 200 chart, selling 160,000 copies in its first week, and peaked at No. 2 the following week, remaining within the chart's top 20 for 28 weeks.
Six of the album's 16 songs were chosen as singles, including duet with
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, ...
"
The Boy Is Mine" and "
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 ...
", which both topped the US
''Billboard'' Hot 100, as well as "
Top of the World", which become an international hit.
''Never Say Never'' became Norwood's highest-selling and highest-charting album to date in most international markets, being certified
quintuple platinum 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) and selling over 16 million copies worldwide. It won numerous awards and accolades, including a
for "
The Boy Is Mine".
The album was supported by the
Never Say Never World Tour
The Never Say Never World Tour was the first concert tour by American R&B singer Brandy to support her second studio album, '' Never Say Never''. The tour became Norwood's first world tour, reaching North America, Asia, and Europe. The tour beg ...
(1999), which included sold-out shows in North America, Europe, & Asia.
Background and development
Following the release of her multi-platinum
eponymous debut album (1994) and several equally successful soundtrack contributions such as "
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. ...
" from ''
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 McMill ...
'' (1995) and "
Missing You" from ''
Set It Off'' (1996), Norwood took a lengthy musical break in which she graduated from high school, enrolled in college and established a flourishing acting career.
In 1995, she was cast in the titular role in 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 prod ...
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 ...
'',
and in the following two years, she appeared opposite her idol
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 ...
in the musical television film ''
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 ...
'' (1997) and filmed 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 a ...
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 ...
'' (1998).
["Whitney Houston and Brandy Star in TV Movie 'Cinderella'"]
'Jet'', November 3, 1997, pp. 44–47 While she enjoyed her acting profile accomplishments, Norwood felt that her transition had caused people to recognize her more as an actress than as a singer, though she was still considering music her career priority.
Suffering from what she called "sophomore album jitters" however, it became difficult for Norwood to go in the studio and really produce.
Thus, she found herself making excuses to Atlantic
artists and repertoire
Artists and repertoire (colloquially abbreviated to A&R) is the division of a record label or music publishing company that is responsible for talent scouting and overseeing the artistic development of recording artists (singers, instrumentalist ...
heads Paris Davis and
Craig Kallman
Craig Kallman is an American entrepreneur and former DJ. He is currently the chairman and CEO of Atlantic Records. His career in music began in the 1980s as a DJ in Manhattan. He is the founder of the independent label Big Beat, which was esta ...
to avoid singing.
While she was preparing to start work of her second studio album by October 1997, previous meetings with
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 ...
had been unfruitful.
Barely satisfied with the material that was presented to her, the recording of new music was postponed several times until 1997, as Norwood found that many songs would not express what she wanted to tell at that point of her career.
"Many of the songs I heard were not 'me'," the singer stated during a promotional interview with ''
Jet'' in 1999, "And If I can't feel it, then I won't sing it."
Also, after ''Brandy'', she felt in a space of wanting to do something different, while exploring her voice and playing with different sounds.
Elaborating on her desire for progression and a more mature sound, Norwood added, that "I'm not the little girl I was when I made my first record. My voice is a strong instrument now; my vocals come from both my heart and my
diaphragm. My heart because I matured in the four years since the last album; I'm more emotionally there."
Recording and production
![Rodney Darkchild Jerkins (11149414586)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/99/Rodney_Darkchild_Jerkins_%2811149414586%29.jpg)
Later that year, Norwood requested rapper–songwriter
Missy Elliott
Melissa Arnette Elliott (born July 1, 1971), better known as Missy Elliott or Missy “Misdemeanor” Elliot, is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, and record producer. She embarked on her music career with R&B girl group Sista in the earl ...
as one of the producers for her album.
[R. Good, Karen. "Play Missy for Me." ''SPIN Magazine''. October 1997: 108. Print.] However, Atlantic refused the approach to have Norwood work with Elliott and her regular co-producer
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 ...
following their work with label mate and fellow teen R&B singer
Aaliyah
Aaliyah Dana Haughton (; January 16, 1979 – August 25, 2001) was an American singer and actress. She has been credited for helping to redefine contemporary R&B, pop and hip hop, earning her the nicknames the "Princess of R&B" and " ...
on her second studio album ''
One in a Million'', released the year before.
Impressed with his work on
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 ...
's 1997 album ''
Share My World
''Share My World'' is the third studio album by American R&B singer Mary J. Blige, released by MCA on Earth Day, April 22, 1997. The album became Blige's first to open at number one on the US ''Billboard'' 200 album chart. Moreover, it is her ...
'', Davis called then-newcomer
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 ...
to meet with Norwood at ''Georgias'', a restaurant in
Los Angeles
Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...
.
Accompanied by his brother
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 songwriter
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 ...
, he ended up completing five songs in five days with her, including “Learn the Hard Way”, “Happy”, “Put That on Everything,” and title track “Never Say Never.”
Satisfied with their output, Atlantic Records secured a production deal with Jerkins's team and encouraged them to work on more material for the album.
With Jerkins and his team producing the majority on the album, he was eventually promoted to
executive producer
Executive producer (EP) is one of the top positions in the making of a commercial entertainment product. Depending on the medium, the executive producer may be concerned with management accounting or associated with legal issues (like copyrights o ...
on the album.
Jerkins and his circle worked excessively on the album, with typical sessions starting in the afternoon and lasting until the early morning hours.
Despite the physical distance between the recording studios and Jerkins's native in
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York; on the east, southeast, and south by the Atlantic Ocean; on the west by the Delaware ...
, he brought many of his family and friends to Los Angeles to help work on the album.
His brother Fred quit his steady job working at
Prudential Insurance Company
Prudential Financial, Inc. is an American Fortune Global 500 and Fortune 500 company whose subsidiaries provide insurance, retirement planning, investment management, and other products and services to both retail and institutional customers thr ...
to work with Norwood on ''Never Say Never'', while his sister Sybil received co-writing credits on the album.
Drawing from their own experiences, many titles of ''Never Say Never'' were built on a cliché book in the studio.
With Jerkins being inspired by the singer/producer partnerships of
Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis
James Samuel "Jimmy Jam" Harris III (born June 6, 1959) and Terry Steven Lewis (born November 24, 1956) are an American R&B/ pop songwriting and record production team. They have enjoyed great success since the 1980s with various artists, most ...
and
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 ...
as well as the influence of
DeVante Swing
Donald Earle DeGrate Jr. (born September 29, 1969), better known by his stage name DeVanté Swing, is an American record producer, singer, rapper and songwriter.
He is the older brother of fellow Jodeci member Dalvin DeGrate.
Career
In his ear ...
on
Jodeci
Jodeci ( ) is an American Contemporary R&B, R&B quartet consisting of members DeVanté Swing, Dalvin DeGrate, Mr. Dalvin, K-Ci (singer), K-Ci, and K-Ci and JoJo, JoJo. Formed in 1989 in Charlotte, North Carolina, Jodeci's members began their mu ...
's sound, he envisioned a full body of work for Norwood's second album, telling: "I wanted to make records where you fell in love with and heard the journey of the artists from beginning to end. The intro is just as important as the song, the outro is just as important. Once I got Brandy to believe in that vision, then we just locked in."
Apart from Jerkins and Darkchild crew, Norwood also worked with Canadian producer
David Foster
David Walter Foster (born November 1, 1949) is a Canadian musician, composer, arranger, record producer and music executive who chaired Verve Records from 2012 to 2016. He has won 16 Grammy Awards from 47 nominations. His music career spans mor ...
on the album. Lending a certain level of
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 ...
–pop crossover credibility to the project, he would produce three songs on ''Never Say Never'', including "Have You Ever?," written by his frequent collaborator
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 ...
, the
Gordon Chambers
Gordon Anthony Chambers (c. 1969) is an American singer-songwriter and record producer who has written songs for more than 75 recording artists including Angie Stone, Yolanda Adams, The Isley Brothers, Brandy, Trey Songz, Chaka Khan, Patti LaBell ...
-penned "One Voice" and "
(Everything I Do) I Do It for You
"(Everything I Do) I Do It for You" is a song by Canadian singer-songwriter Bryan Adams. Written by Adams, Michael Kamen, and Robert John "Mutt" Lange, the power ballad was the lead single for both the soundtrack album from the 1991 film '' Robi ...
," a cover version of Canadian singer
Bryan Adams
Bryan Guy Adams (born 5 November 1959) is a Canadian musician, singer, songwriter, composer, and photographer. He has been cited as one of the best-selling music artists of all time, and is estimated to have sold between 75 million and mor ...
's 1991 song. Norwood credited the chemistry with both producers with her musical growth: "They brought out the best in me, the vocals I didn't know I had," she said.
Encouraged by Jerkins to share her feelings and participate in the record making process, Norwood wrote and produced on the majority of the album.
Nevertheless, after ''Brandy''s commercial success, she was heavily pressured, stating: "It's very important to me that my music connects with the general public.
Music and lyrics
The album's opening track "
Angel in Disguise" is a
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 ...
-produced mid-tempo track that features backing vocals by fellow R&B singer
Joe
Joe or JOE may refer to:
Arts
Film and television
* ''Joe'' (1970 film), starring Peter Boyle
* ''Joe'' (2013 film), starring Nicolas Cage
* ''Joe'' (TV series), a British TV series airing from 1966 to 1971
* ''Joe'', a 2002 Canadian animated ...
. It consists of a "dribbling bass line" that
Chuck Taylor of ''
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 ...
'' compared to a "dreamlike, moonlit night".
The harmonic background song, created using the so-called
multi-track recording
Multi-track may refer to:
* Multitrack recording, the process of mixing individual sound sources to a single recording
* Multi-track diplomacy, a method of conflict resolution
* Multi track, a process of civil litigation in England and Wales
** Fa ...
, was described as "enchanting" and "seductive".
The lyrics of "Angel in Disguise" describe a protagonist who still loves her partner despite his infidelity, with Norwood quoted: "An angel in disguise she was / But somehow you fell for her / Till she broke your heart that day / And left you in the rain / But still I love you". Set 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 ...
, "
The Boy Is Mine" was originally intended to be a solo song for Brandy, but due to
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, ...
's success at the time, it was conceived as a duet. Inspired by
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 ...
and
Paul McCartney
Sir James Paul McCartney (born 18 June 1942) is an English singer, songwriter and musician who gained worldwide fame with the Beatles, for whom he played bass guitar and shared primary songwriting and lead vocal duties with John Lennon. One ...
's 1982 duet "
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 ...
", the lyrics of the mid-tempo R&B track revolve around two women fighting over a man.
"Learn the Hard Way" is the album's fourth track and shares similarities with the album's
title track
A title track is a song that has the same name as the album or film in which it appears. In the Korean music industry, the term is used to describe a promoted song on an album, akin to a single, regardless of the song's title.
Title track may al ...
. The
Guy Roche
Guy Roche is a record producer and songwriter who is best known for the hit singles he has co-written/co-produced for Christina Aguilera, which are " What a Girl Wants", " I Turn to You", and "Come On Over Baby (All I Want Is You)". He also co-wr ...
-produced "
Almost Doesn't Count
"Almost Doesn't Count" is a song by American singer Brandy Norwood. It was written by Shelly Peiken and Guy Roche and recorded by Norwood for her second studio album, '' Never Say Never'' (1998). Atlantic Records consulted Fred Jerkins III to re ...
" follows; its lyrics revolve around its writer
Shelly Peiken
Shelly Meg Peiken is an American songwriter who is best known for co-writing the US No. 1 hits " What a Girl Wants" and " Come On Over Baby" by Christina Aguilera the US No. 2 hit "Bitch" by Meredith Brooks, "Almost Doesn't Count" by Brandy, and ...
's powerful but unfruitful
on-again, off-again relationship
An on-again, off-again relationship (also known as an on–off or off–on relationship) is a form of personal relationship between two persons who keep breaking up only to reconcile afterwards, thus repeating a cycle.
Researcher Kale Monk, an a ...
she had with a man while in college.
Peiken recalled her emotions during a writing session with Roche decades later when she "dug up that laundry list of all the 'almosts' I felt we had, and we put it into the song."
In a 2020 interview, she further elaborated about the lyrics: "It was a relationship that was more in my head than in his, and I always felt like we almost got there, he almost said I love you, he almost broke up with the girlfriend he had the whole time. He almost faced his feelings but he never quite got there – maybe that was all in my head too. Maybe he never had any of those feelings, maybe it was all my imagination."
Brandy performed the song in the 1999 television film ''
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 ...
'', starring
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 ...
and herself. The international single "
Top of the World" is the album's sixth track. It is a collaboration with
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 ...
and talks about Brandy as a popstar "just trying to be her" and not feeling like being in her own world.
The
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 ...
-produced "
U Don't Know Me (Like U Used To)
"U Don't Know Me (Like U Used To)" is a song by American recording artist Brandy Norwood. It was written by Isaac Phillips, Paris Davis, Sean Bryant, Rodney "Darkchild" Jerkins, and Norwood for her second studio album '' Never Say Never'' (1998). ...
", which is the album's seventh and final single, is noted for its remix version with Shaunta and
Da Brat
Shawntae Harris-Dupart (born April 14, 1974), better known by her stage name Da Brat, is an American rapper. Born and raised in Chicago, Illinois, she began her career in 1992, the year she signed with So So Def Records. Her debut album ''Funkda ...
. The title track, also produced by
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 ...
, is the eighth song of the album. "Truthfully", a ballad about a broken relationship, was written by former
Boyz II Men
Boyz II Men (pronounced ''boys to men''), also known as B2M, is an American vocal harmony group from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, best known for emotional ballads and a cappella harmonies. They are currently a trio composed of baritone Nathan M ...
member, singer-songwriter
Marc Nelson
Marc K. Nelson (born January 23, 1971) is an American singer and songwriter.
He was an original member of Boyz II Men while still attending Philadelphia's High School of Performing Arts. However, Nelson left the group to pursue a solo caree ...
.
Recorded in a single take, it took Nelson five different sessions to get Norwood in the recording studio as she felt initially nervous about working with him.
Main production on the song was helmed by
Harvey Mason, Jr.
Harvey Jay Mason Jr. (born June 3, 1968) is an American record producer, songwriter, movie producer and current CEO of The Recording Academy. He has written and produced songs for artists including Aretha Franklin, Michael Jackson, Deniece Wil ...
, who received his first major placement as a producer on "Truthfully".
Mason was consulted by Jerkins after he had shopped around several tracks for record executives.
The No. 1 single "
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 ...
" is the album's tenth track. Brandy states that it was the first time she had been in the studio with a producer like
David Foster
David Walter Foster (born November 1, 1949) is a Canadian musician, composer, arranger, record producer and music executive who chaired Verve Records from 2012 to 2016. He has won 16 Grammy Awards from 47 nominations. His music career spans mor ...
, initially being nervous about recording the song.
In the song's lyrics, Norwood sings about unrequited love with lyrics such as "Have you finally found the one you've given your heart to / Only to find that one will not give their heart to you". "Put That on Everything", a mid-tempo ballad, is the album's eleventh track. The album's twelfth track "In the Car Interlude" is actually a phone conversation in the car between Brandy, Rodney and Fred Jerkins. "Happy", an R&B up-tempo song, was the album's thirteenth track. It was also featured in ''Double Platinum'' and received positive reception from ''
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 ...
''. It also served as the theme song of the 2002
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 ...
reality television series ''
Brandy: Special Delivery''. "One Voice", the fourteenth track, was the official
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 Humanitarianism, humanitarian and Devel ...
theme song during its 50th anniversary celebration. ''
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 ...
'' describes her voice in the song as "soft and smoky" and as a "gospel-fired ballad that finds her effortlessly raising the roof".
"Tomorrow", a nearly six-minutes-long ballad, is the fifteenth track and the album's longest song. The final song on the album is the
Bryan Adams
Bryan Guy Adams (born 5 November 1959) is a Canadian musician, singer, songwriter, composer, and photographer. He has been cited as one of the best-selling music artists of all time, and is estimated to have sold between 75 million and mor ...
cover "
(Everything I Do) I Do It for You
"(Everything I Do) I Do It for You" is a song by Canadian singer-songwriter Bryan Adams. Written by Adams, Michael Kamen, and Robert John "Mutt" Lange, the power ballad was the lead single for both the soundtrack album from the 1991 film '' Robi ...
".
Release and promotion
''Never Say Never'' was released in the United States on June 9, 1998, 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 ...
;
its double-disc limited edition was released exclusively in Australia on July 13, 1999.
Promotion for ''Never Say Never'' began with Brandy's appearance on music magazine ''
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 ...
''s April 1998 cover, followed by a massive print campaign, including cover shoots for ''
Teen People
''People'' is an American weekly magazine that specializes in celebrity news and human-interest stories. It is published by Dotdash Meredith, a subsidiary of IAC (company), IAC. With a readership of 46.6 million adults in 2009, ''People ...
'' and ''
Ebony
Ebony is a dense black/brown hardwood, coming from several species in the genus ''Diospyros'', which also contains the persimmons. Unlike most woods, ebony is dense enough to sink in water. It is finely textured and has a mirror finish when pol ...
'' as well as coverage in
fanzine
A fanzine (blend word, blend of ''fan (person), fan'' and ''magazine'' or ''-zine'') is a non-professional and non-official publication produced by fan (person), enthusiasts of a particular cultural phenomenon (such as a literary or musical genre) ...
s.
The co-marketing venture between ''Vibe'' and
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 ...
resulted in a number of joint projects, such as a ''Vibe''–Brandy website, a college marketing tour, and several retail and radio promotions.
With television channel
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 ...
, Brandy hosted the network's
spring break shows in Jamaica on March 13–15.
On May 14, Brandy performed "The Boy Is Mine" for the first time, solo on ''
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 ...
''. In June, Brandy performed "Top of the World" alongside Mase at the
1998 MTV Movie Awards. On June 13, MTV aired a special in which Brandy presented a video countdown that consisted of her favorite music videos. The following day, MTV produced a 30-minute ''Ultra Sound'' segment special about her.
On June 16, Brandy appeared on ''
CBS This Morning
''CBS This Morning'' (''CTM'') is an American morning television program that aired on CBS from November 30, 1987, to October 29, 1999, and again from January 9, 2012, to September 6, 2021. The program was aired from Monday through Saturday. ...
''. On July 17, Brandy went on ''
The View'' ; Three days later, she appeared on ''
Live with Regis and Kathie Lee
''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 July 22, Brandy appeared on ''
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 August 28, she made yet another appearance on ''The Tonight Show with Jay Leno'' ; this time performing "Have You Ever". On September 3, Brandy performed the remix version of "Top of the World" alongside rappers
Big Pun
Christopher Lee Rios (November 10, 1971 – February 7, 2000), better known by his stage name Big Pun (short for Big Punisher), was an American rapper. Emerging from the underground hip hop scene in the Bronx borough of New York City in the ea ...
and
Fat Joe
Joseph Antonio Cartagena (born August 19, 1970), better known by his stage name Fat Joe, is an American rapper from New York City. He began his music career as a member of hip hop group Diggin' in the Crates Crew (D.I.T.C.), then forged a sol ...
at the
Soul Train Lady of Soul 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 ...
. Also in September, Brandy and Monica performed "The Boy Is Mine" live for the first time together at the
1998 MTV Video Music Awards
The 1998 MTV Video Music Awards aired live on September 10, 1998, honoring the best music videos from June 17, 1997, to June 12, 1998. The show was hosted by Ben Stiller at Gibson Amphitheatre in Los Angeles.
Madonna was the most successful winn ...
. On September 26, Brandy performed at the Hip-Hop Unity Festival held at the
Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum
The Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum (also known as the L.A. Coliseum) is a multi-purpose stadium in the Exposition Park neighborhood of Los Angeles, California. Conceived as a hallmark of civic pride, the Coliseum was commissioned in 1921 as a mem ...
. On October 11, Brandy performed at the 1998 International Achievement in Arts Awards. Two days later she made an appearance on ''
The Rosie O'Donnell Show
''The Rosie O'Donnell Show'' is an American daytime variety television talk show created, hosted, and produced by actress and comedian Rosie O'Donnell. It premiered on June 10, 1996, and concluded after six seasons on May 22, 2002.
This talk sh ...
''.
On January 11, 1999, Brandy and actress
Melissa Joan Hart
Melissa Joan Hart (born April 18, 1976) is an American actress, producer, and director. She had starring roles as the title characters in the sitcoms ''Clarissa Explains It All'' (1991–1994), ''Sabrina the Teenage Witch'' (1996–2003), and ''M ...
hosted the
1999 American Music Awards at the
Shrine Auditorium
The Shrine Auditorium is a landmark large-event venue in Los Angeles, California. It is also the headquarters of the Al Malaikah Temple, a division of the Shriners. It was designated a Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monument (No. 139) in 1975, and ...
in Los Angeles. During the award ceremony, she performed her song "Have You Ever?". On January 31, Brandy and rapper
LL Cool J
James Todd Smith (born January 14, 1968), known professionally as LL Cool J (short for Ladies Love Cool James), is an American rapper, songwriter, record producer, and actor. He is one of the earliest rappers to achieve commercial success, along ...
hosted Miami radio station
WEDR
WEDR (99.1 FM, "99 Jamz") is a radio station serving the South Florida region and licensed to Miami, Florida. WEDR has an unusually wide music selection for a mainstream urban-formatted radio station that ranges from typical hip-hop and R&B t ...
's
Super Bowl
The Super Bowl is the annual final playoff game of the National Football League (NFL) to determine the league champion. It has served as the final game of every NFL season since 1966, replacing the NFL Championship Game. Since 2022, the game ...
concert, surrounding
Super Bowl XXXIII
Super Bowl XXXIII was an American football game played between the American Football Conference (AFC) champion Denver Broncos (who were also defending their Super Bowl XXXII championship) and the National Football Conference (NFC) champion Atla ...
. In March 1999, Brandy joined former
First Lady
First lady is an unofficial title usually used for the wife, and occasionally used for the daughter or other female relative, of a non-monarchical
A monarchy is a form of government in which a person, the monarch, is head of state fo ...
Hillary Rodham Clinton
Hillary Diane Rodham Clinton ( Rodham; born October 26, 1947) is an American politician, diplomat, and former lawyer who served as the 67th United States Secretary of State for President Barack Obama from 2009 to 2013, as a United States senat ...
and
Attorney General
In most common law jurisdictions, the attorney general or attorney-general (sometimes abbreviated AG or Atty.-Gen) is the main legal advisor to the government. The plural is attorneys general.
In some jurisdictions, attorneys general also have exec ...
Janet Reno
Janet Wood Reno (July 21, 1938 – November 7, 2016) was an American lawyer who served as the 78th United States attorney general. She held the position from 1993 to 2001, making her the second-longest serving attorney general, behind only Wi ...
at the
National Museum of Women in the Arts
The National Museum of Women in the Arts (NMWA), located in Washington, D.C., is "the first museum in the world solely dedicated" to championing women through the arts. NMWA was incorporated in 1981 by Wallace and Wilhelmina Holladay. Since openin ...
to recognize six young women that were selected for the second annual Volunteerism Awards. On April 13, Brandy performed alongside
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 ...
,
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 "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Queen of Rock 'n' Roll", she rose to prominence as the lead singer o ...
,
Cher
Cher (; born Cherilyn Sarkisian; May 20, 1946) is an American singer, actress and television personality. Often referred to by the media as the Honorific nicknames in popular music, "Goddess of Pop", she has been described as embodying female ...
,
Chaka Khan
Yvette Marie Stevens (born March 23, 1953), better known by her stage name Chaka Khan (), is an American singer. Her career has spanned more than five decades, beginning in the 1970s as the lead vocalist of the funk band Rufus. Known as the " Qu ...
, and
Faith Hill
Audrey Faith McGraw (; born September 21, 1967), known professionally as Faith Hill, is an American singer and actress. She is one of the most successful country music artists of all time, having sold more than 40 million albums worldwide.
Hill' ...
, among others, at ''
VH1 Divas Live '99''. By May 1999, Brandy had embarked on a world tour with shows in France, Germany, the Netherlands, and Japan.
Also in May, she performed "Almost Doesn't Count" on ''The Tonight Show with Jay Leno'' In June, Brandy returned to the US for the North American leg of her tour which was originally scheduled to run from June 18 to August 2.
[ The tour was cut short because she had to film the then-upcoming fifth season of her ]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 prod ...
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 ...
''.[ On September 8, 1999 she performed "U Don't Know Me (Like U Used To)", on ''The Tonight Show with Jay Leno''.
In retail, a Brandy standee was provided to merchants, while the album was made part of "price and positing" programs at all major national accounts and urban indie accounts nationally upon its release.] Other marketing items for ''Never Say Never'' included a partnering with DC Comics
DC Comics, Inc. (doing business as DC) is an American comic book publisher and the flagship unit of DC Entertainment, a subsidiary of Warner Bros. Discovery.
DC Comics is one of the largest and oldest American comic book companies, with thei ...
, which created a Brandy comic book
A comic book, also called comicbook, comic magazine or (in the United Kingdom and Ireland) simply comic, is a publication that consists of comics art in the form of sequential juxtaposed panels that represent individual scenes. Panels are of ...
in September 1998 for junior high and high school students. Atlantic also discussed plans 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 ...
for a cross-promotion between the home video 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 ...
'' (1997) and the album, as well as the production of a major TV special, involving corporate sponsors.
Singles
" 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, ...
, was the first song to be lifted from ''Never Say Never'' in May 1998. Released to generally positive reviews from contemporary music critics, it became the first No. 1 pop record for both artists, both stateside and internationally. In the United States, "The Boy Is Mine" became the best-selling song of the year, spending 13 weeks on top of the US ''Billboard'' Hot 100 during the summer of 1998. It was certified 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 ...
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) and ranked eighth on ''Billboard''s decade-end chart. Internationally, the single also achieved a strong charting, peaking at No. 1 in Canada, the Netherlands and New Zealand, while reaching the top five on most of the other charts on which it appeared. " Top of the World" featuring 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 ...
served as the album's second single. The song was less successful around the world, but reached No. 2 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 ...
. It was certified silver by the British Phonographic Industry
British Phonographic Industry (BPI) is the British recorded music industry's Trade association. It runs the BRIT Awards, the Classic BRIT Awards, National Album Day, is home to the Mercury Prize, and co-owns the Official Charts Company with th ...
(BPI) on October 23, 1998.
"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 ...
" was released as the album's third single throughout fall 1998. It became the second song from ''Never Say Never'' to reach the top position on both the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 and the New Zealand Singles Chart
The Official New Zealand Music Chart ( mi, Te Papa Tātai Waiata Matua o Aotearoa) is the weekly New Zealand top 40 singles and albums charts, issued weekly by Recorded Music NZ (formerly Recording Industry Association of New Zealand). The Music ...
, while reaching the top twenty in most English-speaking countries. The ballad garnered a generally mixed reception from critics and was ranked 14th on ''Billboard''s 1999 year-end chart. Midtempo track " Angel in Disguise" featuring prominent backing vocals by singer Joe
Joe or JOE may refer to:
Arts
Film and television
* ''Joe'' (1970 film), starring Peter Boyle
* ''Joe'' (2013 film), starring Nicolas Cage
* ''Joe'' (TV series), a British TV series airing from 1966 to 1971
* ''Joe'', a 2002 Canadian animated ...
, was released as a radio single on January 21, 1999, in the United States only. It reached the top twenty on the ''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 ...
based on airplay alone. "Almost Doesn't Count
"Almost Doesn't Count" is a song by American singer Brandy Norwood. It was written by Shelly Peiken and Guy Roche and recorded by Norwood for her second studio album, '' Never Say Never'' (1998). Atlantic Records consulted Fred Jerkins III to re ...
" was released in the second quarter of 1999, serving as the album's fifth single. The ballad reached the top twenty on the majority of all charts it appeared on and was promoted by a performance in the 1999 film ''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 ...
'', starring 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 ...
and Brandy herself.
"U Don't Know Me (Like U Used To)
"U Don't Know Me (Like U Used To)" is a song by American recording artist Brandy Norwood. It was written by Isaac Phillips, Paris Davis, Sean Bryant, Rodney "Darkchild" Jerkins, and Norwood for her second studio album '' Never Say Never'' (1998). ...
" was selected as the album's fifth single and marked the final single to be released from ''Never Say Never'' in North America. A minor commercial success, the song reached No. 79 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 and the top thirty on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart. In support of the single, a remix version of the track featuring female rappers Shaunta and Da Brat
Shawntae Harris-Dupart (born April 14, 1974), better known by her stage name Da Brat, is an American rapper. Born and raised in Chicago, Illinois, she began her career in 1992, the year she signed with So So Def Records. Her debut album ''Funkda ...
was released, accompanied by a remix EP entitled '' U Don't Know Me... Like U Used To – The Remix EP''. In German-speaking Europe, "U Don't Know Me (Like U Used To)" appeared as a B-side
The A-side and B-side are the two sides of phonograph records and cassettes; these terms have often been printed on the labels of two-sided music recordings. The A-side usually features a recording that its artist, producer, or record compan ...
on the promotional single "Never Say Never". It failed to chart, however. In Oceania, the Bryan Adams
Bryan Guy Adams (born 5 November 1959) is a Canadian musician, singer, songwriter, composer, and photographer. He has been cited as one of the best-selling music artists of all time, and is estimated to have sold between 75 million and mor ...
cover "(Everything I Do) I Do It for You
"(Everything I Do) I Do It for You" is a song by Canadian singer-songwriter Bryan Adams. Written by Adams, Michael Kamen, and Robert John "Mutt" Lange, the power ballad was the lead single for both the soundtrack album from the 1991 film '' Robi ...
" was released as the album's sixth single instead. It reached No. 28 on the New Zealand Singles Chart.
Critical reception
''Never Say Never'' received mostly positive reviews from music critics. 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 ...
gave the album four out of five stars and noted it a "better, more adventurous record than her debut," adding: "Brandy wisely decides to find a middle ground between Mariah Carey
Mariah Carey (; born March 27, 1969) is an American singer, songwriter, actress, and record producer. Referred to as the " Songbird Supreme", she is noted for her five-octave vocal range, melismatic singing style and signature use of the whi ...
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
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 ...
with a slight streetwise edge. erdelivery has improved and her subdued vocals can make mediocre material sound convincing. Still, what makes ''Never Say Never'' a winning record is the quality songs and production." Daryl Easlea from BBC Music
BBC Music is responsible for the music played across the BBC. The current director of music is Bob Shennan, who is also the controller of BBC Radio 2, BBC Radio 6 Music, and the BBC Asian Network.
Officially it is a part of the BBC's Radio o ...
felt that the collection of smooth, mid-paced jams provided a snapshot of commercial R&B from the era. He described ''Never Say Never'' "as the epitome of a mixed bag. However, given that a lot of R&B in the late 90s sounds like an ornate musical box revolving, the album is an intelligent brew that deviates sufficiently from that template and plays to Brandy and executive producer Rodney Jerkins's considerable strengths."
Paul Verna from ''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 ...
'' gave the album a mixed review. Verna felt that Brandy showed maturity and confidence on songs like "The Boy Is Mine"; yet the album as a whole was filled with “trend-conscious moves” from guest raps from Mase to “sound alike melodies ” similar 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 ...
. Overall, he expressed that Brandy should focus more on developing her own artistry opposed to imitating other artists. ''The Spokesman-Review
''The Spokesman-Review'' is a daily broadsheet newspaper based in Spokane, Washington, the city's sole remaining daily publication. It has the third-highest readership among daily newspapers in the state, with most of its readership base in ...
'' critic Richard Harrington was positive with the album, writing: "Brandy is co-writer on six of the album's 16 songs and no matter their achievement lyrically, she finds herself grown-up and confident, without taking any false steps."
''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 ...
'' magazine was generally positive with the album, giving it three stars out of five stars rating, and wrote: "Brandy exudes more pizazz than the Hanson
Hanson or Hansson may refer to:
People
* Hanson (surname)
* Hansson (surname)
* Hanson (wrestler), ringname of an American professional wrestler
Musical groups
* Hanson (band), an American pop rock band
* Hanson (UK band), an English rock ba ...
brothers combined and bursts with enough naive charm to make Jewel look like a jaded sailor. Her second album bubbles with that same effervescence .." J. D. Considine
J. D. Considine (born 1957) is a music critic who has been writing about music professionally since 1977.
Background
J. D. Considine's work has been published in numerous newspapers and music magazines, and he has contributed to several books. ...
, reviewer 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 ...
'', felt that Norwood's voice was lacking passion on the album. Although he indicated that it was "hard to argue with Brandy's deference to the rhythm, especially when she rides one of producer Rodney Jerkins itchily propulsive tracks," he also noted that it was flattening "its emotional range, until the romantic bliss of "Happy," the dogged determination of " Never Say Never," and the conflicted affection of " Angel in Disguise" all end up sounding pretty much the same." He gave the album a B rating. Angela Lewis, writer for ''The Independent
''The Independent'' is a British online newspaper. It was established in 1986 as a national morning printed paper. Nicknamed the ''Indy'', it began as a broadsheet and changed to tabloid format in 2003. The last printed edition was publis ...
'' was disappointed with the album, saying: "This is pop R&B without the soul, and could see Brandy without a future in the adult big league. She lacks real command of tracks like "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 ...
", showing she's better at playing by the rules than anything else." 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 two-star honorable mention and picked out its three songs ("The Boy Is Mine", "U Don't Know Me" and "Almost Doesn't Count") while describing Brandy as "America's sweetheart, and why not?"
Accolades
, -
! scope="row" rowspan="2", 1998
1998 was designated as the ''International Year of the Ocean''.
Events January
* January 6 – The '' Lunar Prospector'' spacecraft is launched into orbit around the Moon, and later finds evidence for frozen water, in soil in permanently ...
, rowspan="2", 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) ...
, Video of the Year
, rowspan="8", " The Boy Is Mine"
,
, rowspan="5",
, -
, Best R&B Video
The MTV Video Music Award for Best R&B was first awarded in 1993 under the name of Best R&B Video, and it was given every year until 2006, as the following year MTV revamped the VMAs and eliminated all the genre categories. The following year, thou ...
,
, -
! scope="row" rowspan="3", 1998
, rowspan="3", ''Billboard'' Music Award
, Hot 100 Sales Single of the Year
,
, -
, R&B Sales Single of the Year
,
, -
, Dance Maxi Sales Single of the Year
,
, -
! scope="row" rowspan="4", 1999
File:1999 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The funeral procession of King Hussein of Jordan in Amman; the 1999 İzmit earthquake kills over 17,000 people in Turkey; the Columbine High School massacre, one of the first major school shootin ...
, rowspan="4", 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 ...
, Record of the Year
The Grammy Award for Record of the Year is presented by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to "honor artistic achievement, technical proficiency and overall excellence in the recording industry, without reg ...
,
, rowspan="4",
, -
, Best R&B Song
The Grammy Award for Best R&B Song (sometimes known as the R&B Songwriter's Award) has been awarded since 1969. From 1969 to 2000, it was known as the Grammy Award for Best Rhythm and Blues Song. Beyoncé has won it a record four times, while Bab ...
,
, -
, Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals 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 ...
,
, -
, Best R&B Album
The Grammy Award for Best R&B Album is 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 R&B music genre. Honors ...
, rowspan="3", ''Never Say Never''
,
, -
! scope="row", 1999
, Echo Award
Echo Music Prize (stylised as ECHO, ) was an accolade by the , an association of recording companies of Germany to recognize outstanding achievement in the music industry. The first ECHO Awards ceremony was held in 1992, and it was set up to hono ...
, Newcomer of the year, International
,
,
, -
! scope="row" rowspan="2", 1999
File:1999 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The funeral procession of King Hussein of Jordan in Amman; the 1999 İzmit earthquake kills over 17,000 people in Turkey; the Columbine High School massacre, one of the first major school shootin ...
, rowspan="2", Soul Train Music 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 Female R&B/Soul Album, Female
,
, rowspan="2",
, -
, Best R&B/Soul Single, Group, Band or Duo
, "The Boy Is Mine"
,
, -
! scope="row", 1999
File:1999 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The funeral procession of King Hussein of Jordan in Amman; the 1999 İzmit earthquake kills over 17,000 people in Turkey; the Columbine High School massacre, one of the first major school shootin ...
, MTV Video Music Award
, Best R&B Video
, "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 ...
"
,
,
, -
! scope="row", 2000
File:2000 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: Protests against Bush v. Gore after the 2000 United States presidential election; Heads of state meet for the Millennium Summit; The International Space Station in its infant form as seen from ...
, Grammy Award
, 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 ...
, "Almost Doesn't Count
"Almost Doesn't Count" is a song by American singer Brandy Norwood. It was written by Shelly Peiken and Guy Roche and recorded by Norwood for her second studio album, '' Never Say Never'' (1998). Atlantic Records consulted Fred Jerkins III to re ...
"
,
,
Commercial performance
''Never Say Never'' debuted at No. 3 on the ''Billboard'' 200 for the week of June 16, 1998, selling 160,000 units in its first week–Norwood's largest first-week sales. The following week, the album managed to climb up to its peak position at No. 2, even though its sales had dipped slightly to 152,000 copies. On 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 ...
chart the album debuted and peaked at No. 2; where it charted for 68 consecutive weeks. By its 14th week on the ''Billboard'' 200 chart, ''Never Say Never'' had sold 1.4 million copies. By December 1998, ''Never Say Never'' sold 2.6 million copies in the United States. In January 1999 the album was ranked as the 13th best-selling album of 1998 with total sales at 2.9 million. The following year in January 2000, the album was the 62nd best-selling album of 1999 selling 1.3 million copies during that year. In March 2002 sales for the album stood at over 4.4 million copies sold. In February 2003 the album sold an additional 665,000 copies through BMG Music Club
Bertelsmann Music Group (BMG) was a division of a German media company Bertelsmann before its completion of sale of the majority of its assets to Sony Corporation of America on 1 October 2008. Although it was established in 1987, the music co ...
. By June 2004 ''Never Say Never'' sold 4.5 million copies. In total it has spent 72 consecutive weeks on the ''Billboard'' 200—28 of which were within the top 20—and as of 2012, the album has sold 4.6 million copies in the United States according to Nielsen Soundscan
Luminate (formerly Nielsen SoundScan, Nielsen Music Products, and MRC Data) is a provider of music sales data. Established by Mike Fine and Mike Shalett in 1991, data is collected weekly and made available every Sunday (for albums sales) and eve ...
. In December 1999, the album was certified quintuple platinum 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) for five million shipped units.
In Canada ''Never Say Never'' debuted on ''RPM s Top Albums/CDs chart at No. 3 on the issue dated June 29, 1998. The album remained at No. 3 for two additional weeks on the weeks ending on July 6, 1998 and July 13, 1998. Overall, the album has spent a total of 54 consecutive weeks on the Top Albums/CDs chart. On August 27, 1999, the album was certified Quadruple platinum 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 denoting shipments of 400,000 units. In the UK the album debuted at No. 21 on the UK Albums Chart
The Official Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales and (from March 2015) audio streaming in the United Kingdom. It was published for the first time on 22 July 1956 and is compiled every week by the Official Charts C ...
on June 14, 1998. In its tenth week, the album climbed to a new peak of No. 19. The album went on to sell 260,000 copies in the United Kingdom, and was eventually certified platinum by the British Phonographic Industry
British Phonographic Industry (BPI) is the British recorded music industry's Trade association. It runs the BRIT Awards, the Classic BRIT Awards, National Album Day, is home to the Mercury Prize, and co-owns the Official Charts Company with th ...
(BPI), denoting shipments of 300,000 copies. By May 1999, ''Never Say Never'' had sold seven million copies worldwide, according to ''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 ...
''.
In January 2000, Yahoo! Music
Yahoo! Music was a brand under which Yahoo! provided a variety of music services, including Internet radio, music videos, news, artist information, and original programming. Previously, users with Yahoo! accounts could gain access to hundreds of ...
reported that ''Never Say Never'' had been certified quadruple platinum in Canada, double platinum in Japan, platinum in Australia, New Zealand and South Africa, and gold in Ireland, Germany, France, Denmark, the Philippines, Indonesia and Malaysia. To date, the album remains Norwood's biggest-selling effort with worldwide sales in excess of 16 million copies.
Impact and legacy
While her debut album had been a major success in the United States, ''Never Say Never'' was credited with Norwood's international breakthrough and facilitated her in becoming a viable recording artist with media–crossing appeal in music, film, and television. Claire Lobenfeld from ''Fact
A fact is a datum about one or more aspects of a circumstance, which, if accepted as true and proven true, allows a logical conclusion to be reached on a true–false evaluation. Standard reference works are often used to check facts. Scient ...
'' found that while "Brandy's self-titled debut was sweet and flirty, its follow-up separated her from being just a pop singer with an accelerating star to one with something to say." ''HipHopDX
''HipHopDX'' is an online magazine of hip hop music criticism and news. The website's current president and publisher is Sharath Cherian and the Head Of Content is Jerry L. Barrow. ''HipHopDX'' is the flagship publication of Cheri Media Group.
...
''s Aaron McKrell remarked that "Brandy's newfound maturity was reflected in her music, and audiences and critics alike raved about the pop-tinged R&B that permeated the album," with Lela Olds, writing for ''The Boombox
Townsquare Media, Inc. (formerly Regent Communications until 2010) is an American radio network and media company based in Purchase, New York. The company started in radio and expanded into digital media toward the end of the 2000s, starting wi ...
'', further reporting that she "grew confident as both an artist and a young woman on ''Never Say Never'', creating an album that showed both personal and vocal growth." ''Never Say Never'' is Norwood's most successful album to date, with worldwide sales of 14 million records, including singles and album copies. One of the biggest-selling album of the year for WEA Music
Warner Music Group Corp. ( d.b.a. Warner Music Group, commonly abbreviated as WMG) is an American multinational entertainment and record label conglomerate headquartered in New York City. It is one of the " big three" recording companies and t ...
, ''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 ...
'' ranked ''Never Say Never'' among the most successful comeback albums of 1998.
Musically, ''Never Say Never'' blueprinted Norwood's signature "silky, smooth sound" which would also dominate on following projects. In a 2018 anniversary retrospective, ''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 ...
'' editor Brittney Fennell declared ''Never Say Never'' as Norwood's "career-defining magnum opus
A masterpiece, ''magnum opus'' (), or ''chef-d’œuvre'' (; ; ) in modern use is a creation that has been given much critical praise, especially one that is considered the greatest work of a person's career or a work of outstanding creativity, ...
." She felt that "it is arguably one of the best R&B albums of the 90s ..There were a plethora of young female R&B singers at this time, but Brandy's star power allowed her to transcend genres by transforming her style of R&B into pop music." In a similar article, Da’Shan Smith from ''Revolt
Rebellion, uprising, or insurrection is a refusal of obedience or order. It refers to the open resistance against the orders of an established authority.
A rebellion originates from a sentiment of indignation and disapproval of a situation and ...
'' noted that while the album "had an electric sensibility directed towards the approaching new millennium, they helped finalize the standard for what a pop&B diva's midtempos and ballads should consist of ..Looking back at ''Never Say Never'', one could argue that Brandy remodeled the construct of a teen-star-pushing-20." Critics noted that her ability to grow musically while simultaneously balancing life as an actress served as role model material for other teen singers such as Britney Spears
Britney Jean Spears (born December 2, 1981) is an American singer. Often referred to as the " Princess of Pop", she is credited with influencing the revival of teen pop during the late 1990s and early 2000s. After appearing in stage productio ...
and Christina Aguilera
Christina María Aguilera (; ; born December 18, 1980) is an American singer, songwriter, actress, and television personality. Known for her four-octave vocal range and ability to sustain high notes, she has been referred to as the " Voice of ...
who had upcoming studio debuts. In fact, both Spears and Aguilera referred to Norwood and ''Never Say Never'', as one of their influences during the recording sessions for their debut albums.
Aside from boosting Norwood's own success, ''Never Say Never'' became instrumental in promoting the careers of many from those involved in the making of the album who were relatively unknown prior to its release, notably chief producer Rodney Jerkins, his brother Fred and songwriter LaShawn Daniels. The trio would go on to work with industry veterans such as 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 ...
, 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 ...
, and Toni Braxton
Toni Michele Braxton (born October 7, 1967) is an American Contemporary R&B, 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. ...
as well as upcoming performers such as Jennifer Lopez
Jennifer Lynn Affleck (' Lopez; born July 24, 1969), also known as J.Lo, is an American singer, actress and dancer. In 1991, she began appearing as a Fly Girl dancer on the sketch comedy television series ''In Living Color'', where she rema ...
and Destiny's Child
Destiny's Child was an American girl group whose final line-up comprised Beyoncé Knowles, Kelly Rowland, and Michelle Williams. The group began their musical career as Girl's Tyme, formed in 1990 in Houston, Texas. After years of limited ...
, while reteaming with Norwood – to varying commercial and critical success – on her third and fifth studio 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 coordinate system, ecliptic longitudes of the Sun and Moon opp ...
'' (2002) and ''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, culture, ...
'' (2008). Norwood herself commented in a 2018 interview with music website ''Okayplayer
Okayplayer is an online hip-hop and alternative music website and community, described by ''Rolling Stone'' as a "tastemaker" and "an antidote to dull promotional Web sites used by most artists".
The community was founded by The Roots' drummer ...
'': "''Never Say Never'' changed the course of my life. I found one of the best producers odney Jerkinsin the world to help me find my new sound. I was so free to try things vocally and the Darkchild team gave me their best work and sweet support." In 2020, she ranked the album among her three favorite releases.
Track listing
Credits adapted from the liner notes of ''Never Say Never''.
Notes
* denotes additional producer
Personnel
Credits adapted from the liner notes of ''Never Say Never''.
* Anas Allaf – guitar
* Monica Arnold
Monica Denise Arnold (formerly Brown; born October 24, 1980) is an American singer, rapper and actress. Born and raised in College Park, Georgia, she began performing as a child and became part of a traveling gospel choir at the age of ten. Moni ...
– lead vocals, backing vocals
* Tom Bender – mixing assistance
* Chuckii Booker
Eugene Allen Booker, Jr. (born December 19, 1962), known professionally as Chuckii Booker, is an American producer, singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and bandleader.
Biography
Booker emerged in the late 1980s as a prominent urban contem ...
– drums
* Leslie Brathwaite – engineer
* Thomas Bricker – art director
* Alex Brown – backing vocals
* Gerry Brown – mixing
* Bridgette Bryant – backing vocals
* Carmen Carter – backing vocals
* Paris Davis – executive producer
* Ken Deranteriasian – engineer, mixing
* Nathan East
Nathan Harrell East (born December 8, 1955) is an American jazz, R&B, and rock bass player and vocalist. With more than 2,000 recordings, East is one of the most recorded bass players in the history of music. East holds a Bachelor of Arts degr ...
– bass
* Felipe Elgueta – engineer
* David Foster
David Walter Foster (born November 1, 1949) is a Canadian musician, composer, arranger, record producer and music executive who chaired Verve Records from 2012 to 2016. He has won 16 Grammy Awards from 47 nominations. His music career spans mor ...
– keyboard
* Brian Gardner
Brian Knapp Gardner, also known as Brian "Big Bass" Gardner, is an American mastering engineer. He has worked on a number of recordings since the mid-1960s, including classic rock, funk, disco, alternative rock, R&B, hip hop, pop punk and dance- ...
– mastering
* Ben Garrison – engineer
* Brad Gilderman – engineer, mixing
* Nikisha Grierf – backing vocals
* Bernie Grundman
Bernie Grundman is an American audio engineer.
He is most known for his mastering work and his studio, Bernie Grundman Mastering, which he opened in 1984 in Hollywood. The studio, which includes engineers Chris Bellman, Patricia Sullivan, and Mi ...
– mastering
* Mick Guzauski
Nathan "Mick" Guzauski is an American multi-platinum mixing engineer and sound engineer.
His work spans a wide range of styles, including jazz, R&B, Latin, rock, pop, easy listening, funk and hip hop. He won a 2002 Latin Grammy for Thalía's ...
– mixing
* Dorian Holley
Dorian Jose Holley is an American musician, backing singer and a vocal coach. He began his professional career as an on-stage backing vocalist for American entertainer Michael Jackson during his Bad World Tour in 1987. He staged a series of live c ...
– backing vocals
* LaTonya Holman – backing vocals
* Jean-Marie Horvat – engineer
* Richard Jackson – backing vocals
* Bobette Jamison-Harrison – backing vocals
* 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
* Donyle Jones – backing vocals
* Craig Kallman
Craig Kallman is an American entrepreneur and former DJ. He is currently the chairman and CEO of Atlantic Records. His career in music began in the 1980s as a DJ in Manhattan. He is the founder of the independent label Big Beat, which was esta ...
– executive producer
* Vatrena King – backing vocals
* Mario Lucy – engineer
* Carlton Lynn – assistant engineer
* Harvey Mason, Jr. – keyboard
* Harvey Mason, Sr. – percussion
* Victor McCoy – engineer, assistant engineer
* James McCrary – backing vocals
* Kristle Murden – backing vocals
* Brandy Norwood
Brandy Rayana Norwood (born February 11, 1979), better known by her mononym Brandy, is an American singer, songwriter, record producer, actress and model. She is known for her distinctive sound, characterized by her peculiar timbre, voice-layer ...
– lead vocals, backing vocals, executive producer, engineer
* Willie Norwood
William Ray Norwood Sr. (born November 30, 1955) is an American gospel singer. He is the father and voice coach of R&B singers Brandy and Ray J.
Career
1975–1992: Early career
Willie Norwood's career in the music industry began at Jackson ...
– backing vocals
* Kayla Parker – backing vocals
* Dean Parks
Weldon Dean Parks (born December 6, 1946) is an American session guitarist and record producer from Fort Worth, Texas.
Albums
Parks was member of the North Texas State One O'clock Lab Band before moving to Los Angeles to work with Sonny and Cher ...
– guitar
* Shelly Peiken
Shelly Meg Peiken is an American songwriter who is best known for co-writing the US No. 1 hits " What a Girl Wants" and " Come On Over Baby" by Christina Aguilera the US No. 2 hit "Bitch" by Meredith Brooks, "Almost Doesn't Count" by Brandy, and ...
– backing vocals
* Isaac Phillips – guitar
* Al Schmitt – engineer
* Rick Sigel – engineer
* Alfie Silas – backing vocals
* Dexter Simmons – mixing
* Moana Suchard – engineer, assistant engineer
* Chris Tergesen – engineer
* Joseph Thomas – backing vocals
* Meri Thomas – backing vocals
* Greg Thompson – assistant engineer
* Michael Thompson – guitar
* Carmen Twillie – backing vocals
* Mervyn Warren
Mervyn Edwin Warren (born February 29, 1964) is an American film composer, record producer, conductor, arranger, lyricist, songwriter, pianist, and vocalist. Warren is a five-time Grammy Award winner and a 10-time Grammy Award nominee. Warren ...
– backing vocals
* Maxine Waters – backing vocals
* Oren Waters – backing vocals
* Rick Williams – guitar
* Yvonne Williams – backing vocals
* BeBe Winans
Benjamin "BeBe" Winans (born September 17, 1962) is an American gospel and R&B singer. He is a member of the noted Winans family, most members of which are also gospel artists. Winans has released nine albums, seven with his sister CeCe Winans, C ...
– backing vocals
* Monalisa Young – backing vocals
Charts
Weekly charts
Year-end charts
Decade-end charts
Certifications
Release history
See also
* Album era
The album era was a period in English-language popular music from the mid-1960s to the mid-2000s in which the album was the dominant form of recorded music expression and consumption. It was primarily driven by three successive music recording ...
* List of UK R&B Albums Chart number ones of 1998
Notes
References
Bibliography
*
*
External links
Official website
{{Authority control
1998 albums
Atlantic Records albums
Albums produced by Rodney Jerkins
Albums produced by Dallas Austin
Albums produced by David Foster
Albums produced by Guy Roche
Brandy Norwood albums