|
 Most
teen groups--regardless of genre--find themselves churning out gooey
bubblegum songs that irritate everyone over the age of 16. Then comes
Brandy, a teenage quadruple-platinum selling R&B singer whose bright
midtempo ballads about friendship and love have crossed age and genre
barriers, clearly making her the most popular teenage soul singer of the
'90s.
Brandy Norwood grew up in a musical home; the influence of her father, a
choir director, appears on her two album releases, 1994's Brandy and
1998's Never Say Never. But though singing may have always been her
first love, a professional acting gig on the short-lived sitcom Thea was
the singer's first big break. Brandy spent that television season
simultaneously filming the sitcom and recording her self-titled debut.
Brandy was an immediate success. The first single, "I Wanna Be Down,"
which included a ground-breaking remix featuring female rappers MC Lyte,
Yo Yo and Queen Latifah, quickly reached the top of the charts, as did
subsequent singles, like "Baby," "Best Friend" and "Broken Hearted," a
duet with Boyz II Men singer Wayna Morris. Brandy toured with Boyz II
Men and Babyface, recorded songs for soundtracks such as Waiting To
Exhale and Batman Forever, then landed another acting role: UPN offered
Brandy her own sitcom, Moesha, which remains the network's highest-rated
sitcom for the second consecutive season. Brandy Links
The
release of Brandy's long-awaited sophomore album has met with more
impressive chart action, beginning with her much-discussed duet with
fellow teen R&B icon Monica. Brandy's reliance on using new talented
producers, Keith Crouch and Rodney Jerkins, for her first and second
discs, respectively, keeps her sound changing and growth potential
increasing. On top of that success, Brandy's big screen debut in I Still
Know What You Did Last Summer (the creatively-titled sequel to I Know
What You Did Last Summer) establishes her a legitimate horror flick
queen. Brandy might have the ability to join the ranks of Lena Horne,
Cher and Diana Ross, of whom have conquered careers in both film and
popular music. |
