Includes Two Eleven at #49
QuoteThere was an excruciating wait for R&B icon Brandy's (also lovingly dubbed The Vocal Bible's) follow-up to 2008's incredibly underrated Human. But, thankfully, her sole release of the decade, Two Eleven, gloriously arrived as a 15-track testament to love, sex and heartbreak with more forward-thinking production.
As a statement, Two Eleven denotes both Brandy's birthday and the date of death for her mentor and friend Whitney Houston. As such, the album can be considered a rebirth for the singer, who embraced edgier concepts and engaged with progressive R&B trends to create something current and fresh. It still, however, retains all the classically Brandy aspects fans crave with her typically layered harmonies, astonishing agile runs and rich timbre.
There are many engaging quirks on the project: a Lykke Li sample on the boppy "Let Me Go", the UK garage influence on the coy "Slower", and the bouncy minimalism of "Put It Down". Almost no track could be said to be similar in vibe to the one preceding it.
With a bountiful array of upbeat numbers, she also naturally turns into more introspective and romantically yearning tracks. The Frank Ocean-written "Scared of Beautiful" is a lovely yet sombre track about avoiding the good aspects of life and taking refuge in cynicism. Of course, the album also harks back to some glorious mid-tempo balladry such as the exquisitely romantic and pleading "Without You" and the gospel-tinged, organically-instrumented "Wildest Dream". Brandy was not aiming for a cohesive record but rather one that delivers an array of different flavors all prepared to a high standard.
This album also embodied a grown sexiness such as on the blippy, playful "Do You Know What You Have?"; an emphatic question that encourages a lover to acknowledge that their partner is special and Brandy has no qualms about finding someone who knows her worth if it's not meant to be ("If you change your mind boy / You're free to go / Just do me a favour / Leave your keys on the table.") The deliciously jarring "What You Need" begins with blossoming harmonies and dramatic strings before segueing into a deep bass rhythm strong enough to knock your fillings out as she sings "I'll be in the kitchen in your favourite position."
Arguably her most experimental track (and the best on the project), "So Sick" is a tantalizingly complex array of bass-shattering synths, wacky drum patterns and frenetic melodies. It finds Brandy at her most aggravated and jaded over a partner's shitty actions ("I done seen this flick before / G-g-gave him plenty of warning / He said he wouldn't do it again"). As the chorus progresses into a thrumming modulated keyboard and echoing piano, she admits the difficulty of leaving a toxic relationship ("Sick / When you take him back every time / Cause the love is so amazing / It makes you so / Sick"), and it's a lot more aggressive than Brandy's usual fare as she asks: "Can you tell me how far / Does someone have to push you for them recognize / They pushed you over the line?" Such tracks are a standout in a beloved discography where she frequently pushes the envelope, and Two Eleven proved that she could hold her own alongside a new wave of contemporaries. – JT Early
I'm glad this alb is getting the recognition it deserves
:gorlonfire: :gorlonfire:
https://beatsperminute.com/bpms-top-50-albums-of-the-2010s (https://beatsperminute.com/bpms-top-50-albums-of-the-2010s)
Dope!
Always here for Brandy love. T4P!
:wub:
Ok!! :ohwow:
QuoteThis album also embodied a grown sexiness such as on the blippy, playful "Do You Know What You Have?"; an emphatic question that encourages a lover to acknowledge that their partner is special and Brandy has no qualms about finding someone who knows her worth if it's not meant to be ("If you change your mind boy / You're free to go / Just do me a favour / Leave your keys on the table.")
:gorlonfire: :gorlonfire: :gorlonfire: :gorlonfire: :gorlonfire:
Wait Two 'lev!
This and Human are kinda buried in her discog so they rarely get recognition. this is cool
A friend and I was talking about this recently. 2/11 was a solid album.........outside of PID AND LMG
Quote from: Vonc2002 on November 05, 2021, 02:59:46 PM
2/11 was a solid album.........outside of What You Need AND LMG
Yea :sup:
Yea pid and lmg wasn't fckn good
Quote from: Vonc2002 on November 05, 2021, 02:59:46 PM
A friend and I was talking about this recently. 2/11 was a solid album.........outside of LMG
It's one of Brandy's best albums
The only things stopping it from being legendary are Let Me Go, the repeated intro/outro, and the unfinished section in Can You Hear Me Now
Quote from: Vonc2002 on November 05, 2021, 02:59:46 PM
A friend and I was talking about this recently. 2/11 was a solid album.........outside of PID AND LMG
Very solid. It had something for every Brandy fan.
That intro/outro still send me
Like why the fuck ...
Quote from: zanny on November 05, 2021, 03:12:22 PM
That intro/outro still send me
Like why the fuck ...
Like :uhh:
Quote from: zanny on November 05, 2021, 03:12:22 PM
That intro/outro still send me
Like why the fuck ...
ddfsddd so unnecessary
Quote from: zanny on November 05, 2021, 03:12:22 PM
That intro/outro still send me
Like why the fuck ...
Quote from: TogetherAgain on November 05, 2021, 03:07:20 PM
Quote from: Vonc2002 on November 05, 2021, 02:59:46 PM
A friend and I was talking about this recently. 2/11 was a solid album.........outside of LMG
It's one of Brandy's best albums
The only things stopping it from being legendary are Let Me Go, the repeated intro/outro, and the unfinished section in Can You Hear Me Now
yea I agree with this
2/11 is quality.
Just so we're clear, there's not a damn Bey or Rih album in sight
:justabit:
the album was really good.. we all know DYKWYH should have been a single.. that had RNB hit ALL OVER IT a huge miss it always makes me upset when i play the song
What a lovely album. Full of wasted singles.
Slower was epic so sick too
super solid alber
they were right in saying that no track on there had the same vibe as another .
Which made the album interesting and very fun but also made it her least cohesive IMO.