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Brandy?s ?Never Say Never? Turns 20 | An Anniversary Retrospective
June 8, 2018 by Quentin Harrison

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Happy 20th Anniversary to Brandy?s second studio album Never Say Never, originally released June 9, 1998.

Released one month ahead of the June 1998 drop date for Brandy's second album Never Say Never was its initiating single, ?The Boy Is Mine.? Conceived as a two-way split between herself and her peer Monica, the slick slice of black pop showcased the pair trading cool, but caustic barbs at each other in relation to a romantic liaison with the same man. The song also doubled as the title piece to Monica's sophomore album which premiered two months later. The ensuing sensation the track created?commercially and culturally?still astounds twenty years removed from its reveal. Separate from the phenomenon that was ?The Boy Is Mine? was the respective impact of Brandy?s sophomore LP itself.

Never Say Never followed Brandy (1994), the eponymous debut on the Atlantic label that established the vocalist?and emergent actress?as a preeminent presence in the R&B marketplace. Animated by its compelling streak of singles showcasing Brandy's versatile contralto, Brandy hit the platinum mark four times over in the United States alone. As an entire body of work, the self-titled collection's smooth, hip-hop soul vibe was fetchingly fitted to Brandy's voice and left listeners craving more. Demand for the singer's second offering was high.

The Never Say Never sessions began in the latter half of 1997 with the pressure for Brandy to repeat (and exceed) the critical and commercial performance of her first record. Despite this tension, Brandy kept a level head and carefully vetted the collaborative suggestions from Atlantic Records. Such was the label's counsel that Brandy intersected with the industry-decorated Canadian arranger, producer and writer David Foster.

Wisely sensing that Foster could lend a certain level of pop crossover credibility to the project, Brandy agreed to put down tracks with him. Foster helmed three compositions for the set: ?Have You Ever?,? ?One Voice? and ?(Everything I Do) I Do It For You.? The latter track was a spirited, if ultimately faithful cover of the 1991 power ballad smash by Bryan Adams.

The remainder of Never Say Never was overseen by an enterprising young man that was assuredly on the way up. Rodney ?Darkchild? Jerkins had been the man behind the boards on song pieces for the likes of Vanessa Williams, Mary J. Blige and Joe and it was hoped that he and Brandy would find creative chemistry together.


As it happened, the assembly for Never Say Never allowed Brandy and Jerkins to discover their respective muses in each other and commence one of the most enduring, if tempestuous singer/producer partnerships in popular music history. In addition to his own individual production and writing skills, Jerkins had a close knit pool of colleagues?Harvey Mason Jr., LaShawn Daniels and Fred Jerkins III?to assist him in Never Say Never's construction, while fielding supplemental writing or production contributions from others as needed.

Encouraged by Jerkins to share her feelings and participate in the record making process, Brandy wrote and produced on the LP where she could. The rest of the material contained on Never Say Never reflects various Darkchild staff?or writers/producers commissioned by them?tailoring it all to her life experiences. It makes for a long player that is disarmingly astute in tackling identity (?Top of the World,? ?U Don't Know Me (Like U Used To)?) and romantic turbulence (?Angel in Disguise,? ?Almost Doesn't Count?). By infusing her own pathos into these typically chewed over subjects, the album is a somewhat intimate affair.

Sonically, the semi-confessional scripts are braced by a crisp, digitized take on the soul and black pop indicative of Brandy's sound that brought her into the public consciousness. Swapping out the looser, jazz-like feel of her debut, Brandy instead successfully interfaces with a bright, rhythmic blend of beat and melody equally suitable for midtempo ballads (?Learn the Hard Way?) and uptempo jams (?Happy?).

With its 16 tracks radiating a clear and concise confidence, Never Say Never was sent out into the world on June 9, 1998. Critically and commercially, the effort was a monumental victory for Brandy with seven of its singles, post-?The Boy Is Mine,? carrying the record?domestically and internationally?into the spring of 2000. The collection was also a Grammy favorite with nominations in two calendar years, 1999 and 2000; she won one in 1999.

Accolades aside, Never Say Never is representative of an overall watershed moment for Brandy's legacy in that the album trademarked her exuberant, but mature aestheticism and transformed it into a source of inspiration for much of the modern R&B that came in its wake. It was quite a feat for the little girl who originally held fast to the dream of becoming a Whitney Houston-esque songbird in her own right. But as the saying goes, ?never say never.?

Quote from: 1RIG on June 08, 2018, 06:05:29 PM
I?m so glad she?s back with Harvey mason and LaShawn. I bet Rodney?s worked with her already

I have a feeling

Quote from: 1RIG on June 08, 2018, 06:05:01 PM
That was a great great read
:loose2when:

Still my favorite album from her; EVER. Period.
:stressed:

Whew shit

Quote from: Rxxx on June 08, 2018, 06:59:31 PM
This album cemented her superstardom.
:stressed:

Quote from: Lazarus on June 09, 2018, 04:42:38 AM

Quote from: Rxxx on June 08, 2018, 06:59:31 PM
This album cemented her superstardom.
:stressed:

:stressed:

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When Brandy released Never Say Never on June 9, 1998, R&B had been in the throes of a contemporary renaissance. Brandy also found herself in a metamorphosis stage, both artistically and as a teen star entering adulthood. Comprised of 16 tracks, the singer's sophomore project not only chronicled her adjustments to love and music, but also blueprinted her signature silky, smooth sound.

In a few transformational years leading up to 1998, Missy Elliott and Timbaland framed contemporary R&B's formula of electronic bass beats underscoring witty feminist lyricism, birthing the subgenre of Electro-Hop&B. Singles from the all female-ensemble Waiting To Exhale soundtrack signaled how quiet storm R&B had been a viable candidate in the higher rungs of pop charts and adult contemporary radio. On the flip side, men such as Usher, Maxwell, and Ginuwine elongated babymaking music's presence in the market. D'Angelo and Erykah Badu's respective debuts Brown Sugar (1995) and Baduizm (1997) resparked neo-soul's fire in the mainstream. Mariah Carey made promoting hip-hop/pop&B collabs for singles a thing. Janet Jackson initiated the alternative R&B movement with Velvet Rope (1997). And yet, as the genre was getting more frank and sensually seductive, R&B still had more room for other talents to flourish into superstars.

By the time of the album's release, the then-19-year-old Brandy had wrapped up her third season of the hit UPN primetime sitcom Moesha. Whitney Houston selected her to co-star as the first black Cinderella for Disney, a role that premiered on ABC in 1997 to 60 million viewers. With emphasis placed on Brandy's filmography, fans and critics were more than ready for a full length return to music.

It had been four years since the release of her self-titled debut LP. The hip-hop soul stylings presented in her first single "I Wanna Be Down" started fading into the back of the musical subconscious. In 1996, she'd contribute the No. 2-peaking slow-groove "Sittin' Up In My Room" for the Waiting To Exhale soundtrack, and the Gladys Knight, Tamia, and Chaka Khan gospel-soul collaboration "Missing You" for Set It Off: Music From The New Line Cinema Motion Picture. Those songs peeped how Brandy was primed for the wave of R&B vocal masters flexing over lite midtempos. Plus, her lyric-mezzo soprano voice had grown richer over the years.

Brandy's soar to the top came as no coincidence, as black "femme camaraderie" was being championed in the 90s R&B scene and trickling into black cinema. Still, some media outlets found ways to insert competition for the sake of salacious rivalries, whether that be Mariah Carey and Whitney Houston or, for the sake of Brandy: Aaliyah and Monica.

Also 19 years old, Aaliyah finished her sophomore run with One In A Million by the start of 1998, segueing into more studio acting and modeling for Tommy Hilfiger. Her debut album was released in 1994 a few months prior to Brandy's, but the two always maintained divergent sounds and lanes ? Aaliyah's New Jack Swing chillers opposite her two peers' hip-hop soul confections. Brandy's referred countless times to Aaliyah being an "inspiration." She even wanted to work with Timbaland and Missy for Never Say Never, but that had been prevented.

"The Boy is Mine"?the first single (and third track) from Never Say Never?found Brandy vocally dueling her alleged, younger nemesis Monica. Strategically, the spin on Paul McCartney and Michael Jackson's 1982 Thriller cut "The Girl Is Mine" was meant to turn the tables on media. Ironically, the single appeared on Monica's sophomore album of the same name. That project was released in July, forcing an inevitable charting competition between the two.

Although "The Boy Is Mine" didn't fall in line with the quirky tone of Missy and Timbaland's work, it managed to levitate on Electro-Hop&B's foundations with the production of Rodney "Darkchild" Jerkins. In all its loopy harp and warbling, funkdafied-guitars glory, "The Boy Is Mine" reintroduced Brandy and Monica as their generation's brightest vocalists who developed a stronger arsenal of belting, partner rifting, and emotional elecutions. The club jam?which was co-written by Brandy?dominated the summer of '98, staying put at the Hot 100 summit for 13 weeks.

Before he'd become a faithful client to Taylor Swift, Joseph Kahn directed music videos for hip-hop and R&B royalty?including Aaliyah's motocrossed visuals for "If Your Girl Only Knew" and SWV and Diddy's helicopter-propped "Someone." However, the video for "The Boy Is Mine" launched his pop music breakthrough.

Its sleek aesthetic featured leather furniture and pants juxtaposed by primarily purple and lavender color palettes on Brandy's side of the split screen. It ultimately placed a feel and look to the album's overall futuristic tone, while highlighting the simplistic modesty behind her journey to take music more seriously.

The Never Say Never album cover added to that, as it displayed a grayscale soft image of Brandy midsmile, only one half of her box braids hairdo and glowing face visible. It emphasized that through all the overarching innocence of her persona existed a gamechanging attitude well aware of what was at stake careerwise.

Never Say Never starts with a plane taking off at the beginning of "Intro," before jumping into a more hyper, remixed snippet of the title track. The opening moment symbolically played as Brandy leaving the ground of her old sound to fly into new territory, eventually to be hovering in space at the beginning of 2002's Full Moon.

The follow-up track, "Angel In Disguise," commences the album's conceptual narrative about reconsidering and reconciling with a former lover after the first heartbreak. The song's instrumental confidentially bounces with a tinkering bell and raindrops in the background as Brandy pulls an I-told-you-so on her jilted, returning ex-lover who had been "left ? in the rain" by his rebound. The song's starting monologue also added to the album's (and that musical period's) affinity for dramatic cues as storytelling devices. Down the line on "In The Car (Interlude)," Brandy would be monikered "B-Rocka" in another career-long motif of the recorded phone conversation with Darkchild, about his next hot joint for her.

From the start to tail-end of Never Say Never, Brandy showcased her vocal dexterity and range through multiple facets of R&B, particularly with Electro-Hop and quiet storm brews of adult contemporary. Although most of the cuts 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.

Through silky computerized affects, a few chords from live instrumentation sprinkled their way through each tracks' forefront. This allowed for Brandy to modernize Whitney Houston, Toni Braxton, and Mariah Carey's theatrical flare of running hooks for extended lengths of a song (particularly in the last minute) with nuanced adlibs in the background. That can best be heard in "Learn The Hard Way," a deep cut that contained a slight hint of a Spanish romantic waltz.

Just like her older contemporaries (and subsequent role models), Brandy had the ability to skate through her ballads, challenging herself to tackle Diane Warren's penning of "Have You Ever?" Promoted as her third single, the lyrics inquired about one's ability to "love somebody so much it makes you cry." Just as Warren's "Un-Break Your Heart" did for Toni Braxton, "Have You Ever?" gave Brandy a signature solo crossover ballad that reached No. 1.

The single prior to that, "Top Of The World" was modeled after Bad Boy's trademarked hip-hop soul revamp from '97. On the groove featuring Ma$e, Brandy reflects on media's unwavering nosiness with her famous lifestyle, snipping back "I'm just trying to be me"?a line coyly sampled in Lil' Kim's 2000 single "No Matter What They Say." The faster tempoed tracks meant for the clubs and afternoon radio proved Brandy still had a spunky step in her music. "U Don't Know Me (Like U Used To)" recalled the '94 days of Brandy, but elevated it for the '98 present and subsequent future. Revisiting the past in newly inventive ways would be a trade Brandy would also finesse as her discography expanded.

Since 1998 had been about modernizing R&B to the max with the hype of Y2K in near sight, the quiet storm format of radio followed suit. Brandy is one of the pioneering artists responsible for reshaping its sound. Her wearing an oversized men's suit in the "Have You Ever?" visual became a popular mainstay on BET's late night music video program Midnight Love. Quintessential deep cut "Put That On Everything" finds Brandy accessing her raspy, whisper registry over a zephyrous two-stepper akin to Brian McKnight's "Anytime" or SWV's "Rain."

Playing more into retrospection, Brandy tapped into what she had learned from working on the soundtracks of two of Black Hollywood's '96 blockbusters. "One Voice" seemed second nature for the singer as she conquered gospel-soul one time prior. "Truthfully" also honed in on the leading a choir shtick.

The album's titular song and "Almost Doesn't Count" best internalize the core essence of Never Say Never sonically, vocally, and contextually. Standing as the album's epicenter at track 8, "Never Say Never" seizes on Brandy's knack to ebb and flow with a catchy hook. Due to its sing-song structure, it could have worked as an answer to Jon B's "They Don't Know," which was released the same year. "Almost Doesn't Count" follows the same methodology.

Brandy's ability to grow musically while simultaneously balancing life as an actress served as role model material for Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera who had upcoming studio debuts. Nearly a decade after its release, that attitude radiated on other iconic albums from those finding themselves at a similar standpoint, including Rihanna's Good Girl Gone Bad?which was actually inspired by Brandy's Afrodisiac, the musical voodoo in 2004 that finally allocated Timbaland/Brandy linkage. "The Boy Is Mine" won Brandy her first Grammy. The Never Say Never era lasted until winter '99 domestically with "U Don't Know Me (Like You Used To)" as the final single, and in spring 2000 internationally.

Looking back at Never Say Never, one could argue that Brandy remodeled the construct of a teen-star-pushing-20. One whose able to control the narrative of their coming of age through careful examination, innovative spirit, and the purpose of coexisting, while still growing into their artistic existence.

QuoteBrandy, righteously a.k.a. ?The Vocal Bible,? solidified her spot as a popular figure in 90s pop culture, not only as the spunky, intelligent and independent lead character Moesha Mitchell, in the family sitcom ?Moesha,? but more effectively through her delivery of relatable and rhythmic music.

Her debut album, ?Brandy,? introduced us to the melodic sounds and extravagant use of runs and her head voice. The 15-year-old superstar on the rise, presented those vocal techniques effortlessly, through tracks such as ?I Wanna Be Down,? ?Baby,? and ?Best Friend,? a track dedicated to the close relationship she shares with her baby brother, and also musician, Ray J. The album went to sell over six million copies, worldwide.

In just two days, it?ll be the 20-year mark of one of the singer?s most memorable bodies of work, ?Never Say Never.? This album was a collection of perfectly developed and heartfelt lyricism, and a growing range within Brandy?s voice and maturity.


Brandy in a photoshoot for the Never Say Never era/ Photo by Reisig and Taylor
In it?s first week, ?Never Say Never? sold over 163,000 copies, certifying it as her highest-selling album to date with 16 million sold worldwide, also earning her a Grammy and a no.1 single, which sat pretty for 13 consecutive weeks on the Billboard Hot 100.

For this ?Throwback Thursday,? we?ll be taking it back to the highlights of one the most notable vocalists of our generation?s successful sophomore album, which has left an impact on today?s R&B, and those stepping into the field.

?The Boy is Mine? duet with Monica

Brandy and another one of our favorite R&B songstress, Monica, came head to head in an ode to ?may the best women win,? for the lead single of NSN.

But it wasn?t the conflict or rival that made the song. It was the smooth intersection of these two different, but equally impactful voices coming together to create one of the greatest duets of all time, selling over 2.6 million copies in the U.S., with an iconic 13 weeks at no.1 on the charts.

?Have You Ever?

This beautiful and emotionally gravitated ballad, written by the brilliantly talented songwriter, Diana Warren, was the perfect description of what it felt like to be in love with someone from afar, who had no clue of your heart?s desires.

Brandy?s vocals over the slow jam, poured smooth like butter, and gave personally, one of the best tracks on the album. The video alone, was nominated for Best R&B Video at the 1999 MTV Movie awards, which Lauryn Hill?s ?Doo Wop (That Thing),? ended up taking the win.

?Top of the World? feat. Ma$e

Hip-Hop and R&B meshed together, as Brandy joined forces with Bad Boy rapper Ma$e, in this fun, up tempo vibe.

Produced by Rodney ?Darkchild? Jerkins and Brandy herself, the record brought to the forefront staying true to who you are and where you come from, even when you?re dreams start skyrocketing to bigger heights. It was tracks like these that made fans relate more to a 19-year-old Brandy at the time, and how at the end of the day, she?s just another teenager figuring it all out.

?Almost Doesn?t Count?

Another personal fave, for its simplicity and the singer?s ability to bring a relaxed feel to a complicated situation, ?Almost Doesn?t Count,? reached the top 20 in New Zealand, the UK and the Billboard Hot 100.

The record was also featured and performed by Brandy in the film ?Double Platinum,? accompanied by ?Have You Ever,? and where she shared the screen with legendary disco diva, Diana Ross.

?Angel in Disguise?

Brandy and Joe on the same song? Literal ?music to the ears.?

Although it was just selective background vocals, it was one of the most important parts in the finishing product of this mysterious, techno inspired, and dipped in R&B record.

?Angel in Disguise,? was also Brandy?s first song to chart without being released as an actual single, or having a music video attached.

?(Everything I do) I Do It For You?

Originally performed by multi-talented, Canadian, singer-songwriter, Bryan Adams, and featured on two albums, the soundtrack for the 19991 film, Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves, and also Adams? sixth studio album, ?Waking up the Neighbors,? Brandy decided to put her on twist on the 15 million copy sold major hit.

The singer?s cover, produced by David Foster, worked in the root of R&B and soul, as she transitioned the soft rock ballad, into an even sweeter love song.

Quote from: CHI CHI. on June 09, 2018, 11:24:40 AM
Haven?t listened to this album in years.

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Every artist has that one album that is career-defining. It?s the album that takes them to another level of creativity that showcases their true star power. For the late Michael Jackson, it was Thriller. For Usher, it was Confessions and for Brandy, it was her sophomore LP, Never Say Never.

Twenty years to the day of its release (June 9, 1998), the impact of Brandy?s magnum opus is felt between the grooves of R&B today. Think the playful vibes of Ella Mai?s ?Boo?d Up,? the vocals of Sevyn Streeter or the storytelling of Jhene Aiko. Before their respective careers, there was Brandy, who possessed all traits and then some.

Her project came four years after her self-titled debut, a notion that would be considered blasphemous today. But Brandy was in no way resting on her laurels. During the 90s and early aughts, Brandy was the R&B ?it girl,? with mainstream appeal. She was the epitome of the ?girl next door,? which was showcased on our television screens every week as she starred on the hit UPN (now CW) sitcom, Moesha.

When Brandy entered the studio in the fall of 1997 to begin recording, she wanted to break away from the songs heard on her debut. But in some ways, the Brandy album has similarities to Never Say Never when it comes to ballads such as ?Brokenhearted? and ?Always On My Mind.? Both records have the then-14-year-old singer crooning about heartbreak and longing, themes she would come to revisit on her sophomore offering.

This time around, things would be different? enter Rodney ?Darkchild? Jerkins. Brandy?s record label connected her with the then-upcoming producer, and the next is R&B music history.

Jerkins, along with his production and songwriting team consisting of brother, Fred Jerkins III, and LaShawn Daniels, gave Brandy a timeless mix of R&B ballads, up-tempo and mid-tempo tracks. He was the mastermind behind Never Say Never?s hit lead single, ?The Boy Is Mine,? a duet with Monica. Playing on the rumors in the press about the two songstresses disliking each other, Jerkins thought it would be cool to put those stories to a song.

It paid off with ?The Boy Is Mine? spending 13 weeks at number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and winning both ladies a Grammy for Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group. Brandy had officially arrived.

In addition to Never Say Never having commercial appeal with ?The Boy Is Mine,? the album is strong in its R&B roots. ?Angel In Disguise? is arguably one of the best opening tracks on a 90s R&B album. With backing vocals from R&B veteran Joe, the song tells a story of Brandy playing tug of war with her love with him pulling back emotionally. It?s mid-tempo production leaves any listener drenched in all the feelings as Brandy stands her ground in the game of love.

Let?s keep in mind, when Never Say Never is released, Brandy was only 19-years-old. One would never know that seeing as the album?s messages and lyrics appear to be from someone 5 to 10 years older.

Even though there are songs about heartbreak, Brandy is not singing about wallowing in her sorrow. Instead, she?s belting out lyrics about the aftermath of a bad relationship and why she?s already out the door. So, what or who could have possibly inspired her to sing and write (she co-wrote six of the album?s 14 songs) such convincing and realistic songs about love?

Brandy was in an extremely low-key relationship with Wanya Morris of Boyz II Men for two years. You might remember he was featured on the remix to her single, ?Brokenhearted? off her debut album. The singer only recently confirmed their relationship on her April 2012 episode of VH1?s Behind the Music. Many of the songs on Never Say Never were inspired by her and Morris? relationship and subsequent breakup.

One of Never Say Never?s signature tracks, ?Almost Doesn?t Count,? which was released as a single, has some of the album?s most mature lyrics as it describes a lover who just can?t get right in the relationship.

For the song?s chorus, Brandy sings, ?I can?t keep on lovin? you/ One foot outside the door/ I hear a funny hesitation/ Of a heart that?s never really sure/ Can?t keep on tryin?/ If you?re lookin? for more/ Than all that I could give you/ Than what you came here for. On the bridge, she took you to church with, But you can?t get to heaven/ Half off the ground/ Everybody knows/ Almost doesn?t count.?

The maturity didn?t stop at ?Almost Doesn?t Count.? ?Learn the Hard Way? tells an ex-lover goodbye for all the mistreatment, but it?s not just the lyrics which make this song special, it?s the way Brandy delivers them. It?s hard to ignore the soulfulness and sassiness of her voice as she sings, ?Never took the time to think of/ All the love that we have shared/ I realized that most of the time/ You were just not there/ It was hard for me to see when/ When your love was blinding me/ But now I know I have to let you go your separate way.?

The lyrics ring true today as situationships and missteps in young love are becoming more natural by the minute.

When you think of a Brandy ballad, ?Have You Ever? is the obvious song to come to mind. If there?s a list of the best 90s R&B songs about unrequited love, ?Have You Ever? is definitely in the top 10.

Released as Never Say Never?s third single, ?Have You Ever? reached the No. 1 spot on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. The song finds Brandy having more than just a crush on a guy. She?s downright in love and wants to know why he won?t love her back. If you were in middle or high school at the time, ?Have You Ever? was probably the song you kept on repeat to help you cope with the feelings you had about your first crush.

One thing even casual Brandy fans have come to appreciate about the singer is her signature vocal tone and runs. This is mainly heard on the tracks, ?Tomorrow,? ?Truthfully? and the power ballad, ?One Voice.? The latter even became the UNICEF theme song for its 50th anniversary.

So, after all is said and done about Never Say Never, where do we hold it in regard to its impact? It is arguably one of the best R&B albums of the 90s. Speaking of the 90s, what music lovers appreciated most about the coveted decade is the variety of artists we were blessed with. 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. It also led to her now-classic roles in Rodgers & Hammerstein?s Cinderella with her idol, Whitney Houston and Double Platinum with Diana Ross.

Never Say Never is connected to Brandy?s legacy in ways her other albums are not. It took her music, career and image to the next level while also paving the way for her 2002 follow-up, Full Moon. If released today, Never Say Never would serve as plenty of caption quotes on Instagram and most importantly, continue the blooming progression of R&B.

Either way, the music?s songs and themes still ring true today.

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The Relatable Depression of 'Never Say Never'
20 years after its debut, Brandy's sophomore album is still helping me through tough times.

BY IMADE NIBOKUN
JUN 8, 2018


I?ve always felt an overwhelming sense of depression woven between the lyrics and melodies on Brandy Norwood?s sophomore album, "Never Say Never." And that sense ? whether it was a true assessment of Brandy?s emotions or not ? has long been a comfort to me.

I held that feeling close as I wrote the first draft of this essay, freshly readmitted to a psych ward. This was my second time in the same facility, surrounded by the same locked doors, laceless shoes, and disturbing shrieks I told myself I would never witness again.

Psych wards strip you raw, down to your most unsightly element. For me, "raw" was the tank top and basketball shorts I?d attempted suicide in. "Unsightly" were the vomit stains covering my chest. When I was admitted that Friday night, nurses stashed my clothing in a large paper bag along with other personal items. In the light of the next day, I saw who I really was: A patient.

Yet, in that moment, I didn?t feel alone.

My social worker, concerned that I was getting nothing out of group therapy, had me moved into a less restrictive ward where I could access my phone twice a day. One of the first things I did with my new privileges was press play on Brandy?s "Never Say Never" album; I was desperate to escape the confines of my room through music. The moody chords that open the "Intro" greeted me immediately before transitioning into "Angel in Disguise," where Brandy tells the story of losing her lover to another woman.

"I found it quite strange/The way you said her name/And when you look in her eyes/I see the lust you can't deny"

This contemplative grief connected with my own. I?d broken up with my ex-boyfriend over the phone an hour before my suicide attempt. And even before then, I tried to break up with him almost every week of our short-lived relationship. I wasn?t ready to be honest with him about the depths of my depression. And, thus, he could not fully give me everything I would need from him in a relationship; it was unfair to expect someone to fulfill needs that were never communicated.

I needed an outlet for my emotions ? the sort of outlet Brandy had with "Never Say Never." Industry insiders must have known her opening track alluded to the secret demise of Brandy?s relationship with Wanya Morris, the Boyz II Men singer five years her senior ? a great deal of time when you're an (underage) teenage girl. Together, they?d released "Brokenhearted" in 1995 when Brandy was around 15 and Morris was in his early twenties.

Brandy opened up about this relationship on her 2012 VH1 "Behind the Music" episode. "He fell in love with someone else," she said. "It felt like somebody completely taken my heart out of my body and just crushed it."

Just a year after the release of "Never Say Never," Brandy experienced a mental, physical, and emotional crisis that led to her spending two days in a hospital. Brandy later described the forced rest as rejuvenating, while her mother and manager, Sonja Norwood, took public blame for the relationship and its outcome. "I believe that she was in love, for what she knew love to be," Norwood said of her daughter?s feelings for Morris during an interview for Brandy?s Lifetime "Intimate Portrait" episode in 2002. "But she was very young. In terms of having just a full-blown relationship, that was not something her father and I felt that was right for her."

The emotional heaviness of "Never Say Never" remains present in the album?s breakout single, "The Boy Is Mine," or during the tonal shifts of "Happy" and "Top of the World" featuring Ma$e. "Top of the World," with its danceable bassline and lyrical materialism, seems out of place with Brandy?s plea for people to see who she really is. On "Happy," the hook comes across as a wish more than reality:

"You make me happy/You make me feel so good/With the things you do for me"

The raspy edges and smokiness of Brandy?s rich tone can give life to even the most mundane lyrics. But with this ability to emote comes a fortunate weakness: Brandy cannot vocally lie. Despite "Happy," "Never Say Never" sits in contemplative grief. This feels almost palpable in the album?s emotional anchors of "Almost Doesn?t Count," "Have You Ever," and "Put That on Everything." Yet, by the track "Tomorrow," Brandy sounds transformed:

"So long to all my pain/Goodnight to my heartache/Goodbye sorrow/I won't cry no more/I'm leaving tomorrow"

This song, with its sweeping strings and piano melody, may come across as an obligatory closing ballad, but Brandy does not waste a note. The final line, "I?m leaving tomorrow," is both literal and metaphorical. "Tomorrow" can be exactly tomorrow, or that place your mind must get to before you?re finally ready to leave a bad relationship. No matter what time that is, it's a reminder that disconnecting from a relationship that does not positively serve you is possible.

Two weeks after leaving the psych ward, I was full of "Tomorrow"-like self-revelations. My epiphanies, granted from group therapy, deep emotional work, and my access to "Never Say Never," manifested themselves in the form of lengthy texts and phone calls with the same ex-boyfriend. He listened. I spoke. And after many of those one-sided conversations, I learned to let go. My own tomorrow had arrived.

"Never Say Never" taught me that you will have your heart broken by someone, even if that someone is yourself. But you will get through it, and if you?re anything like Brandy, you?ll still look cute while you do it.

Quote from: valeolion on June 09, 2018, 05:09:58 PM
Ella Mai tweeting about NSN

(https://scontent.fric1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/34847767_10155767332704072_5345202136923766784_n.jpg?_nc_cat=0&oh=a8d2e5cc56ee1770e5cd5b4ca1eba2c5&oe=5BC47251)

Quote from: fresh on June 09, 2018, 05:48:29 PM
the transition from 'Learn the hard way' into 'Almost doesn't count' takes me the FUCK OUT still!!
when I first heard that my mind was blown
:gorlonfire:

Quote from: 1RIG on June 09, 2018, 05:18:48 PM

Quote from: valeolion on June 09, 2018, 05:09:58 PM
Ella Mai tweeting about NSN

(https://scontent.fric1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/34847767_10155767332704072_5345202136923766784_n.jpg?_nc_cat=0&oh=a8d2e5cc56ee1770e5cd5b4ca1eba2c5&oe=5BC47251)

[instagram]https://instagram.com/p/Bj0Xv6hlkHC/[/instagram]


REMIND them, everyone.

Quote from: Harlem on June 09, 2018, 05:33:43 PM
PRAISE HA!
:blessed:

Quote from: Michelle Williams on June 09, 2018, 05:44:02 PM
My fave track off the album. :stressed:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OwB-nvxIAaQ

.

Quote from: fresh on June 09, 2018, 05:48:29 PM
the transition from 'Learn the hard way' into 'Almost doesn't count' takes me the FUCK OUT still!!
when I first heard that my mind was blown
:gorlonfire:

Quote from: 1RIG on June 09, 2018, 05:55:37 PM

Quote from: fresh on June 09, 2018, 05:48:29 PM
the transition from 'Learn the hard way' into 'Almost doesn't count' takes me the FUCK OUT still!!
when I first heard that my mind was blown
:gorlonfire:

i was just listening
:plzstop:

I have NEVER. Spotify kept the transitions true, thank God.

Quote from: fresh on June 09, 2018, 05:48:29 PM
the transition from 'Learn the hard way' into 'Almost doesn't count' takes me the FUCK OUT still!!
when I first heard that my mind was blown
:gorlonfire:

Quote from: HUGO on June 09, 2018, 06:00:03 PM

Quote from: 1RIG on June 09, 2018, 05:55:37 PM

Quote from: fresh on June 09, 2018, 05:48:29 PM
the transition from 'Learn the hard way' into 'Almost doesn't count' takes me the FUCK OUT still!!
when I first heard that my mind was blown
:gorlonfire:

i was just listening
:plzstop:

I have NEVER. Spotify kept the transitions true, thank God.

No they don?t. I just checked hun :dead:

The version I have on Apple Music doesn?t either. Like I?m looking to experience that shit right now and I can?t

Quote from: fresh on June 09, 2018, 05:48:29 PM
the transition from 'Learn the hard way' into 'Almost doesn't count' takes me the FUCK OUT still!!
when I first heard that my mind was blown
:gorlonfire:

Quote from: 1RIG on June 09, 2018, 07:00:19 PM
(https://s15.postimg.cc/gek69wv0r/647_D7_E6_D-4_D12-4_F31-9_B86-200135_E509_B9.png)

Jesus

Quote from: 1RIG on June 09, 2018, 07:00:19 PM
(https://s15.postimg.cc/gek69wv0r/647_D7_E6_D-4_D12-4_F31-9_B86-200135_E509_B9.png)

Jesus

Quote from: 1RIG on June 09, 2018, 07:00:19 PM
(https://s15.postimg.cc/gek69wv0r/647_D7_E6_D-4_D12-4_F31-9_B86-200135_E509_B9.png)

Jesus

Quote from: AYR on June 09, 2018, 07:04:07 PM

Quote from: 1RIG on June 09, 2018, 07:00:19 PM
(https://s15.postimg.cc/gek69wv0r/647_D7_E6_D-4_D12-4_F31-9_B86-200135_E509_B9.png)

Jesus

looks like the MTV movie awards when she performed with Ma$e

Quote from: Harlem on June 09, 2018, 07:20:02 PM
God bless Renny for being back in Bran?s life! Her beat has been on POINT!

Quote from: 1RIG on June 08, 2018, 06:12:29 PM
Diego
:stressed:
I?m ready

Quote from: 1RIG on June 09, 2018, 07:24:43 PM

Quote from: Harlem on June 09, 2018, 07:20:02 PM
God bless Renny for being back in Bran?s life! Her beat has been on POINT!

ommmmmm

Slayana is tf returning it seems
:oof:

Quote from: 1RIG on June 08, 2018, 06:05:01 PM
That was a great great read
:loose2when:

Still my favorite album EVER. Period.
:stressed:

Whew shit

Quote from: BranLover on June 09, 2018, 07:03:58 PM

Quote from: 1RIG on June 09, 2018, 07:00:19 PM
(https://s15.postimg.cc/gek69wv0r/647_D7_E6_D-4_D12-4_F31-9_B86-200135_E509_B9.png)

Jesus

Omf

They BEAT tf outta her face  :stressed:

Quote from: 1RIG on June 09, 2018, 07:00:19 PM
(https://s15.postimg.cc/gek69wv0r/647_D7_E6_D-4_D12-4_F31-9_B86-200135_E509_B9.png)

Jesus

Quote from: 1RIG on June 09, 2018, 07:14:47 PM

Quote from: AYR on June 09, 2018, 07:04:07 PM

Quote from: 1RIG on June 09, 2018, 07:00:19 PM
(https://s15.postimg.cc/gek69wv0r/647_D7_E6_D-4_D12-4_F31-9_B86-200135_E509_B9.png)

Jesus

looks like the MTV movie awards when she performed with Ma$e

omg

!!!!
:plzstop:

U damn stan :kii:

Quote from: D.I.E.G.O. on June 09, 2018, 08:11:02 PM

:loose2when:
Why am I getting so emotional?
Ack this album changed the way I thought about music. Bran, my queen!!!
:gorlonfire:

Quote
@bigshiz
20 Years Ago today, We Birthed a body of work that would go down in History. #NeverSayNever We were just kids #ButGod #CatalogKing

Quote from: Harlem on June 09, 2018, 11:35:16 PM
NSN is a muthafuckin ICONIC!!!!!!

Like Brandy girl ima fight you for not celebrating properly
:stressed:

Quote from: 1RIG on June 10, 2018, 12:07:58 AM

Quote from: Harlem on June 09, 2018, 11:35:16 PM
NSN is a muthafuckin ICONIC!!!!!!

Like Brandy girl ima fight you for not celebrating properly
:stressed:

it is good to see her actually posting her NSN videos on her IG story for a change

Get with the times Queen
:flamebroiled:

Quote from: BranLover on June 10, 2018, 12:12:23 AM
(https://s22.postimg.cc/r2f41869d/957170_BB-2_EA1-4_E55-_A7_E2-152_DB1405470.jpg)

From one queen to another :stressed:

Quote from: 1RIG on June 10, 2018, 12:35:08 AM
(https://s22.postimg.cc/m51jgeenl/B922_DEF4-81_B7-4_BDB-8_CA1-_C6_C26_B86_C1_B9.png)

REEL me in, Camp?. don?t let me down
:stressed:

Brandy keeps a pen and pad these days huh? Ok, B.

Quote from: jtwoeleven on June 10, 2018, 01:09:48 AM
She is so LOVED!!! This really makes me happy for her.

Ain?t put out an album in 6 years but this is just proof of her pop culture impact. Crazy thing is it will continue as the 25th anniversary of her musical debut is next year. I just...I mean idk what to say it is what it is :letsmessfag:

Quote from: Harlem on June 09, 2018, 11:35:16 PM
NSN is a muthafuckin ICONIC!!!!!!

Like Brandy girl ima fight you for not celebrating properly
:stressed:

Quote from: valeolion on June 09, 2018, 08:43:13 PM
[instagram]https://www.instagram.com/p/Bj0etIllyQ4/[/instagram]

Quote
@bigshiz
20 Years Ago today, We Birthed a body of work that would go down in History. #NeverSayNever We were just kids #ButGod #CatalogKing

Quote from: 1RIG on June 10, 2018, 03:46:27 PM
Ariana and Victoria Monet like the idea of doing TBIM, with Ariana as Bran.

https://instagram.com/p/BjvbBxjgzRr/
(https://s22.postimg.cc/51zqb68c1/E3_A75_B7_E-26_FC-4773-_BAC5-_BD69_C51_F785_B.jpg)


(https://s22.postimg.cc/lczu7ed35/8_F41_F809-5505-4_E74-_ACB4-34794013_F318.jpg)

Quote from: D.I.E.G.O. on June 10, 2018, 04:01:45 PM

Please no TBIM remakes. I still get upset with how it was done on Glee.

Quote from: Lazarus on June 10, 2018, 05:59:56 PM
I doubt Monica will comment. :dead:

Quote
@joshbarone
4h4 hours ago
More
Cynthia Erivo says it changes: "I do listen to Beyonc?, it has to be said. But also Childish Gambino and Aretha Franklin. This morning it was Brandy, 'Never Say Never.' It's perfect." pic.twitter.com/FWq084sFGO

Quote from: valeolion on June 10, 2018, 11:28:05 PM
(https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DfXRp3hXcAIir9K.jpg)

Quote
@joshbarone
4h4 hours ago
More
Cynthia Erivo says it changes: "I do listen to Beyonc?, it has to be said. But also Childish Gambino and Aretha Franklin. This morning it was Brandy, 'Never Say Never.' It's perfect." pic.twitter.com/FWq084sFGO

https://twitter.com/joshbarone/status/1005940682379481088

QuoteStill one of the best vocal performances ever!!!! I also loved the other one we did!!

Quote

@harveymasonjr
20yrs ago this week, the guys in this old pic started working together on what would be @4everbrandy ?s Never Say Never record. I can?t believe how time has passed. I had been working in the music biz for a few years doing remixes and up and up and coming new artists hustling on the fringes until I got a call that would change the course of my career. Thanks to a suggestion by @bradgilderman and a song I co-wrote called Truthfully, @rodneyjerkins heard about me, reached out, and asked if I would come in and work on the song w him. That one song turned into two, which turned into 10, which turned into being inseparably attached with this amazing team for over two years. I am so thankful to Rodney, Brad, @bigshiz, and @fredjerkins for all the incredible lessons I learned, all the brotherhood and fun we had, and unforgettable life memories. Those were some of the best times of my life!

Quote from: valeolion on June 19, 2018, 10:30:33 PM
[instagram]https://www.instagram.com/p/Bj5QssvnfYr/[/instagram]

Quote

@harveymasonjr
20yrs ago this week, the guys in this old pic started working together on what would be @4everbrandy ?s Never Say Never record. I can?t believe how time has passed. I had been working in the music biz for a few years doing remixes and up and up and coming new artists hustling on the fringes until I got a call that would change the course of my career. Thanks to a suggestion by @bradgilderman and a song I co-wrote called Truthfully, @rodneyjerkins heard about me, reached out, and asked if I would come in and work on the song w him. That one song turned into two, which turned into 10, which turned into being inseparably attached with this amazing team for over two years. I am so thankful to Rodney, Brad, @bigshiz, and @fredjerkins for all the incredible lessons I learned, all the brotherhood and fun we had, and unforgettable life memories. Those were some of the best times of my life!

Quote from: 1RIG on June 20, 2018, 03:33:35 AM

Quote from: valeolion on June 19, 2018, 10:30:33 PM
[instagram]https://www.instagram.com/p/Bj5QssvnfYr/[/instagram]

Quote

@harveymasonjr
20yrs ago this week, the guys in this old pic started working together on what would be @4everbrandy ?s Never Say Never record. I can?t believe how time has passed. I had been working in the music biz for a few years doing remixes and up and up and coming new artists hustling on the fringes until I got a call that would change the course of my career. Thanks to a suggestion by @bradgilderman and a song I co-wrote called Truthfully, @rodneyjerkins heard about me, reached out, and asked if I would come in and work on the song w him. That one song turned into two, which turned into 10, which turned into being inseparably attached with this amazing team for over two years. I am so thankful to Rodney, Brad, @bigshiz, and @fredjerkins for all the incredible lessons I learned, all the brotherhood and fun we had, and unforgettable life memories. Those were some of the best times of my life!

:stressed:
Her and Harvey back together again now. I hope they surprise, and Rodney does one or two tracks for the next project. Maybe just one