TAOL was understood by many across the globe and charted Top 20 there. But it was FAR ahead of its time. It is a DEEP soul cut. Thats why its aged so damn well.
Brandy said RHD was too high not taol.. she just didn't like how she had been styled, the dancing and lipped when performing. She felt like she had been beyonce'd up and couldn't compete/pull it off, and wasn't comfortable in her choreography skills enough when doing that era.
Sad how one guy, Kyambo (sp?) ruined the entire era basically. He was the main factor. People were way too hard on Benny. He did a sensational job. Brandy was sabotaged from within her new Atlantic team, purely to propel Kanye. She said they literally stormed in, turned the project upside down at the last minute and she was left stunned confused and had no way to claw back any direction.
Sad. That era was one of her best, she got so deep in HER musicality and control.. if only she had stuck with Timb after, had everything else not happened in her personal life, she would be gone on to have the Justin/Nelly era with Timb. He cites her for reawakening his creative juices. She would have created magic with him. Afro was just the starter.
So sad.
Anyway TAOL was INSTANT for me, the second I heard it. Still kills me to this day, what a song.