On "Should I Go," a track from Brandy's new album, the singer grapples with her concerns about re-entering the music game.
"I'm sitting on the edge of the industry wondering if it's all that important to me to get my records back out there on the street again / This game ain't what I'm used to."
Trepidation aside, Brandy is jumping back in the fray with "Afrodisiac," her fourth Atlantic studio album. The set is due in stores June 29.
The one-time teen phenomenon is also busy getting people used to the idea that there's a new Brandy in town. Now a veteran artist and mature woman of 25, Brandy has endured major professional and personal changes in the two years since her last album, "Full Moon." Pregnant and married when that album was released, Brandy is now a divorced mother.
Just two weeks before her new album's release, Brandy severed ties with manager Benny Medina of Handprint Entertainment. Her mother, Sonja Norwood, has assumed full management responsibility under the Norwood & Norwood banner.
Her personal travails provide the principal fodder for "Afrodisiac," which gives off plenty of attitude, edginess, sensuality and introspection. And Brandy's sexy, provocative pose on the June cover of Vibe erases any doubt as to whether she's all grown up.
Musically, Brandy's evolution is reflected in her choice of producers. Missy Elliott's main man Timbaland assumed the production reins from longtime Brandy collaborator Rodney Jerkins. Other contributors include Kanye West and Organized Noize.
"I really didn't want to concentrate on being so technical this time," Brandy says. "I just wanted to sing my heart out and connect with people.
"With this album I explore my versatility. I knew Timbaland would bring that edge, that nastiness that I never had before. I wasn't old enough or mature enough before to get into people's hearts. Now I am."
The first single is the West-produced "Talk About Our Love." It is gaining chart momentum, thanks to several dance remixes by One Rascal and other producers. The cut is is No. 16 with a bullet on the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks chart. It is No. 39 with a bullet on Billboard's Hot 100 singles chart.
Just 15 when her first Atlantic album came out in 1994, Brandy saw her self-titled debut go on to sell 2.1 million units in the United States, according to Nielsen SoundScan. Sophomore album "Never Say Never" (1998) stands at 4.5 million, followed by "Full Moon" at 1.1 million.
Brandy hopes people will accept her musical transition. "I'm not trying to be edgy, sassy, romantic, vulnerable or whatever emotions come across," she says. "I really am all that."
Excerpted from the June 26, 2004, issue of Billboard. The full original text is available to Billboard.com subscribers.
For information about ordering a copy of the issue, click here.
"I'm sitting on the edge of the industry wondering if it's all that important to me to get my records back out there on the street again / This game ain't what I'm used to."
Trepidation aside, Brandy is jumping back in the fray with "Afrodisiac," her fourth Atlantic studio album. The set is due in stores June 29.
The one-time teen phenomenon is also busy getting people used to the idea that there's a new Brandy in town. Now a veteran artist and mature woman of 25, Brandy has endured major professional and personal changes in the two years since her last album, "Full Moon." Pregnant and married when that album was released, Brandy is now a divorced mother.
Just two weeks before her new album's release, Brandy severed ties with manager Benny Medina of Handprint Entertainment. Her mother, Sonja Norwood, has assumed full management responsibility under the Norwood & Norwood banner.
Her personal travails provide the principal fodder for "Afrodisiac," which gives off plenty of attitude, edginess, sensuality and introspection. And Brandy's sexy, provocative pose on the June cover of Vibe erases any doubt as to whether she's all grown up.
Musically, Brandy's evolution is reflected in her choice of producers. Missy Elliott's main man Timbaland assumed the production reins from longtime Brandy collaborator Rodney Jerkins. Other contributors include Kanye West and Organized Noize.
"I really didn't want to concentrate on being so technical this time," Brandy says. "I just wanted to sing my heart out and connect with people.
"With this album I explore my versatility. I knew Timbaland would bring that edge, that nastiness that I never had before. I wasn't old enough or mature enough before to get into people's hearts. Now I am."
The first single is the West-produced "Talk About Our Love." It is gaining chart momentum, thanks to several dance remixes by One Rascal and other producers. The cut is is No. 16 with a bullet on the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks chart. It is No. 39 with a bullet on Billboard's Hot 100 singles chart.
Just 15 when her first Atlantic album came out in 1994, Brandy saw her self-titled debut go on to sell 2.1 million units in the United States, according to Nielsen SoundScan. Sophomore album "Never Say Never" (1998) stands at 4.5 million, followed by "Full Moon" at 1.1 million.
Brandy hopes people will accept her musical transition. "I'm not trying to be edgy, sassy, romantic, vulnerable or whatever emotions come across," she says. "I really am all that."
Excerpted from the June 26, 2004, issue of Billboard. The full original text is available to Billboard.com subscribers.
For information about ordering a copy of the issue, click here.
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