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.
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.
