Armed with young beauty, talented producers, and an angelic voice, 15-year-old Brandy immediately caught everyone's attention when she released her self-titled debut album in 1994. Her first single, “I Wanna Be Down,” stayed at No. 1 on the Billboard R&B/Hip-Hop charts for four weeks and peaked at number No. 6 on the Hot 100. The singer quickly proved she wasn’t a one-hit wonder either, rolling with the hits throughout the ‘90s.
Brandy's talent allowed her to work with the biggest of stars throughout her career. She had collaborations with Whitney Houston, Chaka Khan, and Gladys Knight on her résumé before she was 20, and that wasn’t the only thing that made her stand out. Brandy has been able to transform herself and remain relevant for close to 20 years. She made the change from baby-faced star to young diva on Never Say Never, then to bonafide songstress on Full Moon and stayed in the mix with multiple hits on Afrodisiac.
Now Brandy is back with new single “Put It Down,” a track featuring Chris Brown that’s sure to make it on club playlists. The record is off her upcoming effort Two Eleven, which Brandy describes as “futuristic R&B.” But before stepping into the future, Brandy spoke to Complex about her classics.
As told to Brian Josephs (@Bklyn_Rock)