Key Takeaways
- Tyrese revealed that he wrote his 2001 single “What Am I Gonna Do” for Brandy, saying, “I’ve always been attracted to that girl.”
- He said they had flirted since they were 12 or 13, when he sang at the same park as Brandy and Ray J, and described his feelings as “puppy love.”
- Despite their decades-long friendship and persistent dating rumors, Tyrese and Brandy never publicly confirmed a romantic relationship.
Tyrese has finally confirmed what apparently took him more than two decades to say out loud: “What Am I Gonna Do” was about Brandy.
During the 200th episode of The Kenny Burns Show, the R&B singer was looking back at his catalog when the conversation reached “What Am I Gonna Do,” the second single from his 2001 album 2000 Watts. Written by Tyrese alongside Scott Carter and Trevor Jobs, the song became a modest crossover hit, reaching No. 71 on the Billboard Hot 100 and No. 24 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart.
That's when Tyrese dropped a revelation he said he'd never publicly shared before. “I've never told anybody this publicly, but I'm going to do it now,” Tyrese told Burns. “I feel safe here.”
Then came the confession: “I wrote that song for Brandy.”
And no, he wasn't talking about a little friendly inspiration.
When Burns pressed him on whether Brandy Norwood had actually been a love interest, Tyrese didn't dodge it. “We've been flirting since we were 12, 13 years old,” he said, explaining that he, Brandy, and her younger brother Ray J used to sing at the same park as kids. “I've always been attracted to that girl.”
Tyrese said their connection followed them into their careers. He appeared on episodes of Moesha, Brandy's hit sitcom, and remembered people who knew them repeatedly wondering why the longtime friends never became a couple.
“I love her, man,” he said. “I loved her and I love her.”
The song itself wasn't exactly subtle about its intentions, either. During the interview, Tyrese revisited lyrics describing the woman at the center of the record as his best friend before singing the particularly revealing payoff: “One day Imma make you my wife, baby.”
Burns understandably wanted an explanation.
“What I'm saying to you is puppy love is real,” Tyrese replied.
Their shared history goes back well before either became an R&B star. Tyrese recalled, elsewhere in the conversation, that he even expected to land the male lead role in Brandy and Monica's “The Boy Is Mine” video because of their relationship. Mekhi Phifer ultimately got the role.
“I grew up with Brandy, so I really thought that was a layup,” Tyrese joked.
Despite years of rumors about their closeness, Tyrese and Brandy never publicly confirmed a relationship. Tyrese previously characterized their relationship as familial when dating speculation surfaced, while the two maintained a friendship stretching back to their teenage years.
