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As I scroll on X (formerly Twitter), all I see are posts about Brandy.
Dubbed ‘The Vocal Bible,’ Brandy has been in the industry since she was a young teen and grew up in front of millions, so her mistakes were criticized more harshly than most. Rumors and allegations have swirled around the artist and Moesha star for as long as I can remember, and now she’s airing it all out.
The Full Moon singer released her highly anticipated biography, Phases: A Memoir, detailing her public life from teen star to R&B legend. According to the Amazon summary, the book highlights stories behind her most iconic songs and albums, and moments when Brandy’s early struggles with insecurities and relationships shaped the woman she is today.
Brandy became a role model for little Black girls with creative career dreams
My first introduction to the actress came from watching reruns of Moesha, which I still do. I was a baby when it first aired, but seeing a Black girl with braids who loved to write, focused on school, and had a good heart (with occasional messiness) showed me someone who looks like me could succeed as a writer, which I’m doing now.
While the memoir and Brandy are trending on social media, I think everyone should revisit her discography too. Here are my favorite songs by the artist that I listen to often.
I Wanna Be Down
Between this and the remix, I don’t know which version I play more. It amazes me that Brandy was a teenager releasing hits like this. Some artists go their whole lives without big songs, and she was out in the ‘90s collecting them like infinity stones.
Full Moon
“Full Moon” is probably my favorite Brandy song. The first time I heard it was through my aunt, who had a big folder-like case zipped full of classic CDs. I listened on a CD player and felt like I stepped into a futuristic zone.
Angel in Disguise
When I first listened to this song, I went, “Oh, that’s why they call her the vocal bible.”
Have You Ever
You know those songs that you listen to when you’re looking out of a window and acting like you’re the star of a music video? This is that song for me.
Header image credit: Instagram/@brandy/Amazon
