FEATURE:
Angel in Disguise
Brandy’s Never Say Never at Twenty-Five
_________
I am keen to explore…
IN THIS PHOTO: Brandy Norwood during the 50th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards held at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles, CA on 13th September, 1998/PHOTO CREDIT: Margaret C. Norton/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty Images via Getty Images
an album that helped cement the brilliance of an R&B icon. Released on 9th June, 1998, Brandy’s Never Say Never reached number two in the U.S. and nineteen in the U.K. The record label Atlantic consulted David Foster as well as producer Rodney ‘Darkchild’ Jerkins and his team to work with Brandy Norwood on the record; Jerkins then went to work on and mould majority of the album. He also acted as Brandy’s mentor. In terms of what is explored on the album, Brandy discusses her experiences with love, the media, and monogamy. Perhaps her most important album, it built on the promise of her 1994 eponymous album. Maybe four years was a long gap, but it resulted in a follow-up that is more eclectic and broad. Showcasing her amazing voice and songwriting, Never Say Never contains singles such as The Boy Is Mine (with Monica), Angel in Disguise, and Have You Ever. Never Say Never was nominated for Record of the Year at the 1999 GRAMMYs. Because it is twenty-five years soon, I wanted to spotlight an incredible album. Having gone five times Platinum in the U.S., there is no doubting the importance and popularity of Never Say Never. The first feature I want to highlight is from Vibe. They marked its twentieth anniversary in 2018:
“Her project came four years after her self-titled debut, a notion that would be considered blasphemous today. But Brandy was in no way resting on her laurels. During the 90s and early aughts, Brandy was the R&B ‘it girl,’ with mainstream appeal. She was the epitome of the “girl next door,” which was showcased on our television screens every week as she starred on the hit UPN (now CW) sitcom, Moesha.
When Brandy entered the studio in the fall of 1997 to begin recording, she wanted to break away from the songs heard on her debut. But in some ways, the Brandy album has similarities to Never Say Never when it comes to ballads such as “Brokenhearted” and “Always On My Mind.” Both records have the then-14-year-old singer crooning about heartbreak and longing, themes she would come to revisit on her sophomore offering.
This time around, things would be different– enter Rodney “Darkchild” Jerkins. Brandy’s record label connected her with the then-upcoming producer, and the next is R&B music history.
Jerkins, along with his production and songwriting team consisting of brother, Fred Jerkins III, and LaShawn Daniels, gave Brandy a timeless mix of R&B ballads, up-tempo and mid-tempo tracks. He was the mastermind behind Never Say Never’s hit lead single, “The Boy Is Mine,” a duet with Monica. Playing on the rumors in the press about the two songstresses disliking each other, Jerkins thought it would be cool to put those stories to a song.
It paid off with “The Boy Is Mine” spending 13 weeks at number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and winning both ladies a Grammy for Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group. Brandy had officially arrived.
In addition to Never Say Never having commercial appeal with “The Boy Is Mine,” the album is strong in its R&B roots. “Angel In Disguise” is arguably one of the best opening tracks on a 90s R&B album. With backing vocals from R&B veteran Joe, the song tells a story of Brandy playing tug of war with her love with him pulling back emotionally. It’s mid-tempo production leaves any listener drenched in all the feelings as Brandy stands her ground in the game of love.
Let’s keep in mind, when Never Say Never is released, Brandy was only 19-years-old. One would never know that seeing as the album’s messages and lyrics appear to be from someone 5 to 10 years older”.
There was a lot of retrospection in 2018 when Never Say Never turned twenty. Many were excited to look back on an album that was Brandy’s international breakthrough. It was also an album that influenced upcoming female artists such as Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera. Listening back almost twenty-five years since I first heard Never Say Never, and it still sounds so fascinating and strong! Albumism revisited Never Say Never in 2018. Even though the entire album is terrific, there is one song that many people associate with Never Say Never:
“Released one month ahead of the June 1998 drop date for Brandy's second album Never Say Never was its initiating single, “The Boy Is Mine.” Conceived as a two-way split between herself and her peer Monica, the slick slice of black pop showcased the pair trading cool, but caustic barbs at each other in relation to a romantic liaison with the same man. The song also doubled as the title piece to Monica's sophomore album which premiered two months later. The ensuing sensation the track created—commercially and culturally—still astounds twenty years removed from its reveal. Separate from the phenomenon that was “The Boy Is Mine” was the respective impact of Brandy’s sophomore LP itself.
Never Say Never followed Brandy (1994), the eponymous debut on the Atlantic label that established the vocalist—and emergent actress—as a preeminent presence in the R&B marketplace. Animated by its compelling streak of singles showcasing Brandy's versatile contralto, Brandy hit the platinum mark four times over in the United States alone. As an entire body of work, the self-titled collection's smooth, hip-hop soul vibe was fetchingly fitted to Brandy's voice and left listeners craving more. Demand for the singer's second offering was high.
The Never Say Never sessions began in the latter half of 1997 with the pressure for Brandy to repeat (and exceed) the critical and commercial performance of her first record. Despite this tension, Brandy kept a level head and carefully vetted the collaborative suggestions from Atlantic Records. Such was the label's counsel that Brandy intersected with the industry-decorated Canadian arranger, producer and writer David Foster.
Wisely sensing that Foster could lend a certain level of pop crossover credibility to the project, Brandy agreed to put down tracks with him. Foster helmed three compositions for the set: “Have You Ever?,” “One Voice” and “(Everything I Do) I Do It For You.” The latter track was a spirited, if ultimately faithful cover of the 1991 power ballad smash by Bryan Adams.
The remainder of Never Say Never was overseen by an enterprising young man that was assuredly on the way up. Rodney “Darkchild” Jerkins had been the man behind the boards on song pieces for the likes of Vanessa Williams, Mary J. Blige and Joe and it was hoped that he and Brandy would find creative chemistry together.
As it happened, the assembly for Never Say Never allowed Brandy and Jerkins to discover their respective muses in each other and commence one of the most enduring, if tempestuous singer/producer partnerships in popular music history. In addition to his own individual production and writing skills, Jerkins had a close knit pool of colleagues—Harvey Mason Jr., LaShawn Daniels and Fred Jerkins III—to assist him in Never Say Never's construction, while fielding supplemental writing or production contributions from others as needed.
Encouraged by Jerkins to share her feelings and participate in the record making process, Brandy wrote and produced on the LP where she could. The rest of the material contained on Never Say Never reflects various Darkchild staff—or writers/producers commissioned by them—tailoring it all to her life experiences. It makes for a long player that is disarmingly astute in tackling identity (“Top of the World,” “U Don't Know Me (Like U Used To)”) and romantic turbulence (“Angel in Disguise,” “Almost Doesn't Count”). By infusing her own pathos into these typically chewed over subjects, the album is a somewhat intimate affair.
With its 16 tracks radiating a clear and concise confidence, Never Say Never was sent out into the world on June 9, 1998. Critically and commercially, the effort was a monumental victory for Brandy with seven of its singles, post-“The Boy Is Mine,” carrying the record—domestically and internationally—into the spring of 2000. The collection was also a Grammy favorite with nominations in two calendar years, 1999 and 2000; she won one in 1999.
Accolades aside, Never Say Never is representative of an overall watershed moment for Brandy's legacy in that the album trademarked her exuberant, but mature aestheticism and transformed it into a source of inspiration for much of the modern R&B that came in its wake. It was quite a feat for the little girl who originally held fast to the dream of becoming a Whitney Houston-esque songbird in her own right. But as the saying goes, “never say never”.
I am going to end with a review for the terrific and iconic Never Say Never, Brandy is an artist who continues to release extraordinary music. Her latest album, B7, came out in 2020. Let us hope an eighth studio album comes about soon. Sputnikmusic had their say about an album that I feel, whilst hugely successful, is actually quite underrated. I would like critics to revisit it now and revise their original reviews. There was a lot of love for Never Say Never:
“Brandy is an oft-repeated name in dance music and r&b retrospectives, but rarely is her music put to the test beyond a small handful of well-known singles (and of course, countless samples). Today, I challenge you to put her music to the test. If you're saying to yourself, nice try, I'll never appreciate such a cheesy album or genre, here's what I say to you: Never Say Never.
Never Say Never captures the energy of an artist fresh off of a successful debut album, ready to let go and make music true to her heart and vision. Like many old skool r&b releases, a lopsided tracklist detracts from the record's immediacy looking back...but that's not the point! The serendipitous pairing of Brandy and producer Darkchild (aka Rodney Jerkins) resulted in a distinct atmosphere and style that made waves in the pop music industry and beyond. It doesn't lose sight of what r&b had to offer during the '90s, but is simultaneously forward-thinking, striking a balance between camp and soul that remains exceptional over twenty years later.
On 9th June, Never Say Never turns twenty-five. A real classic, I know Brandy herself will have a few words to say about it. I am not sure whether there is an anniversary vinyl being planned (the music videos from the album could be remastered in 4K), but if you get chance to stream Never Say Never, then please do. It sounds as remarkable and impactful now as it did…
BACK in 1998.