It was age appropriate, youthful records, but it was still real music. At the time he was not trying to be like anyone else on radio. In a 2012 interview with Vibe magazine, Norwood elaborated that her collaboration with Crouch "was very important for me as a young artist. It was a good thing, because I could do what I had to do, because I wanted to sing When Thea was canceled I was like, ‘Okay, I can now put all my focus into my album’." Recording and production Ītlantic consulted relatively unknown, then-21-year-old writer-producer Keith Crouch, nephew of gospel singer Andraé Crouch, to work with Norwood on the bulk of the throwback, funk- soul production of the album. Norwood appreciated the cancellation of the show as she was unenthusiastic about acting at the time and the taping caused scheduling conflicts with the recording of her album, stating: "I felt bad for everybody else but me.
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Broadcast to mediocre ratings, the series ended after one season, consisting of 19 episodes. ĭuring the early production stages of her debut on the Atlantic label, Norwood was selected for a role in the ABC sitcom Thea, portraying the 15-year-old daughter of a single mother played by Thea Vidale. Norwood subsequently dropped out of Hollywood High School later and was tutored privately from tenth grade on. In 1993, amid ongoing negotiations with East West Records, Norwood's parents organized a recording contract with Atlantic after auditioning for the company's director of A&R, Darryl Williams. While they liked the material, they found Norwood too young at age 11 and told her to come back when she was 14. The same year, Stokes arranged the production of a demo tape which was handed over to Atlantic Recording Corporation executives. In 1990, Norwood's talent led to a binding oral contract with Teaspoon Productions, headed by Chris Stokes and Earl Harris, who obtained her gigs as a backing vocalist for their R&B boy band Immature. The success of the album allowed Norwood to establish herself as one of the most successful of the then-new generation of R&B female vocalists who emerged during the mid-to-late 1990s. Brandy and its singles garnered Norwood nominations for various awards, including two Grammy Award nominations. The following two singles, " Best Friend" and " Brokenhearted", peaked at numbers 34 and nine on the Billboard Hot 100, respectively. The album's second single " Baby" was also well-received and peaked at number four on the Billboard Hot 100.
The song was critically lauded and was regarded as a standout track on Brandy. " I Wanna Be Down" was chosen as the album's lead single and peaked at number six on the US Billboard Hot 100. įour singles were released from the album. Worldwide, the album has sold over six million copies. While the album initially sold slowly, it reached number 20 on the US Billboard 200 and was certified quadruple platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), selling over two million copies in the United States. Upon release, Brandy received generally positive reviews from music critics, who complimented Norwood's appearance, as well as the album's timeless appeal. Aside from Crouch, Norwood worked with a range of other writers and producers, including R&B group Somethin' for the People, Arvel McClinton, and Damon Thomas. Chiefly produced by Keith Crouch, the album contains a range of contemporary genres, including hip hop soul, pop and R&B. It was released on September 27, 1994, by Atlantic Records. Brandy is the eponymous debut studio album by American singer Brandy.