Destination Jam: Kick back with five of the best Brandy songs after that intense Verzuz battle with Monica
With an epic battle between Brandy Norwood and her 'The Boy Is Mine' collaborator, Monica, on a recent Verzuz battle, we are under heavy Brandy fever today. As we recall some of her best tracks, check out our latest Destination Jam playlist below.
'Have You Ever?'
One of the most vocally rich tracks on this list, Brandy's 1998 track 'Have You Ever?' is incredibly soothing to the ears. With honey-dripped harmonies, Brandy weaves between layers of her own voice over a soulful beat. The song was released as the third single of her sophomore album 'Never Say Never'. The track became Brandy's second song to take the crown at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 following the global number-one success of 'The Boy Is Mine'. At the time of its release, Brandy had become a prominent artist in the realm of R&B and we can't forget this stunning track.
'Baby Mama' (featuring Chance the Rapper)
After an 8-year musical hiatus, Brandy's first 2020 track 'Baby Mama' would see her making an epic comeback, much to the excitement of fans. This hot bop is dedicated to Brandy's daughter Sy’rai and features Chance the Rapper. "Whole world lookin' at me, single mama. This song ain't just for me, it's for every mama, yeah. Every day I breathe, it's for my little mama. I'm every women and a baby mama," declares Brandy in the lyrics. Read our review on the track here.
'What About Us?'
As arresting as her slower jams can be, Brandy's upbeat songs carry just as much power. Even though it released back in 2002, this hot number punches just as hard as today's music - you can easily hit repeat on this one. 'What About Us?' carries an irregular tripping rhythm and Brandy translates the vibe perfectly, which is notably not an easy task to perform with such a beat. Additionally, there's no autotune in this track.
'I Wanna Be Down'
It's easy to disappear with your headphones to Brandy's music and many of her slower songs can be exquisitely relaxing. In 'I Wanna Be Down', the debut single for her very first self-titled album, Brandy muses about her lover with "I want to be down With what you're going through. I want to be down down. I want to be down with you down with you. No matter the time of day or night. It's true, I want to be down." Sonically, the track is warm and comforting with a touch of synth organ and a steady beat.
'Almost Doesn't Count'
This sultry ballad is the perfect followup to the release of tension from the previous track. A commercial success, this song hit the top twenty in New Zealand, the United Kingdom and on the US Billboard Hot 100. It earned Brandy her third Best Female R&B Vocal Performance nomination at the 42nd Annual Grammy Awards and was awarded with a BMI Pop Award in 2000. 'Almost Doesn't Count' chimes a sensual acoustic guitar riff in the intro and Brandy sings in a melancholic tone. 'Almost Doesn't Count' is buttery smooth, both emotive and empowering, and your perfect chill R&B track to end this playlist.
Destination Jam is a daily list of songs that will keep you entertained and grooving up top in lieu of feeling drained and losing the plot. Look out for a fresh selection of great tunes from MEAWW to refresh your mood every day!
