The Best of Brandy

Performer: Brandy
Artist: Quincy Jones; Queen Latifah; MC Lyte; Heavy D; Kanye West; Mase; Monica; Wanya Morris; Da Brat; Shaunta; Ray J; Yo Yo
Distributor: WEA (Distributor)

Notes: This 2005 compilation, remastered and re-released in 2008, brings together 18 of Brandy's biggest hits under one cover. On the strength of her first two albums alone, Brandy became one of the top-selling R&B artists of the 1990s, and the sleek, sexy urban sound of those tracks dominates this set, including "Baby," "I Wanna Be Down," and her smash hit duet with Monica, "The Boy is Mine." Only a handful of tracks from Brandy's next two albums, FULL MOON and the Timbaland-produced AFRODISIAC, are represented. Given that cuts like "Afrodisiac" and "Who is She 2 U" are among Brandy's best, it's a shame more tunes from these albums weren't included. Nonetheless, it's hard to argue with the quality and generous quantity of THE BEST OF BRANDY, making it the ideal starting point for anyone new to the urban diva's charms. Brandy doesn't record often. Nobody could accuse her of being prolific, since she released only four albums during the first decade of her music career. She does, however, make each trip to the studio count, and she hasn't only released enough memorable singles to fill out a best-of -- as The Best of Brandy doesn't quite indicate to the fullest extent. The disc is straightforward and rather thorough in its makeup, compiling almost all of Brandy's charting singles. Minor hit "He Is" is left off, as is "Missing You," the Top Ten R&B single from the Set It Off soundtrack, in which the singer shared duties with Chaka Khan, Gladys Knight, and Tamia, but neither is terribly missed. Despite the disc's handiness, the representation from each album, when compared to one another, is more than a little deceiving; a combined ten tracks come from 1994's self-titled debut and 1998's Never Say Never, while only four combined tracks are taken from 2002's Full Moon and 2004's Afrodisiac. Though the last two albums evidently didn't produce nearly as many big singles, they're just as strong and fresh as the first two -- so this set, unlike so many other anthologies from her contemporaries, hardly confirms dwindling creativity or popularity. A couple minor surprises: a cover of Michael Jackson's "Rock with You," pulled from Quincy Jones' Q's Jook Joint album (odds are good that many hardcore fans didn't know of its existence), and a remix of "I Wanna Be Down" that features Queen Latifah, MC Lyte, and Yo-Yo. ~ Andy Kellman

Uncut (p.116) - 3 stars out of 5 - "Brandy's kept her R&B career on track in the face of competition..."

Among the best of a talented crop of female urban singers that emerged in the mid-1990s, Brandy Norwood soon established herself as a multi-media star. After reaching the top ten with her 1994 self-titled debut album, the singer signed on to star in the hugely popular television show MOESHA, and her second album was recorded during breaks from filming. A soulful vocalist whose mature-sounding early performances belied her young age, Brandy's music made liberal use of modern hip-hop influences while her signing style often recalled vintage R&B. Occasionally dismissed as a lightweight teen idol, Brandy later began working with such superstar producers such as Kanye West and Timbaland, which boosted her credibility. In 2006, Brandy's career suffered a setback when she was involved in a tragic multi-car accident that left one driver dead and several others injured.

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