UB Celebrates: 20th Anniversary of Brandy’s ‘Afrodisiac’

This year for Black Music Month, UB has been celebrating Women of R&B. There can’t be a conversation about R&B women, without the name Brandy.

Today marks the 20th Anniversary of Brandy‘s fourth album release “Afrodisiac.” Originally released on June 29th, 2004 – the set was her last for her long-term label Atlantic.

“Afrodisiac” is Brandy‘s most cohesive album to date.

Production on the album was taken care of by Timbaland, Kanye West, Walter Millsap III, Organized Noize and Ron “Nephew” Feemster.

“I really didn’t want to concentrate on being so technical this time,” Brandy stated to Billboard at the time. “I just wanted to sing my heart out and connect with people. With this album I explore my versatility. I knew Timbaland would bring that edge, that nastiness that I never had before. I wasn’t old enough or mature enough before to get into people’s hearts. Now I am.”

“Afrodisiac” debuted at #3 on the Billboard 200, selling 131,700 copies in its first week; it was eventually certified gold by the RIAA. The album spawned three singles, including “Talk About Our Love” featuring Kanye West, which reached the top 40 on the Billboard Hot 100; along with “Who Is She 2 U” and “Afrodisiac.”

“Afrodisiac” was also nominated for several awards, including a Grammy Award for Best Contemporary R&B Album.

Just two weeks before her new album’s release, Brandy severed ties with manager Benny Medina and her mom Sonja Norwood, resumed full management responsibility under Norwood & Norwood. Her personal travails provide the principal fodder for “Afrodisiac,” which gives off plenty of attitude, edginess, sensuality and introspection.

And Brandy‘s sexy, provocative pose on the July 2004 cover of Vibe, easily erased any doubt as to whether she was all grown up.

Brandy hoped people would accept her musical transition at the time. “I’m not trying to be edgy, sassy, romantic, vulnerable or whatever emotions come across,” she said to Billboard. “I really am all that.”

The album finds Brandy working at the highest level of her considerable abilities – opening her heart and soul to the world… and creating brilliant, evocative music in the process.

“This is a very special record for me,” Brandy said at the time. “I’ve been through a lot of stuff over the last few years, and it’s definitely helped me and my creative process to share my life in my music, and to share it in a way that I never have before. The lyrics are straightforward and heartfelt, expressing how I feel and confronting things I’ve actually experienced. There’s so much passion, so much happiness, so much pain-every emotion is on this album.”

The album’s first single, “Talk About Our Love,” saw Brandy collaborating with hip-hop sensation Kanye West, whom she hailed for bringing “that old-school flavor to the record.”

Brandy went into the “Afrodisiac” sessions determined to express her inner spirit in ways she’d never before attempted on record. Her autobiographical efforts were supported by master producer/beatmaker Timbaland, who served as the main collaborator on the record.

“Timbaland really brought the fire to this album,” she stated. “The music actually tells a story in itself, even without my vocals on it, so I let myself be driven by it. To be able to put a melody on a track that already had a life, that just blew me away. It’s great, passionate music. Timbaland turned on all his creative juices – I I think this is definitely some of his best work.”

With Timbaland steering the sonic grooves, Brandy was able to reach down into herself to find a new depth of soul and sensuality. She pushed her vocal talents to the limit, resulting in a record that is flush with a striking emotional vibrancy and in-the-moment reality.

“I do things with my voice that I’ve never done before,” Brandy gushed. “Every song, every lyric, is acted out through the tone of my voice. It’s not just about sounding good, it’s about singing so people can really relate and hear exactly what you’re saying and feel exactly where you’re coming from. With the last album, the focus was very much on the technical,” she continued. “It was about how it sounded. So I wanted to go into this album with a more honest approach. Even if there are some flaws, if you have the passion, then that’s all that matters. You can hit that perfect note, but if you don’t have the feeling, people won’t understand it.”

Throughout the sessions, Brandy found herself delving into her own personal experiences, using her introspective ruminations to bring vivid color to her performances. As the album’s intro track insists, “Afrodisiac” is incontrovertibly “About Brandy.”

“To confront the things that I’ve gone through can be very difficult,” stated Brandy. “But I’ve been able to do that on this album, to let everything go and just push it behind that mic. My experiences were reflected on my other records, but it was like they were coded. On this new album, you hear it. You hear the struggle. You hear the frustration. You hear the happiness. You hear my yearning to be in love. Whereas before, people would say, ‘Oh, she can sing,’ or ‘This is a good record,’ but you couldn’t really hear me. You didn’t hear the passion. You hear it now, because I’m connected to it.”

Among the album’s many highlights is “I Tried” (originally titled “Cool (Thought I’d Be)”), which is inspired by the British rock band Coldplay. The track incorporates lyrics from the group’s “Sparks” as well as a sample extracted from an altogether different British combo, Iron Maiden. Raw and provocative, the track was among Brandy’s favorite songs on the record.

“Again, you can hear the experience. It’s about me listening to the Coldplay record at home, by myself, reflecting on what’s happened to me and my relationship.” Brandy’s affection for Coldplay can also be heard on “Should I Go,” which includes elements of the band’s classic “Clocks.”

It was easy to see why Brandy went with the Kanye assisted “Talk About Our Love” for the lead single; “I think ‘Talk About Our Love’ is so special,” Brandy stated. “It’s about something everybody can relate to, how when you’re in love, and you’re trying to make something work, you have all your people – your mom, your dad, your cousin, your auntie, your homie – all in your business.”

In addition, Kanye West co-wrote and produced the tender “Where U Wanna Be,” which features T.I.

While Brandy gave major credit to all her collaborators, Brandy viewed Kanye’s contributions as being especially invaluable to wrapping up the overall album. “Kanye put the finishing touches on the record. The two tracks we did were just what I needed to tie the whole thing together.”

Fun fact, the decision for the second single came down to the wire. Brandy‘s team had to choose between “Who Is She 2 U” and “Afrodisiac” the day Brandy appeared live on MTV‘s TRL. Brandy’s team was given a heads up that she would be asked about the next single. The votes were close, but overall “Who Is She 2 U” won and was released in the US, while “Afrodisiac” was released overseas.

For Brandy, “Afrodisiac” marked a major milestone on her remarkable artistic journey.

“When I was younger, I never dreamt about being an actress,” Brandy shared. “I always wanted to be a singer. My music is my passion; that’s where my heart is. I feel that, in the past, everything distracted me from that and kept me from getting out there and touring and really looking my fans straight in the eye. I couldn’t do that because I was always too busy. Now that I don’t have any of that going on, I’m going to get out there and show my fans that they’re the ones who have helped me get to where I want to be. Right now, I don’t want to do anything else but music.”

Take A Trip Down Memory Lane With Brandy’s “Afrodisiac!”