Human (Brandy Album)
| Human | |||||
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| Brandy studio album | |||||
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| Label (s) | Epic Records | ||||
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CD |
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Title (number) |
15th |
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running time |
50:01 |
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Human ( English for " human " or " human ") is the fifth studio album by the American R&B singer Brandy . It was first released on December 5th in France and Switzerland and on December 9th in Canada and the United States , and produced two single releases with "Right Here (Departed)", "Long Distance". In Germany and Austria the album was only released on March 27, 2009 via Sony BMG .
production
Although many parts of the album did not emerge until 2008, Brandy began working human in 2005 as a result of her separation from Atlantic Records in the same year . Under the new label "Knockout Entertainment" (the owner is her brother ), she entered the studio with producers such as the Scandinavian music project Maximum Risk, Tim & Bob and Rockwilder . She also recorded a handful of songs with Bryan Michael Cox . In 2007, he announced in an interview with AllHipHop the executive producer to be on the album, which turned out ended up being a false or premature statement.
For the fifth album, Brandy hired rapper Missy Elliott and producers Ray J and "Kerry 'Krucial' Brothers", but none of the resulting works made it onto the album's track list, instead many Darkchild productions ended up on the long player ( Long Distance , Right Here (Departed) , The Definition ). In addition to the songs produced by Rodney Jerkins , recordings were also made with Timbaland , RedOne , Jim Beanz, Tim & Bob, Tonéx, Soundz and Brian Kennedy, Rockwilder and WyldCard. The songwriters and guest musicians included Natasha Bedingfield , Keri Hilson , Taio Cruz , Yung Berg and Esthero.
However, many of these works did not make it onto the track list either, although, for example, even for the additional recordings with Timothy Mosley - who surprised the singer with a last minute phone call - the release date was postponed from November 11th to December 9th has been. As she announced at Ryan Seacrest , the inclusion of the song in the album failed due to the lack of Mosley's characteristic backing vocals.
Brandy herself described the album as her most personal album to date. "I've grown so much since the last album ... the feeling of expressing yourself and your journey through music is indescribable". She sang a lot of duets with her brother Ray J since 2005. These, however, should appear on a collaboration album planned for 2010 called R&B , Ray J and Brandy.
content
The spoken human intro , Brandy's definition of human existence , serves as the introduction to the album . The opener is The Definition , one of the few up tempo recordings on the album. The lyrics come from the American songwriter Crystal Johnson, whose demo version was previously heard on the Internet. In general, the song received good reviews, as the Boston Globe saw it as the most essential track on the album. Without a full single release, only through download sales, the number reached number 16 on the Billboard Bubbling Under R & B / Hip-Hop Singles. Warm It Up (With Love), another Darkchild production, was created around a piano sample and met with strong positive reactions. The lead single Right Here (Departed) is about a woman's conversations about mutual support between loved ones. The fourth song Piano Man is an ode to the creative and musical relationship and chemistry in the studio between the singing person and the producer.
Long Distance , announced by the Long Distance Interlude , the second and final single, is a ballad about the difficulties of a long distance relationship. The New York Times described the song as "an anthem-like single that is vaguely reminiscent of Janet Jackson's 'Again'". The eighth track, Camouflage , one of two songs on the album by songwriter Claude Kelly, tells of Brandy not wanting to change for love. She accepts her mistakes and quirks here. Torn Down , which is a joint production by Midi Mafia and Nigeria is a musician Dapo Torimiro, is one of the few songs of the new album which is on the setlist did the "Human World Tournee". The song contains elements of country music and critics have described it as a "determined, crispy mix of static synths, acoustic guitar and handclaps".
Brandy himself wrote the title track for the album in collaboration with Toby Gad and the Canadian singer Esthero. The contemporary ballad and "silky R&B anthem," as Newsday calls the track, is about forgiveness and repentance. The twelfth track, True, is a ballad about heartbreak and cheating. In late 2008, the song made it to number 18 on Billboard's Bubbling Under R & B / Hip-Hop Singles. The chart hit was produced by RedOne . 1st & Love is the penultimate song on the album and describes love at first sight at a fictional intersection of two fictional streets called “First” and “Love” (in German: love). Fall , the last song on the album, as well as parts of the song 1st & Love , leaked before and had the function of a so-called " buzz single". The song was written with British colleague Natasha Bedingfield and is another love ballad on the album. The bonus track Gonna Find My Love is the first song on which Brandy raps. She would repeat this a year later on the Timbalands album Shock Value 2 under the pseudonym Bran'Nu .
publication
When the album was released on December 9th, she competed with other hip-hop and R&B artists such as Common , EPMD , Avant and Musiq Soulchild .
In order to avoid such a competition, other, much better-known R&B / Hip-Hop interpreters such as Jay-Z , 50 Cent , Jadakiss , Ciara , Bow Wow and Keri Hilson , who initially had the same date in their sights, postponed the release and their longplayer relocated to 2009.
Human rose to number 15 on the Billboard 200 with only 74,000 copies sold in the first week, making it the singer's weakest debut compared to, for example, the last "flop" CD Afrodisiac , which entered the market with almost 140,000 units sold . Even in the top R & B / Hip-Hop albums it is just enough for number 5. In both charts it climbed behind Common and Musiq Soulchild , but before Avant and EPMD . So far, moderate successes have also been celebrated internationally.
Although the lead single Right Here (Departed) had already been uploaded to the websites of the leading German music stations MTV and VIVA for months and the song premiered on both channels in early February, the song was for unknown reasons, in contrast to the Swiss music stations not played or added to the playlist until February. As a result, the song hardly got radio appearances (number 49 in the German airplay charts ) and the single and album were postponed by one week each (instead of the 6th and 20th, now March 13th and 27th).
Human received generally positive reviews, although the album was sometimes described as "too serious" and "not suitable for parties", but most of the critics agreed that the songs were very "reflective", "vulnerable", "useful", in terms of content and text. "Mature", "intimate", "profound", "serious", "emotional" but also "joyful". In addition, her voice is praised several times as a "smoky", "fluid", "soulful" as well as "velvety" and even "heavenly" or "syrupy" one. It is also noticeable that the CD is very often compared with the current music of Beyoncé and presented, among other things, as a positive alternative and counterpart to their bootylicious and club banger music.
Human is the singer's first album that has not been nominated for a Grammy , MTV or Soul Train Music Award or has been awarded one.
illustration
The album cover shows a frontal close-up of Brandy's chest all the way to his face. She wears black long weaves, wigs for African-textured hair (comparable to extensions ), which are hit by the camera light in such a way that they sometimes appear as if they are burning. The background is black. Brandy also wears a black and blue bustier . The booklet itself only contains two pictures (on the cover and on the last page). The second picture is from the same photo series . However, Brandy has been photographed here in profile. The booklet also contains the lyrics for each track and two-page acknowledgments . This small number of images (compared to previous albums) to the title of the album Human So people represent. It is less about a fictional character than about a person. Because at the "end of the day we are all human beings, whether celebrities or not". The album was sold in the slim case packaging system. The Japanese deluxe version of the cover is also provided with the words "Brandy Is Back" on the left of the picture and contains a bonus DVD.
marketing
To promote the album, Brandy made promo appearances on the Today Show , the Tyra Banks Show, the Early Show , the Morning Show and The View, among others . Additionally, Brandy was in the reality television series The Hills and For The Love of Ray J to see. In addition, she was supposed to be a guest at Oprah for the release of the album on December 9, 2008 , but refused because Oprah Winfrey or the producers of Winfrey's show insisted on the 2006 car accident , which lasted almost three years received worldwide media attention until the summer of 2009 and u. a. cost a woman her life to speak. Brandy personally only promoted the album in the United States , apart from her world tour . This is the first time in 10 years that Brandy has only appeared on US talk shows to promote her album. This may have something to do with the new label Epic (she was previously under contract with Atlantic ), as she had a small budget for promotion (music videos, production, packaging, etc.). In European music channels, however, a commercial was broadcast, which announced Right Here (Departed) as a big comeback single. The music video for the first single was also sent to the music channels in Europe. However, in Australia or New Zealand , for example , which was a very large market for brandy at the time, nothing about the publication was received, as neither the song or the music video for the first single was sent to the radio and music stations, nor was brandy as a guest in an oceanic one TV or radio broadcast acted. The second single Long Distance and the accompanying video, which was marketed in the USA with an additional remix video , were neither published nor marketed worldwide.
The press releases that the recording company sent to the global cultural press at the beginning of the album's promotion were based on the fact that everyone, including Brandy, was only human, and they probably referred to past events such as the car accident just mentioned :
“'› Human ‹is my most personal album to date,” says Brandy. 'I've developed quite a bit since my last album. Being able to express myself through music gives me a feeling that I cannot describe. In this new chapter in my life, it is good to have a familiar face in Rodney by my side. Like no one else, he manages to elicit my emotions. ' 'It's good to be working with brandy again,' confirms Jerkins, 'we've always made great records together and I feel flattered and honored to be able to continue this good tradition. The sound may be newer, fatter and more positive than before, but we kept our musical promise to make great songs and great music again. There is no other combination like the two of us !! ' The title of the album reflects Brandy's real life - with her songs she wants to show what it means as a woman, as an artist, as a musician and as an interpreter, to be 'human' through and through: strong and yet vulnerable, sincere and triumphant, to love life and not lose sight of spirituality. "
Tour
For the first time in ten years, Brandy went on a world tour, the Human World Tour or the Just Human Tour . After a few appearances, the actual concert series began on December 5, 2008 with an unplugged concert, which was broadcast live on Black Entertainment Television as a TV special under the name Brandy: Just Human . In addition to her two singles Right Here (Departed) and Long Distance , she performed other hits like Full Moon , What About Us? or Almost Doesn't Count for the Best. Further appearances - in Europe , Asia , North America - followed until the tour ended in June 2009. The tour program consisted of simple, non-dramatic stage performances. However, some of Brandy's songs have been rearranged, such as a medley of her successful albums Never Say Never (1998) and Brandy (1994), which changed live versions of u. a. Includes The Boy Is Mine , Top of the World, and I Wanna Be Down . In addition, her band created a new intro called Can You Feel Me? Especially for the shows in Europe . to heat up the audience. On the set list to only three songs find out Human : The Singles Right Here (Departed) and Long Distance and the mid-tempo song Torn Down .
Track list
- Human Intro - 0:19
- The Definition (Cristyle Johnson, Rodney Jerkins ) - 3:43
- Warm It Up (with Love) (Marvin "Tony" Hemmings, Rodney Jerkins, Jordan Omley) - 4:03
- Right Here (Departed) (Evan "Kidd" Bogart, Victoria Horn, Rodney Jerkins, Erika Nuri, David "DQ" Quiñones) - 3:39
- Piano Man (Marvin Hemmings, Rodney Jerkins, Jordan Omley) - 3:59
- Long Distance Interlude - 0:59
- Long Distance (Jeff Bhasker, Rodney Jerkins, Philip Lawrence, Bruno Mars ) - 3:51
- Camouflage (Rodney Jerkins, Claude Kelly) - 4:04
- Torn Down (James Fauntleroy, Kevin Risto, Dapo Torimiro, Waynne Nugent) - 3:32
- Human (Brandy Norwood, Toby Gad , Jenny-Bea Englishman, Lindy Robbins) - 3:53
- Shattered Heart (Rodney Jerkins, Crystal Johnson, LaShawn Daniels) - 3:53
- True ( RedOne , Claude Kelly) - 3:47
- A Cappella (Something's Missing) (Kenneth C. Coby, Tiyon "TC" Mack, Chad C. Roper, LeChe Martin) - 3:34
- 1st & Love (Christopher "Lonny" Breaux, Rick King, Chauncey Hollis, Jesse Woodard) - 3:20
- Fall ( Natasha Bedingfield , LaShawn Daniels, Brandy Norwood, Brian Seals) - 4:21
US iTunes bonus track
- Gonna Find My Love (Brandy Norwood, Toby Gad , Lindy Robbins) - 3:27
US Amazon.com bonus track
- Long Distance (Mad Decent Right Mad Remix)
- Right Here (Moto Blanco Radio Edit)
US iTunes Deluxe Edition bonus tracks
- Gonna find my love
- Locket (Locked in Love)
- Right Here (Departed) (Mad Decent Right Mad Mix)
- Right Here (Departed) ( A cappella )
- Right Here (Departed) ( Seamus Haji & Paul Emanuel Club Mix)
- Right Here (Departed) Music Video
Japan bonus tracks
- Gonna find my love
- Locket (Locked in Love)
- Right Here (Departed) (Remix, featuring Sean Kingston )
- Right Here (Departed) (Moto Blanco Radio Edit)
- Right Here (Departed) (Seamus Haji & Paul Emanuel Club Mix)
Bonus DVD
- Right Here (Departed) (Video)
- Long Distance (video)
- Making Of Right Here (Departed)
Singles
- Right Here (Departed) is thefirst single in the United States, written and producedby Rodney Jerkins , and released in 2008. When it was released in early August, the song was a moderate success: In Bulgaria and France, Right Here (Departed) reached the top ten of the singles charts, but in the USA , Switzerland , Sweden and Canada it is only enough for chart placements in the Top 40 . In addition to the published version, there are also a number of remixes with The Game and Sean Kingston, among others. The lead single Right Here (Departed) was released late in the production phase of Human . In early June 2008, Rodney Jerkins and Brandy celebrated a musical reunion, because she and her long-term mentor Jerkins had not recorded together for seven years. The song was written by the members of the "Writing Camp" with therapeutic intentions. The song is about a woman's conversations about mutual support between loved ones.
- Long Distance is the second single from the album, which was released in 2008 and was also written and produced by Rodney "Darkchild" Jerkins . The ballad deals with the problems of long-distance relationships . The song was first heard on October 3rd on Pittsburgh radio "WAMO" as a world premiere. The video for the single has already been shot. The song is written and produced by Philip Lawrence, Rodney Jerkins and Bruno Mars . The title is about long-distance relationships. The song was a commercial failure and only reached number 124 in the US singles chart; however, the song was number 1 in the hot dance / club play charts and number 7 in the Bulgarian singles charts.
Reviews
“The promising career of brandy began a good fifteen years ago and it was inherited from soul ladies Toni Braxton and Whitney Houston. Exactly the sound that made the R&B-loving teenagers' hearts beat faster at the time is also offered on the LP, largely produced by Rodney “Darkchild” Jerkins. Even if songs like The Definition or Piano Man sound heavily like Timbaland, it is the ballads like Soap theme song aspirant Long Distance and Brandy's handwritten general excuse Human that adequately represent Miss Norwood's emotional bath. Only True , dedicated to the broken heart, is even more lush in its emotionality. The piano accompaniment and the singer, who tends to be tearful here, triggers tears in those who are susceptible, and pure displeasure in everyone else. Fortunately, with pieces like the more moderate A Cappella (Something's Missing) , Brandy manages not to overstrain the concentrated inwardness. "
“What should you say? Brandy's fifth studio album is full of mid-tempo songs as usual. Nevertheless, the voice of the R&B singer does not go down, but shines as it has not for years.
Brandy released her last CD “Afrodisiac” five years ago. Since then it had become quiet around the artist, nobody knew in which direction they would continue musically. R&B, of course. She'd been making hits with it since I Wanna Be Down . The strongest track on the album is the ballad “Human”, as it deals with the fatal accident at the end of 2006, among other things: 'I make mistakes but I can't turn back time / I'm only human, forgive me.' But of course also the wonderful 'A Cappella'. But thanks to great producers, the strong numbers are still the faster songs like the first single Right Here [Departed] . "
“Brandy, 30, had a world hit in 1998 with The Boy Is Mine , and Rodney Darkchild was already producing back then, who is also responsible for most of the tracks on the new CD Human . Darkchild, also known under the name Jerkins, is a kind of Frank Farian of black pop, his songs have this fitness studio appeal and always remind you that in flexible circumstances, amusement is also to be taken sporty.
He cobbled together some bad numbers for Human . The formula is: Schunkel beats, preferably with handclaps, banal string or piano hooks, then the voice of Brandy, who still has to whisper as if she were 17 - an eternal au pair of R&B. Only the Schmonzette Human is consistent , and it was mixed by Beyoncé producer Toby Gad. As I said, Beyoncé is style-defining - also as a counter-figure, from which one distinguishes oneself. "
"[...] So smooth and grooved and so damn boring. No groove, no dynamics, no surprise effect, instead a slow flowing, cheap sound pulp and the same pattern: Brandy sings about love or optionally heartbreak, Brandy sings vowels like 'uuuh' or 'oooh', Brandy's voice is doubled in the chorus. In between there is a piano or a guitar and some synths here and there. Her voice has soul potential, especially in the lower regions, which should have been encouraged. "
“Brandy, the undisputed queen of R&B, has been through a lot in the last few years ... You can't talk about being the female version of a hustlas (like Beyoncé). Your songs are all terrific. The intro that is spoken is quite nice and their definition of a person. […] The opener, “The Definition”, is convincing all along the line, with a catchy beat, great lyrics and a wonderful voice. The next song “Warm It Up (With Love)” is super catchy and exudes a pleasant charm. The absolute top burner is the advance single “Right Here (Departed)”, a bombastic production, brilliant vocals and a wonderful message. She sounds heavenly on this track and the lyrics are also very well done. [...] Even if she is no longer the old, cheeky, wild and daring Brandy, she is now a mature, soulful, sexy singer with a heavenly voice. The album is perfect for all (not just R&B, pop and soul) music lovers. A must in a complete CD collection. "
Charts
| country | Charter agent | Highest position | Award |
|---|---|---|---|
| US Billboard 200 | Billboard | 15th |
Individual evidence
- ↑ sonybmg.de ( Memento from February 13, 2009 in the Internet Archive )
- ^ Brandy Interview Transcription . In: DJ Booth . Archived from the original on September 27, 2008. Retrieved September 10, 2008.
- ↑ Interview with Brandy - The Morning House Party . In: 104.7 KDUK . Archived from the original on November 19, 2008. Info: The archive link was automatically inserted and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. Retrieved September 10, 2008.
- ↑ Tonex talks about his recent breakdown . In: The Path Megazine . Virginia Preachers. Retrieved July 28, 2008.
- ^ Rush & Molloy: Surveillance: Need earplugs next time . In: NY Daily News . April 7, 2008. Retrieved July 3, 2008.
- ↑ John Legend & Keri Hilson Go In For Brandy . In: Rap-Up Magazine . September 23, 2008. Retrieved September 23, 2008.
- ↑ Video for 'She's Like a Star' from Taio Cruz . In: Contactmusic . September 23, 2008. Retrieved July 28, 2008.
- ↑ Interview . In: MiddleChild Promotions . Archived from the original on October 17, 2008. Retrieved October 8, 2008.
- ↑ Radio interview with http://www.rnbmusicblog.com/ciara-fantasy-ride-album-pushed-back/ ( Memento from October 24, 2008 in the Internet Archive ) Ryan Seacrest (English)
- ↑ Review of AllMusic (English)
- ↑ rap-up.com
- ↑ amazon.co.uk
- ↑ amazon.com
- ↑ rap-up.com
- ↑ amazon.com
- ↑ prefixmag.com
- ↑ amazon.com
- ↑ a b c rnbmusicblog.com ( Memento from December 23, 2008 in the Internet Archive )
- ↑ MTV - "brand: neu" - Archive ( Memento from February 25, 2009 in the Internet Archive )
- ↑ VIVA - "NEW" - Archive ( Memento from August 22, 2008 in the Internet Archive )
- ↑ vivatv.ch
- ↑ Human at Allmusic (English)
- ↑ rwdmag.com ( Memento from December 12, 2008 in the Internet Archive )
- ↑ musicomh.com
- ↑ digitalspy.co.uk
- ↑ theguardian.com
- ↑ rwdmag.com ( Memento from December 12, 2008 in the Internet Archive )
- ↑ digitalspy.co.uk
- ↑ Review: Human / Brandy by Jon Dolan, Blender - The Guide ( Memento from February 21, 2009 in the Internet Archive )
- ↑ slantmagazine.com ( Memento from February 15, 2009 in the Internet Archive )
- ↑ boston.com
- ↑ newsday.com ( page no longer available , search in web archives ) Info: The link was automatically marked as defective. Please check the link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ↑ ew.com
- ↑ digitalspy.co.uk
- ↑ Interview with AllHipHop was paraphrased in the article
- ↑ foreverbrandy.com ( Memento from December 30, 2010 in the Internet Archive )
- ↑ foreverbrandy.com ( Memento from December 30, 2010 in the Internet Archive )
- ↑ stern.de ( Memento from March 12, 2010 in the Internet Archive )
- ↑ focus.de
- ↑ mtv.de
- ↑ sonymusic.de ( page no longer available , search in web archives ) Info: The link was automatically marked as defective. Please check the link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ↑ Brandy Is Back . In: BET on Blast . Retrieved October 3, 2008.
- ↑ Epic Records Readies the Release of 'Human' . In: Marketwatch . August 15, 2008. Retrieved August 15, 2008.
- ↑ ACE Title Search: "Gonna Find My Love". In: ASCAP. Retrieved August 28, 2017 .
- ↑ acharts.co
- ↑ ln-online.de (PDF) ( page no longer available , search in web archives ) Info: The link was automatically marked as defective. Please check the link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ↑ spiegel.de
- ↑ laut.de at laut.de
- ↑ rap2soul.de
- ↑ mariah-charts.com
