Never Say Never (Brandy album)

Following the release of her multi-platinum eponymous debut album (1994) and several equally successful soundtrack contributions such as "Sittin' Up in My Room" from Waiting to Exhale (1995) and "Missing You" from Set It Off (1996), Norwood took a lengthy musical break in which she graduated from high school, enrolled in college and established a flourishing acting career. In 1995, she was cast in the titular role in the UPN sitcom Moesha, and in the following two years, she appeared opposite her idol Whitney Houston in the musical television film Cinderella (1997) and filmed the slasher film sequel I Still Know What You Did Last Summer (1998). At one point she even considered giving up singing to concentrate on acting due to the ever changing music industry and losing her passion for it. According to her, "I think the music industry has changed so much... I don't know how to look at my first video... There was so much happening... And I'd rather go out with the first album, bang, and not have to come back and not be able to do the same thing again. She found that many songs would not express what she wanted to say at that point of her career. Elaborating on her desire for progression and a more mature sound, Norwood added, that "I'm not the little girl I was when I made my first record. My voice is a strong instrument now; my vocals come from both my heart and my diaphragm. My heart because I matured in the four years since the last album; I'm more emotionally there." Her interest in her music was renewed when she met then-upcoming producer Rodney Jerkins and his production team. "They really turned it around. When I met Rodney, his tracks were so mean, so unbelievable, and the writing that LaShawn and Japhe did, they came to the table and they really brought a lot of the fill ins that I had inside of me out. They changed my whole perspective on the music thing. When I started to work with them, I wanted to go to the studio every day. I wanted to sing every day. I didn't want to act anymore after that", says Norwood. ==Recording and production==

(pictured) and his team. Producers that were slated to work on the album at that point were Sean "Puffy" Combs, Babyface, David Foster, and Keith Crouch. Norwood was also planning to record a song with Wyclef Jean, in which she expressed that she had heard that his track was "so hot" and she was "ready to go in there and sing it, master it, get it done, and put it on the album". Recording for the album resumed in October 1997, with Norwood confirming that she was "right in the middle" of completing the album. She stated that the material was going to be "sophisticated a little, a little sexy, a little edge, but I'm still gonna be innocent, you know, I still have to give 'em that America's sweetheart thing. I have to do that, can't never get rid of that". Accompanied by his brother Fred Jerkins III and songwriter LaShawn Daniels, he ended up completing five songs in five days with her, including “Learn the Hard Way”, “Happy”, “Put That on Everything,” and title track “Never Say Never.” With Jerkins and his team producing the majority on the album, he was eventually promoted to executive producer on the album. Jerkins and his circle worked excessively on the album, with typical sessions starting in the afternoon and lasting until the early morning hours. Norwood recorded songs multiple times if she wasn't satisfied with them. ==Music and lyrics==

The album's opening track "Angel in Disguise" is a Rodney Jerkins-produced mid-tempo track that features backing vocals by fellow R&B singer Joe. It consists of a "dribbling bass line" that Chuck Taylor of Billboard compared to a "dreamlike, moonlit night". The harmonic background song, created using the so-called multi-track recording, was described as "enchanting" and "seductive". Set as the album's lead single, "The Boy Is Mine" was originally intended to be a solo song for Brandy, but due to Monica's success at the time, it was conceived as a duet. Inspired by Michael Jackson and Paul McCartney's 1982 duet "The Girl Is Mine", the lyrics of the mid-tempo R&B track revolve around two women fighting over a man. "Learn the Hard Way" is the album's fourth track and shares similarities with the album's title track. The song's background revolves around Norwood telling a man "it's a shame you had to learn the hard way", and the lyrics quote: "You did me wrong / You told me lies / Treated me bad / All of the time." The lyrics also show Norwood does not feel sympathy for him after all he's done. The Guy Roche-produced "Almost Doesn't Count" follows; its lyrics revolve around its writer Shelly Peiken's powerful but unfruitful on-again, off-again relationship she had with a man while in college. Peiken recalled her emotions during a writing session with Roche decades later when she "dug up that laundry list of all the 'almosts' I felt we had, and we put it into the song." Brandy performed the song in the 1999 television film Double Platinum, starring Diana Ross and herself. The international single "Top of the World" is the album's sixth track. It is a collaboration with Mase and talks about Brandy as a popstar "just trying to be her" and not feeling like being in her own world. The Darkchild-produced "U Don't Know Me (Like U Used To)", which is the album's seventh and final single, is noted for its remix version with Shaunta and Da Brat. The title track, also produced by Rodney Jerkins, is the eighth song of the album. "Truthfully", a ballad about a broken relationship, was written by former Boyz II Men member, singer-songwriter Marc Nelson. Recorded in a single take, it took Nelson five different sessions to get Norwood in the recording studio as she felt initially nervous about working with him. Mason was consulted by Jerkins after he had shopped around several tracks for record executives. In the song's lyrics, Norwood sings about unrequited love with lyrics such as "Have you finally found the one you've given your heart to / Only to find that one will not give their heart to you". "Put That on Everything", a mid-tempo ballad, is the album's eleventh track. The album's twelfth track "In the Car Interlude" is actually a phone conversation in the car between Brandy, Rodney and Fred Jerkins. "Happy", an R&B up-tempo song, was the album's thirteenth track. It was also featured in Double Platinum and received positive reception from Rolling Stone. It also served as the theme song of the 2002 MTV reality television series Brandy: Special Delivery. "One Voice", the fourteenth track, was the official UNICEF theme song during its 50th anniversary celebration. Entertainment Weekly describes her voice in the song as "soft and smoky" and as a "gospel-fired ballad that finds her effortlessly raising the roof". "Tomorrow", a nearly six-minutes-long ballad, is the fifteenth track and the album's longest song. The final song on the album is the Bryan Adams cover "(Everything I Do) I Do It for You". ==Release and promotion==

Never Say Never was released in the United States on June 9, 1998, by Atlantic Records; its double-disc limited edition was released exclusively in Australia on July 13, 1999. Promotion for Never Say Never began with Brandy's appearance on music magazine Vibes April 1998 cover, followed by a massive print campaign, including cover shoots for Teen People and Ebony as well as coverage in fanzines. The co-marketing venture between Vibe and Atlantic Records resulted in a number of joint projects, such as a Vibe–Brandy website, a college marketing tour, and several retail and radio promotions. In June, Brandy performed "Top of the World" alongside Mase at the 1998 MTV Movie Awards. During the award ceremony, she performed her song "Have You Ever?". On January 31, Brandy and rapper LL Cool J hosted Miami radio station WEDR's Super Bowl concert, surrounding Super Bowl XXXIII. In March 1999, Brandy joined former First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton and Attorney General Janet Reno at the National Museum of Women in the Arts to recognize six young women that were selected for the second annual Volunteerism Awards. On April 13, Brandy performed alongside Whitney Houston, Tina Turner, Cher, Chaka Khan, and Faith Hill, among others, at ''VH1 Divas Live '99''. By May 1999, Brandy had embarked on a world tour with shows in France, Germany, the Netherlands, and Japan. Also in May, she performed "Almost Doesn't Count" on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno In June, Brandy returned to the US for the North American leg of her tour which was originally scheduled to run from June 18 to August 2. In retail, a Brandy standee was provided to merchants, while the album was made part of "price and positing" programs at all major national accounts and urban indie accounts nationally upon its release. Other marketing items for Never Say Never included a partnering with DC Comics, which created a Brandy comic book in September 1998 for junior high and high school students. Atlantic also discussed plans with Disney for a cross-promotion between the home video version of Cinderella (1997) and the album, as well as the production of a major TV special, involving corporate sponsors. ==Singles==

"The Boy Is Mine", a duet with singer Monica, was the first song to be lifted from Never Say Never in May 1998. Released to generally positive reviews from contemporary music critics, it became the first No. 1 pop record for both artists, both stateside and internationally. In the United States, "The Boy Is Mine" became the best-selling song of the year, spending 13 weeks on top of the US Billboard Hot 100 during the summer of 1998. It was certified double platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) and ranked eighth on Billboards decade-end chart. Internationally, the single also achieved a strong charting, peaking at No. 1 in Canada, the Netherlands and New Zealand, while reaching the top five on most of the other charts on which it appeared. "Top of the World" featuring rapper Mase served as the album's second single. The song was less successful around the world, but reached No. 2 on the UK Singles Chart. It was certified silver by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI) on October 23, 1998. Midtempo track "Angel in Disguise" featuring prominent backing vocals by singer Joe, was released as a radio single on January 21, 1999, in the United States only. It reached the top twenty on the Billboards Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs based on airplay alone. "Almost Doesn't Count" was released in the second quarter of 1999, serving as the album's fifth single. The ballad reached the top twenty on the majority of all charts it appeared on and was promoted by a performance in the 1999 film Double Platinum, starring Diana Ross and Brandy herself. "U Don't Know Me (Like U Used To)" was selected as the album's fifth single and marked the final single to be released from Never Say Never in North America. A minor commercial success, the song reached No. 79 on the Billboard Hot 100 and the top thirty on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart. In support of the single, a remix version of the track featuring female rappers Shaunta and Da Brat was released, accompanied by a remix EP entitled ''U Don't Know Me... Like U Used To – The Remix EP''. In German-speaking Europe, "U Don't Know Me (Like U Used To)" appeared as a B-side on the promotional single "Never Say Never". It failed to chart, however. In Oceania, the Bryan Adams cover "(Everything I Do) I Do It for You" was released as the album's sixth single instead. It reached No. 28 on the New Zealand Singles Chart. ==Critical reception==

Never Say Never received mixed reviews from music critics. Stephen Thomas Erlewine of AllMusic gave the album four out of five stars, calling it a "better, more adventurous record than her debut" and noting that Brandy "wisely decides to find a middle ground between Mariah Carey and Mary J. Blige — it's adult contemporary with a slight streetwise edge." He praised her improved delivery, writing that her "subdued vocals can make mediocre material sound convincing," and concluded that the album's strength lay in its quality songs and production rather than Brandy's performance alone. Lorraine Ali from Rolling Stone complimented Brandy's natural charm and effervescence, and writing that she exudes more personality than some of her contemporaries, bringing a lively energy to the record. However, several critics were less impressed with the album. Paul Verna of Billboard observed that, while Brandy showed moments of maturity and confidence on tracks like "The Boy Is Mine," the album was filled with "trend-conscious moves," including guest raps from Mase and melodies reminiscent of Janet Jackson, suggesting that Brandy should focus on developing her own artistic identity rather than imitating other performers. J. D. Considine of Entertainment Weekly criticized Brandy's performance for lacking vocal passion, writing that much of the material "end up[s] sounding pretty much the same," which flattened the emotional range of the album despite technically competent singing. Mary Tartaglione from The Sydney Morning Herald described Brandy as a promising young artist, but concluded that Never Say Never, despite a strong opening and the standout track "Top of the World," ultimately suffered from inconsistency and limited lasting impact. ==Accolades==

Never Say Never debuted at No. 3 on the Billboard 200 for the week of June 16, 1998, selling 160,000 units in its first week–Norwood's largest first-week sales. By its 14th week on the Billboard 200 chart, Never Say Never had sold 1.4 million copies. By December 1998, Never Say Never sold 2.6 million copies in the United States. In January 1999 the album was ranked as the 13th best-selling album of 1998 with total sales at 2.9 million. The following year in January 2000, the album was the 62nd best-selling album of 1999 selling 1.3 million copies during that year. In March 2002 sales for the album stood at over 4.4 million copies sold. By June 2004, Never Say Never sold 4.5 million copies. In total it has spent 72 consecutive weeks on the Billboard 200—28 of which were within the top 20—and as of 2012, the album has sold 4.6 million copies in the United States according to Nielsen Soundscan. In December 1999, the album was certified quintuple platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) for five million shipped units. In Canada, Never Say Never debuted on RPM' s Top Albums/CDs chart at No. 3 on the issue dated June 29, 1998. The album remained at No. 3 for two additional weeks on the weeks ending on July 6 and July 13, 1998. Overall, the album has spent a total of 54 consecutive weeks on the Top Albums/CDs chart. On August 27, 1999, the album was certified Quadruple platinum by Music Canada for denoting shipments of 400,000 units. In the UK the album debuted at No. 21 on the UK Albums Chart on June 14, 1998. In its tenth week, the album climbed to a new peak of No. 19. and was eventually certified platinum by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI), denoting shipments of 300,000 copies. By May 1999, Never Say Never had sold seven million copies worldwide, according to Billboard.{{cite web|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=jggEAAAAMBAJ&dq=brandy+plaque&pg=PA7-IA5 ==Impact and legacy==

While her debut album had been a major success in the United States, Never Say Never was credited with Norwood's international breakthrough and facilitated her in becoming a viable recording artist with media–crossing appeal in music, film, and television. HipHopDXs Aaron McKrell remarked that "Brandy's newfound maturity was reflected in her music, and audiences and critics alike raved about the pop-tinged R&B that permeated the album," with Lela Olds, writing for The Boombox, further reporting that she "grew confident as both an artist and a young woman on Never Say Never, creating an album that showed both personal and vocal growth." Never Say Never is Norwood's most successful album to date, with worldwide sales of 14 million records, including singles and album copies. Musically, Never Say Never blueprinted Norwood's signature "silky, smooth sound" which would also dominate on following projects. In a similar article, Da’Shan Smith from Revolt noted that while the album "had an electric sensibility directed towards the approaching new millennium, they helped finalize the standard for what a pop&B diva's midtempos and ballads should consist of [...] Looking back at Never Say Never, one could argue that Brandy remodeled the construct of a teen-star-pushing-20." Critics noted that her ability to grow musically while simultaneously balancing life as an actress served as role model material for other teen singers such as Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera who had upcoming studio debuts. Aside from boosting Norwood's own success, Never Say Never became instrumental in promoting the careers of many from those involved in the making of the album who were relatively unknown prior to its release, notably chief producer Rodney Jerkins, his brother Fred and songwriter LaShawn Daniels. Norwood herself commented in a 2018 interview with music website Okayplayer: "Never Say Never changed the course of my life. I found one of the best producers [Rodney Jerkins] in the world to help me find my new sound. I was so free to try things vocally and the Darkchild team gave me their best work and sweet support." In 2020, she ranked the album among her three favorite releases. ==Track listing==

Credits adapted from the liner notes of Never Say Never. Notes • denotes additional producer ==Personnel==

Credits adapted from the liner notes of Never Say Never. • Anas Allaf – guitar • Monica Arnold – lead vocals, backing vocals • Tom Bender – mixing assistance • Chuckii Booker – drums • Leslie Brathwaite – engineer • Thomas Bricker – art director • Alex Brown – backing vocals • Gerry Brown – mixing • Bridgette Bryant – backing vocals • Carmen Carter – backing vocals • Paris Davis – executive producer • Ken Deranteriasian – engineer, mixing • Nathan East – bass • Felipe Elgueta – engineer • David Foster – keyboard • Brian Gardner – mastering • Ben Garrison – engineer • Brad Gilderman – engineer, mixing • Nikisha Grierf – backing vocals • Bernie Grundman – mastering • Mick Guzauski – mixing • Dorian Holley – backing vocals • LaTonya Holman – backing vocals • Jean-Marie Horvat – engineer • Richard Jackson – backing vocals • Bobette Jamison-Harrison – backing vocals • Rodney Jerkins – executive producer • Donyle Jones – backing vocals • Craig Kallman – executive producer • Vatrena King – backing vocals • Mario Lucy – engineer • Carlton Lynn – assistant engineer • Harvey Mason, Jr. – keyboard • Harvey Mason, Sr. – percussion • Victor McCoy – engineer, assistant engineer • James McCrary – backing vocals • Kristle Murden – backing vocals • Brandy Norwood – lead vocals, backing vocals, executive producer, engineer • Willie Norwood – backing vocals • Kayla Parker – backing vocals • Dean Parks – guitar • Shelly Peiken – backing vocals • Isaac Phillips – guitar • Al Schmitt – engineer • Rick Sigel – engineer • Alfie Silas – backing vocals • Dexter Simmons – mixing • Moana Suchard – engineer, assistant engineer • Chris Tergesen – engineer • Joseph Thomas – backing vocals • Meri Thomas – backing vocals • Greg Thompson – assistant engineer • Michael Thompson – guitar • Carmen Twillie – backing vocals • Mervyn Warren – backing vocals • Maxine Waters – backing vocals • Oren Waters – backing vocals • Rick Williams – guitar • Yvonne Williams – backing vocals • BeBe Winans – backing vocals • Monalisa Young – backing vocals ==Charts==

Weekly charts Year-end charts Decade-end charts ==Certifications and sales==