The Best of Brandy

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The Best of Brandy
Greatest hits album by
Brandy
ReleasedMarch 28, 2005 (2005-03-28)
Recorded1994–2004
Genre
Length77:04
LabelAtlantic
Producer
Brandy chronology
Afrodisiac
(2004) 		The Best of Brandy
(2005) 		Human
(2008)
Singles from The Best of Brandy
  1. "Who Is She 2 U"
    Released: March 21, 2005[a]

The Best of Brandy is the first greatest hits album by American singer Brandy. It was released on March 28, 2005 by Atlantic Records, completing her contract with the label after being signed since 1994.[4] The album comprises nearly all of Norwood's 1994–2004 singles, compiling her first four studio albums Brandy (1994), Never Say Never (1998), Full Moon (2002) and Afrodisiac (2004), as well as songs she contributed to film soundtracks such as Waiting to Exhale (1995) and Set It Off (1996).

The album received generally favorable reviews from critics who noted the creativity of Norwood's back-catalog.[5] It debuted at number 27 on the US Billboard 200, selling 26,000 units in its first week.[6] Outside the United States, "Who Is She 2 U"–the second US single from Afrodisiac–was released as a single in support of The Best of Brandy. While it features no original material, the album includes rare tracks such as a 1995 cover of Michael Jackson's "Rock with You", her international single "Another Day in Paradise" and the single remix of "U Don't Know Me (Like U Used To)".[7]

Release[edit]

On November 1, 2004, four months after the release of Afrodisiac, her fourth studio album with Atlantic Records, Brandy's publicist Courtney Barnes announced that the singer had requested and was granted an unconditional release from her recording contract with the music label, her record company since 1994, as Norwood was at "a place where [she wants] some change in her life [and] wanted to move on" musically.[4] Brandy was subsequently asked to complete her contract with the release of a greatest hits collection, a plan which she considered a true compliment and showcase for her development as a recording artist over ten years.[8] "I'm really proud of it," Brandy said about the compilation album the following year. "When you get a chance to step back, you notice all these great things you've done and all these great people that you've worked with. The album is a celebration of me being in the industry for so long, and I'm still going."[7] In addition, Norwood declared her satisfaction with the conclusion of her Atlantic era: "I just thought it was a great idea – to put 18 songs together of the best of everything that I’ve done made me feel really good. And also, it is giving me a reason to move on from everything I've done. I'm excited about putting it out and also putting it behind me."[9]

Critical reception[edit]

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[5]
Slant[10]
StylusA[1]

The Best of Brandy received generally favorable reviews from music critics.[5][10][1] Andy Kellman of AllMusic gave the compilation four and a half out of five stars and commented that "the disc is straightforward and rather thorough in its makeup, compiling almost all of Brandy's charting singles, [and] though the last two albums evidently didn't produce 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."[5] Music Week stated the album is "hitting the high spots of her musical career to date featuring The Boy is Mine, Never Say Never, and her cover of Another Day In Paradise". They also highlighted her recent songs the "excellent" Afrodisiac and Who Is She 2 U.[11] Thomas Inskeep from Stylus magazine commended that Norwood "helped soundtrack highs and lows, especially highs, with your so fresh/so clean stable of killer singles. Now that they’re collected like this, it’s like my own personal time capsule. Here’s to another decade, Brandy. As Aaliyah sang, you’re more than a woman, and the pop/R&B landscape is richer for your presence in it. Thanks."[1] He gave the album an "A" rating.[1]

In his review for Slant magazine, Sal Cinquemani criticized both Warner Music and Atlantic for "botching the promotion of her last studio album [Afrodisiac]" and Norwood's subsequent drop.[10] He was however positive with the album's track lisiting, stating: "The collection is capped off with non-album tracks like the #2 hit "Sittin' Up in My Room" and covers of Michael Jackson's "Rock with You" and Phil Collins's "Another Day in Paradise", which, though it's not exactly a labor of love for Brandy's longtime label home, makes The Best of a must-have for the hardest-core Moesha fans."[10] He rated the compilation three and a half out of five stars.[10] Less enthusiastic, Chris Taylor from MusicOMH felt that album proved that Norwood was "a fine wine that has never quite fully matured [...]The overall result is a middling collection which ultimately leaves one frequently fast-forwarding, wondering what could have been."[12]

Commercial performance[edit]

In the United States, The Best of Brandy debuted at number 27 on the Billboard 200 and number 11 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart, selling 26,000 units in its first week.[6] It spent a total of five weeks on the Billboard 200.[6]

Internationally, the album entered the top thirty in Australia and the United Kingdom only, where it reached numbers 25 and 24 respectively, but enjoyed short runs on the charts.[13][14] In addition, the album reached number 92 on the European Top 100 Albums chart.[15] In the United Kingdom, The Best of Brandy was certified silver by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI) in September 2019, for sales and streaming figures in excess of 60,000 units.[16]

The album was released on vinyl for the first time on February 11, 2022. It charted in the UK on the Official Hip Hop and R&B albums Chart Top 40 at number 17 on February 18, 2022.[17]

Track listing[edit]

The Best of Brandy – North American edition[18]
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
1."Baby"
Crouch4:19
2."Best Friend"
  • Crouch
  • Glenn McKinney
Crouch4:28
3."I Wanna Be Down"
  • Crouch
  • Kipper Jones
Crouch4:09
4."Brokenhearted" (duet with Wanya Morris)
  • Crouch
  • Jones
4:45
5."Angel in Disguise"
Darkchild4:48
6."The Boy Is Mine" (duet with Monica)
4:00
7."Almost Doesn't Count"
  • F. Jerkins
  • Roche
3:39
8."Top of the World" (featuring Mase)
  • Mason Betha
  • Daniels
  • Hale
  • F. Jerkins
  • R. Jerkins
  • Phillips
  • Turman
  • Darkchild
  • Brandy[a]
4:41
9."U Don't Know Me (Like U Used To)" (featuring Shaunta & Da Brat)
  • Sean Bryant
  • Paris Davis
  • R. Jerkins
  • Norwood
  • Phillips
  • Darkchild
  • Brandy[a]
4:00
10."Have You Ever?"Diane WarrenDavid Foster3:34
11."Full Moon"Mike City
3:53
12."What About Us?"
4:14
13."Who Is She 2 U"
4:43
14."Talk About Our Love" (featuring Kanye West)
  • Claude Cave II
  • Harold Lilly
  • West
  • Carlos Wilson
  • Louis Wilson
  • Ricardo Wilson
3:34
15."Sittin' Up in My Room"Kenneth EdmondsBabyface5:00
16."Rock with You" (with Heavy D)Rod Temperton
4:09
17."Another Day in Paradise" (duet with Ray J)Phil CollinsRoche4:32
18."I Wanna Be Down" (Remix) (featuring Queen Latifah, Yo-Yo and MC Lyte)
  • Crouch
  • Jones
Crouch4:16
The Best of Brandy – North American digital edition[19]
No.TitleLength
15."Another Day in Paradise" (duet with Ray J)4:32
16."I Wanna Be Down" (Remix) (featuring Queen Latifah, Yo-Yo and MC Lyte)4:16
17."The Boy Is Mine" (Remix) (featuring Shaunta)4:50
18."Sittin' Up in My Room"5:00
The Best of Brandy – International edition[20]
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
1."The Boy Is Mine" (duet with Monica)  4:00
2."Top of the World" (featuring Mase)  4:41
3."Another Day in Paradise" (duet with Ray J)  4:32
4."Who Is She 2 U"  4:43
5."Afrodisiac"
  • Mosley
  • Phillips
  • Kenisha Pratt
  • Kenneth Pratt
  • Timbaland
  • Brandy[a]
3:48
6."Never Say Never"
  • Bryant
  • Davis
  • R. Jerkins
  • Norwood
  • Phillips
  • Darkchild
  • Brandy[a]
5:09
7."I Wanna Be Down" (Remix) (featuring Queen Latifah, Yo-Yo and MC Lyte)  4:16
8."Sittin' Up in My Room"  4:51
9."U Don't Know Me (Like U Used To)" (featuring Shaunta and Da Brat)  4:00
10."Almost Doesn't Count"  3:39
11."Baby"  4:19
12."Full Moon" (Cutfather & Joe Remix) 
3:53
13."What About Us?"  4:14
14."Talk About Our Love"  3:34
15."Brokenhearted" (duet with Wanya Morris)  4:45
16."Have You Ever?"  3:34
17."Missing You" (with Tamia, Gladys Knight and Chaka Khan)
Eastmond4:13
18."Rock with You" (with Heavy D)  4:09
The Best of Brandy – International digital edition[21]
No.TitleLength
8."U Don't Know Me (Like U Used To)" (featuring Shaunta and Da Brat)4:00
9."Almost Doesn't Count"3:39
10."Baby"4:19
11."Full Moon" (Cutfather & Joe Remix)3:53
12."What About Us?"4:14
13."Talk About Our Love"3:34
14."Brokenhearted" (duet with Wanya Morris)4:45
15."Have You Ever?"3:34
16."Missing You" (with Tamia, Gladys Knight and Chaka Khan)4:13
The Best of Brandy – Limited Numbered Edition vinyl[22]
No.TitleLength
1."The Boy Is Mine" (duet with Monica)4:00
2."I Wanna Be Down"4:09
3."Another Day in Paradise" (duet with Ray J)4:32
4."Baby"4:19
5."Top of the World" (featuring Mase)4:41
6."Full Moon"3:53
7."U Don't Know Me (Like U Used To)" (featuring Shaunta & Da Brat)4:00
8."Sittin' Up in My Room"5:00
9."Who Is She 2 U"4:43
10."Talk About Our Love" (featuring Kanye West)3:34
11."I Wanna Be Down" (Remix) (featuring Queen Latifah, Yo-Yo and MC Lyte)4:16
12."Rock with You" (with Heavy D)4:09
13."The Boy Is Mine" (Remix) (featuring Shaunta)4:50

Notes

  • ^a denotes additional producer
  • ^b denotes vocals producer

Sample credits

  • "Who Is She 2 U" contains a sample of Jacqueline Hilliard's "Instant Love" (1968).
  • "Talk About Our Love" contains a sample of Mandrill's "Gilly Hines" (1977) from the album We Are One.

Personnel[edit]

Credits adapted from the liner notes of The Best of Brandy.[23]

Charts[edit]

Weekly chart performance for The Best of Brandy
Chart (2005) Peak
position
Australian Albums (ARIA)[13] 25
Australian Urban Albums (ARIA)[24] 5
European Top 100 Albums (Billboard)[15] 92
Japanese Albums (Oricon)[25] 28
Scottish Albums (OCC)[26] 68
UK Albums (OCC)[14] 24
UK R&B Albums (OCC)[27] 14
US Billboard 200[28] 27
US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard)[29] 11

Certifications[edit]

Certifications and sales for The Best of Brandy
Region Certification Certified units/sales
United Kingdom (BPI)[16] Silver 60,000‡

‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

Release history[edit]

Release dates and formats for The Best of Brandy
Region Date Format(s) Label(s) Ref.
Germany April 4, 2005
Warner Music
[30]
United Kingdom Atlantic
[31]
Canada April 5, 2005 Warner Music
[32]
United States Atlantic
[33][19]
France April 12, 2005 Warner Music
[34]
Japan April 27, 2005
[25]
Australia May 2, 2005
[35]
Various February 11, 2022
  • Black History Month edition vinyl
  • limited numbered edition vinyl
 Atlantic
[36][21]

Notes[edit]

  1. ^ "Who Is She 2 U" had previously been released as the second single from Afrodisiac exclusively in North America on July 27, 2004.[2] It was released as the only single from The Best of Brandy outside North America on March 21, 2005.[3]

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b c d e Inskeep, Thomas (April 13, 2005). "Brandy – The Best of Brandy – Review". Stylus Magazine. Retrieved March 2, 2010.
  2. ^ Anon. (n.d.). "Brandy – Who Is She 2 U". United States: Amazon Music. Retrieved September 22, 2012.
  3. ^ Anon. (n.d.). "Brandy – Who Is She 2 U". United Kingdom: Amazon Music. Retrieved September 22, 2012.
  4. ^ a b Rashbaum, Alyssa (2004-11-01). "Another Breakup For Brandy: This Time It's Her Label". MTV News. Retrieved 2010-06-20.
  5. ^ a b c d Kellman, Andy. "The Best of Brandy review". AllMusic. Retrieved June 20, 2010.
  6. ^ a b c Lewis, Randy (2005-04-14). "Evans' Title Proves No Idle Boast". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2010-06-20.
  7. ^ a b Marino, Kelly (2005-04-04). "Brandy Takes Her Sweet Time, Personally And Professionally". MTV News. Retrieved 2010-06-20.
  8. ^ Nathan, David; Rizik, Chris (8 May 2007). "Brandy Discography". Soultracks.com. Retrieved 2010-06-20.
  9. ^ "Interview: Brandy". ChicagoPride.com. 2005-04-15. Retrieved 2010-06-20.
  10. ^ a b c d e Cinquemani, Sal (April 16, 2005). "Brandy – The Best of Brandy". Slant Magazine. Archived from the original on January 5, 2011. Retrieved March 2, 2010.
  11. ^ "Reviews" (PDF). Music Week. March 26, 2005. p. 33. Retrieved August 29, 2023.
  12. ^ Taylor, Chris (2005-03-28). "Brandy – The Best Of Brandy". MusicOMH. OMH.com. Retrieved 2013-06-02.
  13. ^ a b "Australiancharts.com – Brandy – The Best Of". Hung Medien. Retrieved November 25, 2017.
  14. ^ a b "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved November 25, 2017.
  15. ^ a b "Music Charts – European Top 100 Albums – Music Genre Sales". Billboard. Archived from the original on February 5, 2013. Retrieved 2010-06-20.
  16. ^ a b "British album certifications – Brandy – The Best Of". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved July 18, 2023. Select albums in the Format field. Select Silver in the Certification field. Type The Best Of in the "Search BPI Awards" field and then press Enter.
  17. ^ "Official Hip Hop and R&B Albums Chart Top 40 - 18 February 2022 - 24 February 2022". Official Charts. 18 February 2022. Retrieved 20 February 2022.
  18. ^ Kellman, Andy (April 5, 2005). "The Best of Brandy – Brandy". AllMusic. Retrieved September 8, 2021.
  19. ^ a b Anon. (March 28, 2005). "The Best of Brandy". United States: Amazon Music. Retrieved September 8, 2021.
  20. ^ Anon. (n.d.). "The Best of Brandy (International Release)". United Kingdom: Amazon Music. Retrieved September 8, 2021.
  21. ^ a b Anon. (March 28, 2005). "The Best of Brandy [Explicit]". United Kingdom: Amazon Music. Retrieved September 8, 2021.
  22. ^ "Gripsweat - Brandy - the Best of Brandy Limited Numbered Edition Vinyl ( 2LP ) NEW".
  23. ^ The Best of Brandy (CD liner). Brandy. Atlantic Records. 2005.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  24. ^ "ARIA Urban Albums Chart – Week Commencing 27th June 2005" (PDF). The ARIA Report (800). June 27, 2003. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2008-02-22. Retrieved April 15, 2023 – via National Library of Australia.
  25. ^ a b "ブランディーのアルバム売り上げランキング" (in Japanese). Oricon. Archived from the original on 2012-10-23. Retrieved July 4, 2018.
  26. ^ "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved November 25, 2017.
  27. ^ "Official R&B Albums Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company. Retrieved November 25, 2017.
  28. ^ "Brandy Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved November 25, 2017.
  29. ^ "Brandy Chart History (Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved June 10, 2018.
  30. ^ "German Release Date". Amazon.de. 2005-04-05. Retrieved 2010-05-04.
  31. ^ "Records released 04.04.05" (PDF). Music Week. March 2, 2005. p. 26. Retrieved August 29, 2023.
  32. ^ "Canadian release date". Amazon.ca. Retrieved 2009-09-01.
  33. ^ "United States release date". Amazon. Retrieved 2009-09-01.
  34. ^ "French Release Date". Amazon.fr. 2005-04-12. Retrieved 2010-06-20.
  35. ^ "ARIA New Releases Albums – Week Commencing 2nd May 2005" (PDF). ARIA. May 2, 2005. p. 30. Archived from the original (PDF) on February 23, 2008. Retrieved October 29, 2023.
  36. ^ "Black History Month Edition Release Date". Amazon. 2022-02-11. Retrieved 2022-02-15.
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