Lost in the shadows of the unexpected death of Whitney Houston was the return of Brandy and Monica to the scene. Their duet, "It All Belongs to Me," was set for a primetime debut at Clive Davis' pre-Grammy party. But once Whitney passed, it all seemed kind of unimportant.
It didn't help that "It All Belongs to Me" was a largely dated, forgettable attempt at the "kick him to the curb, girl" anthem that has served so many female R&B artists well in the past.
But after a tumultuous few years in music purgatory, has Brandy finally found her way back to the promised land with this Bangladesh-produced, Chris Brown-assisted single?
Listen to Brandy's new single below
Strengths
- This track has swag for days. Bangladesh blessed this beat with some extra swagu. It's got edge but doesn't overdo it.
- Brandy gets a little bit of her rap on. B-Rocka unveiled her MCing skills on Timbaland's Shock Value 2 album but got clowned for it, so she pulled back on her rhyming skills. Which was a shame, cause she actually wasn't bad at it. She brings a little of that Bran'Nu vibe back though as she gets to talk-rap a little here. It really works well with the vibe of the song.
- The harmonies, baby, the harmonies. Don't even sleep on Brandy's layered harmonies. She stacks them up like Aunt Jemima pancakes. Dig in, y'all.
Weaknesses
- Ugh, Chris Brown. Putting personal and ethical feelings about Breezy aside, the fact remains that he's overexposed and jumping on EVERYONE's tracks. It's obvious that Brandy put him on the track in the hopes of enticing urban radio — a loyal Team Breezy support base — to play it, but still. Big Sean would've been better in his spot.
- Those ghostly vocals get lost at times. The layered Casper singing is Brandy's thing, but it's a dangerous proposition when stacked on top of Bangladesh's monster beats. At times, Brandy sounds like she's fighting to be heard above the bass.
