Does Brandy’s B7 Solidify Her Title As the Vocal Bible?
Brandy is back with a vengeance promoting her new album, B7. The singer and actress has focused more on the latter in recent years, as this is her first studio LP since 2012’s Two Eleven. Fans have been anxiously waiting the return of what they call the “Vocal Bible”. Brandy herself admitted she was skeptical of releasing new music for that title alone. However, she’s been moving full steam ahead this summer, starting with the Chance the Rapper assisted lead single, “Baby Momma”.
I must admit, I didn’t have extremely high expectations for B7. “Baby Momma” has a knocking beat and a stellar feature from the Chance the Rapper, but lyrically the song failed to move me. Throw in the fact that the album’s release came the same day as Beyonce’s Black Is King visual album and I thought it might be curtains for a successful B7 release. After all, an eight-year break in the music industry is an eternity. Oh, was I wrong. By multiple accounts, critics and fans alike have been praising Brandy’s new music.
She is still representing for the artist she draws most of her inspiration from, Whitney Houston. The album’s cover art and opening track title, “Saving All My Love”, are just two examples of nods to the late icon. After just three tracks in, it’s clear to see that Whitney would be proud. Brandy dodges trendy conformity and instead opts for a cohesive sound and one of her best albums to date.
“Rather Be” finds her daydreaming about a lover that she can’t be with at the moment. Conversely, “Borderline” is a desperate plea to her new lover to not leave her Brokenhearted. If he does, she just might go crazy. Songs like “No Tomorrow” could give off stalker vibes during any other time, but in the midst of quarantine it’s perfectly placed. The song finds her cooing in her lower register (as she does for most of the album) with lines like “I’m gon blow your phone up in case there is no tomorrow”.
Brandy experiments with some edgy sounds, which can be heard on tracks like the rock-tinged, “I Am More”. Here, she vows not to be the other woman over jagged guitar riffs and a pulsating hi-hat. “Love Again” her, Grammy-nominated duet with Daniel Caesar is more than just clever marketing or an album filler. The song sits comfortably next to the rest of the tracks on B7.
Her daughter makes a noteworthy appearance on the sassy “High Heels”. “Bye BiPolar” closes out the album and dismisses a bipolar relationship full of ups and downs. Somehow, the song seems to also symbolize the release of Brandy’s own personal demons as well. Nonetheless, the answer is clear: yes….she’s still got it.