Album Title
Brandy
Artist Icon Never Say Never (1998)
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First Released

Calendar Icon 1998

Genre

Genre Icon R&B

Mood

Mood Icon Good Natured

Style

Style Icon Urban/R&B

Theme

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Tempo

Speed Icon Medium

Release Format

Release Format Icon Album

Record Label Release

Speed Icon Atlantic

World Sales Figure

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Album Description
Available in: Country Icon
Never Say Never is the second studio album by American singer Brandy Norwood. Released by Atlantic Records on June 8, 1998 in United States, Norwood's label consulted David Foster and upcoming producer Rodney "Darkchild" Jerkins and his team to work with her on the record, the latter of who went on to craft the majority of the album and would evolve as her mentor and head producer on succeeding projects in the 2000s.

Influenced by Mariah Carey and Whitney Houston, Norwood wanted to present a more mature facet of herself with the album, incorporating a ballad-heavy style and an adult contemporary feel into her urban-pop sound for the album. Upon its release, Never Say Never facilitated Norwood in becoming a viable recording artist with media–crossing appeal. It debuted at number three on the US Billboard 200 chart, selling 160,000 copies in its first week, and remained 28 weeks within top 20 of the chart.

It became both her highest-charting and highest-selling album to date on most international markets, and won numerous awards and accolades, including a Grammy Award for Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal for "The Boy Is Mine." The album was supported by Brandy's Never Say Never World Tour in 1999, which featured soldout performances in the US, Asia, Africa and Canada. Never Say Never is listed in the Top 100 Best-selling albums in the US.

Never Say Never was nominated for four 41st Grammy Awards, including Record of the Year for "The Boy Is Mine", Best R&B Album, Best R&B Song for "The Boy Is Mine", Best R&B Performance By a Duo or Group with Vocals for "The Boy Is Mine", won the latter one and received generally good reviews.

At the 42nd Grammy Awards, Never Say Never received one Grammy nomination for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance for "Almost Doesn't Count". Besides the Grammys Never Say Never received multiple Billboard Music Awards and was nominated for several American Music Awards, MTV Awards and Soul Train Awards.
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User Album Review

Selling more than 14 million albums worldwide, singer and actress Brandy Norwood’s second album established her as a late 90s superstar. Following up 1994’s eponymous debut, Never Say Never was a collection of smooth, mid-paced jams, which very much provide a snapshot of commercial RnB from the era.

Never Say Never is dominated by its second single, The Boy Is Mine, a duet with the then-white-hot soul diva Monica. Much was made of the duo having an alleged ‘beef’, whereas in reality they had never even met. It was thought appropriate to capitalise on their individual success and supposedly collective notoriety. With a more than knowing wink to Michael Jackson and Paul McCartney’s duet The Girl Is Mine from 1982, the track, like most of the album, sounds effortless. The single topped the US charts for an extraordinary 13 weeks in summer 1998.

Never Say Never could easily have been eclipsed by the scale of its lead single’s success, but its quality threshold, in the main, is set high. The title track is an exemplary piece of RnB, while the opener, Angel in Disguise, is minor-key, icy soul, rendered emotional by Brandy’s gospel-trained voice. The infectious UK number two single, Top of the World featuring Ma$e, highlights Brandy’s uniquely affecting yet somehow dispassionate style over its shuddering minimalist groove.

Working with session players the calibre of bassist Nathan East and David Foster on keyboards, Never Say Never was aimed at the widest audience possible. This was most evident on Have You Ever?, her second US number one. Written by Dianne Warren, the ballad sounds a little too formulaic and off-the-peg, aimed for the summit of the hit parade. The other strange choice is the verging-on-karaoke version of (Everything I Do) I Do It for You which, by closing the album, serves almost to undermine its triumph.

Ultimately, Never Say Never is the epitome of a mixed bag. However, given that a lot of RnB in the late 90s sounds like an ornate musical box revolving, the album is an intelligent brew that deviates sufficiently from that template and plays to Brandy and executive producer Rodney Jerkins’s considerable strengths.



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