Brandy – Interview

We talk with Brandy!!

There has been a lot of talk about Brandy being married, being pregnant, and other matters such as bulimia. The stories are out there, Brandy has touched on them in other forms and ways, so we decided instead of digging up all these issues again it was decided to take a different approach. We’d talk about the music.

When was the record made?

The process started about two years ago and I actually finished it about nine months ago.
Were you searching for a vibe for this album?

I was really just trying to reflect what had been going on in my life at the time. I did want a different vibe, one that was more mature, sexy, aggressive, so I could show the control that I had gained over my life.

Did you want to let the music grow along with you?

Yeah. The first album was pretty much pop, the second album touched more on it, and this album has more reflection on my life and my experiences with love. I didn’t really think about any other artists or what they sounded like. I wanted my music to reflect me because that is where my truth was. I was able to perform, I think, my best vocally is on this album because it was coming from a place of truth.

How do you get into the moment in the studio with the emotions?

Because you lived the song it’s easy. I didn’t think and just went into a zone and let it go.

When you are singing a song today that is a year old does it bring things back?

You still remember the things that happened, and sometimes when you think hard enough you can go back to those times and feel what you felt then. Sometimes those memories can even bring back the pain and make you cry. You know that you aren’t the only person going through these things and someone out there feels this too. So my whole thing is to bring hope and joy into someone else’s life. I want to bring out another level of intent.

Is there a song out there that got you a tough time?

I’ve always loved “My Heart Will Go On” by Celine Dion. It was a time when I felt bad about things in my life and I just realized that life goes on even if you don’t want to change with it. Also I love “Greatest Love Of All” which is about loving yourself, that song has always stuck with me. When you hear a song as a child you don’t know what they are about, but as you grow you start to realize what it means and you learn what a song means to you.

How does it feel to be on the other end of that with having fans who find your songs helping them through a tough time?

It’s a dream come true. That is the real reason why I wanted to sing. It feels great to know that people get something out of my music. I feel like I have so much to offer and I really want to get into doing that by writing my own music and doing things on my own.

Are you interested in getting involved with other artists?

Not really, the one artist that I’d really like to work with is Lauren Hill. She’s inspired me so much, also India.Aria. I love artists that have something to say in their lyrics and truth behind what they are saying. That is what I want to be.

Is it easier now to change because you have a foundation or harder because people have expectations?

I don’t know really because I’ve always had something so I wouldn’t know what it would feel like. I just know its hard being yourself. I know that. It’s hard being yourself because people expect you to do certain things. Sometimes you get lost and you don’t know who you want to be and the thing you love the most becomes a burden. I don’t want that to happen to me. That’s why I’ve chosen to make some real changes in my life.

How do fans treat you?

It depends on what you give them. If you give them real they treat you that way and they feel like they can connect with you. If you give them something fact then you get it back. It depends about you. I feel like a lot of things that have happened in my career has been me giving my fans an image, I haven’t give them the real me. And I swear to you that is what I’m working on every day. I’m striving to be myself, not what people think I should be. And with that you are free.

If there were one thing you could say to your fans, what would it be?

I would just tell them to appreciate me for my artistry because that is what I’m giving them. Because right now they don’t know me for what I really am, because I have to give that to them first. In order for them to understand me I have to give them that entirely first and I’m working on it right now.

+ charlie craine