Never Say Never (album)

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Never Say Never
Never Say Never cover
Studio album by Brandy
Released Flag of France June 4, 1998
Flag of the United States Flag of Canada June 8, 1998
Flag of Europe June 9, 1998
Recorded 1997–1998
Genre R&B, pop
Length 66:30
Label Atlantic
83039
Producer Brandy Norwood, Dallas Austin, David Foster, Fred Jerkins III, Rodney Jerkins, Brad Gilderman, Marc Nelson, |Harvey Mason Jr., Guy Roche
Professional reviews
Brandy chronology
Brandy
(1994)		 Never Say Never
(1998)		 Full Moon
(2002)
Singles from Never Say Never
  1. "The Boy Is Mine"
    Released: May, 1998
  2. "Top of the World"
    Released: August, 1998
  3. "Have You Ever?"
    Released: December, 1998
  4. "Angel in Disguise"
    Released: February, 1999
  5. "Almost Doesn't Count"
    Released: May, 1999
  6. "U Don't Know Me (Like U Used To)"
    Released: August, 1999
  7. "(Everything I Do) I Do It for You"
    Released: September, 1999
  8. "Never Say Never"
    Released: March, 2000

Never Say Never is the second studio album by American R&B/pop singer Brandy, released by Atlantic Records on June 8, 1998 in Europe and on June 9, 1998 (see 1998 in music) in North America. Chielfy produced by Rodney Jerkins, the album helped cement Brandy as a mature hitmaker, and helped popularize Jerkins' Timbaland-inspired production sound, which he later used for recordings by Whitney Houston, Destiny's Child, and others. Never Say Never earned Brandy five Grammy-nominations and became her biggest-selling album to date. It has sold more than 14 million units.[1]

Contents

[edit] History

[edit] Production and title

After a lengthy break and several soundtrack appearances, Brandy eventually entered recording studios in 1997 to start work on her then-untitled second album with producer Rodney Jerkins and father Willie Norwood. While Jerkins contributed most to the album and moreover served as its executive producer, Norwood also worked with producers Dallas Austin, Guy Roche, David Foster, among others. In addition, she also recorded with Babyface, Fat Joe, Da Brat and Big Pun but none of the songs written with them made the final tracklisting. Some of the songs can be heard on the remix EP U Don't Know Me (Like U Used To).

[edit] Release and reception

While most professional reviewers liked the album's ballads, the album was praised for Brandy's raspy and clear voice. Brandy's second album became a global success: Never S-A-Y Never debuted at number three on the Billboard 200 and on the U.S. Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop albums chart, selling more than 160,000 copies in its first week of release. The album sold another 153,000 the following week less than the week before but moving up one spot to number two. The album continued selling well, and the album eventually received five platinum certifications by the RIAA for more than five million copies shipped to stores. While the album managed to enter the Top Ten in the U.S., the Netherlands, Germany, Canada and Denmark it was a top twenty success in the majority of the charts it appeared on.

[edit] Awards and nominations

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.

[edit] Songs

Brandy performing "Have You Ever?"/"Almost Doesn't Count" at VH1 Divas 1999
Brandy performing "Have You Ever?"/"Almost Doesn't Count" at VH1 Divas 1999

"Angel In Disguise", which features production from Darkchild, is the opening track (not including the intro) of Never Say Never. The song was an inofficial single and charted with out video or CD Single on the Billboard Hot 100. Set as the album's lead single, The Boy Is Mine was released on May 1998 to good reviews. The Boy Is Mine was noted for being "smooth",[2] also it was panned by critics saying, "When Brandy has it out with Monica in the backstabbing The Boy Is Mine, there's none of the soul-baring theatrics we'd get if Faith Evans and Mary J. Blige had gone at it. Instead, the two younger women play second fiddle to the steady-thumping bass, keeping their voices so low you'd think they were afraid a teacher might overhear them."[3]. The single was originally intended to be a solo song for Brandy, but due Monica's success by that time it was released as a duet. It reached number one in the US and spent 13 weeks on the top spot, it outsold the success of its predecessor, lead single "I Wanna Be Down", which reached number 6. "The Boy Is Mine" was also the international breakthrough success, peaking on the charts at number one in Japan, Canada, Netherlands and New Zealand and Top Ten in several other states. The single's music video was nominated for two 1998 MTV Video Music Awards, for Best R&B Video, and Video of the Year.

"Learn the Hard Way" is the album's fourth track. It is the second song of the album, and shares similarities with the song Never Say Never. The Guy Roche-produced "Almost Doesn't Count" is the fifth track. Brandy performed the song in the 1999 film Double Platinum, starring Diana Ross and herself.

The international single "Top of the World" is the album's sixth track. It is a collaboration with Mase and the song talks about Brandy as a popstar just trying to be me and not feeling like being in her own world. In the music video, directed by Paul Hunter, Brandy was featured incurring various supernatural phenomena. She spontaneously floated in the air, flipping and somersaulting above random objects; telephone poles and vehicles, as people stopped to stare. These strange phenomena also included balancing herself vertically and horizontally alongside skyscrapers and buildings. The Darkchild-produced "U Don't Know Me (Like U Used To)", which is the album's seventh and final single, is noted for its remix version with Shaunta and Da Brat. The remix was released as the lead single to the same-named EP. "Never Say Never", also produced by Rodney Jerkins , is the eighth song of the album. "Never Say Never" was released as a Germany single in 2000. "Thruthfully", the ninth song, tells about a broken relationship.

The number-one-hit "Have You Ever?" was the tenth track. Brandy states that it was the first time I had been in the studio with a producer like David Foster. My voice wasn't as developed as it is now and the song required what producers call ‘money notes' - the kind that get you a No. 1 on the charts! I was really nervous but it all worked just fine."[4],

"Put That on Everything" a mid-tempo ballad is the albums eleventh track and was written by Brandy Norwood, L. Daniels, Fred Jenkins III, Rodney Jerkins and Joana Tejeda and is produced by Rodney Jerkins. The album's twelfth song is actually a conversation between Brandy, Rodney and Fred Jerkins.

"Happy", an R&B up-tempo-song, that was featured in the motion picture Double Platinum and received positive critics from The Rolling Stone magazine,[5] was the albums thirteenth song. "One Voice", the fourteenth track, is the official UNICEF theme song in its 50th anniversary year. Entertainment Weekly describes her voice in the song as soft and smoky and as a gospel-fired ballad that find her effortlessly raising the roof.[6]

"Tomorrow", another ballad is the fifteenth track and is with almost 6 minutes the albums longest song. The final song is the Bryan Adams cover (Everything I Do) I Do It For You. Although lacking video or promotion the song received a top thirty entry on New Zealand singles chart.

[edit] Track listing

# Title
1. "Intro" 0:51
2. "Angel in Disguise" 4:48
3. "The Boy Is Mine" (duet with Monica) 4:55
4. "Learn the Hard Way" 4:51
5. "Almost Doesn't Count" 3:37
6. "Top of the World" (featuring Mase) 4:41
7. "U Don't Know Me (Like U Used To)" 4:29
8. "Never Say Never" 5:10
9. "Truthfully" 4:57
10. "Have You Ever?" 4:26
11. "Put That on Everything" 4:51
12. "In the Car (Interlude)" 1:10
13. "Happy" 4:32
14. "One Voice" 4:07
15. "Tomorrow" 5:21
16. "(Everything I Do) I Do It for You" 4:09

[edit] Credits and personnel

[edit] Production

  • Executive producers: Paris Davis, Rodney Jerkins, Craig Kallman, Brandy Norwood
  • Vocal assistance: Alex Brown, Bridgette Bryant, Carmen Carter, Nikisha Grierf, Dorian Holley, LaTonya Holman, Richard Jackson, Bobette Jamison-Harrison, Donyle Jones, Vatrina King, James McCrary, Kristle Murden, Willie Norwood, Kayla Parker, Shelly Peiken, Alfie Silas, Meri Thomas, Carmen Twillie, Mervyn Warren, Maxine Waters, Oren Waters, Yvonne Williams, BeBe Winans, Monalisa Young
  • Engineers: Leslie Brathwaite, Ken Deranteriasian, Felipe Elgueta, Ben Garrison, Brad Gilderman, Jean-Marie Horvat, Mario Lucy, Victor McCoy, Brandy Norwood, Al Schmitt, Rick Sigel, Moana Suchard, Chris Tergesen
  • Assistant engineers: Carlton Lynn, Victor McCoy, Moana Suchard, Greg Thompson
  • Mixing: Gerry Brown, Ken Deranteriasian, Brad Gilderman, Mick Guzauski, Dexter Simmons
  • Mixing assistance: Tom Bender
  • Mastering: Brian Gardner, Bernie Grundman
  • Art Direction: Thomas Bricker

[edit] Leftover tracks

  • "Fooled By The Moon" [7]
  • "Sunday Morning" [8]
  • "The Only One For Me" [9]

[edit] Charts and certification

Chart (1998) Provider Peak
position		 Certification Sales
Australian Albums Chart ARIA 13 Platinum[10] 70'000+
Austrian Albums Chart Media Control 17
Belgian Albums Chart Ultratop 21[11] Platinum[10] 70'000+
Canadian Albums Chart CRIA/Nielsen SoundScan 3 4x Platinum[12] 400'000+
Danish Albums Chart IFPI/Nielsen SoundScan 10 Gold[13] 40'000+
Dutch Albums Chart NVPI 5 Gold[13] 40'000+
French Albums Chart SNEP/IFOP 12 Gold[13] 75'000+
German Albums Chart Media Control 10 Gold[13] 100'000+
Indonesian Albums Chart ASARI Gold[13] 75'000+
Irish Albums Chart IRMA Gold[13] 15'000+
Japanese Albums Chart Oricon 14 2x Platinum[13] 500'000+
Malaysian Albums Chart RIM Gold[13] 25'000+
New Zealand Albums Chart RIANZ 16 Platinum[13] 15'000+
Norwegian Albums Chart VG Nett 25
Philippine Albums Chart PARI Platinum[13] 30'000+
South African Albums Chart RISA Platinum[13] 40'000+
Swedish Albums Chart GLF 16
Swiss Albums Chart Media Control 11
UK Albums Chart BPI/The Official UK Charts Company 19 Gold[13] 100'000+
U.S. Billboard 200 Billboard 2 5x Platinum[13] 5'000'000+
U.S. Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums 2

[edit] References

  1. ^ laut.de | Brandy (Biographie)
  2. ^ allmusic ((( Never Say Never > Overview )))
  3. ^ Never Say Never | Music Review | Entertainment Weekly
  4. ^ The Best of Brandy. Soultracks. Retrieved on 2007-07-10.
  5. ^ Brandy: Never Say Never : Music Reviews : Rolling Stone
  6. ^ Never Say Never | Music Review | Entertainment Weekly
  7. ^ YouTube - Brandy - Fooled By The Moon
  8. ^ Brandy - Sunday Morning
  9. ^ Brandy - The Only One For Me
  10. ^ a b Charts Accreditations Albums 1999. ARIA. Retrieved on 2007-03-16.
  11. ^ ultratop.be - ULTRATOP BELGIAN CHARTS
  12. ^ Database Search. CRIA. Retrieved on 2007-07-29.
  13. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m "Brandy Outdoes Herself With Multiplatinum Certifications". Yahoo! Music. Retrieved on 2007-07-29.


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Brandy
Studio albums
Brandy (1994) · Never Say Never (1998) · Full Moon (2002) · Afrodisiac (2004)
Compliation albums
EPs
Related topics