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" When people talk about Brandy, they often mention bits and pieces of her career, or mention it in its chameleonic stages. But I hear little about how Brandy set a precedent for how young black women take on the limelight, while maintaining the impossible image of America&amp;#x27;s Sweetheart. And everybody remembers the charming and precocious girl from Moesha. What I hear even less about is how Brandy has been an innovative force in the R&amp;amp;B world for quite some time. With 2004&amp;#x27;s Afrodisiac LP, she bared her soul, for better or for worse, collaborating with the late, great Aaliyah-mentor, Timbaland to produce that year&amp;#x27;s most philosophical, but unfortunately overlooked mainstream R&amp;amp;B album. She made an even more personal record with 2008&amp;#x27;s Human. (As a recommendation: Both of those are records I appreciate so much for their versatility and relatability that they make my list for my all-time favorite albums.) And today, after well over a decade in the industry, Brandy brings us Two Eleven, her most eclectic, idiosyncratic record to date. The songs here are imbued with her signature raspy vocals, which overlap, loop, glide, and are full of yearning and passion. Two Eleven gets its name from Brandy&amp;#x27;s birthday, and, sadly, the day the world learned of Whitney Houston&amp;#x27;s untimely death. Whitney was also an idol and real-life mentor to Brandy. Let&amp;#x27;s all take a second to remember that groundbreaking Cinderella remake they did together, below! Two Eleven is a triumph for Brandy because it most effectively positions her as the fighter she&amp;#x27;s always been. What may be a turn-off to some is the album&amp;#x27;s greatest strength: the A-list collaborators, ranging from Bangladesh and Sean Garrett to Switch and Frank Ocean have created a cohesive album with a glossy shine. And lots of digital blips, tics, and vocal stutters add a dose of weirdness, in the best way. The ease it takes to listen to this album creates more accessibility to Brandy&amp;#x27;s narratives, which are rich in emotional detail. Yes, all of the songs have mega-airplay potential--like crazy-catchy lead single &amp;quot;Put It Down&amp;quot;--but Brandy uses that to her advantage, especially on the ballads. &amp;quot;So Sick&amp;quot; cruises along on a spare, dreamy soundscape accented by wistful coos. And you believe Brandy might be in tears when she sings: &amp;quot;You can&amp;#x27;t let go &amp;#x27;cause you just can&amp;#x27;t help it./The only thing left to do is cry.&amp;quot; My favorite song on Two Eleven is the dynamic &amp;quot;Hardly Breathing.&amp;quot; I love how the song authenticates and justifies its title and meaning. The beat has a pulse to it that reminds you of a heartbeat; the synths toward the end add a sense of emergency. What Brandy is asking us is: Have you ever loved someone or something so hard, only to end up heartbroken? And then to find someone new, and to be honest enough to tell them, &amp;quot;Handle me with care?&amp;quot; That is so, so brave, in my opinion, and speaks volumes for where Brandy has been, where&amp;#x27;s she&amp;#x27;s at now, and perhaps most important, where she&amp;#x27;s going. Also out today: Sky Ferreira--Ghost EP; Chelsea Wolfe--Unknown Rooms: A Collection of Acoustic Songs; A Fine Frenzy--Pines; Bat For Lashes--The Haunted Man Will y&amp;#x27;all be buying Brandy&amp;#x27;s latest album? More music... *Let&amp;#x27;s Discuss RHONJ&amp;#x27;s Melissa Gorga&amp;#x27;s New Music Video, Shall We? *Kate Earl Exclusive: She Premieres Her &amp;quot;One Woman Army&amp;quot; Video With Us! *Check Out Kelly Clarkson&amp;#x27;s New Single, &amp;quot;Catch My Breath&amp;quot; "^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://www.glamour.com/entertainment/blogs/obsessed/2012/10/brandy-two-eleven-album-review>