Brandy - Afrodisiac
 (Atlantic Records)

- reviewed by Keshawnta J.

In 1994 15-year-old Brandy released her first album to major success. Ten years and a few albums later, Brandy is back for the fourth time. She's gone from woman-child to woman and her latest effort "Afrodisiac" is all about the departure from childhood to womanhood. If ever there were an answer to Usher's "Confessions" album, Afrodisiac is it. In the vein of "Confessions" Brandy lets listeners in on her personal life and her most infinite thoughts and feelings. Brandy is a divorced, single mom still trying to find herself and if "Afrodisiac" is any indication of her progress, she's well on her way.

This album tells the story of Brandy and her husband's rocky relationship. The album is heavily littered with songs that tell of his infidelity and how it's made her a better woman. It's like reading her diary or listening in on the arguments of Brandy and her ex. The lead track "Who I Am" is an open letter to her husband thanking him for putting her through so much turmoil and making her the woman she is today. One of my favorite tracks on the album is "Who Is She To You?" where Brandy questions her man about the woman on the street with whom he is exchanging amorous looks. He has obviously been busted. "I Tried" contains similar subject matter and is a wonderful track produced by hitmaker Timbaland, where Brandy tells of all the times she tried to turn a blind eye to the cheating and blatant disrespect of her husband. more..

- reviewed by Keshawnta J.

In 1994 15-year-old Brandy released her first album to major success. Ten years and a few albums later, Brandy is back for the fourth time. She's gone from woman-child to woman and her latest effort "Afrodisiac" is all about the departure from childhood to womanhood. If ever there were an answer to Usher's "Confessions" album, Afrodisiac is it. In the vein of "Confessions" Brandy lets listeners in on her personal life and her most infinite thoughts and feelings. Brandy is a divorced, single mom still trying to find herself and if "Afrodisiac" is any indication of her progress, she's well on her way.

This album tells the story of Brandy and her husband's rocky relationship. The album is heavily littered with songs that tell of his infidelity and how it's made her a better woman. It's like reading her diary or listening in on the arguments of Brandy and her ex. The lead track "Who I Am" is an open letter to her husband thanking him for putting her through so much turmoil and making her the woman she is today. One of my favorite tracks on the album is "Who Is She To You?" where Brandy questions her man about the woman on the street with whom he is exchanging amorous looks. He has obviously been busted. "I Tried" contains similar subject matter and is a wonderful track produced by hitmaker Timbaland, where Brandy tells of all the times she tried to turn a blind eye to the cheating and blatant disrespect of her husband. The vocals on this song are not that great, but they totally complement the melancholy mood of the song.

In typical Brandy fashion the uptempo songs are few and far between but "Turn It Up" and the Kanye West produced "Talk About Our Love" are worth more than one listen.
Come As You Are" is a really sweet song where Brandy is letting her man know that she is not that same 15-year-old girl from the past. With lyrics like, "I was just a girl, no thoughts of making love... Now I'm a woman, a passionate woman", you can hear her plea to be taken seriously as a grown woman.

Brandy is not known for loading her albums up with guest appearances and she did not stray from the familiar in that respect. There are two guest appearances on the album, the aforementioned Kanye West and Atlanta rapper T.I. help Brandy out on "Where You Want To Be".

On "Should I Stay", which samples "Clocks" by group Coldplay, Brandy ponders whether or not she should walk away from the ever fickle music industry, which has changed so much in the last few years. Thankfully, she decided to hang around for a while longer. "How I Feel" sounds as light and airy as a vintage Janet Jackson track, only much better.

The title track "Afrodisiac" is average at best, but "Sadiddy" is the one and only track that seems misplaced on this album. On that song Brandy is trying to get the point across that she is not saddity, but menacing, so you better stay out of her way.

Other than the sheer nonsense of that song, this is a really complete and solid effort. This album is much better than her "Full Moon" album which was released two years ago and as good as or better than her second and most successful album to date "Never Say Never". Whether or not it's her best album yet is a matter of subjectivity. I love "Afrodisiac" but I'm not yet sure that it's Brandy's best album, but the fact that I have doubts means that it probably is her best work to date.

This album shows growth and maturity and makes you want Brandy to find the happiness she is so desperately seeking. This album is Brandy's message to the world that she is a woman who is to be taken seriously and I think she gets her point across loud and clear.

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Track By Track

-- Degrees --	10	20	30	40	50	60	70	80	90	100
1.  Who I Am
2.  Afrodisiac
3.  Who Is She 2 You
4.  Talk About Our Love
5.  I Tried
6.  Where You Wanna Be
7.  Focus
8.  Sadiddy
9.  Turn It Up
10. Necessary
11. Say You Will
12. Come As You Are
13. Finally
14. How I Feel
15. Should I Go

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