Afrodisiac
Encyclopedia
Afrodisiac is the fourth studio album
by American
recording artist Brandy Norwood
, released by Atlantic Records
on June 28, 2004 on most international territories and on June 29, 2004 in Canada
and the United States
. A departure from her previous work with Rodney Jerkins
and his Darkchild camp, Brandy worked with Timbaland
and his protégé Walter Millsap III on the majority of the production of the album, featuring additional credits by Warryn Campbell
, Organized Noise, Theron Feemster
, Big Chuck, and Kanye West
.
The album debuted at number three on the U.S. Billboard 200
but had a short run on the charts, resulting into mediocre domestic sales of 416,000 copies and a gold certification by the Recording Industry Association of America
(RIAA). Outside the States, Afrodisiac scored minor success, missing the top thirty on the majority of the charts it appeared on. The critical response to Afrodisiac was generally positive, garnering Brandy her strongest reception yet, with Allmusic comparing it to "Janet Jackson
at her best." The following year, it received a Grammy Award
nomination for Best Contemporary R&B Album
but lost to Usher's Confessions
album.
While lead single "Talk About Our Love
" reached the top ten in the United Kingdom
, later singles failed to score successfully on the popular music charts. In mid-2005, after eleven years with the company Brandy asked for and received a release from Atlantic Records, making Afrodisiac her final studio album on the label.
and companion Robert "Big Bert" Smith. As the singer envisioned the longplayer to sound "much rawer" and more "street" than its 2002 predecessor Full Moon, Smith quckily emerged as the album's executive producer and A&R
, replacing longtime contributor and mentor Rodney "Darkchild" Jerkins, who Brandy felt was not going in the same direction creatively after all. About parting ways with Jerkins whose Darkchild team took production credits on her last two albums, Brandy commented that "Darkchild created a sound with me and gave it to everybody. I didn't like that [...] I needed to change my sound and I wanted to explore my versatility, my creativity and my art." The couple eventually finished a number of demo recordings and at least four full songs until late November 2002, including "Ryde or Die" and Sy'rai-inspired "Sunshine;" and although Smith expected the album to drop by spring 2003 at one time or another, Brandy and Big Bert ended their relationship in mid-2003, resulting into the album's delay and several personnel changes.
Norwood eventually decided to scrap most of the project, and instead enlisted Timbaland
, with whom the couple had previously worked on Kiley Dean
's unreleased Simple Girl album, as the album's main contributor. Impressed by Timaland's input, Brandy rediscovered the musical affection, she had missed on Full Moon and its technical priority. "I made the change because I needed to evolve. I needed to explore my talent and versatility and see if I had another side to me, another sound," she said about collaborating. "I wanted to do my own thing, and I've always wanted to work with Timbaland [...] and see how my voice would sound over his tracks. It was an edgier Brandy, a sassier sound, but still with a lot of heart and a lot of passion." With the help of Timbaland protégés such as Candice Nelson
, Steve "Static" Garrett, and co-producer Walter Millsap III the pair worked on what was tentatively titled B-Rocka — a nickname actually given to her by Jerkins — and originally planned for a Christmas 2003 release. Their first collaboration, 1990s tribute "Turn It Up
", was leaked onto the internet in autumn 2003, and soon released as a promotional buzz track.
Having concluded additional recording sessions with Warryn Campbell
, Theron Feemster
and Organized Noise, in November 2003, Atlantic Records announced that Brandy was putting the finishing touches on her still-untitled album, at that time scheduled for a release on March 2, 2004, and she would shoot a music video
for the "hyper, bass-heavy" banger "Black Pepper" during the second week of December. However, plans for the single fell through as the Timbaland-produced track was scrapped in favor of a new record: "Talk About Our Love
," produced by rapper Kanye West
. Both, the single and album cut "Where You Wanna Be," were eleventh-hour additions to the album, commissioned by West's manager Geroid Roberson, one of the executive producers on Afrodisiac, who encouraged Brandy to attempt further studio sessions with West. "Kanye put the finishing touches on the record," Brandy commented on her decision to work with West. "The two tracks we did were just what I needed to tie the whole thing together."
and life in general." "It's about passion. It's romantic, and that's where I am in my life right now," Brandy noted during promotion touring in 2004, a time when she was engaged to New York Knicks
guard Quentin Richardson
. "I'm not trying to be edgy, sassy, romantic, vulnerable or whatever emotions come across," she said. "I really am all that." Afrodisiac contains several references to Timbaland and longtime partner Missy Elliott
, and alludes to fellow 1990s
R&B singers such as Aaliyah
and Monica
. The album's opening track "Who I Am" discusses her rocky relationship with Robert Smith as well as the progression of her public image, while "I Tried" was heavily inspired by English rock
band Coldplay
, also incorporating lyrics of their 2000 song "Sparks." The tenth track "Turn It Up
" is an homage to the early 1990s
with references to Donnie Simpson
's Video Soul
, Kid n' Play, their 1990 film House Party
and Tony! Toni! Toné!
's 1996 studio album House of Music
. The line "'Cause I don't wanna sound familiar, want a guaranteed single, not an album filler" levels indirect criticism at former main producer Rodney Jerkins. On ending track "Should I Go," which samples Coldplay's "Clocks
," Brandy openly talks about contemplating stepping away from the music business, admitting that she's trying to figure out where she fits in today.
Although Norwood received a sole writing credit on album cut "Finally" only, she noted Afrodisiac the most honest effort of her career yet based on its deeply autobiographical content, commenting: "Everything I do has something to do with what I've gone through in my life [and] I definitely wanted to incorporate that in my art. It makes it more real when you add what's been going on in your life in your music. I've grown and I've gone through some things in my life, and I celebrate that, I honor that." Soundwise, her collaboration with Timbaland, recent motherhood, life experiences, and growing affinity toward alternative music such as Coldplay
, caused Brandy to shift toward a more matured outlook and raw nature with the album, a venture into the organic sounds of soul blues
and the nostalgic street-wise sound of 1990’s hip-hop.
, was an eleventh-hour addition to the album's final track listing. Built around a pirouetting keyboard
melody, the song discusses Norwood's rocky relationship with producer Robert "Big Bert" Smith as well as her public image in open letter
form. Second track "Afrodisiac
," the album's title track and second international single, was generally well-received by critics, and enjoyed moderate success throughout Asia
and Europe
. Depicting a woman's aphrodisiac affection
with a man, it combines elements of pop
and dance music
, incorporating elements of fellow Timbaland
-production "Are You That Somebody?" as performed by Aaliyah
. Brandy has declared the song her favorite cut on the record. Alongside "Afrodisiac," third track "Who Is She 2 U
" was one of the first songs Brandy worked on with Timbaland
and his crew. A female anthem
with semi-biographical background, it was released to mixed recepction as the album's second single stateside, where it became one of Norwood's lowest-charting singles yet. An unofficial but prominent duet version of the track featuring vocals by fellow R&B singer Usher was released on various mixtape
s in late 2004.
Lead single
"Talk About Our Love
," the result of additional recording sessions with rapper Kanye West
and violinist Miri Ben-Ari
, was not composed until late into the production of the album and describes the pressures of other people meddling into relationships. Iron Maiden
-sampling "I Tried" is a downbeat
midtempo track and ode
to British alternative rock
band Coldplay
. It talks about the singer listening to Coldplay's song "Sparks
" as she regrets playing the fool for an unfaithful ex-lover. Considered to be released as a single at times, it drew comparisons to Justin Timberlake
's "Cry Me a River" in style and music. "Where You Wanna Be," another West production, features a bridge by rapper T.I.
and deals with a woman's lover not getting his priorities in order as she is requesting him to make a decision between his friends, his affair and her. Norwood chronicles her ups and downs on mid-tempo track "Focus," the album's seventh track, on which she struggles not to let an old habit back in her life. The songs consists of stuttering synths and instrumentation from heavy bass and an electric guitar
. Eight track "Saddidy" is built around a hand-clap-laden synth beat and one of the few up-tempo tracks on the album. It talks about the singer not being seddity
rather than menacing.
Ninth track "Turn It Up" is one of several songs that reference Aaliyah
. A 1990s
tribute cut that combines elements of old school hip hop
with Timbaland's beatboxing
instrumentals, the song was the first full length release preceding the album as a promotional buzz track in fall 2003. Although the song was not released commercially, it appeared on several charts, reaching number two on the German Black Charts
.
and became her most critically acclaimed album to date, averaging a 73 out of a 100 among averaged reviews on Metacritic
. Andy Kellman of Allmusic gave the album four out of five stars and praised it as "Brandy's fourth consecutive durable showing, [...] stocked with a number of spectacular — and emotionally resonant — singles that wind up making for her most accomplished set yet." David Browne
of Entertainment Weekly
gave the album an A- rating, calling it "Brandy's meatiest album to date," and ranked it sixth on his personal year-end top ten list. He found special approval for Timbaland, "who produced most of the disc, turns up the bass, the volume, and the tension whenever he can, bolstering her less-than-commanding, down-pillow-soft voice." Rolling Stone
writer James Hunter
, like both Kellman and Browne, compared the album to "Janet Jackson
at her best: She's a pop star, but she's making the most of her big studio budgets and is following her muse." He described the set as "mainstream soul with eccentric details and shadings" and gave the album four stars out of five.
Vibe writer Laura Checkoway noted Afrodisiac "a far cry from the pleasing pubescent fluff of her formative years," and although she felt that "Brandy's sultry alto drowns on some songs," she acknowledged, that "while Brandy's musical liaison with Timbaland is what some people might call a match made in heaven, it's her crazy, sexy, cool revival that's the true bliss of this fourth coming. Steve Jones from USA Today
gave the album a three out of four stars rating, and commented: "Timbaland provides her with plenty of funk-infused beats to groove to [and] while a few of the tracks are a bit pedestrian, Brandy is still seductive more often that not." Ben Sisario
, who wrote for Blender
and gave the album three out of five stars, summed the album as "an episode of her growing-pains TV show Moesha
: This week, our honey-voiced heroine sheds her girlishness, sexing up to become 'a woman, a passionate woman'," referring to its lyrical makeover. He called non-Timbaland productions like "Talk About Our Love" and "Say You Will" the highlights of the album.
behind Lloyd Banks
' solo debut The Hunger for More
and Usher's Confessions
album, and at number four on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums
chart, selling more than 131,700 copies in its first week. Though sales soon declined and the album fell short off the upper half of the Billboard 200 in its eighth week, it was eventually certified gold
by the Recording Industry Association of America
for more than 500,000 copies shipped to stores, including 417,000 sold copies. On international music markets, Afrodisiac failed to reach the top thirty on the majority of the charts it appeared on except China
, Japan
and Switzerland
where it managed to debut within the top ten and number twenty-six, respectively. In the United Kingdom
, the album was awarded a silver
certification by the British Phonographic Industry
on September 24, 2004 based on a sales total of 60,000 copies.
Excluding pre-released buzz track "Turn It Up," Afrodisiac produced three official singles. "Talk About Our Love
" was released as the album's leading single commercially on March 28, 2004. The song was critically appreciated but achieved mediocre success around the globe, reaching the top ten of the UK Singles Chart
and the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 Singles Sales
charts. In Eurasia
and Australia
, the album's title track
served as the album's second single. Released to greater success than "Talk About Our Love" in almost all the countries it was released to, the track reached number eleven in the United Kingdom and made it to top thirty in France and Ireland
. In North America, "Who Is She 2 U
" was released as the album's second and final single. Suffering from low airplay, the song never made it out of the lower half of the Billboard Hot 100 and emerged as one of Brandy's lowest-charting singles yet. In March 2005, the song also received limited release in Europe to promote the release of Norwood's first single collection The Best of Brandy
(2005), but it failed to chart or sell noticeably, reaching number fifty on the UK Singles Chart
only. Plans for a fourth single, including contender "I Tried," failed to materalize.
Serving as an inspiration for other artists, Barbadian singer Rihanna
revealed in an interview with Entertainment Weekly
that her 2007 multi-platinum album, Good Girl Gone Bad
, was primarily influenced by Afrodisiac. In the interview she stated, “Brandy's album really helped to inspire, because that album I listen to all day, all night when I was in the studio [...] I really admired that every song was a great song." Rock
musician John Frusciante
, former guitarist of legendary rock group Red Hot Chili Peppers
, mentioned that Norwood and the album were the “main inspiration” behind the guitar work on the Red Hot Chili Pepper’s 2006 Grammy winning album, Stadium Arcadium
. In 2008, singer Beyoncé Knowles
selected album cut "Focus" for her personal music playlist on iTunes
.
. Promotional touring for the album started on May 23, 2004 with a series major national television appearances, highlighted by performances on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno on July 13, 2004; NBC
's Today show as part of their outdoor Toyota Concert Series on July 16, 2004 and ABC
's The View on July 19, 2004. Norwood also performed on both CBS
's The Late Late Show
and the syndicated On-Air with Ryan Seacrest on July 14, 2004. Outside the United States, Norwood made appearances on Top of The Pops
and Anke Late Night
, where she performed a rendition of Whitney Houston
's "One Moment in Time
" in the form of a coffee commercial.
Additionally, Brandy was seen in a host of special programming airing on music television networks BET
, MTV
, VH1
, and Fuse
. The album's arrival in stores was celebrated with an appearance as a presenter on the 2004 BET Awards
, preceded by a special live performance on 106 & Park
. On July 1, 2004, Norwood headed to New York
for appearances on MTV's TRL
and Fuse's Daily Download. In addition, tracks from Afrodisiac were streamed over one million times via MTV
.com's The Leak in the week preceding the album's release.
Online, Brandy was introduced as the LAUNCHcast
Artist of the Month for July 2004. The promotion included exclusive interviews and performances as well as contests to win live video chats with Norwood. The "Talk About Our Love" online campaign kicked off with an AOL
First Listen premiere, and Brandy was AOL's "Artist of the Month" for June 2004. Her Sessions@AOL
performance debuted on the service in July 2004.
Studio album
A studio album is an album made up of tracks recorded in the controlled environment of a recording studio. A studio album contains newly written and recorded or previously unreleased or remixed material, distinguishing itself from a compilation or reissue album of previously recorded material, or...
by American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
recording artist Brandy Norwood
Brandy Norwood
Brandy Rayana Norwood , known professionally as Brandy, is an American singer-songwriter, producer, actress, and dancer. In 2009, she introduced her rap alter-ego Bran'Nu....
, released by Atlantic Records
Atlantic Records
Atlantic Records is an American record label best known for its many recordings of rhythm and blues, rock and roll, and jazz...
on June 28, 2004 on most international territories and on June 29, 2004 in Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
and the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. A departure from her previous work with Rodney Jerkins
Rodney Jerkins
Rodney "Darkchild" Jerkins is an American songwriter, record producer, and musician. Jerkins received two Grammy nominations in 2011.-Biography:...
and his Darkchild camp, Brandy worked with Timbaland
Timbaland
Timothy Zachery Mosley , better known by his stage name Timbaland, is an American record producer, songwriter and rapper....
and his protégé Walter Millsap III on the majority of the production of the album, featuring additional credits by Warryn Campbell
Warryn Campbell
Warryn Campbell is an American record producer. He specializes in gospel music and R&B.-Career:His work includes production and songwriting credits for Kanye West, Alicia Keys, Xzibit, Yolanda Adams, Dayna Caddell, Mos Def, Missy Elliott, Kierra Sheard, Brandy, Dave Hollister, Men of Standard,...
, Organized Noise, Theron Feemster
Theron Feemster
Theron Feemster, is an American 3x Grammy Award Winner record producer, songwriter, musician, and singer. He rose to fame in 2006 with featured production on singer Ne-Yo's album In My Own Words, and has since worked with many high-profile artists, including Keyshia Cole, Michael Jackson, Busta...
, Big Chuck, and Kanye West
Kanye West
Kanye Omari West is an American rapper, singer, and record producer. West first rose to fame as a producer for Roc-A-Fella Records, where he eventually achieved recognition for his work on Jay-Z's album The Blueprint, as well as hit singles for musical artists including Alicia Keys, Ludacris, and...
.
The album debuted at number three on the U.S. Billboard 200
Billboard 200
The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...
but had a short run on the charts, resulting into mediocre domestic sales of 416,000 copies and a gold certification by the Recording Industry Association of America
Recording Industry Association of America
The Recording Industry Association of America is a trade organization that represents the recording industry distributors in the United States...
(RIAA). Outside the States, Afrodisiac scored minor success, missing the top thirty on the majority of the charts it appeared on. The critical response to Afrodisiac was generally positive, garnering Brandy her strongest reception yet, with Allmusic comparing it to "Janet Jackson
Janet Jackson
Janet Damita Jo Jackson is an American recording artist and actress. Known for a series of sonically innovative, socially conscious and sexually provocative records, as well as elaborate stage shows, television and film roles, she has been a prominent figure in popular culture for over 25 years...
at her best." The following year, it received a Grammy Award
Grammy Award
A Grammy Award — or Grammy — is an accolade by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to recognize outstanding achievement in the music industry...
nomination for Best Contemporary R&B Album
Grammy Award for Best Contemporary R&B Album
The Grammy Award for Best Contemporary R&B Album was an honor presented at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards, to recording artists for quality works on albums in the contemporary R&B music genre...
but lost to Usher's Confessions
Confessions (Usher album)
Confessions is the fourth studio album by American R&B recording artist Usher, released March 23, 2004, on Arista-imprint label LaFace Records. Recording sessions for the album took place during 2003 to 2004 with production by Jermaine Dupri, Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, and Lil Jon...
album.
While lead single "Talk About Our Love
Talk About Our Love
"Talk About Our Love" is a song performed by American entertainer Brandy. It was written by producers Kanye West and Harold Lilly for her fourth studio album, Afrodisiac , and produced by West, who moreover appears as a featured artist on it...
" reached the top ten in the United Kingdom
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
, later singles failed to score successfully on the popular music charts. In mid-2005, after eleven years with the company Brandy asked for and received a release from Atlantic Records, making Afrodisiac her final studio album on the label.
Conception and production
Following the birth to her daughter Sy'rai in June 2002, Brandy soon entered recording studios to intensify work on her then-untitled fourth album with producer Mike CityMike City
Mike City is an American singer-songwriter and record producer. Flowers is also the founder and CEO of Unsung Entertainment, Inc. He's currently working on his personal album titledMike City a.k.a...
and companion Robert "Big Bert" Smith. As the singer envisioned the longplayer to sound "much rawer" and more "street" than its 2002 predecessor Full Moon, Smith quckily emerged as the album's executive producer and A&R
A&R
Artists and repertoire is the division of a record label that is responsible for talent scouting and overseeing the artistic development of recording artists. It also acts as a liaison between artists and the record label.- Finding talent :...
, replacing longtime contributor and mentor Rodney "Darkchild" Jerkins, who Brandy felt was not going in the same direction creatively after all. About parting ways with Jerkins whose Darkchild team took production credits on her last two albums, Brandy commented that "Darkchild created a sound with me and gave it to everybody. I didn't like that [...] I needed to change my sound and I wanted to explore my versatility, my creativity and my art." The couple eventually finished a number of demo recordings and at least four full songs until late November 2002, including "Ryde or Die" and Sy'rai-inspired "Sunshine;" and although Smith expected the album to drop by spring 2003 at one time or another, Brandy and Big Bert ended their relationship in mid-2003, resulting into the album's delay and several personnel changes.
Norwood eventually decided to scrap most of the project, and instead enlisted Timbaland
Timbaland
Timothy Zachery Mosley , better known by his stage name Timbaland, is an American record producer, songwriter and rapper....
, with whom the couple had previously worked on Kiley Dean
Kiley Dean
Kiley Dean is an American contemporary R&B singer. Kiley was born and raised in a small town in Arkansas. When she was about 7 years old, her family decided to move to Orlando. She grew up singing in school and church, which led her to singing back-up for Britney Spears' tours, "…Baby One More...
's unreleased Simple Girl album, as the album's main contributor. Impressed by Timaland's input, Brandy rediscovered the musical affection, she had missed on Full Moon and its technical priority. "I made the change because I needed to evolve. I needed to explore my talent and versatility and see if I had another side to me, another sound," she said about collaborating. "I wanted to do my own thing, and I've always wanted to work with Timbaland [...] and see how my voice would sound over his tracks. It was an edgier Brandy, a sassier sound, but still with a lot of heart and a lot of passion." With the help of Timbaland protégés such as Candice Nelson
The Clutch
The Clutch is an American collective of songwriters responsible for a series of successful singles including Omarion's "Ice Box", Ciara's "Like a Boy", Timbaland's "The Way I Are", Britney Spears' "Radar" and Raven-Symone's "Double Dutch Bus".-History:...
, Steve "Static" Garrett, and co-producer Walter Millsap III the pair worked on what was tentatively titled B-Rocka — a nickname actually given to her by Jerkins — and originally planned for a Christmas 2003 release. Their first collaboration, 1990s tribute "Turn It Up
Turn It Up (Brandy song)
"Turn It Up" is a song recorded by American singer Brandy Norwood. It was written by Candice Nelson, Walter Millsap III, and Timbaland for her fourth studio album, Afrodisiac , with the latter two also handling its production....
", was leaked onto the internet in autumn 2003, and soon released as a promotional buzz track.
Having concluded additional recording sessions with Warryn Campbell
Warryn Campbell
Warryn Campbell is an American record producer. He specializes in gospel music and R&B.-Career:His work includes production and songwriting credits for Kanye West, Alicia Keys, Xzibit, Yolanda Adams, Dayna Caddell, Mos Def, Missy Elliott, Kierra Sheard, Brandy, Dave Hollister, Men of Standard,...
, Theron Feemster
Theron Feemster
Theron Feemster, is an American 3x Grammy Award Winner record producer, songwriter, musician, and singer. He rose to fame in 2006 with featured production on singer Ne-Yo's album In My Own Words, and has since worked with many high-profile artists, including Keyshia Cole, Michael Jackson, Busta...
and Organized Noise, in November 2003, Atlantic Records announced that Brandy was putting the finishing touches on her still-untitled album, at that time scheduled for a release on March 2, 2004, and she would shoot a music video
Music video
A music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings...
for the "hyper, bass-heavy" banger "Black Pepper" during the second week of December. However, plans for the single fell through as the Timbaland-produced track was scrapped in favor of a new record: "Talk About Our Love
Talk About Our Love
"Talk About Our Love" is a song performed by American entertainer Brandy. It was written by producers Kanye West and Harold Lilly for her fourth studio album, Afrodisiac , and produced by West, who moreover appears as a featured artist on it...
," produced by rapper Kanye West
Kanye West
Kanye Omari West is an American rapper, singer, and record producer. West first rose to fame as a producer for Roc-A-Fella Records, where he eventually achieved recognition for his work on Jay-Z's album The Blueprint, as well as hit singles for musical artists including Alicia Keys, Ludacris, and...
. Both, the single and album cut "Where You Wanna Be," were eleventh-hour additions to the album, commissioned by West's manager Geroid Roberson, one of the executive producers on Afrodisiac, who encouraged Brandy to attempt further studio sessions with West. "Kanye put the finishing touches on the record," Brandy commented on her decision to work with West. "The two tracks we did were just what I needed to tie the whole thing together."
Content
As with her previous albums thematical prime focus on Afrodisiac is on "relationship with loveLove
Love is an emotion of strong affection and personal attachment. In philosophical context, love is a virtue representing all of human kindness, compassion, and affection. Love is central to many religions, as in the Christian phrase, "God is love" or Agape in the Canonical gospels...
and life in general." "It's about passion. It's romantic, and that's where I am in my life right now," Brandy noted during promotion touring in 2004, a time when she was engaged to New York Knicks
New York Knicks
The New York Knickerbockers, prominently known as the Knicks, are a professional basketball team based in New York City. They are part of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association...
guard Quentin Richardson
Quentin Richardson
Quentin Richardson is an American professional basketball player who plays for the National Basketball Association's Orlando Magic...
. "I'm not trying to be edgy, sassy, romantic, vulnerable or whatever emotions come across," she said. "I really am all that." Afrodisiac contains several references to Timbaland and longtime partner Missy Elliott
Missy Elliott
Melissa Arnette "Missy" Elliott , is an American rapper, singer-songwriter, record producer, and actressA five-time Grammy Award winner, Elliott, with record sales of over seven million in the United States, is the only female rapper to have five albums certified platinum by the RIAA, including one...
, and alludes to fellow 1990s
1990s
File:1990s decade montage.png|From left, clockwise: The Hubble Space Telescope floats in space after it was taken up in 1990; American F-16s and F-15s fly over burning oil fields and the USA Lexie in Operation Desert Storm, also known as the 1991 Gulf War; The signing of the Oslo Accords on...
R&B singers such as Aaliyah
Aaliyah
Aaliyah Dana Haughton , who performed under the mononym Aaliyah , was an American R&B recording artist, actress and model. She was born in Brooklyn, New York, and was raised in Detroit, Michigan. At the age of 10, she appeared on the television show Star Search and performed in concert alongside...
and Monica
Monica (singer)
Monica Denise Brown , and professionally known as Monica, is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, and actress. Born and raised in College Park, Georgia, Monica began performing as a child and became part of a traveling gospel choir, by the time she was ten...
. The album's opening track "Who I Am" discusses her rocky relationship with Robert Smith as well as the progression of her public image, while "I Tried" was heavily inspired by English rock
English Rock
English Rock is a rock outcrop near the foot of the western slope of Mount Frakes, in the Crary Mountains, Marie Byrd Land. Mapped by United States Geological Survey from ground surveys and U.S. Navy aerial photography, 1959-66. Named by Advisory Committee on Antarctic Names for Claude L....
band Coldplay
Coldplay
Coldplay are a British alternative rock band formed in 1996 by lead vocalist Chris Martin and lead guitarist Jonny Buckland at University College London. After they formed Pectoralz, Guy Berryman joined the group as a bassist and they changed their name to Starfish. Will Champion joined as a...
, also incorporating lyrics of their 2000 song "Sparks." The tenth track "Turn It Up
Turn It Up (Brandy song)
"Turn It Up" is a song recorded by American singer Brandy Norwood. It was written by Candice Nelson, Walter Millsap III, and Timbaland for her fourth studio album, Afrodisiac , with the latter two also handling its production....
" is an homage to the early 1990s
1990s in music
For music from a year in the 1990s, go to 90 | 91 | 92 | 93 | 94 | 95 | 96 | 97 | 98 | 99This article includes trends in popular music in the 1990s....
with references to Donnie Simpson
Donnie Simpson
Donnie Simpson is a longtime American radio DJ as well as a television and movie personality. He hosted The Donnie Simpson Morning Show on Washington, D.C. radio station WPGC-FM from March 1993 to January 29, 2010. Simpson is the first urban-format radio personality to have an annual salary over...
's Video Soul
Video Soul
Video Soul was a 2-hour long American music video program that aired on BET from 1981 to 1996.-History:Video Soul premiered in June 1981 and was originally a half hour show. It was devoted to helping showcase new R&B/soul recording artists and performers...
, Kid n' Play, their 1990 film House Party
House Party (film)
House Party is a 1990 American comedy film released by New Line Cinema. It stars Kid and Play of the popular hip hop duo Kid 'n Play, and also stars Paul Anthony, Bow-Legged Lou, and B-Fine from Full Force, and Robin Harris . The film also starred Martin Lawrence, Tisha Campbell, A.J...
and Tony! Toni! Toné!
Tony! Toni! Toné!
Tony! Toni! Toné! is an American Soul/R&B group from Oakland, California, popular during the late 1980s and early to mid 1990s. During the band's heyday, it was composed of D'wayne Wiggins on lead vocals and guitar, his brother Raphael Saadiq on lead vocals and bass, and their cousin Timothy...
's 1996 studio album House of Music
House of Music
House of Music is the fourth studio album by American R&B group Tony! Toni! Toné!, released November 19, 1996, on Mercury Records. Recording sessions for the album took place at various recording studios during 1995 to 1996, with production handled primarily by the group members...
. The line "'Cause I don't wanna sound familiar, want a guaranteed single, not an album filler" levels indirect criticism at former main producer Rodney Jerkins. On ending track "Should I Go," which samples Coldplay's "Clocks
Clocks (song)
"Clocks" is a song by English alternative rock band Coldplay. It was written by all members of the band for their second album, A Rush of Blood to the Head. Built around a piano riff, the song features cryptic lyrics of contrast and urgency themes. Several remixes of the track exist and its riff...
," Brandy openly talks about contemplating stepping away from the music business, admitting that she's trying to figure out where she fits in today.
Although Norwood received a sole writing credit on album cut "Finally" only, she noted Afrodisiac the most honest effort of her career yet based on its deeply autobiographical content, commenting: "Everything I do has something to do with what I've gone through in my life [and] I definitely wanted to incorporate that in my art. It makes it more real when you add what's been going on in your life in your music. I've grown and I've gone through some things in my life, and I celebrate that, I honor that." Soundwise, her collaboration with Timbaland, recent motherhood, life experiences, and growing affinity toward alternative music such as Coldplay
Coldplay
Coldplay are a British alternative rock band formed in 1996 by lead vocalist Chris Martin and lead guitarist Jonny Buckland at University College London. After they formed Pectoralz, Guy Berryman joined the group as a bassist and they changed their name to Starfish. Will Champion joined as a...
, caused Brandy to shift toward a more matured outlook and raw nature with the album, a venture into the organic sounds of soul blues
Soul blues
Soul blues is a style of blues music developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s that combines elements of soul music and urban contemporary music...
and the nostalgic street-wise sound of 1990’s hip-hop.
Tracks
Opening track "Who I Am," the album's only contribution by Warryn "Baby Dubb" CampbellWarryn Campbell
Warryn Campbell is an American record producer. He specializes in gospel music and R&B.-Career:His work includes production and songwriting credits for Kanye West, Alicia Keys, Xzibit, Yolanda Adams, Dayna Caddell, Mos Def, Missy Elliott, Kierra Sheard, Brandy, Dave Hollister, Men of Standard,...
, was an eleventh-hour addition to the album's final track listing. Built around a pirouetting keyboard
Keyboard instrument
A keyboard instrument is a musical instrument which is played using a musical keyboard. The most common of these is the piano. Other widely used keyboard instruments include organs of various types as well as other mechanical, electromechanical and electronic instruments...
melody, the song discusses Norwood's rocky relationship with producer Robert "Big Bert" Smith as well as her public image in open letter
Open letter
An open letter is a letter that is intended to be read by a wide audience, or a letter intended for an individual, but that is nonetheless widely distributed intentionally....
form. Second track "Afrodisiac
Afrodisiac (song)
"Afrodisiac" is a song by American singer Brandy. It was written and composed by Timothy "Timbaland" Mosley, Isaac Phillips, Kenisha Pratt and Kenneth Pratt for her same-titled fourth studio album, Afrodisiac ....
," the album's title track and second international single, was generally well-received by critics, and enjoyed moderate success throughout Asia
Asia
Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
and Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
. Depicting a woman's aphrodisiac affection
Aphrodisiac
An aphrodisiac is a substance that increases sexual desire. The name comes from Aphrodite, the Greek goddess of sexuality and love. Throughout history, many foods, drinks, and behaviors have had a reputation for making sex more attainable and/or pleasurable...
with a man, it combines elements of pop
Pop music
Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...
and dance music
Dance music
Dance music is music composed specifically to facilitate or accompany dancing. It can be either a whole musical piece or part of a larger musical arrangement...
, incorporating elements of fellow Timbaland
Timbaland
Timothy Zachery Mosley , better known by his stage name Timbaland, is an American record producer, songwriter and rapper....
-production "Are You That Somebody?" as performed by Aaliyah
Aaliyah
Aaliyah Dana Haughton , who performed under the mononym Aaliyah , was an American R&B recording artist, actress and model. She was born in Brooklyn, New York, and was raised in Detroit, Michigan. At the age of 10, she appeared on the television show Star Search and performed in concert alongside...
. Brandy has declared the song her favorite cut on the record. Alongside "Afrodisiac," third track "Who Is She 2 U
Who Is She 2 U
"Who Is She 2 U" is a song recorded by American singer Brandy. It was written by Walter Millsap III, Timothy "Timbaland" Mosley and Candice Nelson for the singer's fourth studio album, Afrodisiac , and co-produced by Timbaland and Millsap...
" was one of the first songs Brandy worked on with Timbaland
Timbaland
Timothy Zachery Mosley , better known by his stage name Timbaland, is an American record producer, songwriter and rapper....
and his crew. A female anthem
Anthem
The term anthem means either a specific form of Anglican church music , or more generally, a song of celebration, usually acting as a symbol for a distinct group of people, as in the term "national anthem" or "sports anthem".-Etymology:The word is derived from the Greek via Old English , a word...
with semi-biographical background, it was released to mixed recepction as the album's second single stateside, where it became one of Norwood's lowest-charting singles yet. An unofficial but prominent duet version of the track featuring vocals by fellow R&B singer Usher was released on various mixtape
Mixtape
A Mix Tape or Mixed Tape is a compilation of songs recorded in a specific order, traditionally onto an audio Compact Cassette.A Mix Tape, which usually reflects the musical tastes of its compiler, can range from a casually selected list of favorite songs, to a conceptual mix of songs linked by a...
s in late 2004.
Lead single
Lead single
A lead single is usually the first single released by a musician or a band before the release of its home album.During the era of the grammophone record, all music arrived in the marketplace as what is now termed a single, one potential hit song backed by an additional song of generally less...
"Talk About Our Love
Talk About Our Love
"Talk About Our Love" is a song performed by American entertainer Brandy. It was written by producers Kanye West and Harold Lilly for her fourth studio album, Afrodisiac , and produced by West, who moreover appears as a featured artist on it...
," the result of additional recording sessions with rapper Kanye West
Kanye West
Kanye Omari West is an American rapper, singer, and record producer. West first rose to fame as a producer for Roc-A-Fella Records, where he eventually achieved recognition for his work on Jay-Z's album The Blueprint, as well as hit singles for musical artists including Alicia Keys, Ludacris, and...
and violinist Miri Ben-Ari
Miri Ben-Ari
Miri Ben-Ari is an Israeli violinist, who currently resides in the United States.Ben-Ari grew up playing classical music; she started training at age 5 and at age 12, she was presented with a violin by Isaac Stern. During her mandatory Israeli military service, she was chosen to play for the...
, was not composed until late into the production of the album and describes the pressures of other people meddling into relationships. Iron Maiden
Iron Maiden
Iron Maiden are an English heavy metal band from Leyton in east London, formed in 1975 by bassist and primary songwriter Steve Harris. Since their inception, the band's discography has grown to include a total of thirty-six albums: fifteen studio albums; eleven live albums; four EPs; and six...
-sampling "I Tried" is a downbeat
Downtempo
Downtempo is a laid-back electronic music style similar to ambient music, but usually with a beat or groove unlike the beatless forms of Ambient music. The beat is sometimes made from loops that have a hypnotic feeling...
midtempo track and ode
Ode
Ode is a type of lyrical verse. A classic ode is structured in three major parts: the strophe, the antistrophe, and the epode. Different forms such as the homostrophic ode and the irregular ode also exist...
to British alternative rock
Alternative rock
Alternative rock is a genre of rock music and a term used to describe a diverse musical movement that emerged from the independent music underground of the 1980s and became widely popular by the 1990s...
band Coldplay
Coldplay
Coldplay are a British alternative rock band formed in 1996 by lead vocalist Chris Martin and lead guitarist Jonny Buckland at University College London. After they formed Pectoralz, Guy Berryman joined the group as a bassist and they changed their name to Starfish. Will Champion joined as a...
. It talks about the singer listening to Coldplay's song "Sparks
Sparks
-People:*Sparks , people with Sparks as family name or given name*Sparks , a character in Enter the Matrix and The Matrix Revolutions-Places:United States*Sparks, Georgia*Sparks, Kansas*Sparks, Maryland*Sparks, Nebraska...
" as she regrets playing the fool for an unfaithful ex-lover. Considered to be released as a single at times, it drew comparisons to Justin Timberlake
Justin Timberlake
Justin Randall Timberlake is an American pop musician and actor. He achieved early fame when he appeared as a contestant on Star Search, and went on to star in the Disney Channel television series The New Mickey Mouse Club, where he met future bandmate JC Chasez...
's "Cry Me a River" in style and music. "Where You Wanna Be," another West production, features a bridge by rapper T.I.
T.I.
Clifford Joseph Harris, Jr. , better known by his stage name T.I., is an American rap artist, film and music producer, actor and author. He is also the founder and co-chief executive officer of Grand Hustle Records....
and deals with a woman's lover not getting his priorities in order as she is requesting him to make a decision between his friends, his affair and her. Norwood chronicles her ups and downs on mid-tempo track "Focus," the album's seventh track, on which she struggles not to let an old habit back in her life. The songs consists of stuttering synths and instrumentation from heavy bass and an electric guitar
Electric guitar
An electric guitar is a guitar that uses the principle of direct electromagnetic induction to convert vibrations of its metal strings into electric audio signals. The signal generated by an electric guitar is too weak to drive a loudspeaker, so it is amplified before sending it to a loudspeaker...
. Eight track "Saddidy" is built around a hand-clap-laden synth beat and one of the few up-tempo tracks on the album. It talks about the singer not being seddity
Seddity
Seddity – is defined as an African American who is bourgeois, snobbish or pretentious. According to Lisa J. Green’s study of the African American lexicon in African American English: a linguistic introduction, the usage of the word spanned from 1960 – 1980.As to the disparity in the spelling, this...
rather than menacing.
Ninth track "Turn It Up" is one of several songs that reference Aaliyah
Aaliyah
Aaliyah Dana Haughton , who performed under the mononym Aaliyah , was an American R&B recording artist, actress and model. She was born in Brooklyn, New York, and was raised in Detroit, Michigan. At the age of 10, she appeared on the television show Star Search and performed in concert alongside...
. A 1990s
1990s in music
For music from a year in the 1990s, go to 90 | 91 | 92 | 93 | 94 | 95 | 96 | 97 | 98 | 99This article includes trends in popular music in the 1990s....
tribute cut that combines elements of old school hip hop
Old school hip hop
Old school hip hop describes the earliest commercially recorded hip hop music , and the music in the period preceding it from which it was directly descended . Old school hip hop is said to end around 1983 or 1984 with the emergence of Run–D.M.C., the first new school hip hop group...
with Timbaland's beatboxing
Beatboxing
Beatboxing is a form of vocal percussion primarily involving the art of producing drum beats, rhythm, and musical sounds using one's mouth, lips, tongue, and voice. It may also involve singing, vocal imitation of turntablism, and the simulation of horns, strings, and other musical instruments...
instrumentals, the song was the first full length release preceding the album as a promotional buzz track in fall 2003. Although the song was not released commercially, it appeared on several charts, reaching number two on the German Black Charts
Media Control Charts
The official music charts in Germany are gathered and published by the company Media Control GfK International on behalf of Bundesverband Musikindustrie...
.
Critical reception
Afrodisiac garnered Brandy her fourth consecutive Grammy Award nomination for Best Contemporary R&B AlbumGrammy Award for Best Contemporary R&B Album
The Grammy Award for Best Contemporary R&B Album was an honor presented at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards, to recording artists for quality works on albums in the contemporary R&B music genre...
and became her most critically acclaimed album to date, averaging a 73 out of a 100 among averaged reviews on Metacritic
Metacritic
Metacritic.com is a website that collates reviews of music albums, games, movies, TV shows and DVDs. For each product, a numerical score from each review is obtained and the total is averaged. An excerpt of each review is provided along with a hyperlink to the source. Three colour codes of Green,...
. Andy Kellman of Allmusic gave the album four out of five stars and praised it as "Brandy's fourth consecutive durable showing, [...] stocked with a number of spectacular — and emotionally resonant — singles that wind up making for her most accomplished set yet." David Browne
David Browne
David Browne is an American journalist and author. He was the resident music critic at Entertainment Weekly between 1990 and 2006. He was an editor at Music & Sound Output magazine and a music critic at the New York Daily News before EW...
of Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly is an American magazine, published by the Time division of Time Warner, that covers film, television, music, broadway theatre, books and popular culture...
gave the album an A- rating, calling it "Brandy's meatiest album to date," and ranked it sixth on his personal year-end top ten list. He found special approval for Timbaland, "who produced most of the disc, turns up the bass, the volume, and the tension whenever he can, bolstering her less-than-commanding, down-pillow-soft voice." Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...
writer James Hunter
James Hunter
Dr James Hunter CBE is currently Director for the UHI Centre for History, Chairman of the Isle of Eigg Heritage Trust and formerly the Chairman of Highlands and Islands Enterprise, the Inverness-based development and training agency for the North of Scotland...
, like both Kellman and Browne, compared the album to "Janet Jackson
Janet Jackson
Janet Damita Jo Jackson is an American recording artist and actress. Known for a series of sonically innovative, socially conscious and sexually provocative records, as well as elaborate stage shows, television and film roles, she has been a prominent figure in popular culture for over 25 years...
at her best: She's a pop star, but she's making the most of her big studio budgets and is following her muse." He described the set as "mainstream soul with eccentric details and shadings" and gave the album four stars out of five.
Vibe writer Laura Checkoway noted Afrodisiac "a far cry from the pleasing pubescent fluff of her formative years," and although she felt that "Brandy's sultry alto drowns on some songs," she acknowledged, that "while Brandy's musical liaison with Timbaland is what some people might call a match made in heaven, it's her crazy, sexy, cool revival that's the true bliss of this fourth coming. Steve Jones from USA Today
USA Today
USA Today is a national American daily newspaper published by the Gannett Company. It was founded by Al Neuharth. The newspaper vies with The Wall Street Journal for the position of having the widest circulation of any newspaper in the United States, something it previously held since 2003...
gave the album a three out of four stars rating, and commented: "Timbaland provides her with plenty of funk-infused beats to groove to [and] while a few of the tracks are a bit pedestrian, Brandy is still seductive more often that not." Ben Sisario
Ben Sisario
Ben Sisario is an American journalist and author in New York City.-Writing career:Sisario is a staff reporter for the New York Times, covering music and culture. He is author of The Pixies' Doolittle , a book in the 33⅓ series about the Pixies album of the same title...
, who wrote for Blender
Blender (magazine)
Blender was an American music magazine that billed itself as "the ultimate guide to music and more". It was also known for sometimes steamy pictorials of celebrities....
and gave the album three out of five stars, summed the album as "an episode of her growing-pains TV show Moesha
Moesha
Moesha is an American sitcom series that aired on the UPN network from January 23, 1996 to May 14, 2001. The series stars R&B singer Brandy Norwood as Moesha Mitchell, a high school student living with her family in the Leimert Park neighborhood of South Central Los Angeles.-Overview:The show...
: This week, our honey-voiced heroine sheds her girlishness, sexing up to become 'a woman, a passionate woman'," referring to its lyrical makeover. He called non-Timbaland productions like "Talk About Our Love" and "Say You Will" the highlights of the album.
Sales and impact
Afrodisiac debuted at number three on the U.S. Billboard 200Billboard 200
The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...
behind Lloyd Banks
Lloyd Banks
Christopher Charles Lloyd , better known by his stage name Lloyd Banks, is an American rapper and member of the rap group G-Unit. Raised in South Jamaica, Queens, he dropped out of high school in 1998. G-Unit released two albums, Beg for Mercy in 2003 and T.O.S. in 2008...
' solo debut The Hunger for More
The Hunger for More
The Hunger for More is the debut album by G-Unit rapper Lloyd Banks, released June 29, 2004 on G-Unit Records and Interscope Records. Banks had been featured on 50 Cent's multi-platinum 2003 album Get Rich or Die Tryin, and on G-Unit's Beg for Mercy in November of the same year...
and Usher's Confessions
Confessions (Usher album)
Confessions is the fourth studio album by American R&B recording artist Usher, released March 23, 2004, on Arista-imprint label LaFace Records. Recording sessions for the album took place during 2003 to 2004 with production by Jermaine Dupri, Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, and Lil Jon...
album, and at number four on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums
Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums
Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums is a chart published by Billboard magazine that ranks R&B and hip hop albums based on sales compiled by Nielsen SoundScan. The name of the chart was changed from Top R&B Albums in 1999...
chart, selling more than 131,700 copies in its first week. Though sales soon declined and the album fell short off the upper half of the Billboard 200 in its eighth week, it was eventually certified gold
Music recording sales certification
Music recording sales certification is a system of certifying that a music recording has shipped or sold a certain number of copies, where the threshold quantity varies by type and by nation or territory .Almost all countries follow variations of the RIAA certification categories,...
by the Recording Industry Association of America
Recording Industry Association of America
The Recording Industry Association of America is a trade organization that represents the recording industry distributors in the United States...
for more than 500,000 copies shipped to stores, including 417,000 sold copies. On international music markets, Afrodisiac failed to reach the top thirty on the majority of the charts it appeared on except China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
and Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
where it managed to debut within the top ten and number twenty-six, respectively. In the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, the album was awarded a silver
Music recording sales certification
Music recording sales certification is a system of certifying that a music recording has shipped or sold a certain number of copies, where the threshold quantity varies by type and by nation or territory .Almost all countries follow variations of the RIAA certification categories,...
certification by the British Phonographic Industry
British Phonographic Industry
The British Phonographic Industry is the British record industry's trade association.-Structure:Its membership comprises hundreds of music companies including all four "major" record companies , associate members such as manufacturers and distributors, and hundreds of independent music companies...
on September 24, 2004 based on a sales total of 60,000 copies.
Excluding pre-released buzz track "Turn It Up," Afrodisiac produced three official singles. "Talk About Our Love
Talk About Our Love
"Talk About Our Love" is a song performed by American entertainer Brandy. It was written by producers Kanye West and Harold Lilly for her fourth studio album, Afrodisiac , and produced by West, who moreover appears as a featured artist on it...
" was released as the album's leading single commercially on March 28, 2004. The song was critically appreciated but achieved mediocre success around the globe, reaching the top ten of the UK Singles Chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
and the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 Singles Sales
Hot 100 Singles Sales
The Hot Singles Sales chart is a chart released weekly by Billboard magazine in the United States. It measures sales of commercial singles and is one of three component charts, along with the Hot 100 Airplay and the Hot Digital Songs, that determine the chart positions of singles on the...
charts. In Eurasia
Eurasia
Eurasia is a continent or supercontinent comprising the traditional continents of Europe and Asia ; covering about 52,990,000 km2 or about 10.6% of the Earth's surface located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres...
and Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, the album's title track
Afrodisiac (song)
"Afrodisiac" is a song by American singer Brandy. It was written and composed by Timothy "Timbaland" Mosley, Isaac Phillips, Kenisha Pratt and Kenneth Pratt for her same-titled fourth studio album, Afrodisiac ....
served as the album's second single. Released to greater success than "Talk About Our Love" in almost all the countries it was released to, the track reached number eleven in the United Kingdom and made it to top thirty in France and Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
. In North America, "Who Is She 2 U
Who Is She 2 U
"Who Is She 2 U" is a song recorded by American singer Brandy. It was written by Walter Millsap III, Timothy "Timbaland" Mosley and Candice Nelson for the singer's fourth studio album, Afrodisiac , and co-produced by Timbaland and Millsap...
" was released as the album's second and final single. Suffering from low airplay, the song never made it out of the lower half of the Billboard Hot 100 and emerged as one of Brandy's lowest-charting singles yet. In March 2005, the song also received limited release in Europe to promote the release of Norwood's first single collection The Best of Brandy
The Best of Brandy
The Best of Brandy is the first compilation album by American recording artist Brandy Norwood. Completing her contract with Atlantic Records after eleven years with the company, it was released in March and April 2005 on most international music markets....
(2005), but it failed to chart or sell noticeably, reaching number fifty on the UK Singles Chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
only. Plans for a fourth single, including contender "I Tried," failed to materalize.
Serving as an inspiration for other artists, Barbadian singer Rihanna
Rihanna
Robyn Rihanna Fenty , better known as simply Rihanna, is a Barbadian recording artist. Born in Saint Michael, Barbados, Rihanna moved to the United States at the age of 16 to pursue a recording career under the guidance of record producer Evan Rogers...
revealed in an interview with Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly is an American magazine, published by the Time division of Time Warner, that covers film, television, music, broadway theatre, books and popular culture...
that her 2007 multi-platinum album, Good Girl Gone Bad
Good Girl Gone Bad
Good Girl Gone Bad is the third studio album by Barbadian R&B singer Rihanna, released May 30, 2007, on Def Jam Recordings. Recording sessions for the album took place during October 2006 to April 2007 at Westlake Recording Studios in Los Angeles. Rihanna worked with producers Christopher "Tricky"...
, was primarily influenced by Afrodisiac. In the interview she stated, “Brandy's album really helped to inspire, because that album I listen to all day, all night when I was in the studio [...] I really admired that every song was a great song." Rock
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
musician John Frusciante
John Frusciante
John Anthony Frusciante is an American guitarist, singer, songwriter, record and film producer. He is best known as the former lead guitarist of the rock band Red Hot Chili Peppers, with whom he had been for a number of years and recorded five studio albums...
, former guitarist of legendary rock group Red Hot Chili Peppers
Red Hot Chili Peppers
Red Hot Chili Peppers is an American rock band, formed in Los Angeles in 1983. The group's musical style primarily consists of rock with an emphasis on funk, as well as elements from other genres such as punk, hip hop and psychedelic rock...
, mentioned that Norwood and the album were the “main inspiration” behind the guitar work on the Red Hot Chili Pepper’s 2006 Grammy winning album, Stadium Arcadium
Stadium Arcadium
Stadium Arcadium is the ninth studio album by American rock band Red Hot Chili Peppers. The album was released on May 9, 2006, on Warner Bros. Records. The album produced five singles: "Dani California", "Tell Me Baby", "Snow ", "Desecration Smile", and "Hump de Bump"...
. In 2008, singer Beyoncé Knowles
Beyoncé Knowles
Beyoncé Giselle Knowles , often known simply as Beyoncé, is an American singer, songwriter, record producer, and actress. Born and raised in Houston, Texas, she enrolled in various performing arts schools and was first exposed to singing and dancing competitions as a child...
selected album cut "Focus" for her personal music playlist on iTunes
ITunes
iTunes is a media player computer program, used for playing, downloading, and organizing digital music and video files on desktop computers. It can also manage contents on iPod, iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad....
.
Promotion
Promotion for Afrodisiac first began with a massive media event in Montego Bay, Jamaica, where the album was previewed to a hand-picked list of journalists at a press launch held in the Royal Pavilion of the Half Moon HotelHalf Moon Hotel
The Half Moon Hotel in Coney Island, New York was a 225-foot-tall, 14-story hotel that opened in 1927 on the Boardwalk at West 29th Street. The hotel was designed by the architectural firm of George B. Post and Sons...
. Promotional touring for the album started on May 23, 2004 with a series major national television appearances, highlighted by performances on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno on July 13, 2004; NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
's Today show as part of their outdoor Toyota Concert Series on July 16, 2004 and ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
's The View on July 19, 2004. Norwood also performed on both CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
's The Late Late Show
The Late Late Show (CBS TV series)
The Late Late Show is an American late-night television talk and variety show on CBS hosted by Craig Ferguson since 2005. It immediately follows Late Show with David Letterman and is produced by Letterman's Worldwide Pants Incorporated...
and the syndicated On-Air with Ryan Seacrest on July 14, 2004. Outside the United States, Norwood made appearances on Top of The Pops
Top of the Pops
Top of the Pops, also known as TOTP, is a British music chart television programme, made by the BBC and originally broadcast weekly from 1 January 1964 to 30 July 2006. After 25 December 2006 it became a radio program, now hosted by Tony Blackburn...
and Anke Late Night
Anke Engelke
Anke Christina Fischer is a German comedian, actress and voice-over actress born in Montréal, Quebec, Canada.Engelke moved to Cologne in 1971 with her parents...
, where she performed a rendition of Whitney Houston
Whitney Houston
Whitney Elizabeth Houston is an American singer, actress, producer and a former model. Houston is the most awarded female act of all time, according to Guinness World Records, and her list of awards include 1 Emmy Award, 6 Grammy Awards, 30 Billboard Music Awards, 22 American Music Awards, among...
's "One Moment in Time
One Moment in Time
"One Moment in Time" is an Emmy Award winning song written by Albert Hammond and John Bettis, and recorded by American singer Whitney Houston for the 1988 Summer Olympics and the 1988 Summer Paralympics held in Seoul, South Korea.-History:...
" in the form of a coffee commercial.
Additionally, Brandy was seen in a host of special programming airing on music television networks BET
Bet
Bet or BET may refer to:* A wager in gambling* Basic Economics Test * Bet , the second letter in many Semitic alphabets, including Aramaic, Hebrew, Phoenician and Syriac* Brunauer-Emmett-Teller isotherm. See BET_theory...
, MTV
MTV
MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
, VH1
VH1
VH1 or Vh1 is an American cable television network based in New York City. Launched on January 1, 1985 in the old space of Turner Broadcasting's short-lived Cable Music Channel, the original purpose of the channel was to build on the success of MTV by playing music videos, but targeting a slightly...
, and Fuse
Fuse TV
Fuse is an American national television network dedicated exclusively to music. It features original series and specials, exclusive interviews, live concerts and video blocks....
. The album's arrival in stores was celebrated with an appearance as a presenter on the 2004 BET Awards
BET Awards
The BET Awards were established in 2001 by the Black Entertainment Television network to celebrate African Americans and other minorities in music, acting, sports, and other fields of entertainment over the past year. The awards are presented annually and broadcast live on BET...
, preceded by a special live performance on 106 & Park
106 & Park
106 & Park is a Top Ten Hip-Hop and R&B music video show, set up in a countdown format, that airs weekdays at 6:00 PM on BET . Since its inception, it was the network's #1 rated show...
. On July 1, 2004, Norwood headed to New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
for appearances on MTV's TRL
Total Request Live
Total Request Live is a television series on MTV that featured popular music videos. TRL was MTV's prime outlet for music videos as the network continues to concentrate on reality-based programming. In addition to music videos, TRL featured daily guests...
and Fuse's Daily Download. In addition, tracks from Afrodisiac were streamed over one million times via MTV
MTV
MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
.com's The Leak in the week preceding the album's release.
Online, Brandy was introduced as the LAUNCHcast
LAUNCHcast
Yahoo! Music Radio is an Internet radio service offered by CBS Radio through Yahoo! Music. The service, formerly offered by LAUNCH Media, and originally developed by Todd Beaupré and Jeff Boulter, debuted on November 11, 1999, and was purchased by Yahoo! in October, 2001...
Artist of the Month for July 2004. The promotion included exclusive interviews and performances as well as contests to win live video chats with Norwood. The "Talk About Our Love" online campaign kicked off with an AOL
AOL
AOL Inc. is an American global Internet services and media company. AOL is headquartered at 770 Broadway in New York. Founded in 1983 as Control Video Corporation, it has franchised its services to companies in several nations around the world or set up international versions of its services...
First Listen premiere, and Brandy was AOL's "Artist of the Month" for June 2004. Her Sessions@AOL
Sessions@AOL
Sessions@AOL is a special avenue of programming conducted by AOL Music. Originally an AOL exclusive, Sessions@AOL can now also be seen as an avenue for non-AOL users as well. Sessions@AOL consists of exclusive and intimate performances of songs by popular musicians, with likes of bands such as...
performance debuted on the service in July 2004.
Track listing
- Notes
- "Who Is She 2 U" contains a sample of Jacqueline Hilliard's "Instant Love" (1968)
- "Talk About Our Love" contains a sample of Mandrill's "Gilly Hines" (1978) from the album New WorldsNew Worlds- In publishing :* New Worlds , a British science fiction magazine* New Worlds , a X-Men storyline written by Grant Morrison.* New Worlds, an imprint of Caliber Comics.- In music, film and television :...
- "I Tried" contains a sample of Iron MaidenIron MaidenIron Maiden are an English heavy metal band from Leyton in east London, formed in 1975 by bassist and primary songwriter Steve Harris. Since their inception, the band's discography has grown to include a total of thirty-six albums: fifteen studio albums; eleven live albums; four EPs; and six...
's "The Clansman" (1998), and ColdplayColdplayColdplay are a British alternative rock band formed in 1996 by lead vocalist Chris Martin and lead guitarist Jonny Buckland at University College London. After they formed Pectoralz, Guy Berryman joined the group as a bassist and they changed their name to Starfish. Will Champion joined as a...
's "SparksParachutesParachutes is the debut album by English alternative rock band Coldplay, released by the record label Parlophone on 10 July 2000 in the United Kingdom. The album was produced by the band and British record producer Ken Nelson, excluding one track which was produced by Chris Allison...
" (2000) - "Where You Wanna Be" contains a sample of Janis IanJanis IanJanis Ian is an American songwriter, singer, musician, columnist, and science fiction author. Ian first entered the folk music scene while still a teenager in the mid-sixties; most active musically in that decade and the 1970s, she has continued recording into the 21st century...
's "Jesse" (1974) - "Finally" contains a sample of "Rock House Jail" from The Rock soundtrackThe Rock (film)The Rock is a 1996 action film that primarily takes place on Alcatraz Island and in the San Francisco Bay area. It was directed by Michael Bay and stars Sean Connery, Nicolas Cage and Ed Harris. It was produced by Don Simpson and Jerry Bruckheimer and released through Hollywood Pictures. The film...
(1996) - "Should I Go" contains a sample of Coldplay's "ClocksClocks (song)"Clocks" is a song by English alternative rock band Coldplay. It was written by all members of the band for their second album, A Rush of Blood to the Head. Built around a piano riff, the song features cryptic lyrics of contrast and urgency themes. Several remixes of the track exist and its riff...
" (2002) - "Nodding Off" contains a sample of Sunny DeolSunny DeolSunny Deol often credited as "Action King of Bollywood" is an Indian film actor, producer and director. Deol was born to Bollywood actor Dharmendra. He has won two National Film Awards and two Filmfare Awards. He went to England to study acting...
& Amrita SinghAmrita SinghAmrita Singh is an Indian film actress.-Early life:Amrita is the daughter of Rukhsana Sultana. Mohinder Kaur was the daughter of Sir Sobha Singh, who was a noted civil contractor, and made a substantial fortune during the building of New Delhi in the early decades of the 20th century...
's "Ek Din Jab Hum Jawaan HongayBetaab (1983 film)Betaab is an Indian Hindi movie released on 5 August 1983, directed by Rahul Rawail and produced by Bikram Sing Dahal. The film stars Sunny Deol and Amrita Singh in their debut roles. The film went on to be one of the biggest hits of the year.-Synopsis:...
" (1983)
Charts and certification
- These are the peak positions and certifications from chart providers.
| Chart (2004) | Provider | Peak position |
Certification |
|---|---|---|---|
| Australian ARIA Australian Recording Industry Association The Australian Recording Industry Association is a trade group representing the Australian recording industry which was established in 1983 by six major record companies, EMI, Festival, CBS, RCA, WEA and Universal replacing the Association of Australian Record Manufacturers which was formed in 1956... Album Chart |
ARIA Australian Recording Industry Association The Australian Recording Industry Association is a trade group representing the Australian recording industry which was established in 1983 by six major record companies, EMI, Festival, CBS, RCA, WEA and Universal replacing the Association of Australian Record Manufacturers which was formed in 1956... |
53 | |
| Canada Top 50 Albums | CRIA Canadian Recording Industry Association Music Canada is a Toronto-based, non-profit trade organization that was founded 9 April 1963 to represent the interests of companies that record, artists, manufacture, production, promotion and distribution of music in Canada... /Nielsen SoundScan Nielsen SoundScan Nielsen SoundScan is an information and sales tracking system created by Mike Fine and Mike Shalett. Soundscan is the official method of tracking sales of music and music video products throughout the United States and Canada... |
34 | |
| Chinese Albums Chart | IFPI IFPI The International Federation of the Phonographic Industry is the organisation that represents the interests of the recording industry worldwide. It is a not-for-profit members' organisation registered in Switzerland... |
9 | |
| Dutch Albums Chart | MegaCharts MegaCharts MegaCharts is responsible for the composition and exploitation of a broad collection of official charts in the Netherlands, of which the Mega Top 50 and the Mega Album Top 100 are the most known ones. Mega Charts also provides information to the Stichting Nederlandse Top 40, of which the Dutch Top... |
45 | |
| French Albums Chart | SNEP/IFOP | 57 | |
| German Albums Chart | Media Control Media Control Charts The official music charts in Germany are gathered and published by the company Media Control GfK International on behalf of Bundesverband Musikindustrie... |
44 | |
| Japan Orican Album Chart | RIAJ | 10 | Gold Gold Gold is a chemical element with the symbol Au and an atomic number of 79. Gold is a dense, soft, shiny, malleable and ductile metal. Pure gold has a bright yellow color and luster traditionally considered attractive, which it maintains without oxidizing in air or water. Chemically, gold is a... |
| Norwegian Albums Chart | VG Nett | 34 | |
| Swedish Albums Chart | GLF Swedish Recording Industry Association Grammofonleverantörernas förening , or the Swedish Recording Industry Association in English, is an organization representing the music recording industry of Sweden... |
45 | |
| Swiss Albums Chart | Media Control | 26 | |
| UK Albums Chart UK Albums Chart The UK Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales in the United Kingdom. It is compiled every week by The Official Charts Company and broadcast on a Sunday on BBC Radio 1 , and published in Music Week magazine and on the OCC website .To qualify for the UK albums chart... |
BPI British Phonographic Industry The British Phonographic Industry is the British record industry's trade association.-Structure:Its membership comprises hundreds of music companies including all four "major" record companies , associate members such as manufacturers and distributors, and hundreds of independent music companies... /The Official UK Charts Company The Official UK Charts Company The Official Charts Company , previously called the Chart Information Network and then The Official UK Charts Company, compiles various "official" UK record charts, including the UK Singles Chart, the UK Albums Chart, and the UK Official Download Chart, as well as genre-specific and music video... |
32 | Silver Silver Silver is a metallic chemical element with the chemical symbol Ag and atomic number 47. A soft, white, lustrous transition metal, it has the highest electrical conductivity of any element and the highest thermal conductivity of any metal... |
| U.S. Billboard 200 Billboard 200 The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists... |
Billboard Billboard (magazine) Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis... |
3 | Gold Gold Gold is a chemical element with the symbol Au and an atomic number of 79. Gold is a dense, soft, shiny, malleable and ductile metal. Pure gold has a bright yellow color and luster traditionally considered attractive, which it maintains without oxidizing in air or water. Chemically, gold is a... |
| U.S. Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums is a chart published by Billboard magazine that ranks R&B and hip hop albums based on sales compiled by Nielsen SoundScan. The name of the chart was changed from Top R&B Albums in 1999... |
4 | ||
Credits and personnel
- Miri Ben-AriMiri Ben-AriMiri Ben-Ari is an Israeli violinist, who currently resides in the United States.Ben-Ari grew up playing classical music; she started training at age 5 and at age 12, she was presented with a violin by Isaac Stern. During her mandatory Israeli military service, she was chosen to play for the...
— violin - Shorty B. — bass guitarBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
- Parris Bowens — keyboards
- Bruce Fowler — conductor
- Larry Gold — conductor
- Don Harper — conductor
- Mike Hartnett — guitarGuitarThe guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
- Keenan "Kee Note" Holloway — bass
- Glenn S. Jeffrey — guitar
- George "Spanky" McCurdy – percussionPercussion instrumentA percussion instrument is any object which produces a sound when hit with an implement or when it is shaken, rubbed, scraped, or otherwise acted upon in a way that sets the object into vibration...
- Nick Glennie-Smith — conductor
- DeMonica Plummer — conductor
- Ervin Pope — keyboards
- Dave Robbins – keyboardsKeyboard instrumentA keyboard instrument is a musical instrument which is played using a musical keyboard. The most common of these is the piano. Other widely used keyboard instruments include organs of various types as well as other mechanical, electromechanical and electronic instruments...
- Thaddeus T. Tribbett — bass
- Eric Walls — guitar
Production
- Executive producerExecutive producerAn executive producer is a producer who is not involved in any technical aspects of the film making or music process, but who is still responsible for the overall production...
s: Kyambo Joshua, Craig KallmanCraig KallmanCraig Kallman is Chairman and CEO of Atlantic Records.Craig Kallman signed the legendary lyricist Percee P and released his sought after 12" "Puttin' Heads To Bed" on his imprint Big Beat in the early 1990s. He joined the company in 1991, when Atlantic acquired Kallman's independent Big Beat...
, Brandy NorwoodBrandy NorwoodBrandy Rayana Norwood , known professionally as Brandy, is an American singer-songwriter, producer, actress, and dancer. In 2009, she introduced her rap alter-ego Bran'Nu....
, Gee Roberson - Vocal producers: Brandy Norwood, Kenny Hicks
- Vocal assistance: Jo Ann Campbell, Steve "Static" Garrett, Tim Mosley, Kenisha Pratt, Kenneth Pratt
- EngineerEngineerAn engineer is a professional practitioner of engineering, concerned with applying scientific knowledge, mathematics and ingenuity to develop solutions for technical problems. Engineers design materials, structures, machines and systems while considering the limitations imposed by practicality,...
s: Bruce Beuchner, Sean Davis, Jimmy Douglas, Blake English, Jun Ishizeki, Cha Cha Jones, Eugene Toale - Assistant engineers: Demacio Castellon, Ricky Chao, Jermeal Hicks, Halsey Quemere
- MixingAudio mixing (recorded music)In audio recording, audio mixing is the process by which multiple recorded sounds are combined into one or more channels, most commonly two-channel stereo. In the process, the source signals' level, frequency content, dynamics, and panoramic position are manipulated and effects such as reverb may...
: Jimmy Douglass, Dave Lopez, Manny Marroquin, Peter Mokran, Tim "Timbaland" MosleyTimbalandTimothy Zachery Mosley , better known by his stage name Timbaland, is an American record producer, songwriter and rapper.... - Mastering: Brian Gardner, Chris Gehringer
- A&RA&RArtists and repertoire is the division of a record label that is responsible for talent scouting and overseeing the artistic development of recording artists. It also acts as a liaison between artists and the record label.- Finding talent :...
: Kyambo Joshua & Geroid Roberson - Design: Julian Peploe
- Art Direction: Liz Barrett
- Photography: Roger Ericson