Brandy is back and aims to blaze with new single ‘Freedom Rings.’
The length and breadth of the week has seen The Vocal Bible tease the track in earnest and it’s finally here – and comes bearing truth. Her truth.
Over pulsating production, the R&B icon belts her narrative of overcome many a hardship to obtain the most prized possession of all – liberation.
Take a listen to the premiere taste of the Grammy winner’s seventh studio album below…
Check out Brandy speaking exclusively to That Grape Juice about her upcoming album:
Waited so long for new music and she gives us “Beggin’ & Pleadin’” part 2.
B-Rocka listen… we want Drum Life, Sweet Nothings, How High, Afrodisiac, Say You Will, Come A Little Closer VIBES!!!!
This sounds nothing like B&P and she is singing the S*** out of it!! This song is a declaration from her. She’s singing exactly what she wants to for the first time in her career. Plus Brandy never records the same song twice sorry! This song is EVERYTHING!!!
Speak for yourself. This is all sorts of amazing and more to come.
This song is very nice and i like it.
Agreed. Beggin and Pleading 2. But the first was everything.
And she delivers from her soul and that voice is sooo beautiful!
Love it!! Get Kendrick on the remix ?
Brandy always comes from the left field and delivers! This is a hand clapping, foot stomping anthem and sounds like nothinggggg else out there. Not to add she is SINGING! Brandy sing your truth boo! F*** the haters!
Amazing and unexpected. Completely in love with this.
Another song of hers that will go nowhere.
Some artistes dont realize that their time is up.
Brandy if u were smart, u will start singing hooks and chorus for rappers like future, 2 chains, Kendrick Lamar etc to get ur name out there.
This song is going places. Shut it. She is about to make good money off this song. While u watch your favs Camilla and Normandy fall out the charts Brandy is watching her bank accounts rise from this song’s profits. She is too young to retire and too old to care about haters like you comparing her to women on the charts in their early 20s.
I beg to differ. This song will remind her fans just how fabulous she is & will continue to be!!! May GOD continue to bless you Brandy! One of my favorite artist hands down!! She never disappoints. I will be purchasing Brandy…I hope you fans will do the same!
Okay so haters will come and question why she is the vocal bible. It’s cause she does things like @1:57.
Her voice is incredible but the production leaves a lot to be desired. The production just falls flat. Could of used better songwriting too, because that line about the paparazzi should have been left out.
She’s teased better songs than this in the past 5 years.
I think people are confused on what the term “vocal bible” means? I like Brandy but the run at 1:57 is nowhere near the runs Whitney, Mariah, Tamela Mann, Luther Vandross, Patti Labelle, or even Teena Marie have done. How about “Vocal Princess”. I think every celebrity that has been in the industry past 10 years deserves some titles but calling Brandy a “vocal bible” seems weird. Do Brandy fans not know the definition of bible is “the Christian scriptures, consisting of the Old and New Testaments“. Brandy is a secular singer. I like “Vocal Princess” better as a title.
Dawn Richard called Brandy HER vocal bible years ago & the fans ran with it. The Bible is studied and Dawn along with a lot of vocalists study Brandy’s vocals. Her runs, nuances, harmonies and stylings period. It’s not that big of a deal. If she’s not your vocal bible cool. And please direct me to where any of the artists you mentioned (other than Mariah maybe) hit a run like that? Not taking away from those talented vocalists, but Brandy’s runs are anything but typical. Singers are forever stealing her vocal style and they aren’t shy about saying so. Do you even listen to her music?
Dawn Richards and anybody else who calls Brandy a “vocal bible” are NOT real vocalists! This, their opinions are meaningless. All the singers I named could easily sing outsing Brandy so dont go there. A bible is a guide and there are way too many real singers crediting Whitney and Aretha as their guides for Brandy fans to delusionally think Brandy is a better music guide than Whitney and Aretha. Brandy has a nice voice but real singers have never looked at her voice as a guide.
What Brandy fans think she’s a better singer than Aretha and Whitney? I want receipts because you’re making s*** up at this point. Stop dry hating and let Brandy fans have their moment. We don’t bother or troll any artists but y’all haters stay worrying about us. It’s alarming lol. And I can name 20 artist off the top of my head who cited Brandy as one of their favorite vocalists, and provide the receipts. Bye girl
I am not a hater. I am expressing my opinion just like you are. Your comment certainly implied Brandy is a better singer than Whitney, Aretha, and everyone else I named.
Provide receipts where real singers said Brandy was their “vocal bible”.
My comment was cut and dry with no gray area. I said to provide receipts of any of those singers doing that particular run. Don’t play dumb. Giving backhanded compliments is dry hating. It’s 7:44am. I can provide receipts after work because I do have a career. But in the meantime, you can google artists such as
Ariana Grande
Jennifer Hudson
Elle Varner
India Arie
Solange
Beyonce
Monica
JoJo
Teyana Taylor
Jhene Aiko
Kehlani
Kelly Price
Faith Evans
Lil Mo
Jazmine Sullivan
Stacey Barthe
Rihanna
Chris Brown
Sevyn Streeter
Tamar Braxton
Ciara
Normani
Fantasia
Keyshia Cole
Tori Kelly
Robert Glasper
John Legend
Tyrese
And countless others that I don’t have the time to remember have cited Brandy as a vocal inspiration, influence or fave. They may not have called her “vocal bible” per se but the respect, love and influence is there.
Stay pressed.
Oh and I can’t forget one of my favs Jessie J completely stans for her.
Stay pressed.
LOL You could not provide a single receipt of a real singer stating Brandy is their vocal bible so you are grasping at straws. Just because Jessie J recorded a duet with Brandy in 2014 does not mean she “completely stans for her.”
I agree with Jazzy completely. Brandy is a technically brilliant singer, but holds no candle to the likes of vocal juggernauts like Whitney Houston, Mariah Carey (check out the infamous run in “Lead the Way” for what I’m talking about), and Patti LaBelle…in their prime.
Oh and can’t forget one of my favs Jessie J completely stans for her.
Stay pressed.
Not really. You “completely stan” for Brandy. Jessie just recorded a duet with her but never stated Brandy was her “vocal bible.”
Jessie J speaks on duet:
“Let me tell you guys about the song. I haven’t spoken about it, I haven’t made it official, there’s a duet with one of my favorite singers, ever. It’s myself and the amazing Brandy and the song is called “Conquer the World” and the song’s about me and my best friend and how whenever you’re feeling a little bit lost, whenever you’re feeling down trust me you can conquer the world. I can’t wait for you guys to hear it.” (source)
https://www.thatgrapejuice.net/2013/07/song-jessie-hero-singer-shares-title-brandy-duet/amp/
There’s a receipt of Jessie J calling Brandy one of her favorite singers ever. You can go on IG and see her fangirling over Brandy and singing her songs. SHE reached out to HER for a feature, like all of these artists do. ??? I said many did not call her a “vocal bible” and they probably weren’t even aware of that title, but she is still TOUTED AS A FAVORITE VOCALIST OF MANY SUCCESSFUL ARTISTS. I am about to clock into work. more receipts coming at 5PM. You could actually look up receipts yourself As you have nothing better to do.
“she is still TOUTED AS A FAVORITE VOCALIST OF MANY SUCCESSFUL ARTISTS.” That means you are overvaluing Brandy’s voice. I like Brandy and will continue to support but i will never think of her or reference her as a “vocal bible” when 1. She sings secular music, and 2. Too many artists could sing her under for me to refer to a lessor voice as some type of guide.
Ethos jasmine grapejuice whatever that is a whole hater. There are a list of singers/sangers who refer to brandy as the vocal bible all u have to do is YouTube it or use your google. I hate when a hater tries to discredit a artist because they don’t like them. This woman vocals have been praised by so many. Aretha flew to see brandy on broadway in old age. Jazmine called brandy vocal bible, Keri Hilton called her that, Jhené Aiko, Fantasia, the list goes on. Stop hating it’s so tacky
I am not a hater. I expressed my opinion just like you expressed yours. You stated Aretha flew to see Brandy on Broadway. Well, Whitney flew to see Toni Braxton on Broadway. You are overvaluing Brandy’s voice while subliminally discrediting artists with stronger voices (Whitney, Mariah, Celine, Aretha, Luther, Anita, etc).
I didn’t see anyone discrediting anyone. All I see is someone throwing shots at Brandy & Her Starrz AS USUAL. Brandy Norwood is our vocal bible!!!!!! Not Mariah, Whitney, KeKe Wyatt, Yolanda Adams or whomever else you mentioned in your rant! Please build a bridge and get over it. You and everyone else who continually hates on Brandy. She made Freedom Rings specifically for people like you. This is not up for debate either. I’m too busy reveling in my faves new music to go back and forth with a hater.
You are being defensive and negative. I am NOT a hater. If you actually read the dialogue you will see I did not say anything negative about Brandy. I like Brandy. If some of her fans want to call her “Vocal Bible” then other fans have the right to express why they feel Brandy is not a vocal bible.
Do you even know what the word subliminal means? Calling Brandy a vocal bible means you are subliminally dissing singers with better range, vocal power, and vocal range (Whitney, Aretha, Luther, Patti, etc). Brandy is no authority on voice and her voice is limited to r&b music. Artists like Aretha had powerful God given voices that dominate in every genre of music (soul, r&b, jazz, gospel, blues, and opera).
I love the epic feel. It reminds me of an action movie with soulful runs and vocals lol. Kudos to Brandy because this ones dope!!
SN: that run at 1:58 is insane?
Ugh. She’s just in a class of her own. Sing it B Rocka!
Though not radio friendly, this song is a f****** masterpiece! Grammy worthy for sure. Thank you Brandy!
Brandy. Norwood. Oh. My. God. !!!! Listennnnnn she never ceases to amaze me!!! Initially the instrumental she posted on IG confused me. I was like is sis trying to give Chris Stapleton?? But like the talented b**** that she is, she came and bodied this joint!!! These vocals!!! I absolutely love it!!
Hang it, flat screen
Commitment shits on this trash
Commitment is a piece of s*** song that’s performed by a off key singer. Nobody praises Monica vocally. Get your weak ass off this post
This is Beggin & pleading part 2…the part that we NEEDED! I’m slain
I’ll give it a good day of listens before I comment ?
Don’t put Nicki on the remix or it will flop even harder. Nicki is a FUNGUS!!!!
She is singing her face off yes but not the sound I wanted or expected from Brandy. Call me crazy but I love her harmonies and sweet subdued vocal. This gives me country/western tease and that’s not hot to me. Looking forward to hearing the next offering from her.
I’m trying not to comment yet but I’ll be back to your comment lol ✅
She is singing though and I get her intent. Instead of releasing a Typical song about romance or turning up like everyone else, she decided to Bare her heart and soul on wax. I get it but I’m not vibing with it at all. At least not right now.
You gon‘ tell me that you can’t hear how much Tori Kelly‘s runs have been influenced by Brandy with that run at 1:57? Brandy was doing these runs before so many of your faves came up and they studied her. She obviously needed to share this song with her fans to tell her story and it will be interesting to see where it fits into the body of work that is the album because this is not the sound i want for the whole album.
Side note. I really hope this is a new album and not a greatest hit + new tracks because of the Brandy 25 label on the single art??! ?
This is a great song but I don’t know where it fits in today’s landscape.
She went it with the vocals but I wish there was a bit more contrast to make it more melodic.
I hope this works for her, I’m looking forward to the album.
Well that’s was surprisingly unexpected and good. If this is the sound she is going for I’m paying attention.
It’s okay to say this is Beyonce freedom inspired.. she is singing this song but it’s something that’s missing..
I agree with this comment.
I hear Sam Cooke inspiration. I even hear Sam Cooke’s song instrumental in Brandy’s song.
She peaked at the boy is mine so nice try. R.I.P 1996-2004
Coming from a b**** who name is i love black c****. U a sick b****
Songs that sold like peanuts used to be written on behalf of the masses. Today, songs address the handful of IG haters. Hence Brandy & Co.’s poor sales. Adele and her relatively-subpar vocals figured this out. Hence her massive sales. Sing many people’s struggles and some of them will buy. Who’s gonna buy a freedom song: inmates? ?
Music is art. Brandy is 40 years old. She peaked commercial many years ago. I don’t think she cares about sales anymore and I also don’t think this is a single. If you listen to the lyrics, the song is addressing many people; not only “haters”.
True! That’s what I like about it. She’s saying she gave her life only to be discarded when she got older but she found herself again and now she doesn’t care what anyone says she is going to do her no matter what.
Due respect … I disagree re: artists not caring about sales. Sales mean money to pay the label/ producers/ agents/ songwriters and, if lucky, make some profit on the investment. If Oprah or Trump paid $10m for a vanity album and only sold 100 copies, no menace to their bag. The rest depend on sales for future endeavors if they admit it or not.
Brandy is indie. She’ll mostly be lining her own pockets from now on without worrying about a middle man.
this has been on repeat and I’m just…wow! THE VOCAL BIBLE FOR A REASON!!!!!!! https://youtu.be/oMp58oVociw
I’m a Brandy stan!! And I am not feeling this song 🙁
I said the same thing Pooh. I couldn’t get into it and I listened at least 10 times already. The runs and harmonies were cute as always but I don’t care for the melody.
Currently #1 R&B ITunes Top 100 and In The Top 50 On The Main Itune Chart ?? And Mind You Monica, KMichelle, Fantasia etc Couldn’t Even Peak Past #80 On The Main ITune Chart ???? Come On BRocka ??? Sn- No Hate To The Other Artist Just Stating Facts ??♂️
Yet Monica and Fantasia singles did their thing. Monica went #1, and Fantasia #2 on the R&B adult charts.
Mentioned the other artists was unnecessary. As Brandy fans we deal with enough haters and we should not be dishing out shade to other artists.
Typo –> Mentioning**
This Is My Thing Why Was Monica Even Mentioned When She Was #1 For 2 Consecutive Weeks On Billboard And Has Been Minding Her Business? You Starz Stay Trying To Shade Monica And Maybe Some Of Her Fans Have Allowed It In The Past But B**** I Will Drag You And Ms Norwood Back To That Pumpkin Patch Whitney Found Her In On Cinderella. Brandy Is A Great Artist But She Is NOT The Alpha And Omega Of Music For If She Was No Other Artist Would Exist. Brandy Had A Cute Run. Enjoy Her Music And Leave It There But Stop Shading Monica, Fantasia, KMichelle & Other Black Independent R&B Queens Who Are Trying To Feed Their Families As Well. Its You Messy Ass Fans That Keep The Drama Going Amougst These Females But TRUST Monica Is GOOD. You Can NEVER Compete Where You Cant Compare! Talking BOUT A Vocal Bible If She So Great Where Are Her Multiple Grammys Aside From The Boy Is Mine? Oh Okay. Looks Like Monica Was Needed.
she sounds ok but the production falls flat. maybe it will sound better live. i think the problem with brandy is that she wants to be a powerhouse and though she can sing, I still hear ray j tease lol. im hoping the next one is more layed back with a solid production. i did like the part @3:37 when she said chain me. i know the next one gone be fire.
side note: im confused… is it a new album or a greatest hits LP with a few new songs? the 25th anniversary logo is throwing me off.
I thought she was independent. Some one said she’s signed to EOne.
She’s indie. eOne is more of a distribution company than record label. She has her own imprint called Brand Nu.
I Loooovveee me some Brandy but I wasn’t feeling this too much. The beat is too low and plain. She screaming poetry that no one can relate to. She needs to drop something else ASAP because my cup was filled halfway ?
Cute buzz track. You will all listen today and forget about it by Monday.
BRANDY!!!! Sing for your f****** life b****!! By the way this is NOT her first single!!! It commemorates her 25 year anniversary and if you listen very closely you can tell.
This is her first single. She’s trying to see what sticks. And stop praising her with your multiple accounts. Come on, seriously.
You must be apart of her team! Tell me more!! When’s her album release date??? Lol. B**** this is not her first single. Tgj mods please reveal me as a troll using multiple accounts????
That girl SLAYYYYYYYED that run at 1:59. DAMN BRANDY!
#33 on main iTunes chart
Facts Doing Wayyyyyyyyy Better Than A lot would have expected ?????????
that’s how we know that Beyonce cannot sing and she cannot f*** with Whitney Houston she cannot do those runs like brandy. Run it girl
Mariah can’t run either…. She can holler but she can’t run b**** cannot sing like Whitney Houston…
The song is interesting. While I don’t love or hate it I think it’s a grower. I like how Brandy can do different things vocally. Versatile vocalists are the best.
This is by far the worst Brandy single I’ve ever heard
Gotta give it to Brandy. She WAS ahead of her time in terms of being a snotty, shady, dismissive diva — buzz kill back in the 90s and early 2000s … THE epitome of celebrated fem power NOW. I wish she had stuck to her guns instead of playing nice into oblivion. She SHOULDA shaded Bey’s reliance on light skin and barely there stage costumes for chart success when Crazy In Live hit … the way she looked down dismissively upon Britney when asked if she used moisturizer, during a live interview. ? She shoulda had a Katy Perry/ Taylor Swift type of feud with Tamar for “stealing her crew” for Love & War’s success. She shoulda facepalmed Monica live while singing The Boy Is Mine. She was afraid of being branded “Xtina nasty” and missed making a longer lasting mark on pop culture a la Diana or Aretha. I guess someone musta made her low-key understand that only pretty non-black girls can get away with acting uppity. Still think her catalog WINS an armwrestling contest against Bey’s. I look forward to her dueting with Keke Wyatt or Tamar. And her Everything I Do cover is my favorite ballad of all time.
Brandy girl I love you you are definitely the triple threat black beautiful woman, talented artist and actress, and you’re humble. Your stardom is beyond my realm but I pray you continued success!! We have our love for whitney and our beloved sorority that will have us bonded in spirit for life!!
Awesome testimony Bran! We must admit that she put every inch of her soul into these vocals. Admittedly, I am not the biggest fan of the song itself but I get it. It’s her truth and Brandy deserves to sing her truth after two decades. I shall be purchasing shortly.
Too much upper range for a full song.
I listened to the entire song I didn’t cut it off I’ll give it that..
First single coming very soon!
Ro James duet dropping next week!
Duet with Daniel Caesar “Love Again” holding steady on the adult R&B charts. Possibly a video coming soon…??
My excitement for #Be7 era is off the charts!!!
That’s just it, she doesn’t have to fit in!! Y’all want everybody to be the same and sound the same, Brandy been singing melodic s*** her whole career, hell half these new girls sound and took from her. This is a new era and trust, you will get the melodic s*** from other songs on the album. For all that she has been through, Brandy needed to scream her truth and be as honest as possible for this new era. Y’all forgot what it means to be innovative in music and to tell a story.
What’s cr
What’s crazy to me is, 90s to wary 00s did not sing in the studio like this. And that’s why I never understood why she received so much praise for her vocals. However, I’m not glad she’s living up to the title. I can now hear the soulful runs and riffs in her studio cut songs. She always had harmonies but for whatever reason, failed to emote soulful emotion back then. Good ish Bran. I’m hoping you get back to a nice aesthetic now.
The song is trash. She sounds a mess on this. Vocal bible my ass! After all this time she releases a not so ready friendly song that sucks too. I’ll continue to listen to NSN, FM, and A her best three albums.
This is the kind of cathartic music an artist releases to heal themselves.
It’s not commercial or radio friendly, I can’t see any formats playing this a lot. Her key market would be Urban Adult Airplay but cant see them playing it much.
I’m happy she’s happy but I’d prefer Full Moon part 2 rather than Beggin and Pleadin p2
The production & vocals together are too noisy for my liking. However, I do like the fact that she didn’t release a typical mumble R&B song. I miss the days where R&b singers SANG!!