"Who Is She 2 U" | ||||
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Single by Brandy | ||||
from the album Afrodisiac | ||||
Released | July 27, 2004 | |||
Recorded | 2003 | |||
Studio | Hit Factory Criteria (Miami) | |||
Genre | ||||
Length |
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Label | Atlantic | |||
Songwriter(s) |
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Producer(s) |
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Brandy singles chronology | ||||
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"Who Is She 2 U" is a song by American recording artist Brandy Norwood from her fourth studio album, Afrodisiac (2004). It was written by Candice Nelson, Walter Millsap III and Timbaland, and produced by the latter. The song is built around a sample of "Instant Love" (1977) by American singer Leon Ware. Due to the inclusion of the sample, he and Jacqueline Hilliard are also credited as songwriters. Based on true events, the song describes a woman who is suspicious about her mate's awkward behavior around a seemingly unfamiliar woman. The dramatic up-tempo incorporates piano keys, flutes, chamber pop string melodies and go-go drum programming. [1]
The song was released as the album's second and final North American single in July 2004, and as its third single throughout Australia and Europe by March 2005. "Who Is She 2 U" failed to make much impact on the charts around the world, peaking at number 85 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and number 43 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart. Elsewhere, the song reached the top fifty in the United Kingdom and the top ten of the German Urban Chart. The music video for "Who Is She 2 U", directed by Jake Nava, was filmed throughout Los Angeles, California in July 2004. It features Norwood as an all-knowing narrator, who is watching the central male character's every move throughout the city while catching him in the act with various women.
In June 2002, Norwood gave birth to her daughter Sy'rai. Soon, she resumed work on her then-untitled fourth studio album with producer Mike City and companion Robert "Big Bert" Smith, the latter of which served as the album's executive producer and A&R. [2] He replaced longtime contributor and mentor Rodney "Darkchild" Jerkins, who Norwood felt was not going in the same direction creatively after all, [3] and kept her from exploring her "versatility, [her] creativity and [her] art." [4] [5] The couple eventually finished a number of demo recordings and at least four full songs until late November 2002, [6] and although Smith expected the album to drop by spring 2003 at one time or another, [3] Norwood and Big Bert ended their relationship in mid-2003, resulting in the album's delay and several personnel changes. [7] [8] Norwood eventually decided to scrap most of the project, and instead enlisted producer Timbaland, with whom the couple had previously worked on Kiley Dean's Simple Girl album, as the album's main contributor. [9] Impressed by Timbaland's input, Norwood rediscovered the musical affection, she had missed on Full Moon and its technical priority. [10]
With the help of Timbaland protégés such as Candice Nelson, Steve "Static" Garrett, and co-producer Walter Millsap III the pair worked on several tracks for Norwood's fourth album, including "Who Is She 2 U." [7] The song was one of the first songs on Afrodisiac , Norwood and Timbaland collaborated on. Incorporating a sample of the 1968 song "Instant Love," written by Jacqueline Hilliard and Leon Ware, it was penned by Nelson, Millsap and Timbaland, while production was handled by the latter two. [11] Norwood's vocals were recorded at The Hit Factory Criteria in Miami, Florida and Amerycan Recording Studios, Los Angeles, California, with production overseen by herself. [11] Timbaland and Jimmy Douglass mixed the track, while Douglass, Blake English, Demacio Castellon, Jeremal Hicks, and Halsey Quemere all assisted in the audio engineering of the track. [11] Lyrically, the song's protagonist describes a confrontation with her cheating boyfriend, who "tries to two-time, three-time and even four-time his way into multiple relationships." Described as "a caught-in-the-act tale set to throwback soul" by Newsday , [12] "Who Is She 2 U" was basically written for Norwood's female audience. "It's a song I'm sure so many females have experienced," she elaborated. "And I've definitely experienced this before, just like, 'Who's that? Let me know what's going on!'" [13] She also termed the song "reminiscent of a vintage Mary J. Blige. I was expressing my innermost feelings about life, love and relationships. It was me at my most raw. He [Timbaland] really encouraged me to do my best." [14]
In late October 2003, an early version of "Who Is She 2 U" was presented along with two other Timbaland productions on Afrodisiac, "Afrodisiac" and album cut "Finally", onto the Brandy Special Music Project account on ratethemusic.com, a website that asks people's opinions on new tracks from various artists. [14] The leaked version featured a different vocal production and ending from the one that was eventually placed on Afrodisiac. The final version of the song was first played during an interview with American hip hop DJ Funkmaster Flex on New York City radio station Hot 97. "Who Is She 2 U" was among those Afrodisiac tracks that were streamed over one million times via mtv.com 's The Leak in the week preceding the album's release in June 2004. [14]
"Who Is She 2 U" was officially announced as the album's second single in a press release from July 9, 2004. [16] While rapper Fabolous was supposed to appear on the remix of the song, his version received no official release from Atlantic Records, though it was later leaked via internet and mixtapes. [13] Other promotional remixes were produced by Jerry Santiago, Hani Albader, Josh Harris, Lenny Bertoldo, Johnny Budz, Davidson Ospina, duo Ean Sugarman and Vincent di Pasquale, and Eric "E-Smoove" Miller. [17] Fellow R&B singer Usher, who was reportedly expected to appear on the album at one time or another, re-recorded the song on his own prior to the single's release in the United States, replacing parts of Norwood's vocals for a male perspective. [18] While it received no official release nor was promoted by Atlantic, because of clearance issues concerning Usher's vocals, the unofficial duet version received some airplay, mostly on mix shows, in the US. [15]
First released in the United States as the second single from Afrodisiac, "Who Is She 2 U" debuted and peaked at number 85 on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart in the week of August 28, 2004. [19] the fifth-highest debut of the week. [19] A significant departure from previous runs, the song eventually became Norwood's lowest-charting, video-accompanied single on the Billboard Hot 100 by then. [1] Just as previous single "Talk About Our Love" the track was more successful on Billboard's component charts. "Who Is She 2 U" reached number 20 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles Sales chart and number 31 on the Hot Singles Sales chart, as well as the top 50 of the on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay and Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs charts. [20] The remix single also peaked at number two on the Hot Dance Singles Sales chart. [21]
Outside North America, Who Is She 2 U" was preceded by Afrodisiac's title track and served as the album's third single as well as a promotional single in support of Norwood's first best of album, The Best of Brandy (2005). In April 2005, the song reached number 50 on the UK Singles Chart and number 99 on the Australian Singles Chart, both positions also being Norwood's lowest-charting peaks on those particular charts up to then. [22] [23] While it failed to chart on the German Singles Chart, "Who Is She 2 U" managed to reach number 7 on the German Urban Chart. [24] The song also peaked at number 14 on the UK R&B Singles Chart. [25]
The accompanying music video for "Who Is She 2 U", filmed by English director Jake Nava, was photographed in various locations throughout Los Angeles in the week of July 5, 2004. [13] Choreographed by Laurie Ann Gibson, the video harks back on authentic street sensibility, showing Norwood in normal neighborhood settings. [13] "I wanted to be fashion-forward, so we're going to give the girl a little fashion," she stated in an interview with MTV News while shooting. "It's going to be young and fun and sexy, but not over the top – still down to earth." [13] Fabolous was originally expected to sign on to shoot additional scenes for a remixed version of the clip; however, plans weren't put into practice. [13] "Who Is She 2 U" premiered at the end of its BET making of episode of Access Granted on August 24, 2004. [13]
In the video, Norwood plays an all-seeing, all-knowing narrator, who gives the central male character pause with her wicked glances that let him know she is watching his every move. The pursuit starts with the singer performing the first lines of her song in the back of a cruising bus, while observing her boarding man next to a female, both discussing vehemently with each other. She is constantly moving and dancing, before the scene shifts to a scaffolding in front of a fenced building, where she performs the chorus in dusty backgrounds. The next scene shows her standing under a traffic light at a plied crossing, wearing a grey outfit and large glasses, wherefrom she enters a nearby barber shop and performs afresh in a hairdresser chair. At the same time, the camera shows her man flirting with two girls. The video ends with a backflash on all locations Norwood was seen at, also catching the daytime in front of the sinking sun. [13]
All tracks written by Walter Millsap III, Candice Nelson, Timothy Mosley, Jacqueline Hilliard, and Leon Ware. [26]
No. | Title | Producer(s) | Length |
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1. | "Who Is She 2 U" (Radio Edit) | 3:47 | |
2. | "Who Is She 2 U" (Josh Harris Old School Edit) | 3:53 | |
3. | "Who Is She 2 U" (Davidson Ospina Edit) | 4:01 |
No. | Title | Producer(s) | Length |
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1. | "Who Is She 2 U" (Hani Club Mix) | 7:58 | |
2. | "Who Is She 2 U" (Josh Harris Old School Club Mix) | 6:24 | |
3. | "Who Is She 2 U" (FTL Club Mix) | 7:45 | |
4. | "Who Is She 2 U" (E-Smoove Bump Mix) | 6:38 | |
5. | "Who Is She 2 U" (Johnny Budz Club Mix) |
| 6:14 |
6. | "Who Is She 2 U" (Hani Dub) | 6:10 | |
7. | "Who Is She 2 U" (Sugar Dib Solo Dub) | 8:12 | |
8. | "Who Is She 2 U" (FTL Dub Mix) | 7:14 | |
9. | "Who Is She 2 U" (Josh Harris Alternative Mix) | 4:30 | |
10. | "Who Is She 2 U" (Pull's Passionate Mix) | 4:16 |
Notes
Credits are lifted from the liner notes of Afrodisiac. [28]
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Chart (2004–2005) | Peak position |
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Australia (ARIA) [22] | 99 |
Australian Urban (ARIA) [29] | 22 |
Germany (Deutsche Urban Charts) [24] | 7 |
Netherlands (Urban Top 100) [30] | 61 |
UK Singles (OCC) [23] | 50 |
UK Hip Hop/R&B (OCC) [25] | 14 |
US Billboard Hot 100 [19] | 85 |
US Dance Singles Sales ( Billboard ) [21] Remixes | 2 |
US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs ( Billboard ) [20] | 43 |
Region | Date | Format(s) | Label | Ref. |
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United States | July 27, 2004 | Atlantic | [31] [32] | |
August 10, 2004 | 12-inch vinyl | |||
October 12, 2004 | 12-inch vinyl (Dance Mixes) | |||
October 19, 2004 | Maxi CD | |||
United Kingdom | March 21, 2005 | CD | [36] | |
Australia | April 11, 2005 | Maxi CD | Warner Music | [37] |
Brandy Rayana Norwood, better known mononymously as Brandy, is an American singer, songwriter and actress. Her sound is characterized by heavy voice-layering and melisma. As of 2024, she has sold over 40 million records worldwide, with approximately 8.62 million albums sold in the United States. Her work has earned her numerous awards and accolades, including a Grammy Award and an American Music Award.
Brandy is the debut studio album by American singer Brandy. It was released on September 27, 1994, by Atlantic Records. Chiefly produced by Keith Crouch, the album contains a range of contemporary genres, including hip-hop, pop-soul, and R&B. Aside from Crouch, Norwood worked with a range of other writers and producers, including R&B group Somethin' for the People, Arvel McClinton, and Damon Thomas.
Afrodisiac is the fourth studio album by American singer Brandy. It was released on June 25, 2004, by Atlantic Records. The album was recorded primarily in Los Angeles between spring 2003 and early 2004, following several major changes in Brandy's personal and professional life. After giving birth to her daughter and the demise of her relationship with Big Bert, Brandy's team was given an overhaul, including changes in production, management, and A&R. The album marked a departure from her previous work, with Brandy collaborating with producer Timbaland and songwriter Candice Nelson on the majority of the album's composition.
The Best of Brandy is the first greatest hits album by American singer Brandy. It was released on March 28, 2005 by Atlantic Records, completing her contract with the label after being signed since 1994. The album comprises nearly all of Norwood's 1994–2004 singles, compiling her first four studio albums Brandy (1994), Never Say Never (1998), Full Moon (2002) and Afrodisiac (2004), as well as songs she contributed to film soundtracks such as Waiting to Exhale (1995) and Set It Off (1996).
"Talk About Our Love" is a song recorded by American singer Brandy for her fourth studio album Afrodisiac (2004). It was written by Kanye West, who also appears as a featured artist on it, and Harold Lilly, while production was handled by the former. Due to the song's use of a sample of Mandrill's 1978 song "Gilly Hines", band members Claude Cave II, and Carlos, Louis, and Ricardo Wilson are also credited as writers. Lyrically, "Talk About Our Love" is about a relationship lacking support from family and friends.
"Afrodisiac" is a song by American recording artist Brandy. It was written by Isaac Phillips, Kenisha Pratt, Kenneth Pratt and Timbaland for her same-titled fourth studio album (2004), with production was handled by the latter. One of the first songs Norwood and Timbaland collaborated on, the record is an uptempo–offbeat contemporary R&B song with pop and dance-pop elements, built along on a flute, Afro-Caribbean music influences and 1980s electro sounds. Considered by Norwood as one of her favorites on the album, the track expresses a female's addictive passion for a special person, whom she declares her very own aphrodisiac.
"What About Us?" is a song by American singer Brandy from her third studio album, Full Moon (2002). It was written by LaShawn Daniels, Rodney Jerkins, Kenisha Pratt, Nora Payne and Norwood, featuring main production by Jerkins. An offbeat, aggressive high-tech track, the song's development was motivated by the fact that the singer wanted something different–an aggressive, sexier and edgier sound with a message which would empower women while also reflecting her own growth and maturity.
"Top of the World" is a song by American singer Brandy Norwood, from her second studio album, Never Say Never (1998). The song was written by Rodney "Darkchild" Jerkins, Fred Jerkins III, LaShawn Daniels, Isaac Phillips, Nycolia "Tye-V" Turman, and Mason Betha, with Darkchild and Norwood producing and Mase having featured vocals. Released as the album's second international single in 1998, the track peaked at number two on the UK Singles Chart and reached the top 20 in Iceland, Ireland, and New Zealand.
"Have You Ever?" is a song by American recording artist Brandy for her second studio album, Never Say Never (1998). The song was written by Diane Warren, while production was handled by David Foster. It was released as the album's third single by Atlantic Records in October 1998. The song became Norwood's second song to reach the top position on the US Billboard Hot 100, following the worldwide chart-topping of "The Boy Is Mine". The former further reached number one in New Zealand, number two in Iceland, number eight in Australia, and the top 30 in Canada, Ireland, and the United Kingdom.
"Angel in Disguise" is a song recorded by American singer Brandy for her second studio album Never Say Never (1998). It was written by Rodney "Darkchild" Jerkins, Fred Jerkins III, LaShawn Daniels, Traci Hale, and Tye-V Turman, and was produced by Jerkins along with Brandy. The song was recorded and mixed by audio engineer Dave Way at the Pacifique Recording Studios in North Hollywood, California and features prominent backing vocals by singer Joe.
"U Don't Know Me (Like U Used To)" is a song by American recording artist Brandy Norwood. It was written by Isaac Phillips, Paris Davis, Sean Bryant, Rodney "Darkchild" Jerkins, and Norwood for her second studio album Never Say Never (1998). Production was handled by Jerkins, with additional production from Norwood.
American singer Brandy Norwood entered the music business as a backing vocalist for R&B boy bands such as Immature, prior to launching her own career in 1994. Her discography, as a solo artist, includes eight studio albums, one compilation album, one extended play, 42 singles, 46 album appearances and 26 soundtrack appearances. Norwood has sold over 8.6 million albums in the United States, and more than 40 million records worldwide. Additionally, she has won over 100 awards as a recording artist. In 1999, Billboard ranked Norwood among the top 20 of the Top Pop Artists of the 1990s.
"Sittin' Up in My Room" is a song by American recording artist Brandy. It was written and produced by Babyface and recorded by Norwood for the soundtrack of the 1995 film Waiting to Exhale, starring Whitney Houston and Angela Bassett. The song was among five of the album's singles and peaked at number two on the US Billboard Hot 100, seeing Norwood's furthest commercial success on the chart at that time. The bass intro is similar to that of the riff performed by bassist Larry Graham, of Sly and the Family Stone, on their hit "Thank You ", and its remix featuring LL Cool J contains a sample of "Haven't You Heard" by Patrice Rushen.
"Best Friend" is a song by American singer Brandy Norwood. It was written by Keith Crouch and Glenn McKinney for her self-titled debut studio album, Brandy (1994), while production was helmed by the former. The song was dedicated to her brother Ray J.
"Turn It Up" is a song by American singer Brandy Norwood from her fourth studio album, Afrodisiac (2004). It was written by Timbaland along with protégé Walter Millsap III and Candice Nelson, while production was helmed by the former. The song was recorded at the Hit Factory Criteria and mixed by Jimmy Douglass in Miami, Florida. An uptempo R&B song, which also contains elements of rap, bounce music, and old school hip hop, the track serves as musical tribute to the early 1990s. Built on a pounding drum pattern and Timbaland's beatboxing, in "Turn It Up", Norwood expresses her desire to collaborate with the producer on a nostalgic club banger to assume her position atop the game.
"Should I Go" is a song by American recording artist Brandy Norwood from her fourth studio album, Afrodisiac (2004). It was written by Walter Millsap III, his collaborative partner Candice Nelson, and mentor Timbaland, while production was helmed by the latter. "Should I Go" is built on percussive beats, syncopated handclaps and a piano riff that samples British alternative rock band Coldplay's song "Clocks", written by Guy Berryman, Jonny Buckland, Will Champion, and Chris Martin for their second album, A Rush of Blood to the Head (2002). Lyrically, Norwood as the protagonist openly talks about contemplating stepping away from the music business, admitting that she is trying to figure out where she fits in today.
"Right Here (Departed)" is a song by American recording artist Brandy Norwood. It was written by Rodney "Darkchild" Jerkins and The Writing Camp members Evan "Kidd" Bogart, Victoria Horn, Erika Nuri, and David "DQ" Quiñones and produced by Jerkins for her fifth studio album, Human (2008). Not recorded until late into the production of the album, it set much of the tone for the final Human track listing as it was the first out of several new songs Norwood and Jerkins recorded together following his absence on her previous album Afrodisiac (2004). Its lyrics chronicle a woman's talks about mutual support with loved ones.
Human is the fifth studio album by American singer Brandy. It was released on December 5, 2008 by Epic Records, Knockout Entertainment and Koch Records. The album was Norwood's debut Epic Records release, following her split with Atlantic Records in 2005, and her reunion with longtime collaborator and mentor Rodney "Darkchild" Jerkins, who executively produced and wrote most of the album with his songwriting collective.
"Long Distance" is a song by American recording artist Brandy Norwood. It was written by Bruno Mars, Philip Lawrence, Jeff Bhasker, and Rodney "Darkchild" Jerkins, and was co-produced by Jerkins and Mars for her fifth studio album Human (2008) based on a demo by Mars. It appears as the seventh track on the album on which it is interluded by a telephone conversation between two lovers. The lyrics of the piano–led power ballad describe the protagonist's emotional state towards an ongoing long-distance relationship, which leaves her in depression.
Two Eleven is the sixth studio album by American recording artist Brandy. Released on October 16, 2012, it served as the singer's debut release with Chameleon Entertainment and RCA Records after departing from Epic Records soon after releasing her previous album, Human (2008). The album's title is taken from Norwood's birthday; it is also the day on which her idol and friend, entertainer Whitney Houston died eight months before Two Eleven's release.
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